DELIBERATE UTILITY

File this under: Where was this when I needed it?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

DELIBERATELY QUOTED

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 16:00:00 +0000

"Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense."
~ Gertrude Stein

What I've Learned About Evernote

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Recently, one of my best friends sent me a note via Twitter asking me to review Evernote for this blog. I immediately thought to myself, “No problem”. I already use Evernote. I’ve been using it since October 19, 2009. How did I remember this? That’s the date I received the Evernote Welcome message. I never deleted the note.

What is Evernote? Simply stated, Evernote is an application which allows you to capture information that holds significant value to you and stores it in a server cloud for access via multiple devices.

I’ve discussed cloud computing previously. In January 2010, I published a post which discussed how cloud computing is slowly creeping into our everyday lives. Evernote is yet another example.

In the January post, I posed three questions which were interesting to me. I’ve reposted them here for your consideration.

How much personal information are you willing to store on servers located on the internet?
Are you willing to pay to have access to this data from anywhere (if so, how much)?
What criteria should a service meet in order to gain your trust?

The first question is an individual choice. The last two questions can be addressed by software developers. The developers at Evernote have done an excellent job gaining the trust of millions of users while convincing many of them to pay for premium access .

Here is a bit of history. With the release of their open beta in June of 2008, Evernote began accepting new members. With that launch Evernote introduced a premium account plan along with the free plan. Premium users receive an increased upload quota of 1 gigabytes per month. Premium users also receive enhanced security for data transmission, advanced collaboration (allows others to edit your notes), the ability to upload any file-type, and premium customer support. The premium account costs $5/month or $45/year. Based on Evernote’s success in converting free subscribers to premium, the question of if users are willing to pay for access to their own data is - yes.

Evernote has become part of my workflow for several reasons. The most important of which is Evernote is a cross platform application. This means that there is a version of this app for all the major operating systems - OSX, Windows, iOS, and Android. I have at least one device of each OS type. There’s also Evernote Web. Cross platform access from multiple devices removes many of the obstacles which prevent me from obtaining the exact information I need, immediately.

All of your notes (unless stored in a local - that is, not synchronized - notebook) are synchronized to Evernote on the Web. Evernote's servers house a copy of all synced notes because all of the Evernote client applications, both mobile and desktop, connect to Evernote on the web to get the latest version of the notes for you.

Evernote's service and software applications are arranged in what's called a "hub-and-spoke" configuration. This means that every single sync operation that takes place will involve Evernote on the web (the "hub"). For instance, if you initiate a sync from Evernote on your desktop computer, any new or updated content will be uploaded to Evernote on the Web so it will be ready to be downloaded when any of your other devices (eg. Android mobile) initiate a subsequent sync.

Just as your devices connect to Evernote on the web to get the latest version of your notes, you can also access your Evernote notebooks through the Evernote Web interface.

Getting started with Evernote is breeze - download the app, install it on your device(s), then sign up for an account. Once these steps are complete, you’ll be ready to start creating notes. Notes are the basic building blocks of Evernote. Everything stored in Evernote is stored in a note. Each note can contain one or more the following:

Plain or rich text
Images (dragged from either your desktop or web browser)
PDF files
Any file (Premium users only)

All notes have a series of attributes (that is, pieces of information about the note itself) that can be used for searching or filtering your notes, including:

The date the note was created and, if applicable, modified
The location where the note was created, expressed as a set of GPS coordinates
A URL if the note's content was clipped from the web (optional)
The notebook where the note lives

Evernote allows you to separate your notes into named containers called Notebooks. How you organize your notes is up to you, but it's not uncommon to have a separate notebook for each project you're working on or a specific area of your life (i.e. recipes).

Evernote notebooks can be one of two types: Local or Synchronized. Local notebooks will only exist on the computer where they are created and are not synchronized to Evernote on the web. Notes that live in synchronized notebooks will be synchronized to Evernote on the web and to the rest of your Evernote-enabled devices.

Just like notebooks are containers that hold notes, Evernote offers the ability to add an additional level of organization to your notes by grouping your notebooks into containers called stacks. Stacks allow you to group your notebooks however you like into named containers that make sense for you.

To add an additional level of organization to your notes, you can also give notes a tag. Tags are pieces of text that are attached to notes to help describe the note's contents. I have tags for ‘recipes’, ‘emails’, and next ‘actions’ to name a few.

As stated earlier, Evernote is a very popular application. Evernote’s popularity stems from the fact this application helps to simplify workflows and keep track of ideas in near real-time. For a few details on how Evernote manages to help so many users, I’ll discuss a few aspects of the application which should help illuminate its value.

Getting information into Evernote
Evernote search
Evernote options and tips

1. Getting Information into Evernote

If you’ve read this far, then you’re probably convinced that Evernote is worth consideration. The next step is to downloaded and install the software so you can try it out. Now, create an account with Evernote.

Once all that is complete, getting information into Evernote is simple. Launch the app on your computer or handheld device. Touch the ‘New Note’ icon. Start typing.

You can give the note a ‘Title’ and add text in the text box. The process here is exactly like that of writing an email message.

2. Evernote search
This is the gem of Evernote in my opinion. As the amount of information you save in Evernote grows, you’ll really appreciate the utility of Evernote's powerful search capabilities. The search field may look like a simple text search field, but the advance search syntax available in Evernote gives you the ability to search for notes based on several criteria. You can search based on the date a note was created, the type of media (audio, images, etc.) it contains — even by the location where the note was created if you tagged it accordingly.

Page 12 of the Evernote for Mac User-guide provides a list of the most common search operators available, complete with examples.

What makes Evernote search even more special is the fact that you can save a search. If you find yourself consistently completing the same search over and over, then create a ‘New Saved Search’. Saved searches are synchronized to Evernote on the Web and available on all of your Evernote-enabled devices, including mobile devices.

3. Evernote options and tips
One of the major ways in which I take advantage of Evernote is with the Web Clipper add-on. The Web Clipper add-on allows you to save content from the web (via a browser plug-in) to your Evernote account. The content you clip can be an entire article, the full page, or simply the URL. Did you stumble upon a great idea for a new recipe? Then, clip the webpage and place it into your Evernote notebook along with all your other recipes.

Evernote also provides the ability to clip from an email account. This is especially handy if you need help cutting through all the noise created by the constant barrage of email throughout the day. Evernote supports clipping messages, attachments and even multiple emails. Clipping email messages can help you focus on the tasks required to be productive instead of you constantly living in your inbox watching for the next urgent diversion.

Another tip, download Ron’s Evernote Tips notebook (oh - yeah, you can selectively share notebooks you’ve created with others). Ron’s Evernote Tips can be found here. One of the more interesting tips provided by Ron is the Evernote-Twitter integration. With these two linked, you're able to archive your favorite tweets. And, when you integrate Evernote with Twitter, you'll be able to send notes directly to your Evernote account through Twitter.

Final tip - it’s worthwhile to watch some of the quick tutorial videos that Evernote has made available here.

Give Evernote a try and let me know how you use it. I’m always eager to learn from others how to squeeze a little more productivity out of my day.

Suggested Evernote related reading:

Evernote's Three Laws of Data Protection

Evernote User Guides

Ron’s Evernote Tips Tumblr

Evernote Wikipedia

I Forgot I Wanted That!

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 01:23:00 +0000

Buying stuff should be fun.

Remembering ALL the stuff you want to buy should be easy.

Amazon's Universal Wish List makes it simple to keep track of all the *stuff* you come across as you "window-shop" the internet.

What makes Amazon's Universal Wish-List Universal?

Amazon has set it up so that you can add items from any website to the list you create on their site.

Simply install the proper extension for your default browser and your all set.

At this point, you might be asking yourself why I'm writing about this.

The answer is two-fold.

I've been looking for an effective method to keep track of all the impulse items that I run across when I'm browsing. Who knows - maybe one day I'll decide to spend the loot on those headphones.
I realized that I can also use Amazon's Wish-Lists to keep track of gift ideas that are "hinted" at by loved ones during the course of everyday conversation.

Basically, this is something that has helped me so I thought it might help you.

This idea is nothing new. Merlin Mann had a post about how to use Amazon's wish list on his 43 Folders blog way back in 2004.

If only I had known then what I know now.

Check out my list. No - I don't expect you to buy me anything. Unless......

Looking for some Peace & Quiet @ work?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:38:00 +0000

Some call me cheap.

I prefer “utilitarian”.

As an example - these are my Open-Office noise canceling headphones.

If you, too, work in an open-office - get a pair (or, 200).

… way cheaper than the Bose equivalent.

What Happened to Google?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Google just keeps getting better! This is one company that has definitely been busy simplifying my digital life. If you don't know what I'm talking about - read on. The products released by Google over the past couple of months are nothing short of amazing.

For most - Apple has garnered the majority of press. As you're probably aware, Apple released the iPad and the iPhone-4. Both made news (for vastly different reasons). Google on the other hand has been relatively low-key, or so it seems.

Anyone who is really serious about discovering the edge that improved personal technology can provide didn't miss the advances Google has made. I've listed some my favorite new Google applications below.

The application for these services should be pretty straight forward. Nonetheless, I'll spend some time over the next couple of posts describing how I use them. In the meantime, try some of them. I'll be surprised if they don't impress you.

On a side note - if you don't have a Gmail account, then you're really missing out. I highly recommend signing up for one. You won't be disappointed.

Time to talk about the iPad (Kinda)

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:30:00 +0000

Over the past couple of weeks, there's been plenty of coverage in the media about Apple's iPad. So much - that I felt no need to mention anything on my blog about it. Until now.

First, let me say that I'm happy Apple is bringing some much needed attention to the tablet product space. In my mind, an inexpensive tablet makes for a perfect coffee-table computer. You know - something you grab while watching TV to check something on the 'net. Maybe you use it to play a quick game during commercials or to jot down a quick note to yourself as a reminder....

Or, you could use it to get caught up with Ironman, Spiderman, or X-Men. Panelfly has been making comics available in your back-pocket for some time now with their iPhone/iPod-Touch App. Now - wth the introduction of the iPad, they finally have a form factor which makes perfect sense for their product. Panelfly will introduce an optimized version of the popular comic book reader for the iPad in March 2010.

I still think the iPad is over-priced but I could get with a color eReader if content like this is going to be available.

DELIBERATELY QUOTED

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Technology... the knack of so arranging the world that we don't have to experience it.
~Max Frisch

Who Needs Rosetta Stone?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:52:00 +0000

First, I have to admit that I'm a huge fan of Google. I use Gmail, Google Reader for RSS feeds, Blogger, and I've been trying to convince myself that dropping a half a G on the Nexus 1 makes sense in some way. All that said - you really have to admit that (if what you're about to read is true), Google is about to make life for international travelers a whole lot easier.

What is Google working on? Ans: software for a phone which will translate foreign languages automatically and in real-time. Check out the story here.

Here's the Fantasy Football App of 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:23:00 +0000

According to the Wall Street Journal, the NFL is planning to make a version of their RedZone service available on cell-phones. If you play fantasy football and are busy with family or work activities on Sunday, then this is a godsend. If you have a smartphone, you will be able to check your players performance AND monitor the critical scoring possessions at your leisure. Check out the story here: NFL RedZone on Phones

The Future Search Engine?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:24:00 +0000

The video in this post is from Project Natal (a new form of gaming interactivity for the X-Box). The concept illustrated is cool in and of itself - no doubt. But - what if you could use this to search the internet? Yeah - it's nice to just get straight to the point sometimes when doing an internet search. But, it'd also be nice to run some ideas past an impartial party while you're trying to find that special gift for someone or looking for the name of that song you loved 15 years ago but all you remember are a few lyrics. I imagine that Milo could be programmed with some artificial intelligence to do searches in the background while you were bouncing ideas off of it during the course of a completely natural conversation.

Anyway, take 5 minutes out of your day to check out this video. It's pretty sweet. If this is the future of interactive gaming, then we're a lot closer to what we were fed 20 years ago in sci-fi movies than I realized. Heck, I might have to go get an XBOX on GP.

DELIBERATELY QUOTED

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:43:00 +0000

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.
- Mark Kennedy

Deliberately INUTILE?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:48:00 +0000

Every now and then - I come across a product which, superficially, appears to be useful but really serves no purpose whatsoever. Today, I have a winner. Check out the story at the link below

MP3 Player for Your Unborn Baby

Now, I'm sure the manufacturer put a lot of thought into this product. And, it appears to be well designed. But - to all the mothers in the world, what ever happened to singing or humming to your baby?

But hey - I couldn't have a baby if I wanted one (see - I'm male). To the women that read this post, would you buy this if/when you get pregnant? I'm just curious.

Wanna Keep that YOUTUBE video for yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:54:00 +0000

One of the primary objectives of this blog is directing readers to "tools" which will simplify an activity. YouTube, for example, has greatly simplified the distribution of video content on the internet. It made my list of Favorite Deliberate Utilities of the 00's. So - when a friend emailed me a question which, in my mind, would make YouTube even better, I was taken a little aback.

Here is the back story on why I'm writing this post. Recently, I received a request from a close friend asking me how to DOWNLOAD video from YouTube. Personally, I'd never thought much about that. Upon reading the email I thought to myself, "isn't YouTube's existence predicated on the fact that you can upload and share video with the world? Surely, you can't download stuff."

I was wrong*.

In the event you want to download a video from YouTube, check this link out: Saving YouTube video as MP4

The meat of the instructions starts at the "Add a bookmarklet" section. There is even a handy video guide directing you on how to save a video from YouTube using the Bookmarklet.

Have a great weekend.

* Not all videos have the option to download enabled. Only certain videos have this feature.

My Head is in the Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:30:00 +0000

Something that I'll refer to as "cloud creep" is upon us and you may not even be aware of it.

A simple definition of cloud computing: using servers hosted on the internet for data storage and management. This definition may still be too technical for many.

Instead, I suggest you think about these questions:

1. Do you use a web-based email service (Yahoo, GMail, etc)?
2. Do you share pictures online using a service like Flickr, Photobucket, or Picassa?
3. Do you have remote access to files on your computer?
4. Do you want your schedule synchronized between your phone, work and personal computer - in real time?
5. Do you download or stream entertainment from the internet (movies, music, games...)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then say hello to cloud computing.

Why is my head in the cloud? The answer is simple. As cloud computing has slowly crept into my life, I'm faced with a few new questions that I'd like your help with.

- How much personal information are you willing to store on servers located on the internet?
- Are you willing to pay to have access to this data from anywhere (if so, how much)?
- What criteria should a service meet in order to gain your trust?

My Favorite Deliberate Utilities of the '00s

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:30:00 +0000

You'll see in the header for this blog that I've defined a Deliberate Utility as "A system or device which is elegant, productive, and simplifies an action".

Even more simply stated - a Deliberate Utility is designed use-ability. It's a product or service which is so simple to use and effective that it permeates our lives, effortlessly. Its use becomes second nature almost over night. Think - running water or email.

Anyway - as the '00s have closed, I thought it would be interesting to make a list of the personal technology products that impacted my life with the greatest ease over the past 10 years.

1. Wi-Fi (it took all of 10 mins to set my first access point up - instant internet mobility).
2. MP3 Players (iPod obviously changed the game but it wasn't the first MP3 player)
3. USB Drives (does anyone remember the floppy? what about ZIP discs?)
4. MapQuest (what was life like before you could look up driving directions on the 'net?)
5. YouTube (little known fact, YouTube is the second most utilized search tool)
6. TiVO (From bulky VCR tapes to hard-drive storage and time-shifting... seemed like overnight)
7. The iPhone (while I don't own one, I respect what it did to the smartphone market)
8. RSS feeds + news readers (all the news I want in one place.... nice)
9. Pandora (this tool redefined internet radio for me)
10. Facebook (it's amazing how easily you can reconnect with your past)

Feel free to chime in with a similar list of your own. I'd love to read what others found as their deliberate utilities over the past 10 years.

2010 Deliberate Utility 10 Wants

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:51:00 +0000

1. A decent battery powered digital picture frame. (None of my other picture frames require a power cord)

2. Multi-touch on the new Google Phone - Nexus One. (This will probably be my next phone)

3. XMPP support for Yahoo's Instant Messenger. (I'd rather use Google Talk or iChat but all my friends are on Y! IM)

4. The end of AT&T’s iPhone Exclusivity (It's time)

5. Mass commercial availability of lossless digital recordings (I'm kind of a audio quality snob, 320kbps or higher is a requirement for my MP3 library)

6. A webcam that can be used with large flat panel televisions (It'd be cool to have a video call w/ my family on my 42" from the comfort of my couch)

7. A break-through in battery technology which drastically improves storage capacity (It's 2010, I should rarely have to plug my laptop in the wall by now)

8. An online service that sells vinyl LPs and delivers the MP3 file of the album as an instant download (Personally, I like the sound of vinyl better than CDs but, I don't want to take the time to convert a vinyl album to MP3)

9. High quality audio streaming from the internet in my car (think Pandora in your car - SUUHWEET!)

10. A NCAA D1 Football Playoff! (Sorry, I just watched the Fiesta Bowl)

Blu-Ray versus DVD - Is it time to buy?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:48:00 +0000

I found this chart on Gizmodo which illustrates the decline in price of Blue-Ray versus DVD players over time.

I don't currently own a Blue Ray player. I have recently thought about purchasing one. It seems to me that the price is just about where it should be to get my attention.

A couple of things struck me as interesting regarding Gizmodo's post.

First, I wonder what drives people to adopt certain technology early in the product life-cycle (Year 0 on the chart)? As you might (or might not) recall, when Blue Ray was first introduced there was a competing technology called HD-DVD available.

Many people purchased either an HD-DVD player or a Blue Ray player well before the dust settled. In doing so, these individuals paid a premium for the technology well before it was mature or the winning format was clear.

Blue Ray won the format battle.

Second - since I don't own a Blue Ray player and I doubt that Blue Ray has really grabbed mass acceptance, I'm really starting to wonder if Blue Ray is just an interim technological step which will ultimately be forgotten or replaced.

Certainly, I'm going to do a little research before I make my purchasing decision. I'll keep you updated on my findings as I learn more about the Blue Ray market place.

Bluetooth Speakerphone Problem SOLVED!

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:05:00 +0000

My first blog post topic was about my problems with bluetooth speakerphones. To recap - I simply wanted a device which would allow me to make and receive phone calls in my car without placing myself or anyone else in danger. I'd tried several models and all of them were terrible for one reason or another.

Well - today, I can confidently state that my problem has been solved. I've found two models that work very well.

The first (pictured on the left) is the Parrot Minikit Slim. This bluetooth speakerphone has exceptional audio quality, is very compact, and is a breeze to use. The only issue I have with it is the build quality. The visor clip is very flimsy. If the visors in your car are too thick, then this bluetooth speaker phone might very well fall off. As a result, I've found myself using this handsfree device as a speakerphone in my home more often then in my car. It's great for those times when you will be holding a long conversation with someone and you don't want to hold a phone to your ear. You can pick this speaker phone up at Fry's for $79.99.

I initially went to Fry's looking for the second bluetooth speakerphone pictured above but they were sold out (probably a good sign I thought to myself). The second (pictured on the right) is the MOTOROKR T505. This device was recommended to me by a friend (Thanks, Brian O!). This speakerphone works great. The build quality is solid. And, it has one feature that really makes this product worth the price. This speakerphone has a FM transmitter which will allow you transmit the audio from callers through your car's speakers (not a requirement in my mind but a definite nice-to-have). At $99.99, this unit cost a little more than I had initially wanted to pay (I got mine at Best Buy). But, this speakerphone is definitely worth the extra $20.

Long story - short, if you ever decide to purchase a bluetooth speakerphone for in-car or in-home use, you can't go wrong with either of these models. You certainly could pay less but my experience has taught me that you get what you pay for with these devices.

Sony Reader Daily Edition - First Look

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:19:00 +0000

I've spent a bit of time during the holidays scouring the internet for reviews and hands-on videos of the Sony Reader Daily Edition. During my latest search, I found this really nice "First Look" video.

The reviewer goes through a fairly comprehensive walk through of this device. She illustrates all the major functions and provides a really nice overview of the hardware (including a brief size comparison to the Kindle DX).

I've almost made my decision about dropping $400 on this device. I'll be taking another glance at the Kindle DX just to be sure.

In the meantime - if you are in the market for an E-Reader, this video will give you a good overview of Sony's latest product. It runs for a bit over 13 minutes. Relax and enjoy.

eBook Readers: A Side by Side Comparison

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:14:00 +0000

I know it's a little late to start evaluating eBook Readers for a Christmas purchase. From what I've read, both the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Sony Reader - Daily Edition are completely sold out until mid-January/early February.

However, it never hurts to have some concise information about these readers in your back pocket should the conversation about these devices come up in the near future. I, for one, have to start thinking about birthday and Valentine's Day gifts really soon.

I put together a comparison table so that I could get a better grip on what options were (or weren't) available for each of the major brands. I'm posting it here for you to review. Hopefully, it will help. I'm sorry that I didn't get this up well before Christmas eve.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

Spec's	Barnes-Noble Nook	Amazon Kindle	Sony Reader Daily Edition
Retail Price	$259	489.00	$399.99
Charge Time	3h 30m-wall / 6h-USB	Not Available	2h 30m-wall / 5h-USB
Reading Screen	6in diag (800x600)	9.7in diag (1200x824)	7.1in diag (600x1024)
Touch Screen	Semi-bottom portion, only	No	Yes
Audio Player - Music	Yes - MP3	Yes - MP3	Yes - MP3 and AAC
Audio Books	Yes	Yes + Text to Speech	No
Wireless Connection	Cellular and Wi-Fi	Cellular Only	Cellular Only
Wireless Provider	ATT	Sprint	ATT
Speakers and Headphone	Yes	Yes	Headphone Only
Built-In Storage	2GB	4GB	1.6GB
Add'l Storage Slot	Y - microSD or SDHC	No	Y - SD or MemoryStick
Replaceable Battery	Y	N	N
Visible Pg #	Y	N	Y
Keyboard	On Screen	Physical	On Screen
Orientation	Portrait / Limited Landscape	Portrait OR Landscape	Portrait OR Landscape
eBook Format	EPUB, PDB, PDF	Kindle or PDF	EPUB, PDF, BBeB, Text, RTF, Word
Dictionary	Y - EPUB and PDB, only	Yes	Yes
Bookmarking	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Highlights	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Notes	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Page Mark-up / Handwriting	No	No	Y - w/Stylus or Finger
Drawing	No	No	Y - w/Stylus or Finger
Picture Viewing	No	Y - JPEG and GIF	Y - JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Weight	11.2oz (317g)	18.9oz (535g)	12.75oz (360g)
Web Search	No	Y - Wikipedia, Google, etc	No
Web Browsing	No	Basic Web - Text heavy sites	No

DROPBOX - Better than a USB Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:57:00 +0000

I started this blog so that I could share and discuss some simple personal technology solutions as I discover them. I recently found a service that has made such an impression on me that I wanted to help spread the word.

Most people make use of USB drives to transfer data between computers. I should know, I have several USB drives.

The problem I constantly run into is I don't always have the correct USB drive with me at the exact moment in time when I need it. Or, I neglected to update the file on the drive in my possession. Maybe, you're more organized than me (that's not hard). If not and/or you want a simple solution to keep a file(s) synchronized between a couple of computers (say - work and home or between several PCs at home), then DROPBOX has the answer.

The really cool thing about the DROPBOX application is that you can share a folder(s) with friends/relatives. For example - instead of using FaceBook or some other service to post pictures of the family for the entire world to see, you can just drop the latest pictures in the DROPBOX folder on your computer and tell Mom/Dad that they're there. Assuming they're using the DROPBOX app, then they just open up the DROPBOX folder on their computer and copy the pictures wherever they want. Simple.

DROPBOX works with all the major operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux). And, it even keeps a backup of the stuff you put in your DROPBOX folder on a password protected website should something happen to your computer or hard-drive.

I'm using the free version. Check it out. I highly recommend it. www.dropbox.com

eBook Readers: How do you decide which is for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:47:00 +0000

I've been asked several times by a certain someone very close to me about an eBook Reader for Christmas. In case you don't know what an eBook Reader is, it's an electronic device which allows you to store and read electronic books. The most popular version of this new gadget is the Amazon Kindle.

Anyway - as I was doing some research on one of the devices, I ran across this article: How to Buy an eBook Reader. If you are in the market for an eBook Reader for the holidays, this is a great primer.

Personally, I'm really interested to learn more about the Sony Reader Daily Edition. It fits my personal spec's for an eBook Reader. However - the last I checked, this item is not yet available (the Sony Reader Daily Edition is now shipping for those that pre-ordered it. According to Sony's website, it is now back ordered until mid-Jan.) It's really hard for me to form an opinion on a device without actually using it. I'll let you know what I think about it if it makes it into my house.

Why am I being forced to risk my life to answer the phone?

noreply@blogger.com (Prentice Frye) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:26:00 +0000

I've got a simple problem (simple enough in my mind). I want to safely make and receive phone calls while I'm driving my car.

OK. That's a simple problem to solve, you say. "Use the wired headset that came with your phone."

I've tried that. It doesn't seem to matter how careful I am in storing that wired headset. As soon as I receive a call, I end up spending several seconds or minutes trying to untangle the web of wire that was created when I put the headset away for safe keeping. When you're driving the tollways of Dallas, this extra effort to answer a call from your wife doesn't seem like an appropriate use of time for someone who is remotely safety conscious. Do you really expect me to take my eyes off the road for any amount of time to use a stupid little wired earphone? This really wasn't a good look to me.

OK. Then, get a bluetooth headset. They are cheap, abundant, and come in various styles to fit anyone's taste.

Been there - done that. You'd think it'd be easy to keep track of that thing. Not so much (for me, anyway). Half the time, I'd end up accidentally leaving it at home when it needed to be charged. Or, I'd have it in my jacket pocket when I received a phone call. I'd be fumbling around in my car trying to answer the phone, find my bluetooth headset, and put it in my ear. While all this is happening, visions of me causing a 15 car pile up are materializing in my brain as I'm driving 70 mph and trying to take a call.

Just keep it in your ear - you say. I see plenty of people who walk around with bluetooth headsets in their ear.

Look at my picture. Do I look like a borg to you? Not too mention the fact that I think it is plain rude to hold a conversation with the actual human who is standing in front of you while wearing a bluetooth earpiece. Call me old fashioned, but I actually want the perception that I have a persons undivided attention when we are speaking in person. When I run into someone who has a bluetooth headset in, I'm always wondering if there is some non-important call that is going to come in for that person which will immediately interrupt our face-to-face conversation.

"Hold on a sec", they say as they interrupt me in mid-sentence. "I gotta take this"

Eff THAT! Annoying and rude - bluetooth earpieces are. These are not for me.

OK, OK.... Have you tried a bluetooth speakerphone?

A-HA! That is a great idea. A bluetooth speakerphone would meet my definition of a "DELIBERATE UTILITY". It's a simple solution. It solves my problem. And - since bluetooth is a mature technology, it should be a productive tool for me (as long as it works).

Do they work? From my experience the answer is - Yes and No.

I've tried 4 different models to date. I've tried a Samsung model, a Sony-Ericsson model, a Tritton Technology model, and a BlueAnt model. Each have their pros/cons. But, none of them are worth recommending to family, friends, and neighbors.

What issues did I experience? Here is the quick list:

Samsung (HKT450): The speaker on the bluetooth model I tried was horrible. The caller at the other end sounded as if they were talking to me in a tin can.

Sony-Ericsson (HCB-150): This speaker phone worked great (when it actually worked). My experience is that the battery life is horrible and the software is shotty (I'm being nice). Most of the time I had issues connecting (after pairing my phone). When it would connect, the speakerphone would just hang for minutes trying to upload my phones phonebook entrys. The majority of the time I had this speaker phone in my car, I ended up taking calls using my handset instead of my speakerphone.

Tritton (TRIBC200): This speakerphone works great for me. The problem is, everyone I've talked to ends up asking me to repeat every other sentence or word when I'm trying to hold a conversation. That gets old fast.

BlueAnt (S1): I let my wife use this one. She tried to give it back to me after 2 days. The problem she has is that the ON/OFF switch isn't very intuitive. If you've ever used a bluetooth device, then you'll appreciate the idea that you need to be able to disconnect the phone from the device when you're not planning on using BT. If you don't - when a call comes in, you'll be faced with answering it from your phone but not hearing anyone on the phone's speaker. Why? Because the audio is being routed to the bluetooth speakerphone in your car (which is in the garage).

At the end of the day - I simply want to have a phone conversation in my car where both parties can understand the words coming from the other's mouth. Anything other than that kind of defeats the purpose of being on the phone.

Currently, there is a lot of chatter about a federal law making the use of cellphones without a handsfree device while driving a moving vehicle illegal (OR has a law going into affect in Jan '10). I'd be willing to bet that as soon as this law is passed, we'll see an influx of quality bluetooth speakerphones that actually work well.

So much for the argument that government can't spur innovation.

Anyway. Let me know if you have had a positive experience with a bluetooth speakerphone. I've read several reviews and tried several models. Still, I've not been able to find one that meets my simple needs. How about you?