This flash drive — or “thumb drive” as some people call it, referring to its digit-like size — is small on size but huge on capacity. Measuring from 8 gigabytes to 32 gigs, this traditional flash drive offers one-touch back-up. It’s ideal for traditional back-up, or just stashing stuff to take on the road.

Good thing, since most IT pros joke about there being two types of computer users in the world: Those who have lost data, and those who will.

Manufacturers include Seagate, Western Digital and Toshiba, among others. The Seagate FreeAgent Go portable storage device ($159) uses a hard drive docking station. The SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive comes in eight gigabytes to 64 gigabytes. Both back up selected files with push of a back-up button. Prices range from $49.99 to $277.99.

Beware the promise of portability, for it has  its shortcomings. Should a portable drive fall into the wrong hands, data can be compromised. When buying a drive, look for those with built-in encryption to keep intruders out. Smaller devices ferried about also are susceptible to damage if dropped.

To read a full review, check out TechwareLabs’ latest look at the Sandisk UltraBackup USB Flash Drive. “We all have at least one type of portable memory storage unit laying around the house filled with music, work, pictures, videos or what have you. But now those guys from Sandisk have created the first flash drive with a “Backup” button. With no wires and no fuss, see if they made a breakthrough in storing important electronic data safely and with ease.” Read the whole review here.

I never made a call.

With 10,000 available apps, Verizon’s 3G network, and Google’s Android 2.0 operating system, there’s a lot to do with a phone without ever making a call. In fact, that’s why I may never buy one.

Listen as I review the Droid with Jim Blasingame. Read on below the widget to hear why I’m a tried-and-true BlackBerry person - at least for the moment…
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Verizon will tell you the Droid is faster, runs simultaneous apps (like Pandora — which I downloaded and was streaming some new tunes in less than two minutes), has a larger screen, lots of onboard memory (about 500 megs), plus room for a 16 gig card. It’s the basis for Verizon’s whole iDon’t comparison campaign.

The resolution is sharp. It shoots great video and stills — even in low-light settings.

It’s almost like two first cousins are battling it out for a suitor (and that suitor just happens to be tens of millions of consumers).

And sure, it has 10,000 available apps. But the real Killer App is the fully-functional, QWERTY keyboard that slides out from beneath the device. That has wowed even the most die-hard iPhone junkies to whom I’ve tossed that tidbit.

“OK,” iPhone enthusiasts will type (with some difficulty). “That’s all well and good, but it’s a beast to hold, right?” Hardly. Just a few millimeters thicker than the iPhone, it’s light on the hand and pocket (speaking of pocket, it’s about $200 after mail-in rebate - or it will be, once it debuts in early November).

Still, it’s twice the size of my BlackBerry Pearl, whose form factor I dig so much, I can’t see myself separating from it right now. Besides, give me 10,000 apps, and reviews like this one might never get written.

Maybe in time I’ll switch. Maybe one day, I’ll say adios to my BlackBerry, and hola to a Droid.

But for now, iPearl.

Home office, telework and road warrior technology tips from leading home-business and work-at-home expert Jeff Zbar will be featured in more than two million copies of TIME, Fortune and Money magazines and Time Inc. websites beginning this week.

In a unique promotional campaign for Marriott International Inc.’s Residence Inn brand, Zbar provides two dozen tips on remote work strategies, “cloud” computing and online security. The tips are presented on “bookmarks” bound into the magazines and linked to from the websites. View the bookmark here.

“Road warriors, digital nomads and others who work from the road don’t want to struggle or just get by. They want to thrive – no matter where work and life take them,” said Zbar, creator of Chief Home Officer and Home Office Highway, a site focused on extended, working vacations. “Residence Inn’s campaign reveals in simple detail how easy it can be to achieve location independence and to connect and compute from a workspace other than the home or corporate office.”

The Residence Inn campaign, “Master The Long Trip” appears in the October 26 issues of TIME and Fortune, and the November issue of Money. The online tips debuted on CNNMoney on October 19, and will run through November 30. The tips also appear on Sports Illustrated.com.

Zbar is the leading home office authority and subject matter expert on home-business, telework and entrepreneurship. He launched his home-based business in 1989, and debuted his first site in the mid-1990s. In 2000, it evolved into ChiefHomeOfficer.com. As one of the longest continually published websites targeting the home office and telework, ChiefHomeOfficer.com provides content on business strategies, marketing and publicity, design and furnishing, technology, virtual offices, and even humor and haiku. It also includes tips for people who handle family affairs from a corner desk at home, and provides commentary on trends affecting today’s home-based worker.

For more information, contact Jeff directly, or contact Alan T. Brown with PrimeTime Media & Marketing Group in Hollywood, Fla., at 954-662-2526 orabrown@ptprm.com. To view or print the bookmark, visit http://www.chiefhomeofficer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/marriott-bookmark.pdf

Videos will be searched, categorized, crawled, archived, accessed and — eventually will replace the typed blog or other commentary for people more interested in having content as eye-and-ear candy than as an exercise in reading.

For that reason, I have a Pure Digital Flip Video HD. It takes sharp, snappy images in crisp HD clarity. I also have a library of home office videos (showcased at the top of this website). Each was taken with a Flip Video.

Small. Simple. Sharp. Easy to share. These attributes describe the evolution of today’s video camera — and what consumers are demanding in them.

These aren’t just for marketing. Contractors can shoot images from job sites. Teleworkers can video their home offices — as proof for their employers that they have a bona fide workspace. Of course, kids can use them for projects and parents can goof off with them (not while working, of course…)

Once upon a time, when you wanted to shoot video of a client testimonial, a product demonstration, or just a videologue, you had to transfer analog tape to digital, or you needed a digital camera. No quick or inexpensive proposition there.

Today’s options are many – and cost effective (and limited only by the size of the onboard memory or memory card):

-    My Sony Sureshot digital camera shoots perfectly suitable digital images and video. I’ve used it for testimonials, product reviews and all sorts of family events.

-    The Flip. I took the new Flip HD on Home Office Highway and a parasailing excursion. It was a sturdy little beast that held up to everything we tossed its way.

In a CNet product review and interview with Pure Digital CEO Jonathan Kaplan recently, they noted that as of early 2009, the Flip line was a top seller of similar devices in the sub-$200 category. Others include the Sony, Aiptek A-HD camera, Toshiba’s Camileo (with 1080p HD recording), DXG Technology, RCA, and Sakar. Flip remains the acknowledged pioneer of the $200 flash memory-based digital camcorder category.

Another product is the Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Video Camcorder ($116). Similar in size to the iPhone, this HD camcorder travels easily, takes great high-resolution images, and gives any business video capabilities easily – and quickly. Hit the on switch, and you can be recording in 1.5 seconds. Onboard flash memory and record time are similar to the Flip. So is the transfer action: Pop out the USB dongle, plug it into Mac or PC, and drag the H.264 video files across (preloaded software runs from the camcorder itself).

Among the tweaks for the new Ultra II and HD versions: High-def recording with the UltraHD, video shot in 30 frames per second (fps) and encoded at 720p (for resolution the same as HD sports broadcasts). It includes 8 gigs of internal flash memory for up to two hours of record time. Also, the LCD screen size is increased to two inches. A soft, rubberized coating improves the grip. The pop-out USB arm can juice up the removable rechargeable batteries.

Are you ready for the digital age of marketing? With products like the Flip Video or Vado, anyone can be.

]]> http://www.homeofficehighway.com/road-warriors-teleworkers-turn-hd-video-into-power-tool/feed/ http://www.homeofficehighway.com/road-warriors-teleworkers-turn-hd-video-into-power-tool/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HomeOfficeHighway/~3/MWtpNRg-k4Y/ http://www.homeofficehighway.com/the-lonely-planet-offers-smart-global-travel-tips/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:46:55 +0000 Jeff Zbar http://www.homeofficehighway.com/?p=422 Hitting the road to locales little known? Travel wisely. With the right tools and plans, you can travel light - and like a pro - no matter where the open road takes you on this lonely planet…

It’s the experience that occurs after the new wireless customer has left the retail showroom, after the first bill has arrived, when a question arises or when it’s time for an upgrade and a live operator must get involved.

Verizon Wireless call centers belie the traditional image of row after row of non-descript workspaces.

It’s an experience handled by one of some 1,200 live operators (CSRs, or customer service representatives, as they’re called) at this six-story building just off a bustling throughway. The wireless carrier’s Florida Customer Service Center handles calls from across the state. The center is one of 24 nationwide, but it’s anything but typical.

And though it’s a call center, don’t come in thinking you’ll see row after row of stereotypical phone banks.

Sure, there are cubicles four across and 20 deep down long office corridors. But many of the workspaces are personalized – as if they were in any traditional office. There are photographs of families, posters on the walls, and stuffed animals and knickknacks that more than hint that this is not some customer service rack.

A personal approach to the workspace seemingly creates a personal approach to customer service, as encouraged by Verizon President and Vice Chairman Dennis Strigl. “If you touch it, or it touches you,” recites Chuck Hamby, Verizon’s Florida public relations manager, “you own it.”

Encouraging such “ownership” in a time of corporate austerity, belt-tightening and cranky customers can be a lot to ask. But embrace the employee, and they’ll embrace their tasks. That belief seems to touch every corner of this building. In the cafeteria, the aroma is of a rich aural cacophony of smells and flavors that belie a food service institution. The atmosphere is relaxed. An employee is reading the day’s newspaper. Another is viewing a telephone handset screen. Televisions mounted high carry the day’s news.

This doesn’t seem to be “break time,” in any traditional, escapist sense. It’s time for lunch. Or time for a workout in the on-site gym – which attracts users from the call center, or from company’s Florida headquarters in nearby Temple Terrace.

When employees call in with sick kids, back-up care is dispatched at $3 an hour – cheaper to the employee than a sitting service, and certainly cheaper to the company than having a seasoned employee sitting at home. And employees onsite, doing their jobs – content in the knowledge that their children are cared for at least in part by their employer – make for a better customer service experience, Hamby says.

“We’re going to keep them happy,” he says. “This is the genesis of the customer experience.”

And it seems the experience has done well for the company, its customers and its people.

Laptop Lifts raise the laptop, netbook or Macbook - and protect from spills and overheating.

When we were on Home Office Highway, our technology was subject to all sorts of hazards.

Falls, spills, the heat of an RV all were potential problems. In fact, several times the MSI Wind netbook almost took a fall from the dinette table because RV vibrations set it into motion.

I discovered a simple solution: A few small strips of adhesive-backed silicon stuck to the bottom of the computer. Tacky with the rubbery feel of silicon, they hold the device snug in place.

Such is the premise of Laptop Lifts (www.laptoplifts.com). The product and its creator offer a plethora of PC protections — and lessons in entrepreneurship.

Slippage is just one problem laptops face. Low and close to the table, one spilled drink can soak and fry the device in a flood of fluid. The Laptop Lifts, though, raise the device a mere quarter inch, allowing safe passage for an otherwise disastrous deluge.

For less than $10, the new product from Orlando entrepreneur Chris Adams provides a why-didn’t-I-think-of-that silly-simple solution to protecting a PC permanently from some of the perils of laptop computing.

The package includes six strips: four two-inch strips, and two five-inch strips. Easy to install, they require no tools – except some isopropyl alcohol to clean the spot where the strips will be applied. Installation (a big word for a simple process) is as easy as arrange, clean and stick. It says so on the back packaging.

Once installed, the strips provide permanent protect – and additional benefits:

-         Ventilation for additional airflow beneath the laptop to protect from overheating

-         A soft surface to prevent scratching of the laptop or surface on which it sits

-         Firm purchase to grip and carry the PC

-         Cushion against shock and bumps, and rubbery silicon that prevents slipping on slick surfaces.

Want to remove the lifts? Just pull them off. Any adhesive residue can be cleaned with a rub of some alcohol.

Laptop Lifts ($9.99) are available at CompUSA, a growing number of college campus retailers – including Adams’ local University of Central Florida. They’re also available online at TigerDirect, Amazon.com and Circuit City. Adams has shipped them to people throughout the U.S., and as far away as Australia, Belgium and the U.K. Guess spills are a danger globally.

Adams’ story is as fabled as any new entrepreneur. He saw the need, and set out to devise a solution – and business model. Before the new product debuted in January 2009, Adams enrolled in courses with the Orlando-area offices of SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives) to learn about business plans and starting a business. He continues to turn to SCORE for free advice, mentoring and counseling. He also met with the Small Business Administration, and attended seminars at Orlando’s Disney Entrepreneur Center.

He’s also tapped the power of the Web, social media and public relations. His site is rife with videos and testimonials (http://laptoplifts.com/testimonials.php). He’s quick to reach out to area reporters for a chance at some coverage.

In short, Adams is a young entrepreneur who’s jazzed with that out-of-the-gate enthusiasm and passion for his product.

These are traits any once-and-future entrepreneur can appreciate – even more so knowing your laptop is protected against everyday maladies.

]]> http://www.homeofficehighway.com/laptop-lifts-protect-netbooks-macbooks-from-home-office-hazards/feed/ http://www.homeofficehighway.com/laptop-lifts-protect-netbooks-macbooks-from-home-office-hazards/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HomeOfficeHighway/~3/7asfiIJro_g/ http://www.homeofficehighway.com/logmein-skype-custom-earplugs-just-what-the-road-warrior-ordered/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:28:48 +0000 Jeff Zbar http://www.homeofficehighway.com/?p=416 Paul Holstein’s summer trips to Europe are a holiday indeed — especially considering how little he has to worry about staying connected during his time away.

Paul Holstein - the well-honed road warrior.

This is the second installment of a two-part snapshot offered by the owner of CableOrganizer.com into the must-bring tech that keeps him productive “across the pond” — as if he hadn’t even left his Fort Lauderdale offices.

Last time, we looked at some of Holstein’s hardware selections. This time, it’s his software and accessories he’ll introduce us to…

Syncplicity is a software application allows you to setup one or more folders on your hard drive and it synchronizes that folder with all your other computers.  In my case, that’s office, home, and laptop.

When I need to make a presentation or work on a document both at home and the office, I make sure I keep the document in my synchronized folder.  I gave a presentation in Boston a few months ago and forgot to put the presentation on my USB flash drive.  No worries, it was on the syncplicity server.  I just fired up my web browser and downloaded it.  Unlike other sync programs, Syncplicity copies all your files to the cloud so that your computers don’t need to be all on to synchronize.  It works really well with my next favorite software…

RoboForm. How many times do you sign up for a website at the office, then try to access it from home?  Or how often do you change your password for sensitive sites with a complicated password, then you need access from your laptop or you forgot the password?  Well, with Roboform, it remembers all your logins.  When you open a page with a login, it fills in the information for you.  In addition, it generates really secure passwords for you and it will even fill out your name, address and credit card information that is needed on a lot of sites.  When I use RoboForm in combination with Syncplicity, I don’t have to worry about remembering logins anymore.  They are always up to date.

LogMeIn is fantastic and free.  They have a paid version, but if you have syncplicity, you really don’t need it.  I use logmein to access my enterprise programs such as our ERP program and our accounting system.

Skype is the mother of all VOIP applications.  I use it all the time to save money on phone calls.  Skype lets you call regular phone numbers for about 3 cents per minute.  That’s a lot cheaper than most other plans and the voice quality is great.  In addition, you can even do video conferencing with people who have Skype.

Sound is an important and often overlooked component of travel. I also carry my Bose Headset with a special microphone adapter and my custom earplugs. The Bose Quite Comfort headsets are a lifesaver on long trips.  You’d be amazed how much calmer and relaxed you are after a long trip if you use noise cancelling headsets. I found a special communications kit that you can use with it that lets you make phone calls.  This is incredibly useful in crowded airports or on the road.  You can hear your callers perfectly no matter how much noise is around you.  The sound quality is great on the other end as well.

I also had custom earplugs made for me.  These are incredibly comfortable and allow me to sleep with the earplugs in.  I can even turn my head on the side on my pillow with no discomfort.  I used them on the plane and also in noisy hotel rooms.  It cost me about $100 but it is well worth it.

Indeed.

Paul Holstein - the well-honed road warrior.

The owner of CableOrganizer.com offered a snapshot into the must-bring tech that keeps him productive “across the pond” — as if he hadn’t even left his Fort Lauderdale offices.

His take…

What a perfect topic for me.  I’m on vacation in France now and, of course, totally connected.

My favorite laptop these days it the Toshiba Portege R600-ST4203. It’s built for the traveler.  It’s 2.4 pounds and one inch thick.  You can’t imagine how this changes everything.  You don’t need to carry a separate laptop bag if you don’t want to.  You can tuck it into your regular carry-on suitcase.

Alternatively, you can carry a small laptop bag and add clothes to it for short trips. Forget the headset and webcam.  Those are built right in to the laptop.  They are built into most laptops today.  That saves you a lot of effort as well.

When I’m in the US, I always carry and use my Verizon wireless card for the PC.  While others are struggling to connect to airport lounge Wi-Fi, I’m surfing along painlessly.  People are always asking me how I connected the network.  I just smile and tell them it’s the Verizon card. Forget about hotspots and security problems connecting to unknown networks.

Yes, I always carry one or more USB flash drives.  They are so cheap today that I use them as disc replacements.  I even had a bunch made up with my company logo and I use those to give people large files.  When I went to my nephew’s graduation, I simply uploaded all the photos I took onto the flash drive and gave it to him rather than e-mail them later.  Even if you forget to bring your USB flash drive, you can simply walk into a nearby store and buy one.

My favorite communications device these days is the iPhone.  It has the best implementation of Exchange available today on any platform.  I’m in France now and I have the $20.00 per month data plan so I can receive all my e-mails.  In addition, I stay connected with the Facebook app, and the hotmail app.  In addition, I really like the weather channel app; the movie app called “Now Playing” even works in France.  I’ve got USA Today, Bloomberg, and Public Radio on the iPhone and for my kids, I have WunderRadio which has lots of channels, including the Disney Channel.  I also keep lots of playlists for different situation such as working out or kids music.  The iPhone has two applications for Internet workers such as myself; one is SiteCatalyst and the other is called “Analytics.”  Both give me all the stats on my web traffic and allow me to see what’s going on.  On top of all that, Skype works really will on the iPhone provided you have a Wi-Fi connection.

As for travel software on my iPhone, that would take a whole article by itself.  I’ll just list some of my favorites: Yelp, YPmobile, Translator, TravTracker, TripIt, WorldMate, the built in Map application, Navigon, several subway maps and guides and Disney Maps.  The built in Mapping app even works great in Europe and it has a built in compass to let you know which direction your going.  It’s amazing.

Finally, I bought a Mophie extended battery for my iPhone.  It more than doubles the battery life of the phone.  When you travel long distances, you don’t always find plugs where you need them or have time for charging.  The Mophie battery acts like a case for the phone and can recharged from any USB outlet or a standard outlet with an adapter.  BTW, my Toshiba will charge the USB port even when it’s turned off.  How’s that for a thoughtful feature?

Frankly, the iPhone is so practical, that I don’t even need a laptop much of the time.

Next time, we’ll explore PC software options and other applications that make this road warrior a pretty well-balanced traveler indeed.

Jeff & Stella relax on Ft. Myers Beach.

After two weeks in an RV, I’m ready for a staycation closer to the home office.

Yet if the soft market has let slip any hopes of exotic travel this summer, don’t cave to “vacation envy.” Get creative and plan a “stay-cation” of your own.

Urban dictionary defines stay-cation as “A vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.” Don’t blow your stay-cation catching up on chores, straightening up the garage, fixing the roof or painting the house.  Make sure that you limit the time you spend on email.

The well-planned stay-cation, or stay-at-home vacation, can help de-stress and re-energize the soul, notes FAT Bastard Wines.  Here’re nine tips for planning a killer stay-cation…

1. Make a Plan. Choose the dates, arrange to be away from work and then follow through with the program just as if you were travelling far from home.  Limit the time you will devote to checking emails, discourage colleagues from calling and make sure you’ve met your deadlines and taken care of business before you leave the office.

2. Become a Tourist in Your Own Hometown. Get a guidebook. Go online. Check out the local attractions that bring tourists to your area, just as you would if you were traveling to another city.  Check the dates for concerts, shows, sporting events, traveling exhibits and other special events that will be going on during your vacation and buy tickets.

3. Pamper yourself. Get your house cleaned. But some wine (FAT Bastard would prefer their own, of course, but a six of imported beer works for me), stock up on some fine (or finer than you’d normally buy).  Then, chill.  Bring the maid back at the end of your vacation, too, so you can go back to work without the worry of cleaning up after a week at home.

4.  Plan a Backyard Safari. OK, this can get kinda funky. FAT B sez get out the tent and sleeping bags and enjoy a night under the stars.  Maybe string up a hammock between two trees. Tell ghost stories around the fire pit while you roast hot dogs and make s’mores.  The kids will have a great time and you won’t use a drop of gas getting there (just lighting your fire).

5. Stage Your Own Film Festival. This is a perennial fav in our household. The local grocery store likely has that buck-a-night DVD rental kiosk. Rent all the DVDs of the latest flicks you’ve been wanting to see. Pop some corn. And gather ’round the tube.

6. Pick a Peach. Or strawberries. Or oranges. Or apples. Whatever’s in season. Check out local u-pick farms that offer a day of fun and a way to enjoy fresh produce — for a fraction of the supermarket cost.

7. Delve into a Day Spa . If the pleasures of the spa are your idea of real relaxation, check out the local day spas in your area.  It’s a good bet that they will offer all the pampering and beauty treatments of a destination spa for far less than the cost at a resort.

8. Indulge Your Tastebuds. Host a wine tasting at home and learn about the varietals you’ve always wanted to try.  Good wines that deliver excellent quality can be found at your local supermarket and you can make the tasting special by printing wine tasting mats and scoring sheets found at fatbastard.com/news.php or keepwinesimple.com.  Ask for budget-friendly wines.

9. Look for local discounts. Check out accommodations and attractions in your area and ask about special rates for local residents. Many theme parks and the surrounding hotels offer discounted rates to locals, especially during the off-season and in popular tourist areas.