Trifecta Official Blog

The Mobile Family

2012-01-10T19:05:45+00:00

The dynamics of the family unit has changed dramatically from as recent as a decade ago. The changes in society and, most influentially, the advancement of technology have made the personal connection families once had become more detached. As rapid as technology is changing, the further and more disconnected parents are at connecting with their kids. Well, here’s one app that can help bring a little order in the chaos.

Cozi allows for family management in a nutshell. This is accomplished with features such as a family calendar, shopping lists, to-do lists, and even a family journal; all of which is shared with everyone in the family. Now you can schedule the family dinner and your kids can post their varsity sport schedules easily and effortlessly. I especially like the journal feature which allows an open dialogue with the family, so whether far or near the family can share experiences with one another. Although Cozi was created with mothers in mind, fathers I strongly suggest you also make use of it as well. Communication is vital these days and while society encourages the individual to be “busy”, we should always work towards making time for family.

To get Cozi you can search for it on your mobile device’s app store.

Stand clear of the closing doors please….

2012-01-02T21:45:05+00:00

First and foremost I would like to say to those reading this blog, Happy New Year! In 2011… we came, we saw…. we did something (I hope). If you did not do something YOU are fortunate to have a fresh start. Let’s see if I can aid you in being a little smarter, savvier and of course productive this year by introducing technology that can make some of your daily tasks easier.

Being a resident of New York City, navigating via public transportation is essential for daily life. Whether it be work, leisure, or when YOU were stumbling to find your way home on New Year’s Day the best way to get around the city is by buses and trains.

Public transportation has undergone useful improvements over the years, and no I am nor referring to their being more environmentally friendly. I’m referring to the schedule displays that are in almost every station. Now commuters are able to know how long they have to wait for the next train. However, I wonder how much good does an in-station schedule display do since you are already at the station? It is like a timer at a public restroom that alerts you when its you turn to use the facilities.

Well fret not, someone out there has pondered the same thing and has done something about it. There is an app called “NextStop - NYC Subway”. It provides to you the same information that you would get on the in-station schedule display on your smart phone. This is possible because the MTA has opened its information resources to developers who are looking to make apps such as this for commuters. As a bonus it even displays service changes through its alert feature. Now when you are wondering if you have time to hop into Starbucks and get your coffee now than after your train ride, you will know how much time you have to do so. While I have used this app there has been very few times the time was off by a minute, but it was always early. Best of all its FREE, which means you won’t have to sacrifice coffee funds.

If this blog post has helped share this with your family and friends and let me know what you think. Feedback is important people: yes just as important as Starbucks coffee.

Lost your Android Phone?...All may not be lost

2011-11-28T22:13:57+00:00

So you went out drinking with your buddies and had just a bit too much to drink. As you awaken from your stupor the following morning, you realize you cant find your “sexy” Android Phone and even worse you realize you never installed any mobile recovery software. Fear Not! All may not be lost. There is a “Plan B”, you have one last shot at locating your phone via GPS.

“Plan B” is software that you install AFTER your phone is lost…but…but….how could you install the software after you lost the phone you ask?..Well true believers read on to find out.

Plan B is a GPS locating software that you can install on your phone via the Google App Store webpage. It remotely installs the app on your phone and emails you your phones GPS coordinates.

I have used it and it definitely works. Step by step directions are below..

Once you realize your phone is lost quickly get to a another computer (with Internet access) and follow the steps below;

-First click here Plan b . You will be prompted to sign into your Gmail Account, so go ahead and sign in.
-After your signed in Install Plan b
-Once the App has been installed remotely on your phone you will receive 5 emails from Plan b to the email address associated with your Gmail account. The Emails will contain GPS locations of your phone regardless if its in motion or stationary..
-If after 10 minutes you have still not located the phone, borrow a friends phone and text “Locate” to your lost phone to start the process over.

Now a few of you may be thinking that this is a long shot, and you may be right but unless your funds are that plentiful, this is a very inexpensive alternative to give a try.

I was able to use this method recently when my fiancee lost her phone. She came home one night informing me that she couldn’t find her phone and she has no idea where it is. So we jumped onto her Gmail account and installed Plan b.

After about a minute or so we received this email.

The GPS coordinates that were listed were about 2 miles from our current location, then we received another email about 30 seconds later that gave another location.

The location it gave was down the block from where we lived so i went for a quick walk to where it pointed me to. And lo and behold! What did i find? The exact location where she parked her car…and the phone sitting under the front drivers side tire. If we hadnt found it she may have rolled over it in the morning when she went to work.

So a happy ending for us but please don’t wait to install any mobile recovery software. Listed below are just a few that are available for installation now..

- Seek Droid Lite
- Prey
- Mobile Recovery(Verizon Insurance users only)

Holiday Shopping: Tablet Season Is Upon Us

2011-11-22T19:45:42+00:00

With the holiday season upon us, we have another thing to look forward to besides having extra time to spend with friends and family. It is also a pivotal time to get the best deals for gifts for our loved ones (as well as yourself!) One of the most wanted gifts in the tech world right now is the tablet. With the current economic atmosphere you may feel that this may be a less than spectacular time to give and to receive. Well think again! There are some alternatives to the iPad that are both spectacular devices and are easy on the budget.

Samsung Galaxy Tab: A close rival to the iPad recently has been the Galaxy Tab. The hardware specs of both devices are quite comparable, only major differences lie with the operating system (Android) and the price ($400). To those of you that have a Android mobile device, you are more that prepared to use the Galaxy Tab. It is essentially a larger Android smartphone without the phone capability (but don’t all tablets fit that description?)

Kindle Fire: The hottest new device out right now is the Kindle Fire. At first glance you may wonder what the big whoop is since it looks just like a regular Kindle. However, it is so much more than that. In addition to going from e-ink to a full color display, the Fire sports a web browser and multimedia Android apps such as Netflix, Pandora, and of course, Amazon Marketplace. Although some people initially labeled it as the “iPad killer” that is far from the truth. The hardware and functionality it has simply can not stack up against iPad, but the $200 really does change the entire tablet market. You certainly get more bang for the buck than you would with the iPad.

Nook Tablet: No surprise that Barnes and Noble decided to beef up their own Nook Color to better compete with Amazon for the cheap tablet market. The Nook Color was the first of the e-ink manufacturers to come out with a device with a color display and a touch screen. They now added superior hardware specs to Amazon’s Kindle Fire and the ability to officially add apps to the tablet. Although the price take is $250, its still a far cry from the more expensive tablets out there.

Coming next: Holiday Shopping: The right mobile device for you. Stay tuned!

Internet For All!

2011-11-10T18:07:05+00:00

Technology is the fastest growing facet of humanity. It is self-perpetuating because it affects nearly every other aspect of our society. It allows everyone, despite their location, race, or status to do what they do more efficiently which fosters growth at a faster rate. Surprisingly, even to myself, there is still a significant part of society who are still unable to benefit from new technology in their homes. For example, nearly one third of homes in the United States do not have broadband. 1 out every 3 people do not have broadband. In this day and age it has already been argued that Internet access is a human right. It is almost like someone unable to access drinking water, it is almost criminal.

The need to provide high speed Internet access to everyone in the U.S. has been acknowledged by the government. Plans on making this a reality with the aid of different companies are currently in the works. The Internet should not be another resource that is afforded to some and not others. Because of the government’s as well as private industry’s efforts, cable companies across the country will be offering broadband service for $10/month to those unable to afford it beginning summer of 2012.

However providing Internet connectivity alone is not enough. Although there are plenty of low cost computing devices like tablets, there are initiatives that will enhance the effectiveness of the new broadband effort by providing inexpensive computers to consumers. These computers will be available from as low as $150 to $250 and will come with Microsoft Office pre-installed so that people will be able to actually use the broadband that is provided and can therefore become part of the technological present and future. These programs comes at a critical time when people are much more focused and aware of their financial status, making these initiatives very timely. While other companies are more concerned with getting you to buy things you probably want but don’t need, it is good to see that the government is conscious of the people they represent and is ready to address their constituency’s current and future needs.

SPREAD THE WORD!

How to take a “Screen Shot” on almost any device.

2011-11-04T18:28:19+00:00

How many times have you seen a buddy of yours post a Screen Shot of their phone displaying the a high score in Fruit Ninja or even something as mundane as the current weather? To many times I’m sure…But secretly haven’t you wanted to do the same thing for a better purpose?

Well here’s how you take a photo of your computers or phone so you to can post it on Facebook and amaze your friends with that awesome score you got in Angry Birds or a scenery shot on October 29th 2011 when it snowed…as if we didn’t already know.

Just be warned any of these procedures will take a photo of EVERYTHING currently displayed on your screen (with the exception of a Computer). So make sure information you don’t want to be viewed isn’t present on the screen..

First we will start with the Apple line of products, The Macbook and the iPhone. Both of these devices are really simple to perform a Screen Shot with.

iPod Touch, iPhone 3, 3S, 4, 4S as well as the iPad and the iPad 2:
- First find the “Power button” located on the top of your device,
- Second find the “Home” button located on the front of your device near the bottom
- Simply press the “Power Button” and the “Home Button” at the same time.
- If done correctly you will hear a soft “Click” sound and the screen may flash white.
- The Screen Shot will be located in your in your “Camera roll” in your Photos

MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac:
- To take a Screen Capture of the whole screen:
Press and hold Command+Shift+3. You will hear a soft click and the Screen Shot will appear on your desktop
-To take a Screen Shot of just a part of the screen:
Press and hold Command+Shift+4. Your mouse Cursor will change into cross-hairs, simply drag the mouse over the section you wish to capture and let go. Again you will hear a soft click and the Screen Shot will appear on your desktop.

Windows 95 through Windows 7:

Taking a Screen Shot on a Windows machine is not nearly as easy as it is on an Apple device, it requires a few more steps. It is still not too difficult…It should be noted that SOME versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 come with a “Snipping Tool” to take a Screen Shot, but since not all computers have it we will go with the version that works universally

- To take a Screen Shot of the whole screen
- Press the “Print Screen” button located near the upper right part of your keyboard.
- Then go to “Start” → “All Programs” → “Accessories” → “Paint”
- Once “Paint” is opened click on “Edit” and click “Paste”, OR right click with the mouse and click “Paste” OR press Control+V…All three methods will copy your Screen Shot onto the blank canvass.
-Finally click on “File” in the upper left and “Save As…” to save your file and choose the save destination

Android Devices:

Ughhh…I love Android but I have to Admit taking a Screen Shot on an Android is NOT simple. Well, it is if your Rooted. So I will list both methods, rooted and non-rooted. If your aren’t sure if your phone is rooted or not, odds are its not.

Apparently when Google releases its next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwhich, the ability to take Screen Shots will be added to as part of the OS, similar to the iPhone

Non-Rooted Android device
-First Download and install the Android SDK (click here) to your computer
-On your Android Device enable USB Debugging by going to “Settings” → “Applications” → “Development”.
-Connect your Android device to your computer via a USB cable
-In the “Tools” folder in Android SDK, find the file called “ddms”(Dalvik Debug Monitor Service) and run it.
-You should now be able to see your device connected on top.
-While within the Debugger window click on “Device” and click “Screen Capture”.
-Now you can save your Screen Shot, simply choose a file name and destination.

Rooted Android device
- Install a Screen Shot Grabbing app from the market, such as Screen Capture Shortcut, and run it. Or if your running a custom ROM chances are the ability to take Screen Shots has been “baked” in the ROM itself.

I didn’t include Blackberry devices simply because i don’t own one and have never honestly spent enough time with one to provide adequate directions. However I have provided you with this Link just in case you want to find out.

Well that’s pretty much it. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

A Rotting Apple?

2011-11-03T18:35:01+00:00

Now that Steve Jobs’ era at Apple has come to an unfortunate end, now is a critical time to look at the company as it moves forward under the helm of Tim Cook. While the initial lackluster handling of the presentation of the iPhone 4S during its announcement may be overlooked, there seems to be more of such practices in store for us, which doesn’t bode well for the company in my opinion.

It is rumored that a report contains an outline of the products to be released next year from Apple. The report focuses on an overhaul all of their product line except for the Mac Pro. Now in any other atmosphere there would be an automatic sense of anticipation, but based on the handling of the iPhone 4S release more people are going to be very skeptical this time around. On top of that, the reports suggests that there will be two iPad releases. According to the report an intermediary product will precede the iPad 3. I mean seriously? Has Apple now resorted to semi-upgrades? Are we to begin expecting products like the iPad 2.5 or the iPad 2S?

From a business perspective it makes sense to optimize the potential monetary margin because the latest iPhone launch did not deter Apple enthusiasts from waiting in lines for the iPhone 4S, but from technologist point of view Apple is now trading in quality for quantity. As Windows’ machines are known to being wallet friendly, Apple products are known to be not only innovative but solid (in software and hardware). Now it seems even amongst all the product issues such as with the antennae, it’s battery life, Lion, Siri connectivity, and even iCloud issues, Apple could very well start to add sub-standard (in relation to Apple’s established standards) products to the mix. It is a sad day indeed to see the trend that the company seems to be heading. What do you think about Apple’s future? Would you purchase an iPad 2.5?

Klout Me In

2011-11-02T16:32:44+00:00

In our prior blog “Clout…. No, Klout”, we presented a new site which focuses on ranking an individuals’ online social prowess. Since that blog post, Klout has grown to a point where even I find myself very impressed. A person’s Klout score not only is an indication of one’s social “swagg”, but it could be an indication of influence on people’s purchasing choices.

The more I research the more I cannot believe how lucrative Klout can be. Companies are now looking at Klout scores and sending users with high scores “complementary” perks. From free products, to free upgrades: there was one individual who was given an electric car to test drive for the weekend. All these perks are voluntary but the motivation for the “generous” companies is that those Klout members will speak about their products on their various social networks. Essentially almost anyone can now become living logos like the Jared from Subway and the “can you hear me now?” Verizon network guy.

Recently Klout made a change in the algorithm used to come up with the score, causing some people to have their Klout score lowered. This sudden drop has caused somewhat of an outrage because there is limited transparency as to how the scores are calculated (for obvious reasons). Some of the outrage is quite justified since there are some jobs (vast majority in the marketing segment) that use an applicant’s Klout score as part of their job requirements. Inadvertently some people have been unable to get a job because their Klout score were lowered. An even more outrageous example is the party where only people with Klout scores over a certain number can attend!

It is these events that have have encouraged me to join Klout and take a deeper look into the world of calculated online influence to see how deep the well goes.

PC’s Are Losing Their Edge

2011-11-01T16:20:31+00:00

PC and Mac machines have been at odds for as long as they have been on the market. PC’s continue to command the majority, even with the surge of Mac’s and other systems running on non-windows operating systems. But that soon may change. The price of PC’s is slated to increase; and no one is sure as to how much. The reason for the price hike is in the rumored new verification standard that will be coming out with the Windows 8 operating system.

Windows verification is based on a Certification of Authenticity (COA); that brightly colored Windows sticker that comes with the computer on purchase is the COA for that computer. New systems will now have the COA physically encoded into the systems BIOS (Basic Input and Output System). The internal chip on the motherboard in your computer will now hold your Windows serial key and will be checked for validation through the Internet. Upgrading your computer because of this change will not be as easy, or cheap as it used to be.

What this means is an significant increase in cost and the debate now is where the cost will be directed toward. Like most practices it will be the consumer who will have to pay the price. These price hikes should bode well for alternative operating systems like Mac and Linux because the cheap PC would be ever harder to find. Why does it feel that everything seems to be going Apple’s way? Nonetheless it is understandable as to why Microsoft would change their activation procedure; the potential in millions of dollars lost to pirated/shared products can be somewhat recouped with this new initiative. So yes, its not about anything but the bottom dollar…. your bottom dollar.

Facebook Anti-Hack

2011-10-31T16:57:36+00:00

There seems to be a new trend in which companies are actually actively taking actions that are in response to their customer complaints. Similar to Netflix rescinding from separating their streaming content from their dvd products, now Facebook is now coming out with a way to address hacked accounts. I’m sure you have either experienced or know someone who has gone through being hacked. Some unauthorized individual finds a way to get into your account, potentially unleashing havoc to you and your reputation.

Leads me to wonder what has taken so long.for Facebook to finally address this problem. Could it possibly be because it has been released that nearly 600,000 logins are compromised daily. There is already in place an added security (click here to find out) but very few people utilize it. To counter, Facebook will soon release a more “social” way to protect yourself called “Trusted Friends” in which you can choose 3 friends in which codes will be sent to in case you can not enter your account. Why not just have one sent to your email? Well most likely Facebook feels if your account is hacked then your email as well has been compromised. While I am glad Facebook is finally taking steps to finally addressing this issue, but what happens if the person that hacked account changes or even deletes your “Trusted Friends” list?

Facebook is also to implement App specific passwords so that your Facebook password won’t be a one for all used to logon to Facebook associated Apps. This may be a tad irksome but its much safer than the possibility of the alternative. These functions are still in the testing stage and as soon as they have been solidified we will show you in our How To blogs.