Let’s work together to keep small problems from turning into big trouble. To help ease the pain in your pocket, I am introducing two new ways of paying for my services: discount packages and maintenance subscription plans.

Discount Packages

Save up to 26% off our regular hourly rate on advance purchase of our services. The more hours you buy, the more you save.

• Package #1: Five hours for $675 (regularly $750—save 10%)
• Package #2: Ten hours for $1,315 (regularly $1,500—save 12%)
• Package #3: Fifteen hours for $1,915 (regularly $2,250—save 15%)
• Package #4: Twenty hours for $2,100 (regularly $3,000—save 30%)

Learn more or buy now.

Maintenance Subscription Plans

Save even more by signing up for a maintenance subscription plan. Schedule a recurring monthly, twice-a-month, or 4x-per-month appointment with markCTO.com to meet your ongoing IT service and maintenance needs.

• Maintenance Subscription Plan #1:
  One two-hour appointment per month for $220*
  (two hours, regularly $300—save 27%)
• Maintenance Subscription Plan #2:
  One three-hour appointment per month for $310*
  (three hours, regularly $450—save 31%)
• Maintenance Subscription Plan #3:
  Two two-hour appointments per month for $390*
  (four total hours, regularly $600—save 35%)
• Maintenance Subscription Plan #4:
  Two three-hour appointments per month for $575*
  (six total hours, regularly $900—save 36%)
• Maintenance Subscription Plan #5:
  Four three-hour appointments per month for $1,150*
  (12 total hours, regularly $1,800—save 36%)
• Maintenance Subscription Plan #6:
  Four four-hour appointments per month for $1,395*
  (16 total hours, regularly $2,400—save 42%)

*plus applicable Texas sales tax

Learn more or subscribe now.

A big benefit of seeing me regularly before an emergency strikes will be less stress for both of us. Let’s work together and keep each other smiling!

The post New Pricing Options from markCTO.com first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

I’m a hands-on guy, so I like sitting down with clients to teach them how to use their computers, peripherals, and gadgets—or how to use them more effectively. But when time is short or we can’t be in the same room for some other reason, it’s easy and convenient to sign into iChat, share the client’s screen, and give an online lesson instead. There are some real advantages to this mode of training:

• It’s hands-on. Without me there handling the mouse or trackpad, I find that clients take a more active role in their own learning. Instead of demonstrating a technique or application, I get the client to demonstrate it to me. I walk them through the steps or point them in the right direction, but ultimately, the machine is in the client’s hands. I only take control if I see that the client is struggling. This method of teaching is like taking off the training wheels—and I’m there to catch you if you need it.
• It’s efficient. If you only have half an hour free in your schedule, we can spend every one of those 30 minutes in useful training. And distance isn’t a barrier, so if you need help while you’re traveling, or if your office is in Tomball, Tennessee, or Timbuktu, I can help you.
• It’s green. I don’t have to burn gas to get to your home or office. That’s one less car on the road!

System Requirements for iChat Screen Sharing

iChat’s screen-sharing feature works on all Macintosh models produced since October 2007. It’ll also work on older machines, as long as they have a fairly fast processor and are running the Leopard or Snow Leopard operating system. The only other requirement is a broadband Internet connection.

If you’d like to try training via iChat screen sharing, here’s how to get started:

1. Launch iChat. Log in with your .mac or MobileMe ID. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for a free AOL Instant Messaging (AIM) account and use that. (You can also use a Google Talk screen name by enabling Jabber in iChat.)
2. Add me to your buddy list in iChat. My ID is markherrera@mac.com.
3. Call me at 713-569-3845 to schedule an appointment.
4. At the time of the appointment, we’ll both log in, then I’ll send you a request to share your screen. As soon as the screen-sharing session starts, iChat will also start an audio chat, so we’ll be able to hear each other. (But we won’t be able to see each other, so don’t worry if you’re having a bad hair day.!)

The post Online Training via iChat Screen Sharing: A Better Way to Train first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

Sam Grobart at The New York Times has compiled a list of information technologies and sized up which ones to keep and which to recycle. I agree with most of his recommendations. I’m going to phase out my desktop computer soon, and as I said last week, my cable TV is long gone.

Which gadgets have you already learned to do without, and which ones are they going to have to pry from your cold, dead fingers? Let me know in the comments.

The post Spring Cleaning: Out With the Old Tech, in With the New first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

Now there’s been an explosion of options in content providers, in technologies to bring the content to your home, and in the devices you use to find, purchase, organize, and consume it. With a little research, planning, and comparison-shopping, you can expand your options and break free from your big cable or satellite TV bill.

The ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox networks all make their broadcast content available online, and there are now lots of providers that serve a mix of broadcast TV shows, cable channels, movies, music, and other original content. If you’re new to streaming content, check out Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, iTunes, Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon, among others. Many of these services are free, but some are moving toward also offering premium versions that cost a few bucks a month, for which you get more content options and advertising-free streams. The view keeps evolving as giants like Apple and Google aim to grab a larger share of the content market. USA Today recently published a good survey of the changing web TV landscape.

Roku®, Boxee, Netgear®, and Sony all make streaming-media players—boxes that you hook up to your television and your Internet connection to bring you their particular mix of content sources. If you like video games, you probably already have a streaming-media player in the form of your Wii™, PlayStation®, or Xbox game console. Television manufacturers are also taking a slice of the pie by incorporating streaming-media capabilities in their TVs and Blu-ray players and bundling services with the devices you purchase. My favorite among the equipment manufacturers is Samsung, whose equipment features services that include Netflix, Amazon, CinemaNow (from Best Buy), and ESPN.

I decided to cut the Comcast umbilical cord more than a year ago. The cable connection in my apartment was nowhere near where I’d decided to mount my TV. That obstacle provided the incentive to make a change. I decided on an Apple TV, mainly because I already have lots of movies and music in iTunes. Also, this device has a great interface for Netflix—to which I’m hopelessly addicted—plus an elegantly simple remote control and apps that will turn your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a remote as well. I added a fast Internet connection (AT&T U-verse®), and I LOVE my setup!

Did I mention that you’ll want to buy a hideously, obnoxiously large TV?

Need help finding your perfect TV setup? Call markCTO at 713‑569‑3845 or send us e-mail to schedule an appointment to talk about your streaming‑media needs.

The post Cut the Cable—Watch TV on the Internet first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

On the basis of a ton of good reviews from reputable audiophiles, I recommended a set of Audioengine 2 (A2) Premium Powered Desktop Speakers. These are simple, self-powered desktop speakers that will connect to just about anything. They come with all the cables you’ll need to hook them up to your desktop computer, TV, game console, or iPod. (One of the guys on the Audioengine team was formerly with Apple, and their products show an Apple-like attention to detail. That connection also helped me make the sale to my colleague, who is a major Apple fanboy.)

Audioengine also makes a larger, bookshelf speaker, the 5, which has more power. But the 2’s are getting even better reviews for their sound than the 5’s. Both systems can be used with a sub if you want more bottom end. But they sound great right out of the box. Also, my colleague is an iPhone user, and unshielded speakers tend to buzz in proximity to his phone. We didn’t experience this issue with the 2’s.

At $199, the 2’s are a bargain. They sound large. The sound seems to come from beyond the speakers, creating a “soundstage” with more width and depth than the physical space they occupy. They’re also attractive, with hand-polished wood cabinets. I was impressed! If you’re looking for realistic, uncolored sound, look no further.

markCTO can help you design and install a sound system that’s perfect for your space and your budget. Call 713-569-3845 or send us e-mail to make an appointment.

The post Great Sound from a Small, Economical Speaker first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

• How much more space do you need?
• What will you use it for?
• Who needs access?
• Does this data need to be available online?
• Where will any new devices go?
• How do you want them connected?

Working out a plan for storing and backing up files is complicated by the wide range of choices available these days. But I found an article at Macworld.com that helps sort out one section of the puzzle—online storage. It’s a side-by-side comparison of seven online storage solutions.

CrashPlan, one of Macworld’s favorite picks for online storage

The article points out some of the obvious benefits of online storage: protection against data loss from a fire, natural disaster, theft, or hard‑drive failure. The solutions Macworld.com reviewed will let you restore files from anywhere through a web browser.

But there’s some potential downside. What happens to your data if your online storage provider goes out of business? And what about privacy and legal issues? Unless the backup site provides a personal encryption option, your data may be more vulnerable than it is behind your own firewall. (My advice: If your data is sensitive, don’t back it up online! Keep a local or secure off‑site backup instead.)

Enough scare tactics! For plain old work files, family photos, music, and so on, online storage is great. You’ll need a fast internet connection, but the best solutions are rated as pretty easy to use. You can schedule your backups to take place while you sleep, then have peace of mind that your data is safe out there in the ether.

Macworld’s favorite online storage/backup solutions? CrashPlan and Jungle Disk. Read the article to find out more.

What’s the storage and backup solution for you? Online? External hard drives? RAIDs? Thumb drives? Network storage? Call markCTO at 713‑569‑3845 or send us e-mail to schedule an appointment to talk about your data storage needs.

The post Considering Online Backup and Storage? first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

“2.1” means that this system includes left and right speakers plus a subwoofer. In the ProMedia system, the subwoofer contains the power supply for the other two speakers. The simple installation begins with setting up the left and right speakers wherever you want within the 30-foot range of where you’ll use your laptop or desktop computer. Connect them to the subwoofer, and plug it into a power outlet. Then plug the transmitter—a tiny device that looks like a thumb drive—into one of the USB ports on your computer.

Once you’re all hooked up, launch iTunes—or Pandora, or another source of your choosing—and play some music. If you have an iPod Touch or an iPhone, you can also install Apple’s Remote app to turn your handheld device into a remote control for iTunes.

Wireless, really?

For those of you who can’t forget the disastrous early attempts at wireless sound, keep in mind that Apple has been doing it well for years now through the audio‑out port on the Airport Express. Wireless sound has come a long way; it’s done digitally now, like good 2.4-GHz cordless phones, so it works well and sounds terrific.

Go give these a listen, and tell me what you think. (My bet: you’ll want to leave the store with a set of them.) And for those of you on a tight budget, I’ve found the non-wifi version of the same system for under $115.

Enjoy!

markCTO can help you design and install a sound system that’s perfect for your space and your budget. Call 713-569-3845 or send us e-mail to make an appointment.

The post Review: My favorite speakers just got better! first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

There are already lots of reviews talking about the iPad’s features, so I want to start mine by addressing the most common criticism: that the iPad is just a great big iPhone. Even if that were all it is, I think detractors have forgotten how radically the iPhone changed the world of mobile computing. Many tasks are easier to accomplish on the iPhone than on a desktop or laptop computer. For example, perusing music is quicker—and more fun, really—using my iPhone as a remote control for iTunes or just listening in iPod mode. (It’s like using a jukebox; remember how much fun that was?)

Sites like Facebook offer much cleaner interfaces on the iPhone. Web browsing in general is made richer and more intuitive by the Multi-Touch™ capability of the iPhone/iPod Touch platform. You can double-tap to zoom in on a column or use pinching movements to open and close or zoom in and out.

Many iPhone apps, such as Yelp and AroundMe, are location-aware, which means that the iPhone can not only tell you where you are, but it can supply information tailored to your location. The Safari browser, for example, in combination with Google’s location awareness, customizes your Google searches to your location.

The iPhone’s touch screen and accelerometers created entirely new ways of interacting with a mobile device. Among other innovations, these features have led to some ingenious new games. One of my favorites is Spider. Check it out.

New devices and new features often lead to entirely new ways to interact. I, for one, want to see more!

Now back to the iPad itself. At $499, I think it’s a game-changer. It’s an e‑book reader, a web browser, a photo frame, a jukebox, a movie player, and a remote control. And that’s just at launch time. Wait until developers get hold of it! Imagine it as an interface for your security system, your home theater, your new car. Imagine new features for magazines, newspapers, or textbooks. Apple has a track record of creating beautiful, elegant devices and giving developers great tools, which they then use to innovate all sorts of wonderful things that the rest of us haven’t even dreamed of yet.

Compare the Amazon’s Kindle: it sells for $489, and all that gets you is e‑books on a black-and-white screen. The iPad offers full color on a great screen with terrific off-axis viewing, plus audio, video, and more interaction. Imagine downloading updated content for your e‑book in the form of an interview with the author! Don’t get me wrong, the Kindle is a nice device that will have a place in the market—after they cut the price. But the iPad is going to offer a lot more function.

The interface is a version of the iPhone OS, a sort of hybrid between the iPhone and Mac OS X. Like an iPhone, there’s no file structure or navigating. If you’re familiar with the iPhone or iPod Touch, you’ll already know how to use the iPad. And nearly all of your current iPhone apps will work on the iPad—just super-sized, if you like. (That’s a real plus for older eyes who find the iPhone screen too small—and you know who you are.)

But as vendors update their apps to accommodate the larger screen, they’ll add more functions to the main screens. And new apps. And entirely new ways of putting this exciting device to work. We’ll have to wait and see.

markCTO keeps an eye on what’s new in the world of technology. Call 713-569-3845 or send us e-mail to talk about new technologies that could work for you.

The post Apple Announces the iPad. Review in One Word: Wow! first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.

The Jabra Cruiser is a good mid‑priced car speakerphone that retails for about $70.

Laws against talking on hand-held cell phones and driving-while-texting are going on the books all over the place—and I’ll go on record as supporting such laws! A lot of newer cars have built-in Bluetooth so that you can make and receive calls hands-free. When you link your phone to these devices, most of them download your phonebook so that the car can display who’s calling.

But not too many of my clients are driving new cars. So I went looking for some speakerphone solutions for older cars, and I found lots of options.

One solution is Bluetooth headsets. I’m not fond of them. They’re so small that I tend to lose them. One day, I’ll realize I haven’t seen my headset in a week. I turn my office and car upside down to find it, and then the cycle repeats. But at around $20, Bluetooth headsets are pretty close to disposable, so if you like them, they’re not a bad option.

A better answer, though, is a speakerphone that attaches to your car’s visor. These also connect via Bluetooth. If your budget allows, get one with a caller ID display with dedicated buttons for specific functions. These models tend to cost more than models with no display and only a single call/end button.

There are lots of car speakerphones on the market. My advice is to stick to reputable name brands, like Jabra, Parrot, Motorola, or Nokia. At the low end, you can find models starting around $40. Closer to the $100 price point, you’ll find models with displays and more function buttons.

One advantage of all of these solutions, by the way, is portability. You can take your Bluetooth headset or car speakerphone with you wherever you go: your rental car, your friend’s car, the city bus…. Take that, new‑car drivers!

markCTO can help you purchase and set up Bluetooth speakerphones and other equipment. Call 713-569-3845 or send us e-mail to schedule an appointment.

The post Hang Up and Drive, Already! first appeared on Mark A. Herrera.