Tech-E

Evernote Heaven for the Palm Pre

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:41:37 +0000

Finally! Finally, Evernote has a reliable and useful client for the Palm Pre.

I’ve been using a Palm Pre since about August 2009, and one of the main reasons for switching from my trusty Palm Treo 755p was the allure of web applications and, frankly, being able to manage my Evernote notes on the go. For Evernote’s part, I’ve been a user since about the end of 2008, and I’ve wanted a mobile solution since even before that for my then personal wiki (which was migrated into Evernote). So a mobile personal information solution is a long time coming.

Now to Evernote’s credit, they came out with a Palm Pre app right around the Pre’s launch and were one of the first app developers. But this app, well, this app was horrible. Disconnections, unreliability, inability to browse tags, all these things made it relatively useless. I had such a hard time getting it logged in, and once I added several notes full of multimedia files to Evernote late last year, well, it never worked on my Pre again.

Until now! Happy Day! Not only does the new Evernote Palm Pre 1.0 client work, it works pretty well. Tags are now browseable, meaning I can click the tags field and see all my tags to select from them. Saving notes is somewhat more seamless. Even checklists have been enabled for on the go checklisting. Now I won’t be moving my GTD checklists over to Evernote, but for recurring lists like camping, building a new PC, or even ingredients for a recipe; ie. anything that is recurring that you just flow through the list over and over; this is great.

In addition, image handling is improved. I can now add photos or take photos right from the client and instantly tag, file, and remark on what I’m filing.

So Thank You Evernote. Thank you Phil, thank you Dave, and thank you Andrew. There’s still a lot to improve as I’m sure you know, like offline folders similar to the iPhone version , but this is a huge step; nay, a major step to my dream of my mobile personal information solution.

The 3 Phases of Owning a Computer – The Oatmeal

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:10:37 +0000

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/computer_phases

A great life analysis of the PC. Also applicable to cars, and pretty much any piece of technology.

Notebook Computers and the 3 Reasons they are bad for your Small Business Technology plan

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:41:43 +0000

Laptops in your Small Business Technology Plan

I just posted an article over on Scribd. Check it out as it goes into the reasons why buying and issuing notebook computers to your sales teams, technicians, and other employees is not the most ideal scenario.

Check it out HERE

Why Twitter and Facebook Will Never Kill E-mail | Technomix | Fast Company

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 16:30:18 +0000

FastCompany has a nice article on the state of Email in the hierarchy of social media and why the new upstarts Twitter and Facebook will never unseat the king of digital communication: E-mail.

Email has a purpose and is evolved to fit this purpose well. It’s not going away any time soon, because while it’s not ideal, it’s almost infinitely more convenient than the paper-and-ink communications it replaced. And there’s more:

* You can’t embed a file directly in a Tweet.

* Would you trust Facebook, with its odd history of rights control, with a corporate Excel file?

* Legions of gray-surfers have adopted email as a way to keep in touch–they won’t be switching.

* While email is usually formatted informally, it’s still more formal than social networking norms–important in a business setting.

* Millions of BlackBerry and iPhone users will testify to mobile email’s convenience.

via Why Twitter and Facebook Will Never Kill E-mail | Technomix | Fast Company.

Last man out – Windows Mobile 7 too little too late?

techenet — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:23:57 +0000

For those following the mobile phone arena, news that Windows Mobile 7 is pushed back to late 2010 has come to the scene. Personally this doesn’t interest me too much because very few of my clients or users are even interested in Windows Mobile devices.

The top picks right now seem to be iPhone, Blackberry, and Palm Pre; depending on the business and industry. Of course the provider has a lot to do with the decision as well as a user on Sprint wouldn’t be able to get an iPhone.

But Windows Mobile just doesn’t seem to be on the radar and, frankly, I don’t see why it should be. I suppose there are corporate reasons, such as special apps or databases, but there really aren’t any compelling necessities for any of the small businesses I work with. And small business technology in general just doesn’t seem to gravitate to them.

In my view, corporate smartphones still revolve around Blackberry’s and even small businesses can get large value from Blackberry fleets if they find a good mail provider that allows BES access. Beyond that, the “fancy” features are what business owners and mobile users are looking for these days, and those are found in the iPhone and Palm Pre.

But then again, Windows Mobile 7 does look pretty snazzy and if all the above mentioned vendors don’t keep up, maybe the behemoth of Microsoft has a chance.

How Windows 7 Won’t Help Your Small Business – yet

techenet — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:54:30 +0000

Microsoft will release its latest Operating System this month on the 22nd. This much anticipated upgrade will provide a bridge from the more commonly used Windows XP and the next generation of computing.

While the Windows Vista OS has also been available since Windows XP, the shortcomings of this platform (such as high hardware requirements and lack of compelling features) made it less used in small business and corporate environments.

Windows 7, however, will be shipping with many advanced and graphical features; it has been designed from the ground up to run on the latest hardware as well as hardware that is currently in service, thereby increasing computer investment life cycles. This translates to being able to run Windows 7 on slightly older hardware.
But is Windows 7 so amazing that it is imperative to upgrade? If so, what advantage is there in upgrading to Windows 7 for the small business?

To better understand the benefits Windows 7 could bring to your business, let’s review the top Pros and Cons as they pertain to your business.

Pros

Improved Power Management – Power management encompasses several concepts, but the one we care about here is battery life. For the desktop this isn’t such a big deal (hint – they don’t have batteries), but for the laptop user this is big news. There are reports all across the internet of the great enhancements on the power handling of Windows 7 that enables it to literally give you more battery life – from the same battery you have now! That’s impressive.
Ability to Run the Latest Software and Hardware – As hardware and software vendors stop supporting, that is they stop developing and making, products for Windows XP, the latest and greatest will cease work with it – drivers or no drivers. So eventually, simply by the nature of “new,” Windows 7 will be the “in” thing and, frankly, necessary.
Less Bloat – Bloat? What is bloat? Bloat is the extra, the unnecessary, the junk that they throw in that you really didn’t want, need, or care for; but somehow is there anyway, just making it hard to get around, and get anything done. Bloat is synonymous with Microsoft, and to be fair, many software vendors, and is the nickname for Windows Vista. Bloat is the reason Windows Vista required such new and current hardware, because only the fastest computer could keep up with Vista’s bloat. Bloat, is the opposite of what Windows 7 has. Windows 7 has been designed to run on the slowest PC (by “slowest” we’re really talking a couple years old here, not the clunker in your closet) and power the fastest gaming rig.
Windows XP Virtual Machine – Virtual Ma-what now? First off, a Virtual Machine is the ability to run a computer inside a computer. Essentially you can run a completely separate Windows Operating System on your computer. It’s like looking through a, stay with me now and no pun intended, “window” on your Windows desktop. What does this mean with regard to Windows 7? Well Microsoft is shipping a built in Virtual Machine with Windows XP on certain versions of Windows 7. This means that even if you run across some software or applications that absolutely will not run on Windows 7, you can install them into this Windows XP Virtual Machine (think of it as a wrapper for your old software) and still run it while having Windows 7 as your main OS. It’s really quite ingenious.
- UPDATE 10/8/2009 - XP Mode only works with certain newer hardware. So while Windows 7 can run fine on older hardware, the Windows XP Virtual Machine may not be able to.

Cons

Learning Curve – As with any new piece of software, there is a period of adjustment as employees become accustomed to the layout and location of applications and things they are used to. Continuing with tradition, the interface of Windows 7 is quite different than Windows XP, and a little different from Windows Vista. This means that your people won’t be hitting the ground running even though the OS is ready and willing.
Compatibility (Software and Drivers) – Once again the “new” factor is working against us here. Software and drivers may have to be rewritten by vendors to be compatible on Windows 7. This means that older software may not work yet, or ever for that matter; and even more frustrating, that 10 year old HP Laserjet 4L printer you have stored in the back for emergencies won’t work either. Why? Because the vendor hasn’t made drivers for that printer that are compatible with Windows 7. Typically vendors will eventually develop the correct updates so that hardware and software will work, but there’s always the waiting period when a new OS is released before that happens.
Cost - Of course there’s alwasy the issue of cost. Want to upgrade? Well it’s not free. There will be the license costs of the OS itself as well as the support and labor costs of getting the OS installed and then all of your applications reinstalled and configured. Not to mention any testing costs related to software that must first be tested for compatibility (why does that word keep coming up?). And finally there is the cost related to loss of labor from the above mentioned Learning Curve.

Why You Want To Start Looking At Windows 7 Early Next Year
Regardless of the above Pros and Cons

Windows XP Availability – Eventually it will become harder and harder to get Windows XP on a new PC. Officially, support for Windows XP ends in 2012, but prior to that, and as is evident even today, some PC vendors don’t even provide Windows XP at all.
Updates and Support – As just mentioned, support for Windows XP officially ends in 2012. This means that patches and updates after that time will not longer be provided. These patches and updates are crucial to sealing up the holes that are inevitably found in software, and with an OS like Windows, holes and vulnerabilities are definitely NOT what you want to have.

The question then still remains:
Should you upgrade?

The Answer: an emphatic “it depends.”

My rule of thumb is to not upgrade any operating system until at least the first Service Pack (that is the first major update package), as this provides sufficient time to work out the initial bugs. With Windows 7, I would expect this to be early Spring 2010.
In addition there are always driver support issues as mentioned above. Drivers are the software that let you other devices, such as printers, digital cameras, etc. communicate with your PC. Any time a new operating system is released, the vendors of the devices you buy must update the software to run on the new OS. This often takes time and therefore it behooves one to wait to upgrade while the updates occur.
If you’re running Windows Vista, especially on older/slower hardware, then the speed increases alone might be worth it.
However waiting until early 2010 won’t hurt anything and will provide ample time for bugs and drivers support issues to be resolved.
If you’re a small business, the features in Windows 7 should bring some great productivity and efficiency benefits to you, but ultimately it may simply be force of coercion that your business feels the need to upgrade.

Palm releases new phone – Pixie

techenet — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:57:06 +0000

Here I am awaiting the imminent WebOS 1.2, so I can finally use Hotsync in Classic, and Palm goes and releases the Palm Pixie. It looks kind of like a Blackberry, which are geared for small business technologists and other professionals, or maybe it looks like a Palm Treo. In any case, wow, I almost wish I’d waited…almost.

While flipping the Pre open each time I want to type is slightly cumbersome, having a large, full screen is definitely nice. I’m not sure how all the great apps would look on the Pixie.

In any case, there you go. Maybe the WebOS 1.2 will out tomorrow too. …fingers crossed…

10 Steps to turn your Layoff into a Payoff

techenet — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:04 +0000

Everyone dreams of being their own boss and with the economy’s current woes and downturn, more and more people are doing just that, looking to go freelance and start a Small Business. It’s a trend, and right now it’s THE trend. For some it will work out, for some it won’t, but for all of them it will be work – it always is.

Let’s not fool ourselves. The longing to do what WE want is intoxicating. It’s that dream of dreams of the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels us into these fantasies. And often we jump right in without thinking, or think so much we never get our feet wet.

So take a seat, lean back and let’s look at some steps to turning your lay off into a better and brighter day.

Plan. Did you hear me? I said plan. Yes I know you’ve got the perfect product that everyone needs and they don’t have time to wait. But if you don’t plan, and plan sufficiently enough that someone else would actually think of giving you money based on that plan, then that product everyone needs will never arrive into their proverbially needy hands.
Incorporate. A little tip: No matter what you incorporate your business as, you can always either change the name, or use a DBA. So don’t wait until you’ve picked the perfect name before you get incorporated. Choose something generic if you must, like “Bob’s Holdings” or whatever, but talk to your accountant and get your business incorporated so you can start saving on all those business write off goodies.
Get an Accountant. This should probably have been before the last one, but better late than never. You don’t need an expensive one, you just need ONE. A friend, and online resource, or whatever. But find someone in the know and do it right. Get your financial application, whether Quickbooks or other, and get it setup the right way from the beginning. You’ll be glad you did in two years time when the bucks start rolling in.
Leverage Small Business Technology. Get a Financial Application. Speaking of Quickbooks, it’s not the only one, nor is it really the best, but it is the most common financial application out there, and one of the easiest to use. Most small business accountants use or are familiar with Quickbooks and can help you there, so I highly recommend this as your financial application, but if nothing else get something and USE IT! The sooner you start, the sooner you can track things and keep it straight for tax time. Beyond that, get a Customer management system. I recommend SalesForce.com, they have packages as low as $9/month and the services available are amazing. Plus, since it is a SaaS platform, you get all updates for free (so to speak, being that you’re paying a monthly fee).
A Productive Workspace. I mean a workspace tailored to how you work and feel. Your workspace should keep you focused enough that you’re not surfing the net all day because your desk is piled high, but also serene enough that you actually want to be there. File drawers, in-baskets, and garbage cans should all be within reach. Your Next Actions on things you come into contact with should be near enough that to simply “throw that paper away” doesn’t become an exercise in accomplishment in and of itself.
Website. There was a time when this was a luxury. That time is not now. A website is many things, but first and foremost it is your business card. It is where people will go to find out more about you. It is where they’ll end up when they forget your phone number and Google what they thing was your business name. Get a website and DON’T DO IT YOURSELF (unless you are actually capable). There’s nothing worse than an amateur website promoting what “must therefore be” an amateur company.
Social Networking. Social what? Yes, Social Networking. That online cumulus nimbus of a cloud that everyone is talking about these days. Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, all of it. Find out what it is, find out how it can help you, and start using it.
Research. You will never know everything about your industry, but if you don’t even try, then the next guy IS learning everything about YOUR industry. Do your homework, Google around, find out what’s new. TIP: Get a Google account and use Google Reader in conjunction with Google Alerts. You can setup Google Alerts to find information on the topics you want automatically. This information can then show up in Google Reader where you just pop in from time to time and check out what’s new. Check these products out, they’re FREE!
Marketing – I believe this is almost more important than the actual services or products you provide. Without this there will be no new work and therefore no cash flow. You need to find out how your business should be marketed. Look for books or websites in your industry. Research how others, again in your industry, are doing things. How do they market, what tips and ideas can you implement? Determine by whom your products and services are desired? How will you reach them? By mail, by phone, by visit, by referral? Figure this out and start working on it from Day 1. There’s no sense in getting your whole infrastructure up and running if you have no one to sell to.
Get Out There. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT, sit at home or in your office. Get out of your workplace and start working. Visit with prospects, visit with existing clients, visit the bookstore even; but do not sit around thinking about how cool it will be when business is rolling. If you’re not DOING, your business isn’t SELLING. Sometimes the simple act of moving and doing, as long as it’s business related and semi-productive, will get the creative and motivational juices flowing enough to get you over the current hump or lull that has manifested.

There are many other things to get a handle on. But if you focus, keep moving, and also (don’t forget this one) take time to enjoy those things that are important to you (you know, the things/ones you’re trying to make time and money for in the first place); you WILL be successful.

ToDo Lists and Procrastination

techenet — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:57:24 +0000

Too often I fall in the rut off too much to do and not the will to do it. I plan, plan some more, and there’s generally plenty of time for that planning to come to fruition; however then the dreaded procrastination monster appears and has me surfing Digg, or rearranging my Netflix queue, instead of doing what I had already planned.

A common approach to this is the Getting Things Done by David Allen. One of the core concepts is breaking things down into manageable steps. The idea being that if your tasks is to “Finish the Broadbent project” there are too many implied steps within there that you’ll end up procrastinating. Whereas if you break it down into several steps, the first being say: “Gather Broadbent project information,” followed by “Call Broadbent assistant for appointment,” that these are more doable and less likely to be put off.

A good summary of these steps can be found over at OrganizeIT. A great site that I follow often.

I find myself confronting all three scenarios on a regular basis, and the precepts of GTD help me to deal each in its own realm.

Palm Pre Tasks still not Getting My Things Done

techenet — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:04:44 +0000

Apparently they’ve improved the tasks filters on the Palm Pre, giving you the ability to filter by Priorty. But with no categories, this still leaves GTD’ers in the dark.

I’m still waiting for WebOS, but for different reasons: I want HotSync for the Palm Pre app “classic” which appears will be enabled with the new Pre WebOS 1.2 update. With that in hand, I’ll be using my trusty DateBk6 application. The greatest Palm app for calendar/task integration…in my opinion.