Connected
Practical Computing Ideas, Opinions
and
Questions Answered
David's
Newspaper Columns (updated
weekly)
Some of my Innovations columns are called "Connected" in print. So if you can't find what you think is a Connected column here, look in Innovations -- especially if it's about a specific product.
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Resolutions: Make 'em and break 'em
It seems like I've been here before. The year begins and I make resolutions that will revolutionize my life forevermore. You do the same thing? How well have you fared?
For as many years as I can remember, there is one resolution that... <more>
Playing Santa but running late? How about a nice power adapter?
Time is ticking away, and you still haven't purchased all your holiday gifts. Many of the popular gifts are sold out; but there are still plenty of great gifts that will bring a smile to the faces of the recipients.
Some in the "need-to-have but don't want to buy for myself" category are among the best gifts. Here is a sampling:...<more>
Check on later upgrades when buying computer system
This year, walking into the store to purchase a new system has been complicated by releases of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Office 2007 products -- because they are not being shipped yet, except to corporate accounts... <more>
'Podcasting basics' a nice part of PodCamp Pittsburgh
They descended upon Pittsburgh like media moguls -- each one with a different media asset. Some produce feature length videos; others create radiolike talk shows; and still others -- including Internet hosting companies and consultants -- deal in the businesses that empower these multimedia creators. But they all were there for the same reasons: to exchange ideas and network face-to-face at PodCamp Pittsburgh.
It was only the second such event in the world -- an un-conference dedicated to the art and business of podcasting, in which... <more>
Technology puts women in contact with world
Although many men might have a macho tendency to expect otherwise, 77 percent of women would prefer a plasma screen TV to a diamond solitaire necklace. This, according to a study by Oxygen Media.
The study, aptly titled Girls Gone Wired, presents some insights into the way women react with technology -- including... <more>
Grocery shopping goes high-tech
Rarely do we think of old-line retailers as being high tech -- especially not traditional grocery stores. But that could be a misperception.
The other night I found out just how high-tech a grocer can be, when I visited Giant Eagle headquarters with... <more>
It doesn't get better than functional and cool
Cool and good don't always come in the same package. There are too many times when a company makes a product cool, but forgets the functionality.
LG Electronics has done a pretty good job of combining both in its Chocolate cell phone. Verizon pushes the cool aspects in its TV commercials; but the real benefit of the product is... <more>
Programs help youths on hazards of the Net
This week, my daughter had the good fortune of participating in a program being developed by the Pennsylvania attorney general called Operation Safe Surf. Meant to help middle school and high school students understand the dangers of and precautions needed when using the Internet, the program was... <more>
The future has arrived with digital marketing
How many toes should companies stick into the digital advertising water? According to Google, all of them -- plus the leg, torso and entire body. Ted Souder, Midwest travel vertical manager for Google Midwest, speaking to a meeting of the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation, said dabbling in digital marketing isn't the way to go. His message, strong and clear, was to embrace... <more>
This desktop update is a winner
Microsoft is playing with the desktop again -- and this time, I hope they have it right. In previous versions of Windows, the company has tried to... <more>
The future has arrived with digital marketing
How many toes should companies stick into the digital advertising water? According to Google, all of them -- plus the leg, torso and entire body. Ted Souder, Midwest travel vertical manager for Google Midwest, speaking to a meeting of the Pittsburgh Advertising Federation, said dabbling in digital marketing isn't... <more>
How to get more music into your life
In the battle for your musical dollar, two models have emerged. The first, used by Apple's iPod and iTunes music store, is to buy your tunes as you go -- and keep them forever. In this model, you pay, say 99 cents for each song; then you own them outright. The good news is that you never have to go back to the well -- as long as your files are intact. The bad news is... <more>
Moving your phone number can bring problems
Thinking about changing phone companies? Whether you're considering moving between traditional phone companies, replacing your landline phone with a cell phone or moving to a feature-rich Internet telephone company (VoIP), you can take your number with you.
Yet, despite the fact that the process to move your number between carriers has been in place for years, it's still not a perfect science and is fraught with potential problems. I found out the hard way, when I tried... <more>
This week, my daughter had the good fortune of participating in a program being developed by the Pennsylvania attorney general called Operation Safe Surf. Meant to help middle school and high school students understand the dangers of and precautions needed when using... <more>
There are times when you can use technology to solve a problem and times when humans might be able to do it better. But what about those applications in which technologies can empower humans to get the job done?
Bob Fisher, of Mt. Lebanon-based DT Interpreting (formerly Deaf-talk), figured how to use technology to get an important human job done -- providing translation services for deaf patients who walk into hospitals with a problem...<more>
It's 11 in the morning, and you're just starting to notice that knot in your stomach as lunchtime approaches. But you're busily working, and you just happen to need to do a search. So you open a window with Google or MSN and search for your required information. Coincidently, you see an advertisement for a local pizza shop or sushi restaurant.
Actually it's probably not a coincidence...<more>
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership should be congratulated for completing a deal to bring wireless Internet connectivity into the area. When the network is completed, consumers and business people will be able to wirelessly surf the Web, get e-mail and do other Internet tasks without being tethered to a wire or a coffee shop.
For two wonderful hours every day, they'll have the benefits of the network at their fingertips for free -- or they can get round-the-clock action for a small fee.
But as happy as we are for local residents -- and for similarly blessed residents of San Francisco, Philadelphia and other cities bound for Wi-Fi glory -- users and government officials must approach these impending connectivities with caution...<more>
Established retailers and manufacturers have an advantage over software companies, consultants and Web companies when it comes to accepting credit cards from customers.
Internet merchants often are considered by the companies that process the payments to be a risk. There is often no collateral, no inventory, no storefront to visit. So the largest processors -- called merchant services companies -- are hesitant to put up the cash in advance until they collect from the cardholder. For many of these smaller companies, the only visible, cost-effective option has been to accept payments by PayPal... <more>
Online voting ended on Thursday for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game -- a few days later than for those who voted at the ballparks. Yet, with all the articles and radio-talk show gabfests about the voting, I didn't hear anybody talk about how a small mistake while you're voting could make you do something you wouldn't ordinarily do -- sign up for spam lists...<more>
I've been playing with Google's new online spreadsheets -- and they are cool.
I didn't expect them to have the full capabilities of Excel, so the fact that many functions are not there didn't surprise me. I was surprised, though, by the speed. And the designers made some intriguing enhancements... <more>
Maybe I'm biased, but I think the sound of a movie or TV program has as much or more impact on your viewing experience than the picture does.
Imagine how uninteresting "Star Wars" would be without the swishing and "wonnnnk" sounds of clashing light sabers. Or the lack of suspense in "Jaws" without the music.
Even those of us who are visual thinkers can hum the old TV theme songs of "The Andy Griffith Show," "Laverne & Shirley" or "Dragnet" -- but nobody remembers exactly what the Dragnet badge looks like, or the Shotz brewery where Laverne and Shirley work, even though the images are on screen while we hear the theme. Sound is everything!
Yet, when we buy a TV, we compare visual features first...<more>
You may recognize the situation. You walk into a store to purchase some merchandise. The cashier waves her wand across the bar code. The price pops up on the screen -- only it's the wrong price.
It's a common occurrence -- at least for those of us who pay attention. Sometimes it's our fault. We may have read the price wrong at the shelf, looked at the wrong label or confused the size we're buying for the one that's on sale.
But not always. Sometimes the store is to blame. Maybe a sale just started (or just ended), and the price shown on the shelf is different than the price in the database. Whether it's a mistake or not, it always seems as if the cashier has the higher price -- and that it was done on purpose...<more>
I'm envious.
Not that you'd think I should be. Because I write and talk on the radio about new technology, I often get to see and use the latest and greatest devices before most people even know they exist. But I'm still not on the leading edge.
You'd recognize that if you saw Microsoft's Center for Information Work, a high-tech demo center on the company's corporate campus that shows upcoming technologies and how they combine with current technologies to produce what we'd call the office of the future.
I haven't even visited the place, but I'm salivating over what I've seen in pictures and videos... <more>
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For a guy who usually becomes enamored of the productivity features in electronics, I have to make an admission: The Xbox 360 is definitely cool. It has a modern look; it has some features that made me mutter "Wow!" under my breath; and the designers did a good job of making it fit into the emerging home entertainment/computing environment.
The graphics are sensational -- especially when you see them on a large screen high-definition television. I took some time to challenge my teenage son to some games...<more>
Once upon a time, when you heard the word Napster, you thought "free music." Those were the days of the wild Web, when technology ruled and legality took a back seat.
In the last few years, though, the Napster brand no longer meant free. It meant legal.. <more>
Tablet PCs have come a long way. The last time I reviewed one, I had a good experience with the software; but the hardware had its problems. Recently, though, I've been using a convertible laptop from Gateway -- and those hardware problems, so far, have been nowhere to be seen. Better yet, with the increase in hardware speed and large memory configurations, it has been fast and accurate...<more>
Posturing is important in the tech world, where "coopertition" -- cooperating with your competition -- is just as important and widely practiced as competition itself. That may explain why Apple suddenly is vocal about a Mac that runs Windows and Microsoft is silent about the same subject.
As we had predicted, in recent weeks the new Intel-based Macintosh computers have been shown to run Windows -- not just in one way, but in three different ways...<more>
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Just like most Pittsburghers love Steelers season, I'm in my glory when the NCAA has its annual March slugfest and Major League Baseball chimes in with the first pitches of the season.
It's not unusual for me to be constantly checking my TV set during the marathon early rounds of the NCAA Tournament -- and you certainly would see me glued to the set for the Final Four. Being able to do it in front of a large-screen high-definition TV set makes it that much better.
This year, I was able to watch much of the action on a 43-inch Pioneer Plasma HDTV... <more>
Maybe now, we'll all be able rest a little easier, knowing that the two greatest rivals of all time have a common interest.
No, I'm not talking about Yale and Harvard, Duke and the University of North Carolina, or your alma mater and its greatest rival. I'm talking Apple and Microsoft. This rivalry is so bitter, that every time I say a disparaging word about an Apple product, some overzealous Apple fan accuses me of favoring Microsoft -- and every time I point out a flaw in a Microsoft product, one of that company's zealous fans accuses me of favoring Apple.
The end of the tech rivalry was foreshadowed by Apple's recent announcement... <more>
The big computer and communications vendors finally are realizing how important those SOHO (small office/home office) customers are. Many of them are introducing new products or changing their older products to meet the different needs of the smaller users.
On Tuesday, Verizon Wireless introduced Field Force Manager, a service that allows small -- and large -- businesses to manage the people that are away from the main office... <more>
Whether you're a business person, engineer or entry level knowledge worker, chances are that in 2001 you were scared when Internet company after Internet company went down in flames -- taking the economy and many non-Internet companies with them.
But time heals all wounds; and in 2006, you're ready for the next big idea... <more>
Many experts are looking forward to the day when we can customize our systems to such an extent that we can take them along with us on a small drive, plug into an existing computer and have all of our files, records and even applications available.
To some, it means waiting until Windows Vista arrives later in the year. But Mark Leathem, director of Global Strategies for Kingston Technology, proved to me last week that it's something we can do today... <more>
We live in a high-tech world where it's difficult to exist without technology. For the few who do, it's difficult to not be affected by the technology of others.
Yet high-tech is nothing without "high touch." That's when somebody adds the human element -- using their personal touch to affect a situation. So when a company known for its high-tech uses high touch to make customers happy... <more>
The Geek's guidebook to being a fan of the Super Bowl champions:
Rule No. 1: Don't disconnect the Net.
Last weekend, like many others in Pittsburgh, we had a party to watch the Super Bowl. In preparation for a large crowd we expected in our home, we rearranged our family room so more people could see our TV. That included pushing our TV 8 feet farther from the telephone jack than it was earlier in the day.
Unfortunately, it also meant disconnecting our Internet connection... <more>
It may have been one of the first technology business events of 2006; but it felt like 1995 again -- that golden year in which the Internet first started attracting the attention of the masses. The room was filled with savvy business people, yet they didn't act savvy. They were acting like students trying to comprehend the subject and its implications.
The subject was blogging and podcasting -- or at least that's how it was billed... <more>
If you live in an area covered by 911 service, you probably take it for granted -- knowing that your call will be routed to somebody in your local area skilled in emergency handling if you simply press 9-1-1.
But that's not how it has been for the first few years of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service. If you use VoIP to connect your phone to the Internet instead of using a standard phone line, your call might have been forwarded to the 911 switchboard -- or it might have gone to an administrative number at a local police or public service department. If it went to the latter, you might have reached a voice mail box and your message might not have been heard for hours -- hardly a good solution for time-critical emergency situations.
Despite the warnings of the VoIP services -- which include Vonage, Verizon's VoiceWing, Comcast, AT&T's CallVantage and others -- that they didn't offer your father's 911 service, people didn't realize that there was a significant difference between their VoIP 911 and traditional 911. So problems have resulted. A woman in Deltona, Fla., blamed Vonage because her baby died after the woman was unable to reach 911 assistance. In Texas, a girl was unable to obtain emergency aid by dialing 911 after she saw her parents shot by an intruder... <more>
I was shocked when I turned on my computer last month only to find an e-mail telling me that my telephone service had been turned off. The notice was from the VoiceWing unit of Verizon -- the part of the company that provides Internet phone service, known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP -- and it had been sitting in my mail-stream for hours before I saw it.
According to the message, because it couldn't verify that my phone was within its 911 coverage, it had temporarily suspended my service due to a new 911 policy. It turned off all... <more>
Nights like last Monday remind me how complex technology is -- and why people so often want to chuck their tech devices. I wanted to throw mine away too.
The day started like many others -- jumping into the car to go to the office, turning on my computer, doing miscellaneous chores while it booted and finally... <more>
David's
Weekly columns:
- Connected
(addressing the impact of tech & tech news on you)
- Worry
Watch (about viruses, spyware, ID theft, threats...)
- Innovations
(they can change the way you work and live)
The
Interact Archive
Find Other Articles Written by David and others.
(Many of David's recent articles are labeled "Computer
Q&A")
Thanks to The Pittsburgh Post Gazette,
"One of America's Great Newspapers," for letting
me enlighten so many people!
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