Archive for the ‘Technology’ Category


« Older Entries

U.S. Mobile Culture is an Embarrassment!

August 18th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Business, Technology | No Comments »

I just got back from a trip overseas. I thought I was cool because I had my new BlackBerry Storm 2 with me – equipped with cutting edge global capability, super speed, navigation, and a whole lot of other bells and whistles.

I was not cool. Far from it.

As soon as I set foot in Italy, I realized that, yes, Italians do lead a simple, slower lifestyle. But part of that lifestyle stems from their efficient use of mobile devices and the services provided to them.

The mobile culture among Italians, along with many other Europeans and beyond, is surprisingly well more advance than here in the U.S.

How?

Well, according to a mobile culture survey conducted by Sybase 365, Americans are simply not adopting mobile technologies as fast as other parts of the world.

Their key finding: The United States finished dead last in the use of text messaging and instant messaging. Only one in three U.S. respondents take advantage of these services. In comparison, nine out of 10 respondents in China text on their mobile phones.

Parents of US teenagers who spend the bulk of their days texting would probably disagree… but wait, there’s more.

Sybase indicates that Americans have also been VERY SLOW to adopt the use of mobile commerce and mobile customer relations solutions. Want to pay your cable TV bill or buy office supplies? Most people here still get on the computer or pick up their land line phones to complete the transaction.  In other parts of the world, it’s quite the opposite.

According to Diarmuid Mallon, product marketing manager at Sybase, people in Africa can pay for goods with a simple text message and a payment card that acts as currency. That is, they don’t need a bank account. In the United States, however, most people have access to banks and ATM machines.

People around the globe are using their mobile devices to gather information, check finances, and manage their social lives. Here, well, we still use our mobile phones as… phones. Our problem, perhaps, is that we have too many choices; too many ways to buy things, communicate, and help us manage our personals lives and businesses.

Reflecting back on my trip to Italy, I realize that the Italians (and so many people in other countries) have it right. They value mobile speed, mobile services, and connectivity. While technologically advanced, their lives are still simple – easier to manage. Their mobile devices help them enjoy life a little bit more.

Of course, a bottle of Chianti doesn’t hurt either.

 Tags: , , , , ,

Sick of Your iPhone AT&T Plan? There’s a Legal Loophole for That

July 28th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

Ahhh, the art of jailbreaking.

It was huge in the 80’s and 90’s with those little black cable TV boxes. You know the ones EVERYONE had in their house – illegally – that allowed people to get every cable channel imaginable without the cable provider knowing.

Well, jailbreaking is buzzing yet again. This time among Apple iPhone users. And, it has taken on a whole new meaning – literally.

iPhone owners will now be able to legally break electronic locks on their phones in order to download unauthorized software applications and – ready for this? – break access controls in order to switch wireless carriers.

The decision to allow the practice commonly known as “jailbreaking” is one of a handful of new exemptions announced this week by the Library of Congress. The exemptions are from a 1998 federal law that prohibits people from bypassing technical measures that companies put on their products to prevent unauthorized uses.

In addition to jailbreaking, other exemptions announced this week would:

- allow people to break technical protections on video games to investigate or correct security flaws.

- allow college professors, film students and documentary filmmakers to break copy-protection measures on DVDs so they can embed clips for educational purposes, criticism, commentary and noncommercial videos.

- allow computer owners to bypass the need for external security devices called dongles if the dongle no longer works and cannot be replaced.

Of course, these legal loopholes open up a whole can of worms about copyright infringement… but it sure is good news for those pirate techno-geeks who’ve been doing this – in secret- for years.

As for everyday iPhone users, you will have to be a technical wizard to know how to break those electronic locks. I bet, though, for more than a few people, being able to switch from AT&T to another wireless service provide is incentive enough to learn.

 Tags: , , , , , ,

I Love Google Chrome and Here’s Why

July 7th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

Google Chrome.

I use it … and so should the rest of the Internet-using world.

Why, you ask?

Well, speed for one. The browser is super fast. No dinking around waiting for a page to load, like you would on other browsers (ah hem, Internet Explorer).

Second, I like Chrome’s architecture. It’s different.  For instance, when you close a tab, you are virtually terminating a process. This is good because if you corrupt the tab’s memspace then you will crash only that particular process. The browser and all other tabs should continue working just fine like nothing ever has happened.

Third, I love Chrome’s privacy feature. You can literally browse incognito. Just switch into incognito mode and nothing – I mean nothing – gets logged.

Fourth, with Chrome you can get anywhere on the Web with one box. The address bar that sits at the top of the normal Google Chrome window simplifies your Internet experience by doubling as a search box. Simply setup the browser to default to your favorite search engine and viola – you’re in business.

Fifth – and lastly – I think Chrome’s extensions are terrific. There are a number of popular extensions designed to make your Internet experience more interesting.  Ultimate Chrome Flag is one, for example, that displays a country or region name, Geo, Google PageRank, Alexa Rank and WOT info for the websites you’re visiting. WOT and the Web2PDFConverter are also pretty cool. For Internet dawdlers, there two extensions worth noting: StayFocused and Chrome Nanny. Both work like any other digital nanny in that they will block sites you DON’T want to visit – or sites you inadvertently spend too much time on (ah hem, Facebook). All of these extensions are FREE and worth every second it takes to download and install them.

Sure, I’ll be honest. Chrome isn’t the end-all-be-all of Internet browsers. It has its flaws. BUT it’s still in its BETA phase. It has room to grow.

I guess it all boils down to preference. And today, I prefer to tell you that if you haven’t started using Google Chrome yet – at least check it out. Once you go Chrome, you probably won’t go back.

Did I mention that Chrome can run Web pages and applications on a Mac too?

 Tags: , , , ,

Buying an iPhone 4? Sell Your Old Model

June 30th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

The iPhone 4 is out and sales are through the roof. It has lots of crazy new features – and a few glitches. But, for the most part, everyone and their mother wants one.

But, let’s say you’re already an iPhone owner. What do you do with your old one?

The answer: sell it!

… and not on eBay or Craigslist either. Several websites are offering CASH for your used iPhone. And, they will tell you upfront exactly what they’ll pay.

NextWorth and Gazelle say they will offer up to $100 for iPhone 3G models and $200 for iPhone 3GS – in good condition, of course.

Considering the new iPhone 4 starts at $199 with a two-year contract – that’s a hell of a deal.

Now, if the thought of selling your iPhone over the Internet sounds iffy, you can head over to RadioShack instead. It too is offering the same trade-in values, BUT for in-store credit. You can also – on the spot- trade in your old iPhone and sign up for the $199 upgrade. But,  don’t expect o walk out of the store with your new iPhone in hand. Those phones go out to smart people who pre-ordered.

Bummer, I know.

Yes, these new iPhones are hot tickets right now. I predict they’ll be even hotter when the Verizon iPhone is introduced in January. C’est la vie AT&T. A lot of people won’t be sorry to see you go.

 Tags: , , , , ,

iPad – Pure Luxury

June 17th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

So I came home with an Apple iPad last week. I didn’t think I’d get one – in fact, my husband was hell bent against it – but I bought one anyway.

It’s a great device. Awesome, actually.

The gaming apps have kept us mindlessly entertained for hours. And, every so often, when I feel that my brain has been sufficiently sucked dry of any literate thought or notion – I dive into the Press Reader app and browse my favorite newspapers. I need that stimulation every now and again.

The thing is, as awesome as I think the iPad is, my household doesn’t need it. Not even in the slightest.

It’s a luxury item. Pure and simple.

We’re not going to use it to increase our productivity. And we’re certainly not going to use the e-reader – at least not anytime soon. I love my books and I’m not ready to give them up just yet.

In all honesty, what the iPad has given us is games, kids activities, some educational tools, and access to new media  - all stuff I can get on the Internet. Seriously.

Don’t get me wrong, we’re keeping our little iPad. I see its potential, especially as my children get older and need supplemental educational tools.

But until then, I’ll listen to my daughters fight over who gets to play Angry Birds and my husband tap away at Bejeweled.

We’re going to Italy this summer… maybe I convince him to start learning Italian with the iPad.

Fat chance.

 Tags: , , ,

« Older Entries