Dick Tracy’s Technology Update?

 

Back in 1946, Dick Tracy, the famous comic-strip detective, broke technological ground when he began wearing his 2-Way Wrist Radio. Sixty-seven years later, we’re hearing a lot of rumors about a new Apple iWatch.

Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy, gave his character the new communication device after visiting with inventor Al Gross, a pioneer in mobile wireless communication. Gould upgraded Tracy to a 2-Way Wrist TV in 1964, but we’re way beyond that today.

Some people have put their older iPod Nanos on wristbands, essentially making them into multi-functional wristwatches. Other manufacturers have put “smart watches” on the market, but they haven’t achieved Rolex status. However, nobody can match Apple’s technology buzz. The reports we’ve come across as this newsletter went to publication indicate that manufacturing is gearing up for getting the new device on the market this summer.

I would find it especially helpful. We all have smartphones clipped to our belts or in our purses, and they’re hard to access just to see who’s calling. With a device on our wrist and Bluetooth, it would be as simple as checking the time to see the caller ID and know if you need to pull out your phone or activate it with a voice command.

Other manufacturers have some capability with smartphones, wrist-borne devices and Bluetooth already on the market, so this type of device makes sense for Apple. We’ll be watching.

We’ll also be watching for a possible new iPad – rumored to be released in March – and new developments in Apple TV. Maybe this and a new wrist device will enable us to watch Dick Tracy reruns while we’re walking the dog or waiting for a bus or train.

Check in for updates on our website or Facebook page.

Cutting the Cable? Ditching the Dish?

Evolving technologies that stream content to our TVs and mobile devices are portending the end for cable and satellite TV. They’re not going away all that quickly, but it’s just a matter of time.  HDMI allows you watch anything from a computer on a TV. So, if you can wait a day to watch your favorite TV show, you can go to a website and watch it at your convenience. Live sports and news are another story, but you know the technology will be there to deliver the content.

As for TVs, our experience shows that the best deals on big flat screen TVs usually come in the middle of January – two weeks before the Super Bowl.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.

New Stuff – Hardware and Software

With the holidays in our rearview mirrors, it’s time to look at what’s new, already, besides the ever-present Apple rumors. One new product that’s here is Brookstone’s HDMI pocket projector. Let’s take a look at it along with some other new hardware and software products.

The pocket projector looks really cool, and it fits with where many of us are headed in 2013 – a move to more mobile devices and greater use of the cloud.  For personal uses, you can show pictures stored on a web-based service or use an app to show a YouTube video. If you have photos or videos already stored on your device, you can access them directly. Either way, you don’t have to pass your phone or tablet around to everyone in your group.

For those of you who give presentations, you can now avoid dragging along a laptop and avoiding all the things that can possibly go wrong when you hook your computer to a projector. You can connect one of these to your smartphone or tablet and use an app that works with programs such as Keynote or Documents to Go, which emulate Word, PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office programs. Mobile devices have good reliability records, and you usually have the option of connecting to remote servers via Wi-Fi or cellular service.  Just make sure you have the right cables. It comes with adapters and cables for most devices. If you have an iPhone or iPad, yes, you will need to get special adapters and connectors.

If your need is new “standard” technology for 2013, our Windows OS saga continues. We continue to see a lot of customers having difficulty with Windows 8. You can send the computers back, but it’s a cumbersome process.

The better path is to do some careful research. You can order certain desktop and laptop computer models from most manufacturers with an option to have it run Windows 7. Just be sure to read all the product details and technical specs to see that the computer meets all of your performance needs and has the ability to run Windows 7.  If you’re not sure or have any questions, call us (973-433-6676) or email us for answers and advice.

Making a List

Now is a good time to take an inventory of your computers, servers and other office equipment. Many of our clients have “evolving” technology – moving from older to newer equipment in stages. We’ve been taking inventories of computers, servers, versions of Office and operating systems as we visit for service calls. Many don’t believe their systems are as old as they are. However, an accurate inventory will help you plan and budget for new systems in an orderly manner and minimize office disruptions.

On the software side, the Microsoft Outlook web app has some good upgrades, which you get automatically if you subscribe to Office 365. We posted a link on our Facebook page to an article from Microsoft that describes the features in the upgrade.

One of the new features we like is the ability to use webmail offline. However, you need to have IE 10, Safari 5 or Chrome 16. We want to assume it will work with Firefox soon, if it hasn’t already been done. Once we have the chance to test it all, we’ll give you a report.

If you use Microsoft Exchange for your email, datacenter enhancements have enabled the service  to increase the limit of sending 1,500 emails per day to 10,000. The limits protect the online service from becoming a source of spam and keep customers’ email messages flowing.

We believe in the cloud and highly recommend it for many of our clients for better data security, easier access to data and automatic upgrades to keep your systems current. Call us – 973-433-6676 – or email us for questions about or help in moving to the cloud.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.

Old Stuff – Hardware Disposal

Getting rid of old computers, copiers, printers, gaming systems, monitors and other equipment is more than just putting it out for trash. As we noted, most of it must be sent to a recycling facility. But even before you take them to a facility or arrange a pick-up, make sure you erase all data stored on them.

Unless you are using cloud-based systems exclusively, you’re storing data on your computer’s hard drive, and the data files likely contain sensitive information. Merely deleting files doesn’t erase data. We can help you with the destruction if your hard drive goes to Green Vision Inc. (see our front-page article). We are there at least once a week, and we can arrange to supervise the destruction of your drives. If we are working at your office or home, we can take your old equipment to Green Vision and supervise the destruction.

Keep in mind; computers are not the only devices that store data on hard drives or memory chips. Many personal printers have memory chips, and so do fax machines and “all-in-one” devices that print, copy scan and fax. We can make sure those storage media are removed and destroyed. If you plan to donate or sell that old equipment for somebody else to use, make sure you call us to wipe those devices clean.

Large multi-function devices used for printing, copying, scanning and faxing do have hard drives. If you have a leased machine, it’s critical to make sure all data are erased before you return the machine intact. You should call your equipment provider to find out how to erase the data or find out if you have the option of removing the hard drive. You may need to replace it, but any additional cost could be a bargain when compared to the cost of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands.

In addition to computers and office machines, you also need to recycle items such as:

  • Computer accessories (mouse, keyboards, speakers, wires and cords)
  • Audio visual components (VCR, DVD, CD, cassette, record and 8-track players)
  • Radios
  • Telephones and cell phones
  • Small kitchen appliances (toasters, microwaves, coffee makers, can openers, blenders, etc.)
  • Vacuum cleaners (with dust bags out or cans emptied)
  • LCD monitors
  • CRT monitors
  • Tube TVs

Green Vision has a New Jersey recycling fact sheet on its website. You should consult the laws in the state(s) where you live and/or work for disposal and recycling information. We can assist you with disposal; just call – 973-433-6676 – or email us with your questions.

This article was published in Technology Update, the monthly newsletter from Sterling Rose LLC.