The Most Important Thing I've Ever Done...

...is offer a personal professional opinion on technology.  Because technology should be that to you, a personal tool used for both personal and professional purposes. 

Is this what the iPad does?  See for yourself in the release article written by the IBTimes.

A lot of traditional media sees this as a new way of reaching its readers and are heading Apple's way.  Of course, there'll be apps available to it.  It seems to do everything a laptop does...it's just flat and you can touch the screen and it's the size of a US Standard sheet of paper.  According to the article, seeing the whole screen is a big deal.  There's going to be iBooks.  If iSee another ixyz I'm going to iPuke.

You'll have to pay extra for 3G services (this is where they getcha, and I don't think the addition is correct in the article). 

I'll admit, there may be some practicality in this item, but it has more of a "cool" factor than anything else from my opinion.  A glorified smartphone or an undersized laptop.  I'm awaiting to see what the limitations are.

In the meantime, would I need it?  No.  I'm sure many people will find a use for it.  As far as I can see, it's an Apple laptop in new packaging.  An iPhone on steroids.  I'm not a gadget guy.  And it's expensive for what it is.

If the stock thing is any indication:  "Shares generally rose in anticipation of the event, but Apple dropped 1.68 percent, or 3.46 dollars as Jobs took the stage ."...we'll see how things go.

-eggBrain

It's an android!

So I browsed the Android OS, to see what it's like.  I DON'T have a phone with the Android OS (Operating System) on it, and I'm not sure if I know anyone who does, but it seems to me that developing applications can be done in Java.

What does this mean for your business?  You can create "apps" which is what everyone talks about for iPhone and other phones.  Apps for your phone, apps for this apps for that apps to tell you where you are, who you are and what you're about to do.  Now ain't that app-etizing?

What can an app do for your business?  Well, you're using some now.  An internet browser: app.  Microsoft Office: app.  And you can have apps within apps.  If anything, an application is a tool on your computer that helps you get the job done.

So again, I ask, what's an app going to do for your business?  GEICO has apps to help its clients.  If you had to design an app for your business to help your clients, what would it be?

Mine?  Mine would be a simple reminder to scan your computer and update your virus files.

'nuff said.

-eggBrain

BING! You have me thinking

#2 on the top 10....BING!

BING!, Microsoft's search engine to rival Google, has me impressed so far.  If anything, it prompted me to look at my competitors and for crying out loud, put some rage in my blood that I'm not as high as them on a couple of search engines.  Time to turn up the heat.

It's a beautiful site and a very concise search engine that doesn't seem to breakdown the words you use into separate words so you get a gazillion results.  For instance, if I type in:  "Harford County eggbrain" I get 2 results.  Which means, to my business, I need more link sharing out there (anyone interested?)  AND they are relevant links (one of them is with James D. Otte, from ottelaw.com)

On Google, I'm tops, sure, but the next few entries covers this blog...old entries.

I don't think that really helps me ENTIRELY, but it almost helps.  I guess.

What upset me the most is my search engine ranking (tanking?). Yeah, I'll admit it, it's not the best and I have to step it up to beat my competitors, so upwards and onwards.

So yes, I endorse Bing!  They give me a focused search.  OH!  And cashback on shopping.  As a small business, that's key.  I don't have to worry about Google AdWords to get by (which, by the way, you can't have a P.O. Box for them to mail click throughs).



Compute safely!

Fancast - a quick review

Did a quick search of technology and science fiction on the fancast.com site (the first of my related top 10 from Computerworld of top 10 sites and services to look out for), just to see what it held as far as technology news, etc.  No, you have to look for the SHOW by name, not subject area.

This is first glance for now, but I'm not convinced it's for any business application.  ALL entertainment if ever you are looking for it. 

-eggBrain

eggBrain commissioned to design and build DCW Business Organization website

eggBrain (that's me) has just been commissioned to design, build and host the DCW Business Organization website. 

I am in the process of developing a project charter for the project and hope to have the site turned around quite quickly.

Diving into a top 10 services to watch

According to ComputerWorld.com's columnist Mark Sullivan, these are the top the sites and services you should look out for in 2010.

(please use Firefox, IE 7 has problems with the site all the time)

1. Fancast Xfinity TV - Watch TV Episodes online
   
2. Bing.com - A better search engine from Microsoft?  NUH UH!
   
3. Android OS market expands
4. Grooveshark - listen to music online
5. Google Voice
   
6. justin.tv - Live video streamed straight online (according to the article, a sports game was streamed from someone's camera...is that legal?)
7. Clicker - A programming guide for ONLINE video....whodathunkit?
8. Yammer - Connect and share with people in your organization.  Ok, now you got me interested in this one.  It's Twitter for your office.
9. Wikitravel - Yes, wiki for your travels.  It's a place where you can find out other people's experiences to areas around the world.  So you'll get another perspective, experience, viewpoint from other than a Chamber of Commerce type organization.
10. Postabon - Find deals in your area. As of the writing of the Computerworld article, it works only in NYC right now.  But when I visited it, it gave the impression it is now widely available.  We'll see.

So WHY did I post these?  Because I wanted to investigate each one to see how each may impact me as a tech user and me as a business.  I mean, wouldn't you like to know how it could apply to you and your business?

Ok, compute safely.  Why?  Because a colleague of mine just told me his PC has been completely hijacked (yes, the whole "you have no rights to this machine" kind of thing).  I gave him some tools to work with and he insisted he do it on his own.  I wish him luck.   I'll let you know how that goes too.

-eggBrain

1. 
   

Haitian Tragedy

Many a people are now affected in the Haitian tragedy.  There are many links you can find in the search engines covering the story and I trust that those who can help, will.

Times like this, I hope many a large corporation across the world will be able to help them. Digicel, the largest Haitian Cellular Phone provider will be helping with 5 million dollars.   Other companies too.

Through February, eggBrain vows to donate a percentage of its sales towards the aid being provided to those in need in Haiti.

Be well.  Be safe.

-eggBrain

Big difference

Been waiting too long to get things started.  Always wanting to jump into the pool, but not quite.  This year is the year to deliver.  This year:

eggBrain delivers IT.

Last year was a good start, but not good enough.  This year, I create situations and deliver what I'll say I will deliver:  on time, to the customer's standard and within budget. 

Compute safely

-eggBrain

Drop It...just drop it

Just a couple of nights ago, I decided to use drop.io or rather, test it out and it worked wonderful.  My colleague and I could see real time changes to documents as they happened and were able to upload and edit notes, photos, links, etc. 


What is drop.io you say?  As per the website:

"Use drop.io to privately share your files and collaborate in real time by web, email, phone, mobile, and more. Create each drop in two clicks and share what you want, how you want, with whom you want."

And that's the truth!  It is totally great.  I'm able to send an e-mail to it (or anybody can send an email to it for that matter) and it becomes a note.  We can schedule a time to meet if necessary to discuss a certain item on the list, or the project at the drop.  It's a real nice collaboration tool! (Chats, etc.  and you can even call a phone number to leave a voicemail that'll leave an .mp3 for a discussion or comment)  I like it a lot.  I do plan on testing Dim Dim soon, but this is incredible.

Oh, and you won't have to worry about it being available forever, you can set the time as to how long the drop is active.

COST:  Free up to 100MB/drop and you can create as many drops as you'd like.

In any case, I have a tight schedule next week, being that this week I've had to move other scheduled items around and decided to do a collaboration online using drop.io with a client of mine.  I told him it would save time and money.  But that didn't sell at all.

This is frustrating:  1)  Now I have to spend time on the road which is lost business time with other clients.  I don't like "dashboard time" which is what a prospect called his driving time.  2)  And I have to spend more money on gas. 

Granted, I'm happy to keep the customer happy, but this leads to other customers probably not being happy.  Good thing is, with this client, it's time to renegotiate terms so I'll be doing that before anything else happens in the meeting.

Ok, that being all said.  It will be a primary way I communicate with my customers: online collaboration to save us all time and money.

Wish me luck and compute safely.

-eggBrain

drop.io - sold

Messing around with drop.io....it's awesome. 

'nuff said.

-eggBrain

Zoho is so oh...and let's not Drop(.io) the Dim (dim) Sum...

I was browsing around Zoho.com and found out it IS free...to a point.  I am currently looking for collaboration software and Zoho was listed as #1.  Although the exposition of this software says its free.  It is LIMITED free.  Yes.  We all want free stuff and as far as I'm concerned, I plan on getting what I want for free.  Due to a limited budget:  $0.00.

I LOVE what it can do for me (or at least the highlighted features that they sold me) and the possible outcomes (in my mind):  minimize drive time, phone time and all other kinds of time that take time to make the time to get the time to meet.  Was I almost clear? 

I love it if I can afford it.  I can afford it when it's TOTALLY free.  You can visit the site to see what I mean.  But in any case, it's a wonderful price, just not for me right now.

Campfire:  same idea.

drop.io:  Free for up to 100MB. It's worth a shot if you ask me.  I can drop something, then delete it.  It's 100MB (of storage).  I don't have many things that exceed that.  Maybe I'll give that a shot.

And Dim Dim is perfect for up to 20 people they say?  SIGN ME UP!  Yes, I'll be signing this up, so let's find some people to test with shall we?


-eggBrain

The New Year Wave

Happy New Year!  I hope Techno-Santa brought you all your tech-gifts in one piece and you have some kind of warranty for all of them.

This New Year, what are you planning to do with YOUR technology in your business?  At home?

Here are my top 5 suggestions:

1. Clean it out - Yes, I mean DELETE DATA.  All the old data you haven't looked, read, or anything elsed, DELETE it.  Old programs too.  Take the time to do so, you'll be glad you did.
2. Clean it out - YES, I mean AIR IT OUT.  Go to your office supply store or Wal-mart and get yourself some compressed air.  Open up your case and spray it out.  And sweep afterwards.  If it's a laptop, spray in between the keys and I HOPE you aren't putting your laptop on dirty counters.  Some intake fans face downward and you don't want junk in your laptop.  EVER.
3. Clean it out - YES, I mean WIPE IT DOWN.  Find a non-static electronics cleaner, a dustless cloth (or even those mechanics cloths that come in a box) and wipe down your equipment.  Besides the real cool technology smell, you'll be glad your fingers aren't sticking to the keyboard, the keyboard isn't sticking to the desk (or your lap).  
4. Clean it out - I mean DEFRAG your machine (on PCs).  Yes, do it.  Just do it. 
5. Clean it out - I mean RUN A VIRUS SCAN/MALWARE SCAN already.  Yes, I know you haven't for some time.  Do it.  Now.
   

And that's what everyone, from business to home, ought to do.

As far as my business endeavors:

I've been redefining eggBrain.  Headlong into market research and detailing administrative processes.  Earlier I posted about the Google Wave.  They sent me an invitation and now I'm in...
...but...
...I looked at it and tried it out, but without anyone I know using Google Wave, I'm kind of...collaborating with nobody at the moment.  So I decided to look for the Top 10 Web Collaboration Tools (that aren't Google Wave).  And I found it.   Interesting.  Very interesting stuff.  I suggest you check it out if online collaboration is something you want to add to your repertoire.  I sure am.  In fact, the next several posts will be about my endeavors into these tools.

By the way you CAN get an invitation to Google Wave, as long as you are a member of Google. 

Compute Safely!

-eggBrain