Simplifying Technology

Leave the Typing to Vista

SimplicityForce — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 18:06:00 GMT

Have you ever thought it would be nice to be able to talk to your computer and have it do the typing? If you have Windows Vista and a headset microphone, you can.

Speech recognition has been around for quite some time, but Windows Vista is the first time it is included as part of the operation system. The system is not perfect, but for dictating a paper or e-mail, it works quite well. The trick is to not use speech recognition exclusively, which is a temptation. I recommend using speech recognition for the main typing, but using the mouse to access menus and select text. This combination uses the best of text recognition and the mouse.

To start talking to your Windows Vista computer, from the Start menu type speech in the “Search programs and files” dialogue box and select “Windows Speech Recognition.” This will start the setup process which will take about an hour to complete. The process will explain some of the features of speech recognition at the same time the computer learns your individual speaking style.

Have fun talking to your computer!

Downsizing Your Computer

SimplicityForce — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Believe it or not, the latest trend in computers is not for bigger and faster, but rather for smaller, less well equipped computers. This new class of ultraportable machines, often called “netbooks” because of their focus on communications, has the perfect mix of portability, functionality and affordability for many consumers.

This class of computer varies slightly in size, but the largest computers have a screen size of around ten inches and are less than an inch thick. Two major challenges of making a computer this small are screen and keyboard size. All computers in this class have a screen height slightly shorter than normal. This usually is not an issue but can make it more difficult to view some web pages. The keyboard, however, can be more if an issue on some models. The ASUS line, for example, makes the keyboard so small it is almost impossible to touch type. Lenovo, on the other hand, condenses the keyboard in such a way that it is still fairly easy to type. One more concession that is made to accommodate the smaller form factor is the elimination of an optical drive. There are plenty of USB ports, however, so a drive can be easily added.

Most of these computers perform quite well with the preinstalled Windows XP and provide added communication features such as a built-in web cam. I have not yet tested any with Windows Vista or the forthcoming Windows 7, but most meet the minimum requirements. The battery life varies based on the size of the battery from about 4 to 8 hours. Overall, the performance of these computers is quite adequate for most users. One area of weakness on some models is storage space. Some vendors have replaced the hard drive with a solid state drive to achieve better performance. While this type of drive does make a computer run much faster, the size is inadequate for most users and will cause a number of problems.

Possibly the most amazing thing about these computers is their price. The Lenovo S10e, which I recommend, is currently selling for around $300. Even the most expensive models in this class sell for well under $500. While these computers are obviously not for everyone, they will meet the needs of those users who value portability over cutting edge performance.

If you would like to purchase one of these little computers or just want more information, give me a call.

Keeping Your Old Computer Running Longer

SimplicityForce — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:55:00 GMT

In light of the current economic conditions, many people are trying to save money by not making large purchases such as a new computer. Fortunately, technology isn’t advancing as quickly as it once did, so it is possible to keep computers for quite some time. Today I will share some tips on how to get the most performance out of any computer new or old.

The first step to performance enhancement is to only run the programs that you are using. This may seem obvious, but most computers start a number of programs automatically. For this reason, and to save disk space, it is recommended that you delete any programs that you no longer use via the control panel. If you only use a program rarely, you may want to examine the program options to see if it is possible for it not to start on computer startup.

Another way to make a computer run more quickly is to use a different program to accomplish a certain task. For example, anti-virus programs vary greatly in the amount of system resources they use. Uninstalling antivirus protection is not recommended, however using a different program may result in a quicker system. I currently recommend Windows Live One Care from Microsoft. Unfortunately, this product is being discontinued soon, so I would only recommend downloading the 90 day trial at this point.

An easy way to get more performance from your hard drive is to run the Windows Defragmentation utility. This program rearranges the way files are stored on the hard drive so they can be accessed more quickly by the computer.

A final way to speed up an old computer that will cost a small amount of money is to add more memory. The cost of memory has come down significantly in recent years so most users should be able to upgrade memory for under $100. As far as cost vs. return, this is the best option for most users looking to upgrade their computer.

If you have any questions or would like assistance performing these tasks, feel free to contact me any time. I’ll be glad to help.

Technologies to Watch

SimplicityForce — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

It has been some time since my last post, and I apologize for the extended absence. The technology world, of course, has kept moving along.

There have been some interesting developments in hosted technology. The Microsoft offerings in this area are of particular interest. Their Online Services product allows smaller organizations to be able to utilize Exchange, SharePoint and Live Meeting without setting up a server onsite. Another technology from Microsoft, Live Mesh, makes keeping the same document on different devices up-to-date seamless. If the document changes on one device, Live Mesh automatically updates the file on other devices via the internet. The files are also available from a website.

On the hardware side, “netbooks” or ultraportable notebooks are a technology to watch. These small machines run Windows XP or UNIX so provide all the features of a larger notebook, but are extremely portable and inexpensive. Great “netbooks” are priced at under $400 with Windows XP. Some are better than others, though, so be careful if you decide to purchase one. If you have questions, I have done extensive research on these devices and tested a couple of the best myself.

When I last posted, I was writing about telephone service and new options available in that area of technology. If you are looking to save money, switching to VoIP service is something you should consider. I have created a complete guide on my website, SimplicityForce.com.

I will try to continue to post to this blog on a somewhat regular basis. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to contact me for Live Advice.

Setting Up VoIP

SimplicityForce — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Setting up Vonage, or most other home VoIP solutions, is easy and straightforward. Today, I will explain two installation options.

The first option is to connect the VoIP router, provided by the VoIP provider, to your internet connection and then connect the adapter to your home network and a cordless phone with expandable headsets. These phones usually allow up to four headsets to be added to the system that can be placed anywhere. This makes installation easy since you do not need to run any wires for the extensions.

The second option may be the better choice for people switching to VoIP from a standard installation. First, you need to disconnect your home from the standard phone network. This may involve cutting the wire coming in your home or unplugging the connection from the consumer portion of the telephone access box outside your house. Next, you connect the VoIP router to your internet connection as previously, but instead of connecting to a cordless phone you can either plug router into an unused jack, or buy a two way splitter to share the jack. Once this is completed, the VoIP connection powers your existing phone network.

Changing the Line

SimplicityForce — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

For years, local phone service was provided by one company, your local phone provider. Today this is no longer true and the new competition can mean great rates for you. In the second installment of the series on saving on phone service, I will examine one VoIP phone service, Vonage.

VoIP phone service works basically the same as traditional phone service except calls are routed over your high speed internet connection instead of dedicated phone lines. This saves the VoIP provider substantial money and in most cases these savings are passed on to the consumer.

For most users with a high speed internet connection, I recommend Vonage. With this service, you simply connect a router to your high speed internet connection and your existing telephones. Once this connection is made, there is no difference in usage. Vonage is even able to transfer your existing number in most cases. The only difference you will notice is price. For $25 a month, you will get unlimited domestic calling and almost every available phone feature.

If you don’t already subscribe to high speed internet, it may not be worth the added cost to add the high speed internet as well. Also, VoIP phone service does not work well over satellite connections, so I would not recommend it for satellite internet subscribers.

Next Monday, saving with VoIP for users without high speed internet.

Mobile Phones – A Necessary Evil?

SimplicityForce — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

This blog is about using technology to simplify your life. This past week I looked at various aspects of mobile phones. This begs the question – Does a mobile phone simplify your life? In many ways, this is a question that has to be answered individually, but I will share my thoughts today.

First, my goal in simplifying my life is to gain more time and energy to do the things I want to do. If I can get something done in fewer steps or have a device do something for me, then I have reached this goal. In a way, mobile phones accomplish this by allowing me to connect with people I want to connect with at times I would otherwise by unable to contact them. However, what other contact am I missing during this time? As I walk down a crowded sidewalk, talking on my phone, how many people walk by me without any sort of acknowledgement from me? Is losing this human contact a simpler way of life?

The best contribution of a mobile phone toward simplifying life is the currently available smart phones. I think, in part, this was why there was so much excitement around the iPhone. It was the first smart phone marketed at the consumer segment. Owning a smart phone is like having a small computer in your pocket. Scheduling appointments is no problem. All contact information is up-to-date. Pictures of the kids are even available. This is convenient. Unfortunately, there are again times when these devices can be misused. Browsing the internet, even on the iPhone, is nothing like browsing the internet on a real computer. If it takes twice as long to accomplish something is that simplifying?

Overall, from my prospective, mobile phones, especially smart phones, can be useful. However, I am not convinced their benefits outweigh their costs. With voice plans costing over $500 annually and data plans easily doubling the cost, think of what else could be done with the money. Before you sign your next contract, take the time to think if you really need the service.

Syncing Mobile Phones

SimplicityForce — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

One of the great advantages of mobile phones is the ability to have all of your information at your fingertips. Keeping this information current on both your computer and your mobile device can be more difficult.

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to keeping this information up-to-date. The best solutions usually come from the phones manufacturer, but may be difficult to find or use. For example, Motorola offered free contact management software for your PC that would sync with its phones. Unfortunately, it would not sync with Windows address book.

Third party vendors also create software that will sync phones with popular windows software. The most widely available is the Sync Center included with Windows. If it is not already installed on your computer, it is a free download from the Microsoft download center. This utility, if it works for your device, makes syncing as easy as connecting your phone to your computer and choosing what you want to sync. Like all third party software, however, it doesn’t work with all phones.

The best time to get the syncing features you want is when you are purchasing the phone. I recommend a Windows Mobile Smartphone if you use Windows and the iPhone if you use a Mac. While these devices are more expensive than most phones, buying this combination ensures the device will work seamlessly with your computer. Depending on your usage, you may even be able to cancel your data plan which would more than offset the added price of the phone.

Boosting Your Mobile Signal

SimplicityForce — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Many people for various reasons cannot get a cell signal where they need it most – their own home. Currently, there are three common ways of boosting signal at your home, and I will examine these today.

The first technique has been around since the days of two-way radios and has recently been adapted to cellular usage. This is an antenna and repeater system. With this system, the homeowner places an antenna outside the home, ideally with a line of sight view of the nearest cellular tower. Usually this means placing the antenna quite high in the air. Also the best results come from a unidirectional antenna so it must also be turned the right way. Once the antenna is properly set, a wire is run from it to a repeater in the house which is connected to a second small antenna in the house which rebroadcasts the signal. If everything is set up properly and in an ideal situation, this system, which can cost over $500, can be expected to increase the level of coverage inside the house to what is available outside the house.

A newer option is a femtocell, this is basically a small box, which looks like a cable modem, that you connect to your high speed internet connection and then creates a mini cell tower in your house. Currently, Sprint is the only carrier offering this option to consumers, but other carriers have made announcements they will offer them by the end of the year. The Sprint device, called an Airave, costs $100 to buy and $5 to $20 a month for service, so for a two year contract, this device would add $220 to your total cost.

T-Mobile has taken a slightly different approach by offering Wi-Fi connections in some of their phones. They are then able to allow calls to be routed over any Wi-Fi hotspot, including your home wireless router. The best part, T-Mobile does not use plan minutes when the calls are made using Wi-Fi. This plan, which also allows for free calls from T-Mobile hotspots, adds $10 a month or $240 over a two year contract.

Both of the last two options will almost certainly solve your wireless signal problems, but if you don’t have high speed internet, you may be without your mobile phone as well.

Cutting the Landline

SimplicityForce — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Over the next four Mondays, I am going to present various ways to save money on your telephone service. This week, I am going to examine your mobile phone service.

One way people have tried to save money over the past several years is eliminating their home phone service. The two major factors in deciding whether going mobile only will save you money is coverage and usage. If you don’t get good coverage at your house, switching to mobile only is almost always a bad idea. If nothing else, you want a phone available at your home in case of an emergency. There are ways to boost your coverage within your home, but these add at least $10 to your monthly bill.

Usage is also important. If having landline service allows you to stay in a lower rate plan, then most likely you are best keeping service besides just your mobile phone. In three weeks, I will present a plan for unlimited domestic service for only $6 a month! Your mobile rate increase would most likely be more.

Finally, if you use a wireless phone at all, you should check to make sure you are getting the best deal available. For low usage customers, a prepaid service, such as NET10, may make the most sense. In the case of NET10, if you stay under 150 minutes a month, the cost is only $15 per month! If you use less than the full 150, the minutes even carry over to the next month. High volume users may benefit from an unlimited plan, but the total cost of one of these plans will easily exceed $2500 over the course of a two year contract, so make sure you really need all those minutes.

Next Monday, using VoIP service to save.

On-Line Storage

SimplicityForce — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

On-line storage offerings are becoming increasingly more prevalent. These solutions allow users to save files to an on-line service instead of (or in addition to) their local computer and are starting to make more sense because more people have high speed internet connections. If you have high speed internet, here are some reasons you may (or may not) want to start storing files on-line.

Pros
- Easy accessibility – If the file is stored on-line, in theory you can access it from any computer. On public computers there may be access restrictions or out of date software that prevents access, but in most cases, this is a useful feature.
- Ability to Share – Most services offer an easy way to share the files with other users. This may become preferred over e-mail attachments in time, but right now not too many people are using these services. Also since, in most cases, you both need to be members this could lead to a lot of on-line storage accounts.
- Back-up – For the most part, these services automatically back-up your data. This alone may be enough reason to use the service if you are not currently backing up data.
Cons
- Hard to Use – This problem should resolve itself in time, but, as of right now, integration with Windows Explorer and applications is not great. Most services require downloading the file, working on it and uploading the file again when done. This is not worth the work for most people. (Office Live and on-line applications such as Buzzword do not have this problem.)
- Security – Anytime your data is available on-line there is a risk, although in most cases small, of the data being stolen. If this is a concern you could encrypt your data, but this adds an extra step.
- Service Outages – Most services are available the vast majority of the time, but even great services are not available 100% of the time. Most people need files available when they want to work on them. This could be a major concern.

What do you think? Are you going to start using on-line storage? Are you already using on-line storage? Which provider do you like best? I look forward to your comments.

Opening Office 2007 Files

SimplicityForce — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Have you ever received a file from someone in the new .docx or .xlsx that you were unable to open? This is because Microsoft changed the file format in the 2007 version of Office. The new format offers smaller file size, increased security and the capacity for more features among other improvements. Unfortunately, without a patch, it is not compatible with older versions of Office.

If you are like a lot of people who still using Office 2003, you can go to Microsoft’s website and download the Office Compatibility Pack which allows you to convert the newer files into the older formats. If you do not have Office installed at all, you can also download free viewers from Microsoft. Just search for Excel viewer, Word viewer, etc.

New Offering: Office 2007 Support

SimplicityForce — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:00:00 GMT

I take providing high quality phone support seriously. Part of that commitment to quality is the ability to support new software applications. I have been working with the new Office system for over a year and am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I will be fully supporting the new 2007 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook as well as Windows Vista.

Simplicity Force is proud to be able to provide full support for these applications. You will notice changes to my listings reflecting this change over the next few days. Thank you in advance for your continued business.

Clearing Your Inbox

SimplicityForce — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:00:00 GMT

With the amount of business and personal correspondences taking place every day over e-mail, the volume of messages can become overwhelming. Fortunately, Outlook, and some other e-mail clients, provides tools to help automatically organize e-mail messages.

These tools allow you to have much greater control over your e-mail. For example, you could create a folder for each of your important business accounts, then filter messages so e-mail from these people are automatically moved to their own folder. Likewise, you could set another rule to move messages from an e-mail list you don’t need to read immediately to their own folder as well. Now you have less in your inbox and, without reading a single message, you know you have an important business message.

What is Outlook?

SimplicityForce — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:00:00 GMT

For the next few weeks, I am going to look in depth at some programs included in the Microsoft Office. I am going to start this week with Outlook. Outlook is, in my opinion, the program that truly distinguishes Microsoft Office from other similar offerings. It is the program to help organize your life. It offers a great e-mail client, calendar software, address book and to-do list all in one. No other software comes close to offering such a complete organization solution.

The first thing most people think about when they hear Outlook is e-mail. It is a great e-mail program that works with any POP3 or IMAP account (almost all accounts not based on the web) as well as Windows Live Mail. In addition to just checking e-mail, Outlook allows users to create rather complex rules to have Outlook perform certain actions when a certain type of message is received. (more on this in my next entry)

The contact list makes sense to include in an e-mail program since a lot of communication today takes place over e-mail. In addition to providing great sorting and filtering features, Outlook’s biggest feature in contact management is the ability to import and export. This means the files should be useful even if you decide to stop using Outlook.

The final component of Outlook is its Calendar and Tasks features. These also fit well with the e-mail program. Outlook easily handles almost any type of recurring appointment so it doesn’t need to be entered multiple times. It even allows you to send e-mail requests to others to confirm if a meeting time works.

Overall, Outlook is a program many home users would do well to explore. Over the next few posts, I am going to examine these features in more detail. Check back often.

What do think? Have you ever used Outlook? Why or why not? Is Outlook the best organization client available? Do you have other recommendations? I look forward to your comments.