Chuck’s Coming…

In the interest of keeping some quality nerd-culture TV on the air, I thought I’d make a quick plug for NBC’s Chuck, which is returning on Sunday (1/10) and then moving to its new time (Mondays, 8 pm ET) on 1/11. 

Aside from being one of the few shows that features an office with more monitors on the desk than I have, the show’s fast pace, strong storylines, and vivid look make it a fun one to watch. 

In fact, the hyper-saturated color, upbeat music, and 20somethings versus the bad guys themes remind me of The Monkees, an NBC show of a different era.

I’ve also been fascinated with the fan-driven efforts to save the show from cancellation.  I can’t think of too many other instances where fans have focused on patronizing sponsors (Subway and Nestle) or launched philanthropic efforts to push the network toward renewal.

Setting Up “Senior” Systems

Like many of us in the unofficial “nerd herd,” I’ll be spending part of this week setting up systems, gadgets, and toys my friends and family received for Christmas. This year, several of the seniors in my life have new tech gear, so I’ve been giving a lot of thought to their special priorities.

Seniors enjoy the same “big picture” benefits we all do, such as email, news, online shopping and banking, entertainment, and games.  But, perhaps even more than those of us who have “grown up computing,” they hate the sometimes confusing messages systems generate and worry about getting duped by an email or website.

The seniors I know also find many of the things heralded as “intuitive” anything but.  For example, have you ever considered that nowhere on a Windows or Apple desktop does it say, “Click this to do X”?  That baffled one senior friend of mine, who kept waiting for her computer to offer some hint about how to start.

With those things in mind, I’ve been taking a few steps to help:

Make things easy to read.  Set up a solid-color desktop wallpaper that provides good contrast for words and icons, at least until they get comfortable with the system. Bump system fonts up in size, and use Windows’ “Ease of Use” settings to improve contrast and accessibility.

Write helpful names for icons.  “Click here for the Internet” is better than “Mozilla Firefox.”

Set up icons for things they want to do, not programs.  If someone plans to do something like read the New York Times or visit Citibank frequently, I find a large, recognizable icon for the site and create a direct link to the page.  Same with things like “Click here to write a new email” and “Click here to read your email.” 

Dump the crapware.  I use ccCleaner and Windows Defender to remove crapware. 

Deactivate program reminders.  It can be very daunting to have a message pop up like, “Upgrade to XXXX Professional Version 32 today” or “You have 2 days to activate XXX.”  I try to block and eliminate these from the start up.

Match software to need.  Programs like Wordpad and Microsoft Works often provide the functionality users need with simple, clean interfaces.  OneNote’s notebook motif seems to resonate well, too.  Find out how what the senior wants to do and find simple ways for them to do it.

Avoid “AOL Hell.” Almost every senior I know uses AOL – some even still pay for it.  On the plus side, AOL gives them an interface that tees up information logically and appears to “protect” them from the Wild West of the Internet.  On the minus side, it leads to a false sense of security and endless bloated, intrusive, uncontrollable apps.  I try to get the best of both by wiping all AOL software off computers and setting up shortcuts to the AOL homepage in Firefox. 

Get the right security set up.  I’m not a great believer in security software – most of it seems more cumbersome and slowing than helpful.  Instead, I use NoScript in Firefox, disable pop-ups, run the native Windows firewall,and use Windows Defender.  Although NoScript can sometimes cause browsing frustrations, these are easier to deal with than security software issues.

Consider remote access.  For my parents and a few close friends – and with their express permission and understanding – I set up remote access for myself via LogMeIn.  This lets me troubleshoot and do maintenance/updates from wherever I am.  It also offers a great way to teach someone how to do something, if you can’t be there personally.

Set automatic backups of some kind. Whether its a simple SyncToy back up to a second drive or partition, or an online service, make sure systems get backed up on a regular basis. My parents’ systems back up to each other, and they copy data to a remote drive at my house.

In the end, I view setting up someone’s computer as a very personal thing.  I want to make sure that it will work the way they want to use it, not the way I’d use it.  I also want to help them preserve their privacy and dignity, so I try to take every request as a serious, important consideration.

Another OneNote trick

I’ve found the OneNote Daily Journal PowerToy to be a great tool for taking notes on the fly.  It creates a daily notes page in OneNote  that you can reach through a mouse click or CTL-J from any program in Windows.

I use it as a catch-all for notes, web clippings, planning, reference info, and photos.  I even draft short projects on the daily notes page.  It’s especially convenient for those of us who shift among several computers all day, since everything is always in the same place (and synced).

Unfortunately, the CTL-J command works only on the computer that generated the page originally.  If I invoke CTL-J on one of my other systems, it creates its own page with the same date.

Since my main desktop system isn’t normally the first computer I use in the morning, this can be frustrating. If I create a daily page on one of my other computers, it renders the CTL-J command useless on the system where I use it most.

So, I came up with a workaround. Since I leave my main desktop running 24/7, I created a scheduled task that runs the powertoy at midnight every night and creates a daily page automatically.  My other systems sync automatically when I turn them on, so regardless of which system I use first, the daily page already exists. Then, when I go back to my main desktop, I can still use CTL-J all day.

Anyway, this isn’t exactly a huge technical breakthrough, but a small hassle avoided always counts.

Electronic wish list

The other day, I was sitting on the couch watching TV and juggling several nearly identical-looking devices – a cordless landline phone, a cable/TV remote, a Blu-ray remote, and a PDA phone.  As I sat there, trying to change channels with my phone and answer the remote, I wondered whatever became of convergence.

For instance, why has no one invented a cordless landline with an IR radio?  Or a multi-device remote with a built-in phone?  I’d buy a combo cordless phone/multi-remote in a heartbeat.

Come to think of it, why don’t a lot of things do more, especially when they have the computing capability?  Here are a few things I’d like to see improved/invented fast:

A cordless smartphone. I know landline connections are decreasing, but there are still millions who would jump at a base-station (maybe with a built-in modem and router) that came with cordless phones that had wi-fi-enabled iTouch-like capabilities.

A 21st century clock radio.  I don’t need a clock radio anymore – my PDA phone, which charges next to my bed, tells time, sounds alarms, and plays music and radio just fine.  But, if someone invented something “smarter” with a screen, email/web access, wi-fi, streaming media, and a landline phone, I’d buy it tomorrow.

Video books.  I love the way ebooks turn into audio books at the press of a button.  Now give me video books, depicting scenes from the book, when I press a button. (Think how much more interesting textbooks would become…)

A smarter car.  Cars can call for help, tune themselves, and track GPS data automatically, so why can’t they download/read my email aloud, recommend stops I should make based on my to-do list, make their own service appointments, register themselves, talk to Napster, and download trip data to my desktop automatically?

More barcode-style scanning technologies.  At my supermarket, I can walk around with a device that scans the UPCs off products I put in my cart, allowing me to avoid check out lines.  Cool.  Now make it even easier, and let me scan using my phone’s camera.  And, coordinate it with my grocery list, so I know if I’ve forgotten anything.  Even better, integrate it with inventories of my cabinets and refrigerator.

Smart wallet.  I carry five cards in my wallet: Driver’s license, insurance card, Amex, debit card, and security key card.  (Sometimes I have a Metro SmartTrip card, too.)  All of these could easily merge into a single, programmable card, or, even better, encrypted data that sits on my PDA phone.

Web tablet reader.  The Crunchpad seems kaput – and the Apple Tablet may have been delayed again – but with the growing popularity of ebook readers and smartphones, how long will it be before someone brings out a magazine-sized multi-purpose device for reading, surfing, notetaking, and basic PIM functions?

Am I the only one who needs these devices?

Back again…and catching up

After a bit of a hiatus over the last few months, I’m back.  Thanks to who have checked in and asked me to restart the blog…your wish is my command.

Since digital tech is changing all the time, I’ll relaunch with a quick rundown of the equipment/approaches I’m using these days.

Computing:

I’m using four different computers daily – main desktop, kitchen desktop, tablet/laptop, and netbook.

I added the netbook (8.5-inch ASUS) over the summer, and I’ve come to love it. Long battery life (5-6 hours) and small size means it goes everywhere with me.

On the main computer, I’ve added a fourth monitor. I’m thinking about adding a fifth next year, if I can find an external video device at a reasonable price.

Mobile computing:

Late last year, I switched to an HTC Verizon Touch Pro as my PDA phone.  It does most of the things I want, but none of them well. (Not enough RAM or a fast enough processor.) 

After toying with the idea of getting a Mi-Fi last summer, I decided to stick with using my Touch Pro as a wireless hotspot instead. Not as convenient, since I can’t talk and be online simultaneously, but much cheaper. (Free versus $60/month contract.)

Software:

Firefox, Outlook, and OneNote account for probably 99% of my activity these days. Functions associated with all three sync automatically, which makes working on multiple systems seamless.

Over the summer, I made the big shift from MS Money to Quicken.  Switching was brutal – tough to transfer 10 years of data and thousands of transactions, but it had to happen. I’m still not a fan of Quicken, though.

I also upgraded to PaperPort Pro 12 recently.  Not worth the money – stick with 11.

Home video/entertainment:

Replaced all four TVs with HDs this year, which prompted a switch from my beloved Tivos to Comcast’s DVR boxes. The Comcast DVR service can’t hold a candle to Tivo, but it wins on economics: While Comcast’s $9.95/month per box is $3 more than Tivo, I don’t have to spend $2,400 to buy four HD Tivos.

I’m still toying with switching to Verizon FIOS, although Verizon’s failure to be able to answer some of my basic questions about installation have made me wary.  Given Comcast’s continued bad and expensive service, though, it’s tempting.

I also traded my Slingbox Pro for a Slingbox Pro HD.  Streaming in HD is great – an excellent device.

So, that catches me up on tech.  What’s everyone else using these days?

More space with a multi-monitor stand

When the stand on one of my three desktop monitors broke last month, I decided to switch to a multi-monitor stand.  I got an Ergotech Triple Horizontal LCD Monitor Arm Desk Stand (100-D16-B03).  I can't say enough good things about the design -- it allows every possible adjustment or configuration, it's easy to put together, and it's very solid.  (Also, word to the wise:  This monitor stand was $432.00 on Amazon, but only $199.95 at PC Connection, which is an Ergotech participating retailer.)

Using the stand has helped free up a lot more space on my desk, including space behind the monitors.  Definitely worth the investment.

Here's what my desk looked like a few months ago before the monitor stand:

  

Here it is today, with the monitor stand:

Conde Nast reshuffle offers insight into digital presence

A piece on All Things Digital today may give some clue as to why Conde Nast hasn't pursued full, Zinio-style ezine editions for its magazines:  Most of Conde's magazines aren't scalable enough to attract the digital advertisers they'd need to support ezine editions.

Interesting point -- and one that reinforces some of the things Howard Robson has discussed on his blog and in his comments responding to my blog on electronic magazines here.

Some good news from Conde in this stuff, too -- no layoffs on the digital side.

Adding OneNote pages to OneNote Mobile

As much as I like OneNote, I'm not a big fan of OneNote Mobile.  In fact, I'd put it into the "it's better than nothing" category.  The program itself is too limited in that it has no handwriting options, offers limited syncing with desktop OneNote, doesn't handle many images well, and divides pages created on the desktop by "container," rather than by page.  In short, it's not a great app.

But, for those of us who use desktop OneNote extensively, having OneNote data on our handhelds is a big issue.  Right now, the mobile program syncs only with a single dedicated folder, so getting information onto a handheld device often means copying a file from a desktop file into the OneNote sync file.  (Anyone who uses ActiveSync will notice that this is almost the same as the way ActiveSync syncs files.)  Recopying this data every time you make a change on the desktop can get frustrating.

Fortunately, the OneNote development team offers an add-in that helps a bit.  Using the "Copy to OneNote Mobile" add-in, you can click on any page in any OneNote notebook and send a copy of it to the sync file automatically.  If you want to update the information on the handheld, click on the "copy to device" command, and the add-in will compare the new page against the one on your handheld and update accordingly.

This still isn't a great solution, but it moves the ball forward.  Many reports say that Windows Mobile 6.5 includes more extensive "cloud" syncing services, so perhaps Microsoft will offer a better way to push OneNote data from device to device soon.  I'm hoping for something that works a lot like an Exchange server.

Yes, Worry! Mad Magazine to go quarterly

People can say what they will about the newspapers dying and the magazines collapsing, but this is truly horrifying news:  Mad Magazine is going quarterly.

Has the economy reached a point where cynical 12-year-olds no longer have enough disposable income to shell out a couple of bucks a month?  Where will the Simpsons and Saturday Night Live find writers a generation from now, if the pool of Mad-trained minds evaporates? 

I have a feeling it’s the Curse of Circuit City coming back to bite them.  Last August, the now-liquidating retailer pulled Mad from its magazine racks in response to a parody of its sales flyers called, “Sucker City.”

Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to be prescient.

Obama Gets a New Blackberry

Reports today say that Barack Obama will be able to keep up his Blackberry use, thanks to a James Bond add-on from the National Security Agency.  According to several reports, he’ll be using a General Dynamics Sectera Edge, a “spy proof” phone cleared for top secret use.

PC World reports that the device is a tricked-out standard Blackberry.  The phone is cleared for secure voice and email communications, but texting is out, according to the Atlantic. 

Cost for the Blackberry?  $3,350.  (Wow, cell prices really do go up when cellcos aren’t subsidizing the units!) 

Meanwhile, several of the social networking efforts the Obama campaign had promised may be non-starters.  Facebook and two-way blogging may not pan out.

I think it’s a little too early to start slamming them for this – after all, it’s only Day Two.  If they can find a way to keep the Thumbtyper-In-Chief on line, maybe they’ll sort this out, too.

Newspapers RIP at the New Yorker…again

The prospect of print news dying is starting to become something of an obsession over at the New Yorker.  This week, writer Jill Lepore tells the story of an earlier threat to newspapers, the Stamp Act.

Lepore argues that the Stamp Act made costs too high for most printers, forcing them to close shop, much as business pressures today are shuttering papers.

But, I think that’s where any similarity to today ends. 

Three centuries ago, government and other establishment interests had a vested interest in quashing the papers, which traded in opinion, sensationalism, and a smattering of news.  Colonists valued – and needed – this unique early independent media.

Today, the opposite is true. Newspapers are part of the establishment, often owned by huge multinationals and media outlets.  Government officials and policy influencers who use newspapers to test their opinions and make their images are among the few with a vested interest in the papers surviving.

Consumers, meanwhile, have turned to the Internet, an even more independent resource where they find…opinion, sensationalism, and a smattering of news.  And, unlike the print newspaper of any era, it’s all free.

But, there is a lesson in the model.  With just a few companies controlling the Internet’s “pipes,” publishers eager to form alliances with Internet providers, and officials at all levels pondering Internet taxes, we could be facing a 21st century “Stamp Act” of a cyber kind.

This time, though, the interests of today’s Ben Franklins and Peter Zengers would appear to lie with the Crown. 

So much for the Revolution.

Someone give Soledad a new factoid, please

I've been flipping among networks watching the inaugural coverage all day, and at LEAST six times that I've landed on CNN I've tuned in just as CNN's Soledad O'Brien has noted that African-Americans were counted as "3/5 of a person" in the Constitution originally.  At one point, she said it two or three times in just a few minutes. 

Other than that, I don't think she said anything all day.  Please, someone email her a new civic factoid before this observation becomes a permanent neurological tic.

Pepsi and Obama -- Sharing a look

During one of the commercial breaks during today's inaugural coverage, I was watching a Pepsi commercial and thinking there was something really familiar about the company's new logo:

Then, when the coverage returned to shots of people standing on the Mall, holding signs, and waving flags, I realized why it seemed so familiar:

I wonder if Obama and Pepsi relied on the same focus groups to arrive at these.  They're certainly trying to appeal to the same audiences.

Pretty close, huh?

CNN HD v. CNN

I just noticed that the commercials – and even some coverage -- CNN is showing on CNN HD and the regular CNN during the Inaugural coverage are different. 

HD is getting slightly more coverage, returning to commentary earlier, and fewer local commercials.

Interesting.

Social Media Smack-down: If You Can't Tweet 'Em, Join 'Em

Spotted an interesting story on Mobile Industry Review. Short version is that a Ketchum exec, who was headed to Fedex in Memphis to do social media training, posted a Tweet on what a pit Memphis is. Alas, several of his Memphis-based Fedex clients spotted the Tweet and started firing off messages about what a jerk the Ketchum exec was for saying such a thing, especially since Fedex is a huge Ketchum client.  (And, they cc'd the Fedex brass and several external contacts.)

The conventional wisdom is that the Ketchum exec, if he keeps his job, should spend the next few months doing pro bono PR for Memphis charities, wearing Memphis Grizzlies team apparel everywhere, and writing haiku for Ketchum's new website dedicated to the beauties of Memphis.  Meanwhile, Ketchum senior management should swarm Memphis, wining and dining their Fedex clients in a desperate attempt at damage control.

But, here’s the twist: At least one commentator has rallied to the Ketchum guy's support, noting that the Fedexers were “inappropriate” in responding to his Tweet with long (letter-length) responses and bashing him for offering an opinion in an opinion-based medium. In fact, although several people noted that the Ketchum exec is probably a moron for trashing his client’s HQ city, the only action that online observers criticized was his attempt to “backpedal” his original opinion.

Now, messages are flying around the tech blogosphere about how Fedex employees “don’t get” social media. Which, ironically, could mean that Ketchum’s social media trainer may be spending a lot more time in Memphis.

One more thing worth noting: This whole drama unfolded in minutes -- online port-mortem started less than 24 hours after the initial Tweet.

Paperless receipts

One of my goals is to merge my wallet and my Windows Mobile phone.  By converting things like pictures to digital and culling what I carry, I have a pretty light load already: driver’s license, insurance card, Amex, ATM/debit/Mastercard, building security card, and a little cash.

Technology exists to turn these remaining pieces into electronic “cards,” and, slowly, we’re seeing them become available.

But, I still end up collecting paper receipts as I buy things, which I remove from my wallet each day, scan, and toss. Although it only takes a few seconds, I’d love to be able to eliminate it.

Enter TransactionTree, a new service that allows consumers to choose whether they want paper or electronic receipts at the point of sale.  If they pick electronic, the clerk enters their email address and sends the receipt to them on the spot.

According to the developer, the system integrates with existing POS equipment, so it would require little or not additional investment by stores.

Sounds good to me.

Will I ever hear, "Caps win, story at 11?"

This morning, Caps owner Ted Leonsis ran a piece on his blog urging a local radio sports host to program more Caps coverage.  Leonsis points out that the Caps have the highest level of "engagement" in the league right now, with strong attendance, a hit-magnet website, and TV ratings up 140% on Comcast alone.  (I'm telling you the HD thing is making it work!)

Leonsis makes a case that if local outlets will run more Caps coverage, fans will tune in.  I agree.  In fact, my bet is that one of the reasons the Caps' website gets so many hits is because fans can't find Caps info easily enough in the local media.  The other day, my Tivo cut off the end of a game that ran long, so I missed the outcome.  Rather than getting a little analysis -- or even a quick highlights reel -- the local 11 o'clock news relegated the Caps to a P.S. after post-season Redskins coverage, NFL playoffs, college basketball, NBA coverage, golf notes, and who-knows-what else. 

How can anyone follow the team when the best the local media does is "...and the Caps lost tonight in Montreal?" 

Obama's Blackberry (again)

Given Barack Obama's recent comment that he's "still clinging to [his] BlackBerry and "they’re going to pry it out of [his] hands," I guess we have not yet heard the final word on Presidential thumb-typing. 

Using a Blackberry in the Oval Office should not be an insurmountable problem.  If he can make phone calls, send written letters, write memos, and have meetings, the IT and security people should be able to accommodate Blackberry use. 

My recommendations would be:

1. Switch him to a Windows Mobile for encrypted messages through the secure White House server
2. Use biometric authentication
3. Avoid email addresses such as bobama@whitehouse.gov
4. Make him use a screen lock, so he doesn't pocket-dial the red phone to the Kremlin
5. Check nuclear war codes to ensure they don't contain the sequences ROTFWL, BTW, IMHO, etc.

Palm’s biggest hit or last stand?

My eagle-eyed friend Jason spotted an interesting report from CES yesterday about Palm’s upcoming phone that runs on WebOS, a new platform. 

Like the Android, it appears to try to take the best of iPhone features and combine them with a robust, user-configurable OS.

Good for Palm for doing this.  Without a hit on a device like this, I can’t see how they can survive much longer.  It’s a shame, too, because Palm Pilots from the late 1990s are really the devices that showed the for handheld computing. (Apologies to Newton lovers.)

Check out the National Science Teachers Assn.

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) went live today with a presentation I created for them to encourage and inform exhibitors at their conferences throughout the year.

Rather than filling exhibitors’ mailboxes with paper – or spam – NSTA’s Exhibits and Advertising group went totally 21st century with an animated, interactive approach that they can show at live events, embed in their website, link through emails, and use as a road show.

Kudos Rick, Jason, and Kim for taking the leap!

(BTW, if you want to learn more about NSTA's exhibits and advertising opportunities, you can also visit them here.)