Am I a Tech Snob?

The Problem

I think that I may be a tech snob.  I get very frustrated with intelligent people not being able to use common technology tools.  Today I had to burn files to a CD because the individual we were trying to send them to could not figure out how to use YouSendIT.  Let me break it down for you.  We upload a file.  A link is created and emailed to the specified recipient (and back to you.)  They receive said email and click the DOWNLOAD button in the email.  It takes them to a website where they are given instructions.  They essentially read “Click Here” to download your file.  Couldn’t do it.  Frustrating.

Why is it that when a problem is encountered and I propose a technology solution it is balked at? Frowned upon? Groans are cast in my general direction as if I came across a French castle in my quest for the Holy Grail?  

Pivot from Microsoft

Microsoft has a labs site, just like every major software firm in the world.  One of their latest additions is Pivot.  Pivot is an interesting concept.  If it takes off, it could help users browse large amounts of data very quickly.  It uses a visual interface system that links groups of data on how they are related.  These groups of data are called Collections.  Each Collection groups, or links, large amounts of single items on the internet.  It does this in a way that we can view them, either as individual bits of information, or as larger amounts.  Microsoft says that Pivot will allow us to see hidden patterns in our data, and maybe even take us to places we didn't even think of.  Could be. 

It is very interesting, and at least fun to play with at first.  Check out the Pivot site for a video of what it looks like.  Pivot Video

Whether or not Pivot will change the way we interface with the internet is too hard to tell at this moment.  I do know that it will be fun to try.  But what do you do with the data once you see it?  How do I get the data out of Pivot and put it in the application I'm using?  It is too early to tell where this product will go.  it may never make it out of the labs.  I will keep my eye on it.

Tech, I need it

I <3 Tech

What an exciting day for me.  I love tech, and the more I use it the more I realize how much I enjoy using it.  Today my son had to meet some of his classmates to work on a project.  No problem, I have a bonus chapter for my video training title to script so I can record it.  I can work on it then.  We live in a place that has a high amount of traffic on the weekends, especially during spring break, and there is only one road in and out of our town.  That means that to get out of the house would take about 45 minutes to an hour, and to get back would take about just as long.  By the time I got back home from dropping my son off I would have to leave, just to sit in traffic.  Ah ha!  I have tech!  So I packed my Dell laptop, my Palm Pre, and my jump drive.  I also took along a notebook, not a real notebook, but actual notes written on paper.

I dropped my son off and went to find a "techy" type place to go, grab some coffee, a snack, and plug in.  Found it, Starbucks will do just fine.  The funny part, that once I started I quickly realized that my working file wasn't on my jump drive, but on my Windows Live account! It's there so I can get to it no matter where I am.  This Starbucks didn't have a wifi and I couldn't find one.  I quickly turned on the Mytether application on my Palm Pre.  Presto!  Instant wifi hot spot.  I was able to get several sections written and even started writing this post.  I did forget my USB cable so I wasn't able to charge my phone.  Let me tell you, tetherinf my Pre really drained the battery, fast.

So, with my tech I was able to work and have a productive afternoon.  How does your tech help you be more productive?

GOOGLE TV on it's Way

According to the New York Times, Google is partnering up with Sony and Intel to develop an entertainment system, that integrates television and the web in one product. The device will allow users to watch TV or surf the web, with one piece of equipment.

Read the article from the NYT to get the low down.

In case you didn't know, this product is essentially out there. I have one at home. It's called a computer. I envision this device to be different than a computer. It will install just as easily as a video player but be much more simpler to use than a computer. They could use either the Android mobile system as an OS or use Google's Chrome OS. Either one would give the user enough computing power to browse the web, check email, watch the nightly news and download videos from services like Netflix and Hulu.

What it won't do is handle major software like Office or AutoCAD. I see it as being a browser based OS (Chrome OS) similar to Apple's iPad, except it will have flash installed and USB ports.

This product has the potential to be what Web TV was meant to be. I'm sure there will be several different types. One that comes with a TV, one that is a standalone to hook up to your current TV, different hard drives and speed.

What do you think? Would you get one? If so, what would the price need to be?

p.s. There is also a Google Car in the works!

The End of the Print Version - Going Fully Digital?

The wonderful resource, PC Magazine, (according to this article) is going to end publishing its print version of its magazine. Wow! I have picked up a copy of this mag many, many times. I have found it to be a wonderful resource for tech news (for the PC that is.)

Is this the fate of all magazines? I think eventually it will be, once digital readers are more mainstream. Here is what I see is a possible future for us (us being the world.)

Eventually we will not use paper for our news or magazines, but use the internet or wifi or cell phone type technology. It could even be a new fangled type of data transmitting tech. The exact how and what is not important, just that it will happen. Paper cost money. Printing on paper costs money. Delivering those prints on paper costs money. The way to get around that is to create a means of trnasmitting your letters, articles, magazines, news, blogs, and more is to transmit it digitally. There are so manu advantages to doing this, and disadvantages too.

Every reader must have a device that can read your digital articles. On print, all they need is their eyes. Those come cheap (realatively speaking.) Is it fair to expect everyone to have their own "Kindel" or similar device to be able to read a magazine or newspaper? Sure it is. Life's not fair. Their are always librarys right?

Have a reader built in to all cell phones is inevitable. Many phones can already read HTML and surf the internet. Who wants to read a book on that small of a screen? You can do it, but who wants to right? I can if I have to.

Imaganie that everyone has access to some kind of reader, all they have to do is go to the store, browse the "magazine" and "book" shelves for what they want. Find it and download it right their in the store. Users could hook up to a port right there or a wifi hotspot, enter in a store code, etc. and they just bought the book/magazine from that store. Many kindle books are sold at a reduced rate compared to the print edition because there is no cost in printing. Great deal for the buyer and it reduces the use on our natural resources. Peraps though, (playing devils advocate here) that it will increase our demand on energy. But perhaps it will take even less energy to download the files and power our digital readers than it will to cultivate the paper, process it, print it and dispose of it when we are finished reading. Hmm, something to think about any way.

Do you have children in school? Are you a college student? Do you have several giant heavy books? Do they cost every year? What do they cost a school system to maintain and to keep up to date? What is the cost to a school to buy a reader every year, give it to a student to use for a few years and download their books into the reader. Now the student has one book to carry around, to rememebr, to keep up with, and to maintain. Need the latest version of the book? Download it. What do you do with the old version? Delete it. Where does the waste go? There is no waste.

Is this a different idea? Sure. Would it take some time to get used to? Absolutley. Is it a good idea? I think it warrants taking a look at any way.

What do you think? Is going digital a good idea for a school system? Do you already pay book fees at your school? Do they cost as much as a new kindle stretched our over a few years (2 or 3)? Would you be willing to try it? Why would this be a bad/good idea?