Category: Information Technology

I remember using the term “smartphone” long before the iPhone. Devices like the BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and the Treo: these were the original “smartphones”. However, these guys are a league separated from today’s devices. As I consider it, the main difference seems to be accessing the web. Today’s smartphones interact with the web as well as desktops, or closely so.

The modern devices easily seen mis-named in comparison. I wonder of a new name is justified? Well, who am I to decide? Plus, even if I were to craft the most brilliant name, would it get traction? Would it get adopted?

My house has moved into the “unplugged” realm; we stream our content via the internet. Our main appliance is an Apple TV, which we love. Mainly, we prefers its navigation in comparison with our Xbox 360.

The one issue many folks might have is what I’ll call release lag. It takes a few days/weeks (or more) for a show to make its way to Netflix or the iTunes store. For me, that’s really not it an issue. However, it will be for some.

Apple has some work to do. Right now, navigating the main screen is tolerable, though a bit clunky. However, with each new app & service, it gets messier. Soon, it will become unwieldy. I want to see the ability to organize this “desktop”. Folders will be critical. Plus, I want to have a “favorites/bookmarks” section. It would also be good to let me delete apps I don’t want.

The range of content amazes and delights me. And the lack of commercials is glorious. And the ability to stream from my iPhone or Macbook further increases the range of content.

I’m convinced this is the future of content distribution. Well, the ala carte model, at least. There is a revolutionary idea out there, getting ready to shift things again. That’s the exciting part.

The past few years I’ve worked in real estate. One thing I’ve noticed: a general dis-trust, or at least dislike for many technological solutions. The slow adoption of e-Signatures are one that particularly get me. It’s hysterical to me how many institutions refuse to accept them. Many of the government owned properties as well major banks amongst them. It’s so much easier to forge a ink signature compared to electronic, that I really am not certain that’s the reason for the refusal.

These institutions tend to have very rigid, and exacting, contract terms, what they want signed and all that. I’ve wondered for quite some time why they don’t each build their own website for the offer and contract process. Electronic forms can be set to demand a signature/initial for each item, with prompts set up and refusing to advance in the process until completed. It seems so much cleaner to have folks go to a website and fill out the form with prompts than to email me information, I enter into a website, the site prompts negotiation points, email those to other party (redo until agreement reached), print a contract, email the contract, print it, review it, sign it, rescan it, email it back, then upload to some site. If nothing else, these multiple steps violate the basic principles of data normalization. Which, to me, is begging for trouble.

I expect that technology will make real impacts in this space soon. Now that e-signatures are part of our MLS, many real estate services provide that complimentary, the demand will clear and straightforward. Hopefully, the better security will become more obvious, too. And I see some great innovation opportunities (easy and simple idea: dialog box pops out to highlight a key contract term…just a simple, easy example). Slow but steady evolution will come, surely.

My started with a few chums wishing me a happy birthday. Problem? It’s not my birthday (October, if you care). Turns out, my Skype profile was displaying today is my day of happiness and aging acknowledgment.

My profile in Skype was right. So, after a brief, and fruitless, web search, it finally occurred to me, “check the website”. Sure enough, my profile at Skype.com was pretty weirdly messed up. My full name appeared in my First Name spot, my picture was gone, and my birthday was today. Oddly, I made the edits, clicked save, then pinged a friend to see if they’d taken. Nope. Then I tried the slow approach. Changed the profile pic. Saved. Clicked out, then back into my profile. Edit. Change Name. Out. Then back. Change birthday. Out. Back. I’ve logged out, then back in. The changes seem to be holding. We’ll see.

My theory is something got mucked up during the port over the Microsoft. Perhaps with the interconnection with my Hotmail account. Or, well, who knows. Just, hopefully, it’s fixed.

Technology makes your life better…when it works.

Cheers!

After reading this TechCruch piece on Coin, I’m wondering if, someday, credit card companies will stop producing the plastic throw-away cards. This future would see us using our cell phones with NFC functionality or tools like Coin. That should reduce the amount of plastic added to our waste stream, and, I expect, lower costs for the credit-card industry. They won’t need to manufacture, much less distribute cards.

I also hope gift cards will evolve this way. One example: I get a number of Starbucks cards as thank-yous for various efforts. The first thing I do with them is transfer the balance onto my iPhone’s Starbucks app, then toss the card. Usually, the plastic card is in my possession from a few minutes to a day. It’s really rather wasteful.

So, green benefits and cost savings; what a better win/win combination, right?

I’m suffering a bit from Android Envy, centered around the app Mighty Text. This makes Android phones more compelling to me. And, sadly, there isn’t an iPhone version, nor competing product…well, at least not on Windows. Now I get Apple, and understand why they haven’t/won’t make a Windows version of the product: Apple’s drive for their products integration. Perhaps, though, there’s a way for Apple to build a tool and expand their market-share of another Apple product: Safari.

My idea: integrate iMessage functionality with Safari. Let me send/receive SMS messages via my iPhone from my Safari browser. That would drive me to use Safari nearly exclusively. Right now, on my work PC, I use (in order from most to least used) Firefox, Chrome, IE, then Safari; on my Mac, Chrome, Firefox then Safari. I tend to only use Safari extensively on my iPhone.

So, here’s a way to expand Apple’s hold in one market, increase the functionality of a key tool, and help make iPhone’s that much more usable. Apple, what says you?

I’m seeing a flurry of emails from friend’s accounts with this subject line and the text below:

I just created a secured shared document using Google Doc. To access this doc please Click here and for security reasons, you have to log on with your email to view it, its very important“

As I’ve received at least three with exact same message, I’m confident they’re exploits from hacked accounts. They’re coming from good friends, but also have dozens of emails in the “to:” line. 

Anyway, I advise everyone to avoid clicking on such.