Chris' Views on Technology

Posted from: MD, USA

Today was a big day at our house! After five years, our little girl headed off to her first day of Kindergarden. She was up, dressed and in our bed waiting before 7am. L was very excited and just could not wait to go and get on the bus.

After breakfast and brushing her teeth, we packed her up and took her down to her bus stop. We got there early and hung out for a bit waiting for the bus together. Every time a bus would go by the end of our street, L would jump and shout 'is that my bus!?"

Finally the bus that was her's came. As soon as the bus had stopped and opened it's doors, our girl was climbing those steps with a big smile. Off to school she went, full of excitement and enthusiasm that I hope is always burning inside her.

Around four o'clock it was finally time to see our girl come home. Jess and were sitting on the corner waiting for the girl, chit chatting about what she thought her day was like. All we both hoped for was for her not to be crying. At 4:25 we saw the bus coming, we both jumped up excited to see our girl coming home! As the bus pulled up, there was L sitting in the first seat at the window waving with a huge smile!

Posted from: MD, USA

Today was a big day at our house! After five years, our little girl headed off to her first day of Kindergarden. She was up, dressed and in our bed waiting before 7am. L was very excited and just could not wait to go and get on the bus.

After breakfast and brushing her teeth, we packed her up and took her down to her bus stop. We got there early and hung out for a bit waiting for the bus together. Every time a bus would go by the end of our street, L would jump and shout 'is that my bus!?"

Finally the bus that was her's came. As soon as the bus had stopped and opened it's doors, our girl was climbing those steps with a big smile. Off to school she went, full of excitement and enthusiasm that I hope is always burning inside her.

Around four o'clock it was finally time to see our girl come home. Jess and were sitting on the corner waiting for the girl, chit chatting about what she thought her day was like. All we both hoped for was for her not to be crying. At 4:25 we saw the bus coming, we both jumped up excited to see our girl coming home! As the bus pulled up, there was L sitting in the first seat at the window waving with a huge smile!

As it looks like Hurricane Irene could be the real deal, here are some quick tuips to help you keep in touch in an extended power outage.

  The more battery you can save on your phone the better off you are in this type of situation, and these tips will help!

  -          Turn off 3G/4G if you can (the newer 3G/4G networks our phones use typically require much higher power draw than their 2G couterparts.)

-          Turn off Bluetooth (eats up battery like a fiend)

-          Turn off Wi-Fi (won’t need anyway it if power is out)

-          Use texting instead of calling when possible

-          Biggest battery drain on today’s SmartPhones is the screen being lit up, so keep that screen dark! (avoid games and movies etc)

-          Have a VPA/cig light adaptor for your car. This is a great backup way to charge your phone!

As it looks like Hurricane Irene could be the real deal, here are some quick tuips to help you keep in touch in an extended power outage.

  The more battery you can save on your phone the better off you are in this type of situation, and these tips will help!

  -          Turn off 3G/4G if you can (the newer 3G/4G networks our phones use typically require much higher power draw than their 2G couterparts.)

-          Turn off Bluetooth (eats up battery like a fiend)

-          Turn off Wi-Fi (won’t need anyway it if power is out)

-          Use texting instead of calling when possible

-          Biggest battery drain on today’s SmartPhones is the screen being lit up, so keep that screen dark! (avoid games and movies etc)

-          Have a VPA/cig light adaptor for your car. This is a great backup way to charge your phone!

I keep wondering this in the back of my mind, can iCloud succeed? I’m not asking because I have doubts about Apple's ability to create a great service, even though MobileMe and Ping give you reason enough to have pause. I'm asking because I don't know if the major wireless carriers that carry the iPhone will let it succeed. I think that iCloud, as well as other cloud services like Spotify, Netflix, SiriusXM and Pandora, will have their success ultimately limited or hampered, and possibly even controlled by wireless carriers that don’t offer 'True Unlimited' data usage plans, sans the new carrier trend of throttling.  

The whole premise behind the iCloud is great. All of my data between my iPad and iPhone will finally be on the same page. My Music, links, apps, pictures, docs, videos, and the list goes on and on and on. So whenever I pick up either device, I have all the same up to date content available to me. This is BIG, make no doubt about it and I personally can't wait to try it out. Time will tell in the coming weeks as iOS5 and iCloud roll out to the public, if iCloud is the panacea Apple promises it can be to the world. Will users agree? Will they adapt to the iCloud?

Let's say that users do. If you’re not in an unlimited data plan, I think you’re going to get in trouble. Let’s count a few ways how...

1. Automatically uploading all of those pictures from your iPhone to the iCloud, yeah that will hurt. 

2. Don't forget the videos!

3. Playing your iTunes from the iCloud. Yeah you may save local storage space but, that is going to increase your data usage. The more you listen, the more data you use. 

4. Facetime, if it ever gets wireless carrier network support, will be another huge data drain.

5. Now let’s through in all of those other apps we download, emails we send, docs we can update, basically other digital media we continue to consume on an ever increasing rate.

6. Lastly lets through in the big guns, Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM, Netflix, YouTube and Comcast and Time Warner’s iOS applications. These all are huge data hogs! Huge! There are more of these data hog apps coming to market every day, with many iOS users using several of the aforementioned apps. 

See how quickly all this adds up? If you're not on an unlimited data plan, your ability to utilize all of these cool services is limited by how much you are willing to pay in data overages on your monthly bill. Even if you have an unlimited data plan, wireless carriers worldwide are adopting the trend of throttling their high capacity users. Throttling, if you don’t know already, is the practice of a service provider limiting the speed of a customer’s data connection after the user has hit a certain limit of usage. This downgrade in speed decreases the customer's ability to enjoy the 'Unlimited Data' service they thought they were paying their carrier for, and in turn limit's the user's ability to enjoy watching a Netflix movie, or even accessing the iCloud. 

I keep wondering this in the back of my mind, can iCloud succeed? I’m not asking because I have doubts about Apple's ability to create a great service, even though MobileMe and Ping give you reason enough to have pause. I'm asking because I don't know if the major wireless carriers that carry the iPhone will let it succeed. I think that iCloud, as well as other cloud services like Spotify, Netflix, SiriusXM and Pandora, will have their success ultimately limited or hampered, and possibly even controlled by wireless carriers that don’t offer 'True Unlimited' data usage plans, sans the new carrier trend of throttling.  

The whole premise behind the iCloud is great. All of my data between my iPad and iPhone will finally be on the same page. My Music, links, apps, pictures, docs, videos, and the list goes on and on and on. So whenever I pick up either device, I have all the same up to date content available to me. This is BIG, make no doubt about it and I personally can't wait to try it out. Time will tell in the coming weeks as iOS5 and iCloud roll out to the public, if iCloud is the panacea Apple promises it can be to the world. Will users agree? Will they adapt to the iCloud?

Let's say that users do. If you’re not in an unlimited data plan, I think you’re going to get in trouble. Let’s count a few ways how...

1. Automatically uploading all of those pictures from your iPhone to the iCloud, yeah that will hurt. 

2. Don't forget the videos!

3. Playing your iTunes from the iCloud. Yeah you may save local storage space but, that is going to increase your data usage. The more you listen, the more data you use. 

4. Facetime, if it ever gets wireless carrier network support, will be another huge data drain.

5. Now let’s through in all of those other apps we download, emails we send, docs we can update, basically other digital media we continue to consume on an ever increasing rate.

6. Lastly lets through in the big guns, Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM, Netflix, YouTube and Comcast and Time Warner’s iOS applications. These all are huge data hogs! Huge! There are more of these data hog apps coming to market every day, with many iOS users using several of the aforementioned apps. 

See how quickly all this adds up? If you're not on an unlimited data plan, your ability to utilize all of these cool services is limited by how much you are willing to pay in data overages on your monthly bill. Even if you have an unlimited data plan, wireless carriers worldwide are adopting the trend of throttling their high capacity users. Throttling, if you don’t know already, is the practice of a service provider limiting the speed of a customer’s data connection after the user has hit a certain limit of usage. This downgrade in speed decreases the customer's ability to enjoy the 'Unlimited Data' service they thought they were paying their carrier for, and in turn limit's the user's ability to enjoy watching a Netflix movie, or even accessing the iCloud. 

Posted from: MD, USA

I love my iPad. As such I know I need to protect it to keep it safe from that inevitable drop or fall that could put it out of commission. When I picked up my iPad on opening day, I also picked up a blue vinyl smartcover. I like the smartcover allot. It protects the screen and provides some cool functionality with the sleep mode. The whole magnetic attachment and function is great. However the smartcover is not enough by itself, its only 50% of the protection puzzle.

So I have been on the lookout for a case to use with my smartcover and finally Speck has come to the rescue. I have used Speck cases before and have always been satisfied with the quality of their products. When I saw the SmartShell case that works with Apple's smartcover, the search was over.

Today the cover finally arrived, it's orange! It has a good fit and cuts for access to everything you need to on your iPad. It works great with the smartcover and is the missing 50% of the protection puzzle I was looking for.

Posted from: MD, USA

I love my iPad. As such I know I need to protect it to keep it safe from that inevitable drop or fall that could put it out of commission. When I picked up my iPad on opening day, I also picked up a blue vinyl smartcover. I like the smartcover allot. It protects the screen and provides some cool functionality with the sleep mode. The whole magnetic attachment and function is great. However the smartcover is not enough by itself, its only 50% of the protection puzzle.

So I have been on the lookout for a case to use with my smartcover and finally Speck has come to the rescue. I have used Speck cases before and have always been satisfied with the quality of their products. When I saw the SmartShell case that works with Apple's smartcover, the search was over.

Today the cover finally arrived, it's orange! It has a good fit and cuts for access to everything you need to on your iPad. It works great with the smartcover and is the missing 50% of the protection puzzle I was looking for.

Posted from: MD, USARecently I have gotten 6 emails about security breaches from extremely enhanced hacker attacks. Included in this list are companies like RSA Security, Chase, Target, and even the good old Home Depot.

There is a wealth of electronic information out there about all of us. Depending on how 'connected' you are to the mighty world wide web determines more or less the level of risk you have. The more inputs and connections (email, bill paying, social media) you have, the higher the chances of your information eventually being 'hacked'. Some of the information we control and some of it we do not. One thing is for sure, whether you control the information or not, hackers can hack into ALL of it.

So what's the point in sharing this cheery outlook you ask? Well all is not for lost. As I always say, control what you can control, and let everything else take care of itself. Here's the quick list of good habits to utilize with your passwords today to keep your information as secure as you can:

- Use pass-phrases, not pass-words! Twelve to sixteen characters is recommended. Pick out a couple of random words and numbers and paste them together into a high strength password. RANDOM I say, random! Don't pick obvious words, numbers, etc. Variation in special characters, numerals and capitalization can all add to your password's strength.

- Get on a schedule for changing out your passwords. Don't let a password sit for longer than 6-8 months max. The longer your password stays the same the more likely it is for some nefarious person to figure it out or stumble into it and do dastardly deeds!

- Don't share your passwords! People do this all the time and I have no idea why. I'm amazed all of the time when I hear/see people offer up secure login/password information to others. Keep your pass-phrases to yourself!

- Use a secure password app on your smartphone to help you keep all of your passwords straight. There are plenty to choose from, ranging from free to expensive no matter what kind if device you use.

- Don't use the same one password for everything...if you are compromised on one account, a savvy hacker will work quickly to see if you have given him a 'golden ticket'! That's a password that controls your whole life and gives them unprecedented access to your personal life. Mix it up!

Posted from: MD, USARecently I have gotten 6 emails about security breaches from extremely enhanced hacker attacks. Included in this list are companies like RSA Security, Chase, Target, and even the good old Home Depot.

There is a wealth of electronic information out there about all of us. Depending on how 'connected' you are to the mighty world wide web determines more or less the level of risk you have. The more inputs and connections (email, bill paying, social media) you have, the higher the chances of your information eventually being 'hacked'. Some of the information we control and some of it we do not. One thing is for sure, whether you control the information or not, hackers can hack into ALL of it.

So what's the point in sharing this cheery outlook you ask? Well all is not for lost. As I always say, control what you can control, and let everything else take care of itself. Here's the quick list of good habits to utilize with your passwords today to keep your information as secure as you can:

- Use pass-phrases, not pass-words! Twelve to sixteen characters is recommended. Pick out a couple of random words and numbers and paste them together into a high strength password. RANDOM I say, random! Don't pick obvious words, numbers, etc. Variation in special characters, numerals and capitalization can all add to your password's strength.

- Get on a schedule for changing out your passwords. Don't let a password sit for longer than 6-8 months max. The longer your password stays the same the more likely it is for some nefarious person to figure it out or stumble into it and do dastardly deeds!

- Don't share your passwords! People do this all the time and I have no idea why. I'm amazed all of the time when I hear/see people offer up secure login/password information to others. Keep your pass-phrases to yourself!

- Use a secure password app on your smartphone to help you keep all of your passwords straight. There are plenty to choose from, ranging from free to expensive no matter what kind if device you use.

- Don't use the same one password for everything...if you are compromised on one account, a savvy hacker will work quickly to see if you have given him a 'golden ticket'! That's a password that controls your whole life and gives them unprecedented access to your personal life. Mix it up!

Look ma no wi-fi!

Posted from: MD, USA

Ok I did it. I said I wouldn't, but I did it anyway. I had to solve a problem, it was gonna be a big problem and I didn't want to deal with it, so I made a pre-emptive strike on my Unlimited AT&T iPhone data plan.

I changed my AT&T iPhone data plan from the no longer available $30 UNLIMITED plan to the new $45 4GB Data Pro Plan with tethering. It was not easy for me to make this change. I mean come on, that's a great plan I just dumped, that allot of folks would love to have. But after I did some analysis of my data usage with AT&T's handy online data usage history graph, I see I only exceeded 1GB twice over 8 months. I peaked out at 1.3GB just last month when I decided to push hard. I averaged .6GB a month on my AT&T data plan over an 11 month period. That's much less than I thought I was using. I guess bottom line is that I do most of my heavy data lifting in wi-fi friendly zones, so I have no need to be afraid of 3G data overages!

Now I can tether my iPad2 to my iPhone4. My iPad won't have to sit idle by my side at the office or wherever else I go. I just need to remember no Netflix streaming on 3G and I should be ok!

Have you thought of tethering your iPad to your iPhone? Let the numbers guide your decision! Already doing it, how's it working out for you?

Look ma no wi-fi!

Posted from: MD, USA

Ok I did it. I said I wouldn't, but I did it anyway. I had to solve a problem, it was gonna be a big problem and I didn't want to deal with it, so I made a pre-emptive strike on my Unlimited AT&T iPhone data plan.

I changed my AT&T iPhone data plan from the no longer available $30 UNLIMITED plan to the new $45 4GB Data Pro Plan with tethering. It was not easy for me to make this change. I mean come on, that's a great plan I just dumped, that allot of folks would love to have. But after I did some analysis of my data usage with AT&T's handy online data usage history graph, I see I only exceeded 1GB twice over 8 months. I peaked out at 1.3GB just last month when I decided to push hard. I averaged .6GB a month on my AT&T data plan over an 11 month period. That's much less than I thought I was using. I guess bottom line is that I do most of my heavy data lifting in wi-fi friendly zones, so I have no need to be afraid of 3G data overages!

Now I can tether my iPad2 to my iPhone4. My iPad won't have to sit idle by my side at the office or wherever else I go. I just need to remember no Netflix streaming on 3G and I should be ok!

Have you thought of tethering your iPad to your iPhone? Let the numbers guide your decision! Already doing it, how's it working out for you?

Posted from: MD, USA

Well my custom made bag arrived and it is pretty great! Great colors ( thanks to me) and lots of room. This bag is handmade and made to last!

I can fit everything I need to in here... -Latop -3x5 Index card box -Several notepads/notebooks -All required chargers @ cables/cords -My Targus IPad 2 bag! -And there is still more room!

There are lots of pockets for storage of little things. This bag is outfitted to win.

Posted from: MD, USA

Well my custom made bag arrived and it is pretty great! Great colors ( thanks to me) and lots of room. This bag is handmade and made to last!

I can fit everything I need to in here... -Latop -3x5 Index card box -Several notepads/notebooks -All required chargers @ cables/cords -My Targus IPad 2 bag! -And there is still more room!

There are lots of pockets for storage of little things. This bag is outfitted to win.

Posted from: MD, USA

This bag from Targus fits the bill for my iPad2 perfectly!

It has a padded sleeve inside made just for iPads. I can easily fit my Apple keyboard on the main compartment and still have extra room inside. There's also a front pocket where I have my HDMI av adaptor, charger, Square dongle, headset, capacitive touch stylus and my iPhone. Again, there's still room leftover in here for more odds and ends!

For $30, you can't beat this bag from Targus. Check it out if you are looking for a bag for your iPad. I got mine at Best Buy.

Posted from: MD, USA

This bag from Targus fits the bill for my iPad2 perfectly!

It has a padded sleeve inside made just for iPads. I can easily fit my Apple keyboard on the main compartment and still have extra room inside. There's also a front pocket where I have my HDMI av adaptor, charger, Square dongle, headset, capacitive touch stylus and my iPhone. Again, there's still room leftover in here for more odds and ends!

For $30, you can't beat this bag from Targus. Check it out if you are looking for a bag for your iPad. I got mine at Best Buy.

Posted from: MD, USA

This is some of my favorite stuff. I can use 3M Dual Lock tape to make almost anything stick together and remove it when I want too.

It is like a super industrial velcro, but there is only one side (material used) with this stuff. Instead of one side being a hook side and the other side being a fuzzy loopy side to catch on, dual lock tape has just one surface which can lock into itself. This plastic material and design makes for a much more solid hold. You can really feel the tape 'lock into' itself and snap into place when you put it together.

There are thousands of uses for this stuff that you can find, but here are a few of the applications I use Dual Lock tape for: - EZ Pass mounts (This is what they give you to mount with!) - SiriusXM remote in cars - Mount receivers and batteries in RC cars/trucks - Body mounting for RC cars/trucks

Dual lock tape is great for mounting anything that needs to be removable. I can see using this stuff to mount an iPad to a wall or dashboard, it is that strong. The only complaint I have, is that I seem to only be able to find 3M dual lock tape at Radio Shack stores, where you buy it in packets of 4"x1" inch strips. I'm sure there is a cheaper way, but I haven't found it yet.