July 13, 2010
WINDOWS LIVE SYNC AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Microsoft is finalizing a new version of Windows Live Sync, its free software for syncing files among different computers. The new version replaces the two overlapping programs available from Microsoft for the last few years, Windows Live Sync and Live Mesh, combining features from both of them.
This should be good news. Microsoft has declared that the entire resources of the company are being devoted to moving us to the cloud. The file syncing program could have been an important part of that transition to a new way of working with our files that is less tied to […] continued
June 10, 2010
DROPBOX, ANDROIDS, AND SECURITY
Previously:
Sync Files With Dropbox
Dropbox for iPad, Android
Almost everyone should take a look at Dropbox, the service that syncs folders and files among your computers and mobile devices. If you have more than one computer (home/office/notebook) and you haven’t started using it yet, then go read about it and get started! I’m going to highlight a security issue but that shouldn’t discourage you from using it for all the things it does so well – just keep an eye on all of your tools with security and privacy in mind.
Dropbox has released apps […] continued
May 20, 2010
THE EVOLUTION OF EMAIL
It’s rare now to find traditional POP3 email accounts, where messages are downloaded to a single computer and are only accessible at that computer. We move between different computers freely (home/work/laptop/netbook) and want our mail to be available on all of them. We are buying smartphones in staggering numbers and getting our email on the phone is a big part of the reason.
Seeing our mailbox from multiple computers and devices can be done clumsily with a POP3 account but it’s far easier with Gmail, Hotmail, or an Exchange mailbox. If you are using an email address […] continued
May 17, 2010
MORE MOBILE LOCATION TRICKS
While we’re talking about smartphones, I should mention another way that your phone can use its knowledge of your location to do something interesting.
Google added an unassuming link named “Near Me Now” on the Google search page on iPhones and Android phones. Click it and you’ll get a short list of categories – Restaurants, ATMS and banks, Shopping, Lodging, and more. Clicking on one will bring up a list of results based on where you are standing at that moment. I just pulled up a list of all the restaurants near my house in two clicks, with addresses, […] continued
May 13, 2010
VISUAL SEARCH WITH GOOGLE GOGGLES
As I said last month, each of you might find one or two apps for a smartphone that get you all excited – the apps that you show people to demonstrate how cool your new phone is.
I found mine. Google Goggles amazes me. If you’ve got an Android phone, you’ve got to check this out. It’s a free download from the Android Marketplace. (There have been vague hints that it will eventually be ported to iPhones and other platforms but don’t hold your breath for that.)
Google Goggles lets you use pictures taken with […] continued
May 12, 2010
UPDATED GOOGLE SEARCH PAGES
Google has officially rolled out an update to its search result pages, a three column design that provides search options on the left to help refine and redirect your searches. Spend a few minutes learning about the new features – this is the basic tool that shapes much of your online experience, every day.
I wrote up a short description of the new search options a few months ago. There’s a much more complete description here, with examples of all the different ways that the left column might help you improve your search results. There are […] continued
May 7, 2010
DROPBOX FOR IPAD, ANDROID
Dropbox has become an indispensable part of my toolbox. It’s the free service that syncs files between different computers, so that files in the “My Dropbox” folder appear on all the computers running the software linked to your account. Edit a file on your home computer, save it in My Dropbox, and the edited version will be on your office computer in the morning. It saves different versions of files, allows you to share files with others in various ways, and gives you online access to them when you’re away from your computers. Here’s my recent writeup […] continued
April 29, 2010
SMARTPHONES AND MONEY
HP is buying Palm. Synergy! Patents! Engineers! Vision! Innovation! New smartphones computers tablets slates operating systems! Whee!
I was idly reading stories about the deal when a sentence jumped out at me from the New York Times this morning. If this is true, it explains everything you need to know about what is happening around you and where the world is going.
“Analysts have forecast that sales of smartphones, currently about equal to the annual sales of laptops, will surpass total PC sales by 2012.”
Got that? Let me repeat it, in boldface:
- Sales of
[…] continued
April 15, 2010
VERIZON – HTC DROID INCREDIBLE CONFIRMED
Click here to go to the official Verizon page for the newly-renamed “Droid Incredible.” Click the phone images above for a high-resolution look at the phone. Click here for the background about why this looks like the best alternative to the iPhone for the foreseeable future.
The specs are way ahead of any other phone on the market – the newest version of Android, an updated Sense UI, an 8 megapixel camera, fast processor, 3.7 inch 800×480 screen, 8Gb of built-in storage, 802.11b/g/n wireless, and more. This thing is […] continued
April 9, 2010
TEMPTED BY SMARTPHONES
Here are a few sentences that stuck in my head about how the iPhone’s App Store helps convince some people that they want a smartphone.
“[Y]ou might think 1,000 apps should be plenty to fit everyone’s needs, but then you misunderstand how the iPhone’s App Store contributes to Apple’s success. In short, 100,000 apps is a really, really long tail, and in that tail everyone can find one or two goofy, niche apps that they really like. And when they find those apps—my dad loves the bubble wrap and the Bible translations, my wife loves the
[…] continued