Technology, The Cloud, Are We There Yet?

In what I consider to be a fast moving tech world it is still interesting to find those in their early 40’s through mid 50”s that are still not liking the changes. With everything we read we begin to believe the that rate of acceptance of the new technologies is increasing at a high rate of speed. And yet corporate America may not be as advanced as the rest of the world.

I was involved in some iPad training this past week and much to my surprise I found push back.

Now I am a Windows user and history tells you that I purchased that first IBM PC in 1981, became a Windows user with version 3 and since that time I have also become an adamant Microsoft Office user – it doesn’t get any better than the power of Microsoft Word or Excel.

In the past few (3?) years I have discovered that one device does not do it all. I have found that there are other devices that have a place in our wonderful world of technology, the iPad being one of them.
I am also a big fan of Android. Just added the latest Microsoft Outlook app on my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone from the Google Play Store.

Microsoft recently made the Mobile Office app for iPad available and I instantly went for it. The Mobile Office app that includes Word, Excel, and OneNote is the best app I have used on any device – Windows tablets included. I want access to these tools on any device however I don’t need the full power until I get back into the office but while on the road they are GREAT!

Yes I have the Microsoft Office 365 Subscription as I believe it is also the best way to have all the tools. For the price it cannot be beat in today’s market.

The frustration is coming when the highly skilled, white collar (update auto correct) employee, cannot have access to the best of the best app on any device. The frustration will focus on; 1) the app producer (as in “why can’t I get this on my Android tablet?”), or 2) the employer that won’t allow it (“it will be a cold day in h___ before you bring that into this office!”)

I hear it now in coffee shop conversations; “Yea, we can’t do that in our slow moving company.” “The company is so far behind the times.”: :Maybe it’s time to go with someone who is moving ahead in this world.” The best one; “Are you kidding? In our company? That’s a joke. We will never see it.”

It’s not easy keeping up with the changes internally and I agree with that. The big question is; who is holding you back? The what that is being used as the roadblock can be worked out with a positive, forward thinking, attitude. Yes it will take some learning – Life is a Learning Experience.

If the organization is a forward thinking entity then it too can follow some of the greatest advice directed at individuals.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau - from Brainy Quotes

An attitude where people and their work comes ahead of ego’s, arrogance, and fear. Then perhaps the organization will become the best at what they do and those internally will grow as well as the company.
OK soapbox over. Check out a good read in the NY Times Bits Blog this morning, The Era of Cloud Computing. Not sure I agree with everything however each of us has to make the choices. I know there could be a pay wall – another sign of the times. (pun?)

I’m not happy with OneDrive–are YOU!!

I have heard that I am not the only one unhappy with OneDrive and this morning I got a little more frustrated (and I do not believe in getting frustrated). I am not your upper corporate account nor am I a worldly recognized consultant, I AM A USER! The most important user in my world. I am not happy with OneDrive and will talk about it.

An issue that I have mentioned before begins with a file that did not transfer to OneDrive correctly or is corrupt. If you use OneDrive I suggest you save a copy to your computer hard drive first and then save it to OneDrive. I have lost files. I have not had this issue with Dropbox or Google Drive.

This morning I tried to download an important file for me to do some work (for which I only have one easily accessible copy). Here is the message I received.

When I clicked on “View sync problems” I received another screen that said:

Progress
All actions are complete
Your files are up to date – last updated 24 minutes ago.

Just like everything was fine. Then I received a subsequent message that stated the “remote procedure had failed.”. ??????

I am still getting this same message only now it says “one hour ago”.

Upon getting this message I immediately went to Dropbox and opened a file without issue. The same goes for a file that was in Google Drive. My connection to the Internet is right-on, no issues here with access and yet I cannot have a file that I need. OneDrive is supposed to work for ME! If it doesn’t work for ME how do I get enthusiastic about someone else using it?

This is one of the two reasons I will not use OneNote anymore – and I used to be an evangelist for OneNote. I had sync issues with the ‘older’ OneDrive named Mesh. Sync would not work all the time and I could wind up with two notebooks and then I had to figure out which was the right one. I did not have that issue with Evernote. I have recently considered using OneNote as there are features that I like however I will have to use it on my Desktop, my laptop, my Android phone, and my iPad, not to mention my HP Windows tablet. One sync issue and it’s all over and therefore I won’t try. I don’t have time to test, test, test.

This issue this morning, with the only copy of the file, is one reason I am not convinced that OneDrive is the way to go. Yes I can get another copy however that is going to be time consuming,

On the other hand perhaps Microsoft, in it’s infinite wisdom, has decided they only need to worry about the Enterprise and their OneDrive for Business is good the rest of us can just drop off the end of the earth. Well guess what? I am a user and I do talk to people in the Enterprise and I do suggest “Be very careful of OneDrive”.

I keep my car up-to-date with maintanance and I expect it to start every time I get into it, If it doesn’t I call the dealer. When OneDrive doesn’t work who do I call? I think it is time to upgrade my Dropbox account.

Tablet, tablet, on the wall–who is the fairest of all?

OK so that doesn’t work. The tablet you ask always has the right answer – really?

Last night I attended an organizational board meeting to present an idea for a website that I had designed. I brought along my once favorite tablet, the HP Omni 10, to show the website off.

I already had the website live and therefore just needed a browser to show the idea to the board members and let them weigh in on what they thought was needed. The tablet could be passed around and then I could take notes.

I had take some pictures of property that would be (ultimately) involved in the web production and wanted to show them off. These were incidental to the immediate web page showing however during the discussion afterward they would have played an important part.

To my dismay I could not get access immediately to the pictures. In the process I discovered, much to my discomfort, that the main storage memory was down to 1.8 GB. What?

After the presentation, while waiting for the meeting to end, I did a little digging into my tablet and discovered that, yes, my storage had just about closed out. In fact the diagram that shows for the C:\ drive, when you go to File Explorer, was highlighted in a very RED line.

I had previously moved any extraneous software, file storage, to the additional 64 GB SD card that I had installed. This was also somewhat amazing in that the 64 GB card (of which 58+ was available to use) card showed 54+ available. 

To help this situation I ran Disk Cleanup and not much changed. I did a search and discovered that it does not automatically clear out the temp files in a “hidden folder” that appears under Users > User Name > App Data > Local > Temp. In my case this temp folder held over 6 GB of data. I found the folder and then searched the Internet for explanation and found it at a Microsoft Community page. Obviously I cleaned out this folder and now have over 7 GB of free space.

One would think that on a tablet this should have been recognized as a potential issue. I know that most who buy these things may not be as driven as I am to solve this issue and would have given up. “You see these tablets will never work.”

I know I have gone off on a conspiracy rant once before. I think I stated my belief is bad capitalism is at play. I can see where; “If we make the tablet too powerful people won’t buy these more expensive laptops”. In effect the manufacturer’s dumb down the potential of the tablet. I really do not believe that this tablet has to be limited to 32 GB of prime storage. I also don’t believe that 2 GB of RAM could be the maximum. Times are changing and some will lose. .

Google Glass – My opinion

This morning in Computerworld there was an article; “Why I’m sending back Google Glass” and I just had to present another point of view.

I also sent back my Glass however only because of the guilt feeling for spending $1500 out of our household budget. Since I am only working part time and my wife is working full time, I felt maybe I should wait. She laughed because I was really down about sending them back.

As for the article I found most of the reasons mentioned here are, in my opinion, not quite right. I will take the 10 items listed and give my response. Granted there are some things one can do with Glass that I did not get into, music was one. You will see that below.

1) I had no problem with eye contact with people or anything else. If I am talking to someone I focus on that person, I don’t even have the glass turned on unless I am demonstrating. I have always been a believer in paying attention to someone that is speaking. If I find you doing something else I will stop talking – even when you might say “go ahead, I’m listening”. I expect attention and I give it. Glass will not get in the way.

2) I found glass to be very responsive to voice recognition once I learned the correct method of speaking. I found Evernote to be great taking notes using Glass. Truth is that Glass really got me into using voice more than my phone or tablet had in the past. I found it very comfortable.

3) Yes I had issues with the battery until I learned (it’s all about leaning) how to use glass and then the battery lasted most of the day. I can kill a phone battery in 3 hours with constant use. I did find the online instructions to be quite helpful however perhaps not forceful enough in some areas.

4) I did not find Glass bulky under any circumstance. Actually my laptop is quite bulky and in comparison Glass is not. Perhaps my approach to Glass was that I wanted Glass and wanted to get the most out of Glass therefore Glass was not going to be a problem.

5) Conspicuousness is more a burden of the person wearing Glass, you think of yourself as being conspicuous. I found the writing to sound like someone who was already prepared to dislike Glass and fears others wearing them. I did not have a problem with people. In most cases I found others to be inquisitive and curious. I did not wear them to show off and I did not wear them to places where “I” would not feel comfortable. I am not an in-your-face kind of person. I don’t answer my phone in many places for the same reason. I have respect for others.

6) Tilted photos? Stand up straight – I learned to do that. This one take at a Park in West Chester, OH with Google Glass.

7) As for GPS; I only used Glass to find the location of a nearby restaurant or gas station. I have GPS in my car for long distance and that was plenty and I really would not consider using the Glass GPS while driving. I could, but no. As for Glass using your phone – it does that anyway, part of the territory. What’s your problem?

8) The earbud is a personal thing. I used it when having a phone conversation or a Hangout and found it to be quite good and fit in my ear without issue. I would not use an earbud to listen to music, in fact I don’t use earbud’s to listen to music on any device. I listen via the car system, a stereo, or a headset that covers the ears. I was quite surprised at the intensity of the bone induction sound and I even got used to that (my wife was surprised because of my weakened hearing).

9) Not sure where Explorer Envy fits in here. I found many places they were useful and I don’t ski, or jump out of airplanes (at least not yet). I do have an interesting life exploring (the Curious Voyager) and Glass fit right it.

10) I can’t respond much to the 10^th point. I find there are people that cannot adjust to change easily even though they profess to be on the leading edge. I need to find things out and look positively where they fit and Glass has many areas in everyday life to be a benefit. Everything cannot be hands on, we need to take that quick picture, make that quick note, discover information when needed, and the ability to make or take a hands free call is fantastic. I added a picture of a gift basket here taken with Google Glass.

Everyone has a different view, a different opinion and this is mine. I loved Glass and will have them again when I don’t feel guilty about draining the family budget. We just had to put 3 windows in our Condo at almost twice what Glass was – not as much fun but that’s life.

Creative Commons in the news - gets new CEO

Copyright Licensing Organization Gets New Boss - NYTimes.com:

I have followed, used, and believe in , Creative Commons for a long time. I have always appreciated the work of  Lawrence Lessig, a founder of Creative Commons. You can look into CC at creativecommons.org.



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Tech in the NY Times this morning: Mirror, Mirror in the App:

Mirror, Mirror in the App: What’s the Fairest Shade and Shadow of Them All? - NYTimes.com: "http://nyti.ms/1sPBIWR"

I know that some of this technology has been around for some time however now you can have it rather than going into the store and have someone else do it for you, you can do it yourself.

I have always gone a little too heavy on the blush.



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Books may be cheaper at Barnes & Noble–also online

Barnes & Nobel is just one more click and it could save you money. More on the continuing saga of Amazon and Hachette Book Group that I pointed to yesterday.

This morning the NY Times has a follow up story regarding Amazon slowing delivery of books by Hachette Book Group authors, some of which are very popular authors. The story; Writers Feel an Amazon-Hachette Spat, has more interesting points and is really worth reading. It shows what a marketplace bully has the potential to do, and it can hurt both the supplier as well as the consumer.

Amazon appears to be using market manipulation to control its suppliers and I thought that was illegal? There is also the point that Amazon is a publisher and perhaps is trying to hurt the competition via it’s own marketplace. Restraint of trade? Violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act? Is this something our delightful congress should look into?

In todays story an interesting point is that books by author Malcom Gladwell are on “2 to 3 week delay” at Amazon however they are immediately available at Barnes & Nobel, one bookstore that Amazon has not been able to close with their tactics. Hachette Group says they fulfill Amazon’s request immediately.

Not only is the book available at Barnes & Noble the print version is $3.00 cheaper. It is also available on the Nook for $9.99. I have the Nook app on my laptop (Windows 8.1) as well as my tablet. I have purchased magazines from Barnes & Noble (The Kindle app from Amazon won’t let you read magazines – you have to buy a Kindle). I have owned a Kindle and really would rather read on a tablet that has many other features in today’s world.

Amazon is definitely playing the bully role in this and, at least in my case, I will consider Barnes & Noble for my books and magazines in the future. This won’t be difficult – http://www.barnesandnoble.com. See, that was easy.

I still think Amazon’s tactics should be looked into, Amazon is also a publisher. On the other hand perhaps this is true Darwin like Capitalism.

More reading:

The Christian Science Monitor – Hachette Book Group says Amazon is deliberately delaying shipments of their titles

The Author’s Guild – Amazon v Stephen Colbert? Amazon Slow-walks Books by Gladwell, Colbert, Others in Spat with Hachette