Finally Office is catching up to the real world

With more and more need to share information among users and businesses we have been forced to seek solutions that require a separate app or a long about way to accomplish the task. Sharepoint came along and help ease some of the pain but there was still a piece missing. Microsoft may have mended a solution in the upcoming Office 2010. Time will still tell how well they develop this suite but they are definitely headed the right direction this time.

Integrating share and Skydrive seems to be one of the best features I have seen an Office suite offer yet. I know there are many other options and new features that has been improved upon but this is actually breaking ground for a Microsoft Office product. I don't know how many times I have been at a family affair and asked if I could borrow a family members PC to get a doc out that someone asked me for. It is still in the works but I can soon edit that doc right online with a Word Web App and send it on its way. Lets face it carting around the notebook everywhere gets old. Editing a doc on the cell is still in infancy. The web is the best choice for out of the office work.

Even though I have used Google Docs and countless other solutions before now it is finally time Microsoft has come of age and is delivering. I have to say that 2009/2010 is the age Microsoft has finally listened to the customer and developed decent products that has worth to its customers. If they stay on point and don't get lazy they may improve their image some and gain some stock in the mean time.

Why all the hype Positive and Negative on the latest Windows OS's

All across the web we see Pros and Cons to Microsoft's latest Windows 7. Every blog, tech site, and news feeds have put out their input on the product. It has become such a heavy topic that it has drawn controversy from every corner. When the reality of the whole thing is; Microsoft has done the best their staff and developers can to produce a product within the business model they put together in delivering an OS around the every three year mark.

The many MS haters and Apple haters out there are going to criticize the OS and produce one sided opinions all day long. The end result will have very little to play on Microsoft's bottom line. Take a look at a couple of things Microsoft has to consider when they create a new OS. They know that no Mac user is going to fully convert to Microsoft. So they either conscious or subconscious (don't work for them so no facts) produce a UI that Mac lovers will purchase and run with bootcamp or completely virtual. You will not get that from Apple nor should you expect that. Microsoft is software centric. If the previous OS fails then they need to listen more closely to the community and fix what failed. While keeping in mind they're not going to please billions of users individually. If that were the case then they would lay the OS out like a Linux distro and you pick your favs. They attempt to at least put out a few versions with different options and price range but they keep to the core market they are approaching with each. They did that while improving compatibility in Windows 7. Microsoft is business first and consumer second. Their product has to fit the business model first and then adapt to the consumer. It has lacked to do this properly with Vista. That is why they had to go back to the drawing board and re-engineer Windows 7. I don't know of many businesses other than small businesses that ever upgraded to Vista.

The opinion that Vista was the worst OS: Well I upgraded when Vista came out and personally I would not completely put it on the worst side. Is it fast? Depends how much hardware you have! Is it slow? Depends on your tolerance! For those who say that Windows 7 is the greatest well guess what. It is only an improvement on the kernel from Vista. Sure some better code, performance tweaks, and UI changes have set it aside and to the norm people believe that it is a complete overhaul. So why should Microsoft not market it as such. Vista was a huge risk that Microsoft needed to take to make a serious change in their OS. I give them props for making that shift. We did at least get a more improved kernel. Vista was not the greatest but it functioned and provided some needed security that lacked from previous OS's. It is not like you have to upgrade from Windows XP or Vista to Windows 7.

To conclude; Microsoft is by no means a perfect solution. There is no perfect solution when it comes to computers. There never will be. There are only options and niche. If you love Apple then you sacrifice some gaming and office solutions. If you love Microsoft then you sacrifice simplicity, media to a point, and elegant design. If you love Linux then you are going in your own path the same way the three big names did in the beginning. So hype! Yeah that is why these three guys did their own basement work to begin with. They wanted it their way. To be known for what they think the OS should be. Like it or love it you at least have an option to have your OS of choice and they are almost to a point running along the same hardware. So I get the fanboyism. Though the post may look fanboy on the Microsoft side, I use variants of all three OS's everyday and IMO they are what they are and should stop being compared. They are OS's sure but each serve a different purpose.

Tablets and why we need better products

Tablet PCs have yet to hit the market properly. A device that can be put in the category of "before its time" should be hitting prime time right now. This is no longer a niche market. It is 2009 and multitouch has shown pure adaptation in the computer field. Lets look at some benefits already out that could push the tablet form factor a little bit. E-readers have really started to explode on the market. What may be a simple device to read a book has shown place in today's tech savvy lifestyle. So if you are more opt to read on a device rather then pick up a paper or book why should we not be apt to write on a said device. Sure a keyboard is a great input device. That is why most tablets are hybrids. Look at cellphones. We are already adapting to the touch screen technology on our phones why not our computers. With the price of notebooks dropping like flies splurging on a ink-able touch screen should not be a hard hit on the pocket anymore. Manufactures need to step up and start using this technology more than they have in the past years.

There has been some great tablet products that just did not take off. Most due to price and performance compared to the notebook. Tablets have a market. A large market too if done right. College students can really benefit from tablets. And lets face it what has been a bigger Marketing campaign adults or students lately. Netbooks hit a boom for a while because of price and the economy. What happened as a result is price wars on the average sized notebooks to compete. So how can you put the notebook back on the market. Simple start giving more options on hardware other than just performance and looks. If manufacturers start putting ink ability built right in to the average notebook then I can almost guarantee it will catch on. Take for instance the notebook I have currently. Plain ole Acer Aspire 5610Z. Nothing special. But what if the monitor had ink or multitouch. The screen does not necessarily have to rotate as a tablet but I could just pull out the pen and edit right on the monitor. They do not have to be pure rotate and fold tablets. More so just the tablet technology built right in. Its time folks for this to be a common option.

Sure Microsoft and Apple have been in the spot lite lately on new tablet technologies and some new twists to tablet use. That is all well and good but as we can see may not be for everyone. All I am asking is lets really make the notebook more of a personal device by giving me an option to put my real signature on my emails, hand write a personal letter, circle a snippet on the web, or make a doodle. I'm sure some may say why not just go and buy a tablet out right. To that I say why can't I go and get the notebook I want and have that as an option package. Why can this not be an option package on the majority rather than a separate category all together that limits me on the types of notebooks I have to choose from. Components for notebooks have really come of age. Speed has become almost second nature in development of newer devices. So the tablets of yesterday and their limitations should be out of the question. Processors and memory have made great leaps since. So to the manufactures "there is no excuse on why this could not be an option let alone a standard just as bluetooth and wifi."

Microsoft's answer to virus protection (Microsoft Security Essential)

"Hey its about time my software provider addresses its most vulnerable weakness!" You know most people don't care if Microsoft will put out a perfect virus protection solution. In fact we all know there is no such thing. Security suites are always a reaction to an action. Though Microsoft after all these years have finally addressed this fact and gave the users a solution that helps put owning a Microsoft product a little safer. Still not a perfect solution but it does the the job and holds its own ranking in the top five with the current free solutions. I really have to give Microsoft an attaboy on this one. I don't see anything revolutionary about this product but I finally see Microsoft doing one thing right. For years and years users have been frustrated with Microsoft on this issue. They even did a great job as a set it and forget solution. Most of the built-in recommended settings will do the trick. It also gives the more comprehensive user with options such as excluding file types, processes, and file locations. Though if your are real serious about security and still want the best from a free solution then Avira AntiVir is the solution for you. But if you just want a piece of mind virus solution I would far recommend this free solution to anyone I know. Kudos Microsoft for listening to your supporters and giving them something that should have been there a long time ago.

The Hype around Google Voice

There has been a lot of different opinions going around about this service. I'm not here to clear up all those but I would like to throw my uses for this service out there so some get a little understanding if they are still on the side lines. There are a couple of reasons why I chose to use Google Voice.

First and for most it is the best number for me to but on a resume and not have to worry about having to reprint my resume because one of my numbers change. I don't know how many resumes I have thrown away because of a simple change to the header. More so how many times I have gone trough all of my job search resumes and change numbers there. I now have to never worry about that.

Second I can actually have some privacy from all my business contacts by setting a time frame for certain phones to ring. Just change the ring defaults for that group and its done. All of those contacts will go to voice mail and I can continue to watch the game. But lets say the Boss calls and he is in the business group. Well I have the settings for his contact info to ring my cell. So it can play out very well for you just as you use a company PBX at work.

There are many other perks to using Google Voice. Like free SMS and getting your voice mail transcribed then emailed to you. But what it is not is a phone carrier. The image people tend to see when they look at Google Voice is a service that will get them away from their carrier. Not the case. You still use what ever phone you currently have to make and answer calls. There are tricks to not only cut down your phone bills and using Google Voices as a VIOP service but that is not what Google Voice is put out to the public for right now. The service is nothing new. It is a rebranding that got some new tools. So the hype is that Google put its name on it. It all comes down to do you want to use it or not.

A quick note on GMail. You can now use Google Sync to sync your mail along with your calender and contacts. So it is pretty much a full mobile exchange package now.

SugarSync now with a 2GB Free Account

Now that Sugar Sync has offered a free 2GB account, I decided to take the product for a spin. I have to say the first thing I noticed is when you send a photo from the iPhone or iPod it will sync instantaneous with the desktop. As soon and you click on the photo the desktop version shows a pending upload. I have not tested the same with my blackberry Curve yet but I am sure the same will apply. What is great about this product is you have the option to pick the folders on any of your computers to sync. You are not limited to default folders. Though I still use the Magic Briefcase folder primarily since I am only going to use the free 2GB account. The great part is when down the road when I decide to opt for more storage, and I want to sync those thousands of pics I have, I don't have to copy them to another folder and make duplicate files on my PC. Another little tip is that when you delete something it is still archived so it can be restored. Great option if you removed something on accident. The trash can and at the bottom of the desktop version in each folder a deleted file was in you can show the hidden deleted items and permanently delete. The folder I will use to sync my files is the Magic Briefcase folder stored in Documents on my PC. All of these files are automatically synced across all of the devices and no additional folders need to be created. If there is a folder on a device that you think you need to sync then once you select that folder under Manage Sync Folders in the desktop app, it will show up under that device. For instance on my Drew-notebook as pictured above I have a folder that has some files that I may need, I check that folder in the manager and when I use another PC or device that folder I selected on Drew-notebook will appear when I click on the Drew-notebook icon.

Sharing! The share option lets you email or copy a link that points directly to a folder with in you account. Since all these folders and files are also stored in the cloud anyone can view these and not have access directly to your device. This is one of the options that really sets this service apart from the others I have looked into using [Dropbox]. If you read my previous post on having a calendar that incorporates these features then you will understand why this feature really stands out to me. I can copy the URL and post it within the description of say a calendar and the end user can be copy the URL into a browser and view the contents. This gives me an option to set up a folder for the meeting and send out a shared link to those who need to view the contents or add and edit content. I can also setup a password so the contents of that folder are secured. The reason that this is such a great option is that I have plenty of time to prepare all of the contents of that folder leading up to the meeting on any device so I'm not tied down to my desk the whole time.

All in all with the 2GB free account I think I have finally found the cloud storage platform I have been looking for. For the time being anyway.

Click the image above for the link to the free SugarSync iPhone app in iTunes.

Waiting for Great Products

In 2006 I opted for an invite from the scrybe team to test the beta organization product. Before Adobe Air and Google Gears were available this company had produced an online calendar product that was available for offline use. It got so much attention at the time that everyone was under the impression the product would be available in the near future and would change how the calendar would be used. Well all of us that got the invite are still awaiting the launch of this great product. In fact many including my self have actually stopped using the product because no news or updates have been added in over two years. So here is my opinion why in the next coming months or year this company will bring us a product the users have been waiting for.

One. The time is now. So many new tools have been produced to put this product in everyday lives of the public and the public not looking at the product as something that came out before its time. Users are more interested in offline use of web apps. As cloud computing is become a thing of the present and not the future this products prime time opportunity is to get back into the public eye and soon.

Two. The fan base that was created in 2006 have provided the scrybe community with suggestions that has given the company some great feed back to implement and be the complete product they are looking for. Scrybe has had almost three years to gather trends to but together something the public is looking for.

Three. Still to this day I have yet to see a calendaring product produced that gives me the functionality as scrybe did. Here is why. Microsoft Outlook has the worst calendar options I have seen. Sure it is a good productive tool but not as functional as today's life demands have become. Using the calendar on multiple devices requires tethering a device. Google calendars are just that. A Calendar, subscription options, and some basic task options. No one has produced a true calendar that you can fully integrates notes, tasks, reminders, web clips, photos, videos, contacts, and other file formats. I would like a calendar that I can add people to and completely share almost anything with. Set up a conference and post an image or document the will show on the calendar for all to see. So when I look at the calendar I know what the meeting is about, have a few items on there that I can share with whom ever and we are all on the same page with, and everybody already has the notes right on the calendar. Here is a scenario that I used to go through every day while serving our country. As these meetings were more intense than any job I have had to date. Here was what I had to carry. A planner either PDA or paper type, at least five to ten documents I created on the days meeting, a note pad to take extensive notes from all of the departments, a company printout calendar that include many extra pages of what the other departments were doing on each sheet since they could not fit on a daily or weekly printout view, and a manual or two about the classes I had to perform. There were more depending upon the meeting but these were the basics. So having all of these options on a multiple platform based product would have really made each meeting more endurable since backpacks were not a uniform option.

In conclusion It would be nice to see the scrybe teams idea of an organizational product finally be put into place. If not then I may just try and find some great coders and do this myself.

iPhone OS 3.0 + My Favs

After downloading my update this morning just a few minutes after 10:00 AM the very first thing I did was sync the bluetooth Motorola S805 DJ's. This and the copy and paste feature were the only features I was really looking for. All the other options are great but this made my day. I am only going to make a quick over view about the features. There are so many post online that give details right now that I not going to even worry the details.

1. SMS
2. iPod song scrub
3. YouTube account options
4. Voice Memo
5. More landscape mode in default apps
6. Copy/Cut/Paste
7. Spotlight search
8. Shake to undo
9. Sync notes
10. CalDAV and subscribed calendars
11. Bluetooth A2DP
12. Tethering
13. Updates to Mobile Safari
14. Parental Controls
15. Push Notifications with in apps
16. iPod shake to shuffle
17. iTunes Movies, TV Shows, and Videos
18. Better Calendars
19. Stocks update
20. Find My iPhone

TweetDeck for iPhone and Desktop now in the cloud.

TweetDeck has finally brought us the iPhone Twitter app [iTunes link] we have been looking for. I had posted a little while back about TweetStack. But I have to say that TweetDeck knows best about its own app. Having said that the new app has me even using my paid for premium apps alot less. Oh did I mention their app is free. The app and desktop version both sync in the cloud now. This is a great feature because if you check your tweets while away from your desktop you want have to worry about loading the desktop and seeing the same tweets not marked read. Which means no backtracking.

On the desktop version there are no more limits on the amount of columns you can create. So if you are the type of person who uses tags well these columns are just like tags. Plus you can filter each column to pin point the information you are looking for. If you want to view your Facebook updates then you can not only view those in a column you can also post from your Facebook account. Lots of great features. Must see for your self to enjoy the usability.

The iPhone app has most of the same features as the desktop version. All your desktop columns will be synced on the iPhone. Minus the Facebook, Recommended column, and column filtering. I'm sure there are a few others I will find as I use the app more, but for the most part gives you the full desktop feel. I have 10 columns, which is 2 more than TweetDecks recommendations, and have had only a few issues. One is that when the app crashes you lose all of your updates. This syncs back to the desktop also. The app has the option to set the update in seconds for each column so you can prioritize those 100 api requests. So for those columns you want to update often, like 60 seconds, will do so and the columns that are not the most important to you well just push the slider all the way to the end, 2000 seconds.

So over all some great news for the die hard tweet fans who like organization and mobility.

5 tips to wind down a productive week and still be productive.

With the week winding down and the mounds of news that has come about this week, it has a lot of us wondering what is coming up next. It would be nice to see a comparison chart of websites traffic last week in comparison to the beginning week of the last month. If your like most of us on the net you kind of spent so much time during the week on the net that you are catching up on life this week end. So here are a few tips on taking the wind down time and still be productive.

1. Get away from the desktop or notebook and use your smart phone for a little while. Most of the web will be slow paced this weekend so catch up on the reason you need the device. Look through emails, take some pics of what interest you, catch up with some friends and family, or browse the web.

2. Tweak your methods of productivity. Go through your planner and layout the next week in order. Look for gaps to throw in some free time. Organize files or bills and sift through old ones that can be archived or thrown out. Same can apply to your computer. If your are like me so much info was gathered this week such as images, snippets of text, and articles that I had to go through and keep what I wanted and toss what was not needed.

3. Recap your week in a journal or a personal blog. Write about what was interesting to you last week. Some people don't acknowledge that a journal can be just a few jots of thoughts. So if you don't have a journal look into starting one. Its a great tool to keep up with what interesting facts you come across.

4. Except your down time and use it to the fullest extent. Take this time to actually relax. Enjoy family or enjoy a quiet place you can kick back. Take a nap, go jogging, or anything the gets you in a state of mind of peace.

5. Use your evenings to mingle or party. Try to make a new acquaintance this weekend. Polish up your people skills. If your not the type of person that goes out then look for someone online the has common interests. Look through communities on social networks. See what others did during their week. If they are not the tech savvy type of person like yourself then you found someone who you can explain all the news you gathered this week and maybe get them interest in something they would have not know about or would have found out about much later. One thing I find is people come to me and ask about something they just heard about. Questions on what is all the hype about a product, how can they use it, or should they consider using a product over something they already have. Make all that hard work account for something.

So there you have it. Now go use the advice and enjoy yourself. Stop reading and get some rest. Now to practice what I preach....

Quick iUpdate on iPhone 3.0 OS + iPhone 3G S

Finally we get a release date on the much awaited 3.0 OS. June 17th is the official word from WWDC 2009. To top it off announced was the new iPhone 3G S. Much of the rumors in rumor ville have been proved false such as the front facing camera. What was said about the new iPhone was the new speed hence the S. Camera upgrade, video support, and voice command are the most appealing new features. The question that still remains is will the 3.0 OS unlock bluetooth for iPod touch users. Nothing has been confirmed on this matter. The price for the original iPhone 3G has dropped to $99 for the 8Gb model. So affordability is also another option for those holding out because of price. AT&T has put off MMS until later this summer. To sum up some of the key features in OS 3.0 are landscape keyboard options in email, notes, and messages. Spotlight search to search within calendars, email, notes, and messages. iTunes store will have the option to rent and buy Movies, TV shows, and Music videos. Parental controls are now an option. Tethering has been thrown in for those die hard mobile users. Safari upgrades include auto fill, media streaming, and big performance increase. The most valuable feature shown was the Find My iPhone app. This feature requires a MobileMe subscription but is certainly a great security feature. If you would like a great recap on today's WWDC 2009 Keynote follow the read to see what went down on Gizmodo's liveblog of the event.

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R&R

Taking this weekend to get a little bit of rest and relaxation. Catching up on some movies (complete list of Star Wars with the boy) and getting the kids out to enjoy the fresh air. Feels good to get some quality family time in.

Mifi your mobile life...

It is so too often that there are times when traveling that you look for wifi connectivity. Sure if you own a smart phone and either tether or use the smart phones browser you have a little freedom from this problem. So what options do the rest of us have? Until recently our most popular options were to hunt for wifi or purchase a broadband adapter for each device. Enter the Mifi option. Now you can not only get the availability of the broadband adapter you will also have the option to use up to five other devices via Wifi. Where would this fit best. Your vehicle is one of the most fitting applications for a device like this. Have a mobile office or entertainment system tied directly into your needs. For the mobile office you can have a wireless printer, notebook, pda, smart phone, or any other wifi capable device right at your disposal. For the mobile entertainment you are now able to set up your console, in car computer, PSP's, Nintendo DS's, and ipods to access online content simultaniously. I think the wireless providers are starting to get what consumer demands are. Though I have to give Clear Wire props for this little gadget because when they came to the market on these needs it really was a revolution in the making. Lets just see if they can continue to compete.

Tired of RSS use Ohpan!

I was digging around on the web today when I happened to come across this site. I have not found a whole lot of information about the site because it seems to be still in beta. But I must say I like the direction it is taking. You have to filter your own content at start. As you do so the web app starts filtering in content that pertains to your needs. Strike content you don't want to see and star content you like. Though still a little buggy they have also put out an iPhone app. Follow the two links below to read a little more into it and click the image to test it out for you self.

ReadWriteWeb

March 5, 2009

atype studios

March 5, 2009

Blah..Blah..Blah..bing

Lets face it; Microsoft is not going away. Can they really steal the search spotlight? I think not. After 15 minutes with the search app I quickly abandoned it. Why? Well one thing Microsoft does well is candy coat crap. I don't feel they have brought enough to the table with bing. Sure it shows a few features that some would like from Google. More so in images and video. But there is just not enough there to convert me. Microsoft does not understand that what Google does so well is simplicity. Ever since Microsoft released Office 2007, Vista, and Server 2008 I have been turned off from their products. Which is sad since I have been an avid user since the release of Windows 95. Mainly due to the fact that they are pulling away from what people really want. Microsoft does not understand the public. Business yes but not the masses. Back to bing. To be honest I don't think bing will even hurt Yahoo stocks. Once the dust settles I am sure that users will go right back to their previous search engine habits. My opinion is there is nothing new here worth talking about. Which is where Microsoft has been heading with the majority of the products they are putting out. I mean they bring in the designer of Office for their search. Out side of business people who really pays for office anymore. So what is your opinion?

Brushes for iPhone

After reading some headlines about Brushes I decided to give the app a shot. I must say the art you can put out with this app is very surprising. After watching Mike Miller's video and two hours of painting I was able to accomplish this piece. Though the drawing looks very similar I made sure the artist's work was not copied verbatim. I have not put pencil to paper in years and I must say that this app may get me back in the mood. If you love to paint or draw give the app a whirl. You want be disappointing. Kudos Mike if you read this. It was your piece that really sold me on the app.

Not in my infrastructure you don't!

Should Apple and the iPhone integrate with the business world more like Blackberry? My answer is no. Here's why. I have been in the I.T. field for over ten years. 90% of today's I.T. departments are understaffed in today's work place. With all of the technology we are forced to introduce, adopting another platform just does not aid in increased productivity. Companies are pushing their I.T. departments to the limits. "Hey let's incorporate this into our business model and quick!" has been the attitude lately. So why not put the iPhone in? It is just not built around the business environment. Don't get me wrong it has many business functions but it is not the core functionality. Blackberry has a business infrastructure behind it that can give you control and security strong enough for government use. Until Apple builds such a model I say to the CEO's of the world "Yeah Apple has great products but I don't want it in my infrastructure until we can have full control over it!" "Yes we will push your email and can even make our website iPhone friendly but no I will not support it on my secure network."

How Apple could take over the home computing market!

In my opinion now is the time for Apple to step up and convert home PC users. To do this I recomend a new OS. Apple already has adopted Intel based hardware. Why not put out a PC friendly OS. I don't mean a bootcamp version, I mean full blow OS. So many homes are stuck with budgets that put Mac's out of the picture. We all know Mac is better than Windows. I say that as an avid user of Windows since Windows 95. Have a go at it Apple. It will not change anything with the hard core Mac fans that love your stylish hardware. But it will open up a new world to those who can afford to spend a few hundred on a OS upgrade. Besides they are going to have to eventualy pay Microsoft the same if not more for an upgrade. Where's the love. Here is the kicker. Don't even worry about technical support. Microsoft users are very used to the fact that call up for OS support is a waist of time. That is why all the little PC doc's in town still have a business.

Blog Press and Byline continued...

[Blog Press] I have to say that I am really liking this app. For 2.99 you really can't beat the functionality this app offers to Blogger fans and some select other blog domains. This app is a great app to post, edit, add photos, and blog offline. Though I do not have multiple accounts I am sure the option to send to your multiple accounts at the same time is a plus. I have only encountered one issue during use. When I edited a post and added more photos, when checking the post the images were off centered. By that I mean they were completely outside of the post merging with the previous post. Was not a huge problem I just corrected the issue once in Blogger but non the less was not thrilled when I saw the post. Though I do believe the problem may have been more of a page design flaw on my blog. Once you get use to using the app it really puts a joy into mobile blogging. I think my favorite feature is the offline option to save as a draft and post later. That to me seems to be the most productive tool a blogger can have. Beside lugging around a notebook and finding a place to blog. So I give this app 5 out of 5.


[Byline] This app on the other hand has good quality but lacks a feature that I would really like. That is the ability to choose which folders you would like to update. For those who do not know this app allows you to view your Google Reader offline. The problem I have is that I get so many feeds that before it finishes loading I am ready to close the app. Some feeds I subscribe to I really don't want to check the content every thirty minutes or so and I go in and mark them all as read later. It just makes it easier to weed through all the info and find what you are really wanting to know about at that moment. No one has the time to go through over a thousand feeds in a day unless that is your soul job. I don't get paid for so its not my thing. Though I will continue to use the app I would really like to see this option in a future update. My rating for this app is 3 out of 5. The reason is I have ti sift though and wait while the app loads the feeds. This also causes problems when you are trying to scroll to a feed and data keeps moving your screen while you are getting ready to tap on a interesting feed.

Testing the waters with BlogPress

After reading many reviews I finaly decided to go with BlogPress over iBlogger for the iPhone. I also downloaded byline to get my Google Reader feeds and view them off line. Will post my thoughts on the app in the coming days!

Screenshots

Google Voice the free phone?

cnr1109 over at dslreports has a very good inkling on a topic that I have been questioning myself. With the recent Google Sync making mobile sync such a breeze and good ole Gmail's contacts it looks like Google could not only knock on Skype's doors, but put a model together to test the waters of carriers with Google Voice. Personally I can not wait for the day to come to test Google Voice. I have been use Google's tools since the first beta Gmail and have moved most of my content since onto their servers. Using Google as a voice mail slash calling service with SMS also is a perfect tie in with business and communications. To think all the money companies spend on voice mail PBX's when you can have Google's powerful infrastructure do it for you free and maybe even better.

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Hidden Gym or not! Dropbox

The next step in computing is cloud computing. We are just moving in that direction. There are many storage sites for files, photos, videos, ect. So I am testing now to see what makes dropbox any different than all the rest. So far day:1 I'm not too impressed. I have used folder share and seems to be almost identical. The only thing I am seeing so far that that entices me is the mobile access. Too be continued........

R.I.P. old friend.........

As a prior owner of OQO Model 2 I am sad to hear the doors closing over at OQO. The company that really put UMPC's on the map has fallen to the market. With the uprise of Netbooks for pennies on the dollar it is not to surprising. One thing is for certain in the current economy. It is about price and quantity not quality. So R.I.P. Old Friend ...

Favorite Mashable of the day! Tweetstack

Tweetstack for iPhone. If your into twitter, love using Tweetdeck, and own an iPhone or iPod Touch then check out the new app in iTunes Store. Follow the read over at Mashable to get the details.

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On a roll!

I think i have the final layout i will use.

Just Getting Started

I'm not sure if I like this layout yet but just getting started here.