PIXER TECHNOLOGY

With the continuing march of smart phones and their related apps into our lives I thought it was high time I had a look at some of the apps available to download onto your phone to find out whether they are useful or simply a waste of time and money. A quick search for “kite surf” in the iTunes store brings up several apps specifically designed with kite surfers in mind.

There are games, instructional apps, session log tools and podcasts all available for download for either a very modest fee or for free. Even if non of these are your particular cup of tea it is also worth bearing in mind that there are apps for most of the major wind forecasting sites out there as well, so now its possible to get the wind forecast straight to your mobile phone. Whether that makes the forecasts any more accurate I leave for something for you to find out. I’ve found in general it simply leaves me on the beach saying “but it’s blowing 15 knots now” looking at my phone while the flags stubbornly refuse to do what they’re told!

Some applications that did catch my eye were the instructional apps. These are basically full of hints and tips to correct mistakes you may be making in any particular move or drill, for example they give examples of potential problems and solutions to help you body drag more efficiently, ride upwind, or nail that first jump. While they lack much depth as they can deal in general terms only (the app already weighs in at an impressive 30Mb +) they are an interesting tool when things go wrong and you can’t work out why…at worst they can focus you on kite surfing and what you’re going to try next when the wind’s not blowing.

The concept of freedom from your office sounds like a dream come true. There is tons of technology that will allow you the freedom of online mobility. Laptops with wife are a great example of some of the technology that is out there. The one I like most is the android smart phones or for others the phone. Don’t rack your brain about which is better, because it is really going to boil down to what you use these devices for.

To me, I think the smart phones and a desktop is one of the best combinations you can have with an internet based business. For one smart phones are smaller than and just as capable as a laptop when it comes to online capabilities. Many business owners do not know that one of the only things separating smart phones and laptops was the flash player. This added to the smart phones allows you to watch live and recorded webinars, and play flash media on the website it’s posted on. Neat huh, but as I said at the beginning it is all about what you need the devices for.

Yes freedom from your office is what all of these devices can provide for you. Of course there will be certain things you will want to do from your desktop, but know that you can post, receive and answer emails and messages from your mobile devices. So please learn how to use them to their full extent. These are tools that can increase your productivity in your business meaning better turnover ratios. This is one of the reasons these tools are on the pricey side.

For first-time iPad users, they found the multimedia device as just like a big phone with its features the same as its predecessor’s. The iPod’s advantage over the phone is its size and functionality which is perfect for business and academic professionals. The multimedia device also appeals to information technology professionals who like to have fun while working at the same time. Discussed below are the things you can do with iPad applications that you cannot do on any device.

Using the Safari web browser, the iPad allows you to view whole pages in portrait or landscape on the large Multi-Touch screen.

The iPad offers you the experience to see and touch your email in ways you never could before using its split-screen view and expansive onscreen keyboard.

Pictures can be viewed on the iPad by tapping the albums. They can also be flipped one by one or be played as a slide show.

Watching high-definition movies, television shows, podcasts, music videos and more can be done on the iPod’s 9.7 inch high-resolution screen.

A YouTube application is designed specifically for the iPad which allows easier searching of videos. With regard to music experience, the iPad lets you reach out and touch your songs, and view your album at full size.

Another iPad application is the iBook which offers you the chance to turn pages with a flick with text looking crisp and bright. The bookstore offers new books to buy from. All you need is the free iBook application to get started.

It wasn’t so long ago that people thought of high speed Internet service as a luxury item. DSL was magic, shared on small business networks with a collection of cables, switches and routers. Unfortunately this technology left people thirsty for more. Soon after came Cable and Fiber offerings (at various speeds) helping to transform Internet service from a luxury item to a basic utility; a MUST HAVE. Around the same time, wireless technology eliminated the need for (messy) wires and switches, allowing office workers a greater degree of flexibility and freedom with their compute devices. Beyond laptop computers, many Smartphone’s and mobile devices began supporting wireless access. But if you are away from your office, what do you do?

Free Internet Wife is popping up everywhere. Companies (like Pan Era Bread, Barnes & Noble, Starbucks and McDonalds) with multiple locations offer Free Wife. Add to that local libraries, airports, hotels, stores and other public services and parks, it is becoming easier to stay connected when you are on the road. It is not uncommon to find business people camped out at one of these locations throughout the day as they perform work in-between or in preparation for their next appointment. Avoiding unnecessary trips back to the office is a key element of productivity, efficiency and saving money.

A growing number of local “Wife Hot-Spots” are maintained by the telephone or cable company, offered to you for free as a part of your office or home service package or mobile device. Verizon, AT&T, Cablevision, Opt Online and Time Warner each have such a product. More information can be found by calling them or consulting their website.

The Internet has a collection of directories that list other free Wife sites throughout the country. You can find them with Google or Bing, searching for “Free Wife”. There is even a phone App called “Wife Finder”. While many of these “Hot-Spots” impose a time limit on usage at various times of the day, not all do and sometimes you don’t need a very long time to perform a specific task.

Unfortunately, there is NO free lunch here. Don’t forget about security. These free / open Wife hotspots typically do not have any security or protection for you, your computer or data. They often require you to accept their “Terms of Service”, which makes it clear that this is your responsibility and you will not hold them responsible if something happens. Be sure to take the minimal precautions:

• Make sure you device / laptop has anti-virus / anti-malware protection.
• Avoid using software or sites that transmit passwords or confidential information in clear text. If you do, be sure the website you are visiting are encrypted (i.e. HTTPS).
• Use a VPN connection back to your office whenever possible.

The material presented here only scratches the surface. If your job has you on the road or traveling, if you are planning a trip or expect to be away from the office for a period of time, plan ahead. You CAN be productive and stay connected from almost anywhere.

The iPad multimedia device from Apple has attracted the attention of many gizmo fanatics from around the world. For first-time users, they consider the iPad as the best way to experience the Internet, email, photos and video. Equipped with a large multi-touch screen, the iPad works in any orientation. It allows doing things using various applications that one cannot do on any other device. To be discussed below is how to use the iPad interface. As an evolution of phone 3.0, the iPod’s operating system has applications that are running the show featuring the same tray at the bottom and the same accelerometer capabilities.

The iPod’s screen can be accessed by sliding to unlock just like on the phone. Both devices’ screen is practically identical, with a Home button situated at the bottom. Applications are enabled the same way it is being done on the phone wherein they automatically go full screen. Pictures and pages can be viewed, again just like on phone.

To surf the Internet, the page presents itself just like a browser with navigation buttons on top. A pull-down menu of the inbox is available for using email. The iPod’s keyboard takes up the bottom half of the display when called up. Please take note that the iPod’s keyboard is not designed for your thumbs, it is designed for you to type on it as you would a physical keyboard.

An optional keyboard dock is available allowing you to type on a standard-sized keyboard but its size will prevent you to have easy packing especially when you are taking the iPad on a road trip losing a lot of the portability advantage. One major disappointment of the iPad is its inability to support third-party application multitasking which means you can only use one application at a time.