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Technically Speaking - Helping you survive and thrive in the Digital Age
Dear Friend,
If you want to learn more about Microsoft Office on an iPad I'll be speaking on this topic and other business applications at Joule in Minneapolis May 20th. Click here for more info. See also the recent announcement concerning a lower cost version of MS Office below.
If a friend or colleague would like this newsletter, just forward  this issue and they can sign up here.
There's no simpler prediction about the future than this short scene from The Graduate. Next month I'll talk about the miracle substance of the coming decade - it's not plastics young man, it's graphene.
Your questions and comments are always welcome here.
          Gary
Office on the iPad - Take 2
My April article on the just released Microsoft Office for the iPad was a best seller; click here if you missed it. Now a lower cost version called Office 365 Personal is out but it comes with the same restrictions as its more expensive predecessor: Office 365 Personal cannot be used "for commercial, non-profit, or revenue-generating activities." While most product reviews are very positive, users continue to complain about the high price. Apparently traditionally expensive PC software is clashing with the "everything's free or cheap on tablets" mentality.
Facebook changing app approach
Facebook, Dropbox and others have decided the best way to keep control of your smartphone is to load it up with apps - many single function apps as opposed to one all purpose app. According to this article it could get messy soon.
Looking for great and free apps?
Finding good apps can be a daunting task with millions available. To help you sort through this overwhelming selection, you should visit AppCrawlr.com - a web site that lets you filter and search for Apple, Android and Windows apps by category, price and other criteria.
There are even apps that let you search for apps. One of my favorites for Apple apps is AppsGoneFree; every day it lists 5-7 apps that are free for a short time. I check it frequently and have found many great bargains.
Are you ready for an Amazon Phone?
It looks like Amazon may now be jumping into the smartphone fray. Since their business model is aimed solely at getting you to buy stuff from their online store, their phone will be designed to do just that - like their Kindle tablets. That's the reason you can't access the standard Google Play app store on a Kindle Fire. I'm sure they're hoping their phone will fare better than a similarly designed Facebook Phone which lasted about a month last year - you mean it came and went and you didn't even notice!
Picture this - camera comparison chart now available
As part of a new presentation on photography I've prepared a chart to compare prices and features of the seven common digital camera types - from smartphones and point and shoot cameras at one end to top of the line digital SLRs at the other end. Click on the image at the right to see the chart.
It is important to note that sensor size is more important than megapixel count when rating image quality. Unfortunately, virtually all smartphones, point and shoot cameras and long zoom compacts have very small sensors. If you want really high quality images that can be cropped and enlarged you should consider the new category of Interchangeable Lens Compacts or Consumer DSLRs with large sensors. And remember if you want a ton of great information on cameras, make sure you check out DPreview.com - everything you need to know about every available camera including prices, reviews and detailed specs.

May 2014
Issue 55
Who I am and what I do
My lifetime passion has been explaining technology to non-technical audiences. I've been a programmer, project manager, system designer and independent consultant. I've taught at the high school and university level,5published numerous articles and given hundreds of lectures across the US and abroad. In my spare time I volunteer for several social service organizations and enjoy my photography hobby.

How I can help you
I will work with yout to develop an educational program suited to your association, business or other group - long or short, basic or advanced. Popular topics include:
• Small group roundtables
• Mobile Tech 101
• Mobile devices in business
• iPad tips and tricks
• Apps, apps and more apps
• Technologies and companies to watch
• Why good cameras take bad pictures
• How things work - from your PC to the Internet

Click here for more information on these topics.


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