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Technically Speaking - Helping you survive and thrive in the Digital Age

Hello Friend,

The hot topic last month is the hot topic this month - Mobile Payment Technology. In November I posted the slides from my talk on the subject and this month you can watch a short video of that presentation here. You can see how a world without credit cards is about to become reality.

What a great turnout and enthusiastic response to my two Mobile Tech presentations in St. Cloud at the annual ACM conference. Drop me a note here if you have a comment or need a speaker for any type or size audience and I'd be thrilled if you sent this off to Facebook, Twitter or Email with the buttons above.

If you're new to the list or skipped a few issues, click on the links below right to catch up.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday Season
Gary

Buyer beware - of the computer
If you are thinking about that gorgeous big screen TV or shiny new car for Christmas, don't forget they probably come with a computer. While big screen TVs may all seem similar, the computers they use to connect to the Internet may be quite different. At the very least you should read the reviews of that component since in the end that may be more important than most other factors.

I've also had friends both complain about and compliment the computers in their new cars. Again, how you interact with these devices may be more important than horsepower or trim style. If you can't see or read the screens conveniently at 60mph, you may have bought the wrong car. (Last Friday - the day after I wrote the previous paragraph - Ford announced they would be ditching Microsoft's auto software - so there will be significant differences in coming Ford infotainment systems.)

What Google knows and thinks about you
We all know that Google wants to know everything they can about us. If you want to see what the know about you click here to see

Your search history
Places you've been
Your Youtube searches
Videos you've watched

You can update this information if you want Google to have a better picture of you. Remember they use this data to sell ads targeted specifically to you. And if you are getting bombarded by ads for fishing equipment because your stupid brother-in-law did a Google search for boats on your computer, you can fix the problem!

Tech giants in search of the next big thing
Last month I wrote about Google's widely discussed exploration of self-driving cars and this month Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg, was featured in Time magazine discussing his plans to make the Internet available to billions in developing countries around the world. Of course business and tech writers hang on every utterance from these two companies

It amazes me that people believe that because these two really bright, hard driving individuals - Zuckerberg and Larry Page from Google - developed remarkable new technologies once that they will automatically be able to do it again. Google's Project Loon will also attempt to bring the Internet to the masses so these tech giants are going head to head on this one. The hurdles are enormous - economic, cultural, political and of course language barriers*. The simple fact that a high percentage of people without Internet access won't have the time or money to use this modern miracle doesn't mean they don't "need" it according to these geniuses. I'm personally in favor of expanding communication and information access around the world; I'm just skeptical that it will be done in the dramatic fashion these guys imagine. I'm sure some of their share holders share this skepticism. In response to Zuckerberg's plan Bill Gates said "which is more important, connectivity or malaria vaccine?"
*According to the census residents of India speak 1,635 languages.

Picture This: What a horrible future!
I recently read about the fear that "new photography technology makes it possible for anyone to take pictures of others without their permission and distribute them widely". Surprisingly this was not about social media but about the first Kodak cameras in 1888. Through most of the 19th century, photographs of people were like formal painted portraits. Most were elaborately posed - not the least bit candid - becauses images took minutes to record and casual or action shots were out of the question.
George Eastman's Kodak cameras changed all that. Now "everyman/woman" could take what they called "snapshots" anytime and the modern era of photography was born more than a hundred years before Facebook and digital cameras.

December 2014
Issue 62

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, published 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 you 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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