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

Hello Friend,

There's only one really big story this month - Mobile Payments are here. After fifty years of plastic, we're poised to use our smartphones for many purchases with significantly improved privacy and security. Actually you can do it today - see the rest of the story below.

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, nay ecstatic, if you sent this off to Facebook, Twitter or Email with the buttons above.
Thanks in advance -
Gary

PS: As a special treat I've included the slides I'll be presenting on Mobile Payments at the PACT meeting Friday - enjoy.

Mobile Payments are here
Our aged and decrepit credit card system just took a giant leap into the 21st century. Consumers, retailers and banks have known for years that the current system doesn't work. How many times have you had to replace credit cards because they were lost, stolen or used fraudulently? And what retailer wants to be the next "XYZ Company reports 50 million credit cards stolen". The new Apple Pay system aims to fix all that. While Apple is getting most of the press, Android phones have been used for retail purchases for three years. The big battles are not about whether to replace credit cards - they are doomed to the trash bin of technology - but what is the best alternative.

And thanks for once to the "digital gods" the Android and Apple systems are compatible! A simple app installed on your iPhone, allows you to pay for products and services at a rapidly growing number of companies. In the iPhone case your card information is stored in the phone and accessed at checkout using your finger print. When the phone is placed near a reader, the transaction is authorized without your card number ever leaving your phone. And if someone steals your iPhone, they can’t use the credit card app since it requires your finger print.

Of the hundreds of Apple Pay articles you can read, I just picked two at random - this one from Forbes and this one from Yahoo Finance.

And you thought Halloween was scary
I've discussed the Internet of Things several times - where your door lock, thermostat and other "stuff" can be online but this article gives even a techie like me pause -

"The amount of data this thing collects is staggering. It logs where, when, how, and for how long you use the TV. It sets tracking cookies and beacons designed to detect ‘when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message.’ It records ‘the apps you use, the web sites you visit, and how you interact with content.’ It ignores ‘do-not-track’ requests ..."

With most high end TVs now including an Internet connection this Network World report on one model is definitely work a look.

Are self driving cars coming to a street near you?
We've been hearing about self driving cars for many years - most notably from Google. This is a fascinating report on the current state of the art and what the future may or may not hold. Well worth reading. What's your prediction: coming soon or more like the Jetsons' flying saucer?

Extra buttons/features on camera app

What's up with apps?
Apps evolve - generally but not always for the better. Early apps were pretty simple but as new versions come out, they frequently include more features. Since the camera app in early iPhones just took pictures, I installed numerous apps - sometimes to replace the iPhone version but often to do "post processing" - adjusting brightness, contrast, cropping, etc.

In addition to taking still pictures and videos the current iPhone camera takes time lapse, slow motion, square and panorama pics. It also includes burst mode, HDR and shutter delay as well as a variety of editing tools and numerous export options. Just as specialty programs that once supplemented Microsoft Word, disappeared as their capabilities were rolled into Word, these specialty apps will fade away. Frequently these apps do a better job with these extra features but often "good enough" is - well - good enough!

We can just hope that app developers don't cram so much into their new versions that they become unwieldily - the fate of many PC apps over the years.

November 2014
Issue 61

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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