Taking to my blog to write about RSS reminds me a little of those who vent about privacy on Facebook. My intention isn’t to defend RSS because it doesn’t need me to defend it. Instead I’d like to point out how I use it and why it’s still valuable to me in a world of Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. OK, I threw that last one in there for laughs. It’s true that these services do bubble … [Read more...]
For Sale: You
January 13, 2012 by
I’m beginning to equate free with disappointment, at least when it comes to online services such as Facebook and Gmail. Twitter too but, I’ll leave that for another day. I’ve been logging into Facebook each day for four years. And yet I couldn’t explain their various levels of privacy to anyone. Just when I think I’ve set them where I want, Facebook decides to make wholesale changes in … [Read more...]
Software For A New PC
November 28, 2011 by 7 Comments
Apps for smartphones and the iPad have stolen most of the thunder away from PC programs. And with good reason because that’s where most of the excitement is these days. Had someone told me a year ago that I’d migrate a third of my PC usage over to the iPad I would have called them insane. But even with all the iPad excitement many of us still rely on a Windows PC for at least a portion of … [Read more...]
The Technical Land Mine
November 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A number of years ago, I was a product manager for Microsoft Office. The team was so large that marketing and development were scattered in buildings around the Redmond campus. I helped coordinate events where partners could work alongside developers and testers to ensure their products worked well with ours. One day I received an email from my manager asking me to setup a meeting with a … [Read more...]
Simple Backup
June 26, 2011 by 3 Comments
It happened again today. A friend called me asking for help in reviving his PC that will no longer boot. He believes he caught a virus. I plugged it in, and sure enough, it won’t boot. “Do you have your important files backed up?” I ask. Queue the awkward pause. I got my answer. Unfortunately, I’ve seen his scenario play out half a dozen times over the past year. A family … [Read more...]
Whom Do You Trust?
May 20, 2011 by 7 Comments
When I began this blog, I wrote mostly about technology. It didn’t take long to learn that I had little to say, and what I did say, wasn’t interesting. Then Engadget and Gizmodo burst onto the scene and killed the category. Yet, as much as I enjoy keeping up on the latest gadgets, large sites like these have little influence in what I purchase. I’m far more likely to make a purchase after … [Read more...]
Beware The Roach Motel
May 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
It’s easy to see why millions of people have turned to Facebook and Twitter as their preferred repository of content. More people are storing pictures on Facebook than any other service including Flickr. That’s millions of photos, links, status updates, even blog posts each day hosted for free by a service which is heading towards a billion users. Everyone is doing it so it must be OK, … [Read more...]
First Week With iPad
May 3, 2011 by 1 Comment
I wish it would charge over USB. One week into iPad ownership and that’s the only negative I can come up with. It only charges when plugged into an outlet using the provided USB cable and power adapter. And our computers running Windows slide further into oblivion. It’s easy to see why Microsoft stock has been comatose for over 10 years while Apple has been on a tear, releasing hit after … [Read more...]
