Consider It Fixed

How to Track Client Communications and Activities In Microsoft Outlook with the Journal

Many users of Microsoft Outlook save their Sent Items folder as a way of tracking important outgoing email messages.  Unfortunately, most Outlook users don't know that Outlook has a much better tool for tracking communications called the Journal.  The Journal can track email messages, meetings, tasks, phone calls, FAX, meeting notes, and files from Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word.  This tool tracks communications and activities with specific users on a timeline with each entry linked to the tracked element.  For example, if you send an email to John Hopkins on January 14th, it will be recorded in the Journal. In the event that you need to locate this email message, you can search for it in the Journal, confirm that it was sent, and open the email message to review its content.  The Journal is an easy to use and highly effective way to track your communications with co-workers, supervisors, clients, or customers.  The Journal Options dialog box is shown below.

 

 Journal Options dialog box in Microsoft Outlook

In addition to automatic entries referenced in the about dialog box, users can create Journal entries manually to track many additional Outlook elements including conversations, non-Mocrosoft documents, notes, phone calls, remote sessions, and tasks.  There is even a timer available to track the length of time for an activity which may be of interest to those of you who bill for time.  For example, you can enter a phone conversation into the Journal manually, turn on the timer and take notes during the call.  The Journal entry will contain a record of the phone call along with the time, date, contents, and length of the call.  The dialog box below shows how a phone call can be tracked as a Journal Entry.

 

 Journal Entry dialog box in Microsoft Outlook

Following are instructions on how to activate and use the Journal in Microsoft Outlook.  Additional guidance is available in the help system in Outlook.

How Record Items and Files Automatically in the Journal

1. Click the File tab.
2. Click Options.
3. Click Notes and Journal.
4. Click Journal Options.
5. In the Automatically record these items list, select the check boxes for the items that you want recorded automatically in Journal.
6. In the For these contacts list, select the check boxes for the contacts whose items you want recorded automatically.
7. In the Also record files from box, select the check boxes next to the programs from which you want to automatically record files in Journal.

  How to Record an Outlook Item Manually in the Journal

1. From any module in Outlook, on the Home tab, in the New group, click New Items, point to Other, and then click Journal Entry.
2. In the Subject box, type a description.
3. In the Entry type box, click the type of journal entry that you are recording.
4. Select other options that you want.

Record a File from Outside of Outlook Manually

1. Locate the file that you want to record. You can use Outlook, Windows Explorer or the desktop.
2. Drag the items to Journal.
3. Select the options that you want for the journal entry.

Record the Date and Time you Worked with a Contact

1. Open the contact.
2. On the Contact tab, in the Communicate group, click More, and then click Journal Entry.
3. The current date and time appear in the Journal item header. To change the date or time, click the arrow attached to each box, and then click the selection you want.
4. To document the exact start and end time, on the Journal Entry tab, in the Timer group, click Start Timer.  The Journal item records the date and length of time that you worked with the contact. Click Pause Timer to stop the clock.
5. Click Save & Close on the Actions tab to record the information into your Journal.

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New Trent Fimir Anti-Glare Screen Protector for Amazon Kindle Fire

I have been using handheld computing devices for a very long time. So, I have witnessed first-hand, what can happen to unprotected screens and how difficult screen protectors have been to apply. I remember applying my first one to a Palm PDA - I used 3 to get one to look good enough.

When I examined the New Trent Fimir Protector for the Kindle Fire, I was doubtful that the super moist wipe and polishing cloth would be enough to get a dust and bubble free fit. I have learned that the only way to get a perfect fit is to stick and remove scotch tape to the screen to elinimate every trace of dust and lint before fitting. So, I cleaned the glass of my Fire with the wipe, dried it with the cloth, peeled the plastic shield off the screen protector, aligned the edges and eased it on from the center working outward.

Today, I witnessed an evolution in screen protectors. The New Trent screen protector sits on my Fire with absolutely no bubbles, nor one spec of dust under it. The Fimir is rigid so that it doesn’t fold against itself. It has a black edge identical to the black edge around the Fire’s screen that fits perfectly making alignment much easier. The New Trent product is excellent and I would feel comfortable recommending it to anyone.  I will look to New Trent for screen protectors for all of my devices rather than take a chance on another product whose claims don’t match my experience.

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Running Google Apps on An Amazon Fire

I got my Amazon Fire on day one.  I immediately was impressed by it.  But as I began to dig deeper, I became disappointed.  I setup email, but couldn’t get to my contacts.  I didn’t like the email client and I could find no way to get to my Google contacts on the device without a manual import.  I could not find a calendar without paying money.  I tried using the Silk browser to access Google Apps.  It was OK until I turned to landscape mode and watched the editing box slide up the screen where I couldn’t see what I was writing.  At the end of day one, I thought that I would probably return my Fire. 

 

On day two, I came across some posts discussing how some users had rooted their Fire and been successful installing 3rd party applications not available in the Amazon Appstore.  I began to explore and discovered that I could get all of the functionality that I wanted without rooting my Fire.  I now love my Kindle Fire as it’s an awesome media device and also a great tool.  In this article I will share my path to liberating my Fire.

These are the steps that I took:

1. The first thing that you need to do is go into settings by tapping on the gear icon in the upper right corner, select More, select Device, and turn on Allow Installation of Applications From Unknown Sources.
2. Next, you need to establish an easy way to install Android application files onto the Fire.  Go to the Amazon Store on the Apps tab and install ES File Explorer.  Using ES File Explorer, you can connect your Fire to a PC via a mini USB to USB cable or you can connect your Fire to a PC via shared folders over a wireless network.  Either way works.  Once you are connected, you can transfer files between your desktop and Fire. 
3. I took a slightly different approach as the first file that I transferred was Dropbox_1.1.1.apk.  I created a directory on my Fire called Fire Apps and copied Dropbox into it.  I then clicked on the file, agreed to the security prompts and I was looking at Dropbox running on my Fire.  For the rest of my file transfers, I created a folder in Dropbox on my PC, put the files that I wanted to install on my fire in it, and opened up Dropbox on my Fire.
4. Now, I have to tell you, that finding the necessary installation files is not easy as they are typically hidden by the Android Market, Amazon Appstore, or other app sources.  If you go to Google and look for the apps, you will find them.  Just be careful about exploits and old file versions.  Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.  Also, make sure that you restart your Fire before running any newly installed apps.  I also want to state clearly that this worked for me.  But it may not work for you.  You do any or all of this at your own risk.  I also do not endorse the installation of any files that are for sale.  All of the files that I have installed are available at no cost or if they are for sale, I paid for them.

The files that I installed to get Google Apps running are:

1. GoogleServicesFramework.apk
2. GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk (contacts sync)
3. com.google.android.gm-2.apk (gmail)
4. com.google.android.apps.reader-1.apk (reader)
5. com.google.android.apps.googlevoice-1.apk (voice)
6. com.google.android.youtube-2.apk (youtube)

Additional applications that I have installed are Dolphin Browser, Subsonic, Xmarks for Dolphin, and Lastpass for Dolphin.  The only way that I was able to get a working calendar that syncs with Google Apps is by purchasing CalenGoo from the Amazon Appstore.  It works just fine.

I now have an Amazon Fire that is just perfect.  I hope that Amazon is listening and understands that a bridge is often necessary as users live in an integrated world.

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Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com

 

Creating My Private Music Cloud

I have a large collection of music.  It is diverse with many styles and artists.  A few years ago, I converted my CDs to digital format.  When I started to consume digital music, I vowed to only purchase music lacking draconian digital rights management after spending days converting the music that I purchased from Apples iTunes into MP3 format.  To me, it’s very infuriating to discover that the music I paid for won’t play on my new Android phone.  That’s just wrong.  Today, I have about 300GB of music.  It’s too much music for any phone or small portable player.  So, I looked to the cloud for a solution.

My first attempt at storing my music library in the cloud was with Amazon Cloud Player.  I assumed that if anyone could do this right, it would be the good folks at Amazon. I started with a 100GB subset of my music.  It took days to upload with several unfortunate starts and stops.  I ended up with several duplicates, a reorganized music library that I didn’t like and the potential ongoing cost of about $200 per year for the storage space.  My costs would go higher if I wanted to put my entire collection online.  I became frustrated with the weak functionality and high cost, and asked for a refund.

Next, I tested Google Music beta.  The upload process worked smoothly and the android player was very nice with many features lacking in the Amazon player.  But I was disappointed when I discovered that Google’s product would not play music in the FLAC (A free, open source codec for lossless audio compression and decompression) format.  Further, the cost of the service remains unknown.  Free for now, but what will it be in the future.  I don’t like unknowns that cost money.

I considered my remaining options:

Dropbox - I already have a 100GB plan for $200 a year with Dropbox.  I don’t want to spend more money to store my music.  It would be too expensive.

Pogoplug – I could use Pogoplug software and my own storage.  I tried it and found it’s music player to be primitive at best.  I didn’t love it and found it somewhat odd.

With my options narrowing I started to look at how I could create my own cloud.  I searched solutions that would offer mature players and offer multi-platform support.  It was then that I discovered Subsonic at www.subsonic.org.  I downloaded it’s software to one of my PCs hosting a large storage array for my media.  Within 30 minutes, I was up and running with my own private cloud hosting my entire music collection at a total cost of a $10 donation.  Subsonic offered browser, iPhone, and Android players.  Subsonic offered user accounts for controlled access.  Subsonic allowed me to download songs to local devices.  Adding new music was as simple as copying songs to my music directory.  Can you feel the love?

Subsonic is developed by Sindre Mehus, a Java consultant who lives in Oslo, Norway.  According to his website, “Subsonic is a free, web-based media streamer, providing ubiquitous access to your music. Use it to share your music with friends, or to listen to your own music while at work.  You can stream to multiple players simultaneously, for instance to one player in your kitchen and another in your living room.

Subsonic is designed to handle very large music collections (hundreds of gigabytes). Although optimized for MP3 streaming, it works for any audio or video format that can stream over HTTP, for  instance AAC and OGG. By using transcoder plug-ins, Subsonic supports on-the-fly conversion and streaming of virtually any audio format, including WMA, FLAC, APE, Musepack, WavPack and Shorten.

If you have constrained bandwidth, you may set an upper limit for the bitrate of the music streams. Subsonic will then automatically resample the music to a suitable bitrate.

In addition to being a streaming media server, Subsonic works very well as a local jukebox. The intuitive web interface, as well as search and index facilities, are optimized for efficient browsing through large media libraries. Subsonic also comes with an integrated Podcast receiver, with many of the same features as you find in iTunes.

Based on Java technology, Subsonic runs on most platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux and Unix variants.

Subsonic is open-source software licensed under GLP.”

 

Subsonic is a home run for me.  What about you?

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What To Do When System Restore Fails

Lately, I have been installing and testing several software products and my laptop is starting to get flaky.  It has slowed down and no longer goes into standby when closing the lid.  In my experience, the easiest fix for this type of problem is to use Microsoft's System Restore.  Simply pick a restore point from before the testing and let System Restore do it's magic.

 

 

I started System Restore, picked a restore point and sent it off to work – or so I thought.  System Restore ran as it should, restarted the computer, but then displayed a dialog box explaining that System Restore did not finish what it set out to do.  Amongst the rather not so helpful text in the dialog box, it said, “an unspecified error occurred during System Restore (0x80071a90).”  Humm…I guess this means that System Restore did not work.  The message goes on the further suggest that I try other restore points - which I did.  Lamentably, trying other restore points proved futile.  I was soon to discovered that broken restore points were not the issue.

System Restore can fail because some software on your computer doesn't understand or respect System Restore.  Common culprits are virus and malware protection products and other programs that are typically loaded to provide some type of background service.

If there is any good news here it is that getting around these problems with System Restore is rather easy.  Following, I offer 2 approaches that may help.  Neither of these will destroy data that is on your computer.  However, it goes without saying that you should always make a backup of your important data before you work on your computer.

Run System Restore in Safe Mode

Start Windows in safe mode. To run Windows in safe mode, turn on or restart your computer.  When the splash screen from the PC’s manufacturer is displayed, hold down the F8 key.  You will see a text based screen with several options appear that will look a lot like Figure 1 below.  Using the up and down arrow keys, select the option “Safe Mode”, then hit the enter key on your keyboard.  The computer will start Windows in safe mode which is Windows with a limited set of files and drivers.  If Windows loads normally, try repeating the instructions above.

Figure 1
Safe Mode

 

Next start System Restore.  You can access System Restore from the System Tools menu in the Accessories group.  Select the restore point that you want and follow the onscreen instructions.  Your computer will restart, Windows will load and present a dialog box telling you whether or not System Restore was successful.  If System Restore was not successful, try the next approach.

Run System Restore in a Clean Boot Environment

Start Windows by performing a clean boot.  Below, there are links to instructions for different versions of Windows:

Windows Vista or Windows 7:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Windows XP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

Next start System Restore.  You can access System Restore from the System Tools menu in the Accessories group.  Select the restore point that you want and follow the onscreen instructions.  Your computer will restart, Windows will load and present a dialog box telling you whether or not System Restore was successful.  Hopefully, System Restore worked and you are now happy.  However, if you're unhappy and are still not able to get System Restore to work, it may be time for more drastic action like backing up your data, formatting your hard drive, and reinstalling Windows.  If you don't know how to do this, I suggest that you contact a local PC support company to assist you.

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Cloud Computing: Light Weight Computing

An examination of the pros and cons of migrating parts of your small business to cloud computing is simple because the pros simply outweigh the cons.  The cons are a small set of predictable objections including concerns about data security and vendor viability.  The pros are many that do vary from business to business. 

A good strategy for migrating to cloud computing for many small businesses is to migrate parts of the business that make sense one at a time.  For example, when it’s time to replace an aging server hosting Microsoft Exchange, migrate to a hosted Microsoft Exchange Server.  It’s not smart business to try to migrate too many applications at once.  Change is good for any organization.  But too much change can be overwhelming.  This approach remains true for most existing businesses.  However, if you are starting a new business, it’s very smart to use the cloud for nearly every business application.

Cloud computing is a game changer.  Customers do not need to own as much IT infrastructure as in the past.  They can rapidly deploy new applications without up front capital expense and pay as they go.  Many cloud application vendors offer new users a free trial period and then either a monthly or annual fee for service typically based on the number of users.  New users can often be added through the application’s administrative console.

Cloud computing lowers the cost of using computers in small businesses. Capital expenditures are limited to the devices used to access the applications and the infrastructure to access the Internet.  The need for multiple servers, private networks, server and application software licenses, maintenance contracts, software updates, and the support staff needed to maintain the client/server environment simply goes away.  Cloud computing enables small businesses to have rapid access to the type of computing power previously only available to large businesses.

Cloud computing enables users to work more effectively.  Users are able to access their business systems and data from many locations.  All that is needed is an Internet connected device that supports industry standards – PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets.  Users can work as efficiently from a hotel in London as their home office in Boston.  The need for a virtual private network (VPN) or remote control software is gone as well as the complaints about their poor performance and reliability.

Cloud computing is highly reliable.  Users of cloud computing share costs and resources amongst many users allowing for efficiencies and cost savings around things like performance, load balancing, and even locations.  Data centers can be located in areas with lower real estate costs leveraging very smart employees and state-of-the-art equipment and data centers.  These are costs far beyond the IT budgets available to small businesses in a typical client/server model.  Cloud computing is thought to affect reliability, security, and scalability in positive ways.  In a cloud infrastructure, security and availability typically improves as the vendors comply to industry standards.

Cloud computing makes small business applications much less costly to maintain.  Cloud-based applications are being used by an increasingly large audience.  Application reliability improves as more users become involved, application updates are automatic and do not require local IT staff involvement, and technical support – when needed – is provided by highly trained staff at no additional cost.  Technical support is included as part of the monthly or annual use fee.  All costs associated with server and private networks disappear. 

Examples of Cloud Computing in Small Businesses

A Restaurant

A customer of Consider It Fixed has owned 1 restaurant for several years where they use a client/server application to manage their catering business.  Due to the high cost of purchasing and installing upgrades, they have been using a very old release of their catering software.

Recently, this customer purchased another restaurant in a different town.  They plan to offer catering at this location as well.  If they were to employ a traditional approach to integrating both locations into their catering system, they would need to add additional user licenses, a dedicated server, and a private network (including communications hardware/data services) to join the 2 locations together.  This is a typical approach, but one that requires a large capital investment and high, ongoing maintenance costs.

I discussed my client’s requirements with their catering software vendor.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the vendor offers a cloud-based solution in addition to their client/server solution.  The solution to my client’s expansion became simple.  The vendor took my client’s existing data, migrated it to their cloud-based application, and the multi-site catering software was up and running within 2 hours.  Now, they can access their catering system from any Internet connected PC at a fraction of the cost typical of client/server solutions.

A Gas and Oil Investment Company

Consider It Fixed recently migrated a small investment company from a traditional, 5 year old client/server environment to a light weight, cloud-based architecture.  Consider It Fixed made many changes to their computing environment and moved their user data from their internal server to the cloud via a very smart application service called Dropbox.  The server is now only used for print services and to run an old accounting program that is specific to their industry.  Dropbox allows multiple users to access data via the cloud, synchronize file changes, share files, maintain file change history, and automatically back up their data to a state-of-the-art data center.

The other day, I received a call the from the managing partner.  He had a problem with a very important Excel spreadsheet.  He explained that the problem began a couple of days earlier when he updated the file’s format from .xls to .xlsx.

I reminded him that Dropbox saves 30 days of file change history.  He simply needed to log into www.dropbox.com to access an older version of the file that pre-existed the problem.  His problem was solved in a couple of minutes.  This would not have been possible before their migration to the cloud.  Previously, the company backed up its data files infrequently and no one in the company has ever retrieved a file from a backup. 

A Lobbying Company

Consider It Fixed setup a new political lobbying company leveraging light weight, cloud-based technologies.  They purchased one desktop PC, a multifunction printer, netbooks, blackberry smartphones, and Microsoft Office for each users.  I setup:

1. Hosted Microsoft Exchange for messaging, calendaring, and contact management
2. Dropbox for file management, sharing, and backup
3. Xmarks for bookmark/favorites synchronization between the PC and a netbook
4. Internet access was provided by each user's home broadband connection and from free Wi-Fi access available in the state capital buildings.

It took the equivalent of one day of consulting to order the equipment, setup the equipment, and setup the applications software and cloud-based applications.  I refer to this approach as light weight computing.  It is very low in cost, rapidly deployed, and highly reliable.  In fact, I have had only two requests for support from this client over this past year totally one hour of work.  My client is very happy with the setup and has better access to modern technology than they did before as partners in a large law firm.

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A Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit That Works

I have tried a number of Bluetooth devices in my car.  I live in Connecticut, a state that enforces laws that require drivers to use their cell phone hands-free.  Complicating my quest for the perfect device is that I’m just a bit hard of hearing.  So, I need a device that is loud and clear.

I have tried a number of Bluetooth headsets.  My overall problem is that either the people that I’m talking to say that I sound terrible or the device isn’t loud enough for me to hear my callers.  So, I find myself pushing the headset into my ear canal to get the most volume possible.  This sort of defeats the idea of hands-free. 

So, I decided to look at hands-free car kit.  I wanted a plug and play kit that would be inexpensive and portable from car to car.  I drive a 2005 Land Rover LR3 and use an iPhone 4.  My first purchase was the Parrot Minikit Slim.  Parrot has a great reputation and has been making Bluetooth solutions probably longer than anyone.  So, I figured that they would have a great product.

The Minkit setup easily and synch’d with my address book.  It worked fine.  The calls were clear and loud.  But after sometime, my problems began.  Many times, the device would not connect to my iPhone and the only way that I could get it to connect was to reset the Minikit.  It happened so often that I stopped using it.  I read all of the tech bulletins and updated the firmware, but the problem remained.

My next purchase was IOGEAR’s Solar Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit.  This device setup easily and connected to my iPhone.  The call volume is loud and clear.  One of the nicest features of IOGEAR’s device is that it has a built-in solar charger.  It come with 2 different mounts – one that attaches to the windshield where is can charge and another that attaches to the visor.  I have never had a problem getting the device to connect to my iPhone.  This device works as advertised, is inexpensive, and never needs to be attached to a charger.  It is widely available for less that $40.  At this price, it’s a bargain and I recommend it.

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Consider It Fixed Joins Clio's Certified Consultant Program

Consider It Fixed has joined with Themis Solutions Inc, the provider of cloud-based legal practice management software offering Clio.  Consider It Fixed is a member of the Clio Certified Consultant Program.  By doing so, Consider It Fixed is trained on the installation and support of Clio as well has priority access to Clio’s technical and development teams, and will be trained on methods of integrating Clio with other desktop and cloud-based products.

 Clio is a comprehensive cloud-based practice management Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product that is designed for solo practitioners and small law firms using PCs and Macs.  It can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device. Secure and easy-to-use, Clio provides case/matter management, time tracking, billing/reporting, client contact and document management, task scheduling, trust accounting, and performance metrics for independent lawyers to benchmark their business goals.  In addition, Clio includes ClioConnect, a secure portal for document sharing and collaboration with clients, and Clio Express, an offline time capture application.

At LegalTech in February 2010, Clio accepted a Law Technology News LTN Award for excellence in practice management software, a prestigious honor determined by the votes of LTN’s subscribers.  Clio was also selected by TechnoLawyer as “Best in Show” at the ABA TECHSHOW 2010 and ABA TECHSHOW 2009. In addition, more than 95 percent of Clio’s users said they would recommend the software to others according to the company’s latest Customer Satisfaction Survey.  Clio’s parent company, Themis Solutions Inc., is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Please contact Consider It Fixed you are interested in learning more about how Clio can improve the management of your legal practice.

Contact Info: info@consideritfixed.com
    860-985-7300

Problem Solved: My iPhone Skips Songs When I Ride My Bike

I've been on a quest to find a product that will let me safely listen to music when I ride my bike.  The operating word here is safely.  Headphones don't cut it as they block the ear canal.  So, you can't hear what's going on around you.  Another solution I've considered is mounting speakers on the handlebars.  But they require batteries and add weight to the bike.  I've looked at a number of possible speakers, but nothing resonated with me.  As I continued to look, I became aware of a new product called the Tunebug Shake by Silicon Valley Global LLC. The Shake is a very cool product - it uses SurfaceSound speaker technology making a helmet into a speaker and bluetooth for a wireless connection between it and the music player. The Shake just started shipping in June.  So, I ordered one.

Silicon Valley Global describes the Shake as:

"Mobile music typically means listening through headphones, dangerously isolating yourself from others and your environment. The Tunebug Shake is an ultra-portable sound generator that can be connected to iPods, MP3 players or mobile phones or used wirelessly using Bluetooth®. When mounted on a bike, skate or snowboard helmet, the Shake creates a surround sound experience."

I received my Shake, charged it up, and fitted it to my bike helmet.  I tried it with my iPhone 3G.  The bluetooth setup with straight forward and worked the first time.  I turned on iPod and listened to music.  I did the same with Pandora.  I tried connecting the Shake with a stereo cable.  The music sounded fuller and louder.  I'm a bit hard of hearing.  So, having good volume is helpful to me. 

I have an iPhone holder on my bike.  So, I mounted the iPhone, connected the Shake, and went for a ride.  Everything started off great.  I now had music that I could hear well and still be totally aware of all of the sounds around me.  Unfortunately, that didn't last long.  As I continued to ride, the iPod application started to randomly change songs on me.  I have never had this problem before with my iPhone and a number of different headphones and speakers. 

I fiddled with the wiring, the controls, the iPhone, the Shake, restarted the iPhone, read through the Shake documentation, and looked at the support area on the Tunebug website.  Unfortunately, I didn't find anything that could explain the random song changing.  Could it be a faulty Shake?  Could it be interfance from my wireless bike computer?  Could it be a bad cable?  I tested everything and found no solution.  But I did notice one thing - when my bike was stationary, the iPhone didn't skip songs. It only skipped songs when I was riding.

In growing frustration, I called Tunebug support.  My call was answered immediately.  They took my information and told me that I would be contacted in short order.  The folks at Tunebug were very responsive, but since the device is new and hasn't been exposed to all user scenarios, they didn't have a fix.  I agreed to do some more testing and they agreed to discuss the problem with engineering.  That was yesterday.

Today, I got an email from Tunebug.  They told me that they have had other reports of this problem with iPhone and iTouch.  And better, they provided a simple fix.  This is the version of the fix for an iPhone:

1. Open Settings
2. Select iPod
3. In the iPod setting, turn off "Shake to Shuffle"

This sure did make me laugh.  I had no idea that this feature was available and set to on by default.  I think that it's even funnier since the name of the feature is the same as the name of the Tunebug product.

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Managing Your Medications with an Internet Calendar and a Smart Phone

I was recently diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease.  Lucky me – I live in central Connecticut – the epicenter for Lyme disease.  My treatment consists of a significant regiment of medications and supplements that I take 3 to 4 times a day.  To make matters a bit more complex, these medications and supplements may be changed, added, and subtracted as my treatment progresses.  Initially, I was very overwhelmed as I tried to organize and manage my treatment.  As a technologist, my predisposition was to find a simple solution to manage this complex task.  Simply put, I needed to be reminded of what I need to take at the time that I need to take it.

I live in a world where I have easy access to computers, online calendars, and smart phones.  I currently use these tools to manage my personal and business life - much of which centers on my calendar.  So, I set out to adapt these same tools to my medication/supplement challenge.  I was easily able to create a working solution using my preferred tool: Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal, Microsoft Exchange Server, and an Apple iPhone.  However, this solution can be easily created using many other popular software tools found on PCs, Macs, and the Internet.  Several free calendars are available from Google, Yahoo, Windows Live, and others that can readily synchronize with a number of popular smart phones.  As well, not everyone needs to use a smartphone.  For many, just using an online calendar with reminders will be a significant enough improvement. 

Setting up the Calendar

While it’s not well known, most calendar programs support the idea of using multiple calendars.  For example, you can have a personal calendar, business calendar, and in this case, a medication calendar.  Several  calendar programs also allow you to have a calendar with others.  In a business, this may be useful for booking a meeting room.  A family may use a shared calendar to manage everyones' summer schedule.  I suggest using a separate calendar from the one that you may already be using for your personal and/or business information.  In my case, I added a new calendar in Microsoft Outlook that is called Ian’s Medication Calendar.

Let’s say that you need to take 6 medications in the morning, 4 at noon, 5 at dinner, and 8 before bed.  To start, create an appointment in your medication calendar on whatever day is currently is.  For the title of the appointment, input the names of your 6 morning medications and their dosages, or as I do, the number of each pill that I take.  I list them all separated by commas.  Let’s say that you need to take these medications around 8 in the morning.  So, set an appointment time at 8am and give the appointment a length of 2 hours.  The reason for the 2 hour duration is so you have a large enough appointment block available to show the entire list of medications.  Next, set the appointment as reoccurring (or repeating) for as long as you will be taking this mediation.  If it’s open ended, simply set the end date for sometime in the future.  I typically set mine for around 6 weeks as I see my doctor around every 6 weeks.  Most calendar programs have the option to select that days that the appointment repeats on – everyday, every other day, selected days, etc.  This is very useful if you need to take one medication on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays rather than every day of the week.  The last step is to create a reminder for the appointment so that you will be notified when it’s time to take your medication.  The final step is to repeat this process so that all of your medications and schedule times are listed throughout the day and by using repeating settings for as long as you need.  You now have a calendar listing all of your medications, the times that they need to be taken, and a reminder system.  You can use your computer or simply print out your calendar in a weekly view to have a schedule that you can carry with you.  As your medications and supplements change, you can simply change the appointment title and repeating information as needed.

Figure 1 is a screen shot of my medication calendar in Microsoft Outlook.

Figure 1

Figure 2 is a screen shot of my appointment settings for my morning medications in Microsoft Outlook.  You can see my medication/supplement list in the Subject field.

Figure 2

Figure 3 is a screen shot of my appointment reoccurrence settings for my morning medications in Microsoft Outlook.  Here I can set the length of the appointment so that it displays correctly and I can set the reoccurrence to daily and for 6 weeks long.

Figure 3

Integrating the Calendar with a Smart Phone

If you’re like me, you may be out and about during the day, and need to be reminded to take your medications.  If your calendar is based on a calendar on web, it is often easy to add it to your smart phone.  I use Microsoft Exchange Server with Microsoft Outlook to do this.  As I mentioned earlier, many Internet-based calendars can easily synchronize with popular smart phones.  If you don’t know how to setup this part, many Internet calendars provide help and instructions or you may want to contact your smart phone vendor for technical assistance.  Since I already had my calendar integrated with my smart phone, my new medication calendar magically showed up on my iPhone as soon as I created it. 

Figure 4 shows my 2 calendars on my iPhone.

Figure 4

Figure 5 shows Ian’s Medication Calendar on my iPhone.

Figure 5

Figure 6 shows my business calendar on my iPhone.

Figure 6

Figure 7 shows my Medication Calendar and Business Calendar overlapping on my iPhone.

Figure 7

In closing, I offer to you a simple solution to a somewhat daunting task.  My approach is one that uses widely available computer-based tools.  You can even take this approach further.  As some of you may know, several technology companies are working on tools to help manage our medical information.  I'm referring to significant companies like Microsoft and Google.  Image if your doctor had access to your medication calendar.  During your office visit, your doctor could update your calendar so any changes would be available immediately.  By doing this, we could reduce mistakes, create excellent records of medication changes and everyone would benefit.

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Changing the License Key in Windows 7

I recently was contacted by a client who purchased a PC from a local computer reseller.  The computer was assembled and sold with Windows 7, Microsoft Office, and Norton Antivirus.  Unfortunately, the computer, which was grossly underpowered and overpriced, came with no software licenses.  My customer made many attempts to contact the reseller when she had some problems, but the reseller never returned any phone calls.  I became her computer consultant when she abandoned all hope that the reseller would help her.

When I first met with this customer, I realized that she had been ripped off and advised her that she had been taken advantage of.  I recommended that she replace the software with legitimate copies so that she could receive upgrades and support. 

We replaced Office and Norton with legitimate copies that she owned.  She wanted to try to contact the reseller to see if she could obtain the license for Windows 7.  Unfortunately, she could not. 

Last week, she called me because Windows 7 declared that her copy was not legitimate and went into a limited functioning mode.  I told her to go to the store and purchase a copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium.  She did this and I scheduled a time with her to install her new license.  This is when the next big problem began.  I had forgotten that she had a pirated copy of Windows 7 Ultimate on her computer not Windows Home Premium. 

I started the upgrade process and was notified that I couldn’t perform the upgrade since I was trying to install Windows 7 Home Premium over Windows 7 Ultimate.  I was told that my only option was to start over and perform a new install of Windows 7 Home Premium.  This was very impractical as I would need to backup her data, install the new operating system, then reinstall her utilities, applications, and then configure everything.  That would be another 2 hours of work.  To complicate matters further, I couldn’t return the new copy of Windows 7 since it was opened and most every retailer will not take back opened software.

To solve the problem, I swapped her license of Windows 7 Home Premium for a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate that I had.  I then discovered that since the original software was counterfeit, I couldn’t change the licensing key from the Control Panel System dialog box.  I didn't want to reinstall the entire operating system.  So, I went behind the scenes to the command prompt and made the necessary changes using the slmgr.vbs command.  I have detailed this below.  All totaled, this process took a little over 1 hour.  It would be nice if Microsoft did a better job at making this process less complex for the user. 

How to change a license key in Windows 7 from the command prompt:

1. 1.Click on the Start Orb and type “cmd” in the Search programs and files field. 
2. Right-click on cmd in the search results and select the “Run as administrator” option.
3. A command windows will open that has administrators rights.
4. Type “slmgr.vbs -ipk insert your new license key here”.
5. Type “slmgr.vbs -ato” to activate your new license key.

Notice that Windows 7 May Be Counterfeit

Command Window with slmgr.vbs Commands

 

Successful Activation Notice

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Boxee: Media PC Done RIght

I enjoy my media center and large high definition TV.  Since it is connected to the Internet, I have spent hours combing the web, exploring numerous sites offering movies, videos, TV shows, and other media products.  I really got hooked on Internet connected media when I discovered that I could watch all 5 seasons of Lost from beginning to end thanks to Hulu.

My explorations have forced me to learn about and/or install several different media players.  You see, there is no standard for this type of Internet-based content.  It’s another Wild, Wild, West Internet adventure.  Microsoft’s media center is OK for some things, but without significant customization is can’t play several types of media files.  Nor, can it easily play content from sites like Hulu and ABC.  The story goes on like this for nearly ever product that I tested.  They do some things well, but there focus is narrow and self-serving.

This all changed when I learned about and installed Boxee.  Boxee describes itself as: 

“Boxee is the first "social" media center, whose free, open source, downloadable software is changing the way consumers experience media.

On a computer or connected to an HDTV, Boxee gives people a truly connected digital entertainment experience to enjoy movies, TV shows, music and photos, as well as streaming content from websites like Netflix, MLB.TV, Comedy Central, Pandora, Last.fm, and flickr. Not only that, but you can share information about what you’re watching with friends so they can find it legally and enjoy it too. You can even post things you like to social networks like Twitter, Last.FM, or Tumblr. All this from within a visually driven interface that makes media come to life.”

According to its website, the idea for Boxee was born when founding friends Avner, Gidon, Idan, Tom, and Roee, came up with the idea for boxee in 2004 when they began using Xbox Media Center, open source software for the original Xbox that allowed people to play digital media on their TVs. They became members of XBMC’s open source community and in 2007 imagined a way to take the platform even further. Since 2007, Mr. Ronen and a team of 11 others have worked to extend the base code for XBMC with online sources like hulu and Netflix as well as social networking in Boxee.

Today, Boxee is available for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Apple TV.  In the near future, Boxee will be available on its own dedicated setup top box via a partnership with D-Link and others will follow.
 

 

 

 

 

Here is why I like Boxee:

1. It supports all of the platforms that I use including Windows, Apple and Linux.
2. It plays nearly every media file type that ask it to.  I now longer have to comb the Internet looking for codecs, players, and converter.
3. It provides a consistent interface to media content from a number of sources. It's open and not married to it’s own content.  I think of it as a media aggregator.
4. It has the best user interface and user experience, bar none, of any media player available.  Setup is simple.  Basically, you can install it and go.  There are some simple options that can be used to customize Boxee.  But they are easy to navigate and understand.
5. It works with a number of media controllers without the need to train, installing additional software and the like.  I use it with a Logitech Harmony One remote control and a wireless keyboard.  Neither control required any special setup.
6. Boxee has a great remote control app for the iPhone.  I installed it and it worked on the first try.
7. I can use Boxee to find a wide variety of different media content from a large number of source on the Internet.  This is done through its search capabilities and connections to popular social media sites.

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Consider It Fixed: Top Tech Picks

Unsupported Audio Signal. Please Check Your Device Output.

I have a nice home entertainment center.  Nearly everyone who watches a movie at my house comments that they really like it.  Recently, I added a Nintendo Wii to my entertainment center.  Soon, I started to receive an error message on the HDTV saying “Unsupported audio signal. Please check your device output.“

As a tech, I made the logical assumption that the error message had to do with the Wii.  So, I started to look at the Wii connections and settings.  Unfortunately, nothing I did eliminated the error message.  It still flashed on my screen every once in a while for about 10 seconds. 

I realized a couple of things as I continued to troubleshoot the problem.  First, the error message only appeared when displaying output from the computer connected to the HDTV, not from the cable box.  Also, the error message didn’t tell me which component was generating the message.  Was it the computer, the receiver, or the HDTV?

An Internet search helped me learn that the error message is common to several Sony HDTVs.  But, there seemed to be a general confusion as to what the error message means.  In my view,  Sony TVs do little to tell you that they are the source of the error message, nor what input channel is causing the error.  I had to spend a lot of time troubleshooting this error message in order to resolve it.  If Sony simply told me that it was a Sony generated error and which channel was faulty, I would have been much better off and able to fix the issue much more quickly.  This unfortunately, was not the case.

This is the original error message:

"Unsupported audio signal. Please check your device output."

This is my suggestion for an improved error message:

"The Sony HDTV is having an audio input problem on HDMI 3."

I did solve the mystery after a couple of days of on and off troubleshooting.  My computer is connected to the Sony HDTV via HDMI.  HDMI has the ability to carry both video and audio.  Often a computer is connected to a HDTV via HDMI, but the sound is routed to the receiver for sound processing.  In my case, I use an optical connection from the computer to the receiver for sound processing.  I've had my home entertainment center setup and working without errors for close to a year.  Why it started to report an error now is beyond me.  My fix was to use a DVI to HDMI adapter and connect the HDMI cable to the DVI port on the computer.  The screen resolution was unaffected and the error message vanished as the DVI port does not transmit sound as an HDMI port does.

I love my Sony HDTV.  I only wish that Sony did a better job reporting errors.

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Google Web Search Tools

More than any other web search site, people flock to www.google.com by the millions daily.  However, most google users don’t know about the host of search tools that google provides to its users.  Following is a rather exhaustive list of many of the things that you can do on google.

Weather

To see the weather for many U.S. and worldwide cities, type "weather" followed by the city and state, U.S. zip code, or city and country.

Example:  

Stock Quotes

To see current market data for a given company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance.

Example:  

Time

To see the time in many cities around the world, type in "time" and the name of the city.

Example:  

Sports Scores

To see scores and schedules for sports teams type the team name or league name into the search box. This is enabled for many leagues including the National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball.

All sports data provided by STATS, Inc.

Example:  

Reference Tools

Calculator

To use Google's built-in calculator function, simply enter the calculation you'd like done into the search box.

Example:  

Book Search

If you’re looking for results from Google Book Search, you can enter the name of the author or book title into the search box and we’ll return any book content we have as part of your normal web results. You can click through on the record to view more detailed info about that author or title.

Example:  

Earthquakes

To see information about recent earthquakes in a specific area type "earthquake" followed by the city and state or U.S. zip code. For recent earthquake activity around the world simply type "earthquake" in the search box.

Example:  

Unit Conversion

You can use Google to convert between many different units of measurement of height, weight, and volume among many others. Just enter your desired conversion into the search box and we’ll do the rest.

Example:  

Public Data

To see trends for population and unemployment rates of U.S. states and counties, type "population" or "unemployment rate" followed by a state or county. You can click through to a page that lets you compare different locations.

Example:  

People Profiles

If you're looking for someone you just met or a long-lost friend, enter the name of that person plus some identifying words about him or her to see a list of people with that name.

Example:  

Choosing Keywords

Synonym Search

If you want to search not only for your search term but also for its synonyms, place the tilde sign (~) immediately in front of your search term.

Example:  

Dictionary Definitions

To see a definition for a word or phrase, simply type the word "define" then a space, then the word(s) you want defined. To see a list of different definitions from various online sources, you can type "define:" followed by a word or phrase. Note that the results will define the entire phrase.

Example:  

Spell Checker

Google’s spell checking software automatically checks whether your query uses the most common spelling of a given word. If it thinks you’re likely to generate better results with an alternative spelling, it will ask “Did you mean: (more common spelling)?”. Click the suggested spelling to launch a Google search for that term.

Example:  

 

Local

Search

If you’re looking for a store, restaurant, or other local business you can search for the category of business and the location and we’ll return results right on the page, along with a map, reviews, and contact information.

Example:  

Movie Showtimes

To find reviews and showtimes for movies playing near you, type "movies" or the name of a current film into the Google search box. If you've already saved your location on a previous search, the top search result will display showtimes for nearby theaters for the movie you've chosen.

Example:  

Health Search

Health Conditions

To see information about a common disease or symptom, enter it into the search box and we'll return the beginning of an expert summary. You can click through to read the entire article in Google Health.

Example:  

Poison Control

You can quickly find the U.S. poison control hotline (1-800-222-1222) by entering "poison control" or similar phrases into the search box.

"Mr. Yuk" icon courtesy of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Example:  

Flu Shot Search

During flu season, search for "flu" to find tips on how to stay healthy from U.S. Health and Human Services and a flu shot locator which uses Google Maps to show you nearby locations offering seasonal and/or H1N1 flu vaccine.

Example:  

 

Trip Planning

Airline Travel Info

To see flight status for arriving and departing U.S. flights, type in the name of the airline and the flight number into the search box. You can also see delays at a specific airport by typing in the name of the city or three-letter airport code followed by the word "airport".

Example:

Currency Conversion

To use our built-in currency converter, simply enter the conversion you’d like done into the Google search box and we’ll provide your answer directly on the results page.

Example:  

Maps

Looking for a map? Type in the name or U.S. zip code of a location and the word "map" and we’ll return a map of that location. Clicking on the map will take you to a larger version on Google Maps.

Example:  

 

Query Refinements

Plus (+) Operator

Google ignores common words and characters such as where, the, how, and other digits and letters that slow down your search without improving the results. If a common word is essential to getting the results you want, you can make sure we pay attention to it by putting a "+" sign in front of it.

Example:  

Related Search

To search for web pages that have similar content to a given site, type "related:" followed by the website address into the Google search box.

Example:  

Fill in the Blank

Sometimes the best way to ask a question is to get Google to ‘fill in the blank’ by adding an asterisk (*) at the part of the sentence or question that you want finished into the Google search box.

Example:  

 

Search by Number

Package Tracking

You can track packages by typing the tracking number for your UPS, Fedex or USPS package directly into the search box. We’ll return results that include quick links to easily track the status of your shipment.

Example:  

Patent Numbers

To search for U.S. patents, enter the word "patent" followed by the patent number into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.

Example:  

Area Code

To see the geographical location for any U.S. telephone area code, just type the three-digit area code into the Google search box and hit the Enter key or click the Google Search button.

Example: