Mac Love, Not War

iPad for Special Ed Families

2011-05-02T23:00:00Z

The introduction of the personal computer in the late 1970's was a culture-changing shift, but introduction of a mouse-driven interface in the mid-80's allowed computers to become mainstream. I believe that the mouseless, touch-screen interface of tablet devices such as the iPhone and the iPad is as great a leap forward, if not greater. Touch interfaces make this technology even more accessible, especially for those with "special needs." The combination of a simpler interface, network ability, rich multimedia and portability makes the iPad2 a particularly good technology for students with special needs and their families. Below are notes from at a presentation I gave Monday evening, 2 May 2011, to the Vancouver special education PTSA.

Students with special needs vary widely in what those needs are by age and condition. A high school student with normal cognition who is blind will have different needs from someone with mobility issues, an autism spectrum diagnosis or another condition. Key to successful use of technology is identifying what an invidual's strengths and weaknesses are, then matching technology to build upon strengths to meet real needs and compensate for weaknesses. Although technology vendors can design astonishing devices, "no size fits all" and most people who assert there is a magic box or silver bullet that will solve all problems are mistaken. Industry is built on selling more boxes or programs, but thoughtful use of a few things is generally a sounder strategy than reliance upon a single thing. As an insightful athlete once noted, "there are no advanced techniques, only basics expertly applied."

In the world of technology there is money to be made in trying to build a "killer app," and the mobile market for iPad and other software emphasizes a diversity of fairly specialized apps. Many applications for "special education" tend to fall into this pattern, often grouped into categories such as "communications," "skill building" or "calming apps." When looking at technology I find it useful to distinguish between (A) technology as a vehicle to go somewhere and (B) technology as a destination or place to be. In reviewing iPad and other apps designed for parents of special education students, I noticed a third category of (C) waystation applications (such as "calming apps") that are largely designed to distract or babysit along the way. Just as videos can be used for instruction, entertainment or sanity-preserving distraction, so can most technology. In evaluating technology, I encourage folks to consider what they want from it, and why. Technology as a destination is a fine thing, as are technology as babysitter or technology as vehicle. Clarifying what one wants for oneself and one's child is a moderately important thing to do.

Many extremely useful and powerful tools are built in to the iPad 2, and skillful use of those tools would provide better versions of the things that many apps seem to do, with greater customization for individual students. "Special education applications" tend to be heavy on calming, sequencing and teaching lifeskills, the sorts of things that adults do with their smartphones, FiloFax organizers and laptops. Basic technologies built into the iPad2 allow children to do much of this through pictures, video and sound recording. Rather than obsessing about teaching letter literacy, the iPad2 provides a wide variety of tools for non-lettered literacy through pictures and video, including individual creativity and expression.

The iPad2 has two built-in cameras, a "mirror" camera which lets one to see oneself and a "forward-facing" camera that allows one to take pictures or video facing outward. Both have many uses, from "Facetime" videoconferencing to documenting the world around them for expression or creation of very specific life-skill tools. Pictures from a regular, desktop computer, can be organized into "albums" and easily transferred to the iPad for reference. Albums can be used as sequencing aids in teaching lifeskills, or turned around for a student to create and narrate their own stories. Albums with various objects and common activities are useful point-to-tell tools for communication, replacing wordboards and flash cards in some cases. Videos can also be created on the iPad, created on a computer for storage and playback on the iPad, or loaded from external sources (such as DVD) for playback on the iPad. With three different storage capacities (16 GB, 32 or 64GB), the iPad2 can store a prodigious amount of audio, video or pictures for a variety of purposes, and be used by a student for expression and to create additional materials.

The iPad2 can also be used as a sound recorder for capturing classroom lessons for later playback and retention, or to record presentations or requests for playback later. Common phrases or explanations can be recorded this way and played back in iTunes, as can instructions and coaching from parents, for later playback. Most sound-recording programs have the option to plug in headphones and can effectively be used as hearing aids, to amplify sound or cut out ambient noise for people with auditory problems. With the ability to record, organize and play back sound, iPad2 is in a position to fulfill the promise of cassette tapes from the 1970's, without the logistic nightmare.

Properly understood, the iPad2 is a low-cost, portable, multimedia studio, for recording and creating sound, pictures and video. This ability can be dramatically augmented with the addition of a few, relatively inexpensive iPad programs from Apple, including iMovie (which allows creation and editing of video on the iPad) and GarageBand (which allows creation and sequencing of music and vocals). The creative and expressive options are tremendous for what I call "non-textual literacy," an area of great potential for special needs students and helpful for their parents and teachers. For more conventional computer presentations and documents, there are other programs such as Keynote (for presentations) and Pages (for printed materials) which can interact with fuller versions on desktop Mac OS through iTunes. For folks who are not using Mac OS desktops, other programs such as DocsToGo can be used with cloud services such as DropBox to allow creation and sharing of rich content.

FaceTime video conferencing is built in to the iPad but currently only works with other Apple devices, although audio conferencing is available through a variety of programs. For anxious parents, another interesting feature is the "Find My iPhone" application, which allows one to log on and physically locate any iPad or iPhone connected to a wifi or cellular network such as those offered through Verizon and AT&T for the more expensive iPad2 devices. Internet sharing features and access such as web browsing, Netflix and YouTube videos obviously require such Internet access, but even the least expensive iPad2 has the option for WiFi wireless networking.

Caveats about the iPad2 are that, by default, it wants to be closely integrated with Apple's "iTunes Store," which is probably not a good feature for children. Once a credit card is entered, iPad2 users can quickly purchase and run up quite a bill, so I suggest that most parents NOT set up iTune Store accounts, or do so through restricted, "allowance" accounts. Another caveat is that the iPad2 is surprisingly robust, but very sleek and slippery. For students with motor difficulties, it might be advisable to purchase a "ruggedized" case which is easier to hold and adds some physical protection. There are literally dozens to choose. Those who wish to add a full, physical keyboard may do so with any bluetooth-capable keyboard.

The iPad2 is not a magic bullet, but it can be a useful tool. Its simple interface and a wide variety of ways to store, create and work with multimedia such as sound, pictures and video is an obvious advantage to many special-needs students. From the built-in VoiceOver utility for the blind to simplified home screen setups, the iPad2 can be configured in many sophisticated ways. Most of all, as a vehicle, tools built into every iPad2 are a terrific way for students with special needs to explore and express their own creativity. Indeed, with a special $40 adapter cable, the iPad2 can even output to an HDMI cable for display on many new, flat-panel televisions.

Parents and others who would like to discuss the possibilities for an iPad2 for themselves or their special-needs child are encouraged to contact Rory Bowman of MacRory.com at (360) 666-7679. A former schoolteacher, Rory has been offering technology consultation and assistance in the Vancouver Portland area full-time since 1998.

Links of Interest

Apple's page on special education
Special Education Today articles on the iPad
YouTube video showing VoiceOver for the blind
One seriously ruggedized special education case for a first-generation iPad
Eric Sailer's terrific blog includes many SpEd topics
A terrific list of "SpEd apps" assembled by Eric Sailers
"Guided tour" Apple video tutorials
FuelTV's silly video about turning an iPad into a skateboard

Business-Wide File and Data Management

2010-12-07T20:00:00Z

The end of the calendar year is a natural opportunity to catch up, evaluate past systems and make intelligent plans for the future, whether in our personal lives or business. Year-end closing often involves gathering up loose papers and filing them. Correspondence, paid bills, receipts and more: if such things don't have a place they should. "A place for everything and everything in its place," as the old saying has it. As importantly, every thing should have one and only one logical place it should be. End of year is a good time to check that, tidy, and confirm one has a solid plan for archiving and backup.

Begin with the End in Mind

Usually when someone calls me it is because something has reached a point of crisis or breakdown. "Good-enough" systems have been improvised and organically evolved, pieced together from this and that over a period of time. Perhaps they developed across a series of different machines and people, with little attention to the broader whole and context. This, I like to think, is where I add value: What is all this stuff? Why keep it? How to keep it so that it helps and is not detritus or clutter? Since anything worth doing is worth doing well, the answer to those things determines all that follows.

In the early 90's Stephen Covey wrote a popular book called "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," which focused on key concepts and launched such buzzwords as "proactive" and "synergize." The second habit was to "begin with the end in mind" and is one that I often use with my clients. Every business does some sort of bookkeeping, but why? In the beginning it is mostly so that one can see where the money goes, not drop any and fill out government forms at the end of each tax period. Of those, the tax form is usually the scariest, so I suggest they begin there. In cooperation with their accountant, I ask them what tax forms they will need to fill out each period and determine a chart of accounts that makes sense for them, so they can properly classify equipment, supplies, revenues and so forth. Once we have identified key outputs such as line 9 on IRS schedule 1040c, it is relatively simple to design a system that helps them capture this data and preserve it properly on paper or the computer. Legal and medical offices solved many of these problems decades ago, but most folks have not taken the time to do so. One of the things I do is ask clients to identify what is most important and then organize it in a way that captures it and preserves it for later, near-instant retrieval, whether now, six months from now, or ten years later.

A Sample Network for Data Management

The recent coming-of-age for network and cloud products for backup and file sharing has been a boon for individuals, small businesses and non-profits, making it simpler to deploy redundant systems with off-the-shelf hardware in a way that streamlines workflows and lowers overall cost. Below is a diagram of a fairly typical network.

Individuals can usually get by with a couple of external hard drives (one for back-up, a second for yearly, off-site archives), a subscription to an online backup service such as Crash Plan and a few key photocopies kept in a safety deposit box or at a friend's house. Simple plans and simple tools are usually the best, in my experience, because they have the fewest number of moving parts. For clarity and reliability, keep things as simple as possible.

I set up a client almost exactly as above one week ago, using two inexpensive hard drives (one for time use with machine, another for off-site archive), a one-year off-site CrashPlan subscription and a simple DropBox.com account to coordinate data he wants to access from a friend's Windows computer running QuickBooks once a month (since he didn't need to buy the program himself). Very simple and rock-solid for just over $200. Over-achievers may wish to create a bootable "clone" on their Time Machine disk as well, but the basics are very achievable.

File and Data Management on the Mac

"A place for everything and everything in its place" is a terrific maxim, and one that most people and businesses can slightly improve upon by designing systems where there is one and only one logical place for each piece of information. Earlier this year I helped present on this topic at a local meeting of Macintosh business owners, the "slide deck" presentation for which is below.

The system that makes the most sense for most people, in my experience, is one that organizes work by year and project, because this encourages annual review of files and sorting things into logical archives. System-wide tools such as Spotlight for Mac OS X and Google Desktop make it easier to find things scattered willy-nilly across a single hard drive, but that is no reason to do so. An ideal system will have someone who is the designated "data cop" to periodically review files and the system. I've read of one company has a designated "dumpster day" whenever the 31st of the month falls on a workday. A casual-dress day focused on housekeeping, meetings are prohibited before noon and lunch is provided with the opportunity for workgroups and departments to have status meetings in the afternoon. Tidying and organizing is the main business for that day, guaranteeing that it takes place several times each year. For most of us this is work that can take place during "down time" such as waiting on hold or when other things get canceled.

No system works if it is not clearly understood and practiced. Writing out the larger structure of your data management plan is terrific, as a reference for everyone (including our future selves). Professional organizers have long suggested this as a general practice, and a simple file at the top-level of every organizing system that explains how it works is a great "table of contents" or preface. For folks without a more logical system, simply putting all media files into iTunes or iPhoto is a start, as is periodically sub-dividing one's "Downloads" folder and email as date-labelled chunks. If one cannot find something or explain where it *should* be within thirty seconds, does it effectively exist? Good systems capture data for quick retrieval over time with minimal hassle, distraction and waste.

If you have file naming conventions and clear folder structures, take the time to document them, and consider including a short document explaining them at the top level of each filing system as a reminder. I will frequently place a plain-text file called "about.txt" at the top level of a folder or directory as a note to my future, forgetful self about what is in the folder and why I put it there. Explanations of the general filing system can similarly be placed at key places within the system itself, functioning as a training tool and quick reference. Periodically review the files and the policy to make sure that they are in agreement. No system is so perfect that it will work unless periodically monitored for consistent follow-through.

Archives, Backups and Disaster Recovery

Data management is key to general business continuity, and key to any good data management program is a clear understanding of what I call the "ABC's of Data." For all data, it is useful to distinguish between (A) archive copies, (B) backups and (C) current copies, whatever sort of (D) data and wherever it may be.

Current copies are the main working documents, including drafts and ephemeral items such as email, to-do lists and calendars. Not all of these need to be on the computer so long as it is clear where they are and that they are stored for later retrieval as needed. For an email, this is usually the copy in one's email program. For phone messages it might be a slip of paper.

Backup copies are second copies of current documents for disaster recovery. One copy is right next to no copy at all, so a backup copy is *always* a second copy and is usually accessed only in case of emergency. For Mac OS 10.5 and later, the simplest way to create backup copies is to use OS X's built-in "Time Machine" technology and an attached hard drive or network volume on a server or a device such as Apple's Time Capsule wireless hub. Other systems exist but any backup system should be checked with periodic "fire drills" to practice restoring a given file. Too often I have seen people who *thought* they had backups find out that they were really years old or unreadable. For an email, the backup may be something as simple as the copy of a message left for a few days on the server. For phone messages it might be an NCR copy of the message kept in a designated phone-message book.

Archive copies are more or less permanent copies of files intended to serve as a long-term record. Ideally archives should be well-organized and accessible regardless of program or computer platform. I recommend reviewing archives at least yearly and physically copying archives every 2-3 years lest one get caught with an aging 8.5" floppy disk for an Epson QX-10 or a MacWrite Pro file on a cracked SyQuest cartridge. PDF copies of key reports such as year-end accounting data are an excellent thing to keep on hand and (for some records) a larger archive strategy may involve keeping around an old computer which can run older programs. Again "fire drills" are a good practice, and at least one copy of the archive should be kept "off site" at another location or in a safety deposit box, as protection against theft, flood or fire.

External drives are the bane of many people and businesses, because they tend not to be catalogued, backed up or maintained. If you or your business uses external drives, the normal rules about archives, backups and current copies still apply, but across more places. Please do NOT assume that old documents are on a drive in some closet, especially if the closet is disorganized, drives unlabeled and the person who put them there long forgotten. Data management is key to institutional memory, planning for legal compliance and general business continuity.

Below is another presentation I helped give on the general issue of file and data management for small business, earlier this year.

The main thing, again, is (1) to have a clear system, (2) to follow the system and (3) periodically monitor it and perhaps change it as needed.

MacRory.com For Help with Computer File and Data Management

Whether you are a law office, medical office, genealogist, author or other organization, please consider contacting MacRory.com for help in evaluating and implementing a better file and data management plan. Simply phone (360) 666-7679 to set up a complimentary meeting and assessment.

Contacts and Scheduling on the Mac

2010-05-07T20:00:00Z

Every business or business person has a few basic types of things they need to track. At the top of this list are contacts, appointments and tasks. Close behind these are correspondence, reference documents, inventory items and accounts (due, paid and outstanding). Fortunately there are many good and free or almost-free tools available to help with this, some of which come bundled with Mac OS and some available online. Chief among these are OS X's built in Address Book and iCal, both of which synchronize well to mobile devices such as iPods and iPhones.

Address Book for Individual Contacts

The Address Book.app program has been part of Mac OS X since the very beginning, and is designed as a standalone program that also supports other programs, such as Mail.app, iChat and various fax programs. If you use OS X's included email program, Mail.app's "Message" window includes a simple "Add Sender to Address Book" command, whose shortcut is Command+Shift+Y. Opening the Address Book from the Applications folder, however, shows many more options, including the ability to keep track of birthdays, multiple physical addresses, web pages and photographs. With almost two dozen basic fields to choose from and the ability to have multiple entries per field, this provides a good foundation for most people, and other text can be entered and searched in the "Notes" section. Edit the default fields available for all new contacts in the Preferences for "Templates" or add individual fields as needed on a card-by-card basis from the Card menu "Add Field" pull-down.

Address Book Feeds Info to Other OS X Programs

Most fields in Address Book (AB) will pass information to other programs or provide interesting options directly from within AB itself. Clicking on an email, physical or web address, for example, gives the option to send an email, look up the address on a map, copy mailing-label information to the clipboard or go to the web page. There are also options such as "Search with Spotlight" and messaging options to use chat programs or create SMS messages quickly. These are basic to AB's design as a central clearing house for contact information, which it can pass to other programs. The list of programs that Address Book interacts with is fairly long, and it is relatively easy for programmers to add functionality so that a fax program might read fax numbers from the address book, or a chat program may have the option to open a new session, make a voice-over-IP phone call or send an SMS message. Among the built-in programs that read from Address Book are the following

Safari has the option to display web pages from AB
iCal can "subscribe" to a special "Birthdays" calendar from AB
iChat knows to check for chat accounts listed in AB
Mail reads from and checks incoming messages against AB
System preferences for Fax & Print will read fax numbers from AB
Address Book contacts can be synchronized to many devices through iTunes

Synchronize to Devices, Clouds or Servers

Beginning with Mac OS 10.5, Address Book can also synchronize to "cloud-based" services other than Apple's own "Mobile Me." These include Exchange 2007 servers run by Microsoft but, more importantly for most people, popular webmail providers such as Yahoo or GMail. If one has an internal OS X server at work, there is also an option to synchronize with a hosted address book, which can be accessed from multiple computers. Synchronization means that data is available from several places, and that changes made to a contact (or calendar) in one place are coordinated to all other places with synchronization.

One of the most common and practical ways to use synchronization does not involve a cloud at all, but takes advantage of iPods, iPhones and other devices. Apple's iPhones and iPods can be set to synchronize a variety of programs with your device, including Address Book, iCal, Safari bookmarks, Mail.app notes, even iPhoto, podcasts, television shows, movies and music. To access these options from iTunes, make sure your device is connected, then click on it and explore tabs such as "Info," "Photos" and "Music."

If you have a non-Apple smartphone such as a Palm, Blackberry or Windows Mobile device, similar functionality is available. The free, included software that comes with these devices is not always the best. Sometimes it is simpler to go another route, either synchronizing to "the cloud" through Google or purchasing third-party programs such as MarkSpace's "Missing Sync." Older iPods may not support movies or photos, and entering data on the device obviously involves having an iPhone or iPod Touch for device data entry.

Use Smart Groups to Organize Contacts in OS X

When synchronizing contacts, calendars, podcasts, movies or photos with iTunes, one can choose to synchronize everything or just a few, through the judicious use of "groups," playlists or albums. Although Address Book allows one to manually create groups and drag individual cards to them, a much more powerful technique is to create a "Smart Group" within Address Book. Smart groups are filters that can be used to select cards based on a criteria such as company, city or certain words in the "notes" field. The simplest technique is to create a smart group that looks for a keyword such as "relative" or "family" somewhere in the card, and automatically displays all cards that contain this word. Particularly useful words for such smart groups include: family, customer, vendor, household and the names of various schools and organizations. If you only want a few contacts on your iPhone for example, you might create a smart group called "iPhone" and then set iTunes to only synchronize that.

Other Uses of Groups and vCards

People often ask if it is possible to create email distribution lists from within Address Book without creating individual "cards" first. It is not. The basic unit for Address Book is the individual contact, and all groups are sets of contacts. If one wishes to create a distribution list in this way, the simplest way is to create a new contact card, mark it as a "Company" using that checkbox in AB and then paste the list of addresses in the "notes" field. When you want to send a mailing, simply find the card and copy the list of addresses from the "notes" field to your email "to" line.

Another excellent use of groups within the Address Book is the creation of simple directories for distribution, whether among families, workgroups or clubs. One or more cards may be selected and exported as a single "vCard," which can then be distributed periodically. When doing this I suggest using a key word or phrase in the "notes" field, such as the year and name of the organization associated with this particular export. This makes the group easy to identify or augment using the "Smart Groups" feature in Address Book. The simpler and more descriptive this name, the better: "FV Garden Club 2010" would be a good example.

Individual or group vCards can also be uploaded to company web sites or sent as email attachments to business colleagues, which was their original purpose.

For Further Information

Help with Contacts and Scheduling in Your Business

In addition to the various ways that contacts and scheduling can work for individual Macs, there are a variety of ways to do this using Google Apps, OS X Server, FileMaker and other technologies as part of more customized data management and more complex business workflows. If you would be interested in looking at various ways to work with contacts and scheduling on your Mac, for your family or within your business, please consider contacting MacRory.com at (360) 666-7679.

Google Docs for Non-Profits

2010-04-05T15:00:00Z

Slides from a ninety-minute presentation I gave for the Non-Profit Network of Washington on "Google Docs for Non-Profits." ]]>

Macintosh Business Association of Portland

2010-02-07T20:00:00Z

The Macintosh Business Association of Portland is a group for businesses who use Mac OS and associated technologies. MBA’s goal is to help members network and better learn how to manage technology in their businesses. Monthly meetings are on the fourth Monday of each month at the Oregon School of Massage, Clasroom F @ 9500 SW Barbur Blvd, with additional special interest groups (”SIGs”) expected in the future.

February's presentation shall be on the topic of "contacts and scheduling on the Mac," much of which I shall be presenting.

MBA Meets on the Fourth Monday of Each Month, 7-9pm

Monthly meetings for 2010 will be on the fourth Monday of each month, to complement PMUG’s long-established meetings on the second Monday of each month. Meetings will take place in in the “room F” classroom at the Oregon School of Massage, 9500 SW Barbur Blvd #100, Portland OR 97219, from 7-9pm. Meetings will follow a basic structure similar to PMUG and other user groups:

Introductions and general Q&A with local consultants, 7-7:30
One-hour for a featured presentation, 7:30-8:30
Half-hour general questions and networking, 8:30- 9

Portland Mac Business Association Schedule for 2010

To simplify planning, we’ll aim to have scheduled topics at least one quarter in advance, and six months in advance for the initial launch. Fourth Mondays for 2010 are as follows.

7-9pm Mon 25 Jan 2010: Planning Meeting for 2010
7-9pm Mon 22 Feb 2010: Contacts and Scheduling on the Mac
7-9pm Mon 22 Mar 2010: File and Data Management
7-9pm Mon 26 Apr 2010: Mac Mini as Small Business Server
7-9pm Mon 24 May 2010: Archives, Backups and Disaster Recovery
7-9pm Mon 24 June 2010: iPhone and Business
7-9pm Mon 26 July 2010: iLife for Business

February Presentation on Contacts and Scheduling on the Mac

Above is a link to the slideshow on contact and scheduling on the Mac, a portion of which I shall be presenting at 7:30 pm this coming February 22, 2010. I hope to see you there!

If you need to contact me before or after then, I may also be reached at (360) 666-7679.

Basic IT and Technology Planning for Small Business

2010-01-07T20:00:00Z

One of the great advantages of using Macintosh technology is that the "computer for the rest of us" is simpler, more secure, easier to deploy and less expensive over the long term. This means that most people can make it work pretty well without expert help and that there is less money in supporting Apple technology and the Mac OS than other operating systems. Macintosh computer systems tend to grow organically and work pretty well without expert help, making for happier and more independent users. This doesn't mean that basic IT planning can't help to make those systems better, so below are some of the basics to consider in making an IT planning or hiring someone like me to help make your IT plan better. Even if your IT plan is not much more complex than a single folder where you keep your installation discs, receipts and basic password information, it is a good idea periodically to gather and review a few general things. In approximate order of importance these include

A needs assessment of what works and what doesn't
Inventory of current hardware
Inventory of current software
Network diagrams
Web registration and hosting information
Key configuration information (email, FTP, etc)
Acceptable use and data retention policies
Backup and disaster-recovery plan
Training, documentation and maintenance
Data archive and machine "refresh" plan
Visions for one month, one year and five years from now

Needs Assessment and Vision for the Future

The best place to begin changing and planning for the future is from where you are right now, as an organization, individual or small business. Some things are working and some are not. There are things folks would want if they "had a magic wand" to create anything, and niggling things that frustrate them or sap their will to live. Identifying those things is basic need assessment.

Almost every person and business has certain kinds of things that they need to do or manage. Almost everyone needs to track contacts or customers in some sort of address book, appointments and schedules on some sort of calendar, bills and receipts on some sort of ledger, tasks and commitments and notes or reference materials in one or dozens of places. Needs assessment is identifying those key needs so that the most important things are handled first and so that nothing escapes the system. It is easier to solve real problems productively when the most important tasks are clearly defined.

Inventory of Current Hardware and Software

It is hard to manage things you cannot find or identify, and difficult to make decisions without solid data. A simple list of all current hardware and software (as well as its location) is a crucial tool in all IT planning. Writing specific information about these on the outside of a manila folder may be enough, and a periodic inventory is a very useful thing to have. Technology folks will want to know about model numbers, peripherals, RAM and OS. Accounting folks will want to know serial numbers, when an item was purchased, its original cost and when it leaves service. Operations folks will want to know where it is and who is responsible, so that resources can be deployed efficiently. Managerial types and legal compliance officers will want to make sure that all software is legal and updated on a consistent basis. All of these require an inventory, even if it is only a set of index cards or one-page spreadsheet.

Software (including the installation discs that come with new computers) should be saved and stored in a designated place in case of audit and for reinstallation. Adding employees or moving things from one machine to another is much simpler when the software can be located quickly, and unused software is a colossal waste of money. Know what you have and where it is, so you can deploy it.

Network Diagrams, Hosting and Registration Information

Although it was unusual when I started consulting in 1998, today almost every business or sole proprietor has some sort of computer network and Internet presence, even if it is only an email address. Changes to save money, add capacity or streamline operations require knowing a few basic things about the network, how it is served and where key services are hosted. A good network diagram supplies those, and is increasingly important as the business becomes more complex.

When a machine goes down or there are communication problems, it helps to know which foot bone is connected to which leg bone, which leg bone to which hip bone and so on. Even a simple ball-and-stick diagram is very useful, so long as it is accurate. Groups or businesses with web sites should understand who their domain registrar is and how it is hosted as clearly as they understand their business licenses and lease information. With this information, dramatic changes are much simpler. Without it, tasks that should take hours can take days or weeks.

Key Configuration Information for Email, FTP, etc

If you have even one email account you have at least one server, one user name and one password. If you have dozens, plus other machine-specific accounts and web services, you probably have hundreds. Having these clearly documented in one place can save hours of time later and make simple configuration and trouble-shooting simpler across the organization. On your own machine, simply taking a screen shot of working configurations from a program's preferences is a terrific idea. This provides a simple way to check if things are correct and fix them when they go wrong.

Having a single place to consolidate this information is very useful, whether it is a box of index cards or a simple spreadsheet. Password information might be stored this way as well, but in a secure manner such as a printed sheet kept in a locked drawer or a special envelope in a safe. Undocumented accounts that need to be reset have the potential to bring everything to a screaming halt, including dormant accounts or those long forgotten.

Acceptable Use and Data Retention Policies

As any employer knows, all employment arrangements are legal contracts, meaning that they are subject to lawsuits and management issues. Two key ways to avoid unpleasant personnel issues around computers is to clearly identify "acceptable use" policies and to consistently enforce them. Are folks allowed to make personal telephone calls at work? Under what conditions? May they shop from their web browser? Chat with friends? Download pornography? If there is no clear guideline or expectation, business and morale can easily suffer. Most such policies need not be much more complex than a dress code, but having one stated and acknowledged by signature can save hundreds of dollars and many hours later.

Similarly, what are the rules about data retention? What records are kept? Where and for how long? The IRS has clear rules for storage of tax data, and similar rules will make your business more efficient. A pizza parlor has different archival needs than a law firm, but every business should have some sort of data retention policy. Decide what is important, where it will be stored, and for how long.

Archive, Backup and Disaster-Recovery Plans

"The dog ate my homework" may have worked as an excuse in second grade, but is no way to run a railroad. Most data worth having is worth keeping, for a time. What data should you keep and for how long? How much data can you afford to lose or reconstruct from scratch?

A key concept in data management is identifying what is important and how to organize it. Folder structure and file naming conventions are part of this. As important, though, is protecting data against unwanted loss. For this reason I often use the mnemonic of "ABC" or "CBA" to identify different data types.

The ABC's of Data Planning: Archive, Backup, and Current Copies

One copy of something is next door to no copy at all, and some things are simply not worth keeping. If the receptionist stepped away for forty seconds to make a photocopy, it is probably not worth writing down, let alone archiving. If the same receptionist recorded votes at a corporate board meeting, that is something different. Identifying at least three levels of importance helps appreciably in data planning. In increasing order of importance these are (C) current copies, (B) backup copies and (A) archives.

Archives are long-term storage, something that may be needed or referenced many years from now. Corporate minutes, lease agreements, tax records and accounting data are the sort of thing that almost always goes into an archive, whether physical, electronic or both. Archives should be organized very logically in technologically simple ways on accessible and durable media. I suggest that most businesses refresh and update their archives annually, organized at the top level by calendar year on physical hard drives, using interchange formats to be stored off-site, such as at a lawyer's office or in a safety-deposit box. Archives help you reconstruct the business when a meteor hits or when someone is accused of embezzlement or criminal arson. They might also be useful for future historians.

Backups are short-term copies of data, designed to protect against loss of a single original or machine. Most backups are automated or routine, and take place at an interval that corresponds with the importance of the material. Important records that change often are usually backed up frequently, whether they "live" on a server or workstation. Less important records may be backed up less frequently, if at all. The Time Machine program built into Mac OS 10.5 and later makes it very easy to perform hourly backups on every Apple computer, slick as snot and good as gold, if properly configured.

Current copies are things that were worth writing once but which may or may not be worth saving for eternity. Emails about pizza preferences are probably not worth backing up, but destroying data later is easier than recreating it. Anything that you might need to receive money, track goods or avoid penalties for later is probably worth backing up, so plan accordingly.

Each of these ABC's: archives, backups and current copies, are encompassed in the big D, data recovery. Data recovery is the plan (hopefully made in advance) to restore lost data when bad things happen. Data recovery strategies should be documented and practiced from time to time in "fire drills" to be sure that they work as planned. There are few things as demoralizing as thinking that one has a recovery plan and then discovering, too late, that your "current" backup is months or years out of date or unreadable by current machines.

Training, Documentation and Maintenance

No system is so perfect that it will maintain itself, no employee so capable that they can do everything, and no tool so keen that it need never be checked or sharpened. Any team performs better when all its members know the rules, understand the playbook, practice and appreciate where they fit. Once a system is developed, it should be documented, however roughly. Just as checking the oil is simpler than replacing an engine, so periodic review of your computer systems and documentation of best practices so that everyone understands them is time well spent. People who understand what they are doing, how and why, tend to do a better job.

Data Archive and Machine "Refresh" Plan

Businesses change, machinery ages and technology is eclipsed on a regular basis. Planning for this by having plans to replace machines before they fail saves money in the long run. Although I have some clients who are still using Macs that are ten or fifteen years old (for the tasks they were chosen for ten or fifteen years ago), I generally recommend that most businesses plan to replace every computer every five years or so. Some jobs and businesses (such as video production) will update more frequently, but the important thing is to have a plan so that costs are rationally planned for and unexpected surprises are minimized. Older machines can be "passed down" or kept in reserve for emergencies or as "organ donors," if not sold or donated while the tax advantages are still worth noting.

The Vision Thing: Where Do You Want to Go?

Central to all technology planning is the idea of vision and intent. Technology planning figures into all aspects of operations, production, marketing and more. Given your current business and goals, how can equipment and systems be deployed to help your people and improve the bottom line? Can technology expand markets to serve current employees and customers better? Where does technology fit in your business and where do you want to be months or years from now? Odds are that technology can help you get there, and that I can help you.

Please consider phoning MacRory.com at (360) 666-7679 to begin moving all of your dreams forward today.]]>

Apple Hardware December 2009

2009-12-07T20:00:00Z

The end of the calendar year is a good time to review currently available hardware, falling as it does near the end of the tax year for most businesses, and with several federal holidays for changing and configuring equipment with minimal loss of work time. In years past, Apple would announce new product at January's MacWorld Expo, but those days are thankfully behind us now. With new products announced throughout the year, now is still a terrific time to review Apple's current hardware line to consider what is on the horizon and whether now is the time to replace previous equipment.

Timing Purchases for New Equipment

With constant advances in computer technology over the past twenty years, it often seems as if waiting is the best strategy. With a history of better, faster and less expensive products every year, some are reluctant to buy anything, ever. Fear of buying something at full price just before it is replaced by a better and less expensive version is rational, but considering just a few factors can help to make better decisions.

Product Cycles, Useful Life and Technical Generations

Human things tend to move in cycles. Those who have been around technology appreciate this, and it is evident in the history of Apple. Technology also tends to advance in stages, and these can also be observed and anticipated.

Apple's products can broadly be placed into major categories: hardware or software, desktops or laptops, professional or consumer, key components or peripherals. With design, production and marketing considerations, it never makes sense for Apple to update everything at once, and so each product is on its own "refresh cycle," which can be anticipated. If you are looking to purchase a Mac Mini, one can look at the history of this product and see that a new model or set of models is announced approximately every 250 days. With the last revision in October of this year, it is reasonable to assume that the next model will be out sometime mid-year. By understanding this cycle one can then wait for new models to be announced and then decide whether to purchase that model or try to pick up the "day old bread" of the current model then, at a reduced price.

Another key thing to watch for are technical changes. Often one key technology or feature will change, creating new opportunities or making current equipment obsolete. The original RJ-11 plugs on the Macintosh keyboard, for example, were replaced by ADB, which was then replaced by the current USB standard. Old 68K chips were replaced with the PPC series, G3/G4/G5 and then Intel, as SCSI disappeared and then two flavors of FireWire behind it. These are in addition to major software changes such as the transition from OS 7.x to 8, then 9 then the various flavors of OS X. Each change in a key technology presents challenges and opportunities that are worth considering.

Although I would certainly never suggest living one's life based on the various Apple and Mac rumor sites, appreciating generational changes can help to make wiser decisions. As importantly, it helps to appreciate Apple's uncanny ability to make even minor product updates look much cooler and more important than they are. However shiny and sparkly Steve Jobs' presentation may be, it never makes sense to buy a computer one does not need, except for psychological reasons such as a mid-life crisis.

How long one keeps a machine depends on a lot of things. For some it is budget, for others job function, extended warranty or support costs. As long as a machine is doing the job it needs to do, plays well with others and is productive without disruptive frustration, I generally tend not to replace it. Some video-content producers really do need a new professional machine every two years. I replace my own machines every three years or so, as AppleCare expires. I recommend that businesses plan to replace every computer workstation every five years, but also have clients who are happily running cash registers on 15-year-old machines or reading their email on original CRT iMacs over telephone modems. Make hardware decisions that are right for you.

Apple's Product Line for December 2009

Below is a quick summary of Apple's main product lines as of December 7, 2009. The release date for each model is noted in parenthesis, along with basic info on full retail pricing at Apple's web site. Machines are listed in price order, from least to most expensive.

Apple Desktops: Minis, iMacs and Mac Pros

Most of my clients prefer desktops and I generally recommend Mac Mini's for businesses and those on a budget. Families and smaller offices often prefer iMacs because they are self-contained and physically beautiful. Anyone who can avoid buying a Mac Pro or an X-Serve should, in my judgement. Unless otherwise specified, higher-priced desktops contain all features of lower-priced models and only improvements are noted here.

$599 Mac Mini (Oct09) 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, 8x DL Super-Drive
Mac Mini (Oct09) 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD
$999 Mac Mini (Oct09) Dual 500 GB HD w 10.6 Server
$1199 21" iMac (Oct09) with 3.06GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HD
$1499 21" iMac (Oct09) with 1TB HD, better graphics card
$1699 27" iMac (Oct09)
$1999 27" iMac (Oct09) 2.66GHz Intel Core i5, better graphics card
$2499 Mac Pro Quad Core (Mar09) 2.66GHz "Nehalem", 3GB RAM, 640 GB HD, 16x DL Superdrive
$3299 Mac Pro Eight Core (Mar09) Two 2.66GHz "Nehalem", 6 GB RAM
$2999 X-Serve Quad Core (Apr09) 2.66 GHz "Nehalem," 3 GB, 160 GB, 10.6 Server
$3599 X-Serve Eight Core (Apr09) Two 2.66 GHz "Nehalem"

Apple Portables: MacBooks and MacBook Pros

For singles and professionals (especially the self-employed) I generally recommend a portable computer, with AppleCare and a good backup strategy against catastrophic loss. An external hard drive using Time Machine is plenty, so long as you'll plug into it at least weekly. Based on past client experiences, I am not a huge fan of the MacBook Air.

$999 MacBook 13" (Oct09) 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 250 GB HD, 8x DL SuperDrive
$1199 13" MacBook Pro (Jun09) 2.26GHz, 2GB RAM, 160 GB HD, 8x DL SuperDrive
$1499 13" MacBook Pro (Jun09) 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250 GB HD
$1699 15" MacBook Pro (Jun09) 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 250 GB HD
$1999 15" MacBook Pro (Jun09) 2.53GHz, 4GB RAM, 320 GB HD, better graphics
$2299 15" MacBook Pro (Jun09) 2.66GHz, 4GB RAM, 500 GB HD, even better graphics
$2499 17" MacBook Pro (Jun09)
$1499 MacBook Air (Jun09) 1.86GHz, 2GB RAM, 120 GB HD, no optical drive
$1799 MacBook Air (Jun09) 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, 128GB solid-state HD

Apple Handhelds & Media Players: iPhones, iPods, AppleTV

$49 iPod Shuffle 2GB (Sep09) available in five colors, 4GB @ $49, stainless steel @ $99
$149 iPod Nano 8GB (Sep09) available in colors, 16GB @ $179
$199 iPod Touch (Sep09)
$249 iPod Classic 160GB (Sep09)
$499 iPhone 3G 8GB (Jun09)
$599 iPhone 3GS 16 GB (Jun09) available in black or white
$699 iPhone 3GS 32 GB (Jun09) available in black or white

Apple Networking

$99 Airport Express
$179 Airport Extreme (Oct09)
$299 1TB Time Capsule
$499 2TB Time Capsule

Apple Software

$29 "Snow Leopard" Mac OS 10.6 (Aug09)
$49 "Snow Leopard" Mac OS 10.6 family pack
$79 iWork 09 (Jan09) with $99 family pack available
$79 iLife 09 (Jan09) with $99 family pack available
$169 "Mac Box Set" w Mac OS 10.6, iWork 09 & iLife 09
$229 "Mac Box Set" family pack
$199 Aperture 2 (Feb08)
$199 Final Cut Express 4 (Nov07)
$999 Final Cut Studio 2 with FCP 6 (Apr07)

Other Software of Note

FileMaker Pro version 10 released in January of 2009 and rumors about a new version are scarce. QuickBooks 2010 was released in October of 2009, and I anticipate no updates for a year or two. New versions of both Microsoft Office and Adobe CS (Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design, etc) are expected to release mid-year 2010.

Help with Technology Planning

For help with technology planning, including business-wide data planning, documentation, maintenance and disaster recovery, please consider phoning MacRory.com at (360) 666-7679. Now may or may not be the right time for new equipment, but it is always the right time to evaluate your computer systems to see if they are doing what they should or if there is a way for them to help you save money by working more efficiently.

Rory Bowman of MacRory.com may be reached by phone at (360) 666-7679 and a one-hour intake consultation to discuss your needs is almost always free. Happy new year!

May 2010 be your best year yet.

Mac OS X Updates: Should You or Shouldn't You?

2009-11-07T20:00:00Z

One of the most common questions I get from users is "should I upgrade my Mac?" My first response is to note that "upgrade" is a marketing term, not a technical one, and then to clarify what exactly they mean by upgrade. Updates and upgrades are different things, and people often mean different things by both. The recent release of Windows 7 and "snow leopard" Mac OS 10.6 offers an excellent opportunity to discuss this.

Software, Hardware, Updates, Upgrades and Change

The term "upgrade" implies progress in a way that may or may always be relevant. Adding to this confusion is that most people are uncertain what the term means. It may be useful then to distinguish between and among the different things that people may refer to as upgrades, noting that not every change is an improvement.

Hardware Upgrades Involve Physical Parts

Hardware upgrades involve physical parts, and are the most obvious upgrade because they usually involve physically taking out a screwdriver and adding or changing something in the real world. Some people would consider adding a new peripheral an upgrade, but more common upgrades include replacing one part with another: replacing your 15" CRT monitor with a 19" LCD, for example. If you have a "tower-style" computer, it may involve adding a new PCI card for more peripheral ports, but the most common hardware upgrade by far is to replace one hard drive with a larger one, or to add more RAM.

A common question I am asked is whether or not it makes sense to upgrade to a larger hard drive or to add more RAM to a machine. In most cases, it does, and as RAM prices have dropped so radically over the past two years, I generally suggest that people who plan to keep a computer "max out" the RAM in their iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook or MacBook Pro. (Professionals who use towers for video, photo and print production may be wiser to add some RAM, then replace the machine every two or three years.) If your machine is slightly slow or running out of hard drive space, upgrading both of these will usually cost two hundred dollars or so, plus labor, if done at the same time. Adding RAM or a larger hard drive can especially help with a two or three-year-old "stock machine" that has never been upgraded, easily doubling or tripling its useful life by making it capable of running newer versions of the Mac OS.

Software Updates under Mac OS X

Since the introduction of Mac OS X, the upper-left "apple menu" has had a "Software Update..." option, which Apple uses to check periodically for minor upgrades and updates. Early on, these updates were a bit hit-and-miss, but are now generally reliable. If you hate the periodic nagging about updates, go into the System Preferences pane for Software Updates and set it to check monthly or manually as you prefer.

What the software update preference pane does is periodically log into Apple's servers and check your Apple software against the current version at the mother ship in Cupertino. If the two don't match, it politely tells you and invites you to download a free update. These updates are always free and are almost always "bug fixes" or minor improvements. Pretty much every time Apple introduces a new iPod or service at the iTunes store, there is an update for iTunes. If you have installed Final Cut, iWork or iLife, you will get periodic updates for those. If you are happy with their computer and how it is working, there is no need to download any of these, and indeed the software update window allows you to ignore an update by selecting it in the list and then choosing that from the "Update" menu.

Since so many updates are fairly large files, I generally recommend that people set their preferences to check for updates monthly, then actually install updates when they can be away from their machine, letting them download overnight.

Updates from the "software updates" preference pane or the apple menu are always free. Other programs and vendors, such as Adobe and Microsoft, have their own programs to periodically check for updates to their products and some programs (such as FireFox) have update-checking built in. Usually those programs have a preference to turn this "auto-update" check off if you prefer. Just be sure to check for updates every year or if you have problems.

Delta Updaters Versus "Combo" Updaters

Updaters are often classified as "delta" (small change) or "combo" updates. Delta updaters usually make small changes, such as from 10.5.7 to 10.5.8, and some programs can only be updated using a long series of combo updaters one at a time, in sequence. "Combo updaters," by contrast, are like non-stop express buses, and can take one from 10.5.0 to 10.5.8 in a single bound. Combo updaters are usually much larger than their smaller counterparts, but more thorough and well-written. For any Mac OS X update, I always recommend taking the time to visit Apple's web site directly and download the "combo updater," even if it means waiting a few weeks for it to be released. Combo updaters have a long history of being both more reliable and stable than their quick-change delta counterparts.

Managing Software Updaters

A good general rule I suggest to all my clients is the creation of a special "Installer & Updater" folder somewhere on their computer, usually in the "Downloads" file or in a "Public" folder so that it is available other machines on the local network. By putting all shareware installers and updaters in one place, they are easy to find, and only need to be downloaded once. Most updaters take the form of a disk image ".dmg" file and can easily be burned to CD, DVD or even mounted across the network. By having a single place for all updates and installers, software management is much simpler. Folks with many programs or responsible for programs across many machines may also wish to create a text list or spreadsheet showing what versions of what programs are on which machines, along with installation codes. When printed, such a list is very handy to have in the file folder or box containing original CD or DVD installation discs.

Paid Software Upgrades

"Updates" to a program are generally minor, while upgrades bring larger, often major changes.

Updates to the same version of a program are always free, but "upgrades" that bring major changes are usually purchased. Sometimes a vendor such as Intuit or Adobe will offer a discount for folks making such an upgrade, but one must always pay something. The jump from Office 2001 to 2004 was such an upgrade, as was the upgrade from 2004 to 2008. Similarly for updates from Adobe CS2 to CS3 or from iWork '08 to iWork '09. Such paid upgrades almost always involve purchasing a physical box with installation CD or DVD's, and it is important to save those physical parts, along with the installation codes that come with them.

Apple has always charged for full-version upgrades. In recent years, Mac OS X Jaguar 10.2 was replaced by Panther 10.3 for $129. Tiger 10.4 and Leopard 10.5 were both $129 (with a five home-computer "family pack" at $199), while 10.6 "Snow Leopard" was only thirty bucks. If you purchase a full-step upgrade as Mac OS X, it is important to save the install discs, because they are used to repair your OS or for other tasks, such as directory fixes or password recovery.

Most companies have a fairly predictable "product release cycle," usually from 12-24 months. Both Microsoft and Adobe are expected to release new versions of their programs in 2010, and sometimes it makes sense to watch those schedules, either to purchase the new version or make sure that you can get a copy of an older version that runs on your hardware. Usually a software vendor will only support any given product one or two versions back, which can be an issue for some people when the product is marked for "end of life" or "obsolete." Ouch!

How Long is Too Long? How Far Is Too Far?

So how long should you plan to keep your computer or a particular version of a program? That depends on what it is you do or want to do. Odds are good that your computer does everything now that it did the day you bought it, and if that is enough, great! Don't buy a new car if a tank of gas will do. For clients who really love a particular machine (or have a machine that cannot be replaced for other reasons) I will often suggest they acquire a few "organ donors" or "parts cars" to keep in reserve for spare parts. For most folks, though, I offer the following guidelines to get the most possible life out of a given machine.

Upgrade RAM to as much as the machine will hold
Use external drives to move unneeded files off the boot drive
Replace the boot drive to keep at least one third of it unused
Add PCI cards and external drives to add functionality
Upgrade the Mac OS no further than two versions from what shipped

If you purchased an iMac with Mac OS 10.2 Jaguar, for example, I would suggest maxing out the RAM and upgrading the hard drive, but not planning to upgrade beyond Mac OS 10.4 Tiger. Upgrading all those things will cost a small portion of the original purchase price, and probably extend the useful life of the machine two or three years. Fighting to improve its performance beyond that is simply not cost effective in most cases, as I once proved by putting $4000 worth of repairs into an $800 car.

Planning For Obsolescence and "Tech Refresh" Cycles

Modern electronics are largely designed to be disposable, which is deeply annoying. More relevant for computers, however, is the rapid expansion of technology and the increased things that we expect of our computers. Ten years ago, almost no one had high-speed Internet at home, if they had Internet at all. Today, people are watching movies on their computers and performing video chat across social networks. The performance of ten-year-old computers did not decrease, but our expectations of our computers increased appreciably.

My general suggestion for businesses is to plan to replace every new computer every five years or so. For my own business, where my laptop gets heavy use, I budget to replace equipment every three years, as the AppleCare extended warranty expires. Some low-demand servers may be five or even ten years old, but the general rule to budget a replacement every 3-5 years is a good one for almost every situation. Sometimes accountants will want to amortize machines for longer periods, but that is not realistic, and it is a nuisance to have to account for obsolete machines in a back room somewhere. You will be happier and more productive if you can budget to replace your computer at least every five years, and perhaps all software with it.

"Upgrade" Horror Stories

Buying something new is not always a good idea, and sales people may or may understand all the moving parts in any system. Mac users had some major issues with the transition from Mac OS 9 to OS X years ago, and Microsoft so badly bungled their transition from Windows XP to Vista that they effectively ended up "leapfrogging" their own major release to focus on "Windows 7" last month, with fingers crossed. Sometimes a planned "upgrade" can create a cascade of other problems, such as when people purchased Apple computers with Intel chips that could no longer run "Classic" programs or quickly went to Snow Leopard without checking for incompatible programs or plug-ins. There are a variety of web sites such as Macintouch or the Snow Leopard Compatibility Wiki, but I generally encourage folks to wait a few weeks after any new machine or program ships to let others find the tricks and traps of the bleeding-edge shake-out cruisers. Quality assurance testing has advanced appreciably in the last ten years, but no one can foresee all possibilities, and even monkeys fall from trees.

Useful Sites for SW Updates and Hardware Upgrades

First-Tier Software Update Sites

One-stop shopping sites for versions and updates

MacUpdate.com for a variety of programs
VersionTracker.com also has a great list of programs
Pure-Mac.com remains a terrific resource

Major commercial update sites, by company

Adobe product updates
Apple's support downloads
FileMaker software updaters
Microsoft Mac downloads
Open-source products from GetFireFox.com, Open Office and NeoOffice

Online resources for hardware upgrades and repairs

Low End Mac machine profiles
iFixIt.comhas terrific take-apart manuals
Other World Computing has been a reliable supplier for years
RamJet is my preferred vendor for memory
iResQ.com is a terrific mail-in depot-repair facility
PowerBook Medic also has done good work for me

Help with Computer and Technology Planning

If you would like help evaluating your current computers and technology, to come up with a better maintenance and upgrade plan, please consider phoning MacRory.com at (360) 666-7679.

We can help you make the most of what you have, eliminate redundant equipment and streamline operations to increase pleasure, decrease frustration and improve productivity. Whether that means an update, an upgrade or a redesign, this is what we have been doing since 1998.

Happy computing!

Approve Washington Referendum 71 by 3 Nov 2009

2009-10-11T20:00:00Z

Referendum 71 Pro: Bill Protects Rights of Domestic Partners, Including Heterosexuals

By Rory Bowman, The Columbian, Sunday, October 11, p. C7.

Born and raised in Clark County as a fourth-generation Washingtonian, I was brought up to treat people fairly. Not everyone will be as successful or happy as everyone else, but everyone should have the same opportunities. It is for this reason that I support Referendum 71 to preserve rights for state-registered domestic partners.

Opponents of Referendum 71 like to claim that it is about "gay marriage," but clearly it is not. The ballot title explicitly says "a domestic partnership is not a marriage," and taking away the rights of people who are not married (or cannot marry) does nothing to help families or seniors.

To enter a domestic partnership in Washington, at least one partner must be 62 or older, unless both partners are of the same sex. Domestic partners must live together (unlike married couples) and the purpose of the law is to provide mutual support, such as in a medical crisis. Domestic partners are allowed to speak for each other in medical emergencies, have access to health records, authorize organ donation, approve an autopsy or accept possession of a loved one’s body for burial.

Nothing in the domestic partnership law addresses the issue of sexual relations, and most registered domestic partners are 50 or older, regardless of gender.

Who then enters into domestic partnerships, and why? Many of us know older couples here in Clark County who care for each other but for legal reasons are not married. Perhaps it is a pair of old friends who are the only family the other has left. Perhaps it is a widow who would forever lose most of her Social Security, were she to remarry. Perhaps it’s a retiree whose health benefits or private pension would be lost with remarriage. Perhaps it is a devout Catholic who would be denied communion, were they to remarry. And yes, perhaps it is a gay or lesbian couple, who have been together for many years and would like to die that way.

Who among us would deny these people the protection and comforts that a domestic partnership brings them? In the eyes of the law, these people are almost strangers. Domestic partnerships help fix that.

The list of those in Southwest Washington who have stood up in support of Referendum 71 is a long one. From congregations such as Kol Ami and the Community of Welcoming Congregations to the YWCA, ACLU, Democratic party and unions; from firefighters to teachers to psychologists to the SEIU and Children’s Home Society. Large employers in the state endorse 71, including Boeing, Microsoft, and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Dozens of cities and newspapers stand in support of Referendum 71, as do scores of politicians such as Craig Pridemore, Jim Moeller, Steve Stuart, Pat Campbell and Pat Jollota. In passing the domestic partnership laws that they have, our state legislators have taken care to respect and protect marriage. This is how domestic partnership has won the support of mainstream groups such as the Washington Senior Citizens Lobby, a statewide coalition that includes the AARP.

Nothing in Referendum 71 affects anyone’s marriage, but much of it protects seniors and families right here in Clark County. Perhaps this is why recent polls by the University of Washington and Western Washington University show two-thirds support for domestic partnerships across the political mainstream. Your approval of Referendum 71 is a vote in support of fairness for 12,000 Washington domestic partners already registered.

Referendum 71 is about domestic partnerships, basic fairness for seniors and same-sex couples. By making it simpler for committed households to care for each other, we create a happier and healthier state.

Protect families. Support seniors. Approve Referendum 71.

Rory Bowman is a Vancouver computer consultant and a local team captain for "Approve 71" (www.approvereferendum71.org).

Upgrade Your Community at CREAM Vancouver

2009-09-07T20:00:00Z

Habitat Re-Stores Divert Used Materials for Good

For those who are not familiar, Habitat for Humanity is a charity popularized by Jimmy Carter which helps build homes for low-income families to own. As part of this they have pioneered a series of recycling centers called Re-Stores, where usable building materials are donated and diverted from the waste stream. Rather than going into landfills, these valuable materials are resold at bargain prices, the profits from these sales going to help build more homes. It is a wonderful model, and one that Martin is adapting for computer equipment.

Clark County Diverts Computers, Provides Education

Originally a waste-diversion program in Clark County, the new Upgrade Your Community component at CREAM expands the program considerably. By creating a partnership between Waste Connections, Clark County, the CIty of Vancouver, Salvation Army, Clark College and Habitat for Humanity, the new store will divert electronics and computers from the waste-stream and use the profits to offer free computer classes and facilities to the community. Part of this is a series of classes, as listed on their web site, beginning in August of 2009.

MacRory.com Classes at CREAM

A former public-school teacher, I have always been an advocate for community education, offering free and low-cost classes since 1998 through organizations such as the Portland Macintosh Users Group, the Senior Computer Learning Center, Vancouver Parks and Recreation, and more. The ability to do this on a regular basis in a dedicated facility is amazing, and I hope that many others join me in using this terrific resource. I myself plan to offer a few free classes each month, and to try and organize a "free clinic" for Mac users. As I offer more classes through this program, I shall use this page to post links to relevant files or handouts. I hope that I will see at Upgrade Your Community education center soon!

For Further Information

Upgrade Your Community Education Center

5000 East Fourth Plain Blvd, Suite E101
Vancouver, WA 98661
http://upgradeyourcommunity.org/education.html
(360) 735-0888

Links to Files MacRory Class Files

A simple place to put links to resources I shall use in my classes at Upgrade Your Community.

Sign-up form using gDoc forms
Linked In for Job Seekers text file, August 2009
Internet Basics Diagram 2009, Fall 2009
Videos on Google Docs and gDoc collaboration
Google Docs Word Processing as a web page
Google Docs Spreadsheets as a web page with sample form
Google Docs Presentations
Google Apps for Non-Profits
Social Networking for Small Business

Social Networking for Business 2009

2009-08-07T20:00:00Z

There has been a lot of buzz lately about "social media" and other "web 2.0" technologies that can supposedly "change the way we do business" and all that. A lot of it is hype and nonsense, of course, but there are still useful and serious ways that small businesses, groups and individuals can use services such as Linked In, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and media-sharing through Flickr or YouTube to improve their visibility and make themselves more accessible and useful to clients. The trick is in understanding what business purpose social media fulfills and not wasting time on things that don't have a clear business purpose.

As a general rule, social media is most useful when it serves the same purpose as newsletters or small advertisements have done in conventional, brick-and-mortar business. Understand where you are saying something, to whom, and why.

Have a Purpose to Your Presence

In helping real-world businesses think about and deploy social media it is vital that one understand the business: what the product is, the market, how that market thinks and what message one wants to convey. In the mid 1990's, for example, many people thought that they needed a web site, and hundreds of them spent thousands of dollars on nonsense to become "modern." During this time I turned down a number of folks who wanted web sites because I did not think it made sense for them to have one when they could not answer two simple questions: (1) what business purpose does a web site serve and (2) what is the very next thing you want a client to do upon visiting your web site?

If one cannot answer these questions of market, business purpose and result, I recommend you not deploy any sort of social media.

Top of Mind, Easy to Find, Trusted Advisors

In general there are three things that almost every business wants from social media, all of which are related to accessibility and credibility. First is presence, to be "top of mind." Coca-cola does not spend hundreds of millions each year because people have not heard of them, but because they want to be foremost in our thoughts. The first vendor one thinks of when a need comes up is at the top of the customer's mind, making the customer more likely to initiate a transaction. Once the customer thinks of you, the second key thing is that you are "easy to find" with an Internet or local search. By listing oneself on a few social media sites (with a web site and phone number) one dramatically increases one's chance of being found. Once they find you, though, why should they bother? The third key thing is to use social media over time to establish oneself as a "trusted advisor." Through blog posts and occasional, carefully-considered updates, a business or individual can dramatically increase their credibility and usefulness in a way that draws clients and opportunities in the future by increasing the value of the Internet today.

Understanding the Tools of Social Networking

"Social media" is a sub-set of various "web 2.0" technologies which focus on creating connections between and amongst a variety of user-generated content. For a business, this makes it is easier to share information on the Internet without understanding the technical aspects of writing HTML or scripting, as well as to keep in touch with colleagues in a non-invasive way as time allows. Social networking tools include sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and Linked In, each of which has its own idiosyncracies and uses.

MySpace is for Teens, Bands & Comics

MySpace was an early break-out site which has always suffered from a variety of social and technical problems. The technical problems are not worth going into, but the site is mechanically unreliable and untrustworthy. Socially, MySpace is primarily used by bands, comedians and very young people who largely use it as a free and easy way to put up a web site to exchange notes with other MySpace friends. Unless you are a stand-up comedian, a band, or your business requires extensive connection to this demographic, I would never recommend MySpace. From 2007 on, the primary use of MySpace has been to establish one's identity through a simple presence which points elsewhere. The less time one spends in creating a MySpace "profile" the better.

Facebook Business "Pages" (not Profiles) for Business

Facebook was originally more selective than MySpace and has always been more sophisticated and stable. Initially encouraging people to use their real names and building from a moderately elite group of college students and faculty, Facebook had more users, with better demographics and more stability. In many ways Facebook has been able to do what Friendster hoped to do, and has a logical business plan. I encourage business users who wish to establish a personal profile on Facebook to do so, for social contacts, but to create a separate Facebook "page" for their business, and to use that for business visibility.

Facebook "pages" and "groups" are very much *not* personal profiles, and can be used to broadcast information about one's business to Facebook users (of which there are millions) or (in the case of organizations) to encourage interaction among Facebook users. Facebook profiles, groups and pages all allow the sharing of "notes," "links," "events," pictures and videos. A Facebook page is like a web page, primarily for Facebook users, and businesses can easily use it as a way to broadcast information about business events such as presentations, new products or sales. Behind the scenes, it also provides demographic information on "fans" and allows demographically-targeted notices. Since Facebook users tend to be socially and geographically focused, a page where customers can become "fans" makes a lot of sense for local, service-oriented businesses. It tends to be less relevant for other businesses, but may be incorporated into a general marketing strategy.

Linked In as a Resumé Hub for Other Connections

Early on I referred to LinkedIn.com as "MySpace for grown-ups" and the primary use of Linked In is to post one's resume and develop contacts to other professionals one knows "in real life." One can ask for and give recommendations for others, much as one would leverage personal contacts for a job search or at a cocktail party. Linked In has superb penetration in search engine results, and is the single resource I suggest for job seekers and small business owners for whom name-recognition and "findability" is key. Unlike focused "job boards" such as Monster, Linked In has a variety of professional groups one can take part in as one chooses, and options to post links to other resources such as online "google doc" presentations or professional-presence pages such as professional blogs where one can provide short and relevant reviews or articles. Linked In "status updates" can be used to highlight professional events or tell others of relevant professional resources in a non-intrusive way that helps to increase professional credibility.

Twitter and the Proper Place of "Tweets"

As one of the newer technologies, micro-blogging tools such as Twitter are relatively new, but I suggest that most businesses use them as they might radio or print advertising: for occasional updates on special events. To think of Twitter as a very short newsletter is best for most businesses, in my judgement, and a Twitter feed should almost always be linked to Facebook status if there is a Facebook page, with Tweets providing links to other resources (such as an online calendar or blog article) if possible. The primary value of Twitter at the moment is (A) to remind people of one's existence, (B) providing timely reminders of special events and (C) sending traffic to more substantive resources or updates. I absolutely discourage personal use of Twitter or direct messaging for most business users.

Industry-Specific Sites

There are some professions or professional organizations where common directories exist, and it is always a good idea to take advantage of those. Local Harvest is a free directory that showcases agricultural businesses, for example, while state bar associations also list lawyers. There may be other organizations you are part of and if these are real directories that you feel your colleaugues, clients or customers might actually use to look for you, take the time to create a basic profile there, especially if it can be used to point toward your main web presence. Generally I discourage people from taking part in "pay to play" directories, as these are mostly a waste of money, but you probably know your industry better than I.

Blog Technology

If there is an uglier word than "blog" in modern English, I don't know it, and the associations that it brings are almost as ugly. When I use the term "blog" I am referring to the technology behind web pages that makes it possible for ordinary people to quickly create web content through a combination of SQL databases, scripting and CSS. For most people "blog" means a self-indulgent diary, and understanding the difference between these two things is crucial to using blogs intelligently for business purposes.

Although blog technology can be used for puerile narcissism on sites such as LiveJournal and DiaryLand, it is also used quite usefully by serious publications such as the New York Times, O'Reilly and CNET. For small groups, individuals and businesses, blog technology and sites such as Blogspot, Wordpress and TypePad are far and away the simplest way to establish web pages, simply by removing obvious date references, and each technology has its advantages. Much of the content your business has already created can be productively repurposed for a blog.

Blogspot Is Simple, With Many Solid Widgets

Blogspot is owned by Google and makes it very easy for individuals to begin writing on any subject that interests them, while providing rich multimedia tie-ins to other sites such as Flickr or content hosted through Google Docs or YouTube. Blogspot does this through various code plug-ins it calls "widgets" and Blogspot is a very useful tool for business folks who wish to easily present a series of educational essays or pointers toward trends within an industry. The sorts of things one would publish in a newsletter lend themselves quite nicely to blog posts, and the ability to post pictures makes them an excellent way to publicize events or sales. Consultants and others who need to educate the public about a given topic, point out good articles or books that help people understand the value that they bring might also benefit greatly from blogspot's technology. Blogs are a terrific way to repurpose a variety of content that one is already creating, and archive it in a place where it continues to build web hits and value, demonstrating one's skill and abilities over time. The trick is to use the blog to store and promote material that is timely or has already been created, not to add one more task to an already-busy business day.

WordPress is Versatile, Static and Widely Deployed

WordPress is a widely-used platform for many bloggers, and can be installed on most web servers or hosted commercially through services such as Yahoo or GoDaddy. To help familiarize people with the technology WordPress also provides free accounts at WordPress.com, and web pages created with WordPress are all the web presence that many small businesesses need. WordPress is designed in a way that makes it very easy for web developers who understand CSS to change the "look and feel" of a WordPress site in a way that makes it difficult for non-technical people to even recognize where the pages come from.

Other Options such as TypePad and Movable Type Exist

TypePad is the commercially-hosted version of Movable Type, and a venerable choice for individuals such as authors or speakers. I am very fond of Movable Type as a back-end for business web pages and keep my own blog site with this technology, although WordPress is more popular.

Support Sites for Media Hosting

Most businesses won't benefit from hosting large numbers of pictures or videos, but if your business might, sites such as Flickr and YouTube allow you to post and host these easily, whence they can be referenced or embedded in other web pages or blogs. Realtors, artists, instructors, hairdressers, landscapers and event planners are just a few of the professions that might.

In addition to posting albums that showcase your products or present terrific "before and after" examples, some professions (such as language, music or physical instruction) may benefit from an occasional video or audio podcast. If yours is one, GarageBand comes bundled with every new Mac and provides a simple way to create and share podcasts with the public. iMovie can also be used to create videos and presentations to share online, although other tools may be better for more static presentations.

Another simple way to use YouTube is simply as a pointer to content created by others. Even if your business only has a single, 45-second commercial to post to YouTube, you can still use other features such as YouTube "favorites" to provide links for your customers and clients to other, relevant and useful content.

Google Apps, Docs, Sites and Calendars

I have written of various "Google apps" before but it is worth mentioning both Google Docs and Google Calendars again. If your business or professional is such that a calendar of events or available times might be useful to embed on your web site, Google calendars provide an easy way to do so. If you find yourself creating presentations for clients or to showcase a particular project, process or property, "Google docs" and particularly the presentation module are a simple way to create an online presentation which can be embedded in a web page or used as a stand-alone. My own Linked In profile, for example, includes a basic Google presentation as well as links to my blog, which occasionally incorporates Google documents.

Use of gCals, gDocs and hosted media such as YouTube or Flickr is a simple and inexpensive way to leverage social media as multimedia, as are various aspects of Facebook for those with Facebook groups or pages.

Tying It All Together: Some Examples

However one chooses to deploy social media, it is important to have a schedule and a plan. I personally don't recommend that any business owner spend more than thirty minutes per week on social media. Jobseekers and those who are actively recruiting for work may spend much more, but it is vital to not do things that may be seen as unprofessional or distract you from a clear business purpose. If you understand who you are and exactly why you are deploying social media, this discipline will be much simpler. Remember the two questions of (1) what business purpose does it serve and (2) what do you want people to do just after contact. Does what you are doing make you more visible and credible? If not, I would suggest you not do it as any part of your business' social networking strategy.

What your social networking strategy looks like will vary dramatically depending on what sort of business you have, but generally I suggest physically diagramming whatever strategy you have and to understand (A) where you want to be, (B) where you want to send people, (C) why and (D) how. Toward this, I suggest that people identify one or two clear targets, deploying other sites as "feeders" for this site or as media support. Below are four examples of ways that I have advised clients to deploy social networking in support of their business.

Social Media for the Job Seeker

Someone who has recently been laid off or is otherwise looking for a job will use social media differently and I would usually suggest some combination of Linked In, Facebook and perhaps a blog. Facebook helps you connect with friends and schoolmates so that you can project a positive image and make people who care about you aware of your job search. That is all. Make sure that your Facebook profile is very positive, restricted or both, and if you are on Facebook at all, be certain that there are no pictures there you would not sitting out on your desk at work.

Linked In is a useful web site for job seekers because it was designed for professional networking. At its most basic level, a Linked In profile allows you to post a resume, but it can also be used to showcase other aspects of your professional life in a way that draws inquiries or interviews. Linked In encourages connections with past colleagues and makes it easy to give and receive recommendations. There are professional organizations where one can demonstrate one's skill and knowledge, but don't spend too much time there that could better be spent on work. Linked In also has the option to provide links to other web sites, blogs and even videos or Google doc presentations. How many of these are appropriate to you depends on many things, but a Linked In profile is a very simple way to brush up one's resume and stay connected. Even if one is currently employed or not looking, a Linked In resume helps to begin accumulating connections and recommendations now, for established presence and more credibility later.

If one is a knowledge worker of some kind, a professional blog might also be worth establishing. A health worker, massage therapist or teacher may wish to post general wellness articles or book reviews, as a way to keep themselves in the public eye, providing extra value to established clients and giving them a simple way to refer others to them. Even if one only updates the blog a few times each year, it can become a helpful resource to others and something of an online portfolio.

Social Media for a Grocery Store or Cafe

A physical store without any substantive web presence should probably begin with a Facebook page or blog, depending on their clientele. If the clientele is already on Facebook, start there and begin to develop connections as your current customers become "fans." Photos of sales and events can be shared, as well as store hours and events. A Twitter feed can be created to streamline "status updates" and the goal here is simply to become "top of mind" and part of folks' cognitive landscape.

When someone searches for you or your business online, what do they find? Make sure that it includes your phone number, store address and hours. A basic blog may contain little more than directions and store hours and still be a valuable resource. Usually the sort of questions that people ask when they phone are good to answer online and taking the time to post those in one stable and good place is time well spent.

Social Media for Professional Trainers

For a company that does professional trainings to Fortune 500 corporations I recently suggested that they have staff remove most mentions of the company from Facebook pages and instead post substantive resumes and a company profile online, where it is easier to network professionally and they can begin to accumulate testimonials and recommendations. The reason for this was their audience. I also suggested a single company blog with multiple authors, which could be linked to various Linked In profiles. When the strength of your business case is the quality of your people and their resumes, put those all out there in a way that makes them easy to find and connect. Showcase them where clients are likely to look, and avoid primarily social sitses such as Facebook and deeply unprofessional sites such as MySpace.

Social Media for Mixed Martial Arts

In the case of a Mixed Martial Arts gym, my advice was exactly the opposite. After creating a basic web page I suggested that they put their class schedule onto a Google calendar where a link could be posted so that folks can always see what is going on. Since their demographic is largely young people, I suggested they configure a MySpace profile (a standard in their industry) and a FaceBook page where news of upcoming events (and photos of past ones) could easily be posted. Huge parts of the MMA experience are social, and young people tend to use their phones for all sorts of things. A Twitter feed can be used to announce changes in the schedule, which are automatically forwarded to the gym's Facebook page, saving time all around.

Have A Plan

By considering the value and purpose of social networking tools, you can avoid wasting a huge amount of time, and deploy them in a way that helps your business. In summary I suggest that all business users consider a few basic questions.

What business purpose does this technology serve?
Who is our market or the audience for this content?
What do we want them to do immediately upon receiving it?
Is the content useful?
Does the content make us easier to find?
Does it make us more credible?
Does the content remind them of us in a professional way?

If one doesn't know or understand the answers to those questions, I would suggest a thoughtful pause.

A Super-Simplified Presentation to Share

Some Good Examples

Ruhl Bee Supply uses Twitter masterfully
Burgerville and Alberta Co-op's Facebook page cover all the basics
People's chose a Facebook group instead.
Vancouver Food Network's YouTube favorites
Urban Farm Store embeds a terrific Google calendar
Glenn Grossman's Blogspot helps transform Clark County agriculture
Author Susie Bright promotes everything through TypePad
Urban Farm School makes terrific use of WordPress
I try to make my own Linked In profile a good example

What sort of ways can you use social networking and media to be more useful to current and future customers?

Social Networking Strategy and Deployment

If you would care to schedule an appointment to discuss the possibilities of social media and how it might be intelligently deployed in a logical way to help your business, please consider phoning MacRory for a consultation at (360) 666-7679.

Google Docs at PMUG General Meeting, 13 July 2009

2009-07-07T20:00:00Z

One of the most interesting developments in software for small businesses over the past two years have been various "web 2.0" technologies such as blog software and "software as a service" options for collaboration such as Google Docs. These have the potential to change the way we work as much as local networks or the Internet did, and so I think it is important to help people learn about them, since these technologies offer amazing tools for students, educators, community groups and even people who don't own their own computers.

As part of my goal to make folks more aware of these I plan to do several free presentations over the next few months. The first of these will be at the general meeting of the Portland Macintosh Users Group at 7pm on Monday, July 13, 2009. Please consider joining us at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center "Ecotrust Building" at 721 NW Ninth Avenue, Portland OR 97209.

Demonstration Documents for the Presentation

During the presentation I will make reference to a variety of links, which I'll include below.

Link for questions during the presentation
The slideshow itself
A sandbox document for folks to play with.
A sample word processing document
Spreadsheet to summarize and demonstrate with

An Embedded Google Doc Presentation

Examples of Other Google Docs

Progress graph for a food cooperative, showing a graph and use of comments
MacRory 101 presentation I use to introduce my business to new clients, and which I embed as part of my LinkedIn.com profile

Connecting Wirelessly with Mac OS X

2009-06-07T20:00:00Z

One of the more common questions I hear is how complicated it is to connect a computer wirelessly, but "connecting wirelessly" can mean a variety of different things. Most wireless technologies use radio waves of some sort, and almost all can be used with Mac OS X.

Different Wireless Connections

Just as there are different kinds of cables and wired connections, so there are different kinds of wireless connections. Some are used to connect devices to your computer, and some can be used for Internet connectivity. None is as fast as the wired alternatives, and all are prone to security concerns, range problems or interference.

Infrared Connections

The earliest form of wireless connections for most Macs was infrared, and this is still used by the iPod-style Apple Remote, which can be used to control your Mac at a distance for viewing media through the Front Row application or to work with slide presentations in Keynote. Infrared is the same technology used by most television remote controls and connections are limited in range and line-of-sight. Before the introduction of Bluetooth, infrared was also used to "tether" some cellular telephones to laptops, allowing for mobile Internet, but this technique is rarely used today.

Short-Range Wireless before Bluetooth

Some wireless keyboards and mice will use a special "USB dongle" that communicates only with those devices.

Bluetooth "Personal Wireless Networks"

Bluetooth is an open standard intended primarily for peripherals and mobile devices within a "personal wireless network." All current Macs ship with bluetooth built in and bluetooth is used for short-range wireless peripherals such as Apple's wireless mice and keyboards. Bluetooth is also commonly used for headsets and telephones, and some new automobiles have bluetooth integration built in. Bluetooth is less commonly used to connect printers and PDA's, with effective range for most bluetooth devices twenty feet or less.

For security and to avoid confusion and interference, many bluetooth devices must be "paired" with each other, and Mac OS X includes a "bluetooth setup assistant" which can be accessed through the system preferences for "network" and small local area networks can be configured for file sharing.

802.11 Airport or "Wi-Fi" Wireless Area Networks

For Internet connectivity, the most widely-used type of network is 802.11 "wi-fi," referred to as Airport within the Apple brand. Wi-fi is commonly used in offices and public "hot spots" where the wi-fi "base station" or "wireless sharing hub" is connected to an existing high-speed Internet connection. Although early versions of the Airport base station included a modem port for connecting to an ISP, this is almost never used today. The analogy I usually make is to a wireless telephone, as compared to a cell phone. Just as a wireless telephone does no good without a telephone line to connect it to, so a wifi connection cannot be used without another ISP of some sort.

Every Mac for the past several years has shipped with Airport built-in, and so can be used to create an ad-hoc network or to share an Internet connection from one Mac to other computers through wi-fi. This feature is turned on or off in the Mac OS 10.5 preference pane for "sharing."

Cellular Networks, Such as Edge or 3G

Since cellular phones are telephones, they have long been usable as telephone modems, although early cell-phone connections were so slow that this was often painful. Using a cell-phone as an Internet connection for the computer is commonly called "tethering" and can be done with a physical cable or over bluetooth, depending on the telephone. Other options include built-in Internet connections such as those on "smart phones" such as the Palm Pre, Blackberry or iPhone. The fastest among these is currently the third-generation "3G" networks for the latest iPhone, which in the Portland area are available through AT&T or T-Mobile's Edge networks.

For those who wish to connect to cellular networks directly from their computers, AT&T and T-Mobile both offer small USB "dongles" which plug into the USB port on a computer, effectively functioning as USB modems. Usually these require a separate "data plan" with the mobile phone company, such plans usually starting at around $25 per month, and can be much more. High-speed connections are usually only available in urban areas, but slower connections are available in most areas where there is cell-phone coverage.

WiMax (sold as Clear in the Portland area)

"WiMax" is a microwave technology, heavily marketed in Portland under the brand-name "Clear." One signs up for it as one would for cell-phone service, either using a fixed receiver or a portable USB dongle that plugs into one's computer. WiMax speeds are comparable to DSL and prices start at around $35 per month.

First available in January of 2009, WiMax is sometimes called "4G" and is appreciably faster than 3G. USB dongles for the Mac became available in summer of 2009 for approximately $50 and Sprint has announced plans to tap into this network, which is only available within the core urban area.

Satellite Internet

The most expensive option for wireless Internet is satellite Internet, with much faster "download" than upload speeds, which begin at around $60 per month, primarily in rural areas or for recreational vehicles.

Professional Ethics in Macintosh Consulting

2009-05-07T20:00:00Z

I recently had the unfortunate experience of cleaning up after another "Macintosh consultant" who, by all evidence, seems to have misled and taken advantage of a client. Things were not set up according to standard practices, equipment was purchased but not delivered, passwords and configuration information was not documented, and the entire relationship seemed designed to keep the client dependent. This prompted me to think back on my own code of ethics, and appreciate the role ethics plays in all I do.

Codes of Ethics and Why They Matter

Most codes of ethics are developed and adopted by professional associations as a way to police themselves. Therapists and lawyers have codes of ethics, as do librarians, CPA's and doctors. These are distinct from legal statute and regulation in that they function primarily as guidelines enforced by professional censure, not law. Since computer consultants have technical certifications but no special governmental licensing, it is something of a wild west. Anyone can call themselves a "computer consultant" and there is scant recourse for deceptive practices.

One of the great ironies of trustworthy people is that, for the most part, they don't expect you to trust them. They welcome second opinions, questions and challenges, as a way to demonstrate their reasoning and competence. A good code of ethics and the "best practices" it encourages not only protect the client against incompetence and graft, but also provide a set of guidelines to encourage more professional practice. Almost every professional organization I have ever been part of has some code of ethics, as I do for myself in my business.

Key Aspects of Ethical Responsibility

Each organization phrases its code of ethics, generally, but some things are common to almost all code of ethics.

Duty of Competence

An ethical consultant is technically competent, and never misrepresents their skill or abilities. My own rule of thumb is that I try never to undertake any task that I don't feel I have a two-thirds or better chance of completing sucessfully. If a task is outside my normal scope of practice or experience, I refer it to someone else or tell the client that it is a borderline case so that they can decide. The duty of competence also requires that the consultant stay abreast of developments and have a program for testing and improving their skills, through continuing education and periodic certification.

Duty of Honesty

Implicit in the duty of competence is the duty of honesty, of being forthright with the client as to the options available and our own best judgement as to the the likely success or utility of any option. Frequently I have counseled clients out of plans that would have been financially beneficial to me, but were not in the client's long-term interest. If asked for my personal opinion, I will usually give it, but my professional duty is to honestly convey the technical issues as I understand them in a way the client can understand, and not to intimidate or bedazzle them with jargon. Clear and accurate communication is crucial.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

An ethical consultant understands exactly who they are working for, and clarifies that as necessary. Referral fees are a common thing in the computer industry, whereby someone pays a commission or kickback to another for recommending or delivering a customer. I tend not to take part in these at any level, or to disclose relationships when they exist. When recommending other vendors or options I usually try to provide at least three quality options, rather than substituting my preferences for the client's best judgement.

A lot of retail stores have service departments whose primary job seems to be selling new boxes of equipment or software, or creating a dependency relationship where the client doesn't really have an option to go elsewhere. This is one of the reasons I do not deal in hardware or software sales, although I am happy to recommend multiple vendors or to purchase things at reimbursement cost only.

If I get a kickback for selling Microsoft Office or am expected to sell a certain number of Mobile Me subscriptions, it is more difficult to be honest and "think outside the box" for the best long-term interests of the client.

Respect for Privacy and Duty of Confidentiality

Because I am often invited into people's homes and necessarily come into contact with their private data, it is important for me to be circumspect in what I notice and absolutely discreet in what I say. It always delights me when two clients whom I know are acquainted find out (after several years) that they share me as a computer consultant. If I work for you, that is between you and I, and I do not share that fact with others. If the courts would like to subpoena my testimony, they are welcome to do so, but otherwise it is my professional duty to respect and protect your privacy, including business information and processes.

Legal Compliance

It may seem odd to have to say, but I try to obey the law. This means that I will not help you to pirate software or support illegal software. Although I am happy to help you monitor computer use for your minor children, in Oregon (where there are no community-property laws) I will not help you to spy on your spouse or break the encryption on a wireless network to get free Internet. There are often technical ways to accomplish what you want to do within the law, but please don't expect me to help you break the law. Just because something is technically possible does not mean it is legal or ethical, and I am glad to explain what I will do, what I won't do, and why.

There is a dramatically lower expectation of privacy in workplace situations, of course, but those are best addressed in advance through clear terms of use and consistently communicated standards. I don't want to embarrass anyone and am happy, of course, to help you understand how better to protect your own privacy, both online and off.

Preserving Client's Independence and Autonomy

Every technician or professional has ways that they prefer to do things, but there are also "standard practices" and ways of doing things that are generally accepted and understood. In performing work for a client, I have a responsibility to do so in a way that will be clear to other professionals and which does not make the client dependent on me or my special knowledge to access your own data. As much as possible, I do not not want to know your passwords and I want to leave documentation so that another technician who may come after me will understand what I have done. If someone else can do something less expensively or more competently than I can, I will refer you to them or at least make you aware of this. You may choose to go with me for various reasons, but it is crucial that you make an independent and informed choice. A client's data is the client's data, and the client should always have full access to their own data and an understanding of how it is stored.

Client hardware and property (including data) should never be taken off-site without the client's knowledge and permission.

One Sample Code from 2001

Below is a code of ethics that I suggested to a local group of Macintosh consultants back in 2001. Modeled on the "Scout Law" of 1908, I think it covers all the basics.

TRUSTWORTHY: Macintosh Professionals preserve client confidentiality, observe the law, refuse bribes of any kind and disclose any possible conflicts of interest to their clients.
LOYAL: Macintosh Professionals place the client's best interests first, undertaking projects only within their expertise and referring clients to other professionals or vendors when that best serves the client.
HELPFUL: Macintosh Professionals work with others and help others improve their skills and abilities in all areas, for the good of humanity, the community, the individual and the Macintosh platform.
COMPETENT: Macintosh Professionals work to keep their skills current, stay abreast of new technologies and promote competence in all areas, openly admitting when things are outside their expertise and never misrepresenting their understanding of a subject, situation or problem.
THRIFTY: Macintosh Professionals work to preserve value of old and new equipment, so even older technology remains in use to make a positive difference.
REVERENT: Macintosh Professionals respect all individuals and do not discriminate based on race, gender, disability, religion or other lifestyle choices. We respect civil liberties, individual privacy, conscience and free speech in all its forms.

Other Codes of Ethics

In the 1984 film Repo Man, the character named Amphetamine Bob conveys a simple code: "I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof. Nor through inaction let that vehicle or the personal contents thereof come to harm," saying "That's what I call the Repo Code, kid. Don't forget it: Etch it in your brain. Not many people got a code to live by anymore." Below are a few of the other professional codes that inform my understanding of professional ethics.

American Library Association Code of Ethics
Code of ethics for the Project Management Institute
STC Rocky Mountain Chapter code of ethics for communicators
Independent Computer Consultants Association code of ethics.
Modified ACN code of ethics at MacSolv and MacTek

Other Considerations

There are other considerations of course, but these are the major points, and areas where another "consultant" had let their client down. When engaging a consultant, please consider asking them about their affiliations and code of ethics if those matter to you. I am always prepared to discuss and explain mine at (360) 666-7679.

Mobile Meh

2009-03-07T20:00:00Z

In summer of 2008 Apple announced that it would integrate various web services with the iPhone under the brand name "Mobile Me." Existing "dot Mac" (.Mac) customers were migrated in what was billed as "Exchange for the rest of us," but it didn't go well. Synchronization that that worked well under dot Mac became spotty, and things my clients relied upon were broken. Recognizing this, Apple gave all subscribers a few free months of service, and hoped that problems could be resolved. Not all were, though, and key parts of Mobile Me do not work for many subscribers, even today.

When it works, Mobile Me is terrific. When it doesn't, it can induce swearing or bring tears.

History of iTools, Dot Mac and Mobile Me

To understand the history of Mobile Me one has to go back to MacWorld 2000, when a free suite of tools including "Mac dot com" email accounts was launched for OS 9 as a way to showcase brand loyalty and reward Apple customers. Steve Jobs initially promised free email accounts and more, but this came to an end within two years, as more features were added and the service became a paid one, which emphasized online sharing. Under the new name of "Dot Mac," the subscription service made it easier to create and share a variety of web pages, from online "iCards" from one's own photos to web-page creation and hosting tools. Integration between iLife programs such as iPhoto and iMovie became tighter, and the primary market remained upscale home users who wanted a simple way to share multimedia content.

Synchronization and Sharing as Small Business Tools

More important to businesses, though, was the introduction of iSync, which allowed coordination of key data such as Safari Bookmarks, iCal and OS X Address Book data across multiple computers. This was a huge boon to many families and small businesses, in that it allowed just a few people to share and coordinate calendars across the Internet. Workgroups could now do three and a half useful things.

Synchronize with PDA's and share calendars across space
Share key files amongst distant locations with iDisk
Consolidate business contact information in Address Book
Share and coordinate Safari bookmarks to aid in projects

This was a great boon to a variety of my clients. A consultancy with three locations hundreds of miles apart could very easily share files, stay abreast of schedule changes and follow client contacts between all three, while storing key project files on their iDisk for collaboration. A family with two working parents and two teenagers could share calendars to stay abreast of each other while teaching the children basic scheduling skills. The contractor who worked on Macs at three different locations could have current data at all times, and co-workers could at the different locations could easily find them. For a few years, it was a terrific tool, but that changed with the iPhone and Mobile Me.

What Mobile Me is SUPPOSED to Do

The theory behind Mobile Me is brilliant, as was the goal of integrating the device with the iPhone. Using concepts of "software as a service" and decentralized notions of server-driven "cloud computing," Mobile Me was supposed to serve not only as a repository for data sent by individual devices, but also as a sort of air traffic controller. Any change on any device could be sent up to the Mobile Me "cloud" and then would be distributed like rain to other devices. Mimicking the behavior of Microsoft's temperamental server software, only with an individual focus, Mobile Me was supposed to be "Exchange for the rest of us." For those who have ever been charged with babysitting an Exchange server, this proved all too true.

Common Problems Since 2008

Since its debut in summer of 2008, Mobile Me has been plagued with problems, the most enduring of which are synchronization issues. The architectural change to "push" technology broke some things, which Apple immediately responded to by giving free months of service to all subscribers. After a few months of this, and continuing problems, Apple dropped all telephone support for Mobile Me and synchronization issues, essentially abandoning those customers for whom the service did not work. Given that some of these were my clients who had begun to rely on a service which HAD worked, this was an annoyance.

It is my estimate that approximately 10% of current Mobile Me accounts cannot synch properly, ever, and another 5% or so will synchronize sometimes but not others. The problem seems to be tied to the account itself rather than any given machine, and an affected account does not ever seem to get better. This has cost me dozens of hours in frustration and (with frustrated clients) is enough of an issue that I no longer recommend Mobile Me to anyone, warning them against possible future dangers the way I've previously warned against other tools such as the mail-destroying email suite from Microsoft. Fortunately, there are alternatives.

Workarounds and Alternatives on Mac OS 10.5

Since the late 1990's there have been a variety of online services which combined email, address books, calendars and task or memo lists. A popular "portal" strategy at the time, players in the space began with Yahoo but also included companies that have passed such as Excite and Go.Com. Of the first wave, only Yahoo remains, and Google is the dominant player at the moment, with its powerful suite of Google Apps including GMail and Google Calendar. Beginning with Mac OS 10.5, various combinations of these play well with iCal and Address Book.

OS X Synchronization with Yahoo Address Book

Although Yahoo's online tools work very well, it is possible to synchronize the Mac OS Address Book with Yahoo addresses, beginning with Mac OS 10.5. Simply open Address Book and within the general preferences choose to synchronize it with Yahoo address book. It will ask you for your Yahoo account and password information, and has worked remarkably well for over a year. A less robust application within Yahoo's current calendar beta also allows one to coordinate a single Yahoo calendar. Sharing of web links, files and calendars within a group may be done using Yahoo groups but only through a web browser.

iCal and Address Book Synchronization with Google

Google Apps provides the most robust integration with Address Book and iCal at present, with Mac OS 10.5.6 adding the option to synchronize directly with OS X's Address Book. iCal has long supported a variety of WebDAV calendars, including Google Calendars, and instructions for configuring those (along with their addresses) may be found in the "Calendar Address" section at the bottom of "Calendar Details" viewable from individual Google Calendar settings. With options to modify specific calendars "subscribe" to others and even "publish" some to the world, this makes a very useful group tool, indeed. File sharing and other collaboration can be done using Google Docs and Google Groups as well, and Google Apps is working to add more sophisticated mobile and shared-contact features.

Synchronize Directly to iPod, iTouch or iPhone with iTunes

One of the simplest alternatives to Mobile Me for the individual user, though, has long been embedded in iTunes. The last several generations of the iPod music player (including the iPhone and iTouch) have included a built-in ability to synchronize contacts and calendars to the device, making these music players a handy PDA. Most devices must be paired with a single user on a single machine, but with the iPhone and iTouch's ability to enter events directly into the device, this is for most folks a perfectly adequate replacement for the false promises of Mobile Me.

Spanning Sync Makes Google the "Cloud"

Yet another option is a piece of commercial software called Spanning Sync, which is explicitly designed to do what iSync used to do. By using Google servers as its central touchpoint, Spanning Sync aims to coordinate multiple computers and mobile devices at a one-time cost of $65 or for $25 for the first year, with a $15/year subscription thereafter.

Updates Since Original Posting

Updates to Mac OS have made CalDAV synchronization between Google Calendar and iCal much simpler, as detailed by Google. There is also improved CalDAV support for iPhones and iPod Touch devices.

For Further Information

Wikipedia history of Mobile Me and articles on WebDAV and the iCalendar format
An Apple support article which sometimes helps in 10.5
Instructions for Yahoo calendar sync from Yahoo and Glenn Scott
Google's Calaboration was the simplest tool for iCal integration, but the preferred solution is now CalDAV
Spanning Sync is a commercial tool for one-stop synchronization

Mac Love, Not War

iPad for Special Ed Families

Links of Interest

Business-Wide File and Data Management

Begin with the End in Mind

A Sample Network for Data Management

File and Data Management on the Mac

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MacRory.com For Help with Computer File and Data Management

Contacts and Scheduling on the Mac

Address Book for Individual Contacts

Address Book Feeds Info to Other OS X Programs

Synchronize to Devices, Clouds or Servers

Use Smart Groups to Organize Contacts in OS X

Other Uses of Groups and vCards

For Further Information

Help with Contacts and Scheduling in Your Business

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Macintosh Business Association of Portland

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Portland Mac Business Association Schedule for 2010

February Presentation on Contacts and Scheduling on the Mac

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Approve Washington Referendum 71 by 3 Nov 2009

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For Further Information

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Links to Files MacRory Class Files

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Facebook Business "Pages" (not Profiles) for Business

Linked In as a Resumé Hub for Other Connections

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Industry-Specific Sites

Blog Technology

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Other Options such as TypePad and Movable Type Exist

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http://upgradeyourcommunity.org/education.html
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