Scarlet Umbrella|Adventures in Mobile Technology

I am writing this post on my lovely screened in porch enjoying the summer weather and the benefits of a ceiling fan. Feel free to feel jealous.

I’m not posting to gloat (well, not too much). I am posting to do a bit of evangelization to the crowd that still feels it is okay to lug around an 8 pound notebook everywhere. It’s not. I am always bemused to see someone walk into the local Panera lugging a huge go bag, and pull out a desktop replacement, mouse, smartphone, ipod, and assorted other gadgets. This is NOT a healthy mobile lifestyle. I can’t even imagine how much stress that carrying all that weight is putting on a person’s back.

Today I am going to talk about a concept that I like to refer to as samurai mobility. Samurai mobility is a software-based approach to cut down on the amount of “stuff” that you carry around on a daily basis. Samurai mobility warriors do not need to carry around every gadget imaginable to get the job done.

The first step in samurai mobility is to leave the desktop replacement at home. I know you have all of your important documents and applications exclusively on it. Well, that is going to change now. With the many Web 2.0 applications out there, you have no reason to have all of your files stuck in one place.

To kick off the discussion of samurai mobility, let’s talk about online storage. Online storage options can range from free plans with limited options to deluxe plans with the ability to edit your files “in the cloud.” Here is a selection of some of the best storage solutions:

Box.net Box.net is a comprehensive Web 2.0 style storage system. They offer three levels of storage from free (1 GB) all the way to corporate (15 GB) pricing. The free storage plan comes with limited functionality but the other plans offer file sharing, the ability to edit photos and images online as well as the ability to edit Office documents.

Omnidrive Omnidrive is setting itself up to be a major competitor to Box.net. Currently in a closed beta, Omnidrive offers free storage up to 1 GB. Included in this is the ability to edit your files including Office applications and media. They also offer a Pro level with supposedly unlimited storage. Omnidrive is preparing to roll out version 1.0 at which point they will open signups again.

openomy openomy is another new storage solution. Currently, they offer free storage up to 1 GB. Files are organized by tag rather than folders which may help with searching. openomy is being closelipped about future plans. A pro plan is reportedly in the works. They also have developed an API so interaction with other applications is in the works.

GMail GMail gives you tons of free storage. Why not use it to store files? A comprehensive look at using GMail to store your files is beyond the scope of this post but several software solutions to upload files to GMail are a google away. However, unlike the previously mentioned solutions, GMail was not designed for file storage so use at your own risk.

file, file storage, GMail, mobility, online, online file storage, web 2.0, web2.0

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Recently I have noticed a new trend in my daily consumption of blogs. Ordinarily, when I found a page interesting, I would bookmark it with del.icio.us. However, more and more I have found myself just grabbing the feed for the website and putting it into Google Reader.

I find this technique useful for a couple reasons. First, I find that if I like one blog post a person has written, I will probably like other material that they post. Secondly, RSS feeds combined with Google search make a much better method of searching than tags and my own (bad) summaries of web content.

Most sites publish full RSS feeds. This is really useful in Google Reader when I am trying to find that post that one person wrote about, for example, three new and useful GMail Labs Apps. I can use Google Reader’s search function to search for “GMail Labs Apps” which gives me the blog post that I am looking for much faster than searching all of my “GMail” and “useful tags” on del.icio.us.

Of course, I haven’t found a way to integrate all of my internet links into Google Reader. There are still the few sites that don’t have a RSS feed. Also, there are sites that only give the headlines on the RSS feed. While some people may like this, I definitely prefer full posts myself (hint to blogs: provide both).

The best benefit is that I have a database that automatically adds more information to itself. I really can’t express how valuable this is. I love DevonThink on the Mac and I have often wished that I could have something similar on a PC. Google Reader is almost equal and some ways better to DevonThink. When I use DevonThink, I have to continually add to a category. However, once you have enough useful subscriptions on Google Reader (I like to call this critical mass), new content is added every time you hit refresh. Simply awesome.

database, Google, googlereader, hacks, information, lifehacks

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The tech community hasn’t even settled on a name for the EEE and its ilk and already there are already nine other competitors at various stages of development and production. Oh yeah, let’s not forget the 10 inch EEE as well. If you are like me, you need a list to keep track of what’s going on in this market. Fortunately for us, Jenn Lee over at pocketables has done us all a giant favor and created such a list. Thanks Jenn!

EEE, mininotebook, netbook, subnotebook, ultraportable, UMPC

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With Dell’s recent announcement, I hereby declare this the summer of the mininotebook. What is the mininotebook you ask? Well, it seems to be the emerging name for the EEE PC and its various competitors.

Dell’s new entry adds even more confusion to an already confused market. The EEE was so successful because the product was designed and marketed with a clear vision. First, the form factor was familiar and, with the various shades, customizable, and (I cringe to say this) “cute.” Second, and most important, Asus set the right price point. From the outset, the EEE was geared at consumers.

With the addition of the HP Mini-Note, the market became a little more confused. Unlike the EEE, the HP is clearly not a mass-market device. Rather, it is a new attempt to revive the somewhat dead subnotebook market here in the States. Remember, folks, subnotebook are NOT a new idea. Anyone remember the Toshiba Libretto? Historically, subnotebooks have been plagued by their high prices. Although the Mini-Note is not astronomically high in price, a maxed out Mini-Note still costs quite a bit more than your average laptop.

Dell may have the power to make or break this market. Dell has a history of competitive pricing so I am hoping that they set the price for their new mininotebook at the right price point.

Although I am concerned about the lack of a clear direction in the market, I don’t mean to sound completely gloom and doom. I am actually thrilled that we are beginning to see reasonably priced subnotebooks or “mininotebooks” here in the US. It’s no secret that my daily workhorse is a Panasonic R3. Given that a low-end Panasonic R7 retails around $1799, I am very excited to see competitors in this market with lower prices. Keep ‘em coming guys.

Asus, dell, EEE, eee pc, laptop, mininotebook, notebook, subnotebook

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Let’s face it–tablets have never gotten the press they have deserved. Needless to say, I was thrilled to see Candice Olsen using one of the great classic tablets, the HP/Compaq TC1000 series, on tonight’s episode of Divine Design.

I would love to learn how she uses her tablet in her work flow.

compaq tc1000, hp compaq, tablet, tablet+pc

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I am going to let you in on a deep dark secret: I still use a paper agenda. I know it’s shocking. I’m a self-professed tablet freak and typical technophile. However, I still need my paper agenda.

I have tried to get rid of a paper agenda several times. Among the tools in my mobile arsenal have been the Palm Tungsten E, the HP Jornada 728, and several web-based applications.

I love the ease of electronic todo lists but until inking tasks becomes as nontrivial as jotting down a note in a paper agenda, I really am tied to an paper agenda. I currently use a Franklin Covey agenda with the Simplicity planning pages.

I like the Simplicity planning pages because they do not have specific blocked off appointment times. I very rarely have appointments so appointment pages were always a waste of paper for me.

While Franklin Covey makes nice templates, they can get expensive. for the true paper agenda aficionado, the first stop in setting up a planner should be diyplanner.com. I currently use several templates from the classic kit and the DIY/GTD Teacher Kit
.

franklin covey, hp jornada 728, lifehacks, luddite, palm tungsten e, productivity, technophile

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Life changes. Once I had finally gotten the hang of grad school, it was time to leave and join the real world. As with any major change, my tech needs changed as well. I decided to take inventory and research the necessary changes to restore my efficiency.

As a grad student, my Panasonic CF-R3 was my mobile nerve center. I carried it with me every day to and from lab. Like most large universities, free wifi was available everywhere. I flirted with other technologies, but my laptop was really all that I needed.

I am currently an adjunct professor and professional tutor. I use my R3 to prepare lectures, worksheets, and maintain my gradebook. I have a home office but I work in a variety of different places some of which have internet access but most don’t. Since email is my lifeline, I have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of access to my email. I now need a smart phone and a plan that would potentially allow me to connect my laptop to my phone.

As part of the relaunch of Scarlet Umbrella, I am going to begin with a series of posts concentrating on my current mobile lifestyle. Yes, it is somewhat egotistical but since I always like to learn about how the big tech guys use technology and software to improve their lives, I figure I may as well share how one of the little people uses mobile tech. Planned topics include paper technology, my panasonic CF-R3, my Asus EEE, my gear bag, and my current quest for the perfect smart phone and phone plan. Welcome back to Scarlet Umbrella!

Asus, asus eee, computers, franklin covey, mobile, mobile lifestyle, nerve center, panasonic, r3, smart phone, technology

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Both my Mom’ house and our neighbors’ next door have wi-fi. I was at my Mom’s this weekend and I learned that the highschoolers in Mom’s county are now given laptops in high school. Since the bus stop is right between my Mom’s house and our neighbors’ house, they have been using our wi-fi to finish up their homework and browse the internet before school starts.

Because I’m a total tablet nut, I immediately saw this as an opportunity for tablets to be used instead of conventional laptops. Time posted an interesting article about the problems with America’s school system and a lot of their attention was devoted to outdated teaching methods and the lack of technology. My passion is improving science education and I immediately began to brainstorm ways to solve many of the problems with current American educational methods that Time was commenting on.
Let me begin with a disclaimer before anyone tries to rip my head off. What follows is a description of an ideal world where all school systems were funded equally and received adequate funding. I am a realist, however, and I understand the difficulties with deploying new technology in schools. The issues of cost both in acquiring new technology and training teachers and administrators to use new technology can make any deployment of new technology seem daunting. But I think the benefits warrant the cost.

Let’s take a field trip to what I like to call the Modern School. In this school, students are given a small slate tablet and a portable keyboard at the beginning of school. That’s it. These students don’t have to carry backpacks around all day because all of their textbooks are in ebook format and are preloaded onto their tablets. They can annotate their textbooks without getting into trouble. In fact, their teachers encourage them to take notes in their textbooks! They can highlight and make lecture notes without getting in trouble for defacing rental textbooks. Students can look up words that give them trouble using dictionary software and get the correct pronunciation for the words as well. Look at those SAT vocabulary scores going up!

Lectures are different at the Modern School. Teachers post worksheets on the class website at the beginning and students work along with the teacher in filling them in. Teachers don’t mind tablets in lectures. They can see that their students are paying attention to the lecture and they don’t have to talk over the background noise of 30 keyboards clicking. Since these students have OneNote and its recording functions, they feel comfortable participating more in class. They aren’t worried about missing a few notes because they have the lecture recorded and they know that the teacher is recording her screen notes as well and will post them after class.

The teachers at the Modern School don’t like lecturing. They know that the average attention span is about twenty minutes. They break up their lectures with different activities. Students participate in group work- made easier by the ability to send files to each other and make edits to each others’ work. They also participate in activities and chats with their sister class in Japan. One of their recent assignments was a paper written with a partner in their sister class. Because of the ability to track changes in a document, both teachers were able to see the work that their students had done and grade accordingly. The students learned how to work with international partners which will help them when they are ready for the business world.

Okay, let’s get back to the current world. Every bit of technology I described exists today. When students graduate from college, they are going into this world. Business is increasingly project-driven and teamwork-oriented and having international clients and partners is a way of life. So why are our schools stuck in the 19th century (and yes I DO mean the 1800s)? Yes, the deployment of this technology will be somewhat challenging. Any change is. However, we will be preparing students for the “real world” and I think that’s reward enough.

business, education, software, tablet, tablet+pc, tabletpc

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Hugo Ortega has a great set of videos up describing his use of a Samsung Q1 which has been his only PC since before Christmas. What’s really nice is that he also goes into the various accessories available to improve your UMPC usage and the solution he has developed to the short battery life problem which has plagued UMPCs since their introduction. I’ll let you watch the videos to find out the solution but let’s just say that he can get a full day’s work done!

Unfortunately, Hugo has also convinced me that the Q1 is the way to go for UMPCs (and that I need to get a UMPC) and the UMPC fund (now at $200) has been officially renamed the Q1 fund. The question now is Celeron or Via?

gadgets, mobile, origami, samsung, samsung Q1, UMPC

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Maybe it’s because of my recent Zune woes but the Sandisk Sansa Connect really caught my eye. Engadget has great video coverage of the Sansa Connect. Among the features that I found interesting are the ability to “recommend” music (send music) to your friends and supposedly acquire the license via wi-fi so the song won’t disappear after a few days. The Connect also has microSD slot so the unit can be expanded. Best of all, you can supposedly access and download music using any wi-fi connection. Looks great!

Edit: here’s the correct link for the Sansa Connect video coverage.

mp3, mp3 player, Sandisk, Sansa

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