Who is my secretary?
It is myself and some robots.
What are the robots?
I can’t name them all but I can give some information on it.
My phone is either answered by me or by my voicemail.
It is forwarded to my mobile phone during the day (I usually answer if available), then to voicemail.
early 2015 update: one problem I have is when I answer callers hangup since they think I am the voicemail, another is I get callers that don’t leave a message. If they don’t leave a message I usually don’t call back since I get scam and solicitation calls often. A good thing now, is I can sometimes answer the phone (connecting with my iPhone or with Google voice/gmail) from my computer which helps reduce my ear and back pain, as well as making it easier as well as answer text messages from my computer
My email doesn’t always need an immediate response, but I can answer from any computer or my iPhone.
Siri can both do voice recognition and text to speech as well as do certain things. I have a similar program I use on my computer.
I use Neat for digital file storage and is just one part of the paperless solution.
November 2015 update on Neat
My carpet is cleaned by iRobot Roomba.
There are more things I will explain in my upcoming ebook. I’m slow so it might not come out until after this summer.
Category: computer learning
Categories
The 3 Rs
At Nate’s Computer Services we emphasize the 3 Rs
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle
We reduce paper waste by using digital systems to store information, and also ask people not to send us paper, and not to print anything that we send whether in an email or on a web page. We reduce energy use by using screen sharing and conferencing, file sharing and messaging technologies, greatly reducing the need to go on-site. In addition we’ve cut out print (on paper) advertising and promote the use of public transportation, walking, biking and car pooling (offering our customers discounts).
Remember when bringing your laptop or other portable device inside wait a little bit before you turn it on to prevent condensation. Also portable devices such as phones and cameras the batteries may not last as long when outside in the cold.
That is a good question. Many tech people, are just that technicians. They are not computer scientist, engineers, information analyst, or marketers.
I have training in computer science, information systems, and some marketing as well.
The reason why some tech people don’t like it, is it is not what they are use to, or they think it needs to have all the “bells and whistles”. Technicians are trained for specific things. They may want to “fix” or “upgrade” something.
Technology however is always changing – but can follow some basic principles.
Here is a possible explanation why Apple does what it is doing and possibly an explanation of what any company could do.
- Keep It Simple Simply (KISS): They keep a minimal product line: this reduces cost, reduces confusion and complaints among consumers. IBM cut out its PC line to bring their company to a focus. Apple cut out printers and floppy drives and simplified.
- Eliminating moving parts, extra connectors, expansion slots, and rarely used items does the following: reduces failure, reduces cost of product, improves energy efficiency and reduces physical space/size.
- Leaving room for improvement: not going with the latest technologies gives time for cost to come down, time to put it in the design and perfect it – and even see if there is an actual need for the technology or if it is just hype (ie: Blue-Ray).
- They focus on what the customer would want (not necessarily what customers tell the company they want but what they would actually want)
- They focus first on what the product would or could be used for, then specs. That is a marketing focused approached, rather than a tech or accounting approach. (ie: use it for entertainment, for taking and sharing photo and video, for getting business done, will it fit in your pocket?, will it fit in your hand?, able to use the product a whole working day without recharging)
- Environmental criticism: I do understand some environmental criticism- but the other technology companies aren’t much better. Do you want a product that is fixable easily or a product that needs to be fixed less, made of recyclable material, less packaging, and less transportation cost, and energy efficient? Do USB (and airport) ports on Macintosh allow upgrading? Definitely. On my Macintosh I use a EyeTV tuner, have external storage, and scanning. I even use the network, the Internet and software for upgrading.
- Near Field Technology: I think it would be great if they added that to let me unlock my door or pay for my groceries, but I do have some concerns as far as security.
- Physical Keyboard as an add on (not standard) to the touch screen devices, this is where voice recognition and video comes in.
What is the difference between a library and a folder?
A library is a grouping of items that could be files, emails, or data that is independent of the file system. A folder or directory is usually part of the file system (although it is sometimes a virtual folder used in a library which is a different type).
Examples of libraries: iPhoto and iTunes uses a library system. Macintosh also has a separate library that groups files together by category.
iPhoto library is put into it’s own container, so people do not accidentally mess with the library. People can make albums from different parts of the library, and then it does not create a whole new directory or files- it actually just links to them.
Windows 7 photo library may group emails that have photos along with photo files. To delete the emails you still have to delete them from the email program.
Picasa also uses a library, but is still primarily based on the file system.
Labels vs. Folders
The only place I know that uses labels is GMail or Google mail, but it is important to know since many people use GMail or Google Mail. An email can have more than one label, but cannot be in more than one folder. Like an album in iPhoto or iTunes a label is just a link or tag for easy categorizing.
Database System vs File Folder System
A database reduces redundancy, disk space, and time. Databases can store large amounts of information without taking as much room as files. It is also easier to find things in a database. Many of today’s web sites are actually databases that are part of a content management system. Even though they may appear to have a file structure [ ie: http://www.natesservices.com/blog/2012/11/17/library-vs-folder-vs-label-vs/ ], that may actually be a hidden database redirect.
Would you recommend someone to take the same programs at the same colleges you went to?
No.
Central Lakes College no longer offers Computer Science department. In addition computer technology classes changed.
College of St. Scholastica no longer offers Computer Science / Information Systems in Brainerd MN – it does still exist in Duluth and other locations.
So I’m not saying it was a bad thing, It just is not available.
The AA transfer program at Central Lakes College may be a good option though if you are in the area.
Categories
proactive
Being proactive. It’s not just the word that is used for a name brand face wash. It means being prepared. It means being forefront. It means taking action before bad things happen or before things become worse.
I really do not like the “If it Ain’t broke don’t fix it.” approach. Often times those people ignore what is actually broken.
I’m not a kid anymore and no longer part of the organization, but I still like the motto of 4-H “To make the best better.”
Bringing this approach to technology, you want to take preventative and proactive action.
- Do routine maintenance on computers.
- keep them out of dust.
- research products that can help your business or life.
- be aware of product recalls.
- be aware of your warranty options.
- take advantage of the technology you already have.
- back up your data routinely on and off-site.
- Have a disaster plan.
antonym: reactive