Life in the big city

As you know, stuff happens. Things break, they don't last as long as we would like them to, and sometimes our things get stolen. This unfortunately means that our portable devices can sometimes end up in the wrong hands. More and more of our crucial information is stored on computers, and sometimes it feels that we are helpless to prevent the risk of identity theft.


Many of us take our laptops everywhere, and it's very easy to turn away for a second, only to find it gone. What can we do?


In the next day or two, I will give you my feedback on Undercover, Orbicule's anti-theft software for Macs, an invaluable partner to their other product, Witness, reviewed below.

Witness in my pocket

As promised, a few words on a low cost motion detector on your laptop. 
Witness, an application from Orbicule, "...turns your Mac into a home alarm system, using its iSight camera as a motion sensor. If motion is detected, Witness sends mugshots and video to your iPhone or iPad."

When I first downloaded Witness, I was surprised at the ease of setting it up. You create an account online, and can access it from any computer AND (here's the great thing) yes, there is an iOS app for both iPhone and iPad. After you install it on your computer, a little house appears on your menu bar, and you can activate and deactivate from either your laptop, or, get this, from your iPhone or iPad. So if you leave the house, and forget to turn it on, you can do it from afar. And the $39 price tag is pretty good for this little mini alarm system.


But (of course, a but), it was only AFTER I paid the $39 and received my license by email that I was notified of a small bug, that the notification system did not work with the iPhone and iPad, and that Orbicule was waiting for their fix to be approved by Apple. Oh sure, now you tell me, I thought. Of course, I wanted to believe them, but experience prevented my optimism.


And how happy I was to be wrong, they INDEED fixed it within a week of my purchase, and although it is no substitution for a true alarm system, now we can find out if our landlord is visiting us while we are not at home.


More from Orbicule:


Witness not only functions as an alarm system, it also locks your Mac, preventing anyone from looking at your files. You can use the built-in lock screen that comes with Witness, or the standard Mac OS X screensaver password feature. Witness nicely integrates with your Mac’s screensaver password: when you come home and unlock your screensaver, Witness automatically turns off the alarm.


Other products from Orbicule include Undercover, theft recovery software for Mac and iOS, and Incognito, a Safari extension that prevents Facebook and Google from following you on the web.

Undercover

Incognito

When Orbicule's fix was accepted by Apple for the App store, they sent an email apologizing for the delay, and offering a 15% coupon on all of their products. I think they should have offered half price off for at least  one product, but I am still happy with this mini security system.

Secret Intruders?

This week I will be reviewing Orbicle's Witness, which basically turns your Mac into a very basic home alarm system, using your isight camera as a motion detector. I have been using it for about a week, and will give you my review in a few days. It all started when we thought maybe our landlord, or some previous tenant was walking into our house while we are gone. More in a few days!

The Borg Apple.

Often times I get an email or call from one of my customers who want advice on a complete Mac set up. Sometimes they are switching from PC, or upgrading from an antique system. So I send them to the Apple store with this list; computer, printer (usually has a $100 rebate), iPhone, external hard drive, Apple Care and Microsoft Office 2011, Home and Student edition. Although I usually don't buy software from Apple since it's cheaper elsewhere, coming home with everything in one trip is appealing to many.

But alas, what they often come home with is everything on the list with one change; instead of Office, they have iWork; Apple's answer to Microsoft's Office suite. It seems, they relate, that the nice sales person explained that Office is not an Apple product, and iWork works much better and does the same thing. As we used to say back home,

 "Now lookie here, Apple!"

YES, I think iWork is fun and good for lots of people and things. Keynote is much easier than Powerpoint, and just fine if you are in a MacCentric work or play place. But, face it. Most of the word processing world belongs to Microsoft. And most of the time that I suggest Office, it's for a good reason. Sometimes these customers are amateur or professional writers that hope to get some work published, or have to share files with PC users, or just want a fuller, more powerful word processor or spreadsheet. And now, with Office 2011 coming closer to the Windows version of Word etc, for many users, it's a no brainer.
I have been using Office 2011 since it came out, and I must say, it's a pleasure. The media browser works just as well as it does in Pages, so if I want to drag and drop a photo in one of my documents, it's very easy. And, the "ribbon" is finally in the Mac version, making PC users who switch more comfortable.
Also, Excel has Visual Basic version 6.5, the same as the PC version. Powerpoint still feels bloated and clumsy to me, I prefer to use iWork's Keynote for slide presentation. And although Outlook, the replacement for Entourage;the earlier Microsoft mail client for Mac; has full support for Exchange, and has nice search capabilities; it is still too buggy for me. So I use:

WORD PROCESSOR: Microsoft Word 2011
SPREADSHEET: Excel 2011
SLIDE PRESENTATIONS: Apple Keynote
MAIL CLIENT: Apple Mail

One thing I will say also about Office 2011. I have written to Microsoft support about the buggy behavior of Outlook ( I was reviewing Outlook for a client), and have usually gotten immediate and committed service professionals to stick with me on the issues. My experience with Office, is that usually by the 3rd of 4th service update, many of the bugs are worked out.

I didn't do it.

No, I did not buy the iPad 2. And yes, I was  tempted, especially since my friend Kendra kept texting me how much she LOVES her new one, and sending happy faces, and pics of the box. OK, Kendra, I got you into this Mac world, and now you have the best stuff!

So why didn't I bite? It does have some impressive improvements. First of all, I have an iPad already, and when I travel, I often take it instead of my 3 year old MacBook Pro. I email, play Scrabble, read the NY Times, keep my FileMaker database and even watch Netflix on it. I also use Logmein to get anything I need from my home system when I'm on the road. I don't really need another iCamera (I have the iPhone 4 which by the way has a flash, and the new iPad does not), I don't need any more features at this time. There is plenty of chatter on the web about "Should you or shouldn't you..." Yes, the A5 dual core processor will load your apps twice as fast, but the lack of a retina display means the screen resolutions  are about the same. And still no Flash.

if you should decide to ditch your iPad and upgrade to this new edition, you can sell yours on ebay, Craig's List, Gazelle, or www.SellYourMac.com

Or you can give it to your mom, your kid, your spouse, or anyone that doesn't need the latest and could appreciate it.

What I do need is to save my bucks to upgrade my main horse to the new quad core MacBook Pro, which I deeply covet.

Deeply.

iPad 2

OK, the iPad 2 is finally here. Same price, twice as fast, and (wait for it...) front AND rear facing camera. Will I get one? I already have the original iPad, so probably not. Would I turn one down, should some stranger (or very good, getting better) friends buy me one? Dyuh..NO.

I won't list all of the features, you can find them here:

iPad 2 Features

ANd as of March 11 (probabaly midnight), you can order one from the Apple store.
But, I really use my iPad, and highly recommend this new one. Wait. Maybe I DO want one.

BTW, Apple has REDUCED the price of the original iPad to starting at $399 ($349 for refurbished). So if you want to buy a present for your family or friends, it's a no brainer.

New things from Apple? MacBook Pro, iPad updates?

Whenever there are pending hardware releases by Apple, rumors abound. Many times, they fade as wisps of flotsam (excuse me, I have been reading English literature again) into nothingness, only to be replaced by more "updated" rumors. No one can predict for sure, but judging by the average production cycles of the various products, many of these guesses prove to be right.

So here's what we know: Apple has announced a special media event to be held in San Francisco, 10 a.m. Pacific Time on March 2 to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a venue Apple has used for a number of prior launches, including the original iPad.

There have been rumors that Apple will update the MacBook Pros tomorrow, Thursday, but some speculate that all of the updated hardware will be announce on March 2. Some say that the MacBook Pros will contain some major changes, like the addition of "Light Peak" under the name "Thunderbolt", a new high speed connection.

So keep a lookout, and those of you getting ready for an update, get your checkbooks ready.

Dropbox or SugarSync?

I just signed up for the new file sharing service called SugarSync.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

After reading the features page, I got that excited quivery feeling when you are closer in line and going to be NEXT on the pony ride. If it does what it says it does, it might just knock my trusty Dropbox into the lesser loved sibling. Although Dropbox has become such a trusty companion and important part of my workflow, I can't imagine loving anything more. But you get 5G space on the free service (look carefully on the home page, of course it's the smallest print). One of the things that the creators promise is the ability to sync/upload via email, share files of any size, and get this: stream music to your iPhone (drool).I guess I'm in and I might be in love.

Here's what the creators promise:

Reasons You'll Love SugarSync

Secure, Automatic Data Protection

As you work, your files are continuously backed up to your secure,
 personal SugarSync website using SSL encryption.
Once in our servers, all data is then encrypted with 128-bit AES. 

Anywhere, Anytime Access

If you've got an Internet connection or a smart phone,
you've got a mobile office. So take your BlackBerry to Bangkok,
open your laptop in London – or just stop by an
Internet café in Culver City.
Wherever you go, your files will be waiting for you.

Sync Without Limits

With SugarSync, you can sync as many computers and mobile
devices as you want on a single account — and changes
saved on one computer are instantaneously synced among the rest.

Seamless Collaboration

Easily send files of any size to anyone, from anywhere.
We'll save your file versions and make sure the right data goes to
the right team member, and they can send back an updated document
in just a few clicks. 

File Versioning

Have you ever saved over a document and immediately
wished you hadn't? With SugarSync, we'll save, sync
and back up the five latest versions of any
given file — automatically. In a tough spot,
it can be a real lifesaver. 

Enjoy Your Photos and Music On the Go

We know there's more to life (and backup) than work.
That's why SugarSync automatically organizes
 your photos into online albums for viewing and sharing,
 and allows you to stream your music limitlessly
to any browser or iPhone. 

Cross-Platform Functionality

You can use SugarSync on any modern version of Mac
(including Snow Leopard) as well as any
Windows operating system. 

Customer Phone Support - Business Account

Our professional customer support agents can answer any
questions you have about our Business service, from setup to
 setting storage limits. The call is free and it's open
to all Business Account administrators. 

Administrative Control - Business Account

Our powerful administrative tools make it easy to
customize your account, enable or disable users,
and set storage limits for all your employees.
And with pooled storage and centralized billing,
keeping your whole company in sync is simpler than ever. 

Everything I learned, I learned from my mother.

My mother is 82, blond and Hungarian. She wears designer jeans, Dolce Gabbana sunglasses, has a perpetual tan and walks 3 miles every day. Here 's a conversation I witnessed when I went with her and her friends (also Hungarian) Adele, Ruza for a late lunch in Kansas City after our pedicure at Walmart. I'll wait for you to take that all in... The conversation was between my mother and the waitress.

Mom (with Hungarian accent): Sweetheart, bring me eggwhite omelet.

Waitress (with Kansas City drawl): Ma'am, we have lot's of delicious things on the menu, but unfortunately we don't serve breakfast after 11:30.

Mom: I know... bring me eggwhite omelet.

Waitress:  (Smile) Golly, Ma'am, I can actually suggest some wonderful soups or sandwiches, but unfortuantely, we don't serve omelets at this time of day.

Mom: I know... bring me eggwhite omelet. And some potatoes WELL DONE. CRISPY!

Waitress: OK. No problem. (walks away)

Mom turns to me and says: If I teach you one thing, it's this. Don't take no for an answer.

So in a true display of genetics, I got the MicroCell for free, as I described in the previous post. This is all to say that I set it up, it was "live" in about 25 minutes, and I now have 4-5 bars on my iPhone in the house. Next!

But I want one.

In my neighborhood, the AT&T cell service sucks. But, alas,  I was not one of those lucky AT&T customers who received a letter offering a free 3G microcell to help with a poor signal at home. And I use my cellphone as my business phone, and CONSTANTLY drop calls on an average of 2-3 times per call. Since I do a lot of remote and phone support, this is  a very bad thing. So I called AT&T and spoke to a very nice agent, who listened patiently to my troubles. I  explained that I felt that this bad phone behavior was costing me business. She put me on hold to check with her service supervisors, and said that AT&T was planning to put a new tower in my area.

 Great! I said, when? October of 2012, she answered. So, I asked her, in 18 months I can expect to have great service at home?

Yes, she replied. When I asked her to please try to get clearance for me to get a 3G microcell for FREE, she confirmed that she could not do that, but that I was free to go into one of the stores and buy one for $199.

The part about going into an AT&T store to get one sounded great. But I was not interested in paying ANY money for it. So today, I walked into one of the AT&T stores in my neighborhood and talked to a guy named Brownie who was from Coffeyville, Kansas,. When he found out that I was from Kansas City, we started commiserating on the poor selection of BBQ in the East Bay. When we finally decided that the only way to get the slabs of ribs we were craving was to go back to the prairie, it was down to business.

I prepared to give him a very involved account of how I only get  "less than one bar at home, dropped calls, etc." I did not get more than two sentences in, when he went to the back, came out with a microcell, and said, "This will help you". No arguments, no pleading, no whining. He helped me register the 2 wireless numbers we have at home, printed out my receipt, explained the terms of the device contract (does not affect your phone contract), put it in a pretty bag, and sent me on my way.

Wait, what? I actually got a solution from AT&T? Well, I got one from Brownie at the AT&T store. Tomorrow I'll hook it up and report on any improvement. And I might just bring Brownie one of my bottles of Gate's BBQ Classic Sauce. I order that by the case.