Fax Machine...what is that?

Over the past month or so we have been installing a new phone system at my workplace. It had been several years since we updated and this experience really brought home some significant changes in how we communicate, not only in the business world, but at home as well.

As we were designing the new installation we had to inventory all the devices that needed to be connected to a new system. The old system had five fax machines connected. An investigation of the use of these machines showed that one would be more than enough to handle the fax traffic. Faxes have been almost entirely replaced in the business world by other much greener and efficient technology. Instead of faxing paper documents, scanning and creating PDF copies of documents that can be attached to emails have saved thousands of trees and in our case at least 4 telephone lines.

Long distance telephone costs have gone from a significant business expense to one that is hardly worth tracking. Calls that once cost dollars now cost pennies. But it is not only the cost of the calls that has diminished; the number of calls placed on a daily basis is a fraction of what it was only 10 years ago. Email and the web have changed the way be communicate, order supplies and even negotiate contracts.

Rather than picking up the phone and calling some supplier, we now just find the web site, look through the catalog, make a selection, arrange for payment and choose the method of shipping. All of this is done free on the Internet and all requires neither a phone call nor fax. Also we don’t have to wait for a west coast office to open 3 hours after we come to work to place an order.

Perhaps the biggest shift is in use of regular mail. Rather than getting a large sack of mail delivered each day, the carrier usually has a small batch to drop off and most of that is junk mail. It is no wonder that the US Post Office is falling on hard times.

I find it both telling and funny that the US Post Office is running a series of ads on TV touting the benefits of “real” mail. The spot shows smiling faces of carriers and customers in a “Norman Rockwellian” small town gushing over receiving a letter or more likely a chance to win a million dollars from Publishers Clearinghouse. If you want to contact the post office don’t send a letter. The spot ends with a tag line giving a web address for more information.

The digital age affords almost instantaneous communication with less cost that ever before. The way we communicate isn’t changing, it has changed.

Connected Cars

The advertisements for cars and trucks have begun to tout some new features. Not only are the new ads promoting good gas mileage, cool headlights and attention-grabbing design, they are emphasizing connectivity. While mobile phones in cars and services like OnStar have been around for many years, high speed mobile connectivity and even true Internet access has been slow to find its way into family car. That is changing at freeway speed.

Cars now have a variety of cool new features. Some high end models have systems that continuously monitor the cars status and transmit that information back to the dealer. So a failing exhaust sensor in your engine, a bad break rotor or burned out tail light may be known to Clyde, your service technician, before you know about it. You may get a call from Clyde inviting you to stop in rather than you calling to make a service appointment.

Adding two way communications capacity to traditional GPS services allows easy tracking of vehicles. Major trucking and delivery companies have used this technology for years allowing you to know when that package of cookies from Aunt Edna will be on your front porch. While privacy issues loom large with these features, knowing exactly where your teenage son is on a Friday night may for many parents trump privacy concerns.

We have often discussed in these columns various online music services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio. These have been not been readily available in cars unless you used a smartphone connected to your auto’s sound system. Even with Bluetooth technology for this connection, this was not always a seamless experience. With true Internet access provided to automobiles using 4G and other WIMAX networks, listening to your favorite Cincinnati radio station while driving on the LA Freeway will be as easy as it is now to listen while driving on I-74.

Don’t look for a slide out keyboard for mobile texting replacing the cup holder on your dashboard or a pull down high definition TV hanging from your rearview mirror. Car makers need to provide online based functions that truly assist rather than distract the driver. Nevertheless, reading the sticker on your next new car may well require you to compare Internet speed along with miles per gallon and engine horsepower as you choose that new ride.

MagicJack Can Be a Real "Plus"

If you are a late night TV viewer you most likely have seen the commercials for MagicJack. Like so many late night pitches, the claims seem a bit far fetched. The ads promise free domestic and international long distance calling, no monthly phone bills, free voice mail and you can keep your current number. It does sound like magic.

Well, it is not “magic” since you do need to use the phone “jack.” Nevertheless, for some the MagicJack could save you money on your monthly phone service and long distance calling. It is a small device that plugs into your home broadband Internet connection and allows you to make virtually free phone calls to and from anywhere in the US and Canada by using the Internet rather than the traditional Ma Bell networks. You can call back to the US from other countries for free using your computer and the MagicJack but calls “to” countries other than the US and Canada are not free.

MagicJack is one of several products that use VOIP technology. (Voice Over Internet Protocol) The first year will cost you about $40 and each year thereafter about $20. So it can be a great deal. There are a few things that you need to understand however.

First of all, the low annual cost is somewhat overstated since you do need to have high speed Internet access in your home. So to really compare your savings over a traditional telephone line from Cincinnati Bell you need to factor in the monthly charge you are paying for Road Runner or Cincinnati Bell’s DSL service.

Another potential downside, especially in our area that has way more than our share of power outages, is that if you loose power, your phone will not work. In the dark ages before mobile phones, this could have been a real issue. Now, since many of us have one or more cell phones, losing the landline is much less of an issue.

Like many VOIP services, you will need to register your address and phone number with your local 911 service so they can identify the location of a call coming from a number associated with your address. This is very important and the MagicJack user’s guide will take you through this process.

The package comes with free directory assistance, free call waiting and free voice mail. While I have not installed it myself, others indicate that it was mostly painless. You can plug in multiple phones as well as the base station for your cordless phones.

When MagicJack was first introduced, it required that it be connected to a computer and that computer needed to be powered up 24/7 for the phone to work. That was a major downside. The new version, called the MagicJack Plus, does not require a computer and can be plugged into an 110v outlet.

The bottom line is that, unlike many late night offerings, this product works pretty much as advertised. It isn’t for everyone, but it may be worth a second look for many.

SOPA and PIPA Debate Ongoing

So what’s all the buzz about SOPA and PIPA? Well, it is not a new Disney flick featuring cute little fuzzy animated characters. Rather, SOPA - Stop Online Piracy Act and PIPA - Protect IP Act, are bills that were to be considered in the US House and Senate respectively. Both are aimed at preventing unauthorized sharing and use of published copyrighted material. Movie makers, music publishers and other providers of online content are increasingly concerned that anyone can copy what they’ve created and use and share the materials without paying. After a backlash from major online services the bills have been tabled for now, but the issue is far from resolved and remains the 800 pound gorilla in the room.

The argument that digital pirating is eroding profits and viability and, as such, is a major threat to their businesses is not a new concern. This new salvo has the support of some major players in the US economy like the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Walt Disney Company to name only a few. All contend that without this legislation serious damage to their bottom line will lead to significant reductions in the quantity and quality of movies, music and other programming.

Critics of these efforts to censor Internet providers like Google, Yahoo and Bing, whose search engines connect millions to content, and Wikipedia, whose collaborative encyclopedia has become a household word, argue that as written, SOPA and PIPA go much too far to censor what they do and in reality will have little effect on the problem.

The Internet companies have argued that SOPA and PIPA force them to be online police. The legislation holds them responsible if users of their sites link to pirated content. The companies said the bills could require your Internet provider to block websites that are involved in digital file sharing. All of this, they complain, is contrary to the very basic concept of an open Internet.

There is no question that we must find a way to make sure that copyrighted content is protected. Intellectual property like songs, books, photographs and art on the Internet must have the same protection as they do in the brick and mortar retail world. You can’t walk into Macy’s and help yourself to a shirt or pair of socks bypassing the cash register as you exit without the judicial consequences of stealing. You shouldn’t be able to download a book or piece of music that represents someone’s livelihood without paying for it.

Right now we need to strike a balance. It is one thing to go after people profiting from other’s work. It is another thing to try to close down YouTube because someone posted a video of a birthday party where a piece of copyrighted music was sung.

Some Password Advice

The other day I was giving a presentation to a group about technology. One of the discussions dealt with “passwords” and how to handle what seems to be a never ending list that we need to remember. Since this is a very common question, let me share with you some of the suggestions I shared with the group.

Not all passwords are created equal. Passwords that are used to access your bank account, medical records or other personal information should be created with care and kept secure. Some others that are used for less important activities don’t require much care. For example I have a free Pandora account. Pandora is a music service that allows you to create personalized play lists. The basic service is free so I did not enter any credit card information, etc. when I signed up. Nevertheless, the site requires a password. My password is a very simple one and could be hacked easily by some smart teenager. All they would be able to do if they got into my account is to see that I like Dave Brubeck. They could also add Def Leppard to my preferences. As a result I don’t change this password.

Now, I also do my banking on line. While I am not rich, I don’t want some miscreant to be able to help themselves to what little money I keep there. As a result I have a password that is much more complex.

A good password is a random set of characters and uses upper and lower case, symbols, letters and numbers. A poor password is predictable. Your birth date, your kid’s first name, your telephone number or your Social Security Number are all poor choices. What is harder to figure out; “D$5!!3prj” or “Jack10611?” (Don’t bother to check, neither are real.)

When you sign on to some password protected sites you may get a message asking if you want the computer to “remember” your password. While it may be tempting to say yes, remember that in the future if someone else is using your computer they can go to that site without a password. That might be OK for your Pandora account; your Fifth Third account may be a different story.

One other security hint that I have mentioned often in these columns is to refrain from accessing any web site that contains important personal information when you are using public wifi. Sitting in McDonalds reviewing your Fifth Third account balance is not a good idea. You are sharing a network connection with everyone within 100 ft. Someone might be looking at ESPN on their lap top; another might have “sniffing” software that allows them to eavesdrop on your connection. Type your password to log into the bank and it is now available to the guy eating McNuggets sitting a few tables away.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I have confession to make. I talk back to my TV. My patient wife knows this all too well. My remarks usually are sparked by some atrocious grammar error or pronunciation mistake made by a “professional” announcer or newsreader. I am not above yelling at some politician on the screen who is avoiding a question or spinning some very negative happening into a something for us all to celebrate. And don’t get me going on the father and daughter TV tag team telling me that they will put aluminum siding on the back of my house for free. Of course my TV doesn’t listen to me. That may now change.

One of the technologies that got a lot of attention at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, was voice recognition. While this technology has been around for a several years incorporated into mobile phone auto dialers and some high end automobiles, it has been somewhat unreliable. I for one have a hard time getting my phone to dial with voice commands. That is another column.

Responding to the complexity of the once simple task of watching TV in your living room, several manufacturers have demonstrated controls for TVs that allow you to speak the commands. Want to watch some college hoops? Just say “Watch ESPN2.” Want to know what Jim Cantore has predicted for the tri-sate? Tell your TV that you want to “Watch the Weather Channel.” The TV figures out the channel number or if the service is from cable, off air or perhaps from the Internet.

Samsung is building voice recognition into some new TVs and others are making remote controls that will respond to your voice commands. Many of these devices are still not perfected. Even some of the demonstrations at the CES were plagued with some miscues. Like any technology, the bugs will be worked out and soon voice recognition will be as ubiquitous as touch screens are now. Recently Apple released “Siri,” an application for the iPhone 4s that listens to your commands and performs tasks like web searches, appointment booking and meeting reminders. Perhaps this is the best example of how far voice recognition progressed.

The reason behind this effort to add voice commands to the TV is the desire to simplify controlling the myriad of options now available even in a simple TV. Turning captions on and off, changing from cable to off air reception, and watching a DVD or playing a game often require several commands. Since many TV manufacturers want to make the TV the centerpiece of the digital home, they must find a way to keep the operation simple and intuitive. What can be simpler than just speaking your commands?

So in the not too distant future when your kids ask the TV to “Watch HBO” they might hear “I’m afraid I can’t do that until you do your homework!”

Online Shopping Not Just a Convenience Thing

The recent holiday shopping season continued to show an increase in online shopping. Millions of us spent billions of dollars by eschewing the mall and the big box stores, choosing instead the convenience of shopping on line. Studies show that, even among the 55+ year old market segment, more than 70% purchased at least one item via the Internet. It is interesting to note that this is just about the same percentage of Internet customers found in the 18 – 32 year old demographic. Shopping online is something that is being embraced by young and old alike.

A deeper investigation shows that it is not just holiday shopping that is migrating to online stores. It is a trend showing that many use the Internet for most every purchase, even groceries. It is easy to come to the conclusion that the driving force for this trend is our desire to sit in our kitchen, dressed in our PJs, drinking our own coffee and still shop. So, is convenience the big draw of online shopping? A closer look might indicate it is not.

Online shopping allows for easy comparison shopping. Many online sites allow you to choose two or three similar products and compare each feature. Some actually set up a grid that makes it very easy to compare. If you are looking for a new digital camera, the grid might contain the resolution of the camera measured in megapixels, battery life, ease of use, as well as price. Many also have a place for customers to share their experiences with the products. These ratings are helpful since they are based on actual use. While on some of these sites there have been reviews that were placed by people posing as customers that were actually hired by a company selling one of the products, for the most part the reviews seem to be honest.

Another aspect of online shopping that is very attractive to the consumer is the customer service. Amazon.com and other mega online retailers often have much better support and are more customer friendly than the big box retailers. For example, the return policy of Amazon.com is extraordinary. Most of the time it is a “no questions asked” process. A trip to Best Buy after Christmas with a return in hand will reinforce how good Amazon.com really is.

Are brick and mortar stores soon to be relics of a bygone age? Not necessarily. A trip to the Apple Store demonstrates that a pleasant environment and superior customer service still appeals to shoppers. Nothing takes the place of intelligent, informed salespeople. This is especially true when buying an expensive and complicated device.

More and more the big box retailers have a cadre of sales staff that seems to be reading from a script rather than listening to what the customer wants. So if traditional retailers want to fend off their cyberspace rivals they better invest in customer service. The new lap top computer on the store shelf today is just like the one that FedEx can have on my front porch tomorrow, often with less hassle and, because the online seller doesn’t have a big store to pay for, it will be less expensive.