Mobile Hot Spot Saves the Day

Time was when a vacation meant severing connections with the work a day world for a week or two. Going to the beach or to the mountains was a chance to get away for a time without many of the modern conveniences that both make our life easier and more connected. For many, vacations have turned into a time when we are prone to multitask even more than we regularly do. We are on vacation. We enjoy the beach and fresh air. We change our daily schedule. But many of us also stay connected to our “day job” using mobile phones and laptops.

When searching for a vacation spot, albeit a campground or a five star hotel, the availability of high speed Internet access is often as important as a great view or proximity to attractions. My wife and I have been taking a week each year to join friends on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The seashore there is outstanding and the weather, other than for the occasional September hurricane, is beautiful.

For the past few years we have enjoyed having high speed Internet access where we were staying. I was able to keep up with office emails and appointments and still enjoy time in the sun. This year, partially because of the recent hurricane that hit portions of the islands, we stayed at a place that did not have a working Internet connection.

This would have put a real crimp in my plans for the week but my smart phone came to the rescue. My phone, like several other phones from various vendors and carriers, can be used as a Mobile Hot Spot. This feature makes my phone a wifi hub and connects any computer device with wifi capability to the Internet using the phone’s 3G or 4G mobile connection. In other words the phone works just like the wifi hub in your house or office, but instead of connecting to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider like RoadRunner or Fuse, it uses the mobile phone network, in my case Verizon.

The connection, dubbed by some providers as “myfi,” is not as fast as a regular wifi/broadband connection but the speed is more than adequate to access email and my office network. You sign on to the hot spot the same way you sign on to any wifi service at home or at the local coffee shop. You can password protect the access if you wish.

When using “myfi” you will notice that the mobile phone’s battery will only provide about one hour of service. It is a good idea to keep the battery charger connected to the phone when using the hot spot feature for longer than a few minutes. Also, some plans charge a premium for hot spot technology. You may want to ask your provider if it is included in your plan.

If you do a lot of traveling and need Internet connection, the mobile hot spot feature on your phone may be just the ticket.

Mobile Hot Spot Saves the Day

Time was when a vacation meant severing connections with the work a day world for a week or two. Going to the beach or to the mountains was a chance to get away for a time without many of the modern conveniences that both make our life easier and more connected. For many, vacations have turned into a time when we are prone to multitask even more than we regularly do. We are on vacation. We enjoy the beach and fresh air. We change our daily schedule. But many of us also stay connected to our “day job” using mobile phones and laptops.

When searching for a vacation spot, albeit a campground or a five star hotel, the availability of high speed Internet access is often as important as a great view or proximity to attractions. My wife and I have been taking a week each year to join friends on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The seashore there is outstanding and the weather, other than for the occasional September hurricane, is beautiful.

For the past few years we have enjoyed having high speed Internet access where we were staying. I was able to keep up with office emails and appointments and still enjoy time in the sun. This year, partially because of the recent hurricane that hit portions of the islands, we stayed at a place that did not have a working Internet connection.

This would have put a real crimp in my plans for the week but my smart phone came to the rescue. My phone, like several other phones from various vendors and carriers, can be used as a Mobile Hot Spot. This feature makes my phone a wifi hub and connects any computer device with wifi capability to the Internet using the phone’s 3G or 4G mobile connection. In other words the phone works just like the wifi hub in your house or office, but instead of connecting to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider like RoadRunner or Fuse, it uses the mobile phone network, in my case Verizon.

The connection, dubbed by some providers as “myfi,” is not as fast as a regular wifi/broadband connection but the speed is more than adequate to access email and my office network. You sign on to the hot spot the same way you sign on to any wifi service at home or at the local coffee shop. You can password protect the access if you wish.

When using “myfi” you will notice that the mobile phone’s battery will only provide about one hour of service. It is a good idea to keep the battery charger connected to the phone when using the hot spot feature for longer than a few minutes. Also, some plans charge a premium for hot spot technology. You may want to ask your provider if it is included in your plan.

If you do a lot of traveling and need Internet connection, the mobile hot spot feature on your phone may be just the ticket.

Mirror, Mirror On the Car

One of the first popular high tech wireless services available to drivers is OnStar. Using a combination of cellular and GPS technologies, OnStar has been around since 1995 beginning as a partnership between General Motors and Hughes Electronics. I am sure you have seen or heard one of the commercials showing an accident victim being soothed by an OnStar operator or a person faced with keys locked inside a running car gaining entry with the aid of a friendly OnStar representative. OnStar has garnered a solid reputation for providing superior customer service and ease of use. Up until now, since the system was a factory installed option and was integrated into the systems of the car, it has only been available for those with cars and trucks manufactured by General Motors. Beginning this year the service is being expanded as an after market option for most any car regardless of make and model.

Called OnStar FMV (OnStar For My Vehicle), this expanded product packs all the electronics into the body of a rear view mirror. This special mirror replaces the existing mirror in your car and is connected with a few small wires to your car’s innards. Once installed the customer has the choice of two levels of service as well as a mobile phone service, albeit expensive, in your car.

Once you check to make sure your car is compatible with the system by going to www.onstarfmv.com, you will need to purchase the OnStar Mirror with the initial price of $299.00. Installation charges will vary.

Two service plans are then available. The first, called “Safe & Sound,” has a monthly fee of $18.99 and provides assistance if you are in an accident or your car becomes disabled. The second plan, called “Direction & Connection,” provides added services like navigation assistance, dinner reservations, stolen car recovery assistance and more. It is pricier at almost $30.00 per month. You can also get telephone directory assistance and place calls from your car but the cost per minute is very expensive.

The one thing that sets all OnStar services apart is the customer assistance. There are real live human beings at the call center. While I have not used it myself, those who do use it report exceptional support and service. This might well be an example of getting what you are paying for since the first level of service will cost almost $500 even if you never push that OnStar button.

You will need to decide if you think it is worth it. It is a service that works, and works well. If peace of mind and worry free driving is a high priority for you, OnStar FMV is worth a look.

Mirror, Mirror On the Car

One of the first popular high tech wireless services available to drivers is OnStar. Using a combination of cellular and GPS technologies, OnStar has been around since 1995 beginning as a partnership between General Motors and Hughes Electronics. I am sure you have seen or heard one of the commercials showing an accident victim being soothed by an OnStar operator or a person faced with keys locked inside a running car gaining entry with the aid of a friendly OnStar representative. OnStar has garnered a solid reputation for providing superior customer service and ease of use. Up until now, since the system was a factory installed option and was integrated into the systems of the car, it has only been available for those with cars and trucks manufactured by General Motors. Beginning this year the service is being expanded as an after market option for most any car regardless of make and model.

Called OnStar FMV (OnStar For My Vehicle), this expanded product packs all the electronics into the body of a rear view mirror. This special mirror replaces the existing mirror in your car and is connected with a few small wires to your car’s innards. Once installed the customer has the choice of two levels of service as well as a mobile phone service, albeit expensive, in your car.

Once you check to make sure your car is compatible with the system by going to www.onstarfmv.com, you will need to purchase the OnStar Mirror with the initial price of $299.00. Installation charges will vary.

Two service plans are then available. The first, called “Safe & Sound,” has a monthly fee of $18.99 and provides assistance if you are in an accident or your car becomes disabled. The second plan, called “Direction & Connection,” provides added services like navigation assistance, dinner reservations, stolen car recovery assistance and more. It is pricier at almost $30.00 per month. You can also get telephone directory assistance and place calls from your car but the cost per minute is very expensive.

The one thing that sets all OnStar services apart is the customer assistance. There are real live human beings at the call center. While I have not used it myself, those who do use it report exceptional support and service. This might well be an example of getting what you are paying for since the first level of service will cost almost $500 even if you never push that OnStar button.

You will need to decide if you think it is worth it. It is a service that works, and works well. If peace of mind and worry free driving is a high priority for you, OnStar FMV is worth a look.

The Web Turns 20

In the summer of 1991, Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research or CERN (the same group who just built the Super Collider) unveiled to his colleagues a system for organizing information on the Internet. He called his invention the World Wide Web. A few months later here in the US at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, the first graphical interface or web browser called Mosaic was unveiled. Over the twenty years since these announcements the World Wide Web has become integrated into just about every aspect of daily life. The web and browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox are used by pre-schoolers and Ph.D scholars alike.

It is hard for most of us to remember a world without the web. Just the other day I had occasion to use the web for a most mundane task but with results that are nothing short of mind boggling. My wife reported that our clothes dryer had stopped working and that she found a small piece of metal in the drum. I recognized the broken piece as part of the small spring-loaded safety switch that turns the dryer off when the door is opened. Loosening a couple of screws allowed me to remove the switch and the remaining portion of the broken piece of metal. In the past I would have spent a lot of time calling around to find this 50 cent part since I am way too cheap to call a repair person for such a simple fix. The problem was that I didn’t even know what to call it, let alone the part number.

After finding the model number of the dryer, I entered it into Google and sure enough, within seconds there appeared a diagram of my Whirlpool Dryer Model LE8650XWWO. After a quick review of the diagram I found the switch and the small piece of metal that was now identified as “Dryer Door Switch Actuator Spring/Lever – Part Number PS383733.” Right on that same page was the “Add to Shopping Cart” icon. So in a matter of a few minutes I found the part and ordered it sent via priority mail to my house. Even in the best of circumstances, before introduction of the web, I would have needed to spend hours just finding the part.

For sure my experience is not, as they say, “rocket science,” but that is exactly the point. The web has transformed how we shop, how we play, how we learn, how we work and even how we think. With information simple and sublime being added to our collective inventory of knowledge at an almost exponential rate, the only way we can hope to keep track of it all is with digital tools like the World Wide Web.

The web is not even old enough to order a cold beer but I bet you can find out how to make some in less than a minute.

The Web Turns 20

In the summer of 1991, Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research or CERN (the same group who just built the Super Collider) unveiled to his colleagues a system for organizing information on the Internet. He called his invention the World Wide Web. A few months later here in the US at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, the first graphical interface or web browser called Mosaic was unveiled. Over the twenty years since these announcements the World Wide Web has become integrated into just about every aspect of daily life. The web and browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox are used by pre-schoolers and Ph.D scholars alike.

It is hard for most of us to remember a world without the web. Just the other day I had occasion to use the web for a most mundane task but with results that are nothing short of mind boggling. My wife reported that our clothes dryer had stopped working and that she found a small piece of metal in the drum. I recognized the broken piece as part of the small spring-loaded safety switch that turns the dryer off when the door is opened. Loosening a couple of screws allowed me to remove the switch and the remaining portion of the broken piece of metal. In the past I would have spent a lot of time calling around to find this 50 cent part since I am way too cheap to call a repair person for such a simple fix. The problem was that I didn’t even know what to call it, let alone the part number.

After finding the model number of the dryer, I entered it into Google and sure enough, within seconds there appeared a diagram of my Whirlpool Dryer Model LE8650XWWO. After a quick review of the diagram I found the switch and the small piece of metal that was now identified as “Dryer Door Switch Actuator Spring/Lever – Part Number PS383733.” Right on that same page was the “Add to Shopping Cart” icon. So in a matter of a few minutes I found the part and ordered it sent via priority mail to my house. Even in the best of circumstances, before introduction of the web, I would have needed to spend hours just finding the part.

For sure my experience is not, as they say, “rocket science,” but that is exactly the point. The web has transformed how we shop, how we play, how we learn, how we work and even how we think. With information simple and sublime being added to our collective inventory of knowledge at an almost exponential rate, the only way we can hope to keep track of it all is with digital tools like the World Wide Web.

The web is not even old enough to order a cold beer but I bet you can find out how to make some in less than a minute.

There Isn't an App for Steve

In these weekly columns I try to keep from editorializing and make sure the content is centered on all things digital. “Things” in this context have always been hardware, software or services. This week I am going to depart from that format and reflect on the recent announcement by Steve Jobs that he is stepping down as the CEO of Apple.

Anyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that I have very strong opinions about Steve Jobs and Apple. My biggest complaint is the high degree of control he and the company maintain over every aspect of any product or service they develop. Unlike many other high tech companies who manufacture hardware or develop software that can be used on many different digital platforms, Apple has always tried to either own or control all aspects of their product. There is no doubt that this control has sometimes resulted in superior products and legendary high quality customer support and loyalty. Some of this control is understandable, but some of it seems to smack of arrogance and a way to keep the customer tethered to the Apple cult.

For example, the battery in the iPhone can’t be replaced by anyone but the authorized Apple dealer. If you should replace it yourself, you void the warranty. Another control issue relates to Mr. Jobs and his refusal to accommodate “Flash” software in any of his new products. Oblivious to the fact that Adobe Flash is the format used by millions of video producers on the Internet, Jobs forces those with an iPad or iPhone to forego viewing Flash encoded videos or face violating one of the Apple commandments by installing the forbidden “jail break” software, again resulting in a non–supported warranty.

History is replete with people who have made significant positive contributions to society but were really not easy people to like. It is reported that Edison was a less then congenial fellow. It may be apocryphal, but Mussolini was said to have the trains running on time in Italy. (“Jobophiles” may find the last reference hard to take.)

Seriously, Jobs is sure to go down in history as one of the most significant persons in the Digital Age. Almost single handedly he developed products that have become the very standard in listening to music, making phone calls and interacting with the Internet. His products not only are well designed and well made, they are also intuitive to use. It is for the latter that he and Apple may be most appreciated. At a time when some high tech companies require the user to read incomprehensible manuals to operate simple devices like TV sets and phones, Apple products require little instruction. They work the way most non-geeks think they will.

It remains to be seen how a company that was so controlled by one person will fare when that leader is no longer at the helm. One thing is for sure, if Apple never introduces another new product, it will still remain a 21st Century icon.

There Isn't an App for Steve

In these weekly columns I try to keep from editorializing and make sure the content is centered on all things digital. “Things” in this context have always been hardware, software or services. This week I am going to depart from that format and reflect on the recent announcement by Steve Jobs that he is stepping down as the CEO of Apple.

Anyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that I have very strong opinions about Steve Jobs and Apple. My biggest complaint is the high degree of control he and the company maintain over every aspect of any product or service they develop. Unlike many other high tech companies who manufacture hardware or develop software that can be used on many different digital platforms, Apple has always tried to either own or control all aspects of their product. There is no doubt that this control has sometimes resulted in superior products and legendary high quality customer support and loyalty. Some of this control is understandable, but some of it seems to smack of arrogance and a way to keep the customer tethered to the Apple cult.

For example, the battery in the iPhone can’t be replaced by anyone but the authorized Apple dealer. If you should replace it yourself, you void the warranty. Another control issue relates to Mr. Jobs and his refusal to accommodate “Flash” software in any of his new products. Oblivious to the fact that Adobe Flash is the format used by millions of video producers on the Internet, Jobs forces those with an iPad or iPhone to forego viewing Flash encoded videos or face violating one of the Apple commandments by installing the forbidden “jail break” software, again resulting in a non–supported warranty.

History is replete with people who have made significant positive contributions to society but were really not easy people to like. It is reported that Edison was a less then congenial fellow. It may be apocryphal, but Mussolini was said to have the trains running on time in Italy. (“Jobophiles” may find the last reference hard to take.)

Seriously, Jobs is sure to go down in history as one of the most significant persons in the Digital Age. Almost single handedly he developed products that have become the very standard in listening to music, making phone calls and interacting with the Internet. His products not only are well designed and well made, they are also intuitive to use. It is for the latter that he and Apple may be most appreciated. At a time when some high tech companies require the user to read incomprehensible manuals to operate simple devices like TV sets and phones, Apple products require little instruction. They work the way most non-geeks think they will.

It remains to be seen how a company that was so controlled by one person will fare when that leader is no longer at the helm. One thing is for sure, if Apple never introduces another new product, it will still remain a 21st Century icon.