A Look Back

At the end of each year it has been my custom to take a look into the year ahead and highlight what I feel will be some major developments in the digital world. Any prediction, be it the weather for the next day or the success on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium is, at best, a dangerous practice. Predictions about the digital world are no exception. So before looking ahead to next year, let’s see how I did with my crystal ball this year.

One of my major predictions had to do with the increase in “cloud computing” for both individuals and businesses. I said that more and more of our information, both public and personal, would be stored on and retrieved from large centrally located cloud servers. Our personal calendars, contact lists, correspondence, medical history, entertainment and embarrassing party videos will reside not on our personal computer’s hard drive, but on drives shared by our neighbors.

For sure that has happened. Apple’s iCloud service is absolutely integral to several applications running on the iPhone and iPad. The new Kindle Fire, as well as the original Kindle models, all have cloud support hosted by Amazon.com. The music we hear, the movies we watch and even the money we make are being stored in the cloud.

I predicted an increase in online access to movies and TV programs and a trending away from traditional cable and satellite services. Cable subscriptions are down especially among the younger more digitally aware generation. Even TV ownership numbers among the 20-something generation is flagging as they watch TV on their iPads and other tablets. This past year also saw missteps by NetFlix as they struggled with changing their company from a “snail mail” based DVD library to a delivery system using broadband Internet.

While the smart phone has not yet morphed into an electronic wallet as I had predicted, other non-traditional retailing applications have increased. For example, there is an increased use of electronic coupons. Price comparison apps for smart phones are commonplace.

So all in all my predictions were close. Next week I will go out on a limb and peer into 2012.

A reminder… In January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

A Look Back

At the end of each year it has been my custom to take a look into the year ahead and highlight what I feel will be some major developments in the digital world. Any prediction, be it the weather for the next day or the success on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium is, at best, a dangerous practice. Predictions about the digital world are no exception. So before looking ahead to next year, let’s see how I did with my crystal ball this year.

One of my major predictions had to do with the increase in “cloud computing” for both individuals and businesses. I said that more and more of our information, both public and personal, would be stored on and retrieved from large centrally located cloud servers. Our personal calendars, contact lists, correspondence, medical history, entertainment and embarrassing party videos will reside not on our personal computer’s hard drive, but on drives shared by our neighbors.

For sure that has happened. Apple’s iCloud service is absolutely integral to several applications running on the iPhone and iPad. The new Kindle Fire, as well as the original Kindle models, all have cloud support hosted by Amazon.com. The music we hear, the movies we watch and even the money we make are being stored in the cloud.

I predicted an increase in online access to movies and TV programs and a trending away from traditional cable and satellite services. Cable subscriptions are down especially among the younger more digitally aware generation. Even TV ownership numbers among the 20-something generation is flagging as they watch TV on their iPads and other tablets. This past year also saw missteps by NetFlix as they struggled with changing their company from a “snail mail” based DVD library to a delivery system using broadband Internet.

While the smart phone has not yet morphed into an electronic wallet as I had predicted, other non-traditional retailing applications have increased. For example, there is an increased use of electronic coupons. Price comparison apps for smart phones are commonplace.

So all in all my predictions were close. Next week I will go out on a limb and peer into 2012.

A reminder… In January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

LED Savings Long Term But Worth It!

How much do you really save?

The Holiday season is in full swing. The halls are decked with holly and this year it looks like many of us have adopted a new and more “greener” approach to decorating our homes. Driving around I have noticed more and more LED lights being used as decorations. They are easy to spot as they are much brighter and pierce the darkness more than their incandescent older siblings.

This trend is really good news. The efficiency of these lights is nothing short of extraordinary. One string of 50 LED lights uses about 7 watts of power. One standard incandescent lamp that we used on our trees … you know the ones that were also used as nightlights when we were kids … consumes between 4 and 7 watts EACH. So a string of 50 lights would consume between 200 and 250 watts verses the LED’s consumption of 7 watts.

For sure the environmental impact is very positive. The amount of electricity required to power our festive displays using LED lights is a small fraction of the incandescent alternative. For sure you are being “green” when you switch over to LEDS. But will you save some “green?”

If you are buying new lights you will quickly find that the LED lights are priced at about double of what you will pay for the standard incandescent strings. I found sets of 50 LED lights at a local store for about $7. So your initial cash outlay is higher. The LED lights do have a much longer life. Most are rated for about 25,000 hours of use. That works out to almost 3 years of continuous use. So your kids’ kids’ kids will be using these lights (if they can keep track of where they store them…that’s another issue).

In the long run, and I really mean long run, someone will save money but in most cases it won’t be you. Nevertheless, the positive impact of using less energy is enough of a reason to choose LED lights for this and other lighting needs. The prices continue to fall and there are more choices of lamps that have a softer glow than the original LED offerings.

One other thing…in January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

LED Savings Long Term But Worth It!

How much do you really save?

The Holiday season is in full swing. The halls are decked with holly and this year it looks like many of us have adopted a new and more “greener” approach to decorating our homes. Driving around I have noticed more and more LED lights being used as decorations. They are easy to spot as they are much brighter and pierce the darkness more than their incandescent older siblings.

This trend is really good news. The efficiency of these lights is nothing short of extraordinary. One string of 50 LED lights uses about 7 watts of power. One standard incandescent lamp that we used on our trees … you know the ones that were also used as nightlights when we were kids … consumes between 4 and 7 watts EACH. So a string of 50 lights would consume between 200 and 250 watts verses the LED’s consumption of 7 watts.

For sure the environmental impact is very positive. The amount of electricity required to power our festive displays using LED lights is a small fraction of the incandescent alternative. For sure you are being “green” when you switch over to LEDS. But will you save some “green?”

If you are buying new lights you will quickly find that the LED lights are priced at about double of what you will pay for the standard incandescent strings. I found sets of 50 LED lights at a local store for about $7. So your initial cash outlay is higher. The LED lights do have a much longer life. Most are rated for about 25,000 hours of use. That works out to almost 3 years of continuous use. So your kids’ kids’ kids will be using these lights (if they can keep track of where they store them…that’s another issue).

In the long run, and I really mean long run, someone will save money but in most cases it won’t be you. Nevertheless, the positive impact of using less energy is enough of a reason to choose LED lights for this and other lighting needs. The prices continue to fall and there are more choices of lamps that have a softer glow than the original LED offerings.

One other thing…in January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.

Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

More Holiday Gift Ideas

This is the second installment of my annual gift giving suggestions column. I hope that the suggestions are helpful as you search for that perfect gift.

For years I have been suggesting that an electronic picture frame would be the perfect gift for family members, especially grandparents, who want to keep up with your growing family. In the past I suggested preloading the frame with photos and periodically sending new ones, either via email or snail mail. While this works, it does require that the recipient have some degree of technical ability to load them into the frame.

A company, CEIVA, has a solution. They offer a frame and automatic updating service that allows you to send photos directly to the frame from a computer or camera phone. You can also share photos via Facebook or use any of the many online digital photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa or Snapfish.

The frame is connected directly to the Internet so the recipient must have a broadband Internet connection. There is a model that uses a dial-up connection but that requires the person receiving the photos to manually make a call. Don’t recommend it. The Internet connected device is automatic. The pictures just appear as you send them.

The CEIVA frames come in various models but plan to spend about $130. You can send up to 40 photos per day with the basic service. More information is at www.ceiva.com.

More and more TV programs and movies are available via the Internet from services like HuluPlus, Netflix and HBOGO. You can, of course, choose to watch these programs on your computer but most of us prefer to sit in a comfortable chair and watch on our wide screen TVs. For about $60 you can get a Roku streaming player that connects to most any TV and provides High Definition streaming to your TV from the Internet.

The Roku is simple to set up. You must have a broadband Internet connection and subscribe to one of more of the online video services. For many, these services have replaced traditional cable or satellite TV and the price is most often very competitive. More information is available at www.roku.com

I hope these suggestions have helped to take the hassle out of shopping.

More Holiday Gift Ideas

This is the second installment of my annual gift giving suggestions column. I hope that the suggestions are helpful as you search for that perfect gift.

For years I have been suggesting that an electronic picture frame would be the perfect gift for family members, especially grandparents, who want to keep up with your growing family. In the past I suggested preloading the frame with photos and periodically sending new ones, either via email or snail mail. While this works, it does require that the recipient have some degree of technical ability to load them into the frame.

A company, CEIVA, has a solution. They offer a frame and automatic updating service that allows you to send photos directly to the frame from a computer or camera phone. You can also share photos via Facebook or use any of the many online digital photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa or Snapfish.

The frame is connected directly to the Internet so the recipient must have a broadband Internet connection. There is a model that uses a dial-up connection but that requires the person receiving the photos to manually make a call. Don’t recommend it. The Internet connected device is automatic. The pictures just appear as you send them.

The CEIVA frames come in various models but plan to spend about $130. You can send up to 40 photos per day with the basic service. More information is at www.ceiva.com.

More and more TV programs and movies are available via the Internet from services like HuluPlus, Netflix and HBOGO. You can, of course, choose to watch these programs on your computer but most of us prefer to sit in a comfortable chair and watch on our wide screen TVs. For about $60 you can get a Roku streaming player that connects to most any TV and provides High Definition streaming to your TV from the Internet.

The Roku is simple to set up. You must have a broadband Internet connection and subscribe to one of more of the online video services. For many, these services have replaced traditional cable or satellite TV and the price is most often very competitive. More information is available at www.roku.com

I hope these suggestions have helped to take the hassle out of shopping.