Blackberry Desktop Manager 4.7 is now available

Blackberry is releasing the Storm in a few days and have updated their desktop software for the phone's new operating system.  You can download and install the update by clicking here.

If you need help setting up the software or if you have questions about which Blackberry is right for your Chicago based small business feel free to contact me.

Times are tight...how to save a bit of money (continued)

       I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on the Times are Tight posts, so I am going to continue on.  This time we are going to look at a product that will save you money on overseas and long distance phone calls.

      Skype, has been around for a while, but I think this version of the software has finally reached the level of the video phone.  In order to use Skype you will need four things:

• a broadband connection;
• a webcam;
• speakers and a microphone; and 
• Skype

        You can download the Skype application from Skype.com.  It is a free program.  Once you have downloaded and installed the program, you will be assigned a user name and the program will search your address book to find any people you know that are using Skype.   If it finds any people you know it will add them to your buddy list.

         Placing a call is simple, you merely double click on a person on your buddy list.  They will hear Skype ringing on their side.  If they choose to answer the call, you are instantly connected and can start talking like a normal phone conversation.  Since video is optional, only one in four Skype calls is a video call. 

       I have been using Skype to call my family in Hawaii as well as friends over in Germany and France and I have to say I love it.  The quality is fantastic, doubley so when I don't have to pay to make the long distance calls.  

       As I mentioned Skype is free.  They do have some cool add in features that may tempt some small businesses owners to move from their traditional land lines to this system.  If you want to talk to me about moving your phone systems from a traditional land line to a VOIP system or something similar to Skype please feel free to email me or visit my Chicago Computer Consulting website. 

Here is a list of the fees associated with Skype:

• Skype to Skype calls  Free
  
• Video Calls Free
• Conference Calls (up to 10 people)   Free
• Skype to Cell Calls $.021 per minute
• Recieve calls from Cells $18 per month
• Send and Recive Voicemails $6 per month
• Send SMS/Texts $.047

Times are tight...how to save a bit of money (continued)

      If you have a mobile device such as a Blackberry and like to read newspapers, blogs or other rss enabled websites, you might want to take a look at Viigo. Viigo is a wonderful piece of software for your PDA that is both free and extremely functional.  Outside of email, Viigo it is the application that I use the most on my phone.

    

  The premise of viigo is simple.  It basically gathers updates from any RSS enabled website when the phone is not busy so you can read the article at your leisure.  Most newspaper and magazine websites and all blog are RSS enabled.  If there is any doubt look for the orange icon to the right.  For the lawyers out there, the link to the Daily Law Bulletin's feed  is  www.chicagolawbulletin.com/rss/headings.xml

      Once you locate the icon or find a link called feed, cut and paste the link into viigo, and it will do the rest.  It is extremely easy to setup.  I love having this sort of information at my finger tips when I am on the train, standing in line, or just generally bored.  My personal favorite sites range from news to photography to tech information.

There are also a number of other feature beyond the newsfeeds:

Weather

Stocks

Sports 

Games

      As always, if you have questions or need help with setting up software such as this feel free to contact me at 312.618.8866.  Moreover, if you have any general computer or networking issues please feel free to contact my computer consulting firm Firefly Network Services, Inc.

       While we primarily service the legal industry, specifically small law firms, we also perform computer consulting, repair and maintenance for small businesses and not-for-profits in the Chicago area.   

Times are tight...how to save a bit of money

Let's face it, offices can't function without word processing suites and software vendors know it.

Overall, the best way to purchase Microsoft's productivity software is to buy volume licenses or to purchase it when you buy a new computer.  However, reality is such that this might not always be possible.  If you were to go to a big box store to purchase the software you are going to pay the following:

• Microsoft office for Mac 2008 -- $399.99
  
• Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2007 -- $449.99
  
• Microsoft Office Professional 2007 -- $499.99

In most cases, Microsoft is the only choice for law firms or small businesses, especially if they have case management software that integrates only with Word.  Without a doubt Microsoft's Office software is extremely powerful software that is very feature rich.

However, if you are a small business, student, home user  that only needs to do basic word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations you may want to take a look at Open Office 3.  I recently downloaded a copy for my Mac and I was able to do everything that I normally do with Microsoft Office.  The suite includes programs that perform the following:

• Word Processing
• Spreadsheets
• Databases
• Presentations
• Drawing

I should also mention that Open Office 3 is FREE.  I am going to try using it for 60 days to see if it is a realistic replacement for Microsoft Office.

Road Warriors, Lenovo has an ultraportable laptop with 10 hours of battery life for you.

My digital life is a life on the run and often my laptop doesn't have the gusto to keep up. If I have a few moments between clients, I like to grab a cup of coffee and use a wi-fi connection to check mail, however, more often then not it seems like my laptop is out of power. Generally, this isn't a problem; however, every once in a while every free plug in the place is taken. Of course, my need for power is usually directly proportional to my need to get online. What is a mobile user to do?

Well, not to worry, Lenovo has released a new version of their Lenovo Thinkpad X200 that is ultra lightweight and has a 10 hour battery life.  The new Lenovo Thinkpad x200s weighs in at only 2.6 pounds, but that light weight comes at a premium.  It will set you back by about $1500

Latpopmag.com has a great review of the laptop.  

Many of my legal clients have attorneys who infrequently  travel out of town for depositions or trials.  While these lawyers need a laptop while on the road, most don't travel enough to justify the cost of a personal laptop.  In such cases, the firm usually keeps one or two prefigured laptops that can be checked out by attorneys as needed.  The ThinkPad X200s is a perfect solution.  If you are a small business or  a small law firm and have consulting questions please feel free to contact me.

Blackberry Users Get Ready....Here Comes The Bold.

RIM's most recent creation The Bold launches on August 21st. In an effort to compete with Apple's iPhone, RIM has added a number of features. Here are just a couple:

• The Bold has a 2 megapixel camera that allows you to geotag your photos with the built in GPS system.
• A full sized keyboard
• One Gig of on board memory to store music, documents and videos.

If you need help choosing a PDA that fits your workstyle feel free to contact us at 312.618.8866 or visit us at FireFly Networking Services, Inc.

Use your Blackberry....and get overtime.

How many times have you been at a party/dinner/social event and your phone starts buzzing letting you know that you have a new new message? The question then becomes how long can you go without looking at your phone to check the message. I can usually last all of 10 seconds, fortunately, I have the built in excuse of being on call. I think I am in the majority of Blackberry users that responds to a message as soon as it arrives. It is a convenience to me to be able to answer questions as soon as they come in, rather then waiting until I go into the office the next morning.

An interesting article on Cnbc.com this morning addresses the issue of after hour Blackberry usage.

As employers hand out electronic devices to their employees at a greater pace, there are growing concerns that workers eligible for overtime pay, known as non-exempt employees, could begin suing their employers for overtime hours earned while tapping on their devices during after-work hours. As a result, lawyers are advising their corporate clients to update their policies and handbooks related to BlackBerry use and reconsider who gets a device.

Of course, this begs the question does the same logic apply to checking office email from home on your home computer. I imagine it does.