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Posts Tagged: iPad

Survive Daylight Savings With These Tech Tools

Daylight savings, why do we do daylight savings, technology, time saving apps, social media for business

Only 74 More Clocks to Change

Sometime long ago, a group of government officials decided they would mess with people’s natural sleeping patterns and throw them off for weeks by telling everyone in most of the United States (except for people who live in Arizona and Hawaii) that suddenly in the middle of fall (used to be the last week in October, but it’s now the first week in November), the overworked citizens would be given an extra hour to sleep, or use however they would like. But it isn’t a real gift, it is more of a loaner, because five months later (used to be in March but is now in April), that hour will be taken back, and the fine citizens of 48 states and a few US Territories will once again be out of whack!

Not only do we walk around for weeks completely off kilter, but the day after this magical time change takes place, people have to go around their homes searching for every clock they own to either make it fall back or spring forward, thus wasting the very hour they were just given.

So as you begin to take inventory of all your time pieces this week, I decided I would share some fun apps and tips to either save you time, or fill the time you will have after missing your flights and appointments. Perhaps you should just throw all clocks away and start your own time zone! I’d love to hear about the apps and tools you are using to save (or make up lost) time.

Glympse (available on Android, Blackberry, iOS, Windows7) This app is for those of us who will be at least an hour late for every appointment because we set our clocks back an hour after our spouses had already set them. Open the app and send a link via email or text message to the person you are meeting with and let them track you on the map. It’s like watching Santa fly over Kansas on his way to your house via NORAD tracking. Very cool.
GateGuru (available on both Android and iOS) This app will save you time while traveling especially when you have that one hour layover and need to find a quick bite to eat but you are hankerin’ for a Quizno’s sub. Open up Gate Guru and the GPS will show you what exactly is available in that concourse and it includes reviews by other travelers!
AutoPark (on iOS only) This is the app that will save you time and money. As you walk around for the next few weeks not paying attention to where you are parking your car, AutoPark will help you find your parked car, tell you how much time is left on your parking meter, and will show you nearby services such as banks, car-washes, parking lots and more!
Banking Apps (Wells Fargo; Chase; BofA and more) This is not our grandma’s Savings and Loan anymore! We can save loads of time by taking our tasks on the road and it is safe. Most banks today have mobile banking features that allow you to pay bills, transfer money and even find nearby ATMs all with your mobile device, and now we are seeing apps for many banks that are taking it further allowing you to even deposit your checks by taking a picture of the check with your phone! WOW- you can get your banking done and go back to bed for another hour!

So as you FALL BACK on November 6th, be aware that you will probably spend the next few weeks recovering from the confusion that comes from not knowing if you really gain an hour or if you have you spent more time telling yourself “It’s really 5 o’clock right now, not 6.” Remember when people tell you that time is your enemy, you can tell them that fortunately technology is your friend and together you have made peace with daylight and night time. They won’t understand what you are talking about and you can just walk away…saving MORE TIME!

Gina Schreck, Shreck, Social Media for Business, Social marketing, technology

The Time Challenged, Gina Schreck

Gina Schreck is the President and Chief Hooligan at SynapseConnecting. If you have time this week and need to chat with someone about your social marketing needs, give her a call…She’s got TIME!

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This blog post has been sponsored by CLEAR, the service that speeds you through airport security. CLEAR members save so much time at the airport, it’s like having Daylight Savings every time you travel! CLEAR, the (self-proclaimed) Official Sponsor of Daylight Saving Time, is celebrating the extra hour we get on Nov 6th with a series of travel and time-savings posts on their blog - and here, on my blog too.

Time saving technology, Daylight savings, Clear, airport travel

To help you see what CLEAR is all about, they are offering my readers a special 3-month FREE trial! Don’t settle for just one extra hour this Daylight Savings. No need to deal with unpredictable security lines, the stress of rushing to your gate, or the time you waste getting to DEN extra early. Click here to get your pass and try CLEAR’s enhanced travel experience for yourself. Just enter my code (CMNDST09) in the promo code field on the payment page.

October 27, 2011 | Filed Under Android, Apps, iPad, iPhone, Mobile Technology, Technology | 2 Comments

Tech Trends for 2010: What Had Us All Talkin’?

In the world of social media and technology this year, there were many tools that stood out, or commanded lots of our attention, but we took on the top 5 that we felt really impacted business or had many of us trying to figure out how to be more strategic and effective with them.

Donna Gilliland, of MOST Training, and I managed to keep our chat under an hour. (Hard to do if you know either one of us) We broke it down into 5 segments with each under 10 minutes.

TREND 1: MOBILE FOR BUSINESS

Sometimes referred to as the THIRD SCREEN, our mobile phones, and now tablets and other mobile devices, have made it easier than ever to work from ANYWHERE.

TREND 2: FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS

Facebook made headlines, it seems like, every day! From ever-changing privacy settings, to the movie, The Social Network, Facebook became more than simply a virtual high-school reunion. From the annoying Farmville gamers to every news station and retail store telling us to connect with them on Facebook. We end the year with a move that just may be the end of email as we know it.

TREND 3: CLOUD COMPUTING FOR SMALL BIZ

While most people still do not know what this term actually means, cloud computing and the apps that many of us use without realizing they are cloud based, have begun to change the way we do business. From storing our photos and slideshows, to sharing and collaborating on documents in the cloud, these tools are saving us time, money and lots of frustration.

TREND 4: VIDEO FOR BUSINESS

The pocket video camera and the 5-year-anniversary of the launch of YouTube have changed the way we search for and share information. We no longer need expensive video production crews to create and share content. This trend is great for business!

Trend 5: iPADS, READERS and TABLETS

2010 was truly the year of the iPad, but overall, the readers & tablets have changed the way, and the frequency in which we consume content. Business is being done on the go and consumers want content they can take with them with ease. We will continue to see these “Magical” devices appear in our work environments for years to come!

What do you think were the top tech trends of 2010? What did we leave out or put in that you don’t agree with? Share your thoughts and predictions with us! Did you notice that the word “Twitter” was not mentioned? It’s still going strong and growing faster than ever, but nothing of great note happened in Twitter Town in 2010 (In my not-so-humble-opinion!).

Gina Schreck

Gina is a Social Media and Technology FREAK! Her and the team at SynapseConnecting can help you make sense of today’s technology and use it to build your business and manage your brand! Give us a hollar if we can help- 877-978-0887 or of course on Twitter @GinaSchreck

Gina Schreck
President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di

@GinaSchreck

December 14, 2010 | Filed Under Facebook, Gettin Geeky, Gettin Geeky Video, iPad, Mobile Technology, Social Media, Technology, YouTube | 2 Comments

LEFT BEHIND: The Painful Price of Not Keeping Up With Technology

My 75-year-old in-laws came to visit for Thanksgiving and by the end of the weekend, I was feeling, both guilty for not helping them immigrate into the foreign land of technology earlier, and inspired to learn even more about technology trends and new tech tools as I…. get older.

Technology Social Media Expert, Gina Schreck, Technology Trends

Seniors and Technology

My mother-in-law was complaining about the fact her bank was starting to charge her $8 a month for not using their online banking features. Online banking was both scary for her to consider doing and sad for her to think of not being able to go in and visit Kim and Diane, her favorite tellers. She doesn’t like talking to the tellers through the drive through window and would never consider trusting the ATM to deposit checks or withdraw money. How would she be sure it posted to her account correctly? Who would answer her questions she might have on her statement?

She said the other day the clerk at the department store where she regularly shops, asked her if she downloaded the coupon that was offered on their Facebook Page. I can just imagine the blank stare my mother-in-law gave that 16-year-old, who probably could not fathom anyone NOT being on Facebook. My father-in-law chimed in with his disdain for the word “apps.” ”I’m tired of hearing about this app and that app. Everyone acts like we understand what that means!”

Imagine waking up one morning in a foreign country. You do not speak the language and cannot read the signs posted around town. You have currency that no one accepts and you own tools that don’t seem to work any longer. This is the feeling many seniors have today. They are digital immigrants. They may have immigrated voluntarily or perhaps they were sent over kicking and screaming, but they are foreigners in a foreign land. Although a Nielson study showed that those 65 years and older pick Facebook as one of their top internet destinations, I believe it is because they are trying desperately to access their family that left them in this foreign land so they can slap them!

With one boomer turning 65 every 8 seconds starting this January 2011, there are some things we can do to ensure we are not leaving anyone behind feeling isolated and lost. As a business owner, I also want to make sure I am not throwing around lingo and techno-jargon that makes digital-immigrants more confused and isolated.

Here are 4 steps we can all take to help others and stay relevant ourselves so we are not LEFT BEHIND:

1. Commit to learning one new technology tool this month. Whether it is sending text messages to your family or taking a class (even via YouTube) on a new video editing software or starting your own blog.

2. Commit to teaching someone one new technology tool this month. Show your parents how to download a photo from an email or better yet how to sign onto FLICKR and browse your family albums. Download a sudoku or crossword puzzle app on their phone or iPad (you might not want to call it an app!)

3. Browse through the TECHNOLOGY category in the iTunes library or on YouTube to find a podcast you enjoy that discusses technology trends, and subscribe to it. Commit to listening to one podcast per week to stay up on the latest lingo and tech terms…like APP or CLOUD COMPUTING! (Some of my favorites are from the TWIT Network-This Week In Technology- just search for TWIT in iTunes Podcasts)

4. Find and subscribe to one technology blog. Go to Technorati and browse a category that interests you and then send that particular blog to your eReader or receive it as an email (if you wouldn’t get overwhelmed by one more email). I like getting them sent to my Google Reader which ends up being a customized newspaper for me. If you own an iPad, download the free and OH-SO-AMAZING app, FLIPBOARD and “flip” through the pages of your favorite blog posts and magazine sources each day.

Share some of your tips to stay relevant and keep that GREY MATTER from getting too GRAY!

If you are working with seniors or want more resources, info, and products with senior-friendly features, check out this great site: ElderGadget

If your organization needs help bringing folks across that digital divide, give me a hollar, I am your Digital Immigration Officer! @GinaSchreck

Gina Schreck

Gina Schreck
President & Chief Hooligan at Synapse 3Di

@GinaSchreck

November 30, 2010 | Filed Under Education, Facebook, Future, Gettin Geeky, iPad, Technology | 4 Comments

The iPad Project: Surviving a Week without My Laptop

On our recent trip to Hawaii to attend my sister’s wedding, my hubby convinced me to leave my laptop at home and just take my iPad and phone to stay in touch with the world. It sounded interesting. It sounded a bit scary.

The challenge was, I was conducting a Webinar the day after we got home and then speaking at a conference two days after that and I was concerned that I may need to sneak in a bit of early morning work on these while away and didn’t feel completely confident it could be done on my iPad. I saw it as an opportunity though; One that would help me finally find a place in my heart for this lovely iPad, which up until now has just been an oversized iTouch or expensive iPod. Sure I had a few fun apps on it and the Schrecklet loved playing games on it, but I had not moved it into a business tool category yet.

So I mustered up the courage to kiss my laptop good-bye, just for the week, and pack my iPad.

Here are some of my observations and benefits of traveling with my iPad:

1. Checking in and going through security at Denver’s International Airport was much smoother than when traveling with a laptop. Not only did I not have my big red laptop case, but TSA didn’t even require that I take the iPad out of my purse. Smooth sailing through security …except for that bottle of nail polish at the bottom of my purse! Curses–I usually catch those small items and stick them in my pocket! (NOTE: The TSA folks in Honolulu did not have the same smooth-sailing policy and required me to remove the iPad from my purse and lay it in a bin by itself.)

2. When sitting on the plane and the antsy 9-year-old boy in front of me slammed his seat into the reclined position, the iPad did not get lodged into the tray or seat back like my big laptop usually does! SWEET benefit I had not anticipated!

3. Obviously the small size made it great for throwing in my bag and heading down stairs to grab coffee and do a wee bit of work before the Captain woke up and the added benefit was that I didn’t look like a total idiot bringing my laptop poolside when I should have been relaxing. The new cool-factor served as kind of a disguise for any workaholic! (Which I’m not! I know, denial is one of the signs, but really…I’m not!)

4. Aside from music in my iTunes library, I had a collection of great magazines, podcasts and audio books that I had downloaded before we left, and before we even landed in Honolulu, I had read an issue of Wired Magazine, listened to half of Tony Hsieh‘s book “Delivering Happiness,” and one TWIG (this week in Google) podcast! Nothing says geeky vacation like laying on the beach with a few good episodes of This Week in Google with Leo LaPorte, Jeff Jarvis and Gina Trapani! (Can’t you hear the ukuleles in the background now?)

I do have to admit that the iPad connectivity was sketchy and I could not get online many times to even check email, so I ended up at the end of the week loving my (HTC) Nexus One phone all the more! That baby doubled as a great camera, email reader, Facebook app for posting content, a GPS navigator for getting us around the island, and of course a phone occasionally for making a call here and there! (NOTE: I do not have the 3G service on my iPad so I could connect, or try to connect, to the Marriott’s wifi service, a few others I met there were trying with 3G service and could not get a strong enough signal)

There were a two apps I had loaded onto my iPad that helped get me through the week though.

1. Thanks to the prompting of my tech-savvy and Mac enthusiast assistant, Marci Dahms, I signed up for LOG ME IN, which allows you to access a desktop (previously set up) so that in an emergency I could pull documents or files off of my PC at home and work on them and send them to a client in need, which did happen.

2. Because I had Docs To Go loaded on my iPad, I could open and edit a Word doc with no problem. This is also what you would use if you wanted to show a PowerPoint presentation from your iPad. (You would need to add a $69 adapter that connects to the projector.)

So all in all, can you survive on your next business trip with only your iPad? I say of course you can…as long as you bring your smart phone!

Let me know if you have successfully traveled with your iPad sans the laptop. I still feel that with a little more time, I CAN make another attempt at it.

@GinaSchreck