Technology Archive:
My Life Without A Smartphone
Just over three months ago, I wrote about why I decided to ditch my iPhone. As promised, I wanted to do a followup and let you know how it has been now that I have gone 90 days without owning a smartphone of any kind.
Below are the things I have experienced more and less of as a result of living without a smartphone…
MacJournal Review
Over the past few months, I have been using MacJournal on a daily basis. If you missed it, I specifically mentioned the application in my post The Art of Journal Writing.
I decided that I love this application so much that I wanted to do a complete review of it and give you a few reasons as to why I continue to use it.
By no means is this a sponsored review, I simply like the product and enjoy sharing tools that I personally find useful.
So here is an even closer look at what MacJournal is capable of and why I highly recommend giving it a shot if you are a Mac user.
It Is Simple
Let me start by saying that this program has plenty of features, yet it still remains simple to use. I have never been a fan of applications that are far more powerful than I need. The more bells and whistles an application has, the more clutter I have to fight through to actually do what I want with it.
The way MacJournal works is very similar to how an email client works. It reminds me of Apple Mail in my ways.
7 Mac Apps for Productivity
If you’re like me, you love to keep things simple and productive. This is especially true for computer related tasks and chores. If you happen to use a Mac, check out the following applications that I use on a daily basis to keep myself productive:
1Password
Have a ton of passwords? 1Password is a lifesaver when it comes to storing your personal information. Not only can you store passwords, but you can also add personal information, credit cards, and a whole mess of other stuff.
My favorite thing of all is the ability to “Go & Fill Login,” which will take you to a certain website such as your bank and automatically log you in. It’s amazing how much time you save by not having to do all the steps manually.
6 Reasons Why I Ditched My iPhone
I’ve been an iPhone user since it first came out a few years back. I even upgraded to the 3G version since I wanted to get some faster internet. But guess what? As of this week, I am officially iPhone free! I just sold my used iPhone on Craigslist for $250 and feel great about it.
Over the past year, I’ve been contemplating on and off whether or not I needed a cellphone. A few times I got close to pulling the plug but then changed my mind. I really don’t like the idea of constantly having a phone on me. Heck, I even saw two people run into each other on the sidewalk yesterday because they were both walking and texting. Have we really gotten this bad?
Stream TV From A Media Center PC
Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to stream TV from a Media Center PC I have. My first thought was to buy a Slingbox, but I’d rather not spend the $200+ to get the box and all the equipment needed to get it up and running.
My first thought was doing a remote desktop connection to that machine from my MacBook. This worked great (after reformatting the computer and all that good stuff), but the problem is Windows does not let you stream video via remote desktop connection. Damn it!
The Workaround
After doing some research, I managed to come across WebGuide. It’s an awesome tool that allows you to control your Media Center PC via the web. Plus you can stream live TV and watch recorded shows. Perfect!
Best of all, it’s completely free of charge. The hardest part is getting it setup and working on your computer. Here’s a breakdown of what I did to get it up and running:
Woopra: Analytics On Steroids
One of the things I took away from WordCamp Dallas/Fort Worth was a Woopra account. Prior to the event, I had never heard of the analytics service. However, I am now fascinated by it and can’t stop playing around with it.
What Makes Woopra Any Different Than Google Analytics?
The answer is real-time stats. I can literally see who is on my website anytime I feel like it. I can also see what page they are viewing, where they originally came from, and all the brower/operating system stats I could want.
If that isn’t enough, I can even send a chat request to anyone currently visiting my site and have a real IM style conversation. It’s amazing!
It sure beats looking at delayed stats…
Dear Time Warner
My internet is sick and needs help badly…
My Story
About three weeks ago, I signed up for your Time Warner Road Runner service. I then scheduled the first installation appointment I could so I could get my internet running as quickly as possible.
Luckily, that all went pretty smoothly. However, it’s only been a week and a half and today I already am experiencing my first outage. At 10 AM this morning, my internet bombed out and would no longer connect.
So instead of spending my day as…
An Exercise App For The iPhone
Lately I’ve been spending a lot more time working out. Mainly because I love being in shape and it’s free if you do it outside. So I decided that I am going to start training for a triathlon that is coming up in September (hopefully I stick to it). So I started doing some investigating trying to find a decent pedometer or heart rate monitor for a low price but found that they are all fairly expensive.
But then I started thinking…there has to be something for the iPhone that can do the same thing. Luckily, there is!
Tools For The Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad took a lot of time, research, and planning to get right. There are so many tools, software packages, and gadgets available that it can be overwhelming to find the best ones.
I often get emails about what software I recommend for various things like invoicing, accounting, and so on. I usually reply as soon as I can and send people responses but lately I have been swamped with projects.
So instead, I have decided to make it easier for everyone. Below, I have listed all…
The Perfect Tool For Online Storage
When it comes to being a digital nomad, the most important thing of all is finding a way to keep everything available on the road. That’s why it is crucial to have a way to access your files, even when you don’t have your own computer along.
I have been searching for a tool to manage my online data storage for awhile now and have been disappointed with a few of the ones I have tried.
Luckily, I found Dropbox and have been more than happy with its features.…
