If you’re one of the courageous (or crazy) people who will settle for no less than the best deal available on the worst day of the year to shop, here is my first installation of Top 10 Tech Toys for 2008, arranged in order of my favorites:

#1 Apple iPhone 3G: For most people, an iPod Touch would do just as well, but not for me. Because it’s a phone, a PDA, a music player with visual voice mail and an amazing web browser, I’ve decided that the iPhone is simply the best tech gift that could possibly be given. (If you’re reading this and want to make me the happiest person in the known universe, send that sleek, beautiful toy to our State St. address!)

#2 [Speaking of Apple Products]The New MacBook Pro (as described in my Oct 21 post) follows closely behind the iPhone in my book… and really only because of the price. As for reasons, see “It’s Shiny and Beautiful.” To clarify: Girls like to get computers as gifts too — especially awe-inspiring, envy-invoking, cutting-edge cool computers. (Sorry guys, I had too!)

#3 Amazon Kindle: Why travel with one or two books, when you could take your whole digital library with you? Seriously. Jim, one of our programmers got one of these about 3 months ago and it quickly became the center of attention in the Orange Room here. I was amazed at how compact the thing was, and how easy it was to read the pages. Not to mention the fact that you can use its browser wherever WiFi is available. Jim’s been using his mostly for textbook reading, but I’d be sure to use it for more relaxed reading! How about you?

#4 Now that TomTom lets you get driving directions from Sex and the City’s Samantha (Kim Cattrall), who wouldn’t want a new GPS? Listen… if you got lost half as often as I do, you’d be thinking the same thing: “Loved the series; loved the movie even more… This is Perfect!” (note: The voice doesn’t come with the TomTom, you have to download it for $12.95– a small price to be mildly entertained as you’re scolded your directions!)

#5 Canon PowerShot SD1100: Your favorite Elph just jumped up to 8Megapixels with a 3X Optical Zoom. Why get someone a big, complicated SLR when you could spend $150 on a sleek, simple, intuitive camera that fits in your pocket. With a range of colors — including a  pale pink –  this gift idea is definitely a win-win.

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Stay Tuned. The next half of this list will be a little less pricy

Some applications you’re probably already using are word processors like Microsoft Word or Word Perfect, spreadsheets like Excel, and media players like iTunes, Windows Media Player or RockBox. But there are countless other applications you probably use on a regular basis and don’t even realize it.

Here are a few of my favorite applications and plugins that I’ve discovered this year:

1. Microsoft Outlook - considering it’s just one component of Microsoft’s mega-suite, I’m pretty impressed by how many actual functions you get out of this one application. First, it’s the easiest email system you’ll ever use! Coming from someone whose been an exclusive Mac user for the past eight years, this is a pretty bold statement… if I do say so myself.Beyond that, Outlook has integrated a calendar that makes is simple to organize your schedule, coordinate meetings with coworkers, schedule a dinner date… you name it! You can also use Outlook to invite your staff to events. The best part of all?? You can access your Outlook information on the Web when you’re out of the office network. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
2. Object Dock - When I first started working from this happy pink lappy, the thing that I missed the most was my trusted friend: the Mac OS Dock.  It wasn’t until, working late one night, I saw it on one of our awesome programmers’ laptop — which I knew was NOT a Mac. Sachin explained that the dock he was using was just an application he downloaded for free. When I went to find it for myself, I learned that there are dozens of docks available… and Object Dock just happens to be the one that I like best.
3. Firefox Add-On #1419 - Simply the best plugin ever! This is a great tool to use if you do website work, since it allows you to toggle back-and-forth between web pages displayed in IE and Firefox. To quote another user, “Firefox could be perfect and faultless with this amazing extension! I love it so much!

I’m sure there’s more that I’m not thinking of right now, and you’re probably ready to start downloading at least the last two I just rattled off, so I’ll just leave you with this image (which pretty much makes me the happiest pink laptop user at DE!)

later,

storm

If you’re still reading and pondering, there’s a good chance that the solution to your pressing concerns is a good server. If you need to share files, calendars and resources—such as fax machines, Internet connection and printers securely—and your employees need access the Internet and company e-mail at the same time, Small Business Server (SBS) is a great option for you.

Essentially, SBS delivers big business solutions to small businesses for a much more affordable price. With SBS, small businesses can use Exchange for e-mail and send messages directly to users’ mobile devices, set up business intranets (internal Web sites), share files and office equipment, and create reliable backups of critical data.
SBS 2008 is available in Standard and Premium packages. Both versions include the Windows Server (machine) 2008, Share Point Services 3.0, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Windows Server Update Services, Shared Fax Service and Office Live Small Business integration. The Premium Edition SBS includes a second Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard for Small Business in addition to everything that comes with the Standard Edition.

Beyond the direct advantages SBS provides, there are some additional perks to consider. For example, purchasing SBS eliminates the need to buy individual user licences for each component by including individual Client Access Licenses (CALs) for Standard and Premium Editions. So, you save by combining the costs of Exchange software, Windows software and all the necessary hardware, and also on the costs associated with licensing your software. Individual CALs for the package will cost you $80 or less, whereas seperately they would run upwards of $120 per user for the Standard Edition. CALs can also be purchased at a discounted rate in bundles of 5, 10 or 20.
As with all things bundled, there are several differences between SBS 2008 and its predecessor, SBS 2003. Mainly, the 2008 Premium Edition will run on two hardware servers, with the second server running Windows Server and SQL Server for business data-related applications. For a visual representation of this, Click Here.

The new SBS allows for up to 75 users (as opposed to 50, in ‘03) but does not include Outlook 2007. Another major departure is that that SBS 2008 does not have ISA (Internet and Security Acceleration) Server included. Instead, Microsoft offers Forefront on Exchange Server and Widows Live OneCare as a replacement. Dispite these changes however, SBS 2008 is still likely to be the best option for small businesses that are looking to solidify operations and build network infrastructure.

Maybe you read this entire section looking for an answer to your technology problem… and now you’re left thinking that your business is still too small for SBS. If your company doesn’t fall neatly into any of the categories mentioned here, we can still help! Our team of knowledgeable consultants is available 24/7, 365 days a year to help you determine your technology needs. Call us and schedule a consultation and we can help get you where you want to be.

If you’re one of our clients or contacts, you’ve probably already heard this by now… but we recently sent out an email blast explaining how Microsoft just released an urgent security patch that really need to install if you are using any version of Windows.

Microsoft security update MS08-067 - addresses a vulnerability in Windows server service that would allow an attacker to do anything they want, essentially, on the server without authentication. While having a powerful firewall may provide you some protection from direct attacks, you should always take caution when opening and downloading email from unknown sources. For your safety, you should assume messages from unrecognized names or addresses are dangerous.

To further protect your computer and your entire office network, make sure that you Run this Security Update on your computer, make sure the rest of your team does the same, and continue to use caution when opening email.

In addition to these precautionary measures, your server should be updated as well. If you are in one of our service areas (Metro Detroit area including Ann Arbor, and the Greater Nashville area) and would like us to make sure all your hardware and software is up to date, please call our offices at (734) 975-0460 or (615) 526-2626 and schedule an appointment with one of our Microsoft Certified Consultants.

In the meantime, we strongly recommend that you have Microsoft Updates delivered automatically to your PC. When your computer is on and connected to the Internet, the most current security updates are automatically downloaded and installed. To learn how to turn on automatic updating for your particular operating system, Click Here.

For a quick reference, this security problem affects Microsoft Small Business Server, Microsoft Windows 2003 Server and Microsoft Windows Server 2000, to name a few.

Subtitle: A love letter from a Macintosh Fangirl to the new MacBook Pro.

If you’ve registered any product with Apple — your desktop, laptop, iPod, Apple TV — you probably got the email last Wednesday announcing Apple’s new pride and joy… the next in line to the throne known as the MacBook Pro.

So what’s so special about this iteration of my favorite machine? Aside from the fact that it’s streamlined, glossy and encased in aluminum, I think the folks at Apple can sell it best… so I’ll quote a few of my favorite one-liners from Apple’s Official Website.

• “The 15-inch MacBook Pro is sleeker, thinner, and years ahead of its time.”
• It features an ultra-thin 15-inch LED-backlit display that is “…uniformly bright and brilliant from the moment you turn it on. It’s completely arsenic- and mercury-free and more power efficient than ever.”
• “the keys are curved to perfectly fit fingers. The result? Pure typing bliss.”
  (Did I mention that the keyboard is also illuminated? Yeah, it is… so you can be business-as-usual in low light settings.)
• “The MacBook Pro has a hard drive up to 320GB and up to 4GB of RAM. So there’s plenty of room for your photo libraries, video projects, and files.”
• “…the new MacBook Pro [has] the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor running at speeds up to 2.8GHz.”
• It’s trackpad has no button: It is the button. “With a smooth glass surface, this spacious trackpad brings even more Multi-Touch gestures and functionality to the 15-inch MacBook Pro.”

In short, I opened the email, I drooled, I cried… I quickly deleted it so not to torture myself any further.

Some people think that “Mac People” are crazy. Mac People think that anybody who uses anything BUT a Mac are crazy. I mean really… given the choice, who in their right mind would turn the opportunity to upgrade to this?!? (** Although, at Dynamic Edge, we’re very much fond of Dell as well. **)

A quick eval of the product being immortalized above:
One drawback of the New MacBook Pro is that it’s missing the Fire Wire 400 port its predecessor touted, and has been replaced with a Fire Wire 800 port. This is, however, backwards compatible — which means the port can support 400 devices, you just need a cable to adapt it. The new MacBook (not the Pro) has no Fire Wire access at all, so you’re left relying on USB 2.0 technology to transport your photos, music etc…

… Remember, if you need computer support, we have Apple Certified Consultants, too

Word 2007 has a great new feature called Track Changes that allows you to see what changes have been made to a document. This is especially useful for legal documents, newsletter articles and drafts of letters you’d send to clients. You can find the tools you need to track changes on the “Reviewing” tab of the Ribbon (I just learned that term, it’s the actual name for the light blue area on the top of your Word window.)

Start Tracking Changes
To start tracking the changes you make to a document, click on Track Changes icon.

• Click Review Tab on the Ribbon
• Click Track Changes
• Make the changes to your document and you will see any changes you have made.

It’s soooo easy!

New Views!
There are four ways to view a document once you’ve started to track changes. They are:

• Final Showing Markup:  This shows the document with the changes displayed
• Final: This shows the changed document, without showing the changes
• Original Showing Markup: The original document with the changes displayed
• Original: The original document without any changes.

Favorite Feature!
The Show Markup feature lets you see different items (comments, formatting, etc.) and choose to view different editors’ comments. After you view the changes in a document you can either choose to accept or reject the changes.  This way, you can review the document step-by-step to accept or reject each change.

There’s also a Comments feature that lets you insert comments in the margin of the document.  To add a new comment, put your cursor where you would like to add the comment and click on New Comment. Seriously, anybody can do this… and it’ll make your life so much easier.

Nearly all Mac users, notorious for storing and transporting files using thumb drives are, at some point, interrupted by corrupt files. The problem is, that once files on your thumb drive start corrupting, the only way around it is to reformat the drive. If this happens to you, make a set of backups and follow

these steps:

1. Start the Disk Utility, which you can find in the Applications - Utilities folder. The Disk Utility window will open to display a list of disks in the left-hand column.
2. Plug your corrupting thumb drive, and it should immediately show up in the list of drives.
3. Click the thumb drive in the list to select it.

[CAUTION! When you reformat a drive it completely erases everything that’s on it. Make sure you’ve selected the correct disk! Now would be a good time to double-check to make sure that you have everything you want to keep backed up.]

4. After selecting the thumb drive in the list click on the Erase tab on the right hand side of the window.
5. Choose a Volume Format from the pop-up — we recommend Mac OS extended (Journaled) for Mac-only users and MS-DOS(FAT) for those who want to use the drive cross-platform — from here, you’ll be allowed to name the drive.
6. An alert will appear to remind you that all data will be erased and asking you to confirm that you wish to erase the drive.
7. Click Erase again to clear out the drive, and after a few moments the disk will be reformatted.

Most users find that re-formatting a drive will resolve numerous issues, including corrupted files. However, it’s a good idea to hold onto the backup you’ve created, just in case the problem isn’t fixed by the reformatting. In this case, many retailers will offer a suitable replacement for less than $30 – which we highly recommend as well.

Generally speaking, whenever I make coffee it has two distinct attributes 1) weak and 2) burned. Nobody likes that. On any given Saturday morning, you can come to my house and find me making breakfast for five while burning the weak coffee. Pancakes, coffee cakes, french toast, waffles, even gourmet muffins are areas where I’ve got demonstrated skill (almost mastery). It’s almost always a feast of epic proportions, and guests are more than welcome… But, while the food can be described as tasty and fresh, the coffee is — unfailingly — a disaster. Normally, the whole pot gets remade. I’m still learning.

… But nobody likes bad coffee. So, this morning I went to our HR department and requested some additional training. “Thom,” I asked coyly. “Are you, like, super busy?” To which his reply was “ALWAYS.”

One cup of beans, into the grinder, then to the filter, then make sure the carafe is in the right spot… fifteen minutes later, Voila! Hot coffee that doesn’t taste like it was filtered by State Street Stormwater management! The days of empty coffee pots at DE are OVER! Learning to make good coffee was so simple I just could not believe it!

And to think, I was convinced there was a delicate balance and a special touch required to make the stuff taste right!

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…

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Since the very important lesson I learned today was one on a more functional (less technical) level, here’s a link that may entertain all of you coffee-technology enthusiasts for a moment, until that coffee buzz wears off.

Needless to say, writing on a subject you know NOTHING about requires 1) a certain degree of madness, 2) much determination, and 3) somewhat credible resources. For this particular project, I got to spend some quality time with one of consultants, Trevor, a task which met at least two of the aforementioned criteria.

Here’s what I learned in a nutshell:

Today, I’ll be calling a representative from Dalcon — one of the leaders in VoIP technology to get some more useful information for the article. So far, it’s just a fancy version of what you just read. But I can’t give you everything right now, or else it will ruin the surprise. If you’d like to receive a copy of our newsletter with the complete story, handy tips and tricks to make your life easier, and  articles about having a green office and what you can do to prepare for an economic upswing, click here to be added to our mailing list. Please include your business name and complete mailing address.

That’s all for now.

Stormie

If you’re one of those people who struggles with conversions — think: metric, liquid, monetary or other — who just cringes when people say they ran a 5K, this tip is for you. Yes, Google does have feelings… and it cares about its users who are incrementally challenged.

So, the next time you need to find out what your $35 American dollars will buy you when you cross the border into Mexico, visit your friends at Google and let them do the mathing for you! Here’s how it works:

1. Go to Google.
2. In the search bar, tell Google what you want to convert.

Example:

3. Click “Google Search” button and…
4. Get Results.

Wow! Now that sounds like a really good deal! … I wonder how many margaritas that would buy. Hmmm…

Other common conversions would be for non-runner types. See the following:

… and for those preparing for chef school or applying for work at a bakery…

Google can convert just about anything you need to know. All you have to figure out on your own is what units you’re converting from and to. It’s so easy that even I can do it. Try it yourself at www (dot) google (dot) com.

Thanks, Bruce for this handy tip!