Be aware of the mail that you receive

My wife's business just received a invoice from DNS Services to renew. She asked me if she should pay it, my answer, "Who is DNS Services?  We use a different provider for our domain registration, hosting and back up." So I took close look at the bill, tell me if you see it,

Did you see it, here it is highlighted, 

The old "pay the bill we will transfer the doamins and services scam".  The price for the service is about triple what you would pay elsewhere, and once transfered you are then captive to the provider.

Keep you eyes open and check you bills. 

Why I won't be updating to Windows 8 immediately

There has been a lot of hype over Windows 8 and the new interface.  I like Windows and think that it is a solid OS.   That being said there are three reason why I won't update immediately, 

1) The Graphical User Interface.   It is completely different than any previous OS.   Here is a video that show the extent to which some users might be confused.  

How Real People Will Use Windows 8

2) Waiting is always better.   Even with the best tested OS's there are always bugs.  If you wait 6 months you are guaranteed to get  less issues and bugs.

3) Window 8 is built for touch screens.   If you do not have a touch screen, why not wait until the next hardware upgrade and then upgrade.   

Let me know you thoughts below. 

Getting the most out of mobile: Tip #1 Location Based To Do Lists

Many thanks to Albert Stern who provided this excellent mobile productivity blog post.  Check out his business at http://www.healingvillagecollective.com/

Our mobile phones and tablets are wonderful with the potential to make our lives easier in many ways. A truly great tool to help ease the hassles of day to day living are location based To Do lists. Everybody has had the experience of being in a store and forgetting to buy that one important item. Be it toilet paper, pet food, staples, or duct tape our brains are just not wired to remember static lists out of context. This is where location based To Do apps can be fantastic tools. 

Phones and tablets on a data network (3G/4G) have the ability to act as small GPS devices. This is how a map app is able to deliver directions to and from a specific location. Taking this ability one step further are location based To Do lists. These apps allow one to set a specific location, say supermarket, and create an entire To DO list linked to that location. Once you walk into the location a dialog box will pop up reminding you of the items you need. Walk into the supermarket to buy produce and receive a pop up reminder saying, "Buy laundry soap."

Just experiencing this once or twice is very powerful. It quickly becomes motivating to do keep lists up to date and rid the mind of these little items to remember. 

There are variety of apps that one can use for location based to do lists. 

Remember the Milk (Android, iOS, and Blackberry), Astrid (Android and iOS), MyLifeOrganized (Android), Checkmark for (iOS), the updated Reminders app has this function as well (iOS 6)

Northwest Denver Electronic Recycling and Paper Shredding Event

Northwest Denver Electronic Recycling and Paper Shredding Event 

Sponsored By 

Rocky Moutain Driveline

Denver's Moving Boxes

Collaboration Lab

October 27, 2012 

9:30 AM until 3:30 PM

Location 4210 Tennyson Street, Denver, CO

Paper Shredding provided at $3.00 per cubic foot, one cubic foot minimum

Data / Hard Drive destruction provided at $10.00 per drive

Sample acceptable items for free recycling:

Desktop / Servers, Laptops / tablets, Keyboards & mice, Computer Components, Power & USB cables, network cables, routers & switches, desk & mobile phones, Stereo equipment (without speakers), Amplifiers, receivers,

Monitors & Flat Panel TVs (up to 40 inch), Nothing Larger Accepted

Safe Recycling Fee for the following:

Inkjet Printers $4, Laserjet Printers $4, Fax machines $4, Fax, print, scan $7, CRTs & tube TVs, Up to 17” $14

18” to 22” is $18, 22” to 28” is $22, 29” to 40” is $26, Nothing larger accepted

Items not accepted:

Speakers, Paint / Varnish, Liquids of any type, Filters / Biohazards, Mercury (thermostats, etc), lights / lamps / bulbs

Appliances of any type, Air conditioners / heaters

Cash, Credit Card, Debit Card, and Visa Accepted

For any questions, call 303-997-2719

http://www.collaboration-lab.com/recycling-event/

The fax alternative, Internet faxing

From Wikipedia, "Internet fax, e-fax, or online fax is a general term which refers to the use of the Internet to send a document fax, rather than using only phone networks (traditional faxing) with a fax machine."

Most businesses have little or no use for a fax machine now days.  With that being said, there are still one or two hold outs.  For the rest of us we need a way to communicate with them, which brings us to the internet fax.  

There are many options to fulfill this need, here are the ones that I think are best, 

www.ringcentral.com

www.myfax.com

www.efax.com

Be warned,  this is a competitive space on the web so if you search you will find a lot of "comparison" sites that are nothing more than sales tools.  These three I have all used, so I can speak from experience.   Compare the ones I have listed and make you own decision.