Tech Time: GPS Beats Asking for Directions

We now have access to turn by turn directions on Jamaica’s streets. So, whether you are going on a field trip across the island or looking for the nearest ATM, GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation will save time and increase your cool coefficient.

In practical terms, you get a little device with a touch screen, affix it your vehicle with a suction cup and enter your destination BEFORE you drive off. And voila! The screen shows a map with your route and a pleasant voice tells you exactly where to go from there.

Taking it a step further, you can search for restaurants, schools, gas stations, hospitals or other locations based on the proximity to where you stand. Get reviews, opening hours and other information while sitting in your car with just the touch of a button.

It works thanks to the efforts of The Mona Geoinformatics Institute. The institute mapped the island and all its major roadways, and by making the maps available to the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) the public now has access through Garmin devices. The Garmin GPS Units start at about $26,000 with the map preloaded. JAA can also load the map to your own Garmin device or appropriate mobile phone. There is no monthly subscription charge.

JAA Sales Manager Oliver Sherman noted that map is continuously updated to accommodate for new roads and traffic changes. But updates cost approximately US$30 three months after the initial purchase. The service has garnered significant interest from tourism service providers, companies and embassies with expatriates, real estate investors, delivery service providers and taxi drivers, in addition to gadget lovers.

“The units have a lot of features,” Sherman added. Enhanced features include local points of interest, vehicle tracking (read more about this on the blog), route plotting based on shortest time versus shortest route settings, fuel usage monitoring and management. Of course, such features have great practical applications. But they can be fun too. A group of friends can pick a location (by points of interest or even by geographical coordinates) and challenge each other to see who can reach to the destination fastest or for less money.

Take the challenge overseas with downloadable maps at Garmin.com. North America, Europe and other territories are represented. Additional maps cost between US$10 and US$100 depending on the territory. So there is no need to rent an expensive car with onboard navigation, just use the same unit purchased in Jamaica.

But does it really work? Yes. I had some issues with the new MoBay road and a bridge in Bog Walk, but generally, I was impressed with the routings. When I intentionally diverted from the suggested routes, the device figured out new routes immediately. Then I tested the system by putting in multiple locations and again, I was impressed. I maneuvered the maze that is downtown Kingston with ease. I shall never be lost again. Finally, when I got bored of the vehicle on the screen and the voice, I downloaded new ones, keeping things fresh.

Tech Time: BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 Upgrade

Ok, ok. I get it. The new BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 is new and it's cool. Those who couldn't wait, downloaded and installed the leaked version and some of you ran into a world of problems. The two most common complaints were handset 'freezing' or contact lists disappearing. The good news is, you can reinstall your BB OS (that's BlackBerry Operating System) to unfreeze your phone and access the original BB Messenger. The bad news is, your contacts are still lost is some cyberspace vacuum.

For those that took my advice and waited, you feel left out and are eager to check out the new features offered by BB Messenger 5.0. If you upgrade to ver 5.0, you can assign avatars to your contacts. This visual representation is VERY helpful for those contacts who force us to guess their screen name everyday. You can "broadcast" messages (aka spam your friends) and you can collaborate in new and better ways by sending images, voice notes, files, tasks and calendar appointments. For me, the most impressive feature is adding new friends through bar code scanning. When you are up close and personal with your friends, you can 'scan' the bar code from their BB and add them directly to your messenger; no email addresses or PIN codes required.

So, despite the risks, you want to upgrade? Can't blame you. I did. So let's follow the steps I took to successfully install the app.

FIRST: Make a backup copy of the data on your BB device. Download and install the BlackBerry Desktop Manager and create a full backup of all application data on your phone (Mac users can download the software from the BlackBerry website because it is not included in the package CD). If anything goes wrong, at least you can restore your phone to where it was at this point.

You will lose all your current conversations, so if you have important information in those Messenger windows, make a note now.

BB Messenger 5.0 only works on handsets operating OS ver 4.5 or higher. So our next step is to ensure your phone can handle, Messenger 5.0. Go to 'options', then 'about'. If the OS version is less than 4.5, pause here. I have a different set of instructions for you. If you see v4.5 or higher, let's move on together.

In your device browser, enter "http://appworld.blackberry.com". (Of course, there are other ways, but this was has some additional benefits, so take a leap of faith with me.) Download and install the BB App World Application. Then, from within BB App World, select the new BB Messenger. I encourage you to download and install from App World for two reasons. 1. You KNOW you are getting the authorised Messenger 5.0 application, not a leaked, possibly corrupted copy. And 2. You can see all the other cool free apps available for your phone.

After the installation, you will need to reboot. But your Messenger should work seamlessly. Go have fun!

If your OS is below version 4.5, you will need to upgrade BEFORE attempting to install Messenger 5.0. You will need a PC/Mac with BlackBerry Desktop Messenger. Goggle "Blackberry NAME OF SERVICE PROVIDER software download" (sorry I can't give you the direct link). The link will take you to the page to receive the official OS update. You will have to provide your contact information and agree to their terms and conditions before the download commences.

Once the download is complete, double click to install, open BlackBerry Desktop Manager and update your handset.

Verify the upgrade and complete the steps above to join your friend on BB IM 5.0. I maintain that this upgrade is not for the faint of heart, impatient or those new the BB experience. If you think its too much for you to do, visit:

Francis Express Wireless

francisexpresswireless@hotmail.com

876.908.4484

Market Place, Constant Spring Road, Kingston 10

Tech Time: Viral Infections of a Digital Nature

Of course, the major disadvantage of hoax email is the likelihood of computer virus infection. Recently, people have used the term computer virus to refer to a wide spectrum of malware such as adware, spyware, worms and Trojan horses, but, by definition, a virus must execute code and write to memory.

Let’s leave the technical stuff behind for a moment and focus on how viruses and other malware affect our PC’s. Your PC may run slowly, programmes may start on their own or not work properly, crash frequently, your task manager or command prompt may fail to load, critical files may mysteriously disappear and whole range of other symptoms may affect your machine.

It’s hard to make a comprehensive list of virus symptoms, because it’s impossible to make a comprehensive list of viruses and other malware. New viruses are introduced every day. In addition to a host of new virus specifically designed to ruin your day, you may be infected by adware or botnets which are even harder to detect.

These days, the most common way to ‘catch’ a virus is through email. When we click on attachments with weird extensions, executable files, documents with embedded macros and files we don’t know, we make ourselves susceptible to infection. You can also get infected by introducing infected media into our computers through external USB drives, CD/DVD’s, SD cards and floppy discs. (C’mon, I know you remember floppy discs!)

Being vigilant is the best way to protect yourself from infection. But, since we are human and not perfect, good antivirus software is also HIGHLY recommended. There are several free and paid antivirus software programmes on the market.

Free programmes include my personal favourite, AVG, Avira AntiVir, Alwil Avast and Microsoft Security Essentials (available only in BETA). There are others. Norton Antivirus, McAfee, Panda and Kaspersky are the more popular paid antivirus software programmes.

Such programmes use a variety of different methods to detect and eradicate viruses including signature based detection, malicious activity detection, file analysis and file emulation. The combination of all four techniques increases the likelihood that it will detect new viruses, but antivirus protection is not foolproof. And to make matters worse, antivirus software can sometimes slow your machine down to a crawl.

Right now, right this very minute, back up your data and then install a good antivirus software application unless you are already infected. Do not install an antivirus programme if you are already infected. It’s a preventative, not a curative measure. If my advice has come too late, you many need to do a system restore from a date before you were infected, or worse, reinstall your OS and supporting software. But this is definitely the time to seek professional help. Novices should not be rebooting and trying other quick fixes, as this may make the problem elevate from mild annoyance to certified tragedy.



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Next on Tech Time ... GPS Navigation

Tech Time: Email Hoaxes

Each day we are bombarded by countless email messages trying to get us to forward messages, act on virus alerts, participate in pointless petitions or worse, give up critical private information. Email hoaxes are at best annoying and at worse dangerous.

In principle, email hoaxes are not new. Many of the most popular hoaxes are in fact just electronic versions of hoaxes which have been making the rounds for decades. What makes them irritating however, is their direct access to us. Your email inbox is littered with false special offers, fictitious warnings and promises of big money. Your mother said (and she was right), if it is too good to be true, it probably is. C'mon, think about it. Why would Bill Gates really want to partner with Walt Disney just to give you money?

According to BankRate.com, the nine most popular hoaxes include:

• Neiman Marcus's expensive cookie recipe
• Forwarded e-mail for money or donations
• Nigerian scam letter
• Work at home
• You won! And you didn't even enter!
• You'll receive $5,000 for sending $25
• Tricking the traffic court
• Tax or long-distance charges on e-mail
• Clinton got rid of IRS -- no more taxes

In Jamaica, we've had a few too. Do you remember the pornographic pictures of the RBTT Bank Teller? She never existed. Well, not as a teller working at a bank in Kingston at least.

So, what should you do if you receive an email that looks suspicious to you? If in doubt, check it out.

Free Giveaways for Forwarding Messages: Before you greedily click that forward button, think about it. Will the person you are sending the email to be annoyed when they open it? Are you likely to be spreading false information? Worst of all, are you wasting time? If your answer is yes to any (or all three) questions, click delete instead.

Something for Almost Nothing: This email promises to provide BIG MONEY if only you send a small transaction fee; most popularly associated with Nigerians or sweepstakes, all you are likely to get is an empty wallet. A slight variation, is the email from a travelling friend who lost their wallet and just needs a little money to get back home. Trust me, if they are lost, they will appreciate a call.

Bogus Virus Alerts: The subject reads, "WORST VIRUS EVER!". That may be so, and you'll be able to prove it with a simple search of a reputable anti-virus software site. The email may contain 'helpful' instructions on how to remove the virus which may end up harming, rather than helping your system.

False Appeals for Sick Children: This is the greatest proof that the virtual world cannot replace the real world. Any legitimate appeal is going to have a phone number, website or other way to make direct contact with the person or organization making the appeal. Be wary of such emails, but don't be callous.

Pointless Petitions: There are lots of sneaking ways that scammers try to get and verify our email address and other related information. Enter, the pointless petition. You may feel motivated to add your name to the ever growing list of cause junkies, but in many cases, all you are doing is giving up your identity to a criminal. If you are really interested in supporting the cause, seek out their website and sign the online petition.

Fictional Product Warnings: KFC is not generically engineering beak-less chickens and deodorant doesn't cause cancer (as far as I know). Please, let's move on.

Phishing for Information: This email has a great disguise. It looks like an official email from your bank or other 'noble' institution asking you to verify your account details. Before you know it, your identity is stolen and your life is in shambles. Banks and other financial institutions are NEVER going to ask you for your personal information via email. Look closely too at links in emails, make sure the address is exactly correct and not just close to the address of the institution the email claims to the representing.

You Think You See Me: Scariest of all is when you get any one of the emails mentioned above from a trusted friend. Trust your friend, not their email. Their system or account may be hacked; with someone else in control, you need to be careful. If it looks odd, pick up the phone and warn your friend, they'll appreciate the heads up.

Tech Target (website to visit): www.PlayJamaica.com
Play Jamaica is the first online gaming site of its kind, conceptualized, built and maintained for Jamaicans by Jamaicans. The site is family oriented so everyone can play free flash games or tournament games and win prizes. Tournaments start on Monday morning and end on Saturday night with the gamer posting the highest score winning cool prizes (and of course bragging rights).

Sticking to the slogan, 'Simple Games ... Real Winners', the site offers Pakman (my personal favourite), Pong, Space Invaders and Snakes, with more games being added continuously. Right now, all games are free, later gamers will be able to purchase game vouchers right across the island.







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Tech Time: Job Hunting with Social Networking

The Internet and social networking services like Facebook can make it easier to find a job (or a date). But it can just as easily make opportunities disappear if not managed properly.

The Do's and Don'ts When Job Hunting
Do post a profile on Linked In, its "the new resume". This social networking site is well targeted to business professionals looking for staff, partners and project leaders. There are no smileys or random albums, just a clean interface designed to get you noticed by the business establishment.

Do Google yourself and see what postings are relevant to you. Many employers now customarily search the Internet as part of their due diligence process when hiring staff. Beat them to the punch, see what is out there about you and if there are negative postings make a note to address them in the interview.

Do tweak you privacy settings on Facebook, MySpace and similar networking site to limit postings to your friends. Be aware that potential and current employers may already have been added as a friend and can see everything you put up online.

Don't post derogatory comments, revealing photos, foul language or lewd jokes; even with the most advanced privacy settings you cannot truly control the information once it is placed in cyberspace.

Don't reveal privileged or confidential information about your work, it speaks badly to your character and may leave you open to dismissal, sanctions or litigation.

Don't assume that you have complete control of your online identity, others may post pictures, comments, video or other information about you without your knowledge or permission. So be vigilant in Googling yourself on a periodic basis.

There is no denying that social networking sites like Facebook have revolutionised the way we communicate. While caught up in the moment at our PC in our private homes and offices, we sometimes forget that we are actually in a public space. Our postings in the virtual world have consequences in the real world, keep that in mind as you each time you click 'share'.

Tech Time Bonus
BlackBerry Messenger 5.0 has been leaked and is available for download all over the web. The LEAKED Messenger application looks and acts completely differently than its predassor.

The new version of the BB only instant messenger application displays avatars for contacts and links them to the device address book, allows for different chat styles (standard, bubbles or stripes) and features mire smileys. Advanced productivity highlights include the ability to set conversation subjects, backup/restore contacts to a media card and improved send options.

But BB Messenger 5 raises the cool coefficient with a novel bar code scanning/sharing option that allows devices to add themselves to each other's contact list by scanning a uniquely generated bar code from the screen. The software only works with BlackBerry phones using OS 4.5.0.131 or higher.

Progress comes at a price however; this new application has not been fully tested and doesn't come with any guarantees. So BEFORE installing, backup ALL device data. Several users have reported a loss of all contacts, system freezes and/or other problematic occurrences after installation.



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Next on Tech Time ... Email Hoaxes

Tech Time: Document Collaboration

A group of us are working on a document; it happens at school, work or church. We all use Microsoft Word, turn on the track changes option and away we go. Microsoft Word offers rich features that let us monitor different versions, identify specific changers by specific users, add comments or footnotes and so much more.

But the big drawback is that most of us email the documents around to each other, creating multiple copies and needless delays. Online document collaborations allow us to all that (and more) in real time, from virtually anywhere and maintain a single copy of the document with access to all.

Some advantages:
· Accessibility: Collaborators don’t all need to have the same software, just internet access
· Functionality: Many online collaboration programmes have many of the same rich features as Word

Suggested Services
· http://etherpad.com/: Basic collaboration, stripped down with built in chat

· http://docs.google.com/: Arguably most popular collaboration tool, offers word processor, spreadsheet and presentation applications, lots of features like publishing to a blog or website

· http://www.zoho.com/: Takes collaboration a step further, but including a database application as well.

· http://live.office.com/: Unlike the other services, payment is required to access all the features and Microsoft Office required as well.

· http://thinkfree.com/: In addition to online mode, allows users to download apps and run from home computer while syncing with online account.

Some disadvantages:
· Shift in habits: We’ve gotten used to Word, we need to adjust to the new paradigm
· Online access: Collaborators need to have reliable access to the internet, and even then editing is slightly slower online that in Word


Tech tip: Always keep a backup copy of your online documents, just in case.

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Next on Tech Time ... Business and social networking

Tech Time: Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is an elusive term to define, but a cool concept to embrace.

Imagine, being able to access your information anywhere, anytime. Imagine being able to work on virtually any computer without needing specialised software. Imagine, cloud computing!

Cloud computing can be defined as 'a style of computing where massively scalable IT related capabilities are provided as a service across the internet to multiple external customers'. The concept involves running applications on the internet and storing data on remote services accessible via the internet from any capable machine around the world.

To be clear, not all remote computing is cloud computing; the internet is not the cloud and not all software as a service is part of the cloud. But cloud computing does have significant advantages.

Advantages

• Accessibility - your data is available from virtually any Internet capable computer, leaving you device and location independent
• Cost effectiveness - 'rent' rather than buy robust software as needed
• Reliability - data is generally hosted on multiple, remote, independent servers to protect against data loss and facilitate disaster recovery

Disadvantages

• Accessibility - must have Internet service to access data; no Internet, no data
• Security - technically, your data is not private and therefore accessible by third parties
• Reliability - data access is dependent on access provided by a host who may be exposed to network outages and/or denial of service attacks

Ready to log into The Cloud? Let's start out with popular office applications for students and business professionals:

• Google Docs
• Microsoft Office Live

Currently, both sites are free to access and use.



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Next on Tech Time ... Document collaboration