Jeannette Burris is a practice manager for a cardiology office two hours away from where she lives. Her grandchildren live two hours away in the opposite direction (yes, Texas is a big state). Somehow she manages to be everywhere she needs to be, but I have noticed that she travels with lots of technology. Sometimes all carried in a big box! I sat down with her this week to try and get a handle on all she does… and how.

First I asked her to explain to me what a practice manager is. She said it is a lot of things all rolled into one: human resources director, recruiter, payroll clerk, purchasing officer, financial manager, software trainer, contract negotiator, IT support… and the list goes on and on.

She told me that there is no typical day for her. Some days she may be in the office, other days working from her home office, and every now and then she works from my house to take care of sick grandchildren (oh yes, Jeannette is my mom). She said that regardless of where she is, most days consist of some employee issues, working with sales reps, managing workflow in the clinic, being available to the doctors for questions, managing financial issues… that list goes on and on too. My favorite thing she mentioned is that she tries to maintain morale for 30 women all working closely together. If you did not envy her before, I am sure you do now.

So now we get to dig into the box of technology. I asked her what gadgets she uses every day. She says she loves her Palm smartphone, which syncs with MS Outlook. She keeps everything planned there! She also can’t work remotely without her Dell Latitude and PC.Com. She remotes in to her network at the office and can access everything she needs from home. She has also really enjoyed having an aircard to work online no matter where she is.

She said it is her laptop that she can not live without. She cannot travel, work remotely and still manage the practice without her system. Of course, I love her system the most too, since it allows her to help me out with the kids when I need it!

Can you relate to this story? How do your gadgets make your lifestyle possible?

Many people don’t realize that they don’t own the software they just bought. In fact, they often only own a simple license to use it. Just like any license, i.e. hunting, driver’s license, there are certain caveats that come with it.

Those restrictions are spelled out in the EULA you innocently skip over when you install the software. Only in the software world can you get away with forcing restrictions of a sale, after money has exchanged hands.

Keep in mind, a EULA isn’t a legally, valid, binding contract. No agreement was made before the sale, and the terms of the agreement were not made available before hand.

Here is what happens:

1. You buy something off the shelf

2. You open the package (thereby removing any chance of returning it)

3. You find all the restrictions of the software ex post facto

4. If it doesn’t work on your system or as advertised, you are out of luck

5. You soon learn that you could be in legal trouble if you try to sell it via the first sale doctrine.

Software makers could display the EULA and other restrictions on or outside the box. However, this would cost time, money and shelf space. Providing realistic system requirements for games would resolve many issues. Unfortunately, most game publishers don’t give a Windows Experience Index that would tell you how well the game would run. So in this regard, consumers get the shaft. Hmmm, perhaps this is why people often download games with bittorent. I’m just sayin…

However, there is hope. Although vilified by the zombie-like Apple cult members, the company Psystar might finally throw down the gauntlet necessary to challenge EULAs.

Psystar has legally (presumable) bought off-the-shelf copies of Mac OS X. They then take that single copy, and apply the operating system to a single PC. Thereby, making a Mac clone. You get the benefits of the Mac, without the Apple Tax and the esthetics of buying a true Apple product. If you want to do it yourself, check out how to build a Hackintosh. Apple of course filed lawsuit for trademark infringement, copyright infringement, breach of contract and for that time Psystar hit them on the playground.

I get it; some people steal software. Piracy is bad. However, existing draconian DRM on software (i.e. Spore) could be used to resolve the first problem. Required online activation and download codes are already starting to prevent reselling software. With this, the average person continues to have fewer rights with their purchase.

Even if the scrappy company Psystar wins and sets a legal precedent, they’ll lose. Odds are Apple will issue updates to disable the clones and/or prevent new features from being upgraded. If you are excited at the idea of another hardware maker producing Macs, don’t be. I think it is unlikely Apple will license the OS to other PC manufactures. Given Apple fights these kinds of lawsuits of the regularity of a sunrise, the odds are Psystar will be run out of business before this even hits a court.

However, instead of fighting yet another legal battle, perhaps Apple should license Mac OS X to HP and Dell to eliminate the threat Psystar and future clones? Most people would prefer buying a Mac from HP or Dell versus a small mom and pop operation. That would really put all three major operating systems: Windows, Linux and the Mac OS on an even footing. It would give the other two a chance to have a wider market. Apple will probably never really rival Microsoft’s market share without it. Perhaps they want to stay their own niche product.

Do you appreciate the convenience of downloading music and movies but still head out to the store to buy shrink-wrapped software? If so, check out the Dell Download Store. The new U.S. site offers the ease and immediacy of downloading — plus cost savings — on popular software from 12 publishers, including Intuit, McAfee, Sonic/Roxio and Microsoft.

The Dell Download Store is scheduled to extend to the UK, France and Germany on Jan. 20.  The plan is to add new titles weekly, ultimately go worldwide and evolve to carry music, movie and game titles as well.

Using a new feature, you also can use the store to access software titles purchased with select Dell computers. Rather than receiving CDs and literature in the box, you can visit the Dell Download Store to view software titles purchased with a PC or independently, instantly download software anytime, and re-install software or create back-up disks for future use. This move not only makes shopping easier, it’ll help Dell achieve its green-packaging goals.

Btw, if you own a small or mid-sized business, the Dell Download Store also can make it easier to manage volume software licensing requirements.

That’s right … Today we’re taking the covers off the new Dell Dock, with an improved look and more functionality. What’s better? It’s now available for those with XP, too. A Dell Dock? Huh? What’s that? The Dell Dock automatically sorts installed software applications into user-friendly categories that can be accessed by a simple task bar, leaving the desktop free of clutter. And, it helps you locate and open a program by simple task language like “e-mail & chat,” “security,” “view photos,” “play music,” etc. Like before, the task bar is customizable. Don’t like the location? Anchor it somewhere else…Hate the color green? Change it to blue…Don’t like the icons? Choose your favorite picture instead. It’s all about personalization and making your experience fun.

Yeah yeah yeah…So, what’s new?

· Observe a new behavior called “swing” that is available on all versions of the Dock as an alternative to the glowing effect (See image 1)

· If you have a touch monitor, it’s now optimized to give you a great touch-by-finger experience

· Now move the Dock to any side of the screen (top, bottom, left or right - See image 2)

· We added a “glass” transparent setting to better blend in with your customized desktop background

· See a new “browse” feature to replace Dock icons with your favorite photo. I’ll have to track down an Inspector Harry Callahan (a.k.a. Dirty Harry) photo for my security icon!

If you’re ordering a new system, it will begin pre-installing on machines today. For those with existing Dell consumer machines that meet system requirements, take a few minutes and download it.

Send us screen shots of your desktop once you’ve had the chance to personalize it. Maybe we can update the blog with some of your photos.

Go DOWNLOAD now!

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Image 2

A number of computers come preinstalled with an awesome, largely unheard of program worth using. Bundled in several versions of Office 2007 is Microsoft OneNote. I know, I know… but if you think Office really can’t add much more of use, you’d be wrong. OneNote is an excellent electronic note-taking system that will change how you store personal information.

OneNote is the electronic equivalent of how you would store all of your “real” paperwork. Each notebook has tabs, like folders in a filing cabinet. Each tab has a various pages in it. You simply click anywhere on the page and type in your text.

You can cut and paste text, images, charts etc. from any application. It is just like using Microsoft Office. Also, there is an Internet Explorer shortcut that can send an entire Web page’s text and images (or just the selected information) to a notebook. Simply click the icon highlighted below, and it is saved.

Other entry methods include connecting an electronic writing tablet, whereby you can embed your own handwritten notes. My Bamboo tablet allows me to handwrite notes seamlessly on a OneNote page. I’ve imported the Web page above, with my own personal comment beside it.

This isn’t a rigid Word document. Each block of text can be moved, formatted and edited like a Post It note. You can even scan documents, and the OCR capabilities will translate your handwriting into text. Best of all, every piece of text is searchable.

You can put just about anything anywhere, and you never have to click a save icon. Everything is saved instantly; you can’t lose data. Additionally, any notebook file on a network share can be accessed by multiple people. Finally, if you have a Windows Mobile device you can import your own notes and images from your handheld. You can event link Outlook tasks to your notebooks.

It is all easier and quicker to use than you think. I’ve got a great start on my recipe collection. And going forward, it is a snap to save recipes from Web sites.

Of course, you should always consider the non-Microsoft alternative (especially when free). The otherwise leading program is Evernote. I’ve used their software, and it is very comparable to OneNote. Their download page also has a Firefox plugin similar to IE. They also have an excellent free iPhone application that will synchronize just about anything you do on your iPhone to Evernote on your PC or Mac. This includes audio recordings, text and images from the camera. You (and those you allow) can also access all your notes through any browser, and even add text and images by sending them to a custom Evernote e-mail address. Look for a full review of Evernote in the future.

OneNote has gotten some high praise, especially among college students. While I don’t own one, OneNote on a tablet PC is said to be something of a note-taking dream. I have a lot of practical uses in mind. I could see OneNote being ideal for recording medical information, software installation keys, remote control codes, logins and passwords, gift ideas and looking up PC hardware information quickly (say before a sale ends). It is perfect for the anal retentive, geek person who wants information at their fingertips. Or, anyone who needs to store information in a program with zero learning curve.

Is your desktop full of icons and shortcuts? I’ve mentioned before that I do not like clutter, but my desktop is a mess.

Rene A. Guzman of the San Antonio Express-News, in her post Build a Better Desktop, cites several practical options for cleaning things up. If any have worked well for you, let me know and I’ll give it a try.

Do you use Outlook? If you’re not using Xobni to manage your inbox, you have a treat coming.

Xobni is an Outlook plug-in that allows you to find e-mails, attachments and contacts more quickly than Outlook itself, without even searching. Select an e-mail and Xobni shows you the sender’s information, including:

• Phone number — automatically pulled from the e-mail itself.
• E-mail conversations — Shown in reverse chronological order, it displays threaded conversations, allowing you to select how much detail to reveal, how many e-mails and people were in the thread.
• Shared files — links to all files contained in e-mail conversations whether they’ve been archived or not.
• Sender’s network — a list of people most often e-mailed by the sender, sorted by frequency.
• E-mail graph — how many e-mails you’ve exchanged, how many you’ve sent, how many you’ve received and a graph of the times of day e-mails were exchanged.
• LinkedIn profile — it will show that as well when the profile is available.

Xobni can also auto-generate an e-mail with your calendar’s next five open slots to send a calendar invite, let you search by user or within a thread and has fun analytics like who you e-mail the most and who responds the quickest. One of the more productive add-ons that I’ve seen.

I like maps. Always have. Now that Google software has put them on digital steroids, it seems there’s no end to the flow of interesting and useful mashups, applications and tools based on the Google Maps API. There are so many, in fact, it’s hard to keep up with all the creativity.

While researching a post on the latest and greatest, I ran across a London-based Web site that – as its Google Maps Mania name implies – does just that on a regular basis. The site also covers features and additions to Google Maps itself.

The lead post as of this morning is a really cool heat map of biodiversity data. If that’s a bit too arcane for you, some of the more recent posts feature everything from a 3D tour of Tokyo to new satellite imagery of the Great Barrier Reef to how map developers now can add Wikipedia and Panoramio layers to their Google Maps mashups.

Your kids might like playing around with dig a very deep hole.

As I mentioned in Part 1, I take my responsibility of family photos and videos seriously.  I envision my children enjoying them as adults and sharing them with their children.  While this is all nicey nice, we also have friends and family that like to keep up with us now.  As a new mom, it only took a couple weeks of e-mail updates and two snail-mail packs of pictures before I found some great ways to share digital memories with others in real time.

The Family Web Site

If you do not have much time to get creative, Easysite.com is ideal.  You literally just fill in the blanks and pick the design.  Below is a sample of the huge range of designs to pick from.

For only $50 USD a year, you can share photos and videos.  You can also have chat rooms, a blog and many other pages on your site with the click of a button.  If you’d like to have a little more control over design and layout, it might be worth checking out Blinkweb. It is a new site that allows drag-and-drop creation.

Warning Moms: You do have to keep this stuff updated.  Family will certainly harass you when your “news” is six months old or your “featured photo” is the first tooth of your now 8 year old!

Digital Scrapbooking

Digital scrapbooks are created as individual files that you can print, e-mail or share on other sites. They are not Web sites themselves.  Scrapblog.com has a very easy interface that feels like PowerPoint. It is Web based and free.  After creating all of your pages, you can share it on many social networking sites or export to jpeg and print.

If you like paper, there are sites that help you design and create beautiful scrapbook pages that can be printed for a fee, like howfasttheygrow.com.  You can throw that glue stick away!

Not Online

I do not know about you, but I have family that is simply not online.  The family Web site does not exactly help me keep them updated.  So when I am updating pictures on our site, I go ahead and add a few to Walgreens or Wal-mart photo center.  I pay for them online and have them printed at the local store for my family to pick up next time they are out.

Whether you are sharing or preserving your digital memories, technology is keeping up with us moms.  If technology could only provide us a way to somehow get in a few pictures so that future generations can see that we made it to a few of these important events, too!

There are many women like me who have moved around throughout their corporate lives, leaving grandparents, aunts, uncles and extended family many miles apart. At least I was fortunate enough to spend my early childhood with my great-grandmother on the first floor, my grandparents on the second floor and my immediate family on the third floor of a triple-decker. From my teens until young adulthood, I lived on the same street as my cousins, sharing three houses in a row.

Fast forward several decades and my children will have to travel to at least four states to see their cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Add onto that challenge the increasing cost of travel, kids’ schedules, my own work schedule and travel limitations for my parents due to health issues. So what’s a mother to do to ensure some kind of family togetherness and visits to grandma’s house?

Well, my sister turned me on to voice over Internet protocol - what the techies refer to as VoIP.  When I updated my personal computer to my pink Dell laptop with an integrated webcam, I downloaded a free VoIP software application called Skype to communicate with my far-flung family. (BTW, there are other options I want to check out including the new Dell Video Chat. My colleague Anne Camden recently posted information on this.)

Since then, I’ve been checking in on my mom (more on getting my mom and family updated to the new age later), aunt, brother and anyone else for free!

Check out this vlog of my daughter using the Internet to share her recent summer vacation with her auntie in California: