Technology Versus Dirty Power

Reality Check

A compendium of ideas, products, rants and raves from the viewpoint of the author. Not that the author has no financial interests in any of the products mentioned. Feel free to disagree, or to share your ideas by sending them to davemcclure@cpata.com.

Internet Site of the Month: APC Uninterruptible Power Supplies (www.APC.com).
Arguably the top manufacturer of UPS systems for small offices and homes, APC provides a range of options and information to help accountants make selections for their electronics hubs.

– Samsung’s Galaxy S3 cell phone. Newly available from all of the cellular companies for about $200, this world-class Android phone is fast, has global roaming capabilities on GSM and LTE networks, and a host of advanced features. The S3 is no iPhone, but it may be the best cell phone for those who don’t want to be locked into the Apple empire.

– Internet streaming services.  I briefly subscribed to the Netflix streaming service for TV shows and movies, but rapidly grew bored with the lack of interesting content. Never knew there were so many vapid zombie movies. Ditto the twenty or so competitors being fired up by just about everyone who thinks they can dominate this market. Two notes for these companies: I ride the airplanes and the trains and I sit in the coffee shops, and almost no one is watching TV on their smart phones. And if they were, it is something they recorded for free, not something they are willing to shell out big bucks for.

– Microsoft’s “Surface” tablets. Microsoft has jumped into the tablet market with not one but two different models under the “Surface” brand, both based on the new Windows 8 operating system. But are they serious about this market, given their poor performance in previous hardware ventures? Most likely not. A better strategy is to use the smart, sleek units to push their vendors into taking Windows 8 more seriously for their own tablets. Only time will tell.

–The deadline on July 9. As this issue goes to press, the world waits to see how many of the 300,000 Internet users (and maybe four times that many!) who are infected by the DNSChanger virus will see their machines stop working. If they do fall prey to the virus, it will be because they ignored months of warnings from security companies and the FBI. It’s a hard road for those who ignore their basic PC security.

– Windows Office 2013. Everyone is focused on the new Windows 8 operating system and its “Metro” interface, but the real winner this fall is more likely to be the newest version of the de-facto standard for office productivity. The beta version is out, and while the feature set may still change it offers a tantalizing look at things that may be. A weather forecast app in the calendar? Tres cool!