How Android changed my business

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Darryl — No Comments ↓

After a nearly ten-year engagement, I finally called things off with Blackberry. I just couldn’t continue in a loveless relationship any longer. As a business owner and installer, I had simply outgrown the platform. Until RIM CEO Thorston Heins gets with the program and releases BBM as an app, but more on that later.

First off, this is not another on the long line of Blackberry bashing posts. It is a fantastic, rugged phone with plenty of strong points – standouts are the keyboard and excellent email integration, which in my opinion are still its raison d’etre. If you’re a current or past user, you know exactly what I mean.

But as for everything else that a smartphone is made for, it fell flat. With a THUD. And the platform was not helping our company meet simple goals on the road as HT installers. So , I bit the bullet and made a tough decision.

I now have the Samsung Galaxy S3, and it has been a revelation. Switching my contact list was a cinch. Email and other integration was just as good. What has continued to knock my socks off is the level of Google integration; any business owner should have a Google Places page already, and the obvious Gmail account that goes with it. But once you start down the rabbit hole, it is amazing the amount of services that the company has to offer, free of charge. Couple that with the amount of Samsung apps and support, and my first two days of owning the phone were spent in front of my PC adding dozens of helpful apps and services.

With the amount of popular Apple hardware and apps on the market, I have an iPod stocked with important apps and tools I use on the road (when needed). So there were a lot of cross-platform apps I simply had to find and add to my device.  However, the apps that have completely changed the way I do business so far have been:

Inventory Droid by RomiSys:   Fast, affordable inventory app that lets you scan barcodes and keep a running tally of inventory, real time. Using the companion desktop app, I was able to build a registry for each item, pull the barcode number off of my suppliers website, and then scan the item on my phone.

This has vastly improved my job quoting, costing and controllables day-to-day. Costs and retail amounts can easily show profits vs. true costs. I even use it for loose cables and misc items.

Samsung Kies: Fantastic  phone management app – think Blackberry Desktop Manager without the authoritarian bent. It’s buttery, simple and inviting, and should be more than familiar to BB users. Plus, I can compose and respond to sms right on my PC, how cool is that??

Navigation:  Again, Google Maps comes through for the win. There are more than a few aftermarket dashboard holsters for the S3 to replace traditional nav units with the phone. A customer in Bowmanville, ON just showed us his working nav with the Galaxy Note.

Speedtest & Wifi anylzer:  Two apps crucial to streaming audio and video. Get them if you don’t have them already.

QR Droid: You may have your app of choice, I mostly d/l’d it to vet my own QR code.

Paypal: Once the mobile credit card scanner comes out in Canada, more customers will be able to pay on the spot with more payment methods. Who likes cheques anyway?

 

I also have about 25 remote control apps too numerous to mention.

 

All this after just a month of usage – I absolutely love my Samsung Galaxy S3. There are so many more things I need to get done with it, I just need to find the time.

 

Now, If RIM would just get off their duffs and realize the profit potential that a BBM app would yield them – once you have lost a user to either Android or iOS, there really isn’t any chance to get them back. So, what would all of you say to, oh, $40 app to be able to keep in touch with your curmudgeon BBM friends? Hell, even $30? I think I would pay that, even for the platform updates. Thorston Heins, I know you have a ton on your plate, but the fact this app is not available after much waffling is a major loss to your company; as a Canadian I still support you, but as a potential user I would only say “Shut up and take my money!”

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Hamilton thinks ‘free’ wifi costs $90,000 annually?

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Darryl — No Comments ↓

Pulled from marketnews.ca, here is the story.

All I have to say is, wifi is the cheapest infrastructure to maintain. Adding AP’s to the tune of $115,00? The fact there are dead spots? This was implemented in 2008…..and just now they are realizing that technology has changed and dead spots need to be addressed? Well…no, that’s not the case. From the wifi Hamilton website:
The WiFi project is a pilot designed to provide answers to some key questions such as:
• Can a single WiFi network, shared by key stakeholders, provide each partner with sufficient security and bandwidth to meet their business needs?
• Can a single WiFi network, shared by stakeholders, be deployed at a cost that can be justified by the benefits received?
• Can the excess capacity of a single WiFi network be made available to members of the public?
• Can a single WiFi network provide the public with an easy-to-use service that also provides protection against inappropriate activity?
During the pilot, wireless service will be made available to the public, however, since this is a pilot, WiFi service is not guaranteed to be available at all times.
Even in 2008, the fact that the over $500,000 underground fiber (fiber!) networks were producing dead spots, still had a positive spin from the Hamilton committee report:
Members of the public that were able to access the infrastructure found it very useful and encouraged the continuation of this venture. Public members who were unable to gain access were frustrated but were still positive on the concept of wireless accessibility in the downtown area.
Yet, the cost of maintaining the infrastructure continues at the same $90,000 level (with reduced boundaries)v , even as PoE and other wireless AP price points continue to decline? Especially all-weather hardware? We have installed televisions and home theater in locations in Ajax that have outdoor IP security cameras with visible AP’s on street lights and outdoor standards.
Again and again, each election in Canada and the USA, politicians of all stripes have raised the idea that governments need to be run leaner, and meaner, like businesses. But…businesses account for such things…politicians just can’t seem to grasp the concept. Tiny Tech and ECIS could run and maintain your network for a fraction of the cost…just saying.

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HD antennas – Big HD quality, low price

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Darryl — No Comments ↓

2012 is the year to cut the cord.  The trend has been coming for some time now, and I believe this year will be the watershed year of customers leaving their cable and satellite providers. Lately, I haven’t heard or read of much sympathy for the ‘Big 2’ in Canada. There were no tears in our home office when we cancelled our satellite feed.  With all the digital and specialty channels – and the forced purchase of packaged channel packs – we just couldn’t get what we wanted. So, what was the alternative?

After some research, we decided to give an HD antenna a chance. A quick purchase at our local Factory Direct netted us a 4-bay antenna, with hardware and 90-degree swivel for $25 plus taxes. We picked up the roof gable mounting kit and steel pole in Whitby, which was around $100.  So far, about $150 all-in.

HD antennas allow you to pick up over the air (OTA) signals from local network affiliates; as we live near Toronto in Canada, this means local signals to the west, and upstate New York signals from the south.

In our area, all in all, there are 37 full HD channels with a number of duplications in SD.  The HD channels mostly include surround-sound encoding built into the signal (awesome) and are uncompressed 1080i resolution (awesomer) that puts most other HD to shame. A quick reference to the excellent reference website tvfool.com verified the channels and the direction the antenna had to be pointed.

All modern  flat-panel TV’s have a built in ATSC tuner that is made for this sort of setup. There are no digital converter boxes or the like needed to get the HD signal. The one accessory I strongly recommend after testing is some form of powered amplification for your signal. I have a masthead amp I am going to install where the cables terminate at the antenna, which will work in tandem with a powered booster in my home. I tested an older powered booster on its own in-house already and it made an improvement to signal clarity; with the masthead amp I expect things will look even better.

The only real drawback is the line-of-sight that OTA signals and antennas rely on. Trees and other obstructions can get in the way, especially if the antenna is not high enough.  So far, the big maple at the west end of the yard is making some Toronto content spotty.

So far, we have 13 HD channels and a few SD. I climbed the antenna array and hooked it up solo to first check the signal strength and get a feel for the quality. When I install the mast head amp, I plan on moving the antenna higher (approx 28’) and installing a second 2-bay antenna to try to net a few more channels. Overall, we have been extremely happy with the results so far. We have watched more television since having the antenna than we did with satellite, and that is not just because of the novelty. The programming is good, there is plenty of content and it looks great.

We would highly recommend the DigiWave branded antenna to anyone looking for a different TV experience. There are also attic and roof-mounted alternatives – we would love to hear from you if you have one.

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So, your hard drive died….should you put it on ice?

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Darryl — No Comments ↓

When your hard drive dies, it induces panic. All the photos, emails, important paperwork, music, potentially lost. Most times, forever.

Try Googling a solution to a dead HDD. It is a real hot-button for computer users and most times people want answers fast!

There is a real ocean of information on the topic of how to resurrect a HDD that has passed on, so I will stick to the two last-ditch efforts I used for one of my recent customers – the external adapter, and the ‘deep-freeze’.

I stuck a hard drive in the freezer to try to chill it back to life.  Inside a Ziploc freezer bag. The underlying logic is that the cold will condense the contact points closer together and for a brief time, with current running to the drive, you can go like hell to remove all the data you can.

Long story short? It didn’t reanimate like I expected it to.

I wasn’t getting any readings off the drive with the external adapter in two different environments, first I used the external powered device, which has saved my own skin (and data) on more than one occasion. No luck.

The drive was spinning but no table of contents or data seemed to be coming up.

Then I removed the HDD from my external drive and put the dead one in its place. Still nothing.

So, after all the info I found online by googling it, I decided to try the freezing technique.  So many different opinions – put it in a Ziploc bag, don’t put it in a bag,  leave it in for ‘x’ number of minutes, do this do that.  I went with what looked like a logical solution; a sealed Ziploc will help deal with condensation (ask a photographer how to climatize a lens or camera body for cold or moisture) , a decent freeze time of 20 mins seemed good, and I had all the equipment ready to plug in right while it was just out of the freezer.

 

After 20 minutes, I rushed the drive from the freezer to my pc with surgical precision, plugged it in and…same result. All sizzle, no steak.

Was the drive truly dead before I went through the motions? Probably.

But the data was important enough that I tried.

Next time, I will take you through some of the cloud-based storage options and see what is the easiest and fastest way to backup your important data.

And please, update your passwords. Linkedin was hacked June 6, and it could be massive. 

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Wireless , the new Jack of All Trades

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Darryl — No Comments ↓

Your wireless router is destined to become the most important piece of equipment in your life for entertainment, security and information. For some of us, it already is.

Some people say they can’t live without their smart phones, but it would be fair to say that most (if not all) of us would not give up wireless internet. And its how your router bridges the gap between the devices that bring entertainment into your living room that’s making the little flashing box so important.

Flat panel televisions are now a commodity, decent home audio is within most budgets and High Definition is becoming the preferred way to watch content on TV. Add on wireless devices, phones and tablets and people have almost too many choices on how to be entertained. And everyone wants it to all work together – without wires. No one likes wires; the unsightly snake pit lurking behind the TV stand, speaker wires tucked behind baseboards or under carpets, or the distracting cables trailing from a wall mounted TV.

Is there a totally wireless solution for picture and audio? Not yet, but it is well on its way. And some of the solutions out there now are way too cool, and convenient, to overlook.

If you own an iPhone, an iPad or iPod (who doesn’t?), and you don’t have an Apple TV using airplay hooked up already, you are missing out. Even if it is used as a wireless music server, the Apple TV shines. It is a breeze to program, as Apple devices are similar, plugs into any type digital audio device, and with the free remote app from the iTunes store, you have a wireless remote. And it’s the little things that Apple puts into design that continues to set the company apart – the ATV generation 1 and 2 come with ridiculously long, rubberized ac cords , making it easy to place inconspicuously, especially the current Apple TV 2nd gen with its tiny footprint.

The really cool factor is you can have more than one ATV on the same network, running the same library. So the possibilities are limitless – with summer around the corner, think of the cool factor of having one ATV hooked up to your main home theatre or stereo, and another for outdoor speakers, playing the same music inside and out, with your library at your fingertips. Guests can even jump onto your network and stream their music too. As long as Home Sharing is turned on through iTunes and each device, they all can work on the network.

Same goes for the ATV’s picture quality, with full HD picture and sound for television and movies; and again it makes entertaining a breeze not only with music and playlists, but the onboard YouTube and flickr apps add to the fun. Of course, Netflix is there too.

The iPad mirroring feature is equally impressive, with full HD quality streamed wireless from an iPad2 to your TV. Video and audio quality were great with no lag or blips, and online examples of the gaming feature look promising. This is another great wireless application for the other rooms in the house – a simple 32” television, mounted on the wall in the bedroom, with an Apple TV fixed to the mount and connected to the TV. No cable, satellite box or late-night fumbling with the remote required.

The most important aspect of all of these features is that they are built to only work wirelessly. If you attempt to set up the Apple TV unit with an Ethernet cable, the functionality of these features is basically switched off. Another point to keep in mind is the ATV 2nd gen only has digital outputs so your stereo red-and-white connections are gone. The silver 1st gen had them, but is becoming harder to find, even though it is still a great device.

In the above scenario, another Apple product, the AirPort Express, is a great workaround for someone wanting to use analog connections for things like computer speakers. Added bonus: it also extends your wireless network, acts as a wireless access point and can connect to a printer to work as wireless print server. While it’s not as media-centric as the ATV, the AirPort Express is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment on the market for less than $100.

These are great examples of how to get full quality streaming sound and picture with minimal to no wires in your home, condo or apartment. And that’s not even scratching the surface of the wireless offerings in the market today. Wireless HDMI standards are still being looked at by the HDMI Licensing group and wireless speakers are still finding their market. Next time I will go over a few devices that can help you get rid of a few of the HDMI and speaker wires in your setup.

And remember, now is a good time to update your router security password.

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Why we don’t do security installs (yet)

Posted on January 13, 2012 by darryl — No Comments ↓

One of the earliest business mantras I learned at a young age is that “you can’t be all things to all people,” and is very true as it relates to the service industry.
Not every hotel can have a world-class restaurant, golf course the best greens; hardware store sell tequila (unless you’re in Mexico!)
The same goes for the painter that knows about carpentry, or the roofer who may be a decent mechanic – their chosen field will always be their specialty. And yes, there are many exceptions to this, but just about anyone can relate to the phrase,
                                                                                              “jack of all trades, master of none.”

The home a/v industry seems to be the inverse of this idea according to most of the testing/licensing organizations in North America. HVAC installers are expected to have a working knowledge of running security cabling for cameras, network specialists should be able to wire a room for sound and so on.

You don’t call a plumber when you need electrical work done…
While we believe this idea makes sense since it is all in the low voltage family,we hold a stronger belief that an installer may sometimes wear too many hats.
Think of it this way: a homeowner should have a good rudimentary knowledge on how to fix a leaky faucet, or build a deck, fix a light switch; if not they should at least know how it works so they can call in a professional to do one of the mentioned tasks.
So an electrician shows up to fix that light switch, and while he/she is there offers to fix the leaky faucet.
”Great,” thinks the home owner, “I can save a ton of time and money by having one person do it!” Right?
Fast forward two years, and the same leak shows up again, but this time it comes with another plumbing problem. Would you call the electrician back to fix it again, or would you call a plumber?
Better question is: who should have been called in the first place?

…so why would a security installer care about mounting televisions?

We focus on networked and solid-state audio and video – get your music and movies through your wireless internet or hardware like a bluray player. That is a simple sentence that is trying to sum up something that is vast and always changing.
On some weeks, the amount of research and field-testing we have to do takes up all of our spare time between jobs, and that may involve learning about one new product on the market. New products/services are being released every day!

Can we come and wire your new business space for Ethernet, phone, television, thermostat, security cameras, POS, wireless and advertising display media? Of course we can and we work pretty fast.
We can do the same thing for your home, cottage, condo, office, boat house, pool house, bar whatever.
Our raison d’etre is Audio and Video for entertainment. We know plenty of accomplished, professional security installers and providers that do great work and love their jobs.

Tiny Tech and ECIS employees wear quite a few hats right now, in the future we may have space to wear a few more. We love what we do, and we want to do the best job possible.

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the power of the Apple

Posted on September 2, 2011 by darryl — No Comments ↓
apple-tv

In the last six installs we have completed, every one of them has involved some kind of apple product. How easily I forgot the total saturation the ipod has enjoyed for nearly the last ten years! Talk about a model for success. See more ›

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would the real installers please stand up?

Posted on July 27, 2011 by darryl — No Comments ↓

When you are in a business that involves being in someone’s home, you learn a lot about someone meeting them face-to-face. See more ›

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new beginnings

Posted on April 5, 2011 by darryl

Well, all beginnings are new by definition, so as a working title its not the greatest.
However, we are so very happy you are taking time to read this first blog post.

Tiny Tech has been working for the past year to make as many customer’s visions of their home theatre happen. Calling it ‘home theatre’ isn’t even correct; it’s an industry term we greatly dislike. What matters to you, when you have your television and maybe speakers mounted on the wall, and your items hooked up and working? See more ›

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