Conserve Data: Getting the Most Out Of Your Wireless Plan

TOAST.net’s new wireless hotspots are flying off of our virtual shelves, giving previously “dial-up” only areas a much needed burst of speed as well as providing mobility to use the Internet anywhere you go. Payment on wireless systems works a bit differently than traditional land-line based Internet service in that wireless uses a “pay for what you use” model, where land-lines use a “pay a flat rate for service” model. Similar to the way electricity or water is billed, the more you use the more you pay.

This leaves customers with the question “How much data do I need per month?”

Data is an abstract term, and it can be confusing. Just like using electricity in a new house, it may take a few months to discover your usage patterns to see which level of service will be best for you. There are ways you can keep your data use in check, however. Here are a few tips to make sure you are getting the most out of your wireless connection: Read more of this post

Study: Business Pros Recommend Android 50%, iPhone 32%

“What phone should I get?” is quickly replacing “What computer should i get?” as the #1 question I hear these days, and that’s expected as more and more people are using their phones as their primary work tool. Easy access to email, scheduling, and documents in a device that fits in your pocket is a powerful asset, and everyone wants to make sure they get the most for their money.

TechRepublic recently released its poll of phone recommendations in the workplace. While the iPhone has the most marketing muscle behind it, it turns out that Android based phones are enjoying a healthy lead in the workplace. 50% of IT professionals are recommending Android phones to their workers, and with good reason. Read more of this post

9 Things Our Children Won’t Be Using

Technology moves fast.

Really fast.

Not so long ago, a new gadget or system that was accepted into the mainstream would hang around for decades. People listened to music from their record players for 70+ years, cassettes for 20 years, CD’s for a bit less than 20 years, MP3′s for ten years, and now we’re on to cloud based streaming as the most popular way to get tunes. It seems the more advanced a technology gets the shorter its lifespan.

This rapid-fire upgrading will become more and more common as we advance. I have two teen-age children right now, and by the time they’re my age, they’re probably going to be looking at these common technologies the same way I look at my VCR: Read more of this post

Go Mobile or Stay Behind

In 2005, I received my first phone with Internet access: the Nokia 3650. I was at my son’s baseball game, and during a lull I decided to check out my work website. It took 2 minutes to appear and looked like one of those magazine clipping ransom notes you used to see in old TV shows. I tried using the Internet access a few other times with similar results: slow and completely unusable. I hoped for a day when I could use the Internet from a lawn chair just as easily as from my desk.

Of course, that day has since arrived. In fact, many of us can’t imagine a world where we aren’t able to check Facebook or read the news from our mobile devices. Sales of smartphones even surpassed PC’s last year, making them one of the most popular methods of connecting to the Internet. Mobile Internet is trending so quickly that many businesses are in danger of falling behind if they don’t start re-thinking their mobile strategies. Read more of this post

Getting Rid of the ol’ Desktop – Laptop Buyers Guide

I can remember back in the mid-90′s waiting in anticipation of the Sunday newspaper. It would show up at my doorstep (or in the bushes, or occasionally on the roof depending on my paperboy) at 7am sharp. I would grab the giant bundle on sight, rip off the cheap green rubber band, plop on the couch, and dig in. Front-page news? Who cares. Political section? In the trash. Sports? Tossed it over my shoulder. The meat of the paper…and the entire goal of my newspaper subscription…was always located in the center: the Best Buy flyer. Read more of this post

Google’s Privacy Change: Not Such a Bad Thing

There have been many questions and concerns about Google’s new updated privacy policy. Last week, the Big G started posting notifications that it is going to change the way it handles customer information. Here is exactly what is happening:

Google runs a LOT of popular services. Gmail, Google Docs, Picasa, YouTube…all of these have millions (even billions!) of users. The problem is each service requires a separate account. You needed to sign up every time you wanted to use a different service, meaning each service required its own username, password, and set of terms and privacy conditions. Read more of this post

7 Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Safe

Smartphones are great! Apparently I’m not the only one that thinks so…more people are using smartphones to connect to the Internet than PC’s in key markets. Consumers have discovered the convenience of having mobile “mini-computers” and are using them to take full advantage of apps and access to instant information. Unfortunately the scent of success has attracted the attention of Internet predators, so a focus on mobile security is becoming increasingly important. The easy access to information we enjoy on our phones can be a prime target for hackers taking advantage of this new frontier. Keep these 7 tips in mind to keep yourself protected when you’re on the go: Read more of this post

CES 2012 Overview: It’s Thin, Mobile, and Cloudy

Being a gadget hound, I’ve been ogling over the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show like an eight-year-old with a Toys “R” Us catalog before Christmas. The show is used to showcase the way technology is heading, and this year there is a clear message: Consumers don’t want to stay stationary. Read more of this post

The January Roadmap: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully you’re off to a good start. TOAST.net is kicking off January with a few focuses: Read more of this post

If your technology isn’t transparent, it’s not working.

I was driving home from the office the other day and felt the urge to blast some tunes. Without even looking, I hit the power button on the radio, hit the scan button several times, and adjusted the volume just loud enough to blast away all thoughts of the TPS reports and stapler requisition forms due the next day. If you think about it, a car radio is a perfect example of “transparent technology.” They are all designed to fit the car’s environment, the controls are easy to use, and they work without having to put much thought into it…the radio is a part of the car rather than its own special-needs device. All technology should work this same way. Its whole purpose is to make lives easier and more efficient, not complicated and expensive. Many tech-curmudgeons will say “All modern technology is complicated!”, and that’s a true statement. The trick is to make sure you’re using appropriate technology. Read more of this post

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