The Phil Morris Blog

Random thoughts on Technology and Life

Welcome to my blog site. I post various thoughts and opinions on technology for the average user to understand. As a Director of Technology for an educational institution most postings will have some relation to education technology. Feel free to comment on my posts.

Toodledo

Over time I have become a user of Toodledo to keep track of all my projects / todo’s because it works on all my devices and over the web and just like all the other apps that work on all the devices it automatically synchronizes between.

 

Toodledo is FREE and allows me to give due dates, priority levels, and put to do items in a list/folder allowing me to categorize between various work topics/projects or by having a category of just HOME.  There is a pro version which will allow you to collaborate with others and do more sharing but I have not tried that since it is not FREE.

 

There is a lot of functionality that I am still not using with Toodledo but for keeping basic task lists, etc. it is working great.

 

You can download Toodledo from your app store on smartphone and visit the website www.toodledo.com

Hey..my stuff is “in the cloud”…where??

For about the last year or so all you tend to hear is the word Cloud, whether it is Cloud computer, Cloud services, iCloud, etc…but what is that Cloud and where is that cloud and most importantly is my stuff safe in the cloud?

 

I like to consider the cloud all the hosted services that I use and the data behind it.  For instance, I use Google Docs to create documents, spreadsheets, and even presentations and those files are not kept on my computer they are kept on one of many Google data storage sites in the world, and thus, they are “in the cloud” but really…they are just at Google.   So to help with our questions above..the cloud is just a place on the internet and your data is located / stored on that company server equipment.

 

I always worry about security of my data.  No matter what service you use to store your stuff at there is a security risk.  In some cases they will actually tell you to what level your information is secure or encrypted.  For instance, DropBox which is a great web app is not secure so you need to be careful what data you keep in your DropBox knowing that some one from their company could take the time and look at your information, not that they have the time or energy, but it is possible.

 

What are these QR Codes?

A QR Code or “Quick Response” Code is very similar to a bar code which is on most food, etc and can be read by a QR Reader on your smartphone.  These codes are popping up every where I go now.  They are printed in magazines so that when you use your smartphone and read the code it will take you to further information on the web.

 

I have inserted a QR code created on http://goo.gl/ which is a url shortener as well that will take you directly to my blog.

 

To read more on QR Codes:

http://www.qrstuff.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qr_code

 

So how do you read these QR Codes on a smartphone.  Just go to your App Store and search for “qr reader” and you should have several options.  On my iPhone I use RL Classic which reads bar codes from regular products and looks for deals in the area as well as QR codes.

Insurance HMO Rant…

I have a large herniated disc and in a lot of pain.  I have been dealing with my Primary Doctor since November 19th and finally have been told I need to see a Neurosurgeon.  I understand the time necessary to make that determination and I have no problem with my primary doctor.   So now I need to go to a neurosurgeon and my medical group does not have one which means I need a referral.

 

So, I call the Neurosurgeon they “referred” me to and it takes about 2 weeks to get in to see him, which I am not opposed to, however, I know a neurosurgeon who I could see sooner but my primary doctor can not refer me to him because their medical group doesn’t have a “deal” with him.  I have learned this because I called the Insurance company to find out the real story and how these HMO’s work.

 

Just very frustrating that I am in pain and could get proper care and have to wait to see one of the medical groups “friends”…

Little bit of Wiggio…

What is it?

Wiggio is a FREE collaborative online tool used to communicate information to groups of people.  It has the ability to upload / download files, send email to a member or whole group, manage to-do lists, and poll your group(s).

 

Each member you invite manages their own account and settings to the group.

 

You can have multiple groups and see all content from all groups on one screen or choose just one group.

 

How can I use it?

As an administrator, leader, or teacher you are working in groups and need to be able to communicate with the group and share information, etc.  I use this with my graduate courses, State groups, and friends.  It is so easy to set up your group and invite members.  The interface is simple and most importantly it has an App for iPhone which allows me to continually be connected to the group for communication.

 

I have found that people enjoy being part of a Wiggio group and will log in on a regular basis.  I used to use Google Groups for this function but Google made changes and I needed to find something.  I have tested posting files, running discussions, sending a message to one individual or whole group, taking a poll for course feedback, etc.  What a great tool to have in my Technology Bucket!

Google Voice – The best for me…

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is probably one of the most used web services I use on a regular basis.  Google voice allows me to have a phone number in my area code and it provides full call screening, voice to text recognition, text or email forwarding, and blocking, all for FREE.

 

I created my voice account many years ago and have set it up very simple and  use it to the point that I do not answer our home phone any more.  When setting up the number I gave it my office line and hours it can call me there, as well as my cell phone number and hours it can call me on that.  It takes a look at the number calling and if it is not a “golden” number I have noted it will screen the caller and have them announce who they are and then track me to either my office or cell phone.

 

If I choose not to take the call it will take a voice mail and send me a text message transcription as well as an email voice file so I get it immediately.  You also have an option to block calls in the future.

 

I have found Google Voice to be one of the best services out there.  On my Verizon Account I have it as a “friends and family” number so it does not cost me to call or receive calls from it either.  And of course there is an App for it for iPhone which allows me to make phone calls as my Google Voice number!

 

How can the Administrator Use Google Voice?

Many times as administrators we are never by our office phone but always have our cell phone but sometimes it is not a good time to talk to someone but we’re not 100% sure who it is.  With Google Voice you can give out your “roaming number” which is your Google Voice number and then when someone calls you can quickly answer and hear who is calling and make the decision on whether it is appropriate to take the call or not.  I have come to the point where I only give out my “roaming number”…

 

Another administrator use is with the conversion of voicemail to text.  This is nice when you are in meetings and someone leaves you a voice mail and it may be somewhat urgent.  At least with have it transcribed and sent as an email or text message to your phone you can decide how to deal best with the situation.

 

I encourage you to give it a try.  It is simple…go to google.com/voice and as long as you have a Google account already you should have no problem.

Why I use Twitter

Twitter receives all kinds of comments, both good and bad.  Some people do not like it because they find it to be too public and for the most part I find that people just need some training to really make it useful for them.  There are a lot of resources on-line for how to use Twitter, etc.  I am not going to spend my time on that..

 

I use Twitter as a personal information gathering service.  I follow all kinds of people, businesses, groups, etc. to stay up-to-date on the breaking information.  For instance, as I was writing this post I checked my Twitter account and there was an emergency at a local school building which I was able to communicate information to others in our office about and it is almost 8pm.

 

Over the last several weeks our office was under discussion in the State legislature for funding and I was able to follow several legislators and news services in Springfield to check-in on occasion to make sure I knew the latest information.

Twitter is not something that I have open all the time and constantly watching. I will check in on occasion and scroll down the feed to see if there is anything interesting. In fact most tweets that you see will have a hashtag which you can click on and get further information on the discussion.

 

On the right side of my blog page you can see tweets that I have put out or retweeted.  You can also click on the Twitter graphic on the top right of my blog and directly link to my Twitter profile and see who I follow.

 

One tip I give people is when you set up your Twitter account you can just be a follower.  Start by looking at all the people I follow or who follow me and click on them to see if your interested and you also have the option to follow them.  When you start you probably won’t be tweeting and you may never.  There is a lot of research numbers out there about he number of people who are just followers, and really…that is fine.

 

So, if you’re not on Twitter you should be and start following at least 30-50 people and see what is happening.  Then search on YouTube for a few good videos on Twitter and how you can use it in your profession.

 

As you get more interested in Twitter check out TweetDeck which allows you to do a lot more and follow various searches or tags on the screen at once.  It is what CNN has used in the past during election night coverage or other emergencies to see what people are saying.

 

I have Twitter clients on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad so it is something always available.

 

Good luck..have fun!

Taking a Screenshot on the iPhone or iPad

I have been a bit stumped with how to take a screen shot on the iPhone or iPad until today.  I guess I thought it was something difficult but it is the same on both units…

All you do is hold down the lock button on top of the unit and then hit the home button.  Presto..a flash..and it is now on your camera roll so you can use it for anything you would a photo on your iPad or iPhone.

Here is a link to a YouTube video as well.

 

Solving the World Problems

 

Yesterday I went to the doctor about my back issue and numb leg and pain.  He has sent me to get an MRI this weekend to see exactly what is going on.  In the meantime I get to take a very large dose of prednisone for the next 10 days!  As

he put it to me…”Have some work do to during the night because you really won’t sleep..”  Last night I awoke about 3:30 a.m. and started working feverishly on my cellphone making notes on to-dos and brainstorming all the new things..

After that…just pondering life…it is going to be interesting how this works over the week.  Will I be able to sleep or will I just keep on solving problems in my head…not that any solution I come up with is worth anything..but then

again…maybe it is.

 

 

Sciatica Nerve

So a week ago tonight I came home from work and my back was in major pain with pain shooting down my leg and it felt like I had a charlie horse as well.  By Saturday morning, which was Eleanor’s birthday, I had numbness and tingling all down my left leg and could barely walk.  I decided to make an adjustment to our plans for the morning and stop at urgent care.  Doctor gave me a shot in the good ‘ol rear end and then a couple of prescriptions.  From what I can tell I have a Sciatica Nerve issue.

It has now been a week and I still have pain but I picked up a new prescription today and hopefully it begins to feel a bit better.  I am hoping the inflammation and pain calm down enough so I can stretch and prevent this in the future.  As I sit and write this the heel of my foot is numb and the back of the knee hurts.

This is probably the worst ongoing injury and pain that I have had in a long time.  I feel for others who have mentioned they have a Sciatica Nerve problem.  You are not comfortable sleeping, sitting, walking, just absolutely not comfortable at all…

I need to get this under control quickly especially with the holidays on us.  I was able to limp/gimp around to get most of the Christmas lights up yesterday and hopefully will be able to finish more of that project tomorrow.

Hope everyone is having a good Thanksgiving Weekend..