ALTOM: Backups are important—just ask the folks at Pixar
Do you know where your backups are, right now? Most of us don’t, or if we do, we don’t know what shape they’re in.
Return on Technology
Articles
ALTOM: Businesses should be suspicious of app trap
Smart-phone app costs can vary by orders of magnitude, just as websites can. The challenge is getting them to pay for themselves.
ALTOM: FAA should bring electronic-device policies up to speed
The public no longer accepts hollow proclamations with the same naïve grace.
ALTOM: Tablet computers, business don’t always mix
I think a tablet is great if your business involves accessing or sharing information. A tablet isn’t such a great deal if you have to produce content.
ALTOM: What matters most, privacy or convenience?
As our devices become more aware of our travels, our preferences, our contacts, our messages, our photographs and even our dexterity, the line between convenience and spying is crossed without us even being aware of it.
ALTOM: Limbaugh controversy comes with social-media lesson
The pressure brought on Rush Limbaugh’s advertisers was through technology that wasn’t commonly used back when the talk radio host was building his successful brand.
ALTOM: Does business really need gamification?
The purpose of gamification is to apply the principles of gaming to another environment, like education or business. And as “gamifiers” admit, this is really old hat in business.
ALTOM: Technology projects require end-user input
As we used to say in a career I had long ago, you can hammer a nail with your shoe, but it’s not particularly efficient. Unfortunately, too many technology users are doing just that.
ALTOM: Political parties use data mining to value you
As databases grow fat on information about us, they become extremely valuable for everything from designing product shelving in supermarkets to predicting ticket sales for professional sports teams.
ALTOM: Anti-piracy efforts ignore realities of technology
There are times I have to go looking for a column topic, and there are times a topic stalks into my office and does an “Occupy the Desk” until I write about it.
ALTOM: Exploring the Wild West of bookmark syncing services
There are five major browsers out there, all free, and all slightly different in how they operate. All store your Web bookmarks in different places that aren’t generally available to foreign browsers.
ALTOM: Few appreciate the power of Microsoft Office
I can think of few products that I’ve cursed more soundly over the years than Microsoft’s Office applications. But I’m also hard-pressed to think of more versatile and powerful tools. Talk about love-hate.
ALTOM: You think you have problems? It could be worse
Another year has gone by, which means it’s time for my annual gift to you: examples of bumbling, hacking and physical disaster to make you feel much better about whatever technology snafu might have you disgruntled during Yuletide.
ALTOM: What’s with the modern-art bar codes?
The mysterious little squares are actually “QR” codes, for “quick response.”
ALTOM: Laptops evolve to include ports of all sorts
If you’ve purchased a laptop lately, you may have noticed it has a few new things in it, most visibly ports that now come in a rather bewildering variety of types and purposes.
ALTOM: Remember, what’s new isn’t always what’s best
I’m a technological curmudgeon and proud of it.
ALTOM: Examining the pros and cons of Groupon
Even Groupon’s proponents sing its praises only warily, and its critics can be scathing in their condemnations. Yet, Groupon continues to grow.
ALTOM: Use savvy searching to track Web presence
While finding your name has a certain egotistical appeal, the real value of looking yourself up on social media sites is to find out what people are saying about you and your company.
ALTOM: Business consumer loses when Google, Apple fight
Even complementary companies can trip over each other in today’s high-tech market, and cause problems for the business users who depend on them.
ALTOM: Is your company’s website worth the money, effort?
Too many websites for small and medium-size businesses that don’t sell online are a waste of time and money.