I Forgot My Phone

by Mark Smiley | Sep 25, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left

by Brian Zabroski

Keys? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone? Hmmm. I know I had it earlier. Just then, a bit of panic consumed me. Where did I leave it? Is someone stealing my identity? Is Mrs. App wondering why I haven’t responded to her text in a timely manner? It hit me. It was lost. What to do.

I retraced my steps. First, I checked the raffle ticket table to make sure I didn’t leave it there. Nope. Just a couple of college students laughing at me as I walked away. I’m sure they were thinking, “Seriously, how could anyone put down a phone long enough to forget where they left it?” Then again, I’m not sure either of them picked up their head from their own phones to really care. I didn’t win the 50/50 raffle, in case you were wondering.

So Toddler App and I walked back to the truck. There it was on the front seat. I looked at my son, then the phone and shut the door. I was at Toddler App’s first hockey game. We walked back to the arena without the phone. We talked to the people sitting near us. Hung out at the retail store. Shared Dippin’ Dots, which were delicious and terrible at the same time. I wasn’t concerned about checking my fantasy football score, text messages or capturing the moment on my phone. Instead, Toddler App and I enjoyed an afternoon of hockey.

We’re in the final stretches of the year. Time shrinks this time of year. With the approaching holidays and kids back at school, think about putting down that phone in October. What? Am I crazy? You don’t use your phone that often? Think twice. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found kids aged 8-18 are plugged into media 7.5 hours per day. Holy cow! That’s a work day, except it is every day not just Monday through Friday. An adult spends just over 8.5 hours per day on their phone. I’m not a math genius, but these numbers bookend the average recommended amount of daily sleep, 8 hours. Studies have shown that excessive amounts of mobile phone usage are affecting our sleeping patterns. Baby App affects my sleeping pattern enough!

So, what can you do? Try something new, hard and challenging for October. Put down the phone an hour before bed. Do not check the phone during the night. Place the phone on do not disturb. Get some rest for the love of Pete! Curious as to the amount of your usage? Try using Moment. This app tracks your phone usage. You can set up daily limits, notifications for high usage, as well as tracking your family’s phone time. The concept is simple. Put down the phone and pick up your head to enjoy others.

The goal of my “being more present” topic isn’t to drive the usage to zero, rather drive from 8.5 hours to 7. It is doable. There are times when using technology can be helpful. Take the fussy baby that is soothed by the interaction of a show on a tablet. The challenge with this is the baby, or Toddler, hitting the home button, pausing the video or opening an app they shouldn’t be in (i.e. suddenly they’re responding to your email!). Instead of the tablet entertaining, you’re restarting the video every two minutes. You’re not alone!

Try locking the iPad. Under Settings, turn on Guided Access and create a four digit password. Once you’re in the application of choice, say Netflix, press the home button three times. This locks the iPad from leaving this application, leaves the movie/ show playing and you’re not restarting it every two minutes. This is a great way to share your iPad with others without worrying they’ll mistakenly delete something important. It can be a business tool for training employees.

For those venturing out to trick or treat on Halloween, check out Nextdoor’s Treat Map. Nextdoor, a neighborhood app, shares the best places for trick or treating, and planning your route or haunted houses in your area. Glad Fall is here! Don’t be a phone monster. Put it down and get up!

Do you have a favorite educational app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian @brianzabroski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ brianzab.

Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere; It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use NetSuite software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with NetSuite.

Hey, School Systems . . .It’s 2015!

by Mark Smiley | Aug 31, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left

by Brian Zabroski

I recall my jobs in college. Bartender, receptionist, warehouse receiver, insurance agent intern, bookkeeper… Holy cow, I had a bunch of jobs throughout college. My best decision may have been to work at the campus bookstore. I was given a generous discount for books and merchandise. I was also able to pick the best used books before they went on sale. Geez, I hope whomever highlighted this book before me knew what they were doing! The used books and employee discount helped offset much of my expense, but the cost was still significant. This was almost 20 years ago!

Why am I sharing my college jobs and bookstore story with you? I nearly fell off my chair after hearing my nephew share the cost of his college textbooks. The cost? $800. Seriously? Isn’t a tablet less than $800? I asked how many of his classes offer the option of a digital textbook via tablet. A couple, but they charge the same price as the textbook!

A few minutes later while at the coffee shop, getting my hourly caffeine dose (thanks Baby App for waking us up at a random hour. You fell back to sleep, but I didn’t! I love you!), I see a few high school students carrying loaded backpacks. They look like Sherpas ready to tackle Everest, except they are tackling Math and Science with 25 pounds of textbooks. What did they have in their hands? Oh come on… guess… their mobile phones! Not their textbooks!

Here’s my issue, students as young as kindergarten are using mobile and PC technology for learning, yet our school system throws textbooks their way. Why are we continuing to embrace teaching methods that were in use when I was in grade school during the 1980s?

Now, I understand there are a few outliers. For those who are outliers, I salute you. I’m concerned that we are not properly arming our children to be ready for the workforce. Are you using a textbook to learn your job? Most likely not. Businesses are adopting online learning for employees. This change has to begin for our youngest population, and not just in “computer” class during school. Let’s begin by embracing technology in place of yesterday’s learning and teaching methods. Start with one or two classes using tablet learning in place of textbooks.

What’s in it for the school system? A financial gain. I learned that Mrs. App’s elementary school charges $75 for supplies for their students. Budgets are tight whether you’re a business or a school. A recent study examined the financial impact to a 500 student school of replacing textbooks with digital books. The study estimates that a business can save upwards of $250 per student per year. That’s $125,000 per year, or put it this way, two to three more teachers to reduce classroom size. Wouldn’t that help offset the added expense for supplies? For schools, such as universities, that require purchasing textbooks, this can be a profit center. Offer the use of textbooks as a recurring revenue model, with one exception; don’t charge the same high cost of a textbook.

It’s not only a financial advantage for the school system. The ability to always have the latest edition of a book will serve our students more efficiently. It reduces the cheating concerns. I’m not talking about those lovable New England Patriots, but rather the students that skate by because the text and curriculum hasn’t changed year over year. Yes, this means less highlighted books passed down.

It improves our students’ health. No longer will we notice our students walking around as Sherpas. Research shows nearly 14,000 students are treated for backpack-related injuries each year. Check out this link for backpack safety tips: http://goo.gl /6EaBPt.

I truly believe the biggest influence of this transition will be for our children. They use this very technology as the medium for communication and learning, except when they’re within the walls of their school. We need to embrace this change, from the school districts to the teachers. In fact, there need to be more progressive teachers to lead this change.

School districts need grant help to procure the equipment. Businesses need to be involved by sponsoring grants. These students will be in the workforce in the not too distant future. This is an amazing way to gain a larger footprint and build a bench for any business. Whether it is my nephew or your child, we should work together to reduce the cost of school. It’s my hope that this column sparks conversations during this “political season.” Make technology part of our education system. Our workforce and future truly depend on it.

There are a large number of apps available for students, teachers and parents. A couple that caught my eye were Nearpod and Remind. Nearpod allows teachers to share their presentation and content to students’ devices. The sharing is fun and engaging, but the biggest advantage is the interaction. Teachers can view, real-time, each students’ activity on the app. Here’s a way this app helps: A teacher shares a math lesson via the app. The students are tasked with completing the lesson within the app on their device. In real-time, the teacher can view the answers and work with each student, which allows the teacher to engage, assist and celebrate success immediately.

Remind allows teachers to text parents and students. Face it, texting is here to stay so let’s embrace a medium that students understand. The app hides the phone numbers for confidentiality. In addition, parents and students can engage in private conversations. Just two of the many ways we can begin to embrace technology in the classroom.

Remember, Apples still make teachers smile. Welcome Back!

Do you have a favorite educational app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian @brianzabroski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bri anzab.

Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere; It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use NetSuite software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with NetSuite.

Banks. Now Grocery Stores? What Next?

by Mark Smiley | Aug 3, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left

I’ll share a secret, which obviously will not be a secret any longer. I actually don’t mind going grocery shopping. It feels like a secret because Mrs. App and I debate this each weekend. It’s a nice back and forth of, “No, it’s not a big deal. You can go to the grocery store today.” Or, “I’ll go, but you have the kids.” Or, “Wait, I have the kids? You take the kids. Where are the kids?!”

Then it’s the blue or red cart debate with Toddler App. The visit to the lobsters. Oh… is there a run on lobsters in Glendale? Their tank has usually one really sad, lonely lobster. Next, off to the free cookie. Thank goodness, I’m almost out of the produce section. The long checkout line, which is followed by watching my groceries get thrown together in a pre-ripped plastic bag. No, that’s fine. The dish soap, lettuce and frozen popsicles should go in the same bag. Maybe in your house, the dish soap goes in the fridge with the perishables. Sorry, I served nearly five years at Stop & Shop in beautiful Chelsea, Massachusetts.

It’s not all bad. Toddler App gets to ride the horse for a penny. There’s an adult beverage section, and I get to make my weekly state donation… I mean check my lottery scratch tickets. Yes, I know there’s an app for checking Colorado Lottery tickets, but I really enjoy having the cashier scan them for me. The reality is, I would just rather be hanging with the kiddos than spending 90 minutes at the grocery store.

So, we tried online grocery shopping. I think I’m hooked. First up, Instacart. We picked King Soopers for our order, however Instacart offers Whole Foods, Costco, and others. I didn’t test, but apparently buying in bulk from Costco is allowed without a membership. Good to know. We created our grocery list, including substitutions. It was fairly straightforward.

One great thing about Instacart and Home Shop from King Soopers is the total calculates while you shop. Try accomplishing that feat while juggling free cookie crumbs in aisle three! Instacart assigns the order to a personal shopper who retrieves the order from King Soopers, and delivers to your door. During shopping, Instacart sends alerts asking for substitution approvals and provides a delivery time.

Think of it this way. You hand your grocery list to a stranger, tip them 20 percent of the bill, ask them to send you texts while they shop and ask them to be back within ‘x’ period of time. The downside, the grocery prices seem high, and then add in delivery fee and tip. Instacart advises that their prices may be higher, but I’m not sure there was a huge cost to time savings. Nonetheless, a guy named Jeff showed up with our groceries as ordered.

Next, we tried Home Shop from King Soopers. There are some similarities between Instacart and Home Shop, such as easy to order through their sites and delivery times are reasonable. There were a few things that stuck out with Home Shop over Instacart, such as the prices were the same as in store (including weekly specials), ability to create a weekly list and push the items to the checkout cart, delivery fees were lower and a larger selection of items.

I think we’ll continue the Home Shop service. The kiddos will miss the free cookies, but will not complain when we hit the pool or zoo instead of the grocery store. It feels nice to pull into the driveway a few minutes before the delivery van shows up with your groceries. I haven’t stepped inside a bank in a long time. Grocery store. It was nice knowing you! Call me if you fill the lobster tank.

I don’t believe I’m alone in checking my phone throughout the day. Waiting in a line. Walking to my car. On the treadmill. While pouring my fourth cup of coffee. All the time. I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see. In fact, there was a moment in June that I checked USA Today, Twitter, Sports Illustrated and my email, then realized nothing changed since I checked them last. It felt as though I reached the end of the Internet.

As an experiment, I enabled an app called Checky. It runs in the background, and I’m convinced it drains my battery, but it records how many times the phone is checked. To my surprise, on day two of running the app, I checked my phone 92 times. 92! I entered my passcode 92 times. I checked it every 10 minutes while I was awake. Do you think your eyes are always pointing down to your phone? Try this exercise! Yikes, I (we) need to be more present.

I’ve mentioned in the past that it is a good practice to embrace cloud solutions for storage, music and photos, but share the content amongst a few apps. The news in June that the app, Lastpass, a password storage app, was hacked was concerning. As consumers, we’re not reviewing the security data sheets of our storage apps. OK, maybe there are a few outliers that enjoy reading agreements and 60 page security briefs. Just know, that these sites are targets. Have your passwords and content readily accessible from your preferred sites in case a breach does happen. If you are in need of changing and or improving your passwords, check out: http://goo.gl/qCLwcE.

I’m off to change my password from 12345 to something stronger. Maybe 54321. Enjoy the sunshine!

Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.

Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses often have the same concerns: How do I increase my revenue and profit? How do I attract great talent? Am I easy to do business with? Is it simple to access my business information? If you’re a business that would like to learn how Box, GoPro, Groupon and FitBit have used NetSuite to answer these questions, then please contact Brian.

Why The Apple Watch Will Fail

by Mark Smiley | May 22, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left

I’m trying really hard to understand the need for a wearable mobile device, or in other words, an Apple Watch. Apple launched their watch a few months ago and I’ve sat on the sidelines. I have hoped to hear of a compelling story about how the Apple Watch created a technology that helped a business. Or, how the watch allowed more free time in a day. Crickets! All I’ve heard are stories about added convenience of not reaching into a pocket to pull out an iPhone. That’s it? So we’ve now placed a value of reaching into our packet at $350. I have a friend that told me he finds it easier with his Apple Watch to reply to texts, pay for

items and not have an intrusive phone in sight during a meeting. Yet, his phone was sitting on the table during our conversation. He used his watch to pay for Starbucks while holding his phone in the other hand. Where is the convenience? Are we that lazy a society that we can’t possibly be bothered to pull out a phone from our pants pocket to reply to a text or decline a call during a meeting? Hey bud, whether you’re looking at your watch or your phone during a meeting to decline a call, you’re still being rude.

Listen, I really want this device and technology to be a success. I’m all for the advancement of technology, but do you know why you’re busy and need a device for “added convenience?” It is because you have TWO devices! That would make you busy! Here’s my issue, this watch needs an iPhone to truly become a device. Otherwise, it is a glorified iPod. Yes, there are a number of actions one can complete without an iPhone nearby, such as, tracking steps, using it during a run, to pay for stuff, get on a plane, emulate the functions of an iPod. How about Digital Touch that allows you to sketch a picture on your watch and send to another wearer’s screen. Seriously, did we become Picasso overnight to be able to sketch on a watch screen? Here’s a stick figure. Can you believe this only cost $350? Yes, it can be a functional device, but are any of these things worth adding a “small iPhone” to your wrist? Can’t you accomplish your fitness needs with a Fitbit or other wearable device?

There are a number of business applications that can make the watch functional, assuming they can accomplish this functionality without a data plan. There are time tracking apps, which will be great for folks that bill by the hour or are in the service business. The flexibility to deliver an Apple Watch to an employee to track time can be advantageous. Another way to look at tracking time can be with Geofency. With little interaction, the watch tracks where you are and for how long, which makes billing easier. For presentations, advancing slides with the watch can be functional. I believe there is a fit for this technology in a business that cannot have a phone in hand, such as those in medical, over the road drivers and skilled laborers. I think there is another fit for monitoring your medical history and delivering this information to your doctors. Unfortunately, I do not believe these experiences are available or are not ready for prime time.

The watch can be stylish. The band looks sharp and feels solid. It can be a conversation starter. The watch face has many options from fancy to silly. Yet, the major miss is the inability to have its own data plan or SIM card. With this technology, the watch would be a serious technology tool, in my opinion. Without it, it’s another device that needs to be charged every night. Oh, here’s a funny one for you. The battery life is 18 hours. I’m not the smartest guy in the room, but I swear that is less than a full day. My Fitbit lasts days. There are too many wearables on the market today are offer similar features as the Apple Watch, and often at a lower cost.

Maybe I’m just getting older. Maybe I’m just saturated with devices. My heart tells me that I really want this technology to work. Is it time though? Unfortunately, the only time that this device should tell you is that it isn’t time to buy one.

Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.

Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses often have the same concerns: How do I increase my revenue and profit? How do I attract great talent? Am I easy to do business with? Is it simple to access my business information? If you’re a business that would like to learn how Box, GoPro, Groupon and Fitbit have used NetSuite to answer these questions, then please contact Brian.

Why Your Business Site May Disappear

by Mark Smiley | Apr 24, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left

I warned you in January to make your website mobile friendly. I predicted it would happen in 2015, and unfortunately it came true in April. I say unfortunately because Google’s announcement to re-rank the way their search engine delivers search results can be drastic for those businesses without a mobile-friendly website.

Let’s start at the beginning. When you use Google to find a business (i.e. an auto body shop, restaurant, insurance agent, any Glendale business), your search results were delivered regardless of the type of business website. In April, Google decided to deliver results that had mobile-friendly sites BEFORE listing other sites. Note, this is only happening when searching from a mobile device, which makes up 60 percent of the web traffic.

Now, think of a recent search you performed and the results you received. Did you go past page 1? Page 2? A third of web traffic does not go past page one. What does this mean to your business? If your business does not offer a mobile-friendly site, you’ll end up buried on pages well after those with mobile sites. Consumers will not click through pages to find your business. If you were highly ranked previous to this change, your results will change overnight.

How can you prepare your business? Simply put, create a mobile-friendly site. This does not need to be a costly project. There are a few things you can do on a budget. Check out bmobilized.com. They offer to optimize your site for mobility for a nominal monthly fee. If you are a WordPress user, use the WPtouch Mobile Plugin. Either of these tools do not require an “IT” background. Fairly easy as a “click, click, go” approach. I would recommend reviewing some best practices. CIO Magazine has an article, http://goo.gl/pO0c22, recommending ways to make your business mobile-friendly. Mobility is driving a higher percentage of web traffic each year. Your business needs to be positioned to capture this audience. Don’t let your business website disappear!

I’m still on a cable-free kick. HBO Now was launched recently. For a monthly fee, much less than a cable provider, HBO can be streamed to your device. If only the other cable channels could follow in their footsteps. I would enjoy hearing from readers that are experimenting with kicking cable.

I’ve never been accused of being a green thumb, however I do give working on my lawn and garden an honest effort each season. With the flip of the calendar to May, it’s time to plant and fix the bald spots on my grass. I struggle to identify plants and flowers. If you do as well, take a leaf and place a white background behind it. Using your phone, take a photo and submit it to Leafsnap for identification. You’ll have an idea of what is growing in your yard. I don’t recommend this for poison ivy.

Garden Squared is an app that will assist you in planning where to plant your veggies within a given space. Throughout the year, I’m not certain what to place on my lawn. Do I use compost or fertilizer? Are they even the same thing? If you struggle with this topic, try My Lawn from Scotts. It will create a lawn care program based on the time of year, as well as recommendations of what your lawn needs to look green and healthy.

If your allergies are taking a toll on you, check out WedMD Allergy. It provides allergy information based on your area and gives treatment recommendations. AllergyManager offers an allergy forecast. The layout is a matrix of the allergy forecast along with what will be the result of the forecast, such as a runny nose, headache or another annoying symptom.

Allergies, gardening and Google changing their search results rankings are enough to give anyone a headache. Hang in there and enjoy the sunshine!

Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.

Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses often have the same concerns: How do I increase my revenue and profit? How do I attract great talent? Am I easy to do business with? Is it simple to access my business information? If you’re a business that would like to learn how Box, GoPro, Groupon and FitBit have used NetSuite to answer these questions, then please contact Brian.