About Chad A. Johnson
Below are a few recent posts by Chad A. Johnson:
- Can Bluetooth Technology Improve Your Real Estate Business?, 28 Dec 2007
- Simplifying Real Estate Agent Laptop Purchases, 02 Dec 2007
- Norton (Symantec) Gets It Right, 01 Nov 2007
- Add PDF Conversion to Your Real Estate Technology Arsenal, 20 Oct 2007
- Blackberry Adds Wi-Fi; Saving Real Estate Agents Money, 06 Oct 2007
- Zipform (Winforms) Is Fully Windows Vista and Apple Compatible, 26 Sep 2007
- What Should A Real Estate Agent Look For In A Desktop Computer?, 08 Sep 2007
- The Future of Mobile Real Estate Technology Is Upon Us, 12 Aug 2007
- Real Estate Backup Technology - Part 2, 06 Aug 2007
- Google Mobile Maps Technology Utilizes GPS, 29 Jul 2007
- Real Estate Backup Technology - Part 1, 15 Jul 2007
- Real Estate Agents with Verizon: It’s Time to Upgrade, 03 Jul 2007
Can Bluetooth Technology Improve Your Real Estate Business?
By Chad A. Johnson · December 28, 2007 · 10 Comments
Bluetooth is a wireless communication standard that can connect devices over a range of 30 feet. While we are all familiar with connecting our cell phones to a Bluetooth headset (like my new Jabra BT5020), there are numerous other peripherals that use Bluetooth to eliminate wires.
Add Bluetooth
To start, you need to have a Bluetooth transmitter on your computer. Embedded Bluetooth cards are becoming very popular in laptop computers. If you are purchasing a new laptop, make sure that it includes a Bluetooth card.
For those who need to add Bluetooth to an existing laptop or desktop, it is very simple. Several companies offer Bluetooth adapters ranging in price from $20 to $50. These adapters usually connect via USB and look much like a flash memory drive.
A unique Bluetooth adapter is the Kensington Micro Bluetooth Adapter. It is the size of a penny and when plugged into a USB port, sticks out less than a quarter of an inch. This allows you to connect the device and not have to remove it to put your laptop away.
Ways to Use Bluetooth
Wireless keyboards and mice that use RF wireless technology have limited range and can be fussy. Switching to a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse will give you more stability and range. Many of these devices come with their own Bluetooth adapter, so you won’t need to purchase an additional device. The Logitech diNovo Edge is the most advanced Bluetooth keyboard to date.
Use your cell phone as a mobile broadband modem to take advantage of the benefits of becoming a truly mobile real estate agent without the additional expense of purchasing a dedicated mobile broadband card.
Take advantage of VOIP telephone services, such as Skype, to save money on your phone bill. VOIP services are gaining in popularity, but it is very inconvenient to be tethered to your computer. With a Bluetooth headset, you can venture up to 30 feet from your computer while on the phone. You can use the same Bluetooth headset that you use for your cell phone, or get a dedicated VOIP handset like the Kensington Internet Phone. This handset folds up to slide into your laptop’s PCMCIA slot for storage and battery charging.
Synchronize your cell phone data. Why plug in your smartphone when you could sync your contacts, calendar, tasks and notes with your computer using Bluetooth. With the appropriate software, many standard cell phones can be synced with a computer. That way, you don’t have to worry about losing your data. It also makes loading contacts into your phone a lot easier.
Transfer photos from your cell phone to your computer. Many cell phone providers charge you to email photos from your phone. Instead of emailing them to get them to your computer, transfer them via Bluetooth.
Print wirelessly to mobile printers equipped with Bluetooth. The HP Deskjet 460wbt Mobile Printer makes printing contracts, presentations, and tours from anywhere a breeze.
Listen to music and movies without wires. The Motorola MOTOROKR S9 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones provide quality sound and double as a cell phone headset.
How are you using Bluetooth Wireless Technology to improve your real estate business?
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Tags: real estate agent, real estate agents, technology, MyTechOpinion, real estate, mobile real estate
Simplifying Real Estate Agent Laptop Purchases
By Chad A. Johnson · December 2, 2007 · 4 Comments
In my real estate agent desktop buying guide article, I wrote that “purchasing a new desktop computer can be a confusing experience”. Unfortunately, purchasing a laptop computer is an even more confusing task for the average real estate agent.The added confusion is brought about by the numerous incarnations of laptops available. From tablet PC to ultra-portables to huge desktop replacements, each style of laptop fulfills a different need. This means that there is no perfect laptop for everyone. Look to the matrix below for things to consider when choosing which laptop form-factor to buy.
Component Selection
Buying a laptop computer requires you to pull out your crystal ball and look into the future. Upgrading a laptop is difficult, costly and sometimes impossible. Buy more computer than you need today to allow your laptop to meet your needs for 3 or more years in the future.
Processor
The Intel Core 2 Duo processor is the way to go. Intel’s mobile processors are faster and more energy efficient (think battery life) than the competing AMD chips.
If available, look for Core 2 Duo processors running on an 800Mhz front-side bus (FSB). These processors cost a bit more, but their inclusion of tomorrow’s technology will extend the usable lifespan of your laptop.
Operating System
For real estate agents, Windows Home Premium will most likely meet your needs. This Home Premium includes all of the multimedia functionality that you will need in your daily marketing efforts.
If features like integrated backup, remote access and data encryption interest you, look to Vista Ultimate.
For a comparison of the Windows Vista versions, see Microsoft’s website.
Display
The size of the display is directly connected to the size of the machine, but there are several choices that you need to consider outside of size when choosing a laptop display.
Glossy or Matte Finish?
The glossy finishes look impressive. Colors tend to be very rich and vibrant. There is a huge drawback to these displays, the glossy finish is very reflective making them difficult to use in well lit environments. Unless you tend to work in the dark, go for a matte finish.
LED lit displays are starting to hit the market. These displays are brighter, thinner, last longer and use less power. The only downside of this technology is the current premium price.
Video Card
Windows Vista needs video power to run smoothly. When purchasing a laptop, buy the most powerful video card option offered, whether from nVidia or ATI. Integrated video cards just don’t cut it.
Memory
Nothing will make you dislike the Vista operating system more than not having enough RAM to run it properly. 2GB of RAM seems to be the sweet spot for best performance.
Hard Drive
Buy the most capacity that you can afford. The extra space is cheap and you will invariably need it at some point.
If speed is more important than storage capacity, consider a 7200 RPM hard drive.
Optical Drive
Blu-Ray and HD-DVD drives are still too expensive to recommend. Go for a DVD-RW drive and consider a Lightscribe model to add a bit of flare to your discs.
Wireless Card
All laptops should have a wireless card to allow you to connect to the internet at home, the office and other hotspots wirelessly. While the new 802.11N standard has yet to be ratified, the latest draft is showing a lot of promise and they are backward compatible with the “B” and “G” standards. Buy a laptop with an 802.11N wireless card to enjoy faster, stronger wireless connections in the future.
Mobile Broadband
While a wireless card will give you limited mobile connectivity, a cell phone based broadband connection will truly make you a mobile real estate agent. Many laptops offer multiple provider options for mobile broadband integration. This integration is very convenient, but it does tie you to a cell phone provider. Add-on cards, like the one recommended in our real estate technology holiday gift buying guide, will offer more flexibility to change providers at a later date.
Bluetooth
Uses for a Bluetooth connection are increasing as more Bluetooth-enabled products hit the market. With an integrated Bluetooth card, you can use:
- your smartphone as a modem
- wireless headphones to listen to music or movies
- VOIP services (Skype) with a wireless headset
- a wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse
Battery
This is a no-brainer. Buy the high capacity battery. It may add weight to your laptop, but the added time away from a power outlet is worth it.
Sound
I have never been concerned with sound card options in a laptop. For what a real estate agent uses a laptop computer for, the integrated option will meet your needs.
Webcam
I have seen real estate agents send video emails originated from their webcams. Webcams are also handy for keeping in touch with distant friends and family.
Docking Station
I love my docking station. When I get to the office, I simply connect my laptop and I instantly have a full keyboard and mouse, a huge LCD monitor, Internet connection, printer connection and the battery charges. It makes my portable laptop into a desktop computer. This is perfect for real estate agents who use a laptop as a primary computer.
If you want a docking station, you need to make sure that the laptop you choose has a dedicated docking station connection. Otherwise, you are forced to use a USB-connecting model and those products are junk. Look at HP Pavilion or Dell Latitude laptops for quality docking station options.
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Tags: Microsoft, MyTechOpinion, real estate technology, real estate, real estate agent, dell
Norton (Symantec) Gets It Right
By Chad A. Johnson · November 1, 2007 · 5 Comments
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Add PDF Conversion to Your Real Estate Technology Arsenal
By Chad A. Johnson · October 20, 2007 · 8 Comments
The PDF (Portable Document Format) has long been the document standard for the Internet age. PDF files are small in size, are platform independent (can be opened on Windows, Apple, Linux, Unix), don’t require expensive software to view, and are non-editable duplication of the original files.
PDF files are the perfect format for many of your real estate document needs. Can’t email a Microsoft Publisher file because the file size is too large or the recipient doesn’t have Publisher, convert the file to the PDF format and the problem is solved. Need to email a Microsoft Word document to a client, but you don’t want any verbage to be changed, convert it to PDF and send it with confidence.
There are many ways that you can incorporate PDF files into your real estate business without shelling out hundreds of dollars for a full version of Adobe Acrobat.
- Zipform (Winforms) has the capability to convert forms into PDF. Real estate agents can then email the forms, confident that they can be opened by the client and can’t be modified before being signed.
- Microsoft Office 2007 provides a “Save as PDF” feature for those download a free add-in. Instantly convert Word docs, Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint slides into PDF files.
The very popular Paragon MLS system offers PDF conversion of listing reports with a simple click. This allows for MLS reports to be inserted into listing presentations in a cleaner manner. - Many free PDF distillers are available on the market. These programs create a pseudo-printer on your computer. Anything that can be printed can be converted to PDF by printing to that pseudo-printer. This is great for converting web pages into PDF. Take a look at Cute PDF and PrimoPDF for this functionality.
- Adobe, the creator of the PDF standard, has added an online PDF conversion service.
Once you have gotten a taste of how much value the use of PDF files can add to your real estate business, you may long for more control over your PDF files and additional functionality. There are numerous PDF editing tools on the market that ranges from $50 to several hundred. Most products offer feature comparisons between their product and competitor’s products. This allows you to purchase only the functionality that you will use.
- ScanSoft by Nuance provides multiple PDF solutions to fit nearly any real estate agents PDF technology needs. Features they offer include: password protection of PDF files, the ability to merge multiple documents into a single PDF, delete, add and reorder of document pages, and PDf form creation.
- For those looking for the Cadillac of PDF creation and editing tools, you need to go to the source, Adobe. The Adobe Acrobat 8 product line provides the ultimate feature set for working with PDF files with an emphasis on collaboration tools.
If you are currently utilizing the power of PDF technology to benefit your real estate business, please share your experience with us. What tools do you like? How are you using PDF files in the daily running of your real estate business?
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Tags: real estate technology, pdf program, real estate agents, Microsoft, technology, PowerPoint
Blackberry Adds Wi-Fi; Saving Real Estate Agents Money
By Chad A. Johnson · October 6, 2007 · 1 Comment
Why would a real estate agent care about Wi-Fi on a Blackberry? Does free, unlimited Wi-Fi calling interest you?
When connected to a Wi-Fi signal, both the Blackberry Curve 8320 and Blackberry 8820 can use Internet based calling systems that allow you to talk without using voice or data minutes. This can mean a real savings to real estate agents.
Think of all of the times that you use your cell phone at home, the office or at a local coffee shop. Most likely, all of these places have a Wi-Fi signal that you can access. In fact, many cities are adding Wi-Fi signals that would allow for free calling throughout the city.
With Wi-Fi capable phones, real estate agents will be able to purchase less expensive cell phone plans. There is the potential to save hundreds of dollars each year.
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Tags: real estate agent, blackberry, technology, real estate, real estate agents, MyTechOpinion
Zipform (Winforms) Is Fully Windows Vista and Apple Compatible
By Chad A. Johnson · September 26, 2007 · 2 Comments
Zipform, one of the leading technologies for simplifying real estate contracts, is now accessible to an even larger group of real estate agents. This is thanks to the release of both Zipform Mac-Connect and a fully Windows Vista compatible version (4.0.2) of Zipforms Online.
The release of Zipform Mac-Connect marks the first time that an Apple computer is able to use the Zipform program (also known as Winforms) without the use of a Windows emulator, such as Parallels Desktop, or by using Boot Camp to load Windows. If more real estate technology companies following suit and go Mac-compatible, my next laptop might be an Apple MacBook Pro.
Zipform Desktop has been fully compatible with Windows Vista for several months (Zipform Desktop Is Now Vista Compatible). However, Zipform Online has had issues with Windows Vista that has forced using to configure their Windows Vista systems to appear like a Windows XP machine. With Zipform Online 4.0.2, you can run Windows Vista as it should be, with Windows Aero making the windows look like stained glass
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Tags: real estate technology, real estate agents, technology, real estate agent, MyTechOpinion, real estate
What Should A Real Estate Agent Look For In A Desktop Computer?
By Chad A. Johnson · September 8, 2007 · 14 Comments
Purchasing a new desktop computer can be a confusing experience for a real estate agent with technology changing so often. You may be wondering what technologies are best. Or will the computer meet your current and future real estate needs?
So instead of recommending an actual desktop computer, I have outlined some minimum requirements and recommendations for a solid, sensible real estate agent desktop computer. This way, no matter which brand you prefer, you will be able to shop with confidence.
While I do not recommend any specific computer brands, I do recommend purchasing from a company that allows you to fully configure your system. Dell and HP are 2 prime examples. This will give you the most flexibility. When you walk into a store and buy a pre-configured system, you may be paying for more than you need or be forced to upgrade components at a later date.
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Vista has been out for over 7 months now. At this point, it is ill-advised to recommend purchasing a new computer with the aging Windows XP operating system installed. You may need to download updates for your current programs or purchase the latest version, but that may be a blessing in disguise.
There are 4 editions of Vista that you will likely come across (Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate), but real estate agents should only consider Home Premium or Ultimate. Both of these editions include the multimedia functionality that has become essential real estate technology.
The Ultimate edition includes all Windows Vista functionality, including full system backup and remote access capability. The additional functionality can be well worth the extra $80-120.
Processor
When it comes to the latest processor technology, Intel Core 2 Duo is the only way to go. These processors are far superior to anything that competitor AMD has to offer. Any Core 2 Duo chip will be more than adequate for the average real estate agent’s needs.
RAM
Windows Vista is a memory hog! Because of this, don’t skimp on RAM or you will regret it very quickly. Spring for 2GB of RAM to give Vista the elbow room it needs.
Hard Drive
Storage space is inexpensive, so go big. As multimedia technology (i.e. Videos, Photos and Podcasts) become more abundant in real estate, you will need this extra space.
Video Card
Just as Windows Vista eats up memory, it also uses a tremendous amount of video processing power. This means you should pay attention to the video card in a new computer more than ever before. Cheap, integrated graphics cards are not going to satisfy. For a computer to handle any real estate technology tasks that you can throw at it, make sure you purchase a discrete (dedicated) video card with 256MB of memory or more. Video cards from either NVIDIA or ATI are the best bet.
Sound Card and Speakers
Sound cards and speakers are areas where you can skimp and save a few bucks. Unless you are really into music, go with a basic, integrated sound card and simple speakers.
Optical Drive
Every desktop computer should have a DVD-RW drive. These versatile drives play and record CD’s and DVD’s. While you might not think you will ever need to burn a DVD, think again. With over 4 GB of storage space per DVD, they are a wonderful media for file backups. Also, if you have yet to use video in a listing presentation or open house it is only a matter of time before you do. A DVD-RW drive will surely come in handy.
You may be tempted to upgrade to a Blu-Ray or HD DVD drive. I would advice against that as they are expensive and who knows which format will prevail (do you remember Beta?).
Monitor
There are few things in your life that you will stare at as much as your computer monitor. Get as big and as high of quality as you can. Widescreens are the latest trend in monitors. Buy at least a 20” widescreen or spend a bit more for a 22”. Compare contrast ratios and response rates. The higher the contrast ratio and the lower the response rate, the easier it will be on your eyes.
Keyboard and Mouse
Would you benefit from a wireless keyboard and mouse set? Are you left or right handed (some mice are right hand specific)? Would additional function buttons make you more efficient (I need a back button on my mouse)?
No matter what you purchase, at least buy an optical or laser mouse (no more mice with the trackball inside).
Related Articles:
The Future of Mobile Real Estate Technology Is Upon Us
Real Estate Backup Technology
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Tags: Microsoft, beta, dell, real estate technology, real estate, real estate agents
The Future of Mobile Real Estate Technology Is Upon Us
By Chad A. Johnson · August 12, 2007 · 5 Comments
While advances in computer hardware seem to appear everyday, it is infrequent that any such advancements truly mean anything to the mobile real estate agent. For the most part, real estate technology applications don’t require much processing power. This means that most real estate agents won’t see any noticeable difference in the use of a brand-new, cutting-edge laptop and one that is a year or 2 old.
Although I did say that it is infrequent that a significant technology advancement is introduced, we are on the verge of 2 such advancements. In fact, these 2 changes in laptop technology are so revolutionary that they are bound to influence the purchases of the mobile real estate agent for years to come.
Solid State Drives (SSD)
Any computer technician will tell you that laptop hard drives are prone to failure, much more so than desktop hard drives. This can be attributed to the bumps and bruises experienced from being a mobile device. No matter how careful you are with your laptop, your hard drive has most likely been knocked around a bit.
Hard drives are also one of the biggest drains on laptop batteries. The process of spinning the hard drive platters sucks a large amount of power.
Solid state drives solve both of these problems. By using flash memory (like thumbdrives, digitial cameras and small MP3 players), solid state drives are able to perform the same tasks as a traditional hard drive, but with no moving parts. No spinning platters means that energy consumption is reduced greatly and the durability of the drives is improved.
Toshiba is about to release the world’s very first laptop with a solid state drive. The Portege R500-S5003 will include a 64GB solid state drive. Upon its release, The Portege R500, with its solid state drive, 7mm thick DVD-RW drive and LED screen, will be the most advanced ultraportable to date.
LED Displays
A discussion on laptop battery life is not complete without talking about the power usage of the display. There is a reason that energy comsumption profiles on laptops dim the display when running off of battery. The display is one of the largest users of battery power of any laptop component.
The newly introduced use of LED lights in laptop displays instead of the traditional cold cathode fluorescent light is drastically changing the way we look at laptop screens. LED produces a brighter, whiter light than fluorescent while consuming far less power. LED lights are also smaller, making screens using them about half as thick as other screens.
LED screens are partly responsible for the recent promotion of ultra-thin laptops. My favorite of these new breed of computer is Dell’s XPS M1330. This 13.1”, media-intensive laptop could be the best blend of business mobility and personal life functionality all housed in a machine that stands barely over 1 inch tall.
Keep these 2 new technologies in mind when you purchase your next laptop computer. The LED screens are becoming quite prevalent, by the end of the year all laptop manufacturers should have an LED option or model.
The solid state drives may take a bit longer to become mainstream. You will start to see them in high-end, ultraportable machines. A hybrid drive (a traditional hard drive with flash memory onboard) may become more popular with manufacturers until the cost of solid state drives comes down and their capacity goes up.
Related Articles:
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Tags: technology, MyTechOpinion, computer technician, real estate agents, real estate technology, real estate
Real Estate Backup Technology - Part 2
By Chad A. Johnson · August 6, 2007 · 1 Comment
Hopefully, Part 1 of this series really got you thinking about the necessity of data backup. Possibly, you have since registered for Carbonite and now have a backup procedure in place. For those seeking a backup solution that does not rely on a separate company, let’s look at a different solution.
Probably the most popular backup solution of the past couple of years is that of the external hard drive. Through the use of traditional internal hard drives nestled in USB enabled enclosures, these devices provide huge storage capacities with relatively fast data transfer rates. Best of all, the cost per gigabyte of storage is cheap (less than $0.50 in many cases).
What has made external hard drives such great backup devices has very little to do with the hardware, though. It is the bundled software that really makes for the backup solution. Without a backup program, it is up to the operator to transfer files to the hard drive. That can be a tedious task and is never continued with the regularity that it should.
External hard drives with bundled backup software make regular data backups effortless. After a simple installation and configuration process, there is no additional work required by the user. Most programs can be configured to backup the entire computer system or select folders. They are also great for incremental backups. This entails a large initial backup, followed by subsequent small backups that cover only new and modified files.
Here are a few external hard drive products that include bundled software for a complete backup solution:
Western Digital My Book Pro – This product has clearly become the most popular external hard drive recently. There are actually 3 different models of the My Book: Essential, Premium and Pro. The Essential has no backup software included and the Premium relies on a Western Digital-branded program. The Pro version worth the extra expense due to the fact that it is bundled with EMC’s Retrospect Express, an industry leader in backup applications. This device has one very unique feature in that it turns itself on and off automatically with the connected computer system. The My Book Pro can connect using USB 2.0, Firewire 400 and mainly for Mac users, blazing fast Firewire 800.
Seagate FreeAgent Pro – Seagate is a late comer to the external hard drive field. Coincidentally, their first product hit the market shortly after they purchased Maxtor (a pioneer in the external hard drive game). Seagate differentiates itself through storage capacity and connectivity. Seagate offers a 750 GB external drive that uses only one hard drive. While other devices using Hitachi’s new 1TB drive are surely on the way, the 750GB is the largest external drive that doesn’t use a RAID configuration. While I use a RAID configuration on my system, I like simplicity when it comes to my backup solution. As for connectivity, the Seagate offers not only the usual USB 2.0 connection, but also incorporates an eSATA port. An eSATA is the same type of port as those already connecting internal hard drives in newer systems. This connects is the very fastest available, but will require an additional PCI card to be installed for most systems as eSATA ports are very uncommon (well worth the extra effort).
Western Digital My Book World – For those with multiple computers to backup, a drive network enabled drive may be for you. The My Book World is virtually the same drive as the My Book Pro, but with a gigabyte Ethernet port. Plug this into a network port, install the EMC Retrospect Express software on each computer and all of your systems are now covered. As an added bonus, the My Book World allows for remote access to files from any Internet connected computer (hence, the name World). Check out this demo for more information on remote access using the Western Digital My Book World.
When purchasing an external drive, buy the largest capacity that you can afford. Most backup software allows for versions of files to be stored. This is a very valuable feature, but it can create backup data bloat. Get a drive with capacity that is larger than your computer’s current storage capacity to allow yourself room to grow.
One last caveat to using an external drive as a backup solution, you will still need to implement some form of offsite backup to protect against fire and theft. I use an external drive for weekly backups and burn data to DVD on a quarterly basis for offsite storage in a safe deposit box. This does add a bit of extra work 4 times a year, but the added protection is worth it.
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Google Mobile Maps Technology Utilizes GPS
By Chad A. Johnson · July 29, 2007 · 2 Comments
I have been a huge fan of the Google Mobile applications ever since Reggie reported on the service in his post, FREE Google Maps for your Mobile Device. I use it to get driving directions, find businesses and check traffic conditions. It truly is an indispensable program for anyone with a compatible smartphone.
Yesterday, I upgraded to the latest version of Google Mobile Maps for the Blackberry 8800 and got a pleasant surprise. This latest version takes full advantage of the Blackberry 8800’s GPS functionality. Now, when I open Google Mobile Maps, it shows me my current location (within 3 meters)! This is huge, especially for someone without GPS technology in their car. I can now search for an address or business (by name or business type) and get turn-by-turn driving directions from my current location.
The Blackberry 8800 comes with a navigation application installed, Telenav. While Telenav probably has its strengths, it requires a paid service. The $10 per month fee is not much, but the average real estate agents has so many subscription fees for different services and memberships that it can really add up at the end of the year.
While I have only mentioned the Blackberry 8800 (AT&T), those with the new Blackberry 8830 (Verizon), Blackberry 8800 (T-Mobile), Samsung BlackJack, Helio’s Ocean and other GPS enabled phones can take advantage of this great new functionality, as well.
To get the Google Mobile Maps application, go to http://mobile.google.com/ from your smartphone’s browser. Download the Google Mobile Maps Tip Sheet here.
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Real Estate Backup Technology - Part 1
By Chad A. Johnson · July 15, 2007 · 2 Comments
I am a fanatic about backing up data. This probably stems from a mishap in college that included a semester project, a floppy disk and an errant piece of sand. Unfortunately, it usually takes a catastrophic loss of data before people get serious about data backup.
The truth of the matter is that data loss happens. It could be a result of hard drive failure, virus, theft, fire, flood and human error. No matter what the source, you need to make sure that you have a backup procedure in place that includes off-site data storage (if your backup is in your house when it catches fire, it will do you no good).
Of the real estate agents that I know, very few have a backup procedure in place. Reasons I hear for not having a backup procedure in place include:
- “My computer is brand new”
- “Data loss doesn’t happen that often”
- “Backing up is too time consuming”
- And my personal favorite, “I don’t really need anything on my computer anyway”.
In response to these excuses I say:
- “Even new hard drives can crash”
- “Data loss is more frequent than you may think and computer theft is even more frequent”
- “A good backup procedure should take no effort once set-up”
- “You have got to be kidding! Your client database and marketing pieces add no value to your real estate business and hence are dispensable?”
In an effort to get every real estate agent who reads Technology for Real Estate to implement a backup procedure, I will be showcasing a different backup solution each week for the next several weeks. The first solution that I will be discussing is Carbonite, an Internet-based backup solution.
Carbonite is a revolutionary backup solution that is cheap, easy to setup and requires no maintenance. Upon registration, the user simply downloads and installs the Carbonite program from http://www.carbonite.com/. That is it!
By default, data folders such as the My Documents folder and Outlook data files are automatically backed up to the Carbonite servers whenever changes are made and an Internet connection is available. Additional files and folders can be added to the backup regiment with a few simple clicks. Colored dots on the folder and file icons provide quick backup status information.
As far as security is concerned, Carbonite encrypts the data before transmission to its servers making the technology a secure backup solution.
For a mere $49.95 a year, Carbonite provides unlimited backup storage capacity. This is one of the most cost-effective and easiest backup solutions available. It provides off-site backup, which safeguards against theft, fire, flood or other natural disaster. Carbonite also safeguards against errant file deletion, allowing you to restore documents that you might have deleted from your computer by accident.
If no-maintenance, cheap and easy data backup seems too good to be true, give Carbonite’s technology a try and see for yourself. Carbonite offers a 15 day risk-free trial that requires no credit card for registration.
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Tags: MyTechOpinion, real estate agents, technology, real estate, real estate agent
Real Estate Agents with Verizon: It’s Time to Upgrade
By Chad A. Johnson · July 3, 2007 · 5 Comments
For you technology savvy real estate agents, the Blackberry 8830 World Edition is Verizon’s first Blackberry device to offer the new trackball navigation, brilliant screen and multimedia functionality. Based on the now 3 month old Blackberry 8800 model, the 8830 will appear virtually identical except for the device’s silver enclosure. The only real difference between the 2 models is that of the 8830’s more advanced network capability. As the “World Edition” moniker would imply, Blackberry 8830 can be used overseas. The 8830 can also access the Verizon EV-DO network, giving the Blackberry 8830 faster web browsing than that of the Blackberry 8800 which is limited to Cingular’s EDGE network.
While the new Blackberry 8830 World Edition doesn’t have the ultra compact size or 2.0 megapixel camera of the Blackberry Curve, it is still an outstanding smartphone device. It is also surprising to see Verizon offer the new Blackberry device so quickly after AT&T introduced is sister device, the Blackberry 8800. It took then over a year and a half to follow-up AT&T’s (Cingular’s) Blackberry 8700 with their own Blackberry 8703e. By the time Verizon customers had that device, it seemed out of date.
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Tags: real estate agent, iphone, api, real estate, technology, real estate agents
