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Lucky Number 7
By Chad A. Johnson · October 20, 2009 · 5 Comments
Two and a half years has gone by very quickly. It seems like just yesterday that I was booting up my Windows Vista computer for the first time with excitement and anticipation. For me, it was like watching that summer blockbuster you’ve eagerly awaited in hopes of it exceeding your expectations. But, like most summer blockbusters, Windows Vista didn’t live up to expectations. It was a bloated and flawed operating system in many ways. Vista does have quite a few redeeming qualities. It was an improvement over Windows XP to the point that I never considered reformatting and going back the older OS (something I did shortly after installing Windows ME).
We are now back to a time of great anticipation. Hopes that Microsoft will redeem itself with the release Windows 7 abound. Will Windows 7 be faster? Will it ask fewer annoying questions? Will it work with all of my current software and hardware? With the Windows 7 release coming October 22, all of our questions will be answered soon enough.
Facebook’s Fan Box – The Inside Scoop
By Reggie · July 13, 2009 · 4 Comments
Last Wednesday (July 8, 2009) Facebook unveiled a new widget that lets users promote and showcase their Facebook Page on any website or blog. The widget comes with your Facebook page stream and fan avatars. This is Facebook’s 2nd widget; they also recently launched the Live Stream box to let anyone incorporate a Facebook chat box into their site.
If you would like to know how you get the Fan Box, watch this short video:
Pimp Your Screens
By Chad A. Johnson · February 16, 2009 · 7 Comments
Now that you have 2 (or more) monitors, it’s time to customize your system. Here are a few resources to give you extra functionality and ways to personalize your multiple monitor system.
Utilities
Want the taskbar to extend across all screens? Want to display different wallpapers on each monitor or one large image across both screens? These and other features may require additional software. Here are a few utilities to get more control over your multiple monitor system.
UltraMon ($39.95)
Complete dual monitor utility that I currently use. The most feature rich of the dual monitor control programs. Features include: Read full story
Jott for Blackberry – The Secret To Speaking Your Emails
By Reggie · June 8, 2008 · 10 Comments
In March I started using Jott for Blackberry beta, in hopes that I could save time by replying to email with my voice via my Blackberry. To my surprise this voice to email application was remarkable and accurate. Although as I’ve been talking with real estate agents I’m learning that many have not heard of this useful technology. That’s unfortunate because as a busy real estate agent you are probably sending many emails while out of the office and maybe even while you are on the road. Needless to say, emailing while driving can be dangerous. If that email needs to be sent immediately, using Jott for Blackberry you can simply attach your Bluetooth headset and speak your email while keeping both hands on the steering wheel. (We are not endorsing emailing while driving…simply sharing the technology. )
How do I get started?
To start, Jott for Blackberry supports series 8800, 8300 (Curve), and 8100 (Pearl) models. If you are using one of these devices, simply visit www.jott.com/bb on your mobile phone and download the application. Note that once Jott for Blackberry is installed you will need an active Jott account to use the service. Easily get an account by visiting Jott online or from your mobile device after downloading the application.
Once Jott for Blackberry has been installed, you are ready to start sending emails by voice. Locate an email you would like to reply to and choose “Reply with Jott” or “Reply to All with Jott” from the top of the reply menu. Next Jott will speak a welcome message and ask you to press any key (except hang up) to begin recording. Then speak your email and keep it to less than 30 seconds in length. Once finished speaking your email, simply hold down any button to send. You will also have an option to preview the recorded audio before sending the message. You’ll notice that within a few minutes of sending the voice message it will be Read full story
Windows XP Service Pack 3 May Cause More Issues Than It Fixes
By Chad A. Johnson · May 13, 2008 · 28 Comments
I started writing this article from the standpoint that a third service pack to the already stable Windows XP operating system could only be a positive thing. Unfortunately, my opinion changed once I installed the update on my own computer.
SP3 is Microsoft’s final push to address issues with Windows XP before it is all but pulled from the market this summer. Once this happens, whether you are a Vista fan or not, that will be the only Windows choice available for purchase.
Windows XP SP3 is quite a letdown in comparison to the added functionality seen with Service Pack 2. Service Pack 2 gave new life to Windows XP, making you feel that the massive download and installation was worth the effort. The reality is that no real estate agent will directly benefit from SP3’s new feature set.
Issues with Service Pack 3 Installations
While you may not notice any benefit from installing SP3, you might be Read full story
Service Pack 1 Released For Windows Vista
By Chad A. Johnson · April 7, 2008 · 2 Comments
Where does the time go? It’s hard to believe that it has been over a year since the release of Windows Vista. As a sort of birthday present, Microsoft has completed Service Pack 1 for Vista. Unlike Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, you will not see much in the way of new functionality. The focus of SP1 is stability, compatibility and performance.
This means that your Vista computer may seem to have more pep after the upgrade. File transfers should complete faster, and problematic peripherals just may run smoother.
Reviews of SP1 are mixed. Some tests are showing speed improvements, while others don’t show much difference. One thing that reviewers Read full story
Adobe Photoshop Express Goes Live
By Reggie · March 28, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Real Estate is very much a photo-dependant business. That’s why I’m excited to share the news about Adobe Systems launching their beta Adobe Photoshop Express. This new addition strengthens Adobe’s online offerings by adding a photo editing tool for the “average user”-not the professional designer. Adobe is also taking advantage of the growing popularity of social networks and communities with ability to connect and share photos from Facebook, Photobucket & Picasa. They also built in public galleries for you to showcase these photos. Perfect for real estate agents looking to store listing photos online and present them in animated slideshows. Adobe will give users 2 gigs of photo storage; and all albums will have a direct link and embed code supplied.
I must say that I was impressed with the features available in this beta. It’s nothing like Photoshop but it does have some useful features for real estate agents looking to quickly edit a photo on the fly. Users can apply sketch effects, remove red eye, touch-up, sharpen, and re-color with a single click of the mouse. Don’t like what you just applied, revert back to the original. Users can also download their edited photos in Read full story
Free Flash Charts for Your Real Estate Blog or PowerPoint
By Reggie · March 22, 2008 · 10 Comments
I thought that might get your attention. It’s true; FusionCharts Free is now available for you to download. This free version is an amazing entry level flash charting component for your real estate website, blog or PowerPoint. Easily create high impact, visually appealing graphs on Local Market Indicators, Average Sales Prices, Building Starts, Vacancy Rates, Mortgage Originations, Neighborhood Sales, and tons of other compelling data for your audience.
FusionCharts Free supports popular chart types including bar, column, line, pie and more. Also note that FusionCharts is a cross-browser and cross-platform solution that can be used with PHP, Python, Ruby on Rails, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, ColdFusion, HTML and even PowerPoint Presentations. Read full story
Is eSignature Technology Right for Your Real Estate Business?
By Reggie · February 17, 2008 · 9 Comments
As a real estate agent you probably have some basic understanding of how digital signature technology can help your real estate business. Maybe you could reduce the risk involved in holding and storing documents, gain time efficiencies by signing documents on the spot or even overcome geographical restrictions. Yet from my experiences many agents are sitting on the sidelines, not ready to jump in. Maybe it’s the result of not understanding how accessible the technology has become. Or is it the issue of legality?
First let’s address the legality of an eSignature. In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed a federal law titled Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) to “facilitate the use of electronic records and signatures in interstate and foreign commerce by ensuring the validity and legal effect of contracts entered into electronically”.
With the ESIGN Act stating clearly that “a transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because an electronic signature or electronic record was used in its formation.” It paved the way for companies to start creating today’s eSignature platforms. Today in real estate eSignatures can be accomplished with various technologies, such as VREO Real Estate Dashboard or DocuSign. However they both deal with the digital signature in different ways and both have distinct advantages.
VREO real estate dashboard is a software application installed to a tablet PC. VREO dashboard allows agents to sign contracts and documents with a stylus pen on the screen—without ever printing a piece of paper. Once you’ve collected the required signatures, simply send to the other party using your dashboards integrated email or fax options. This technology proves to be very convenient for the mobile real estate agent who wants to conduct business anywhere, anytime! Note: An Internet connection is not required to collect signatures.
- Free trial of VREO Real Estate Dashboard here
- Watch “The New Way”—A motivation mobile agent story
DocuSign on the other hand is an online solution enabling real estate agents to capture digital signatures via the web. As a result geographical distance between you and the recipient(s) is not an issue. In 2004, DocuSign integrated with Zipforms (Winforms) to provide online signature processing. As a result of the integration, real estate agents can print contracts into a “digital envelope” and then place “Stick-eTabs” wherever a recipient’s signature or initial is needed. This digital envelope is then encrypted and saved to a secure location. Your recipients will receive their invitation by email, and they will need to authenticate and sign the contracts. In the authentication phase the recipient must provide basic identification and pick a signature. Then it’s time for the recipient to review and sign. When complete, each of the parties is notified of the updated contracts.
- Watch the DocuSign Demo
- View DocuSign’s Special Brief on the Legality of Electronic Signatures
- Zipform eSign Details & Zipform/Docusign FAQ’s
Where are you with eSignatures in real estate business?
How Neat Are Your Receipts?
By NikNik · February 11, 2008 · 6 Comments
You may not have been very organized when it came to your real estate business receipts last year, but there’s a handy technology tool that can change all that for you this year! Neat Receipts is a scanner/software combination that will organize all your receipts, expense reports and other business documents.
After sending your documents through the scanner, the software will automatically catalog the information making manageability a snap. You basically turn your piles of paper into organized digital files. That’s right, from piles to files.
I’ve witnessed the efficiency of this tool first hand. My stepmom takes Neat Receipts with her wherever she goes (like lipgloss), ready at a moment’s notice to scan those “write-offs”! It’s quite amazing to see how effective and organized one person can be. She inspired me to try one on myself…and I haven’t looked back at my piles since!Neat Receipts 3.0 Features:
- Smart sorting
- Enhanced PDF functionality
- Keyword search
- 2007 tax categories
- Scans quickly and easily
- Image viewer
Neat Receipts Version 3.0 retails online for $229.00, or purchase in bulk to save. Click here for pricing. Sorry Mac users, you’ll have to wait until March/April 2008 to get your version.
To learn more, watch this demo.
Windows Vista for Real Estate Agents
By Chad A. Johnson · January 19, 2008 · 6 Comments
Part II: The Windows Experience Index
What is the Windows Experience Index?
“My computer is a 5.5. Yours is a 4.8. My computer is way better than yours!”
This just might be the future of technology bragging on the elementary school playground.
The Windows Experience Index is a technology, native to Windows Vista machines, that assigns a numeric value to the performance of a computer. The higher the number, the faster that computer can perform common tasks.
Windows Vista runs 5 different tests to determine the performance of the processor, memory, graphics, gaming graphics and primary hard disk. At the conclusion of each test, a number (from 1 to 5.9) is assigned to that component.
The most important of those numbers is whichever is the lowest. That number becomes the Windows Experience Index Base Score. For example, my monster of a desktop ranks 5.9 for 4 components and 5.5 for the fifth. That makes the system’s base score a 5.5.
When you discuss a Windows Experience Index score, it is the base score that you concentrate on since it is the limiting factor for performance.
The Windows Vista Team Blog offers a comprehensive look at the Windows Experience Index.
How can a real estate agent use the Windows Experience Index for making technology purchases?
Besides bragging rights (notice how I shamelessly included my base score), what good is the Windows Experience Index to a real estate agent? The Windows Experience Index will simplify every real estate technology purchase you make.
New Computer Purchases:
Purchasing a new computer is a confusing task. How do you know what processor to buy? Is the upgraded video card necessary or a waste of money? The list of questions that will flood your mind when you are buying a new computer is virtually endless.
The Windows Experience Index allows you to ignore clock speeds, dedicated memory and all of that technical mumbo-jumbo. Just look at the Windows Experience Index scores to tell you how that system performs.
Microsoft claims that a computer with a base score of 3 or higher will be able to handle any standard business applications. I see this as a bare minimum.
The real estate industry has become so multimedia driven that a base score of 4.5 or better is advised. The future of real estate technology lies in video presentations and audio files (podcasting). These technologies need a higher base score.
The good news: the price difference between a 4.5 and a 3.0 computer can be only a couple of hundred dollars.
Upgrading a Computer:
As I mentioned in my last article, I don’t recommend upgrading a computer to Windows Vista, it should be purchased with it already on the system. You may be in a situation, though, where you purchased a Windows Vista that just isn’t meeting your performance needs.
The Windows Experience Index identifies what components are holding your system back. I worked on a system with a base score of 2.1. Every other index score was at least a 4.1. By replacing the video card with a more powerful model, that awful 2.1 base score was increased to a 4.1.
Purchasing Software:
Ever look at the minimum hardware requirements for a piece of software? Those requirements will usually list minimum processor speeds, video card processors, amounts of RAM, etc.
Software manufacturers are changing this practice by using the Windows Experience Index number instead. In the future, the software you buy will clearly state that any Vista machine with a base score of 4 will meet the minimum requirements.
A little known tip for increasing your Windows Experience Index number.
According to Microsoft, once your computer is assigned a Windows Experience Index number, that number won’t change unless you upgrade your hardware components. I have seen to be not true.
When Windows Vista was first released, most hardware manufacturers had a difficult time writing Vista-compatible drivers for their products. The delivery of my own system was delayed by a month due to a delay in the release of a sound card driver. Even after I got the machine, my video card drivers were considered a “beta” version.
Over the course of the past year, hardware manufacturers have greatly improved the performance of their components on Vista through the release of updated drivers. This means that by updating the BIOS and drivers for your chipset, video card, sound card and other components on your system, you might see your computer’s base score increase (along with the performance of the machine). This is especially true of Vista machines bought in the first half of 2007.
To see if you can increase your Windows Experience Index base score, visit your computer manufacturer’s downloads page and install any updates that apply to your system. To assist you, here is a list of download page links for the most common computer manufacturers:
HP / Compaq Drivers and Downloads
Lenovo / IBM Drivers and Downloads
Windows Vista for Real Estate Agents
By Chad A. Johnson · January 6, 2008 · 8 Comments
Part I: You’ll Be Migrating Sooner Or Later
In the last week, I had 2 separate conversations with real estate agents that concerned me. The first was with an agent who just ordered a beautiful Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Series Tablet, complete with Windows XP Tablet Edition installed.
The second conversation was with a real estate agent who had been using Windows Vista on his HP Pavilion laptop for the past several months. The agent asked me how difficult it would be to remove Vista and install Windows XP.
Why did both conversations concern me so much? It has to do with the idea of equipping new technology with an operating system that just celebrated its 7th birthday. In technology years (much like dogs years), that is ancient.
Windows XP versus Vista
While I am the first to admit that Windows Vista is not as amazing as it had originally been billed, it is a positive step forward in the evolution of operating systems.
Think back to 2001 for a minute. There was no such thing as spyware, worms or trojans. Few people had digital cameras and video cameras. A 10 gigabyte hard drive was a ton of storage space. Home networks with Wi-Fi and network-connected printers and hard drives were just starting to gain in popularity.
Windows XP was built for the technology needs of 2001. Simply put, Windows Vista can better handle the technologies and security threats of 2008. It is less prone to spyware infestation. Network and peripheral connections are simple to establish and maintain. Best of all, the hundreds of gigabytes of music, photos and videos that we have all collected are easy to manage.
Vista Endorsed By The National Association of Realtors
In light of the beating that Vista has taken over the past year, I must commend NAR for going against public opinion by endorsing the use of Windows Vista for real estate agents. With an “it’s here to stay, so make the best of it” sort of attitude, NAR embraced Vista at the recent Realtor convention in Las Vegas by offering the presentation, “What Can Windows Vista™ Do For Your Business” (purchase the audio file of this course).
John N. Frank takes a more cautious approach to recommending Windows Vista for real estate agents in his Realtor Magazine article Walk, Don’t Run, to Vista. Although Frank has reservations about the operating system, his article makes a compelling argument for including Vista in your next computer purchase.
Software Compatibility
One of the biggest concerns with migrating to Vista has been software compatibility. While your old software may not work on Vista, all current programs are compatible. Even real estate specific programs, such as Zipforms (Winforms), have released Vista compatible versions or patches.
Before moving to Vista, take an inventory of the software and peripherals (printers, scanners, etc.) that you use. Go to the manufacturers’ sites for each program and device to determine if they offer a Vista compatible patch or if you must purchase a newer version or model. This means that you must budget for software and peripheral expenses.
Vista Is For Your Next Computer, Not Your Current One
I could not close this post without touching on the subject of upgrading to Vista. As you can tell by this point, I am a fan of Vista. I have had a wonderful experience with the operating system since its release.
While I wholeheartedly recommend Vista for your next computer purchase, I don’t endorse upgrading your current computer to it. If your computer was built for Windows XP, stick with it. You will be very disappointed with Vista if you run it on a machine that doesn’t have enough power run it smoothly.
For those who have already made the jump to Windows Vista, Part II of this series will provide tips on improving your Vista experience.
