That’s all changed with CardMunch from LinkedIn! This powerful iPhone app has quickly become one of my favorites. Its business benefit is huge, and right now you can download the app for free. (Android and Blackberry Users: CardMunch says they have a version for you coming soon.)

Enough already, what does CardMunch do?

CardMunch makes digitizing business cards efficient and email follow up a snap. Here’s how it works: use CardMunch to take a photo of any business card directly from the CardMunch iPhone app. Seconds later an image of the card is uploaded to CardMunch servers where it’s transcribed in real-time and then reviewed for accuracy by real people. Even hand-written text on the card is picked up and transcribed correctly. Once CardMunch has created the contact; it’s sent back to your iPhone. The whole process—start to finish—only takes a few minutes.

CardMunch can deliver a push notification to acknowledge the digitized business card has been successfully added back to your phone. After a quick review of the contact record, you can easily add the the new record to your iPhone contact database. (Even set this up to happen automatically once you trust the accuracy of CardMunch.) It’s also worth noting that the scanned business card image is added to the contact record as their photo for easy viewing later. Also for peace of mind, your scanned database is backed up via the CardMunch website.

CardMunch takes it further

Interestingly enough, I would have been thrilled to use CardMunch if that’s all it did. But they’ve built-in a few more amazingly powerful tools. If we were all extremely organized and had a little extra time, we would appreciate sending our newly added contact an email follow up. That’s exactly what CardMunch helps us execute. By visiting the “My Settings” area of your app, you can setup an email template that can be used to follow up with newly added contacts. Even forward your contact information as a vCard on the email template allowing your contact to easily add you to their database.

Also take your follow up a step further by sending your contact a “quick connect” LinkedIn request directly from the app.

MyTechopinion

After using this tool a lot over the past few days, I can honestly say that CardMunch is amazing but I can’t see it staying free forever. It’s extremely beneficial for real estate professionals who collect cards regularly. So next time you wrap up an open house, Broker’s Tour or get back from a conference with a stack of business cards take a few moments to spread-out the cards you’ve collected and quickly snap-off a photo of each. What you’ll get in return is the ability to proactively follow up with your contacts and save time in the process. Get started by heading over to the App Store . Please report back; I would love to hear what you think!

Over the last few years we’ve covered many different screen sharing technologies.  Some were bloated with heavy installs and others had the perfect feature set but were over-priced for the average real estate agent. Today we have an option that may just bridge the gap perfectly. Introducing Join.me, a FREE and simple screen sharing tool that can support a variety of needs whether you’re holding  a virtual office meeting with peers, reviewing homes with an out-of-town buyer, or even going over contract details with a busy seller.

Really? So how is Join.me different?

My biggest complaint about online meeting software is that typically the install feels overly complicated and users need to keep track of ID’s and passwords.  Join.me simplifies all that by allowing meeting owners to easily share one thing–the meeting URL.  The people you invite are not asked for anything…no email, no username…they simply click the link you’ve shared.  As for compatibility, both PC’s and Mac’s are good to go. Join.me employs Flash player 10 found in any of the current browsers.

You’ll know the meeting software has launched when the Join.me navigation bar appears front and center on your monitor. (See graphic below.) Each Join.me meeting can hold up to 250 people and comes with an optional audio bridge accessed by clicking the phone icon once you’ve logged into a meeting. Once you’ve dialed the phone number and PIN provided, audio support will begin.

If you need to chat with your viewers, you’ll select the “Quote” button to send the message.  It will display a chat window that lets you communicate with all attendees or you can target a particular user by selecting them from the list. Keep in mind if you’re sharing your screen, all attendees can see what you’re typing.

A few other standout features include the ability to share files via your meeting and to let someone control your screen. The file sharing utility could be truly valuable using the scenario I mentioned early. Say you’re meeting with an out-of-town buyer and you’ve shared your screen and started to review homes.  You’ve gone through each of the properties from your initial selection and now the buyer has selected a subset to see next week. Now you quickly render a Buyers Tour and immediately share the file. Now your buyer instantly has the packet of homes and details, and can save it to their computer for review later.

As I mentioned, you can also give a meeting attendee the permission to control your screen.  This will allow the attendees to actually click links, scroll and perform other actions as if they were on your computer. Of course as the meeting creator, you control who can use this feature and most importantly you can stop sharing control at anytime! In the unlikely circumstance that one of your meeting attendees becomes unruly, just click the people icon and select the “X” next to their name. That will remove them from the meeting.

Ok, I’m convinced. Let’s go through the meeting setup:

• Step 1: Visit Join.me
• Step 2: To host a meeting click the big “Share” button. The meeting software quickly will launch the share tool to the top center of your screen.
• Step 3: Copy the meeting URL to your clipboard or choose to send by email.

At the end of your first meeting you’ll have the option of installing a very lightweight application that makes it super easy to start meetings in the future.

Going PRO: If you like what you see with Join.me and want to take it a step further check out their pro version. That will allow you to customize your URL, schedule and lock down meetings, and provides better user management tools. The pro version is priced at $29/month.

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.

Actually, I hope to answer some of these questions a bit sooner.

Windows 7 Launch Party

Not sure if by sheer luck or stupidity, I am hosting a Windows 7 Launch Party. It is an event that you hold in your home for friends to showcase the new Windows during the products launch week. You supply the food, drink and people; Microsoft provides streamers, cocktail napkins, activities and a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for the host.

A lot of work to do to help Microsoft pitch a product, but I can’t pass up a techie experience. Plus, it gives me an excuse to throw a fondue and chocolate fountain party. Can’t have enough of those in your life.

Introduction to an Operating System

With my Windows 7 Launch Party Kit in hand, my first step will be to install the operating system.

I’m a bit apprehensive as to what the next few days hold. Will the installation go smoothly? Will all of my hard ware be compatible? Will my software work properly?

Then, once it’s installed how quickly will I acclimate to the new system? After I got Vista, it took awhile before I knew my way around and was as proficient as I was on XP.

Stay Tuned

With a pre-release of Windows 7 in hand, this presents a unique opportunity to share with our MyTechOpinion readership. As I progress in my adoption of Windows 7, I’ll document my trials and tribulations on our blog.

Hopefully, the information shared will help you in your adoption of Windows 7 (or maybe help you decide not to switch).

Wish me luck in my upgrade and check back to see how it went.

If you would like to know how you get the Fan Box, watch this short video:

Now out of the box, this widget may need some very small customization depending on how and where you implement. Maybe you need to change the width for a smaller sidebar or modify the widget because you already have Facebook Connect running on your site. I thought I would take a minute to share the each component of the widget.

Part 1
FeatureLoader.js.php is the main JavaScript file used in all Facebook Connect implementations and must be included for the widget to work. However if you already have Facebook connect running on your site, this script would be a duplicate and should not be included.Marketing Advertising Blog — VuManhThang.Com

[php]<script src="http://static.ak.connect.facebook.com/js/api_lib/v0.4/FeatureLoader.js.php" type="text/javascript"></script>[/php]

Part 2
The next line is a small piece of Javascript that tells Facebook the API key of your widget. Like the last script, it should be included on all uses except when Facebook connect is already being used on the page. If Facebook Connect is already implemented on the page, do not include this line:

[php]<script type="text/javascript">FB.init("XXXXXXXXXXXXX");</script>[/php]

Part 3
This is the XFBML which is used to incorporate FBML in a HTML page. In this case to display the Fan Box.

• Do not change the profile_id, it is the unique id pointing to your Facebook page
• If you choose to include the stream, it will set stream =“1”. To remove the stream set to “0”
• If you choose to include fans, it defaults to connections=“10”
• Change the width (in pixels) as needed to fit your sidebar

[php]<fb:fan profile_id="XXXXXXXXXX" stream="1" connections="10" width="300"></fb:fan>[/php]

Part 4
This is a link back to your Facebook page, and is not required for the widget to work properly.

[php]<div style="font-size:8px; padding-left:10px"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/mytechopinion">MyTechOpinion</a> on Facebook</div>[/php]

If you would like to try the iFrame version of the widget, replace the XXXXXXXXXX with the API Key provided by Facebook for your Fan Box.

[php]<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://www.facebook.com/connect/connect.php?id=XXXXXXXXXX&connections=15&stream=1" allowtransparency="true" style="border: none; width: 300px; height: 600px;"></iframe> [/php]

MyTechopinion
Facebook pages are a great option for real estate professionals in terms of both enhancing brand recognition and becoming a trusted advisor. Think about the average fan, once they’re connected they have the opportunity to engage with you on a regular basis. But also realize Facebook pages take a lot of effort to maintain. Try sharing relevant information, resources and fun content on a regular basis. Then watch your insights and gage what your fans engage with most?

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:

• Wallpaper support
• Extension of the task bar to all monitors
• Additional buttons and menu choices for moving, throwing and sizing windows
• Shortcuts to open programs in specific locations
• Highly customizable

MultiMon (Free or $28 for Pro)
Dual monitor utility with 2 levels of functionality. A free version extends the taskbar across all monitors, adds a move to window button and a few other features. The pro version includes more customization and window management capabilities.

Display Fusion (Free)
Dual screen wallpaper utility with Flickr integration.

Wallpapers

The right image can really make your dual monitor system pop. These have to be very large and panoramic photos. Not really something that you will find in your My Pictures folder.

Here are some wonderful resources for stunning images that fit perfectly on a dual monitor computer.

• Hongkiat
• BestSitesList
• Dual-Display
• Dual Monitor Backgrounds
• Screen Treats

Custom Stands

The real downside of a dual monitor system is the added desk space taken up. Solve this problem with a multi-monitor stand. Available in configurations holding 2 or more monitors, these space saving devices can mount to a wall, furniture or simply stand on your desktop. ErgoTron and Planar are leading manufacturers of multiple monitor stands.

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 converted to text and your recipients(s) will have been emailed from you. The email will contain the text version of your audio, a message saying “sent with Jott” and the audio file. You will also receive a copy of the email for your records.

If you are looking for audit trails of sent and received Jott emails for your real estate business, consider using the Jott Gadget for your iGoogle homepage. With this gadget you’ll be able to easily view the last 7 Jott’s sent and last 7 Jotts received right on your homepage. Learn more about iGoogle Gadget for Jott here.

*Keep in mind that once Jott for Blackberry gets out of beta it will turn into a paid service. But for now this technology is free to use.

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 unlucky enough to experience issues related to the installation.

This past weekend, I upgraded the hard drive in my Windows XP laptop. Rather than clone the drive and inherit old quirks, I decided to perform a clean installation of the operating system, complete with SP3.

Once installed, Service Pack 3 caused my Internet Explorer 7 to malfunction. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue with my heavy use of Firefox except for the need for IE to download Microsoft Updates for Windows and Office.

Removing IE7 and SP3 and reinstalling did clear up the issue. Removing Service Pack 3 did wreak havoc on other programs, though, such as Norton Internet Security. That program required a Symantec tech over an hour to fix using a remote login program. That is on top of 2 hours of my own time trying to work out the glitches.

My experience was not unusual for this installation. Microsoft was forced to postpone the release of SP3 due to compatibility issues with their own business solutions software, which could cause data corruption.

A problem that is more likely to affect real estate agents is an issue that causes AMD-based computers to continuously reboot once SP3 is installed. Fortunately, fixes to the endless reboot issue are well documented throughout the blogosphere.

After all this, you may be asking yourself, “Why would I install SP3?” The answer is quite simple, it is going to be difficult to avoid installing the service pack. Microsoft has added SP3 to the critical list for Windows Update, making it a challenge to not install it.

Prepare For the Worst

The installation process for SP3 recommends backing up data before proceeding. Follow this advice!

Perform at least a data backup. Better yet, use backup software to create an image of your computer so that you can restore your computer to pre-installation state without hours of stress and anxiety.

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 from PCMag and PCWorld can agree upon is that there is no reason to not upgrade to SP1.

Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing over a month ago, so new systems are already shipping with the upgrade. Existing Vista systems will get the upgrade through Windows Update later this month. If you are impatient like me, you can download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 directly from Microsoft.

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 a few sizes, or link to them in the Adobe Gallery. This may work well for those of you that have a tough time resizing those photos for blog posts.

For a detailed list of the photo editing features, see below:

• Crop & Rotate-Turn, straighten, & crop your photos.
• Auto Correct-Easily add optimal lighting and contrast adjustment.
• Exposure-Adjust the brightness of the photo.
• Red-Eye Removal-Easily remove red-eye.
• Touchup-Remove blemishes and other imperfections.
• Saturation-Adjust the colors to blinding brightness or drop them down to black and white, or anywhere in between.
• White Balance-Take away the poor quality lighting effects from fluorescent tubes by adjusting the white balance and you change the type of lighting in the photo.
• Highlight-Lets you brighten or darken just the brightest part of the photo, without affecting the darker parts.
• Fill Light-Fix those shots into the sun. Fix With this tool you can brighten the dark area without over brightening the background.
  Sharpen-Photo a little fuzzy? Bring it into focus.
• Soft Focus-Subtle blur for artistic effect.
• Hue-Changes all the colors in a photo at once.
• Black & White-I think you can figure this one out.
• Tint-Imagine Dramatically change all the colors of a photo. Go from red and white to pale brown.
• Sketch-Make your photo look like a line drawing.
• Distort-Stretch, twist, bulge specific areas of photo.

Gallery example:

or just take it for a test drive.

If you’re wondering if your computer will support this application, here are their posted requirements:

Windows XP or Vista, or Mac OS 10.4 or later; a minimum screen resolution of 1024×768; 512 MB of RAM; Internet Explorer 6 or 7 on a Windows machine, Safari 3.0.4 or later on a Mac, or Firefox 2 or later on either platform. You also need Flash Player 9, but if you don’t already have it, we’ll let you know and point you to a free download.

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.

So rather than including stale, boring image-based charts on your website, blog or PowerPoint, produce something with an edge, something visually appealing to stand out.  Also check back next week for directions on incorporating these charts in your WordPress blog.

A few FusionChart Resources:

• Differences are between Fusion Charts Free and Fusion Charts v3.
• Fusion Free Licensing Policy
• Download FusionCharts Free

[HTML1]

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?

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.

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:

Dell Drivers and Downloads

Gateway Drivers and Downloads

HP / Compaq Drivers and Downloads

Toshiba Drivers and Downloads

Sony Drivers and Downloads

Acer Drivers and Downloads

Lenovo / IBM Drivers and Downloads

Fujitsu Drivers and Downloads

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.

Reggie’s Picks

Garmin Nuvi 660
The Garmin Nuvi 660 is the perfect portable GPS Technology with a sleek 4.3 inch display. This state-of-the-art navigation system provides 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. It also offers a complete “points of interest” database for local restaurants, gas, ATM’s and more. Also stop getting surprised by accidents and road conditions with an optional traffic package from XM NavTraffic® or MSN® Direct. Even use the Nuvi 600 to play MP3’s or display JPG’s of that next listing you’re visiting on buyers tour. (also checkout the Nuvi 770) [see specs]

Wireless Broadband: USB727 or U727 Modem
Two pieces of technology every mobile real estate agent should have is wireless broadband internet and a sleek flash drive. So why not combine them. The Verizon Wireless USB727 and Sprint U727 both do exactly that. Now get a 4BG of microSD™ memory, combined with a next generation mobile broadband on the EV-DO Rev. A network. Also note, this little device comes with out-of-box support for Windows XP, Vista, Mac, and Linux.

MII Flashcam
Open houses and other real estate activities often mean you may be alone for periods of time. Your safety is of top importance! Carry the MII Flashlight, and video/audio recorder. The MII Flashcam comes with one gigabyte of RAM capable of storing 1 hour of quality audio and video. The MII also supports night vision technology, allowing you to convert evening into daytime on the 1.5” TFT-LCD color Display. The MII is water resistant and provides 3 ½ hours of continuous operation. [Sold Here].

Photoshop Elements 6.0
Do you have the right software for organizing and editing your real estate photos? Photoshop Elements provides many powerful tools in an easy to use software package. Tag your photos with keywords, use touch-up tools to enhance your photos color and contrast. Easily resize, crop and more. Even find the best photos for the MLS and print marketing by using the side-by-side viewing feature. [see features]

NikNik’s Picks

Acme Made Laptop Cases

Blue Tooth Headset
I can’t leave home and be expected to multi-task to my greatest potential without my Bluetooth headset. Driving and other real estate tasks become “hands-free” via wireless connection to your headset. I’m a fan of the Jabra Bluetooth Headsets, the BT2020 in particular. The BT2020 has the latest Bluetooth 2.0 technology. [see specs]

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2008
Load it onto your laptop, attach the small GPS locator and you’re good to go. Get to know a new market area, create informative brochures based on your neighborhood analysis, or create mashups of your sold properties—perfect for prelisting presentations. [take a tour]

Mobile Office
This item is so popular that it’s often sold out. Keeping your car clean when it’s used as your daily office is easier said than done. But with the Lewis N. Clark Travel Business Center, you can keep your notepads, pens, files, digital camera, flyers, snacks, etc. secure and organized. And when showing property, just fold, zip and place in your trunk.

iHome Portable Speaker for Nano
The Bose Sounddock provides great sound with minimal setup. My good friend (Sarah) even brings it on our business trips. But at $300, it’s an item you won’t want to lose or leave at an open house. Another great option for real estate agents is the iHome Portable Speaker for your Nano. At only $30, you can set the mood with quiet background tunes at your next broker’s tour/open house for a bargain!

Chad’s Picks

Dell XPS M1330
The technology driven real estate agent needs a laptop that includes the latest multimedia functionality while remaining portable. The Dell XPS M1330 is just that. Only 0.87” thick, the XPS M1330 is a 13.3” widescreen laptop that can be configured with a hi-def LED screen, a 320 GB hard drive for ample storage space or a 64GB solid state drive for performance and reliability, up to 4GB of RAM and a slot-load DVD burner. There is also a choice between AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon for mobile broadband. [see specs]

Dell XPS 420
Thought about incorporating video and audio files into your real estate marketing plan? You’ll need a computer with tons and storage and serious power to handle file editing and conversion. The Dell XPS 420 is ready to incorporate the 45nm next generation processors. A fully configured XPS 420 includes an integrated LCD to access songs, pictures, video and system settings without using the keyboard, Adobe Elements Studio, video and audio inputs on the front panel, a remarkable 2TB of storage, a Blu-Ray drive, an eSATA connector, 10 USB ports, and a deck-top device storage area with cable routing. [see specs]

HP Officejet Pro L7680 Color All-in-One
Upgrade the printing, copying and faxing capabilities of the real estate agent in your life this holiday with HP Officejet Pro L7680 Color All-in-One. This device is fast, touting laser printer speeds from an inkjet printer. The built-in Ethernet connection allows for easy sharing of this all-in-one with multiple computers. The unusual feature of standard duplex printing makes double sided printing a breeze. [see specs]

Lexar ExpressCardTM SSD
The more multimedia based real estate technology becomes, the more storage space we need. To increase the storage capacity of your laptop computer without messing with a hard drive upgrade, look to a solid state express card drive. The Lexar Expresscard SSD can quickly add up to 16GB of extra storage to your laptop. Just slide the card into the express card slot on your machine and it is ready to use. [see specs]

Seagate FreeAgent Pro
Need to back up your real estate business? The Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB drive is a cutting-edge backup and storage device. The forward thinking design of the FreeAgent includes the latest and fastest external connection, eSATA, for blazing transfer speeds. For those without eSATA, a USB 2.0 and 2 Firewire ports are also available. The included software makes for simple system backups, “goof-up” safe version storage and automatic data duplication and transfers to email, an iPod or Shutterfly. [see specs]

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3
A good wide-angle lens will improve real estate listing photos by including more of a room in a single shot. Without investing in a digital SLR, choices for cameras with strong wide-angle functionality are limited. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 includes a 28mm equivalent wide-angle lens that extends to a 10X optical zoom. Optical image stabilizer aids a shaky hand, a high sensitivity mode makes shooting fast moving objects easier and the new SDHC memory cards are compatible, providing 8GB of storage on a single card. [see specs]

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

Watch a short video about Google Docs Technology:

Now when you build your subscription list of RSS Feeds in Internet Explorer 7, you can access the same list within Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. Access your important real estate information (like Real Estate Tech Tips from MyTechOpinion) in both places by sharing one RSS Feeds subscription list via the Common Feeds List in Microsoft Windows. The Common Feeds List is used by programs such as Office Outlook 2007 and Internet Explorer 7 as a common location for RSS Feeds information. So, when you add an RSS Feed to any program that uses the Common Feeds List, that RSS Feed is available in all programs automatically. If an RSS Feed is deleted from the Common Feeds List, it will also be removed from Office Outlook 2007. You can change your current settings within the Advanced Options dialog box to begin this synchronization within Explorer and Outlook (see directions below). If you have not started a RSS Feed subscription list you will be prompted to synchronize by a dialog box with the first RSS Feed you choose to add.

Synchronize my Outlook RSS Feed subscriptions with the Common Feeds List

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Other tab, under General, click Advanced Options.
3. Under General settings, select the Sync RSS Feeds to the Common Feed List check box.

Stop synchronizing my Outlook RSS Feed subscriptions with the Common Feeds List

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Other tab, under General, click Advanced Options.
3. Under General settings, clear the Sync RSS Feeds to the Common Feed List check box.

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.

For example, say that in your Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) you consistently add many of the same components to your presentation such as your resume, company overview, pricing charts, marketing checklist and disclaimers. Rather that saving all of these items to one file, you can use building blocks to add each specific item to your presentation with the click of a mouse. Easily letting you pick and choose what to include and omit in your next presentation.

1. Open or type the content you would like to reuse, and highlight it.
2. Select the Insert tab, and then locate the Text grouping.
3. Select the arrow on the Quick Parts button.
4. Select Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
5. The Create New Building Block window appears.
   1. Name: Name your quick part.
   2. Gallery: Choose the Gallery to store the item.
   3. Category: Choose your category. I recommend creating a category for real estate.
   4. Description: Type a description for the building block.
   5. Save In: I recommend keeping the default Word location.
   6. Options: Choose to insert only the text, text as new paragraph or text on its own page.

1. Open a new or existing document.
2. Click Insert tab, and then click the Quick Parts button.
3. Click on the desired Quick Part to add to the document where the cursor is placed.
4. Repeat as necessary.

Are you still not sure how this technology works? Watch this quick video for more info.