search denity.com
Personal Productivity

Install a better life. Synchronize and effectively manage the things you do with the all the things you own.

Personal & Home Entertainment

Enjoy your life at home and on the road. Choose the right home theater and personal devices for you and your family.

Home & Small Office

Work the right way. Give yourself and your business the tools and environment to be more productive.

Technology Just Needs A HugTM ...and a date!

Technology Match Making Made Personal

Click Here to Subscribe

There's An App For That.

Forget how many apps the iPhone has (100,000+ but who’s counting?), we’re here to deliver 4 of our  Productivity/Lifestyle apps that are available on iPhone, BlackBerry, AND Android smartphones. Each smartphone itself has many apps to choose from but finding and choosing those that cover all three platforms is a bit more challenging. That's why we put this list together for you.

LogMeIn Ignition ($29.99) - Now I’m not a big spender when it comes to apps but this is a personal favorite of mine. You can access your personal computer from your smartphone as long as your computer is on or on sleep mode. This is not like any other app that allows you to sync files with your computer. You can see your actual desktop as if you’re sitting right in front of it, extremely practical for personal, academic, and business use. However, LogMeIn has a slightly different purpose for the BlackBerry. As of now, LogMeIn Rescue is available on the BlackBerry and allows for remote IT support for businesses. An app for LogMeIn Ignition is still in the works for the BlackBerry Storm. $29.99 is a bit steep for an app, so browse the website before you make the investment. If you do decide to buy it, make sure to back up your apps on your computer.

Evernote (FREE) - Most phones come with an app that lets you keep notes. Evernote allows you to keep voice, text, and image notes. I find the image notes to be the most useful. You can take a picture, add tags, a title, and the app automatically stores the date, time, and location of the note. Instead of jotting down the information of a book, why not take a picture and store it? But it gets even better--access the notes that you keep on your phone from anywhere you have internet connection. We all know the best things in life are free so go ahead and give it a try.

PageOnce Personal Assistant (FREE) - Forget paying someone to be your assistant, get one for free on your phone and take it with you wherever you go. You can manage multiple bank accounts, credit cards, bills, travel itineraries, networking websites, email, and more all on one app. Convenient, right? There is a “Premium” version you can pay $6.99 for but try the free version first, it’ll most likely be enough. Because some valuable information may be stored on your phone with this app, use protection. Make sure you activate a pin code for your phone if you decide to use it, just to be safe.

Dub (FREE) - This is very similar to the Bump app for the iPhone and Android Phone, but Dub is also available on the BlackBerry. When you meet someone new, whether it’s for business or pleasure, save the hassle of asking a person to spell out their name or avoid getting someone’s wrong contact information (whether it be by accident or on purpose). Open the app and it automatically detects the Dub user you want to switch contact information with. Set up your own “mobile business card” and choose what information you’d like to share--name, e-mail, phone number, etc.

Now, there's much more where that came from. Make the most of your iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android Phone by downloading the best and most useful apps. There are many to choose from and some aren’t so easy to find by yourself... just saying.


 

“Hug your friends tight, but your enemies tighter – hug ‘em so tight they can’t wiggle.” -Lyndon B. Johnson

Milky Cereal

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a networking event and was trapped between a rock and chatty person who didn't know when to bow out. It was painful. It wasn't that the conversation topics (emphasis on the plurality) were painful but it was more like leaving your cereal in the milk too long.

I've been chatting you all up for over a year. So, it time for my colleague Olivia (see previous 2 posts) to join our group Hug. It's time for you all to keep working the room and meet some new people. I'll go get us some drinks while you all catch up.

Be gentle...

 

"His bear hugs are actually hugs he gives to bears." - Said about the "Most Interesting Man in the World"

 ---

Subscribe to the blog (click here) and follow on Twitter (@DenityConcierge)

Denity... A  Premier Technology Concierge

www.Denity.com

Wireless Home Security

What do the internet, phones, vacuums, headphones, printers, and home security have in common? (Pause for anticipation) They've all gone wireless.

I'd like to put the spotlight on FrontPoint Home Security, a completely WIRELESS security system that is safe, simple, and available on-the-go. The difference between wireless and wired home security is the difference between digital and analog technology. Digital technology is more efficient, allows multiple forms of communication (voice, video, data), has a higher transmission speed, and lower error rates. This is what wireless home security can offer you.

What makes FrontPoint different? Older home security systems have built-in wires that need to be installed with the keypad, but not anymore. It used to be like this: to arm your home, everyone needs to be standing still.. very still. When you get the green light okay from the keypad you punch in your password and have to leave the house within about 30 seconds. Now, you can easily install a home security system yourself, no wires necessary (purchase, however, is necessary). Arm and disarm your house using your internet enabled device, and get instant text message and e-mail alerts for absolutely any kind of activity going on in your home.

Interested? This could prove to be true love if:


  • You want to keep a very close eye on your home. FrontPoint is not just about emergencies. Know if your children made curfew without having to wait up for them (sorry kids), when your UPS package has arrived, and of course if someone breaks into your home. However, if you only want the emergency alerts, then consider a package or different system that offers you notifications for only emergencies.

  • You rely on your mobile device for everything. And by everything I mean email, web browsing, paying your bills, controlling your DVR, etc. Why not add home security to the list? But beware of those times when you unexpectedly stumble into dead zones--no internet connection and reception could hinder your alerts from being sent to you in a timely manner.

  • You travel a lot. Whether it's for business or pleasure, with FrontPoint you can control your Home Security system when you're away from your home or vacation home for long periods at a time by laptop or cell phone. If you have an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android Phone, it's even easier to protect your home with the app for these phones. Don't worry, be happy, because wherever you are, alerts will be sent to you.

There are a variety of options for home security and when it comes to protecting your family, you want to make the right decision. You could be a perfect match for FrontPoint if you fit any of the criteria above. If you're still unsure, it's a good idea to ask a professional who will give you unbiased advice.. just saying.


"There's nothing like a mama-hug." -Terri Guillemets

"This is Really Hot"

As I was following Steve Jobs' keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week, I realized how much the world has anticipated the release of Apple's new iPhone 4. So many people all over the country are scrambling to pre-order this phone (guilty) that hardly anybody will actually get it on the release date. As Steve Jobs put it, "This [iPhone 4] is really hot."

Before the pre-orders began, a friend and I walked into an AT&T store that was not an Authorized Apple Retailer. Why not? Because the store manager wanted nothing to do with the iPhone. Doubtful, I pointed to an iPhone behind the counter and asked, "Is that not yours?" Turns out he only used it for the iPod. But wait.. there are actually people out there who don't want the iPhone? Blasphemy!

Smartphones in general are extremely popular. A lot of you probably have one and if you don't, you probably want one. With the announcement of the iPhone 4 last week, many of you are probably wondering if you should give in to the hype. Maybe your heart is saying yes but your head is saying no. Well, regardless of all the mayhem over the iPhone 4, which I've shamelessly taken part in, I'm not here to push it on you. It's a very powerful device, but it's not for everyone.

That being said, consider the iPhone 4 if:

  • You want to do more on your phone. The many-in-1 phone, iPod, camera, multitasking, and 100,000+ apps will keep you busy and entertained. If you're happy with a phone that simply sends and receives calls and texts, consider a more simple, inexpensive feature/messaging phone.
  • You're a gamer. The new phone provides very sharp images and extremely accurate positioning when you're playing games that involve movement.
  • You're responsible with your phone (meaning you won't lose or break it) OR if you're not, you've got money to blow. Paying for a new phone if lost, stolen, or broken, could cost you an arm and a leg. Maybe even two legs.
  • You are a tree hugger. The durable and scratch-resistant glass is also recyclable.
  • You know you want the iPhone, but you're deciding between the slightly cheaper 3GS and the brand new iPhone 4. The significant improvements to the iPhone 4 outweigh the cost difference, which isn't very much for the 16GB ($149 for the 3GS vs. $199 for the 4). These improvements include but are not limited to: video calling, a front and rear-facing camera with flash and zoom (it’s about time), and a longer battery life. 
  • You already have an earlier generation iPhone. If you have a 3G or 3GS you can consider upgrading the operating system to the new iOS 4 for FREE. You can even try it out on your iPod Touch or iPad. But chances are you’ll find yourself wanting the upgrade to the iPhone 4 because it’s made to be faster, so some of the features on the new operating system may not work as well on older iPhone models.

If you don't match any of the criteria above, I'd recommend looking into a different smartphone like the BlackBerry or an Android phone. Or just get a free phone that functions. Whatever your wants/needs are there is such thing as the perfect lover when it comes to mobile devices. Need help deciding? You know who to call... just saying.

"Did you know that, if you visualise, you can actually hug on the phone? " -Shelley Long



New AT&T Wireless Data Plan(s)

What: The new AT&T Wireless Data Plans; $15 for 200MB of data usage per month (DataPlus) & $25 for 2GB of data usage per month (DataPro)

When: Announced June 2, 2010; Effective June 7, 2010; Translation: Before you know it.

Where: A pocket and purse/wallet near you. Isn't that always the case.

Who: Existing AT&T customers who currently have an "unlimited" data plan. It's not truly unlimited. There's typically a soft cap of 5GB per month. So to paraphrase Henry Ford: You can use as much data as you want as long as it's less than 5GB.

Why: Because they can and they need to make as much money as possible. There isn't much money to be made in selling "minutes" anymore. There was a time when it could come to blows if someone wanted to use your cell phone to make a call, especially during the day time. Now, people have minutes to burn. Also, anecdotally speaking, these limits may help ease the congestion on AT&T's network, just in time for the rumored new Apple iPhone.

Denity's Love Match

As an existing AT&T customer with an unlimited data plan, you are grandfathered in with your existing unlimited plan (you can keep what you got). You will not be forced to give up that plan and choose one of the news plans... at least not now. If you use your phone heavily for web surfing, downloading & streaming videos and music or it's almost a replacement for your computer, stick with your existing unlimited plan ($30 for iPhone users). The $15 plan isn't an option and the savings from $25 plan may not be worth the risk of getting hit with overage charges

So this Denity Love Match is for you...

  • If you use the internet portion of your phone mostly for emails and "light" surfing, hook up with the $15 per month plan (200MB). To be safe, check you recent bills to see how much data you use each month.
  • If you're not a light user and think the $5 per month savings is worth, you should hook with the $25 per month plan (2GB). According to AT&T, only 2% of their customers exceed 2GB. Honestly speaking, that's a lot of data.

AT&T has also introduced tethering (using your phone a wireless broadband modem for another device, e.g. laptop) for the iPhone at $20 extra per month. If you would like this feature, you MUST hook up with the $25 per month plan.

 

"Again, I find it difficult to be taken care of and rarely acknowledge it, and every act he does registers, but I also just need to verbally acknowledge him and hug him" - Patricia Heaton

---

Subscribe to the blog (click here) and follow on Twitter (@DenityConcierge)

Denity... A  Premier Technology Concierge

www.Denity.com

True Love... Just for You

As mentioned previously, the blog was on pause so that we could figure out a new format. The mission will remain the same: Technology advice that is relevant to everyday people and presented in a way that can easily be understood.

Here's what we can up with: Technology match making. We will pick a technology related product, service or term, give it a profile and attempt to find the right person for "it". It could be you or someone you know. We'll do the hard work so you won't need to. No alcohol or wingman needed.

That simple... See you in a few.

---

Subscribe to the blog (click here) and follow on Twitter (@DenityConcierge)

Denity... A  Premier Technology Concierge

www.Denity.com