The Tech Gap

A Report From the Treo 700w Hands-on Lab

Well, I finally got my hands on a Treo 700w --- it took a 20 minute wait in line at CES. There were a half dozen units available and each attendee was allowed about 8 minutes. In 2 minutes I had already made my decision.

I WANT ONE!!!

In a column a few months ago I wrote about EVDO and now, after actually experiencing it, I can attest that it's simply awesome. The speed of the Treo 700w's web browser is very, very impressive. It is pretty much like working with traditional wireless 802.11 broadband. I'm not going to "review" the 700w but rather will point you here for a comprehensive video demonstration. If you're a Verizon customer the 700w is available today. Sprint customers will have to wait awhile yet. The rest of you are in limbo as Palm decides if they want to implement EVDO's under-performing little sister -- EDGE.

And speaking of Palm, they have an archieved webinar entitled "Delivering Critical Data to Your Enterprise" which details some of the roll-out options for the 700w. No endorsement here for the webinar, just information. Click here to connect.

gll

Babble will Boggle Your Mind and Bamboozle Eavesdroppers

More stuff from CES: I know it was over a month ago, but I keep digging through all the notes I collected and keep finding these neat things I want to share with you. Babble is a telephone "sound management system" that provides privacy for a person speaking on a telephone in a less-than-private setting. I must confess that when I saw the Sonare Technologies booth at CES I actually stopped  because I assumed it was something pretty cheesy that I could mock for a cheap laugh. Not so. In five short minutes I moved from skeptic to full believer, perhaps evangelist!

The system consists of a "processing module" and two unobtrusive, fist-sized speakers. Set-up is easy ---- a user plugs their phone into the unit and "records about 30 seconds of speech. WHAT you say matters not, just that you speak in a normal tone for at least 30 seconds. After that, and from then on, whenever you desire privacy for a conversation you simply press a button on the top of the processor module and the speakers begin broadcasting, at tone and volume level equal to yours, a mixture of current and past randomized words. The result is a low buzz of voices, sounding rather like 50 conversations all going on at the same time. A neighboring worker might easily hear you, but they'll be unable to focus on your words. As a demo I stood 2 feet from a Herman Miller executive and watched as he picked up a handset, looked at me, and began speaking. I could clearly hear and understand him. He then calmly pressed the "Babble Button" and suddenly, although he hadn't moved, I hadn't moved, and his volume hadn't changed ---- I could no longer understand a word he spoke! The combination of his recorded word, randomized with the current ones, rendered the entire conversation unintelligible to me while both he and the (imaginary, in this case) other party spoke in confidence. Magic! No more overheard comments, no more office eavesdroppers. [Note that Babble does NOT protect against wiretap-style eavesdropping --- for that, you're on your own!]

As alluded to above, Babble is a child of the Herman Miller office furniture empire. Unfortunately, it inherited the "high price gene" from its father and is priced at nearly $400. When it drops to about 20% of that (and it will, it's technology!) I'll be a buyer.

Very interesting for the small firm where space, and therefore occasionally privacy, is at a premium.

gll

SmarThumb

CES boasted a whole slew of USB-based products. Some made sense, others didn't (I'll spare you the VAPIR portable, high-tech, digital system for aromatherapy and phyto-inhalation. Oh, BTW, I'll be tracking how many of you click on that link!) and a few were pretty darn slick. The SmartThumb falls in the last category.

SmarThumb is a USB flash memory based suite of personal productivity tools. With the SmarThumb you can use just about ANY Windows computer with a USB port --- home, work, travel, play, even at your client's office. The device comes with software, 24 different applications, pre-installed so it's pretty much plug and play. Applications include several dealing with security --- eraser, encoder, shredder, and lock, as well as productivity apps like notepad, directory, to do list, clock, wallet, photo album, favorites, address book, calculator, and email. Of course, like all really cool stuff, it's only available internationally, not in the US. And no word on just when --- but you can bet these things will be popping up all over, and soon.

GLL Prediction: We'll begin to see more and more of these as publishers and software developers rush to a [short-term] DRM solution. While I'd welcome ONE SmarThumb-style device I'd want it populated with the programs I chose, not those assembled by some junior executive aggregator. Eventually we may store ALL our applications and data "on the 'Net" and each carry a SmarThumb, or iteration thereof, as a "backup". Security guys would love finally being able to enforce the, who you ARE, what you KNOW, and what you HAVE strategy for network access.

gll

Disposable Power Pack

Until battery technology catches up with our portable device's seemingly unquenchable thirst for the power they produce, we're all somewhat tied to a wall socket. And that catch-up doesn't appear to be anytime soon. I suppose that's why I was so drawn to the Medis Technologies booth at CES. The Medis Power Pack is a fuel-cell that's both portable and disposable. Out of the box the device is inert and, in that state, has a shelf life of over a year. It only becomes "active" when the user snaps a seal forcing the chemical reaction to start. Once started the power pack is usable for four to six weeks.

The unit's patent pending power management system has the capability of charging a wide variety of different devices using a system of connectors [a one-time purchase] that access the particular device’s battery. When used to power a cell phone, the power pack will deliver about 20 hours of talk time, or about five to six full charges of the battery, depending on the individual cell phone power consumption and battery type.

The nice thing is that it's small AND inexpensive. It measures about 3 inches x 2 inches x 1 inch and weighs about 5 ounces. It's expected to retail for about $10. Small enough and cheap enough to claim a spot in MY gadget bag!

gll

Planon's DocuPen Just May Deserve a Spot in Your Bag

Yesterday I blogged a bit about CES --- and it's sheer enormity. Fortunately (for me AND for you!) I have friends who are also "on the lookout" for technologies applicable to the practice of public accounting. Today's article comes from RICHARD OPPENHEIM, CPA.CITP. Many thanks for your piece, Rich --- I appreciate your wisdom and experience.

gll

When you need a copy and there is no copier in your accessory bag, there is Docupen. This device is a pocket portable scanner the size of a fat pen. Slide open the pen and you can scan up or down an entire text page or over a small or full sized image. The Docupen has internal memory that can hold up to several hundred documents which can be any combination of separate text pages, photographs, business cards, newspaper articles and more. At any time you can connect the Docupen to a computer via USB cables. While connected the batteries are recharged.

The image shows the RC800 which is a full color scanner and retails for $300. There are other models for $100 less, the 700 models, that are only black & white. The scanner is bundled with OCR software that can be installed on your computer to convert the scanned text documents to editable text for inclusion in any word processing document.

Richard Oppenheim, CPA, CITP

The Digital Hotspotter

Until we finally get "ubiquity" in 802.11 signal those who spend a lot of time traveling will always have a need to know where there's a signal. A year ago last summer I wrote about a WiFi detector and several of you have approached me after presentations and asked to see the one I carry. It's very small and fits comfortably on my keyring. However .... it has it's limitations. I've regularly searched for and found a signal, then opened my tablet PC only to find the signal to be secure. And then wished for more information from my detector.

Last week my wishes were answered when the people from Canary Wireless sent me their recently released device. The Digital Hotspotter searches for and reports information about wireless networks. Information reported on its one line LCD screen includes the name of the network, channel number, signal strength, and encryption.

My review is a simple pro and con analysis.

PRO: It does what is says it will do and it does it well. It found my wireless network in my office even though it's a hidden SSID. The Hotspotter reported it as "Cloaked". At home it quickly found and reported my network and reported that it was encrypted. Much more useful than the unit I currently carry which reports only the presence of a signal.

CON: At (about) 2.5"x2"x1" it's simply too big. I know the Canary people marvel at how SMALL it is --- but the truth is, I can't carry it in pocket and that, IMHO, makes it too big. Secondly ---- and Canary certainly can't solve this --- many networks show as "open" (i.e. unencrypted) but they require paid registration. I'm sick and tired of people wanting $6.95 for me to use some bandwidth!

Bottom line is, if you travel much, you might want to grab one of these. Or, if you wait a year or so before you buy your next laptop, you may find the feature built in to the cover!

gll

Fidelio VOIP has possibilities

My colleague Doug Sleeter recently told me of a VOIP / enhanced software solution which he thought had some merit. The system, called Fidelio, is offered through the George S. May consulting group, has potential. [The Sleeter Group also sells the unit.] In addition to providing "all-you-can-talk" in-network and reasonably priced world-wide access --- pretty standard features to the Skype aware user, the Fidelio system adds desktop sharing and video conferencing. While these additions CAN be accomplished in other ways, the Fidelio system makes it simple and convenient. One staffer quipped to me that it was "so easy even a partner could use it!"

My testing of the unit was pretty straight forward. May sent me a handset (there’s also a portable unit – about the size of your thumb -- that works with your headset) and I downloaded the software. Installation was quick and painless. When I plugged the handset into my USB port the system immediately recognized me and walked me through about 3 minutes on one-time configuration. After that I was ready to make calls.

Problem 1: I felt a bit like Alexander Graham Bell after he invented the telephone. It was a cool invention but not nearly as cool as the SECOND ONE!!! I had no one to talk to. May (who has the US rights to resell the Israeli built system) won’t tell me exactly how many units are in the US, but, based on the fact that this is very early in the roll out process, we can assume the number is small. Very small. Which means you’ll need one unit for you and another for each client with whom you’d like to communicate.

Problem 2: When I called for "support" --- basically to get some further explanation of basic features --- I was connected to a very helpful woman who very much wanted to help, but wasn’t properly trained and didn’t have a clear understanding of how real people might use the service in the field. There were no real problems in using the system, but rather some "less than efficient" and "non-intuitive" areas.

Problem 3: The Fidelio won't replace your standard desktop phone. At least, not yet. The May leadership envisions future releases will allow just that, but for today you'll probably end up with two phones on your desk. Not exactly elegant, but certainly workable.

Opportunity: If you regularly support your clients’ accounting software and/or other technology you might take a very hard at Fidelio --- at ~$20 a month per unit you could become not only more efficient, but a support "hero" to your clients.

gll

AICPA TECH2005 Next Week

The 25th Annual Tech-fest officially launches on Sunday, June 26th at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. I'm actually leaving home tomorrow for a rather circuitious string of speaking engagements starting here in Michigan, then on to San Diego, and finally back to Las Vegas.

TECH2005 promises to be a great get-together. I am particularly looking forward to a session I'll moderate entitled "The Suite Approach -- A View from the Top" which will feature the top executives from ATX-Kleinrock, CCH, and Thomson CSI. Each panel member (Ken Crutchfield, Kevin Robert, and Jon Baron, respectively) will have a 20 minute opening statement and then we'll open the session to questions. This should be quite a treat!

I asked each participant to send me a Powerpoint file of their presentation so I could load them all on my laptop for the session. Two weeks ago in Los Angeles Jon Baron proudly handed me a slightly oversized UltraTax CS logo'd pen and grinned as he said "Here's my Las Vegas presentation." After a few seconds of confusion I figured out why the pen was a tad bit oversized --- it hides a USB drive upon which Baron had placed his files.

Nice give-away --- clever. And useful for practitioners, too. I'm impressed with the media. I guess I'll have to wait for TECH to see if his presentation is equally impressive!

gll

Fujitsu's ScanSnap is Still a Hit

I got my ScanSnap last fall --- on a Wednesday, installed it on Thursday, and was in love by the week-end. Actually, I think it was even faster than that. I don't often blog twice about the same product, but after the ScanSnap snared an Honorable Mention at last week's 2005 Innovation in Tax & Accounting Technology Award ceremony I decided to again remind you what a great addition this is. There are many  schools of thought regarding the proper type of scanner for a busy public accounting office. The ScanSnap may be correct for you, or you may want to move up the food-chain ---- but for your personal desk top you simply can't beat this product. It ships with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 (around $275 by itself) and is <$500 MSR and well under $400 pretty much anywhere. At that price point it's almost a no-brainer. 

It scans 15 double-sided pages per minute in one step, in color, while automatically eliminating blank pages, and deskewing and straightening. It also (I love this) handles all those pesky sized credit card receipts just beautifully. Preparing my expense reports in now easy tolerable. A day doesn't go by that I don't use the "scan to email" function.

This unit's footprint is only 8 1/2 x 11 ... so it fits on my credenza without getting in the way.

gll

PS: It also ships with a business card reader. It's not great and requires an intermediate step to get data to Outlook. On the other hand, if you have 20 or so business cards it starts to look pretty good.

Companies Honored for Innovative Technologies in Tax & Accounting

At a reception held this afternoon in Los Angeles I announced the 2005 Innovation in Tax & Accounting Technology, sponsored by The CPA Technology Advisor. The technologies the winning companies provide consistently improves not only the client-accountant relationship but also the overall productivity and profitability of practicing accountants.

The recipients of this year’s Tax and Accounting Technology Innovation Awards are:

• CCH Incorporated for CCH@Hand, a tax and accounting research-focused toolbar that sits at the top of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel and Internet Explorer, allowing users to quickly launch searches of CCH’s Internet Research NetWork without interrupting their workflow. The system logs in automatically and goes directly to the necessary point within the NetWork product.
• DoubleSight Displays for multi-panel display monitors that enhance productivity by allowing professionals to work in multiple applications in their own full-sized window at the same time, as well as being better able to view wider documents like spreadsheets.
• Maxtor for Maxtor OneTouch II, an external hard drive that simplifies the process of backing up and storing data. Its one-step “pushbutton” approach makes it about as easy to use as a toaster, but gives users the benefit of a reliable backup solution.
• Thomson Creative Solutions for UltraTax CS 1040 Portals. The web-based system allows 1040 clients year-round access to read-only *.PDF copies of their tax returns through a private, secure Internet portal. Clients can print their return as needed, without requiring administrative assistance. The system also works with online tax organizers that interface with the tax preparation program, reducing data-entry time.
• UTS, Inc. for the development of the TaxWise CashWise Card, which enables tax professionals to provide the speed advantage of electronically deposited tax return funds to even their unbanked clients. The card also helps these clients avoid costly check-cashing services and provides them with a safe and convenient way to handle their money. The debit/ATM card is usable at more than 2.3 million locations.

The August issue of The CPA Technology Advisor will carry expanded information about these winning products, those Honorably Mentioned, and many overall nominees

gll

More than 75 software, hardware and service products were nominated for this year’s awards. Recipients were selected by the editorial staff and the Editorial Advisory Board of The CPA Technology Advisor, which includes accounting and tax professionals from across the country who are engaged in public practice in firms ranging from sole practitioners to major, multi-office regional practices. To be eligible for consideration, nominated products must be either recently developed or have undergone significant enhancement within the last two years. Additionally, they must be commercially available and directly marketed to the accounting and tax profession. Beta version products are not eligible.