Tag Archives: Google
My iPad prediction
Posted on03. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.
Okay, two months ago I posted my thoughts on the iPad after the announcement. It seems like this device was a lot more appealing before people knew exactly what it would be like. It’s the butt of a lot of jokes. I’ve really only met a few people who really, really want one. Actually, I think there are a lot more people who really want one, it’s just that there’s not as many people willing to fork over the cash for it. So, here’s my prediction.
I think the iPad is going to be wildly successful. I really think that once people get these in their hands and play with it a little, they’re going to want one. I do think that the 2nd generation is going to be the killer device and they’ll sell even more of them. Maybe the price will be a little better or maybe there will be a webcam built in for video chat. Whatever it is, it will have worked out some of the bugs from the first version and everyone’s really going to want it.
However, I’m thinking beyond the iPad. I think that with the release of the iPad today, personal computing is changing in a big way. I think that 10 years from now, we’ll point back to this day as the day it all changed. The tablet has been around for more than a decade, but it’s never caught on. Why? Because the makers were thinking “laptop” when they created it and they tried to put a laptop in a tablet. Apple decided to rethink how a device like this would be used and went from there. As a result, Apple opened the door to a new way of personal computing, the tablet that everyone wants to use.
In the near future, Google will have their Chrome OS on a tablet. We’ll also find android on a tablet. I’m sure we’ll also see Windows on this new form factor styled tablet as well (and why wouldn’t we?). The competition will be stiff, but within a few years we’ll have so many options with the abiliyt to do so much more than what the 2010 iPad can do. It’s going to be really exciting.
Viva la revolucion!
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Recent innovations
Posted on01. Apr, 2010 by Kenny.
Wow, so many really great innovation products and services launched today. What a great time to be alive!
Forget the iPad, TechCrunch launches the CrunchPad. It requires a little work on your end, but it’s significantly cheaper and comes works with HTML5 and Flash. Eat your heart out iPad.
Google officially changes it’s name today. I never saw this coming and I think it might take some time to catch on, but I’ve got to give them credit for being out there like this!
In other Google news, YouTube has allowed you to stream videos in 360p and 480p, now you have the option to steam it in TEXTp. This new method of streaming not only promotes literacy, but it saves YouTube 1$ a second in bandwidth costs. Awesome, huh?
Lastly, Starbucks made a monumental move by offering two new drink sizes, the Plenta and Micra. This is a result of the company listening to what customers were asking. This is probably why Starbucks continues to be so wildly successful!
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App of the week: Google Docs
Posted on28. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.
You should have expected this from me, right? At times I’m still puzzled when I encounter people who haven’t yet used Google docs. I know it’s not the only or the first online/collaborative tool for documents, but its probably the most pervasive.
First of all, you don’t have to have gmail to use Google Docs. That’s a misnomer. Literally you can go to docs.google.com and set up an account using any of your email addresses to create an account. From this account you’ll have access to spreadsheets, documents and presentations which all come with Google Docs. If you already have a gmail account, you won’t need to register for Docs, you can simply log in with your gmail credentials and have full access to docs. If at some point you decide that you want to make the move toward a gmail address, you can convert your account to gmail. That means you can log in at yourname@gmail.com instead of yourname@otheremail.com. This way you can access all Google services from one account. Brilliant.
I know some people really don’t like Google Docs. You say, “why would I use Google Docs when I’ve got Microsoft Office?” Or you say, “Google Docs doesn’t have all the features I have in word or excel.” Those are really good points. At this point, I wouldn’t be satisfied with Google Docs as an office replacement. It’s not as feature rich as Microsoft. There are things that I do in excel and word that I can’t do in Google. So, I still use excel and word. However, every time I’m working on a project, spreadsheet or document that multiple people will have input with, I use Google Docs and share it. It may have started off as a word or excel document or it may end up as a word or excel document, but while it’s in the collaborative stage, it lives in Google Docs. Edits happen in real time, revision history is kept and it saves so much TIME!
I’d say that Google’s openness is what makes this work. I can easily import my word or excel files into Google Docs. When I’m done with the collaborative part, I can export very easily as well. If Google tried to lock everything down into a Google proprietary format, this wouldn’t have worked.
So, if you haven’t really played much with Google Docs, log in and play around with it. Unlike gmail, you can actually put things in folders. Organize away and know that every word in every document is easy accessible through a Google search (don’t worry, others can’t search and find our documents). The applications are endless. I use them with my staff and volutneer teams all the time, especially since my volunteer teams don’t have access to files that may reside on the server. I have a spreadsheet that tracks my weight loss (it even has all the formulas to calculate percentages), I have a word doc for my bucket list, Sara and I have a simple budget in a Google spreadsheet and I sometimes draft blog posts or articles in google docs so they’re always accessible.
This week I’m going to share a few tricks with Google Docs that have made my life better. If your not already using them, perhaps you will after this week.
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The Google Empire
Posted on15. Mar, 2010 by Kenny.
Jonathan Cliff sent me this video yesterday. He sent it to me probably because he knows I love Google so much and probably because he likes to pick on me for being a nerd about things the end of this video illustrates. It’s true, I am. JC, thanks for sending me this video and although I’m a big Google fanboy, in the back of my head, I’m just a little afraid.
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Browser Wars
Posted on15. Feb, 2010 by Kenny.
Yesterday I announced that Google Chrome was my app of the week, mostly becasue of the extensions capability. I’ve been using Firefox for the last several years and have been very excited to move to Chrome. However, I realized that most people generally use Internet Explorer if they have a PC. If they have a Mac, then there’s a good chance they’re using Safari. What browser you use is totally a personal choice, but I think that most of these people use these browsers simple becasue it’s what was on their computer when they got it and they’re just happy with it. The problem is that most of these people don’t know that there could possibly be a much better experience right around the corner. This blog post is simply to reveal some options you didn’t know you were missing.
So, here’s the basic rundown of the big four browsers.
Internet Explorer: Seriously, are you really using this? It’s slow and often riddled with security issues. Do yourself a favor and download any other browser. You’ll be glad you did. Internet Explorer is the oldest browser of the big four. It also has the largest market share, but that certainly isn’t an indicator of how good it is. In actuality, their market share has been decreasing to the other three big browsers simply because they’re better. IE has not been innovative in many years. It can do some of the “extra things” the other browsers can do, but mainly becasue it has adapted and copied over the years to remain relevant.
Safari: It’s a genuinely positive browsing experience. The basic, entry level Mac user tends to use Safari and be happy with it as a web browser and it really is good. It’s probably the dominant Mac browser simply becasue it comes with the Mac and new Mac owners don’t know any better. When you compare Firefox to Safari, Firefox usually wins when it comes to features and usability. Safari does include plugins which create extra functionality, but the number is limited mainly becasue of Apple’s iron grip on all Apple products which lessen development from outsiders.
Firefox: For many years now, Firefox has been the open browser that people came to when they got tired of a poor browsing experience or being told how they should browse the internet. The stigma for quite some time was that if a person really wasn’t very computer savvy, they used Safari or Internet Explorer, but once they moved beyond what was handed to them, they moved to Firefox. Firefox is very customizable from aesthetics to functionality. Thousands of developers are constantly creating new plugins to allow you do to all kinds of cool stuff. Personally, I moved to Firefox about 3 years ago and my experience has been amazing. The plugins make all the difference in the world. As a result, my browser experience is always changing and getting better.
Chrome: I don’t know that anyone saw Chrome coming when they jumped in the browser war a little over a year ago. Chrome was designed to push browsers to the next level. Changes were made to the way Chrome operates as a browser to make it faster. We all want a faster experience and Chrome has taken big steps to make that happen. Another really cool thing Chrome did was to make each tab it’s own individual process. That means when the page your surfing fails and locks up, it doesn’t lock up your entire browser. Just close out of that tab and you’ll see all your other tabs work just fine. Like anything new, the layout is a little different and it may take some getting used to, but the experience is better. Like I posted yesterday, Chrome just added extension functionality so you can customize your browsing experience. However, what Chrome did differently is to separate the extension processes from the browsing processes so your speed experience isn’t minimized as a result of extensions. Firefox users have always known that when more plugins are installed, the slower the browser ran. Not true of Chrome.
So, that’s an overview of the current browser war. Yes, it was my opinion. It’s based on my experience of using all four browsers. So what do I use? Well, since I’m a Mac, I don’t even have access to Internet Explorer anymore. I use Safari about once a week and it’s usually just as a backup. Sometimes I come to a web page that doesn’t display correctly, so I’ll open Safari just to see what it looks like there. That’s really the only reason I use Safari. Primarily though, I’m still a Firefox user; however, Chrome may have just swooped into the lead with all the extensions. Chrome for the Mac is still technically Beta and I’ve occasionally encountered it’s bugginess. Until the glitch I run in to while editing blog posts on Wordpress is fixed, I’ll probably still use Firefox primary. After that, I see a switch in the works.
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Google news
Posted on11. Feb, 2010 by Kenny.
As much as Sam Luce and Jim Wideman are Apple fanboys, I’m just about as fanatical about Google. Maybe not as much thought, Sam once told me that he’d drink Steve Job’s bathwater… at least I think that’s what he said. 
What I love so much about Google is that they push through glass ceilings to promote progress. Yeah, they’ve got an agenda. They want to sell ads that you’ll see and click on. But if that means I get to have access to quality tools, a faster internet and free services in exchange for a small strip of text ads on my sidebar, I’m up for that… especially when they’re relevant to what I want or what I need. In recent years they pushed congress to auction off the 700 MHz spectrum. Did Google with their billions buy it? Nope, but they saw the potential of having this spectrum open for consumer use… to benefit us the user as well as them as a business. They also released an open OS for smart phones called android. In the near future there will be more android phones on the market than iPhones. Their innovation pushes progress forward that benefits us as the end user.
Their latest project that they’re starting to push out the door is fiber communities. Click here to read about it or watch the video below. Basically, Google wants to provide ultra high speed internet straight to your house. Most of us get anywhere from 5-10 megabit per second. Google wants to jump that speed to over 1 gigabit per second at a reasonable price. They also want to do what other companies won’t do, but share their network with other companies so more people can have faster access to the internet. Even though Google is looking at how this will make them more money, but through providing us with more. How can you not love this?
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Syncing Google Calendar and Contacts with your iPhone
Posted on14. Oct, 2009 by Kenny.
So yesterday I officially switched my work mail to Gmail. I was tired of putting up with Entourage and even more frustrated with my inability to share my work calendar with my wife who manages her/our calendar with Google Calendar. Using Gmail as a catch all account is taking a little bit of an adjustment, but I really like it so far. I need to develop a system with labels and filters, otherwise I think I might drown.
Now that I’m using Gmail, my only calendar is my Google Calendar. However, I wanted to make sure that the calendar on my iPhone syncs with Google. I learned how to do this when I gave my wife my iPod touch.
Go to NuevaSync and create a free account. NuevaSync is an online service that will connect your Google accounts with your iPhone (or other phones as well) by pretending to be an exchange server. It’s really easy to set up and it’s completely free. Within a few minutes, my calendar and contacts were synced. Push email (through Gmail) and the ability to sync up to 50 calendars is available at a very low price as well. I already bring in my Gmail into my iPhone, so I didn’t see the need to pay for anything.
So, if you use Google Calendar and would prefer to sync your iPhone (or several other smart phones for that matter) to this calendar, check out NuevaSync.
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Brainstorming vs. Improv
Posted on18. May, 2009 by Kenny.
I was at a birthday party last night and met a guy. He’s a very successful business man responsible for many start-ups. He was recently at a conference where an executive from Google was being interviewed or spoke (I don’t remember the details). Supposedly, Google decision makers take part in improv classes.
Why?
The brainstorming process says, “that’s a good idea, but…”
Improvisation says, “that’s a good idea, and…”
So, I don’t know exactly what that means yet, but I’ve been thinking about it a lot. Here’s what I’m thinking. Many ideas in the brainstorming process only make it to the white board. Although it’s an incredibly collaborative process where ideas birth new ideas, usually only a few make it into reality. What I see in my head and what gets written on the board aren’t always the same thing. However, in improvisational action, ideas take shape, ideas are alive and moving and other decision makers jump in, add their parts and help the idea evolve.
Intriguing concept for sure? What does this look like in reality? I have no idea?
Any thoughts on how this might be applied in a practical sense?
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Google Video Chat
Posted on18. Dec, 2008 by Kenny.
I remember visiting the Sharper Image store when I was a kid and playing around the video phone. I don’t know if it really was an actual product or just a gimmick. Well, the video phone never really caught on like it was envisioned in the 80’s, but video conferencing is alive and well. I first started dabbling in this five years ago using an external web cam and yahoo chat. In recent time I’ve used skype to video chat with my missionary friend in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Now that I have a Mac, I absolutely love iChat for the 2 or 3 people I use it with(except it’s only available for Mac users… come on Steve Jobs. I’m not drinking your cool aid and your closed and proprietary products don’t impress me, no matter how “great” they are. If Apple was bigger, they would rival Microsoft in evilness – rant done). Then a few weeks ago google launched Google chat. As long as you have a webcam, you can chat via video through gmail. I pretty much always have gmail open on my machine, so it is actually my preferred method of communication with Sara while at work. I get to look at her pretty face while I talk to her. I’ve had a few video chats with Matt McKee as well.
So, if you haven’t tried it yet, you really should.
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Is it curiosity or vanity?
Posted on05. Apr, 2008 by Kenny.
My confession: Every now and again I Google my name. Don’t you?
I did a web search several years ago and I’d come up reviews that I had done for various resources. Then about 4 or 5 years ago there was a Kenny Conley in Boston who went to trial for police brutality. It caused quite the uproar in the city as people were sporting “Justice for Kenny Conley” bumper stickers. Actually, my admin from a previous church got one for me. Since I began working for churches with a bigger web presence, I started to show up on those pages in a general name search. Now that I’m blogging, my name is much more likely to come up in a web search. However, I just came across my favorite link, the reason why I wrote this vanity post at all. It shows the “brokenness” of the web in it’s purest form.
Click here to see the page!
A few years ago I spoke at the adult service. The talk was titled “How do we guide our children spiritually. It was made available as a podcast with links to the church web site. The mp3 is no longer there, but this page shows the links. Obviously, mp3’s are indexed and spidered just as all other things on the Internet. This page in particular has me grouped with my peers; Kenny G, Kenny Rogers and Kenny Loggins. This site is also “THE PLACE” to get Kenny Conley – How Do We Guide Our Children Spiritually for your phone. My absolute favorite though – Click here for sexy videos of Kenny Conley – How Do We Guide Our Children Spiritually. Yes, you have arrived to internet stardom when you have a free sexy video online.
Technorati Tags: Kenny Conley,Google
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