Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Review: Google Docs "offline" feature


You can "Edit Google documents offline...when you don’t have an Internet connection."

But...what you need to be aware of...and what I had to experience to understand...is that this can only be done (when using the Microsoft Windows disk operating system) in the Google Chrome browser.  I use a lot of different browsers, and was unable to have this feature available with them.

"...Any changes you've made while disconnected will sync with the online version in your Documents List when you regain your connection to the Internet.

"Offline editing is only available for Google documents. It’s not available yet for Google spreadsheets or presentations.

"If you lose your connection to the Internet while editing a Google document, you'll be informed at the top of the page that your network connection has been lost. Your edits will continue to be saved offline, so you can keep typing.

Note that:  "...offline editing allows a document to be open in only a single tab at a time.

http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107972

When offline, in the Google Chrome browser, go to "drive.google.com" and what is available will appear.

This is great!

I am now considering moving all, or most, of my information from Evernote to Google Docs because of this free offline feature.  I love Evernote, and have always been thankful for it.  But, I've not been happy with the offline options available for free accounts.  Until recently, I believed I was unable to have a note available on my (Samsung Galaxy Player) Android device while offline.  Evernote states:

"...When this user syncs their device, enough data to allow for this note to be found via search (title, text in the body...and other metadata) is downloaded to their device, but not the whole note. When this user selects the note in question from a list of notes, the rest of the note will be downloaded."

With Google Drive installed on my Android device, I am able to make files available offline.  I find this very, very useful.

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I am very interested in apps that allow for synchronization, accessing, and modifying of data offline.  I continue to appreciate, and use, Palm personal digital assistants (PDAs).  And will probably replace them with Android and Google Chrome OS devices...when I am able to get all of my data ported to them from the Palm Desktop.


Friday, November 16, 2012

Personality radio...where the hell is it?



Here are some items from an article titled "Hot-Rocking, Flame-Throwing Memories".  The article covers radio programming based in personality.  A lot of the points of this article have been lost to radio station ownership and management.  These are things I learned from working (hard) "in the trenches"...

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“You never had time to look back or to debate very long on decisions...You had to just go on your ‘gut’ because it was fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants programming.”

“People in modern-day radio over-think programming...”

"...I have never heard a boring air-check of ‘Z100′ in the 1980s.  It was always exciting, compelling, and on the edge.  The whole station lived on the edge.  You never knew when we were going to say something crazy or do something stupid.”

"...we were all on a team.”

“Frankly, many companies don’t want personalities who rise above the others because of budgets...there really doesn’t seem to be much training going on in the business.  There certainly is not as much as there was before.”

"...it is still about passion and excitement...Compelling content is more important than ever because everyone now has the same tools...too many stations sound alike.  Stations have the same information and research.  Many stations around the country even have the same personalities...”

"...teach people to have a flame burning in their soul and to have a passion for what they do..."

“I don’t recognize radio people as personalities hardly at all today.  You are lucky if you are able to say just your name – it is amazing.  In most cases, they have no personality.  It is another flip-card situation.  You can hear how restricted they are.  No one is allowing personality radio.  There is no reason for you to listen to radio unless you can find a personality but there are not many of them...”

“It is not what you say – it is how you say it.  You can choose to do, ‘That was/here is’ – or – you can get something done by saying where the artist is from, or some unique situation about the song.  It is called being knowledgeable.  That is a contribution that makes people want to listen.  Unfortunately though, there is no money for talent in radio anymore.  It is something I would not want to do because of what they pay.  It is ridiculous and so sad.”

"...I am not going to get up to check out a CHR morning show...I don’t hear much other than a syndicated Ryan Seacrest...he is basically doing show business stuff and gossip.  There is nothing about that to make me think, ‘Oh my God, that is a fantastic bit – I have to listen tomorrow’...I have not heard much from the others I have listened to, but then again, I do not expect much.”

http://www.radioinfo.com/2012/11/16/hot-rocking-flame-throwing-memories/