The Evolution of Solar Energy
CES 2017 Edition SmartHome Solutions
Unity System - Case & Cradle Review iBabyLabs - Award Winning Baby Monitors Grillbot: Automatic Grill Cleaning Robot
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Inside this edition SMB 4 Prospering with Prosperworks
Marnï Melrose
5 The iPAD’s Impact on
Small Business John Garrett
8 Using Evernote For My Business
Glenn Rieker
9 Microsoft Office 365
Business Premium Dave Park
14 Battery Diagnostics On-the-fly
Isidor Buchmann
16 Touching And Being Touched
Beyond Your Expectations! Jey Raj
In Review 6 Unity System 11 Nest 12 iBaby 13 MileBug 17 Intuit QuickBooks 19 Carbonite 21 By Jasco 23 Casio 24 JetStream 28 Philips 35 Fujitsu 36 Swann One
30 Optimizing Macs for
High-End Users Jens Lodholm
Michael Muhney
Alex De Santo Editor@iBusinessmag.com Senior Editor Ele Mansouri assistant@iBusinessmag.com Executive Assistant JC Seymour chiefeditor@iBusinessmag.com Editor-In-Chief Zoi Sotirakos production@iBusinessmag.com Production Manager Giuliano Rosati graphics@iBusinessmag.com Creative Director
Joe Galati reviews@iBusinessmag.com Product Review Specialist
40 Best Travel Accessories For iPad
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Jose Seymour pr@iBusinessmag.com Press Releases & Public Relations
33 Networking for the New Year
Carmine De Santo publisher@iBusinessmag.com Publisher & Senior Editor
And iPhone Rene Siegal
Dave Park, Terry Jarrell reviews@iBusinessmag.com Product Review Specialist iBusiness Magazine Apple Solutions for Business iBusiness Magazine ISSN (Print): 2157-6629 & 2157-6637 (Online) is published bi-monthly by Loop USA Inc. If you would like to subscribe to iBusiness Magazine both print & digital Editions, please visit http:// www.iBusinessmag.com/iBusiness_Magazine/Subscribe.html
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Prospering with Prosperworks Marnï Melrose www.macangel.com about.me/marnimelrose
Can you believe it? I never thought in a million years that I would be implementing CRMs again.
• Base CRM frustrated me because it’s API was so restrictive. It also didn’t have any lightweight project management. I also didn’t like that the phone What a strange world we live in. Recently I have been coach- system was integrated so it created lock-in. (You ing a Mid-Market company with 710 employees and I stum- know how I am about lock-in) Prosperworks will soon bled onto a new CRM because one of their marketing tech- have Ringcentral integration. Q1 2017 nologies, Autopilot, might soon integrate with them. • Zoho is a powerhouse to be sure, but it does take a lot So I checked Prosperworks out longer to implement for people and some things I have to tell you I am a bit jaded these days, so I am a tough about it are still difficult and clunky. Especially tasks customer. However, I was surprised by what I found and how management. People who use Prosperworks, don’t easy it was to use. It reminds me a lot of Daylite, but it has a even necessarily need a full implementation, it is that lot more going for it in terms of being able to communicate easy! (Only if you want coaching in how best to use it with other systems and to intelligently tell you what is going for your business or migration and customization on. Here are some of the things that excite me about it. help.) Or if you want to learn the Melrose Method. • It always irked me that with most CRMs when I am mobile, I can’t see emails that I have exchanged with someone, with Prosperworks I can. This makes working remotely a breeze.
•
• In most CRMs I can’t associate an email to a completely different project, opportunity or company. (I loved that in Daylite’s email plugin) With Prosperworks I can. If you are wondering why I keep mentioning Daylite. I was the world leading imple mentor of it for 10 years before moving into the cloud, but it still holds a special place in my heart. It launched my career.
They just received 24 Million in funding to invest in the AI so it can get better at tracking what your company does to close a deal. After it learns that, it will make suggestions on deals and tell you what needs to be done to close them.
• On another Daylite note, I always really liked the light project management that it had. Prosperworks has that, as well as automated actions. • It’s also important that Prosperworks is quick to implement. Being a business productivity coach, I want my clients to be up and running quickly. It should take a few hours, not a few months! • It’s important to me that I can use the Melrose Method in my systems, with Prospworks I can. *The Melrose Method is my proprietary method of project task management that takes humans into account within a business.
SMB
• I like that with Prosperworks so deeply integrated with Google, that I can truly get work done remotely. My documents, spreadsheets, presentations and files all sync perfectly. Google actually uses and recommends Prosperworks, it’s the only CRM they do recommend! • I like that Prosperworks works with Zapier so I can get it to talk back and forth to my internal systems really easily. (Kajabi, ActiveCampaign, and Redbooth)
is a business coach and technology trainer.
Marnï Melrose
4
Novaturience, LLC the experience of powerful change.
• I hated that Podio was so horrible with email. Prosperworks lives in your Gmail and you can do almost everything from there. Outfreakin-standing! Incidentally one of the Podio Partners who created PodioTools is trialing Prosperworks as I type this.
Prosperworks has almost zero data entry, it hunts through signatures and other resources that Google has at it’s disposal and builds a rich profile of each person! Who doesn’t LOVE that?
I am not going to go on and on about it (seriously I could write a book at this point). I encourage you to check it out for yourself if you use Gsuite or are thinking about it.
The iPAD’s Impact on Small Business John Garrett www.fmadvisors.com info@fmadvisors.com @FMAdvisors Toll: (888)-656-0740
SMB
John Garrett serves as CEO of Facilities Management Advisors, LLC. Prior to founding FMA, Garrett maintained over 18 years of experience within the Facility Management, Corporate Real Estate, and Facility Services Industries. www.fmadvisors.com info@fmadvisors.com @FMAdvisors Toll: (888)-656-0740
It’s been called a game-changer, but why is it that the iPad different types of industries are finding uses for tablets.” is a must-have tool for small business? Running a small business through a tablet or smartphone is quickly becoming the Transblue FM uses applications such as Service Channel & High Five through tablets and smartphones to seamlessnorm for savvy business owners. ly manage work orders, performance audits, vendor manOften, small businesses are usually under-resourced. So agement & invoicing. “We selected Apple products for our when a tool comes along that can affordably allow them to business as we believe they had superior technology,” says conduct business more effectively & efficiently – that’s an at- Dave Wescott. “It enables our Account Managers to be more tractive option to many small business owners. They can use flexible, and in an industry that runs 24/7/375, flexibility & the iPad to engage clients, improve productivity and process- mobility are keys to being successful. Our managers are comes, and remotely manage most critical areas of the business. fortable managing work orders, reviewing scorecards with clients, all virtually. It has enhanced the work environment, “We utilize the products to track vendors, verify service, added flexibility, and made our team more efficient.” manage performance and log into 3rd party apps,” says Dave Wescott, CEO of Transblue FM (www.transbluefm.com), a An iPad isn’t just fun to use. With the right apps and accessoleading supplier of national Facilities Management services. ries, Apple’s tablet can become a work machine. When linked “We’ve taken all the manual processes that use to be in the with a Bluetooth keyboard & the right combination of applibusiness and put those into the iPAD. That means that all cations, an iPad can in large part replace laptop or desktop the information is available to everyone in the business, on computer. And the broad selection of iPad apps (2.2 million the fly, in real-time. We are able to make informed decisions currently available in the app store) can help you view, create quickly that positively impact the quality of service we deliv- and edit documents, deliver presentations, plan your workday and manage your business’s bottom line – all on a device er our clients.” that’s much thinner and more portable than a laptop. “A lot of small-business owners use tablets and the applications available as tools to quickly look up products, see As a result, small business are seeing a sustained ROI – they what’s in their inventory and communicate with employees,” are able to more effectively manage all aspects of the busisays Kimberly Eddleston, Professor of Entrepreneurship and ness from virtually anywhere, while improving internal & Innovation at Northeastern University. “It’s amazing how client communications.
In Review
Sometimes a products form is just as important as function. The Unity system is not just practical it is incredibly stylish as well.
At the time of this writing the manufacturer did not provide pricing on their website.
The system includes a Unity Smart Case iPhone case and cradle. Note To learn more about the MyMe Unity system, visit them on the web at the case and cradle can be purchased separately or as the complete www.mymeunity.com system together. The Smart Case fits either iPhone 7, iPhone 6 Plus or 6s Plus, iPhone 6 or 6s as well as fitting iPhone 5/5s/SE. The case includes dual layers of cushion protection against drops poly-carbonate outside and soft silicone inside. The case includes a magnet in the back that will adhere not just to the cradle, but any metallic surface as well. Unity shows a user adhering his phone to a car with the magnetic feature. I can see the value in viewing repair instructions on the phone directly while working on it. Having the phone adhere to anything metallic is a nice feature. The cradle consists of a metal sphere mounted on top of a cone with a suction cup base. The Smart Case easily connects to the cradle, just touch them together and lock. Now that the your phone is connected to the cradle, it can be attached to any surface the suction cup will allow. As well because your phone connects magnetically to the metal sphere atop the cradle, it can easily be turned and rotated 360 degrees. Your phone is in reach, and at your desired angle. MyMe has given consumers a choice to purchase the system complete or separately, this would be handy when buying another phone. Or as often happens to business people when you have one phone for business and one phone for personal use, but only need one cradle at a time. Unity cases and cradles come in Black, White, Aquagreen and Red.
6
Using Evernote For My Business Glenn Rieker
Alright, I understand I am late to the party of Evernote, but showing up late is better than not attending the party. Like a lot of people who have come to embrace Evernote, I first tried the app six years ago and just didn’t get it. It could have been where the interface was at the time or it could have been me, the operator of the device.
• Using Scannable to scan receipts or other paper documents. • Photographing white boards which makes them searchable documents.
• Voice recordings. Fast forward six years and now I couldn’t run our businesses • Easily share notes and notebooks with others. without Evernote. In fact, I became so engrossed by the im- pact of Evernote on our small business I became a Certified • On an iphone you can increase the security of Evernote Community Leader. Evernote by opting for fingerprint recognition to Like most small business owners I am constantly trying to open the app. find ways to streamline our workflow and access to needed Finally Evernote will sync across all of your apple devices and information, especially when I am on a client’s project or although each user interface is a little different because of stopping by or calling a vendor to pick up material for a projthe technology of each device the workflow is seamless. I use ect. a premium account and find the annual fee more than reaPrevious to Evernote I had information in multiple apps on sonable as we save that much money each and every day in various devices, some of which synced and some that did not increased efficiency. We are now virtually a paperless compatalk to each other. The result was time wasted trying to re- ny and I no longer need a paper tablet to record information member where I kept what information and putting my fin- on a construction site. gers on that information. We have several clients where we have morphed from being more than a design/build garden construction company to full fledged estate managers and concierge. This includes buying jet skis, picking up new cars for Christmas and picking up iPads for their kids and setting them up and managing an extensive collection of 80+ wetsuits and life vest at a lakehouse . Along with each of these purchases, come reciepts, manuals and business cards. Now if a client asks us what they spent on jet ski service last fall, or if I have the directions for the fooseball table, I can access that information with a couple of finger swipes. During garden construction, we always document any underground installations such as irrigation pipes and outdoor garden lighting wiring. We can then save these to an As Built Notebook for quick and easy future reference. I can also annotate these photos if I need to share them with other vendors. This eliminates or at least minimizes and chance for misunderstandings on the job site.
SMB
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Glenn Rieker is Managing Partner of MKEGreenworks LLC in Grafton, WI and a Certified Evernote Community Leader.
Now, during our initial interview one of the questions I ask our potential clients is to see where they are technology wise is, if the currently use Evernote. If not, as long as they can surf the net, I can show them how to use Evernote and then I can easily share all project related information with them in a shared notebook. They can set up a free Evernote account to have access to this shared notebook. We recently had a project with a husband and wife who are both doctors and when I brought up the Evernote possibility, they both excitedly said, “Oh, we couldn’t live without Evernote in med school”, but had not used it recently. And now they are once again using it for personal use. Some of the features of using Evernote are:
• The ability to email directly to Evernote.
• Adding tags to entries for easy searching.
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Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium Dave Park www.directdial.com www.bydavepark.com dpark@directdial.com
Recently I downloaded a 30 day free trial of Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium. The Business Premium version includes the following apps:
• Excel • Outlook • Powerpoint • Word • One Note
Note there is a PC version of Publisher but not for the MAC or iOS As well as the following Services:
• Sway • Exchange Online • OneDrive • Skype for Business
as Wikipedia. It creates a simple layout, and also offers suggestions on further subsets of the topic to include in your newly created document. I created a simple document about Electrical Engineering as my topic. The software pulled relevant information as well as images of scientists who would be considered the inventors who first discovered the foundations of Electrical Engineering. The Sway tool is an interesting research tool, allowing you to create a document outline quickly. I did not try Outlook or the Exchange Online features as I was only installing a trial. In my work our company often helps people migrate their email from an another solution over to Microsofts. This process can all be handled remotely and in the end you retain all your email accounts and data. This can even be accomplished outside of business hours so there is no downtime for your employees. Microsoft even offers an Office 365 Plan that just provides the Exchange Online without any other components.
It is very easy to tie your Microsoft account across your devices. If your work computer uses Microsoft Office 365 I can see inThe install process was very straight forward, after setting up an stalling on your MAC, iPhone and iPad as well. Having all your account I was also able to download the iOS versions of the APP’s documents wherever you are is the true work from anywhere to both my iPhone and my iPad. cloud solution. As most businesses still run PC’s Apple’s software Something of note, when I tried to utilize the OneDrive feature, is not an “every device” solution.Licensing of Business Premium at first it did not work and I was greeted with the message to includes the rights to install the software on 5 Computers and 5 check back later from the control panel. OneDrive itself just gave Tablets and Or Phones So a user can truly access all the files and a cryptic error message that the drive was not accessible. After applications from any of their devices. waiting a half hour, it still faltered however the following day it worked perfectly. OneDrive is Microsoft’s answer to iCloud and with Business Premium 1 TB of storage is included. Like iCloud, OneDrive is integrated across the applications as a file location. Once you sign into your Applications you can pick up your OneDrive files from any device. Recently my wife was delighted to find out that from her Xbox One, she could access her OneDrive and view family photos she had saved there.
SMB
Dave provides IT solutions for SMB’s in Canada and the United States. He has been selling I.T. products since the days of the Commodore VIC 20. Dave’s work website is www.directdial.com His personal website is www.bydavepark.com dpark@directdial.com
Licensing is based on a subscription either monthly or yearly at a slight discount. Businesses will like a paid monthly feature. Simply pay for as many licenses as you need per month. At month end you can add or remove as many licenses as you need to. Perfect for companies with seasonal rushes, businesses that are cyclic in nature or growing companies that are always adding more staff. Besides the Office 365 Business Premium version Microsoft offers a variety of plans to suit an individual businesses Office 365 contains all the familiar features of previous versions needs as well as the ability to upgrade and downgrade between of office. The software also gives you the option to access your the versions as needs change. software and files in a web browser, so one can literally work Some companies believe in buying a physical FPP (full packaged from anywhere there is an internet connection. On a MacBook product), once and then never paying a subscription fee again. Air with only 4GB of RAM the programs still loaded quickly even However new features are constantly added to the package, as when opening large files. well not many businesses are so static that licensing needs do All the applications have been modernized Powerpoint had a not change. Being locked into a physical product means you are nifty “morph” transition that allows you to move across a di- literally are locked in, yes you have a fixed cost, but no options agram bringing each key point into a larger centre of focus. In for change. the example Microsoft gave, a view of the solar system morphed from planet to planet to talk about the key features of each. Even The only real downside I found with my Office 365 install was the though I was able to access the Powerpoint application from my auto updating feature. I find I spend a great deal of time using my iPhone, I do not think you would want to create an entire presen- computer at home just to communicate, or do web research. So tation from scratch, but I was easily able to add pictures from my when I do finally get around to loading office again it needs to be updated. I understand the new features and bug fixes are a good camera roll and title them for a quick and simple presentation. thing. It just seems the constant prompts are an annoyance. The Word has become such a standard, even Pages allows you to ex- iOS Apps have the ability to just update themselves when not in port documents in Microsoft Word format. I found the comput- use, I would like to see this kind of system in place for the comer application opened quickly, editing on an iPhone is a bit too puter as well. Note I have this same annoyances with my Adobe much for older eyes like mine. Perhaps one could ramp up the Creative Cloud as well, it seems like I spend just as much time view or font size, but I would rather type on a keyboard than try updating it as I do using it. I know for security reasons it would to poke my way through creating a real document on a touch- be unwise to turn this feature off, I would really like it if the software offered an option to update it when you are closing it rather screen. than opening it for use. One of the more interesting new tools is Sway. Sway allows you to type in a topic, the software then searches the internet, and To talk about Office 365 or any other I.T. product feel free to conpulls relevant information about your topic from sources such tact the author at dpark@directdial.com
9
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In Review
Nest Labs is an innovative home programmables company founded in 2010 by a pair of former Apple engineers. Nest offers connected home devices to provide Smarthome features without the cost of entirely retrofitting homes to automate tasks for comfort and safety. Although the company distributes its own selected branded products, a broad array of third party connected products marketed as Works with Nest provide as few or as much programmable, controllable automation as desired.. Nest computer and mobile apps for either iOS (iPhone, iPad, Watch or Apple TV) or Android smartphones provide the homeowner with centralized control of devices through unlimited mobile devices and computers for local or remote control. Remote access is facilitated by WiFi or wired Ethernet with Internet access. Nest and connected Works with Nest products can be controlled for two homes with multiple accounts. Nest’s own products include its Learning Wi-Fi enabled thermostat to optimize heating and cooling private and public spaces to conserve energy, Nest Protect smoke detector with CO alarm, indoor camera and outdoor camera. Works with Nest third party connected home products communicate with Nest devices independently or through their own apps which can connect with Nest.
2. LifXsmartlightbulbsworkswith Nest thermostat to turn lights on and off throughout the home when the thermostat notices the homeowner’s absence from home. Philips offers a similar product in its Hue Smart LED light bulbs. 3. Jenn-AirConnectedWallOvens Ovens works with Nest thermostat to alert the home owner about oven activity, allowing the oven to be turned off remotely. 4. SkyBellHDWiFiVideoDoorbell works with the Nest cam to sense motion and starts Skybell’s video to record sensed activity around the home. When Nest Protect senses smoke or carbon monoxide, Skybell HD can blink red as an alert to not enter the home. 5. SleepNumber beds with sleep IQ work with Nest thermostat for temperature control to facilitate optimal sleep. Nest products offers homeowners a way to optimize home comfort and safety when at home or for additional peace of mind while away.
Nest products can work standalone or together. For instance, if the Nest Protect smoke CO detector senses an emergency, it can shut off the Nest thermostat and alert the homeowner by smartphone. Nest’s Home/Home Away Assist feature automatically adjusts Nest and Works with Nest products either locally or remotely when away by using the location and built-in sensors. A small sampling of Works with Nest Products either offered by Nest or featured on its website includes: 1. Google Home works with Nest thermostat to play music, manage automated home tasks and control devices.
11
In Review
Ž At one time being a family was a very traditional thing. Mom and Dads tor. I can see this being a big hit with grandparents. weren’t on the go, and often we lived nearby our loved ones if not with them. Times have changed, and being a parent sometimes means either being away The iBaby monitor system also includes access to a community of other parents. You can reach out to on the social platform to other parents with quesfrom your children, or being connected to the office after hours. tions or offer support. As a company iBaby Labs helps facilitate these changed times. Parents are often connected to their devices at home. The companies line of iOS and Android When the Monitor detects a sound or motion, it alerts you it will also take a connected baby monitors, lets parents keep an eye on their children from the photo or short video of the event. I can see this being a handy feature, most often we will already be near our iPhone or iPad. Being able to see what happened next room, or the other side of the world. takes away the guesswork found with traditional audio only baby monitors. When selecting a monitor iBaby has three models to choose from. Temperature and humidity sensors mean you can easily tell if conditions are perfect for your baby. The M6 offers: Also sold separately on the iBaby Labs website is a wall mount for the monitor. 720p video It lists at $34.95 along with spare parts such as antennas and power adapters. 2.4 GHz wireless The devices themselves list on the iBaby Labs website as follows: Sound and Motion Alerts M6 iBaby Monitor $149.95 360 degree Pan and 110 degree tilt
Two-way audio
M6T iBaby Monitor $159.95
Night Vision
M6S iBaby Monitor $179.95
10+ Lullabies and Bedtime Stories
The Ability to Record your Voice and Replay
Their products are available at ibabylabs.com or from Apple, Amazon, BabiesRus, Nodstrom, Target and BestBuy.
Record Videos
Snap HD Pictures
Share on Facebook and Twitter
The Ability to Invite Unlimited Users
Add Unlimited Cameras
Sleep Mode
The next model up is the M6T, it offers all these features as well as:
a Humidity and Temperature Sensor
The top of the line model is the M6S, it offers all the features of the previous versions as well as:
12
1080p High Definition Video
An Air Quality Sensor
Dual Band: 2.4 GHz and 5 Ghz wireless
The iBaby monitors include super simple installation. Just download the App, connect the viewing device to the monitor via USB, and the installation is handled automatically. Adjusting the camera angle is easily done with a swipe. With the App you can easily record your own voice to play back through the monitor. You can also invite friends and family to view a live feed of the moni-
In Review
How many times, as a mobile professional, have you wished that you could accurately track mileage? MileBug provides a multi-platform mobile mileage tracking solution to track mileage for for business reimbursement and/or tax purposes. MileBug is an app runs on iOS devices, WindowsPhone 8 and Android smartphones. Its distinguishing features are its intuitive interface and ease of use. MileBug uses the smartphone GPS to track each mile traveled. The user’s entire route is graphed, mileage is electronically tracked mileage and a detailed trip log is generated with information needed to document mileage for reimbursement or when preparing taxes. The user receives an emailed HTML or Excel friendly report which can be stored and backed up for future reference or to pull for tax return preparation. Mileage is calculated
at $0.54 per mile (the current standard mileage rate for travel and transportation expenses). Information documented includes the start and end date of the trip, name of business, place of origin, destination, purpose of the trip, vehicle used, odometer start, odometer end, total miles traveled, expenses if any. Travel is then tracked by date and sorted by purpose, or however the user wishes to sort the report data. MileBug has advantages not only for professional use but for personal use to track deductible travel. It is clearly easier and far more accurate than mapping out a trip on a routing mapsite, hoping the mileage is accurate and calculating the cost. MileBug makes manual mileage tracking a thing of the past and makes electronic tracking simple.
13
Battery Diagnostics On-the-fly Isidor Buchmann www.cadex.com. answers@cadex.com
Removing the “black-box” stigma by making well as with drones and electric drivetrains that depend on precise range predictions. performance transparent Battery users imagine a battery pack being an energy storage device that resembles a fuel tank dispensing liquid fuel. For simplicity reasons, a battery can indeed be perceived as a vessel storing electrical energy; however, measuring energy flowing into an electrochemical device and then drawing it out again is far more complex than handling liquid fuel. While a hydraulic fuel gauge measures liquids moving in and out of a tank of known size, a battery fuel gauge reads units of current. Battery size is specified in ampere hours (Ah), and what makes estimating battery state-of-charge (SoC) and state-of-health (SoH) so challenging is an unsteady state; a battery loses capacity with each charge and leaks energy in the form of self-discharge. The specified capacity of a new battery is (should be) 100%; replacement is typically at 80%. A standard fuel gauge only shows SoC; capacity is not revealed. A full charge lights up the entire SoC scale, even if the capacity has faded to 50% and delivers only half the runtime.
Figure 1: Fuel gauge. The battery fuel gauge always shows “full” after charge even if the capacity has dropped in half.
To maintain fuel gauge accuracy, a smart battery should periodically be calibrated by discharging it until the “Low Battery” symbol appears on the device. This can be done in the device. A full cycle sets the respective flags as shows in Figure 3. A linear line forms between these two anchor points to allow reasonably accurate SoC estimations for a time. How often should a battery be calibrated? This depends on the application. A battery in continued use should be calibrated every 3 months or after 40 partial cycles. If the device applies a periodic full deep discharge, then calibration should not be needed. A user’s manual for an Apple iPad reads: “For proper reporting of SoC, be sure to go through at least one full charge/ discharge cycle per month.” What happens if the battery is not calibrated regularly? Can such a battery be used with confidence? The battery should function normally and there are no safety concerns, but the digital SoC readout becomes unreliable. When designing a BMS, engineers often make the mistake of assuming that a battery will always stay young. As with us folks, batteries age and this is manifested in capacity loss. The SoC gauge will always show a glowing 100% after each charge. Capacity is conveniently hidden from the user. Several methods to estimate battery SoH exist and are in development. This article describes five technologies. They are: 1. Coulomb counting as part of an integral battery system in mobile phones and laptops
SMB
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Isidor Buchmann is the founder and CEO of Cadex Electronics Inc. For three decades, Buchmann has studied the behavior of rechargeable batteries in practical, everyday applications, has written award-winning articles including the best-selling book “Batteries in a Portable World,” now in its fourth edition. Cadex specializes in the design and manufacturing of battery chargers, analyzers and monitoring devices. For more information on batteries, visit www. batteryuniversity.com; product information is on www.cadex.com.
Estimating battery SoC is commonly done by coulomb counting. The theory goes back 250 years when Charles-Au- 2. Reading the FCC register in an SMBus battery* gustin de Coulomb first established the “Coulomb Rule.” It consists of units of electric charge in which one coulomb (1C) 3. Adding Read-and-charge(RAC) to a charger equals one ampere (1A) for 1 second. Figure 2 illustrates the principle of in and outflowing currents representing cou- 4. Rapid-tests by taking a snapshot of the “chemical battery” lomb counting. 5. Traditional full cycle. Coulomb counting should be flawless but tracking errors occur. If, for example, a battery was charged for 1 hour at 1 1. Coulomb Counting ampere, the same amount of energy should be available on Some mobile phones and laptops come with software that discharge. No battery can do this. Inefficiencies in charge estimates SoH. This is done by coulomb count, but service acceptance, especially towards the end of charge and partic- technicians familiar with such systems say that the readularly if fast-charged, reduces the energy efficiency. Losses ings are not reliable. Part of this arises from inaccuracies in also occur in storage and during discharge. The available en- measuring discharge current when running different applications. The load is pulsed and not all mobile phones allow ergy is always less than what has been fed into the battery. current measurement. This prevents the use of the capacity Coulomb counting becomes part of a battery management app in such cases. system (BMS) that also assists in controlling mobile phone and laptop batteries. Furthermore, a BMS keeps the battery * SMBus stands for System Management Bus and is one of the most common voltage and current in check to maintain safety and prolong “smart battery systems” for portable battery applications. Other systems provide similar features. battery life. The user of a new gadget is usually inclined to trust a fancy fuel gauge graphic. A false sense of security may develop but this trust is dashed when the runtimes get shorter with each charge as the device ages. For the casual user of a mobile phone or laptop, a fuel gauge error is only a mild irritant. The problem escalates with medical and military devices, as
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This was one of my reasons for going to Rwanda recently. I loved news and became “news literate and an armchair global problem solver”. You know, resolving situations in the head and in talk.
ished who could not afford three square meals. Rwanda is truly a beautiful place, and on the mend after the horrible 1994 genocide. The national symbol is the awesome gorilla. With a population of 12 million and 63 % living in extreme poverty and less than US$1.25 per day, the time was ripe for outreach.
It was quite life changing, myself and my family were impacted by the cheer, thankfulness and positive attitude of the people. We had several beautiful moments of sharing our stories and giving some of the gifts that we took from Canada. It was well received and it was touching us in more ways than one. What we complain about was so trivial compared to what the locals had to go through. Most live on one meal a day, with a glass of warm water and salt for the other meals. The average space for a couple with 4 kids is about 6 by 10 feet with living, sleeping, dining and bathroom all within that space, additionally there with no running water or electricity. The couple, Aziz James and Milcah are truly quite One of my Pastors, a very accomplished person who walked amazing running this program to help nearly 150 kids by givthe talk, kept sharing about the importance of walking in the ing them a proper education, meals and care at no cost. They other person’s moccasins. He was an accomplished and bril- also have a program to help about 50 women who do not liant scholar. From humble beginnings in Sri Lanka, he went have work to find employment or start a micro enterprise. on to study in the UK and completed his PhD during a time when it was not as widespread as it is today, he then joined the UN as senior director for a region. It was then that he found his purpose to leave all this and join the clergy. In his work, he was also responsible for global outreach. He would share about getting your hands dirty and building communities by loving people and caring for them in developing nations in Africa and South America in practical ways.
SMB
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Jey Dharmaraj is a, business and marketing professional with global and local experience. Helps in providing innovation and ideas in marketing to tap into new markets and generate fresh revenue streams.He offers consulting and mobile marketing tools for anyone who wants to engage with their marketplace more effectively and cost efficiently. Website is being re-engineered. May be contacted at jmsinc1572@gmail.com or ca.linkedin.com/in/ jdharmaraj for any info.
The journey from Toronto was tiring and long - about 30 hours via Doha. As soon as we arrived it was refreshing to see the smiles and welcome of the people. Their willingness to work so hard, look at anything with fresh new unbiased eyes and immense gratitude did something to change my complaining attitude. We were able to be there for about 10 days and we enjoyed it very much. We had a bit of break and went out to see some wild animals in a sanctuary. When I was still trying to push my family to go alone but in about we saw the size and wonder of the elephants, zebras, gaJune this year, I realized that I was being too much of a hyp- zelles, hippos and deer it made our zoo animals look starved ocrite and took the plunge and decided that I myself should and small! go. There were all sorts of challenges but we finally went with about 150 kilograms of toys, vitamins, children’s books and Time flew by and we are happy that we were able to take Gospel books. Without the support of my wife and daugh- some time and go. The work goes on with some of the women ter, who had just finished her graduation it would not have finding work and the kids getting a full education. This was a very fulfilling item on our bucket list that got crossed but we been possible. would like to do this again! It was absolutely amazing how people in our network stepped up and gave money, gifts and prayers to make our trip successful. We travelled to Rwanda Africa, where a professional young couple from India had already blazed the trail. They decided to move to Africa and settled in Rwanda in 2011, where they felt a need to impact the local community. Thus they started a School for the disadvantaged and impover-
In Review
Quickbooks has long been the industry standard in business accounting software. When I was in the whole software industry, there was no Mac version. Now with Quickbooks Online and Quickbooks Deskop version, not only can you access Quickbooks from your MAC you can also access it from your iPhone or iPad.
envelopes. Payments invoices and bills can be batch imported as well you can download bank and credit card transactions in batches. The desktop versions also allows up to three users to work in Quickbooks at a time. Note this would require three license purchases, and all three must be from the same version of Quickbooks.
Quickbooks interfaces with a wide variety of Apps and services. For example it offers synchronization with Square (square is a system that allows you to accept credit card transactions from your iOS device), your sales transactions can be automatically downloaded into Quickbooks. Perfect for business people on the go. Quickbooks also easily integrates with Paypal and Shopify, making online business record keeping almost completely automated. Other Apps that integrate include American Express, Function Point, RestrauntOps, StatX, Zoho by Cloud Cart Connector, Method:CRM, Time Tracker by eBility, Fundbox, Insightly Crm and many, many more. On the Quickbooks website you can find Apps recommended by business type at: apps.intuit.com
The desktop version also allows you to create invoices and forms and email them in batches. You can also track sales, sales taxes and customer payments. Reporting features allow you to track who your top performing sales staff or vendors are, as well as see which customers owe you payment, and which ones are overdue and need prompting. It also allows you to track inventory, set reorder points, and create purchase orders. Quickbooks also allows you to export data to Numbers or Excel. As well you can share data with your accountant, even if they are using the Windows based version. The desktop versions also includes the ability to manage payroll and payroll taxes for an additional monthly fee. As well there is a fee based ability to accept credit and debit cards.
Supported Apps are easily connected. Simply select Apps within Quickbooks, choose your App and then authorize to securely sync between the App and Quickbooks. Quickbooks for MAC comes in three flavors of the online version as well as a single desktop install version. The online versions works on either a MAC desktop or an iOS devices. Your data is instantly synchronized between your devices. The Simple Start version like all the Online versions is free for the first 30 days. After this Simple Start is $15 a month. With this version you can:
• Send and track custom invoices
• Track income and Expenses
• Create and manage estimates
• Sync bank accounts and Apps
• Manage and pay bills
• Instant sales and profit reports
Quickbooks is offered by the Intuit company, the company offers not just software, but additional business activity items. From the intuit.com website you can also order custom checks, deposit slips and security envelopes The next version is Essentials, at $30 a month it offers all the features of that can be printed right from Quickbooks. Inuit also offers tax forms Simple Start as well as: ready to print right from Quickbooks. Monthly versions of Quickbooks Online, allows your company to graduate through the versions as your company grows, whereas the desktop version I see more as something for an established company who’s needs are going to stay the same.
The most popular version is the Plus at $40 a month. It includes all previous versions as well as: Quickbooks has always been the accounting software for people who are in business, but do not really know accounting. The software is intuitive • The ability to track inventory and allows you to get up and running with a minimum of effort. All the accounting operations of a business is handled by the software. • Prepare and Print 1099s
The desktop version, is on promotion at the time of this writing for To learn more about the software including explanatory videos go to $219.95. The desktop version differs in being able to integrate with your quickbooks.intuit.com existing MAC applications. For example your address book contacts can be by synchronized into Quickbooks. You can add reminders to your iCal Calendar as well. The desktop version also lets you resize columns on invoices, payments, sales receipts and other forms. You can also print directly onto
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In Review
™
How many times have we lost precious photos, important documents and other important information from our computers by failing to back up our hard drives or critical files? Perhaps it took too long. Perhaps the process was so cumbersome it was hardly worth the effort until a vacation photo had suddenly “disappeared” from our hard drive. Enter Carbonite Home. Carbonite Home brings secure cloud backup for personal documents and external hard drives through a multi-tiered annual subscription. Once the realm of large corporations with highly specialized IT teams, Carbonite makes data restoration available to the consumer allowing secure back up of photos, documents, music, email, settings, videos with Carbonite Home and external hard drives with Personal Plus and Personal Prime options. In addition to data storage and restoration, Windows users can revert their data to previous versions up to three months. Those considering Carbonite Home as a personal back up option may wonder about the actual safety of their important data. Carbonite brings corporate level, high end security to the consumer. Data is stored in the Carbonite data centers which use Enterprise-grade disk drives permitting redundancy throughout their systems. If something should happen to one drive, data is stored on other drives to assure that it always retrievable in a manner that is completely transparent to the end user. Other data center safety features include temperature control, uninterruptible power sup-
plies, on-site emergency backup generators with guaranteed fuel contracts. Security features include restricted personnel access using biometric scanners, tightly controlled server access and their facilities are guarded 24/7 year round. Carbonite also offers an array of Office Plans for Windows OS servers; Carbonite Home is not designed for this purpose. Carbonite Home offers three plans with a 15 day free trial: •
Basic ($59.99 annually) which includes unlimited cloud storage for one computer, automatic and secure cloud back up, free US-based support 7 days a week and the ability to access and share files remotely. Carbonite Basic supports both Windows and Mac.
• Plus ($99.99 annually) which includes the features of the basic plan plus external hard drive back up. Carbonite Plus supports Windows., •
Prime ($149.99 annually) provides the features of Carbonite Basic and Plus and adds automatic video backup and courier recovery service which ships the user a copy of the back up if faced with downtime. Carbonite Prime supports Windows.
Those desiring to bring Enterprise-level data back up and restoration to their home computers should find Carbonite Home a compelling solution.
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In Review
Jasco Products was founded in 1975 to develop innovative consumer products for a variety of licensees for which it also market and distributes them through virtually all distribution channels, from big box stores and home centers to mass merchants and direct marketers. Its highly diversified products carry household names like GE, Disney, Tumi-Tech and others. Product offerings include LED lighting, home lighting automation products, home security products, home entertainment, mobility products and mobile accessories and projectable night lights geared to children. Chances are that at one time or other most of us have purchased products developed and distributed by Jasco Products without being aware of it. I was surprised to discover that I own several Jasco products in the course of researching this review.
door and outdoor security. Deterrent signs and decals are also available to indicate that the home is protected by the SmartHome Security System. Lighting controls enhance security and surge protectors save expensive electronics from electrical surges.
Mobility: This is how I became familiar with Jasco Products in 2000 while mainstream mobile computing was rapidly maturing and companies jumped in to fill mobile users’ needs with products not available from OEMs. T-Tech by Tumi accessories provide stylish, rugged cases for iPhones, iPads and Galaxy phones. It would be no surprise if Jasco Products develops the charging solutions also available from Tumi. A variety of GE-licensed mobility power products including charging cables and adapters, USB hubs, USB car chargers and wall chargers with from 2-4 USB Lighting Products: Many of Jasco Products lighting products are li- ports, and the GE AC travel surge protector with USB ports, of which I own censed by GE and include undercabinet plug-in LED lighting, a variety of several for travel. Who knew? lanterns and decorative lighting, wireless remote controlled LED bars and smaller circular puck lights can be controlled for a distance of 50 feet to light dark corners of the home. Its Disney-licensed line of “Projectables� night lights provide favorite themed images projected on the wall to assure and entertain children. Connected Home Products are GE-licensed and use Z-Wave Smart Controls to offer motion activated lighting, remote monitoring from a distance using a smartphone or tablet and sends alerts when activity is detected. These units are powered either by long life (2-year) battery or through a USB power source. Z-Wave connected home components work with a variety of third party devices to boost home security. A variety of indoor and outdoor timers control a variety of functions for energy savings and security. Home Entertainment products from universal remotes, antennas, and accessories to connect home entertainment components allow connections between televisions and a variety of peripherals to broaden the range of home viewing and listening options. Home Security: A variety of home alarm systems are available for in-
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In Review
LampFree® – Leading the projector revolution
LampFree projectors keep getting better and better. Having a LampFree projector means no more lamps to replace, no more filters to replace, less down time, lower maintenance costs and now they are smaller, lighter, and brighter than ever. The dramatic improvement in color purity achieved by Casio’s new light source has significantly improved color reproduction and the projected images look brighter due to the visual effects of the high-purity colors. While lamps on traditional lamp projectors lose brightness between 1,000 and 3,000 hours, Casio’s portfolio of LampFree projectors use a unique Laser & LED light source technology to produce images of impressive brightness with a lifespan of up to 20,000 hours. That means your LampFree projector could last over 15 years, based on an average six hours of use a day during a 180-day school year, without ever having to change a lamp.
ready completely eliminated the use of mercury in its projectors, starting with the world’s first “Green Slim” projectors in 2010. By choosing LampFree you are contributing to a MercuryFree environment.
LampFree – Social responsibility is not an option
There is a growing demand for environmentally friendly and more sustainable AV products and Casio has used the TCO Certified sustainability certification as proof of environmental and social responsibility. Not only do LampFree projectors eliminate the need to replace Mercury lamps and to properly dispose of the harmful substance, but Casio now has four LampFree projectors, models XJ-V100W, XJ-V110W, XJ-F100W, and XJ-F210WN, that meet all TCO Certified life cycle criteria for socially responsible manufacturing, energy efficiency, picture quality and lower environmental impact. Electronics are widely recognized as a risk category for human rights violations during their Not only great for classrooms, they are ideal for boardrooms and conference manufacture, which is almost impossible for educators and AV/IT managers to rooms too. Can you imagine starting a meeting and not having to wait for the assess themselves. Long used by IT purchasers for computer equipment, TCO projector to warm up? LampFree projectors turn on in as fast as 5 – 8 seconds, Certified is now a useful tool for everyone to verify that the projectors they and that’s to maximum brightness! Or if you are traveling, imagine finishing buy are manufactured under fair conditions. By specifying TCO Certified in your presentation and immediately being able to put your projector in its case purchasing contracts, they can also directly influence the industry to improve and hitting the road? LampFree projectors do not get hot like lamp projec- their social and environmental responsibility track records. tors so when you power off there is no long cool down period necessary. And you can use them around the clock, 24/7 with very little maintenance. Their LampFree – Easy flexible installations dust resistant cabinet has a unique structure with three separate blocks, with The LampFree projector’s wide-angle zoom lens expands the range of locations the primary light source unit tightly shielded. This suppresses dust intrusion suitable for installation. Other benefits include an unrestricted 360° installaand improves dust resistance, ensuring worry-free performance even in dusty tion angle that supports highly flexible image projection, expanding the range environments. Since they have no lamps they do not overheat and can be run of projection possibilities.These include portrait projection from a vertical position, for example, or perpendicular projection onto the floor or ceiling, continuously with only having to reset them once a day. capitalizing on the characteristics of the unique semiconductor light source to handle a wide array of applications besides presentations, from information LampFree – Low total cost of ownership Did we mention cost savings? When purchasing projectors you cannot only provision to various promotions or retail displays. Lampfree projectors are look at the initial purchase price but need to look at the total cost of owner- ideal for use in so many places from retail establishments, to museums, classship. The total cost of ownership includes all the costs that you will actually rooms, boardrooms, or on the road. pay over the life of your projector. Total cost of ownership not only includes the purchase cost, but also the cost of using your projector, such as energy, repair LampFree – Advanced Series and maintenance costs. Casio LampFree projectors consume less energy, up The Advanced series LampFree projectors incorporate essential features such to 50% less electricity when compared to conventional lamp projectors, have as a 1.5X zoom lens, built-in 16W high-output speaker, a powered USB (DC 5V, no expensive replacement lamps or filters to replace, and since they require 2A) power supply to power popular mirroring devices without having to use minimal maintenance, they require minimal labor costs to maintain. When an external power source. Two HDMI terminals to permit smooth connection you add up the original purchase price, the cost of replacement lamps, replace- of additional devices without disturbing those already installed and enhanced ment filters, labor costs, and higher energy usage, LampFree projectors cost connectivity with LAN and wireless networking options. All LampFree promuch less over the 20,000 hour life of your projector. For even more savings, jectors are reliable and built to last, and covered by an industry leading 3-year they use less than 1 Watt of power in stand-by mode and new models have parts and labor warranty with up to 6,000 hours on the light source. And select an intelligent light control feature with a built-in light sensor that can detect models are covered for 5-years or 10,000 hours on the light source. the ambient light in your room and automatically adjust the projector to the optimum brightness level so you only use full brightness and full power when LampFree – Something for everyone Our portfolio of LampFree projectors include something for everyone and are you need it. ideal for wide-ranging applications, from business to education. The Core series, accessible for every budget with simple functions and excellent cost perLampFree – MercuryFree The adverse effects of mercury poisoning cannot be understated. Mercury is formance are great for worry-free use in dusty classrooms, small group meeta highly toxic element that is hazardous to human health and to the environ- ings and conference rooms. The Advanced series provides enhanced feature ment. Although the use of mercury is widely prohibited worldwide today, this packages and connectivity with improved ability to handle widely varied tasks, hazardous substance continues to be employed as a light source for conven- and make smart use of network applications and can be used in small to larger tional projector lamps, but the year 2020 marks a crucial turning point for rooms, division-level conferences and presentations to large audiences. The global environmental protection, because that will be the year in which the Slim series with their sleek compact design are lightweight and easy to carry. Minamata Convention comes into force. This United Nations environmental You can take these 1.7” thin projectors with you wherever you need them. Our treaty says that Mercury should be permanently banned from use in light Ultra Short Throw series can project large brilliant, shadow – free images from sources. 128 countries have already committed to stop using the heavy metal just 1.5’ away and can be easily installed in rooms with limited space. – including imports and exports. Casio, a company ahead of the times, has al-
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Cover Story
Many homeowners and businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment, their rising electricity bills, and the reliability of an aging electrical grid. Until recently, there have been relatively few options available to address these concerns. Solar panels have offered a limited solution, but the high cost, low efficiency and troublesome installation requirements have left many consumers confused about how to best move forward.
“Because of the low cost and high output of NewGen®, many more consumers will be able to “go green” and participate in the Solar Revolution,” says Craig Wycoff, CFO of Jetstream. He continues, “We were not particularly interested in competing with PV panels. Although solar is a multi-billion dollar industry, all of the solar generating capability installed to date still produces only about 1% of the electricity in the annual global market of over $2 trillion. We realized that to truly penetrate the electric market, we needed to produce electricity at An innovative new energy solution has been developed by Jetstream Energy a cost competitive with fossil fuels and even nuclear generation.” Jetstream Technologies, Inc. of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Henry Herman, Jetstream’s CEO believes that NewGen® is the breakthrough system that will be competitive states, “NewGen®, Jetstream’s new solar electric generating system, is a quan- with fossil fuel-fired electric generation. tum leap forward in alternative energy production. For the first time, consumIn addition to the innovative technical advances in the NewGen® solar collecers have a highly cost effective solution for meeting their own energy needs.” tor and energy conversion systems, the company focuses vertically on the enNewGen® technology is based on the benefits of concentrating the sun’s en- tire manufacturing, sales and distribution cost spectrum. “We analyze every ergy, as opposed to relying on only “one sun”, as occurs with solar panels. Ac- level of cost in our process from material procurement and production all the cording to mythology, even the ancient Greeks recognized the value of solar way through shipping and fulfillment. By creatively minimizing costs at every concentration as they used their polished shields to focus the sunlight onto level, we believe we will ultimately be the low cost producer of electricity for the ships of the invading Romans, setting them on fire. By concentrating the our customers,” said Mr. Herman. He further predicts, “More output for less sun’s energy, additional reactive materials can be utilized and layered onto the cost supports a global trend towards distributed generation, that is, the genersolar cell to produce more electricity. The company believes that its systems ation of electricity at the point of consumption rather than In a large centralwill produce over twice the daily output for less cost than similarly rated pho- ized facility. We believe that this is the future of solar energy. It represents tovoltaic panel systems. a democratization of energy production and can even provide electricity for many living in the half of the world with no reliable source of electricity today.” Today, a variety of concentrating solar technologies are being used the world over for utility-scale electric generation. NewGen®, however, is the first sys- Jetstream’s business philosophy includes the view that although there are a tem that can be scaled for a wide range of residential and commercial applica- number of people who invest in solar energy to help protect the environment, tions. A number of beneficial technological innovations are incorporated into the vast majority of people will invest in solar energy only when it benefits each NewGen® system, including: them directly, be that financially or insuring the availability of electricity.
High Efficiency Solar Modules
Jetstream is introducing the NewGen® system at the 2017 Consumer ElecAt best, traditional solar panels are only able to achieve between 15 to 22% so- tronics Show in Las Vegas in January. Mr. Herman stated, “We feel that CES lar conversion efficiency. NewGen® Helios modules utilize world-leading solar is an ideal showcase to launch NewGen®. Almost every device and technology cells that begin at 44.8% efficiency. on display by the many exhibitors at CES fundamentally relies on electricity. Although we are already active in multiple locations globally, CES provides us Dual Axis Tracking an opportunity to develop new market prospects and network with our proMost solar panels are installed in a fixed position and therefore produce sig- duction partners, investors and others who are critical to NewGen’s success.” nificantly less output during off-peak hours. NewGen® actively tracks the sun Jetstream states that beginning at CES and for the calendar year 2017 only, providing far more output for more hours each day. it will offer consumers the opportunity to purchase a NewGen® system for $9,999.00. The company will be accepting orders and deposits through the Scalability and Low Obsolescence NewGen® purchase website: www.gonewgen.com . Further details are availThe modular nature of NewGen® allows owners to easily add modules as elecable at the site. tricity needs increase. Also, as further efficiency improvements are realized, the solar modules are easily upgradable. All Jetstream Energy Technologies, Inc. ( www.jetstream.solar ) systems are proudly “Made in the USA”. At this time, Jetstream is primarily focused on NewGen® and the electric generation industry. The company plans to introNewGen® systems are considerably smaller than similarly rated PV panel sysduce a new energy storage system in late 2017, and is also developing solar tems. The reduced visual “footprint” and weight are distinct advantages, and powered applications for the treatment and desalination of water and the prosystems can be easily flat roof or even ground mounted. duction of hydrogen.
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With its long life, upgradability and ease of maintenance, consumers can enjoy an excellent return on their solar energy investment.
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Continued from page 14
Coulomb counting is also used to estimate the capacity of e-bikes. Although carefully monitored, the SoH readings are not revealed to the user. For reasons of anonymity, only authorized personnel have access by a security code. Device manufacturers fear that showing a capacity of less than 100% would raise too many consumer complaints, especially during the warranty period. Such secrecy typically only applies to consumer products; industrial applications differ. SoC of a portable device is usually shown in percentage or in runtime minutes; the EV does this with driving range in kilometers or miles. A true assessment in Ah, as is possible with a tank of gasoline in a vehicle is not possible with the battery. The amount of Ah a battery can capture as it ages goes into hiding. Consumer concerns aside, knowing battery capacity has the benefit of connecting Ah with runtime and predicting battery replacement on capacity, the leading battery health indicator.
2. Reading the FCC Register in an SMBus Battery
Chargers are advancing and will soon offer battery SoH readouts. As industries switch to the SMBus battery, FCC (full charge capacity) stored in the battery can interpret SoH by the coulomb count taken while the battery is in service. This allows checking SoH by simply inserting the battery into a charger. The SMBus battery has a further advantage of providing a digital serial number that will enable storing historic battery performance information in a database. If the FCC reading in such a charger is above the user-set Pass/Fail threshold, then the battery will pass; if below, calibration is needed. Calibration applies a full charge and discharge cycle to reset the flags and ascertain the true capacity of the “chemical battery.” If the capacity is above target, then the battery passes and the FCC reading is corrected; results below the line calls for a battery replacement. Digital FCC peripherals are normally lower than the actual battery capacity and this prevents a false positive result. Figure 3 demonstrates the concept in graphics. Cadex is developing a charger line that encompasses this feature under the Universal Diagnostic Charger (UDC) series.
a Li-ion battery, the RAC charger determines the residual SoC with a proprietary algorithm and then measures the inflowing coulombs to fill the battery. Combining the coulomb count with residual charge gives the full capacity. An analogy is topping a partially filled bottle by calculating the added amount. The bottle size represents 100%; what it can hold reflects the capacity. RAC requires a onetime calibration for each battery model. Cycling a good battery provides the reference reading that can be stored in the charger. The RAC charger has the ability to estimate the capacity of a regular (dumb) battery. Tests are showing better accuracies with RAC than what is possible with the FCC capture of an SMBus battery. RAC validates battery performance and does quality control with no extra logistics. The green “ready” light at the end of service assures that the battery is fully charged and meets the required capacity threshold. A faded battery is identified and shown the backdoor.
4. Rapid-test
The Rapid-test takes a snapshot of a chemical battery in seconds or minutes. Electrochemical Dynamic Response uses pulse technology; the more complex Multi-model Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (Spectro™) scans the battery with multiple frequencies. Rapid-tests have the advantage of testing a broad range of batteries without smarts on the fly, but this requires complex software and hardware that is supported by battery-specific parameters and matrices. It is important to note that the capacity of a battery cannot be measured similar to voltage, current and temperature. SoH can be estimated to various degrees of accuracy based on its symptoms; however, a reliable measurement is not possible if the symptoms are vague or not present. Many makers of battery test devices promise capacity estimation by measuring the internal battery resistance. This is misleading and advertising features that are outside the equipment’s capabilities confuses the industry into believing that complex tests can be done with basic methods. Resistance-based instruments can indeed identify a dying or dead battery — so does the user. Battery testers are often overstated similar to promoting a shampoo that promises to grow lush hair on a man’s bald head.
5. Full Cycle
This method applies a full charge/discharge cycle to read the capacity of the chemical battery. The time discharging a battery with a regulated discharge current determines the capacity. Although accurate and also serving as calibration of a smart battery, a full cycle is time consuming and is not always practical, especially when checking mobile phone batteries.
Philosophy and Conclusion
Figure 3. Battery SoH evaluation on the fly by reading FCC. Pass/Fail is set to 80%. Not meeting the threshold does not constitute a failed battery but prompts to calibration. FCC references are normally lower than the actual battery capacity. This prevents a false positive result.
3. Read-and-charge (RAC)
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The UDC chargers in development will also feature a new Read-and-charge (RAC) diagnostic to estimate battery capacity more accurately. Inserting
Many device manufacturers do not provide sufficient guidelines on battery maintenance and the user is ill-informed on battery performance and when to replace a fading battery. There is a “hand-washing” when passing a device to the workforce, saying, “You are on you own — good luck with the battery.” Developing a better battery is incomplete without improving the diagnostics. Only a well-designed diagnostic system that monitors state-of-function (SoF) will turn the battery into a reliable, safe, cost efficient and environmentally sustainable power source. The modern battery will interact with system and user, state its needs, proclaim what it can deliver and establish definite limitations.
In Review
Philips Air Purifiers / Dehumidifiers and Combination Devices headaches, itchy throats, dry skin and can interfere with sleep. Dry air Philips is a trusted name in home, business and medical electronics. In business since 1891 they are one of the world’s largest electronics companies.
bothers people with asthma and respiratory problems caused by allergies.
Philips Humidifiers use their own NanoCloud technology, that puts humidity in the air without spreading bacteria. As well when the humidifier Air quality and humidity are things most people do not really think about is in operation, a constant level of 40% - 60% humidity is maintained. This until there is a problem. Phillips offers a variety of devices to clean air, add level reduces the growth of bacteria and viruses. This NanoCloud technology also does not create white dust or wet patches often caused by ultrahumidity or both. sonic humidifiers. They offer a Purifier, Humidifier, Combi (which is an air Purifier and Humidifier together in one device), as well as a Smart Air Purifier with wire- The Combi device, like it names suggests, is both the air purifier and humidifier combined in one device. It allows you to perform both functions less capability and reporting. and includes both the multiple layer filtration system of the air purifier, The purifier removes bacteria, fungi, viruses, dust mites and pollen from and the NanoCloud technology of the humidifier. the air. Philips states that indoor air is between 10 and 30 times more polluted than outdoor air. Once enclosed in your house pollutants are concen- The final product in the lineup is the Smart Air Purifier. It combines the trated and cannot escape. Modern housing with electric heat is even more technology of the purifier taking it one step further to be an internet consusceptible to indoor pollution as indoor air is recycling with no fresh air nected device. It can be controlled over Wi-Fi or with your 3G or 4G smartphone and the Philips smartphone App. The device allows you to view a drawn in from outdoors. live reading of the air quality in your home. It can also be set to alert you Philips Air Purifier helps allergy and asthma sufferers as well as anyone if air quality becomes unsafe to breath. The App also allows you to control else with respiratory problems. Children who are raised in a home with an the fan speed of your device including a silent mode for night use. It also air purifier are less likely to develop allergies. The air purifiers use a natural provides status information on your air filter for the device and lets you IPS system, the same system used in military gas masks, to clean the air know as it approaches time to replace it. without ions, ozone or any chemicals. The system works by drawing the air For information about the complete lineup of Philips products visit them through layers of filters that stop particles as small as 0.02 microns. on the web at philips.com The Philips Humidifier adds moisture to dry indoor air. The act of heating our homes removes moisture from the air. Dry air dehydrates us, causing
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Optimizing Macs for High-End Users Jens Lodholm @doctor_mac
In fields straddling the technical and creative domains, professionals often prefer Macs. Faced by aggressive deadlines, they track their time for productivity. Whether graphic designers, animators, audio engineers, video editors, or something else entirely, their work demands robust technology with a flexible interface. But specialized software worth thousands of dollars pushes the limits of available hardware. Because of outside pressures, the slightest pause in performance can send them scrambling for help. They can seem very demanding, so what’s their IT support to do?
Improve Speed
Video Hardware - In most Macs this cannot be upgraded after buying. While not the only measure of video power, VRAM is a simple one. Get enough for critical software. Settings - Preferences in critical applications can greatly affect performance. Know the software and how to fine-tune it. Networking - Most high-end users rely heavily on servers, but interference can cripple WiFi, so build a solid wired network. Also provide the speed and reliability users need from internet connections.
Purchasing - Begin by consulting users, getting advice from industry experts, and studying the effect of hardware spec- Server Performance - Optimize file servers—especially ifications on critical software. When budgets force compro- RAM, storage, and networking. mises, know which components are permanent, and which Other - Monitor the devices connected to users’ Macs. Keep upgrades you can defer. drivers updated. Be prepared for problems with peripherBuy identical equipment when possible, for ease of trouble- als—especially USB devices. Watch for failing HDD’s to beshooting and swapping. Subtle differences between worksta- come slow. tions complicate support.
Maximize Productivity
Deployment - Take time to single-pass erase all HDD and hy- Speed isn’t the only measure of what matters; production is brid disks; this writing of zeroes to every sector marks bad the larger goal. Minimizing downtime is what separates Mac support amateurs from the pros. blocks, squashing disk-related glitches. Image workstations to ensure consistency of software and settings. Buy site-licenses to simplify software installs. Smaller deployments can use Carbon Copy Cloner <https:// bombich.com> or Super Duper <http://www.shirt-pocket. com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html>, while larger ones can consider Apple’s NetInstall <https://www. apple.com/macos/server/features/> or JAMF’s Casper <https://www.jamf.com/products/jamf-pro/deployment/>. Memory - High-end applications—like the Adobe Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, and ProTools—drag without adequate RAM. Install what they need.
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Jens, the owner of a corporate Macintosh consulting business in Colorado Springs, CO, has carved out a niche corralling Apple products into playing nicely with others in enterprise environments. This has been his livelihood and area of expertise for years, whereas writing is his hobby and passion.
Reliability - Buy solid products with low failure rates and strong support. Seek proven records; a broken tool with a lifetime warranty still kills productivity. Preventative maintenance goes a long way. Periodically run Disk Utility’s First Aid feature, or whenever directory corruption might be a factor. Monitor disk space and other key indicators over the network using Apple Remote Desktop <https://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/>. Familiarize yourself with workstations through regular reports to help you spot developing problems.
Backups - Lost files cost productivity, but daytime backups Manage memory by quitting unused apps. Use a free utility can impact it as well. Test Time Machine on each Mac; if like Memory Clean <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mem- it doesn’t hurt performance, leave it at the default hourly ory-clean-monitor-free/id451444120?mt=12> to optimize setting. If it does, install a utility like Time Machine Editor <http://tclementdev.com/timemachineeditor/> to let users RAM usage. set their backup schedule. Storage - Full startup disks run poorly. Provide adequate storage and help users keep space free. This enables the Mac OS and critical applications to use RAM efficiently. Utilize Article continued on page 38 extra disks as secondary scratch disks, and favor fast connections like Thunderbolt. Audio & video production may need RAID or SAN storage, so understand the demands of your industry. Since high-end applications like more space than affordable SSD’s provide, Fusion drives (part SSD, part HDD) are common. Understand how the Mac OS leverages their benefits and limitations. Don’t waste time defragmenting them unless they drop low in free space. CPU - Although there aren’t many upgrade options after purchase, the Activity Monitor app shows a Mac’s running processes, allowing the knowledgeable to streamline CPU usage. Cleaning OS caches may also offer some relief.
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Networking for the New Year Michael Muhney viporbit.com @MikeMuhney
Just like me, no matter what your profession or industry, you have competition. But all too often, we fall complacent in our day-to-day interactions, missing opportunities and losing momentum. For many of us, a new year means it’s time to make New Year’s resolutions. For some, those resolutions may involve growing or strengthening your networks. Whether you’re just getting started, starting over, or simply looking to enhance an already stellar network, consider these tips to make the most of your relationship efforts.
Getting Started: Initiate, Interact, Invite
For the up-and-coming professional just starting to build their network, I have this advice: Take the initiative. If you make a meaningful new connection, be diligent about follow-through. Reach out and let them know your interaction was meaningful to you. Don’t hesitate to invite a second encounter—if you can tie in a common interest or preference from your first meeting, even better. You’ll demonstrate your professionalism in that you remembered them mentioning a penchant for French press coffee or single malt Scotch. My only word of caution is to leave plenty of room for authentic reciprocation. Relationships are permission based and pursuing a professional relationship is much like a personal one—it’s possible to come on too strong. Be intentional, not pushy. Don’t make the mistake of waiting for the other person to reach out to you. When you’re starting out, it’s also important to ask for introductions from those with whom you’ve already built a good reputation.
Starting Again: Re-energize Existing Relationships
Whether you’ve made a career move, a physical one, or have just let things lull down, reactivating your networks can seem more daunting than it actually is. Organization makes information usable. Start with a scroll. Reading through names, or looking through profile pictures is a good starting point, but don’t stop there. Sort those contacts into groups (in my app, Vipor Plus, these are called Orbits) based on priority. For example, you can organize by High, Medium, and Low Priority, or numerically, such as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3. Once you’ve done this, you can begin to reach out. Craft messages and determine how you’ll communicate based on the priority. Balance the importance of the desired results with the level of effort required to achieve them.
SMB
through the cracks of my memory. Whether you use an app like Vipor Plus, spreadsheets, or sticky notes, put your system to work for you! Organize contacts by location, interest, etc. Communicate regularly and with a personal touch. Schedule activities with reminders, so you don’t miss deadlines. Remember, little things don’t mean a lot—they mean everything. As the co-inventor of ACT! Contact Software, the product acknowledged as the catalyst for the CRM industry, I’m actually not a fan of traditional CRM. Why, you may be wondering? I think it’s too limited. Relationships don’t always fall into distinctly professional or personal categories. People may move from one classification to another, or even be in more than one at a time. The relationship statement for my company VIPorbit Software is this: People Matter. We believe in the infinite potential of closer relationships. If you haven’t resolved to be more diligent about building your network this year, I hope after reading this you will. Everybody networks. Make the most of every introduction and interaction with diligence and professionalism!
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Sure, the people in your database may reach out to you, but when your success or failure is determined by the quality of your networks, why wait for a call that may never come? Relationships, after all, are investments. Some are penny stocks with little ventured, little gained. Others require significant time and attention to see really big payoffs.
Staying the Course: Decide. Commit. Succeed.
Mike Muhney, co-inventor of ACT!, is now the co-founder of vipOrbit, creators of mobile contact manager apps for iPhone, iPad & Mac. www.viporbit.com
The first and last word in effective relationship management is diligence. Our long-term success lies in our every day routine. Why is this piece of “common sense” advice so uncommon? People promise, but don’t deliver. If you want to stand apart from your competition, the formula is simple. Do what you say you’ll do when you said you’d do it. I start my day with an overview with that very thing in mind. I can’t possibly remember every little email, call, or task, which is why I depend on a tool to keep those little details from slipping
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Better air for a better life With indoor air quality up to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor air quality, having clean air in your home or office is essential. Eliminating pollutants will create a cleaner and healthier environment for you and your family. That is why we brought AirSense to the market. AirSense is a smart Wi-Fi air quality monitor and ionic purifier. It’s simple. Each time AirSense detects any VOCs
such as carbon monoxide, alcohol, and more, it will send an alert to your phone, and begin purifying the air by releasing negative ions. AirSense is also a personal air station; you can connect with others and view air quality across the globe. Additional features include two-way speakers, ambient lights, and the iBaby Care app to control settings.
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In Review
Fujitsu Components America, Inc. introduced a wireless Bluetooth® portable printer compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices. Capable of 120mm/sec. print speeds, the 2-inch thermal printer reduces printing time for receipt and label applications in retail, hospitality and healthcare markets. The FTP-62HWSL001 mobile printer offers Bluetooth Version 2.1+EDR (SPP), USB 2.0 and NFC ISO/IEC1443 Type A connectivity options. It also supports current operating systems including Windows® 10, Windows® 8.1, Windows® 7, Android smartphone or tablet, Linux, and iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®. This allows users to quickly connect and begin printing with most mobile devices. The fully programmable printer can output text, characters, graphics, bar codes and 2D symbols on 58mm-wide receipt paper or linerless labels with 203dpi resolution (8dot/mm; 0.125mm/dot). Powered by the included 7.4VDC, 2,130mAh lithium ion battery, it prints a maximum of 200 meters of standard paper (12.5% printing rate) on a single charge.
The semi-rugged FTP-62HWSL001 printer has an IP54 rating, weighs 305g (including battery), and measures a compact, 86 (W) x 103.5 (D) x 44mm (H) allowing maximum portability in a variety of environments. A flip-open clamshell-type design permits drop-in paper loading with minimal downtime.
In Review
If you are looking to secure your home or control it remotely, there are a number of options and companies to choose from. Swann (swannone.com) is a newer entrant into this market and offers complete options. They offer a wide range of devices and additionally are compatible with a large number of products already on the market that you may have already installed, such as Nest thermostat, Hue lights and Kwikset deadbolt locks. The Swannone Smart hub is the core product that talks to all the devices and can be operated from an IOS or Android app. It connects through WiFi or a number of other mainstream radio protocols. This seems to answer the current dilemma that there is no one protocol that everyone has agreed on which makes it difficult to plan your home automation in the way that works throughout your house. Swannone seems to be addressing this issue. With the smart hub installed you can add as many or as few Devices as you like. One of the unique features of the security system is that it listens to
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the sounds in and around your house and it is intelligent enough to identify Breaking glass, car alarms, smoke, fire, gunshots and more and once detected can alert the authorities and you at the same time. Additional if someone attempts to tamper with the security camera that too will send an alert. The cameras save video, data and sound to the cloud or to your own separate hard drive. You can create custom schedules so that the heat and lights turn on before you come home from work or have the coffee maker brew you fresh coffee just before you get up. The possibilities are only determined by your imagination. Installation is simple, no hard wiring is required and starter kits allow for further upgrades at any time in the future as your needs arise. Kits range from $300 - $700.
Article continued from page 30
Time Machine handles small files well, but does poorly on large files (1GB+) with frequent edits. Those who continuously keep big projects open should explore alternatives. Updates - The finicky nature of high-end software makes every update a gamble in stability. Hosting Software Updates on a Mac Server lets you control which Apple updates a Mac can install. Force important updates using Apple Remote Desktop. See my earlier article, “Take Charge of Mac Software Updates”, <http://www.jenslodholm.com/taking-charge-of-macsoftware-updates--part-1.html> for details. Test updates on a small subset of Macs before releasing them. See “Getting Off the Ground with Pilot Groups” <http://www.jenslodholm.com/ getting-off-the-ground-with-pilot-groups.html> for more. If critical third-party software doesn’t have a managed update service, inform users which updates to install, and monitor the status of important ones.
Security - Despite their reputation, Macs need good antivirus protection. But is the cure worse than the disease? Balance malware risks against the burden of defensive software. Look for low-impact utilities proven with your production software. When malware protection harms speed, settle for scheduled scans during off hours. To protect against unauthorized access, require logins with hardened passwords. Enable screen security and disable auto-login. Whether they mean to or not, people can do a lot of damage to data and software where they don’t belong. This article cannot explore every potential bottleneck. Continue to educate yourself from all possible sources—the Apple knowledgebase, Mac news sites, third-party tech sources, and online discussions. That’s how you’ll find what could slow down your high-end Macs, and you’ll become sharper in the process.
Support - Production time comes at a premium, so respond swiftly to work-impacting problems. Understand priorities for yourself and the users. If you work flexible hours to address IT needs, stay available when users are working and be reachable when off-site. This is extra important for sole tech support.
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Minimize the work time you borrow from users. Try quick fixes first, address likely culprits, and seek useful information such as console logs provide. For low-priority support tasks that interrupt work, adjust around user schedules.
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Best Travel Accessories For iPad And iPhone Rene Siegal siegelrj@mac.com
SMB
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Rene Siegel is a research administrator at a major hospital where she is responsible for the day to day operations of two clinical imaging research programs. She has been using mobile technology since 1994, and has contributed to FoxPop. com (a UK-based user oriented website).
Power: Having enough power is the item that causes me the most consternation. The iPad Pro 9.7 simply doesn’t have the same battery life as the iPad Air. External power options abound. Mophie external batteries provide enough added power in a lightweight package; some even charge two devices at once and are light enough that I carry two. I always have an adapter with two USB ports, one at 2.1 Amp for an Computer Bag: Good computer bags abound from Tumi, iPad and 1.0 Amp for an iPhone. My power kit also includes Baggallini and others. I currently prefer the nylon Baggalli- 3’, 6’ and 10’ charge/sync cables. I also include a HypeVolt ni “Errand” tote which has multiple sections, most of which USB Smart Adapter (Amazon) and Belkin Rockstar Travel have multiple compartments and pockets, including one for Surge with a USB port, both of which have retractable AC a laptop up to 15” and an iPad (encased in a keyboard case). prongs that fit into any 3-prong outlet. For heavy power It also has a roomy open center section with bottle holders needs away from a power outlet, I take a high capacity Dell and open space for loose essentials, a sweater, or smaller bag. battery pack. Available through Dell or from the Microsoft The Errand also has an exterior sleeve that attaches to a suit- Store, this is a heavy lifter for several hours of iPad use. It case. It is very lightweight even when completely filled and has two USB ports but it adds close to 1.5 pounds to your it’s easy to remove unneeded items. load. This battery pack is indispensable when I’m mobile at work. International travelers will want to include the appropriate adapter(s). Travel for me is a very general term. It includes daily mobility across a large healthcare facility as well as remote work at home and on the road. Over years of trial and error with mobile devices, as technology changed and parts have become miniaturized, I have been able to whittle down the list of travel accessories.
Apple Pencil: I don’t make a lot of use of this accessory since my preference is to type text; I am very impatient with text recognition apps. This is an indispensable tool for those who Keyboard Case: I have reviewed keyboard cases in previous prefer to write on their tablets or for those in creative indusissues. This is largely a matter of personal preference based tries that have to be able to draw and sketch. on how the user works. Clamcase + Power for iPad Pro 9.7 includes an extra battery to charge an iPad or iPhone but it adds a bit of weight. Zagg makes a number of excellent keyboard cases; my favorite is the Slimbook which is lightweight and allows the encased iPad section to be removed from the keyboard hinge. Other users may prefer the iPad smart keyboard case which takes advantage of the smart connector.
Computer Lock: Depending on the computer type, mobile locks are indispensable. Kensington makes one for PCs with a Kensington lock and Noble makes locks for less standard ultrabook models. These items can keep the professional road warrior mobile anytime, anywhere.
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