Real Estate Tech Topix

Twitter Trounces Traditional Media

Midi — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:29:02 +0000

Been thinking about how news today and in the future will no longer have the ‘big-impact-big reveal’. Look what happened Sunday night when the television news outlets announced that the White House had called a press conference for 10:30pm. While the news guys on TV sat there, cameras pointed at an empty podium, and speculated, Twitter was alive with commentary and information and it went absolutely crazy.

By the time the President finally appeared to make the announcement – it was essentially OLD NEWS! I watched and listened just to see if I could get more details, but I couldn’t get over how anti-climatic the whole thing was. Granted, a lot of misinformation went scuttling about – but the conversations were rampant and those conversations were good and represented the beauty of social media and it’s ability to engage people like never before.

Even Wikipedia immediately posted Osama bin Laden’s death date next to his date of birth. Of course, at the time, the rumor was that he was killed a week earlier and that DNA tests had confirmed that it was him so Wikipedia posted his death as a week earlier. Minutes after Obama announced that he had been killed earlier that day, Wikipedia’s information was updated. Instantly updated!

Say what you will about social media… but it has SO changed the game. Plus it allows us to channel our inner comics. I have to admit, I laughed quite a bit at what people were twittering. Best one: Osama is probably cursing his obsession with 4Square location checkins…

REtechSouth! Are You Registered?

Midi — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:32:24 +0000

It’s time again for the RETechSouth Conference in Atlanta. March 31 and April 1, 2011 in Atlanta at the Gwinnett Center which is up I-85.

The regions largest real estate technology conference, this is a great and inexpensive way meet and learn from the top technology experts in the country. It’s also a great way to network and learn from your peers, see what they’re up to and just have a great time.

The program is designed for people with all skill levels so you don’t have to be a giant tech nerd to appreciate all that this conference has to offer. Check out their site and take a look at all the sessions. You can follow different ‘tracks’ based on your skill level or interests.

Last year’s event was awesome. I met lots of great people who are now part of my social network. I follow and connect with them, watch what they do with technology to enhance their business so I’m constantly learning as well as having fun. This year, I’ve signed up for the MVP tickets so I can take part in the fun at the Awards Party Thursday night! Also – The Georgia Assoc. of REALTORS YPN group is partnering with RETSO for an after party at the Gwinnett Gladiators’ Hockey Game at the Gwinnett Arena. Cost is an extra $10 through the GAR site.

So, looking forward to seeing everyone, learning new stuff, making new friends… hope you are too! See you all there!

Toolbars? More like Slowbars…

Midi — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:44:58 +0000

During my recent WordPress Workshop, I had a room full of people and their laptops to observe. I noticed that a lot of people have various toolbars on their webbrowers (unfortunately, 100% were Internet Explorer – yuck). Some had two or three different toolbars. One person in my workshop had four or more. They also experienced slow internet speed as well as disruption of certain features on certain sites.

When I asked them WHY they had these toolbars installed, they all insisted they didn’t know how they got there. In most cases, when you download certain programs, they try and get you with the ‘standard’ installation versus the ‘advanced’ installation or ‘custom’ installation. Built into the standard installation, in most cases, are programs above and beyond what you were downloading – like toolbars. All the search engines seem to have them – Yahoo!, Bing, Google etc., as do the major anti-virus providers like Norton and AVG, as well as bookmarking sites like StumpleUpon and Digg. If you’re downloading stuff, a good idea is to select ‘Custom’ or ‘Advance’ installation and you will see all the components that the application is trying to install on your computer. Un-select the toolbar component before proceding farther.

Be wary. The more STUFF you have attached to your internet browser, the slower it will tend to run. Apparently, each toolbar will have a significant effect on your browser load time and overall internet speed. So the more toolbars you have, the slower your speed. Attached directly to your computer that way, they can have direct access to your browsing habits – and often they report back to the ‘mother ship’ through your internet connection – slowing you down. I don’t know why they block certain functions, but they do. Even in my WordPress WorkShop, someone was unable to perform some function with a plug-in – once we uninstalled her toolbars, that plug-in operated with no problems.

Want to get rid of them? If you’re PC like me, simply click on your start button at the bottom left hand corner and open your ‘Control Panel’. Now, I’m running XP still – so select ‘Add/Remove Software’. If you have Vista – it’s called something else like ‘Programs’. Don’t know what Windows 7 calls it but I’m sure it will be something between the two. Scroll through your list of installed programs and remove all toolbars. You may have to restart your computer but once you do, you will probably find that your internet speed has improved.

But then again, if you’re like one of my students at my workshop rockin’ an 8 year old laptop running Windows 2003… your problem may be more than toolbars.

Incredible Experience: Week 1 of HTC Incredible Use

Midi — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:49:55 +0000

Got my HTC Incredible last week and have been in smart phone heaven ever since.

As soon as I turned it on, it synched with my Google account and therefore, picked up my Google calendar and all my contacts. I can continue to manage my contacts via Google rather than tapping contacts into my phone – which can be fine in a pinch, but not something I would opt to do if I had access to my laptop. A simple input of pop and smtp info synched my outside webmail and voilà, I was basically all set.

The cool thing is that my husband got a new iTouch last week super cheap. He’d wanted a smart phone but didn’t want to pay for a data package, so an iTouch was ideal for him. Unlike me, his phone is not an essential work tool. For him, his phone is purely to call friends and family. He can use his old sturdy work-horse LG 8200 clamshell phone which fits nicely into his pocket and can take a beating and have all the funtionality of an iPhone via the iTouch. Of course, he’s tied to wi-fi connections, but that’s OK with him. The reason I mention this is that his acquisition of the iTouch coinciding with my own acquisition of the HTC Incredible – I’ve been able to do an almost side by side comparison of my phone to the iTouch (or an iPhone by proxy).

File Transfer Made Simple

One thing I like about the Incredible is that it isn’t tied to iTunes. I can connect it to my computer and it acts as an extra hard drive. I can transfer photos and music directly between my computer and phone quickly and easily. I tried connecting the iTouch and it connects – not as a manageable drive in itself – but as a ‘Scanner/Camera’ and doesn’t allow me any funtionality in that respect. I think I have to do everything via iTunes. Not sure how the phone operates under these conditions, but I suspect that all Apple products have to work via iTunes. If this is different, it’s not obvious and I don’t want to waste time researching how to do things… it should be evident to the user.

There’s an App For That… but First…

The other thing I liked was that because my phone is tied to my Verizon account, any app I decide to download is processed onto my account which, of course, is already set up. I don’t plan on purchasing a whole lot of premium apps. I’m quite content with the free ones. I’ve downloaded a few with little hassle. In fact, it was ‘two clicks and download complete’. So far, I’ve downloaded Evernote, Sudoku, Toss it, and a few other functional and fun apps – all free. With the iTouch, you need an iTunes active store account – which my husband doesn’t have and doesn’t really want. Even to download free apps, the account has to be there. Since he hasn’t set it up yet, he hasn’t been able to download anything.

Out of Synch?

The other thing is that now that he has his iTouch, his old Nano is no longer synched with his iTunes. If he wants to continue to use his Nano (because sometimes, you just want to carry something a bit smaller to listen to music…), he pretty much has to create another user on his computer and set up another iTunes application… it just seems like a lot of excessive nonsense to me. My iTunes is set to my iPod and that’s that. I don’t really care about listening to music on my phone, but I’ve transferred over some tunes onto my Incredible and that’s just fine too.

Speed

Finally, I did multiple tests opening up various sites and on average, my Incredible opened up sites in 5 seconds or less while the iTouch took up 9 seconds to open up each site. Just opening up the App Store on the iTouch took about 8 seconds while on the Incredible, it only took about 3 seconds. Yes, I’m talking seconds… and yes, it may be splitting hairs, but there is a difference in this day and age – like the 6 second website download rule.

Sure, I’m not actually comparing my phone with an actual iPhone, but the basic gist is there… and I’ve got to say, I see no real difference. In fact, I really prefer the HTC Incredible. Granted, my phone doesn’t have the front facing camera like the iPhone4, which I must admit is pretty cool – although if I really wanted one of those, I could have gotten the Droid X… but otherwise, Idon’t feel like I’m really missing anything other than having the ‘perception of cool’ for having an Apple product… big whoop de do. Aside from my iPod Nano, the last Apple product I had was an Apple IIc in 1987. I’m OK with that.

The Conversion Has Begun…

Off the subject of the iPhone/iTouch. We had dinner with some friends the other night and I showed them my new phone. Now, he has an HTC Imagio or something like that with a Windows operating system. He’s had several smart phones in the past with the Windows OS and was fairly pleased with it so he stuck to it with his current phone. He took one look at the browser speed on my phone and shook his head in disgust at how much faster it was than his own. Then, when I told him how much I paid for it, he looked even more disgusted. He’s not up for a new phone for another year or so. I assured him that by the time he’s up for a new phone, mine will probably look like an obsolete piece of junk. (But I think I sold him on the Android operating system!)

By the way, my husband is primarily using his iTouch to watch TV shows… the small size not seeming to bother him one bit. Right now, he’s hooked on some sit-com out of Canada about, as he described it, “a bunch of scum bags living & scheming in a trailer park…” Isn’t technology great?

Last Week to Sign Up!

Midi — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:59:06 +0000

Had really great response on the upcoming WordPress Workshop. Space is limited due to the hands on nature of the workshop so there a few spaces left. If you’ve been on the fence about it, ask yourself why… and then talk to me! I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions or address any of your concerns.

We start Monday, July 9th at 6pm and go from there. Click here for more information and to register on-line!

See you on the 19th!!!

WordCamp Savannah!

Midi — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:33:49 +0000

WordPress experts and newbies alike should consider attending the upcoming WordCamp in Savannah – August 20-22. This is the first time a WordCamp is coming to coastal Georgia so I for one am very excited! As a huge fan of WordPress – this site is powered by it as is my official real estate site and my personal blog – I’m looking forward to hobnobbing with other WordPress enthusiasts and experts to discuss and learn what others have to share on the subject of WordPress.

The best part is the timing. I’m hoping that those who take my upcoming WordPress WorkShop in a couple of weeks will want to attend. I have a feeling that once they discover the possibilities WordPress opens up for them in regards to their web presence, they will be eager to learn more and take additional steps to do so.

For more information on attending the upcoming Savannah WordCamp, check out their site! It’s relatively inexpensive – like $25 for the camp and $55 for the longer program that includes a full day for newbies in setting up a WordPress.com blog. (The .com blog/site is the one that is hosted BY WordPress and your site name is always followed by WordPress.com as opposed to the site having your own unique domain name – that’s referred to as the self-hosted or WordPress.org site.) I think the price well worth the networking and learning opportunity! Check it and see you there!

New Mobile Phone Laws in Georgia

Midi — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:58:37 +0000

Effective July 1, 2010 – two new laws concerning the use of mobile devices go into effect here in Georgia. Unlike many states, Georgia has not had any laws limiting the use of mobile phones while driving. According to HandsFree.com, states like California and Connecticut have hands-free laws and laws restricting the use of mobile devices for novice drivers while New Jersey, Alaska, Minnesota etc. all have laws on their books banning texting while driving. New Jersey, by the way, have all three restrictions… but have you ever seen NJ roads and NJ traffic? No wonder… Washington State, too, has all three… maybe it has to do with the all the caffiene…

I know in my local area, just last year, we had several deaths on the 4 mile causeway between the mainland and St Simons Island caused by drivers texting and losing control of their vehicles. As a REALTOR, I know I’m guilty of talking on the phone while driving (I’m a big advocate of the Jawbone Icon headset… (clear calls, background noise minimized, bluetooth enabled). While I’m all about personal rights and freedoms, I do agree that restricting mobile device usage while driving is a good thing because in this case, people left to their own good judgment has proven dangerous. So the new laws look like this:

Senate Bill 360 states:

“No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any public road or highway of this state while using a wireless telecommunications device to write, send, or read any text based communication, including but not limited to a text message, instant message, electronic mail, or Internet data.”

House Bill 23 states:

“prohibits use of wireless telecommunications devices by persons under 18 years of age with an instruction permit or Class D license while operating a motor vehicle”

So unless you want a $150 fine and a point on your license… drivers in Georgia, be warned! You shouldn’t be texting while driving anyway… I don’t care how adept your thumbs are! Now it’s the law! Get more information here!

Realtor.com Nat’l Blogger Call

Midi — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:29:53 +0000

Just signed up for the REALTOR.com National Blogger Call June 30 at 2pm EDT (it’s scheduled fo 11am PDT so I’ve converted it for you lazy ones…).

It’s a webinar… a seminar conducted on-line. It’s supposed to discuss “the latest online media trends and social media semantics”. Their special guest speaker is Nicole Nikolay a.k.a. @nik_nik from MyTechOpinion.com (see my fave links on my sidebar!) who is extremely knowledgeable on the subject of new media and real estate. Got a chance to meet her in March at REtechSouth so I’m looking forward to hearing what she has to say. I would encourage everyone to sign up and call in… you might be surprised by how much you learn…

I love webinars and such. Living here in the Golden Isles, I sometimes feel isolated from rebarcamps and other real estate tech goings ons. I tell my friends in Atlanta who get together routinely to discuss their latest finds, trends, and ideas that I feel like I’m in social Siberia when it comes to collaboration. So webinars let me get into the fray from the convenience of my home office!

Check out this link for more information and to register. Take any opportunity to learn and get exposed to more!

HTC Incredible – Waiting IS the Hardest Part…

Midi — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:14:06 +0000

Anyone who has talked to me in the past… say six months… has heard me grumble and moan about not being able to get an iPhone. The service here in the St Simons Island area for AT&T is just terrible. Most of us use Verizon, who upgraded their service here just before the G8 Summit in 2004 that was hosted here on Sea Island. Being stuck with Verizon, we all got the better service but the raw end of the stick when it came to cool phones, which AT&T seemed to dominate.

To Droid or Not to Droid

The new Android operating system has intrigued me but the Motorola Droid just wasn’t doing it for me and never having been a fan of Motorola phones, I was wary. Then, there were the rampant, and on-going, rumors of Verizon and iPhone… with my luck, I’d upgrade to the Droid in June and find out that iPhone was coming Verizon by the year’s end. Well, as I posted earlier, I became convinced last month at NAR’s MidYear meeting when I got to talk to lots of techie fools who were all ‘geeked out’ with their cool gadgets, iphones and ipads. When these guys heard my dilemma, they all agreed that I should check out the HTC Incredible.One of them even told me he was going to replace his iPhone with it once his contract with AT&T was up. So I began investigating the HTC Incredible.

The 1 Ghz Snapdragon processor is supposed to be lightning fast. It has 8 Gb of internal memory plus the capability of adding up to 32Gb micro-memory card; the 8 megapixel camera has built in flash – that’s as much as my Panasonic Lumix; and because it’s Android, it comes with all my favorite Google applications ready to go…and don’t forget the apps…. all the cool apps.

So almost everything I read about it including user reviews convinced me further that IF Verizon DID get in bed with Apple… I’d simply turn off the light and close the door for them… and I’d still go with the HTC Incredible.

Like Waiting for Christmas When You’re 5 years old

Which is JUST what I did today. June 24… the day I’ve been waiting for. I’ve had a countdown going for weeks now… Today, my upgrade went effective on Verizon. So I went on-line and the HTC Incredible was listed for $299.00 with a $100 on-line discount PLUS my $100 ‘new every two’ discount. Cha-ching. So I’m looking at $99 for the phone! Then, I remembered I had a mailer the other day from Verizon offering me $50 off a smart phone. This did require me to make the purchase over the phone rather than complete it on-line but no big deal. In the end, I chose an accessory bundle for a cover, screen protector and car charger for like $36… and the phone ended up costing me $49… so with tax, I paid a grand total of $91.18 for my new HTC Incredible.

Pretty amazing if you ask me. A friend of mine recently got hers and she said she paid somewhere in the area of $350 for her Incredible before the mail-in rebate through Verizon.

Well, now I just have to wait patiently for a few weeks while the phone is backordered… mid-July they said… mid-July. Despite one more month stuck with my current cell-phone, the LG Voyager – which I have to admit has the best keypad for texting out there but is otherwise a craptabulous phone… in my mind, it’s already dead to me.

WordPress Workshop

Midi — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:25:39 +0000

Now that I’ve been firmly entrenched in the world of WordPress for my site and various other blogs, I am more convinced than ever that WordPress is a great answer to many REALTORS issues with paying a lot of money for bland, same-old-same-old websites.

So the WordPress Workshop is officially ON!!! Scheduled for July 19-July 24, 2010. Go to Workshop.MidiShaw.com for more information and to register on-line!

In this weeklong workshop, I’ve designed a series of lectures, hands-on lab and homework assignments where I can walk you through purchasing your domain name – if you don’t already have one, buying a hosting plan, installing WordPress , and working with WordPress in getting it set up to your own unique specifications with themes, plug-ins and widgets. We’ll also go over the essential elements for a real estate blog/site in regards to required and suggested pages, navigation issues and the concept that content is king.

By the time we’re done, you should be able to manage your site on your own, enter and manage your own real estate listings, tweak things here and there as you want it… and feel comfortable with the message you present on-line with a professional looking site. Best of all, aside from the cost of purchasing your domain name and paying for a hosting plan (some as low as $3.95/month) – the rest of it is free. No more paying $35, $50, $75 or even $150/month for a “bed-in-a-bag” website.

I know I’ve made building my site more complicated than it has to be… but I’ve used it as a learning platform, trying out different themes, experimenting with various plug-ins, and even screwing around with the CSS and sometimes .php (with often disastrous results, by the way)… but in the end, I know that it’s a wonderfully user friendly platform and that I can take an average agent and with a little hand holding and some direction, have them set-up their own site and free themselves from the exorbitant monthly fees charged by some of those real estate website companies out there.

The business of real estate costs enough money as it is… with WordPress… you can control your costs but still have a strong impact on your overall marketing success.