Easy Screen Sharing with Screenleap

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Hello Drooler Brigade,

Have you ever wished you could easily share your computer screen with someone?  (By the way, I’ve learned how to wave, look!)

Among the numerous screen-sharing web services, the new webapp called Screenleap seems like the easiest way to view someone else’s screen, especially from a mobile device.

That includes tablets.

Screenleap’s in-browser sharing requires no account set-up or payment.  And a person’s computer screen can be shared within 14 seconds, so long as his or her computer already has Java installed.  Most computers do.  Viewing a screen is as easy as clicking on a link your friend or colleague sends to you.

My good canine friend, Deets, will help me demonstrate how Screenleap works.  Happy 90th birthday in dog years, Deets!

Certainly, Deets!  First, share your computer screen with me so I can better help you.  Go to www.screenleap.com.  It’ll look like this:Click on the green “Share your screen now” button.  Next, Screenleap will need to run a Java applet.  Please allow it.  A moment later, you can click on the “Share my screen” button.  Now, your screen is live!

And if you ever need to broadcast to multiple viewers you could also set up a handle such as http://screenleap.com/deets.

For me to view your live screen, you have a few choices:

I entered the 9-digit code and I am now viewing your screen!

I can see your birthday e-card:

(After we finish this post, I’ll help you print the card, Deets.  Thanks for your patience!)

Screenleap is quick and easy to start using.  However, the screen-sharing service is pretty basic; there’s no audio or advanced tools like chat, zoom or annotations.  In place of audio, users typically just talk over their phones, while groups use conference call lines such as www.freeconferencecall.com.

What Screenleap does offer is the ability for the “presenter” and “viewer” to switch back and forth easily during a live session at no cost.  This is useful.  And if you log in to Screenleap, you also have a “friends” list to make screen sharing easier.

Soon, Screenleap will release plug-ins for Gmail and Facebook so users can initiate screen shares from within those accounts.  I can sink my tooth into those!

And for business users, Screenleap is developing customized handle pages and an API so businesses can integrate screen sharing into their products.  The API service will cost money.

Oh, really, dad?

 Dad and Mom, you boneheads are just sitting on the couch watching TV.

Ahem, I apologize for the interruption.

If you try to use Screenleap and your computer doesn’t already have Java, you’ll be given the option to install the free software.

Java is a programming language and computing platform which runs on laptops, cell phones, and the web.  Many applications and websites need Java.

When you download Java software, you won’t get spyware or viruses.  And installing the periodic, free updates from http://java.com ensures that your Java applications run well.

And for Mac users on the Mountain Lion OS, be sure to enable Java after installation.

To appeal to potential users who don’t necessarily keep their Java up-to-date, Screenleap also plans to offer an option to download an app in the near future.

If you need to manipulate what you’re sharing on your screen or want good video conferencing, then you may opt for a different screen-sharing service.  For example, GoToMeeting is a popular choice for teleconferencing.  Additional screen-sharing companies include WebEx, GoInstant, Join.Me (which is part of LogMeIn), TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, Skype, and Google+ Hangouts.  With any of these choices, just be ready to set up accounts, pay, and/or download and install software upfront.  Some screen-sharing services limit what can be shared, too.

Screenleap is new, so it has the usual slight bugs, but it’s the overall easiest way for people to share screens and it’s the service I prefer to use.

I tracked down Screenleap’s co-founders, Lawrence Gentilello and Tuyen Truong.  They told me I’m a “precocious baby.”  I was in shock from the compliment!

Drool on,

Alexandra

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Microsoft Office on Your Tablet via “The Cloud”

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Hello Drooler Brigade!

Do you love your iPad or Android tablet, but wish you could use it more for work purposes?

Well, there are two tablet apps that provide free access to Microsoft Office: OnLive Desktop and CloudOn. OnLive Desktop is the more well-known of the two. CloudOn is newer and slightly simpler for non-paying customers to use, but to get CloudOn to function at all, certain ports on your router need to first be enabled. Nivio is a third app providing MS Office with a “pay as you use it” scheme.

I’ll primarily discuss Onlive Desktop here. OnLive Desktop turns your tablet into a virtual Windows desktop containing 2010 versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint, as well as Adobe Reader and a few other programs. And you don’t need to have bought the software on your home computer.

Using OnLive Desktop, you can create new documents or upload existing ones to or from your PC, Mac or mobile device. I’ll demonstrate uploading a document from my PC onto my iPad.

First, I open the web browser on my PC and go to desktop.onlive.com and log in to the free account I set up. I can immediately upload files from my PC. Below I circled the screen’s “Upload” button in yellow.

The app provides 2 GB of file storage for free. Each file just needs to be 100 MB or smaller. No problem.

I am now in old Mexico to enjoy authentic burritos and I brought my iPad with me. I’d like to use my iPad to edit my document. I launch the OnLive Desktop app that I downloaded from the iPad App Store.

A moment later the app opens and my files are awaiting me on the virtual desktop screen.

Here on the table at the taqueria, I’m continuing to edit my document.

It’s a Powerpoint presentation to Bill Gates.

Now a quick break so I can focus on something equally important: “I LOVE BURRITOS!!!!”

Hey!! Dad! Where are you going with my burrito?!!

Well, Dad, I admit, it would be my very first burrito…please can I have it?

Thanks, Dad! Mmmmmm…..burritos are the most delicious food I’ve ever had!

Okay, back to work. I’ve finished drafting my presentation. It took me longer than I anticipated because the app’s touch pad is harder to use than a traditional keyboard and mouse. Also, when I hit “save” on my file it took a good minute because the files need to sync with the “cloud,” or OnLive Desktop’s remote servers. The app has a fast connection speed overall, though.

Back at my home computer, to access my edited Powerpoint file, I go to desktop.onlive.com (the same website as before) and my file is there, ready to be downloaded. I’m now working on the file on my PC again.

Bill Gates should know that most infants can’t afford to buy his Microsoft products. Okay, just one moment while I send my final presentation to him at billg@microsoft.com.

Thanks. Now here are a few things to keep in mind while using OnLive Desktop.

First, if the network connection goes away, just close and reopen the app and your work should be okay. This may happen occasionally. Secondly, the OnLive Desktop app must be open for you to access your files; if you switch to another app you’ll have to log back in to reopen your files. Third, you need your tablet’s Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection to access your files; you cannot relocate the files onto your iPad’s home screen to work on when you’re offline.

You may ask, “Are there any other catches to OnLive Desktop?”

Well, yes, sort of. OnLive Desktop’s free virtual desktop access is offered “as available,” but I haven’t had any access problems to-date. “Priority” user status comes with the $4.99 per month package that also includes access to web mail attachments and Internet Explorer web browsing with Adobe Flash. The web browsing allows for more storage options, i.e. access to “cloud” file sharing/storing websites like Dropbox. Cloud storage lets you bypass the clunky step of uploading files from your home computer to desktop.onlive.com. Another benefit of the web browser feature is that it provides access to websites that are not directly accessible on tablets, such as Hulu.com for watching TV shows.

I don’t watch TV yet, but watching TV shows on the iPad sounds fun!

CloudOn is the competing app that offers free interfacing with Dropbox, Box, and Google Drive. If and when CloudOn figures out how to avoid the complicated step of making its users have to enable router ports, I’ll likely prefer CloudOn over OnLive Desktop because of the free access to cloud-storage sites. Nivio costs a minimum of $5 per month, depending on usage, and its services involve app “rentals,” which I haven’t wanted to make a commit to as of yet. So for now, I’m still using OnLive Desktop’s free multi-step uploading and downloading process to fulfill my work needs on-the-go.

See you soon and thanks for reading!

Drool on,

Alexandra

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Q&A About Mr. and Mrs. Facebook’s Wedding

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Hello Drooler Brigade!

On Saturday, May 19th, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, married his girlfriend of nine years, Priscilla Chan, in a “surprise” ceremony located in their backyard. I love weddings involving technology leaders! In fact, I’m still celebrating!

Yay! Tech wedding!

For those of you who don’t know much about the wedding or the couple, I’ll answer your questions now.

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

Was the surprise wedding similar to a surprise birthday party where the family and friends planned the wedding without Mark & Priscilla’s knowledge or consent?

–Thrower of Surprise Parties

Dear Thrower,

Actually, Mark and Priscilla knew about the wedding in advance; it was their guests who were surprised. Priscilla even stealthily bought her wedding dress off the rack last October at a store in Denver under a fake last name.

 

Here’s the couple’s official wedding photo posted onto Facebook:

OK, so maybe that’s not the exact photo that they posted, but it’s close.

Drool on,
Tech Drooler

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

Did Mark Zuckerberg wait for the IPO before getting married so he could be financially secure?

–Responsible with Money

Dear Responsible,

I don’t believe so. The couple said they were waiting to get married until Priscilla finished medical school. Mark was worth around $17.5 billion after the IPO. Prior to that, he had 11 companies offer to buy Facebook, starting with a $10 million offer in 2004 from an unnamed investor.

Drool on,
Tech Drooler

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

Below are composites I created of Mark and Priscilla’s future babies. What do you think?

Hypothetical baby

Another hypothetical baby

–BabyFace Mixer

Dear Babyface,

I suppose those composites could be accurate. I’d guess that at least one of the babies might be predisposed to liking technology, and that is the baby I’d follow on Twitter.

Drool on,
Tech Drooler

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

I don’t know the couple personally, but I’d like to give them a wedding gift. Any suggestions?

–Generous with my Peanuts

Dear Generous,

Your Facebook profile, assuming you’re one of the 900 million people with one, is gift enough. Each member profile was valued at $116 in Facebook’s recent IPO, regardless of whether the member listed imaginary favorite movies like “Rainbow Turd Monkeys.”

Drool on,
Tech Drooler

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

Good job trying to crawl today. Do you want to try eating some mashed peas soon?

–Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

Mom, I know it’s you because I could hear you telling Siri to email me your question.

Also, no one else gives me praise for lying like an overstuffed manatee on the floor.

Seriously, Mom,
Tech Drooler

*****

Yo Tech Drooler,

Wonderin’ if Mark Zuckerberg is a gangsta cuz he be wearin’ hoodies to work, ya know what I’m sayin’?

–Gangsta in Silicon Valley

Dear Gangsta,

I’m almost positive that Mark is not a gangster based on his inability to look intimidating even when he tries, and he is trying in the photos below.

Psst…Mark, that’s not making you appear more gangster-like!

This next photo is not bad. Oh wait, it turns out he’s just falling asleep.

Drool on,

Tech Drooler

*****

Dear Tech Drooler,

I realized the new Facebook organ donor status option is intended for potential body organ donors. Can I use it to list myself as a potential musical organ donor?

–Musician For The People

Dear Musician,

I suppose so; however, Priscilla’s work in medicine inspired Facebook’s organ donor status option, and the feature links to online donor registries.  And, unfortunately, I am not aware of any musical organ donor registries.  If any sprout up, you might eventually find a link to it via the music-oriented networking site, MySpace.  ;)

Drool on,

Tech Drooler

Thanks for reading! My next post will be coming shortly.

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WhatsApp Messenger is Gaining Steam

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With the ever increasing popularity of texting, the costs of your traditional SMS texting plan can add up. Plus, the carriers periodically revise their texting plans so it’s worth knowing what other options you have. Mobile messenging apps that use your 3G or Wi-Fi data connection are becoming popular due to their low price.

I’ve examined numerous mobile messaging apps and concluded that WhatsApp is the best all-around app to join. It’s also the most popular one. When you open the app, you have unlimited texting with photo, audio, and video postings as well as group chats and international texting. WhatsApp also has among the highest customer reviews for reliability. You ask, is there a catch?

Yes, but hopefully it will diminish over time. For WhatsApp to be useful my contacts must also have the app because all of the texting is done within the app. WhatsApp shows you which of your existing contacts use it already. Only some of my contacts use it so far, but more continue to join. Now to demonstrate how WhatsApp works, I’m texting my dad using it.

He texted me back from his Android phone. WhatsApp is a “cross-platform” app; users of iPhones, BlackBerries, Android phones, Windows Phones and Nokia phones can all message each other.

I read my dad’s response. He should have known that when I use my “Tech Drooler” alias it means I’m working. At least I reminded him.

The green double check-marks indicate that my texts were successfully delivered to the recipient’s phone. My dad and I continued our text exchange.

I mean, seriously, dad.

I took away his phone.

Then I had some fun and texted myself using his phone and I replied to myself using my phone. Notice that I just switched to a different custom wallpaper. WhatsApp provides free custom wallpaper while most other texting apps charge for it.

Well, thank you, Alexandra, yes, I am an insightful tech expert.

I suppose I got a little carried away having both phones in my possession.

For the mobile messenging apps that require texting within the app, WhatsApp seems to be the best all-around in terms of features, cost, and reliability (the app costs $0.99 on iPhone or $1.99/yr on other phones). WhatsApp also has more members than its competitors such as Kik and GroupMe. Virtually none of my contacts are on the competing apps so far.

If you’d rather have a texting app that doesn’t require your contacts to also have the app, try the Text Me! app. It’s free, but the trade-offs are that it assigns you a phone number and shows an ad at the bottom of the screen.  And you have the option of paying a small fee to remove the ads. Text Me! has better customer reviews for reliability than other similar apps that assign phone numbers such as TextNow, textPlus, Textfree, and GoogleVoice. Text Me! also won a 2012 best texting award from About.com. HeyWire is a similar and well-rated app, though it’s lesser known.

Where’s my phone, sweethear…I mean, Alexandra the Tech Drooler?

I had accidentally left it in the house plant, but I fished it out.

I wuv you daddy!

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Is the iPhone Clear App Worth the Hype?

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The much-hyped task management app called Clear launched this week on the iPhone. I was excited about Clear because it was advertised as being very simple and well-designed. In fact, it has no traditional buttons and instead operates via a user’s gestures, such as the commonplace iOS swiping motion. I have a short attention span and semi-developed motor skills, so this sounds like my kind of app!

I asked my parents for the $0.99 to download the Clear app and they said o.k. I opened up to the app’s default “Personal” task list. I stared at the pretty blue color on the screen for a long time. Then I began the most important part of my product review: chomping on the app to make sure it wasn’t poisonous.

After a little while I started to feel self-conscious about being stared at.

Here’s a close-up of the screen shot’s menu items:

I tapped on the “Personal List” category button to create my task list. A new screen popped up showing several sample tasks. I overrode the sample tasks with my real tasks for the day. See, I just added my first one.

Creating new tasks was not very intuitive. I need to memorize the three ways to add tasks on this user interface, which are: tapping the black area beneath the tasks, pinching apart two adjacent tasks, and pulling down the top of the screen, which is essentially the same gesture as “refresh” across iOS. Didn’t Clear’s UI/UX team read “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug? It’s about how good design should require minimal thought. I’m only six months-old and I’ve read it. A separate issue with the app is that even when I knew exactly what I was trying to do, the gestures didn’t always seem to work properly.

Below shows the first three tasks I managed to enter. They are: Giggle, Cry, and Drool.

As I was adding my fifth and final task, the app emitted a “ding” sound and didn’t let me finish. I tried to type “buy organic single-grain infant cereal,” but I ran into the tight 30-character limit per task.

This was problematic for me. I was also disappointed that Clear does not have a deeper menu level to input additional information. So, there I was, unable to add my very important task about buying infant cereal. I am six months-old today and I’m due to start solids!

Oh well. I figured I’d remember my to-do items even if they’re not all fully written down on my list. As the hours passed, I completed several other tasks on my list; however, the gesture for checking off a completed task is very similar to the gesture for deleting a task and as a result I kept mixing up the two gestures. The former necessitates swiping to the right while the latter requires swiping to the left. These were not intuitive to me by looking at the screen:

I would just have to get used to the gestures.  There’s no way around the tight character limit, though.  The free Reminders app that comes with the iPhone would have given me multiple lines of text to write down a task:

But I’m not using Reminders anymore. I’m using Clear. I went to the grocery store because I remembered I needed to buy something. I looked at my Clear task list. Hmm, I needed to “buy organic single-grain inf”. What is “inf”? I had no recollection. I gave up trying to figure it out and began crying out of self-pity over my mental shortcomings. I need a to-do app in the first place because my memory is not that good.

After finally calming myself down I didn’t want to look at the app or think about it any longer. So it wasn’t a disaster when I lost it.

Overall, the Clear app unfortunately isn’t useful enough to me in its current form. While beautiful, innovative and likely influential in its design, the Clear app seems to prioritize form over function. I have enjoyed the novelty of the app’s user experience, and at first I was drooling over the bright colors (see my drool below):

However, I’d rather not have to swipe, pinch and pull the screen in all different directions multiple times trying to get the app to do what I want, and then still not always succeeding. The app also doesn’t sync with the iCloud, but hopefully the feature will be added soon.

Clear likely just released the app early to get it out there, which I won’t hold against the company. In fact, I can relate; I decided to come out of the womb early by five weeks. Like me right after my early birth (see below), the Clear app needs more time to fully bake.

I’ll look forward to Clear’s future updates. For now, I’m sticking to Asana for my personal and business task management.

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