Citrix and Remote Desktop data usage - lower than expected

I had to get some work done while being on the road.  All the files were on my work computer and my personal laptop didn't have the right software.  I was very apprehensive about using Citrix Desktop and then subsequently Remote Desktop to access my workstation, due to unknown data usage. 

According to my mobile data provider (Wind Mobile), I used approximate 35.4 MB over a 1 hour period.  This was less than I expected but in line with other observations.  I was editing a document but needing to switch between other windows to collect information and do some data manipulation.  My laptop resolution is 1600 x 900 (and my Remote Desktop session was adjusted to the same).

So for getting a few things done at work while being on the road, using Citrix and Remote Desktop won't eat up your data allotment. 

Trying to let go of Firefox

For the last several months, have pondered switching my default desktop web browser from Firefox to Chrome.  The impetus came from Firefox occasionally freezing because of buggy Plugins (e.g. Adobe Acrobat or Shockwave Flash), enormous memory consumption (could be the result of me having 9+ tabs open!), or poor performance (streaming music from music.cbc.ca can be jittery).  The straw that broke the camel's back was that I could not update the Shockwave Flash plugin that was automatically disabled in Firefox due to security vulnerabilities.  While I appreciate Firefox trying to protect my computer and its data, I likely needed Administrator privileges to update the plugin and I did not have them on this client-provided workstation.   

The two main reasons I have stuck with Firefox are the Delicious and Selenium IDE Extensions.  So I thought that I could start up Firefox whenever I needed to use Selenium IDE for some script-automated web browsing.  But I still needed good Delicious integration with my web browser.  Hopeful, I sought out Delicious extensions for Chrome and tried "Delibookmarks (Delicious Bookmarks)" from yasinecky and "Delicious Bookmarks" from blog.kasunbg.org, both third-party extensions.  Unfortunately, neither were anywhere close to the functionality offered by the official Firefox Delicious extension.  Easily Bookmarking and searching saved Bookmarks across computers is essential for me and neither were usable to me. 

I briefly entertained using the Chrome Bookmarks functionality which I believe is synced across Chrome logins on different computers but the simple concept of tags was not supported out of the box.  So it appears I will soldier on with Firefox but I'm open to alternatives.

Who to follow?

With so many innovative ideas and interesting people out there, it's sometimes difficult to decide who to follow and then what tweets, status updates, blog posts, etc. to focus on.  Here is my tentative criteria for people to follow, going forward, in order of descending priority:

• People that you know personally and who live in the same city - it's nice to be able to speak to people face-to-face and for extended periods of time
• People that you've met in person before but that live elsewhere - it's better to renew a relationship than to have had none at all
• People that work in your organization but that may work in a different location - easier to start a conversation with someone that is somewhat obligated to respond
• People you haven't met yet but live in the same city - potentially you can meet up with them
• Well-known people - you'd like to meet them but if you did, you probably wouldn't have more than an "elevator conversation" with them

Google disillusionment and smartphone convenience

After hearing about a prominent user's hacked digital life, I turned on Google 2-factor authentication.  I did notice that in order for my smartphone to continue accessing my email without needing to enter a code SMS'd to the phone, I needed to create an "application-specific password" for my smartphone email client.  Momentarily I sensed there was a security weakness here.  But because I had a general positive feeling that Google was very security-conscious, I thought the smart people working there had probably closed all the loopholes in this situation.  Then today I became aware of Google's ASP password issues.  Now I have to re-think if I have any very sensitive data stored in Google Drive.  I also no longer consider Google above and beyond the other online companies out there in a security sense:  Google has sunk to the depths of Dropbox and Sony. 

I believe that one of the big reason that users love their smartphones and tablets is because they don't have to re-enter their passwords.  I use a lot of cloud services like Evernote, various web email services and social networking sites and whereas the web version of these services will prompt me to re-enter the password on a frequent basis, the native smartphone versions NEVER prompt me.  Google had to preserve this convenient experience for users of Gmail, Google Calendar, etc. on smartphones despite implementing 2-factor authentication, and they were screwed because of their poor implementation.  How to get rid of passwords and still have security is the issue plaguing the digital industry. 

Windows Phone web browser malaise

Dropped by our local Microsoft store located at WEM on Monday and since my toddler was with me, only had time to try the Ringmark mobile browser features test on the latest Windows Phone 8 phones.  Both the HTC and Nokia were unable to make it past Ring 0.  My WP7.5 phone also can't pass Ring 0 and although there was improvement in the results with Windows Phone 8, they remain dreadful.  By contrast, the new Blackberry Z10 nearly passes Ring 1. 

If a platform is lacking in apps (relatively), it must have a web browser that is leading the pack and able to use web apps as they are currently deployed and implemented.  Very disappointed with Windows Phone and this is another step away from the platform for me.

The ergonomic and social problems with tablets

Without a stand, tablets are inconvenient as they need to be propped up or continuously held with one hand.  With a stand/folding case, they are great in meeting rooms as they don't obstruct the view of the tablet user from the other meeting participants.  I think this is equivalent to keeping your hands visible during an interview and in my opinion, it speaks to a subconscious need for people to know that your hands aren't hiding weapons, etc. (only slightly tongue-in-cheek).

Tablets are good when you have an arm rest to support the hand holding the tablet.  But in my experience and looking at other people, they are terrible on public transportation.  When sitting down, there are no arm rests and it is tiring to hold a tablet with one hand and mash your finger against it with the other.  If standing up, you have to hold onto something in case of sudden stops or swerves.  In the meantime, you also have to hold your fragile tablet and navigate with the other hand.  Touch screen phones are much nicer for public transportation because they are capable of one-handed use.  

Compared to traditional laptops, tablets are great for presenting information to others.  I think of them as useful for doctors making the rounds, realtors showing houses to their clients, and for salespeople on the sales floor.  When you have to be mobile, you're on your feet, and you want a large screen to view information and show to others, a tablet is ideal.  When a table is available, depending on the stand, they are also better than traditional laptops in that they have a smaller footprint.  This can be an advantage when the table is small (I'm thinking at a coffee shop or restaurant) and you're trying to share something on the screen with another person.  

One place where tablets are not socially acceptable is in public washrooms.  A tablet, 7" or larger, is difficult to discreetly take into a washroom.  Again, in this situation, smartphones win out.  Bringing a newspaper or tablet into the washroom may continue to be frowned upon for some years to come ...?

Notes on Spark 198: Brontobytes, Babysitters, Gamification

• The show 
• Diane Zorn points to studies that show that gamers learn leadership skills, how to be a team player, etc.  I'm not a gamer so I look at this proposition with skepticism.  Games are purposefully designed to keep the player engaged even when they "die" or fail.  Real-life is not like that:  setbacks like a failed project, losing a job, getting ripped off are not part of any grander scheme.  While the ultimate level or goal of a game may take weeks to achieve, much like real-life projects or endeavors, in a game, along the way, there are many smaller accomplishments specifically designed to entice the gamer to keep playing.  Real-life doesn't normally have instant gratification built into it, and when it does, it usually is bad for your health.  
• While I think that gaming does help with certain intellectual development and problem-solving skills, I worry for my toddler, who will probably be gaming in the future, that he may miss learning to cope and tough it out through adversity, to deeply concentrate and organize thoughts outside of a game situation, and to truly bounce back from real-world failure, if he spends too much time gaming.  
• In another part of the podcast, where Nora Young interviews Elizabeth Lawle, they talk about intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.  Extrinsic rewards are grades, year-end bonuses, etc.