Dual Exchange Account Workaround on Windows Mobile

Dual Exchange Accounts

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

Due to my new job at South Texas Communications, I have had to set up my Windows Mobile phone on the company’s Exchange server. There is no getting away from it as scheduling and email are well used and necessary as a part of the business. This means that I had to remove my personal Exchange account from the phone. The problem with this is that I have so many connections through my personal account that it would be a handicap to simply abandon it. Fortunately, I was able to add my personal email back on as an IMAP service. This allows me to read and delete emails from anywhere. The downside is that I don’t have calendar access.

You may be wondering, why would Shaine need another calendar? Why not migrate stuff over? There is security issue with my job. Some of our company contracts are with Border Patrol, Coast Guard, local police, and other security forces. For this reason, I cannot share some information with my Virtual Assistant that is in my email. When you log into Outlook Web Access, you have almost everything that regular Outlook has. So, she would see sensitive company information, which I’m sure my bosses would frown upon. I want my assistant to have the ability to update my work calendar without accessing it. The best solution is to have her enter events onto my personal calendar and then add me as a required attendee at my work calendar. This way she can keep me updated without seeing what’s in my work account. She can also send personal emails on my behalf through my personal Outlook account.

The Day Ahead

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

It all starts with breakfast, right? Today, we’ll be finishing up a microwave antenna installation at Rio Grande Regional Hospital in McAllen, Tx. We installed the outdoor hardware yesterday. Today, we just have to firestop the penetrations and connect the electronics. By the time we finish, there may or may not be sufficient time to start a new hospital. There are other jobs we could knock out with smaller time commitments. I have been notified that I’ll be the network admin at work for a while. That should be fun.

Thank You, Sahnaz

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

I have just learned that my GetFriday.com Virtual Assistant, Sahnaz, has been promoted to Team Lead. This is great news for her. I wish her the best. I look forward to my relationship with a new VA. We have not yet been introduced; but I hope to learn much about her.

Staying Connected on the Job

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

It has been interesting trying to stay connected with the world and my friends while having a new job that demands a lot of attention. Despite all the boos and hisses, Twitter has been very useful for keeping up with the news. In those few moments while walking from one place to another, riding in a car, or taking a little break, I’ll read tweets from my friends and from news sources. Sometimes, however, it gets out of hand. If I’m busy and forget to turn off the Twitter messaging, I’ll get about 200 messages waiting. Some days my tweeple will tweet up a storm. I don’t mind wading through to catch up; but sometimes there are work-related or family-related text messages lost in the stream. Still, even quickly scanning through, I can see what is going on with new media friends and in the world. I can still say that I am connected.

Moving Ahead With TRAC

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

Just to recap, we got the Trauma Regional Advisory Council (TRAC) project to network the hospitals along the Rio Grande started this week. We got through the most difficult part by Wednesday, which was McAllen Medical Center. This hospital has seven microwave antennas aiming at other hospitals in the vicinity. Most of the other hospitals will only have one microwave link. It took us three days up on the roof at 100+ F temperatures. By comparison, we mostly set up the McAllen Heart Hospital in one day. We did not complete that part because we need additional hardware to mount the antenna; but that will be resolved by Monday. For weeks, we have been urged to "figure out ways to be efficient" and "find ways to make the installations more automated"; this is impossible unless you have some installs under your belt. Experience goes a long way towards making you efficient.

Coming Up: Interview with Jennifer Navarrete on Social Media

Join Jennifer Navarrete and me on June 15 at 7 PM CST on Blog Talk Radio. Jennifer will be leading a 3 part webinar on June 25, July 2, and July 9. She will be teaching others how to use social media for their small and home-based businesses.

Jennifer has been a successful entrepreneur and has been a rising star in the world of social media. She has home schooled two boys while running her home-based business. Social media has kept Jennifer connected with a large network of friends and has also helped increase her sales. You can learn from her experience on the dos and don’ts of Social Media to help you with your success. Join us Sunday night.

Fresh Friday at Subway

I spent yesterday going around the local Subway restaurants setting up their DVR systems. They are taking it one step further by serving up video to their headquarters through the Internet. The job consists of telling the DVR to update a dynamic DNS server and setting up the DDNS account.

Just a quick note that although all the locations have identical setups, they have, thus far, had different problems. By this I mean that the technology is all the same. They have the same computers, routers, and DVRs. The differences lie in how they are set up with passwords, firewall settings, and states of connectivity. It’s an interesting project that should keep me busy for a while.

TRAC Project Site Surveys

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

Today, my co-worker Shawn Kuykendall, and I spent the day visiting hospitals in the McAllen and Edinburg area. We are set to launch a project tomorrow for the Rio Grande Valley Trauma Regional Advisory Council (TRAC). As is prudent, we spent a day visiting the sites where we will be installing radio equipment to do site surveys. We looked at where we will mount antennas, make penetrations to run cables, and the communications closets where we will install the electronics. We made a day of it visiting 7 hospitals. It’s a good thing we did. Some of our assumptions were way off. They would not have stopped the project, but would have cost us time. We’ll make the necessary adjustments.

Learning About Radio Communications

I have been learning about radio communications lately as a result of my new job at South Texas Communications. From my point of view, radio has been the stuff of those few geniuses who venture to become ham radio operators and learn electronics, the realm of engineers. I think, for the most part, it was probably true. My impression is that, like microchips, radio has become simple, reliable, programmable, and increasingly standardized.

This mirrors the information technology field in many ways. Computers are modular, where you can swap out computer parts because they have standard connections and interfaces. Computers are simple to operate once they are set up. In a work environment where users don’t have free reign to download crap onto their computers, computers are rather reliable. Of course, computers are programmable. Software companies create all kinds of programs to meet the needs of people in all sorts of industries. And, there is a move towards open standards in the tech field.

Since radio is mirroring the tech industry in so many ways, it is only natural that radio systems begin to operate as data networks. Radio devices have IP addresses. They use RJ-45 connections. They use Cat5 cable. They use switches and routers. They use SNMP. They use NTP servers. In my short experience with this company, there is so much in radio that is familiar to me simply because there is so much crossover.

Granted, I couldn’t solder a circuit board or know the different bands at which radio communications operate. Maybe I’ll know later, but for now, it doesn’t matter. The devices either talk to each other or don’t. Radio devices are so reliable these days that they can’t be down, ever. Systems are modular and parts are quickly swapped out to restore service. I am learning quite a bit about the communications field. I am at the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more learning beneath the surface. Things may get interesting.

Broadband Lemons to Mobile Lemonade

Originally uploaded by shainelee.

You don’t necessarily have to have a big fat Internet pipe to stay connected with the world. Your phone can do plenty to keep you in touch.A few posts ago, I was lamenting the fact that I now live in an area where there is no broadband. There was supposed to be DSL on the way, but it may be a much longer time than originally expected. I got handed broadband lemons.I have since been learning how to turn my broadband lemon into mobile lemonade. Lack of broadband has actually liberated me and made my Internet use more efficient. I have, since buying my Windows Mobile phone, always looked for ways to connect. I have never, until now, completely relied on my phone for my Internet. Let me share with you some examples of how this is working out.

Efficiency

I have a laptop that I use for work. I batch my uploads and other broadband-necessary tasks for those moments when I have a wifi connection. At home, through my phone’s Internet Conection Sharing, I access light services like email and bill paying. This cuts back on unnecessary Youtube viewing, stats checking, and fantasy shopping.

Mobile Connections

Many websites are turning to the mobile phone as another screen to connect with you. More people have mobile phones than have computers. Even the most basic phones have some WAP functionality. You can use your phone for Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Pownce, Netflix, Vitalist, Google Reader, Grand Central, Amazon, Brightkite, Clipmarks, ebay, Flickr, Kyte, Wapedia, Utterli, Tumblr, and many more. Sure, they are stripped down versions, but the core functionality, connecting with people, is still there. SMS adds even another layer of connection to your mobile phone.

Voice Still Works

You’d be surprised to learn that your voice can still do quite a bit in terms of productivity. Phone calls are still quite effective. Your voice can keep notes with Jott. You can schedule Blog Talk Radio shows to create podcasts from anywhere with phone service. Finally, before there was widespread email, there was voice mail. Leave your message instead of playing phone tag. Personally, I prefer you tell me what you want in your message rather than having me call you to find out what you want. Chances are, I won’t.

To help illustrate how lack of broadband has been more of a blessing than a curse, I wrote this post while walking laps around the park. I’m free!

Is Personal Outsourcing An Option During a Slow Economy?

Recently, my thoughts have turned towards the feasibility of keeping a virtual assistant on the job, if the economy decides to slow down a bit. If you follow this blog, you may remember that I hired a Virtual Assistant on a monthly basis back in January of 2008. It has now been a few months since then. I want to share some thoughts I have about having a Virtual Personal Assistant during a slower economy.

There are a couple of scenarios that come to mind when thinking about a slowing economy. Your job may be affected by the economy, or not. If you work in government, for example, you probably do not have to worry much about losing your job. In this case, you will not be affected much by economic slowdown and your ability to afford a Virtual Personal Assistant. If, on the other hand, your employment is sensitive to economic conditions, you may have to carefully consider continuing the services of your Virtual Personal Assistant. There are some advantages to having somebody help you when your livelihood may be affected. If you do not have the money to hire an assistant, then the point is moot.

One of the first things you learn, when you go out into the job market, is that it is much better to have a job waiting for you before you quit or get fired from your current job. We have all had that situation in which we seek, or are given, the opportunity to succeed outside the company. When there is no job waiting, you may take the first job offered, especially if you are unemployed long enough. That job offer may not be the best choice for you. The problem is, how do you get or find the good jobs if you are busy working hard at your current job?

This is where a Virtual Assistant comes into play. You can have your VA searching for job opportunities for you and submitting your resume to different companies while you work. In this way, you avoid the issue of job hunting on company time. Using your work hours to look for work tends to create a self-fulfilling prophesy; your work suffers from your job hunt and you become one of the first people to get laid off. This would not be so with a Virtual Assistant; you could focus on your current job and still have a set of eyes looking for opportunities. The only time you would actively participate in the job hunt is the occasional job interview. Like with insurance, you have to have that job waiting before disaster strikes.

If disaster has struck and you have enough savings to float you for a while, it still may not hurt to have a Virtual Assistant in your employ. Another set of eyes in your job search may help you cover more ground than you doing it yourself. You could have somebody filtering through all the opportunities and making phone calls on your behalf while you are out and about interviewing. Realistically, we tend to act like we are on vacation when we are between jobs. Your VA can pick up some of your slack.

Finally, there is another way in which a slow economy would affect your decision to hire a Virtual Personal Assistant, if you are a small business owner. The cost of hiring a full-time, or even part-time employee to perform repetitive, but necessary, tasks can often be a big decision. After all, you are paying wages, taxes, and maybe even some benefits. In an uncertain economy, you may not want the risk of adding an employee to your payroll. Virtual Assistants can add a buffer to your hiring process. You can outsource a few tasks here and there when there is demand, until you reach the point where you can sustain an additional employee.

There are perhaps plenty of other ways in which outsourcing during an economic slowdown is advantageous for individuals. I have only covered outsourcing to help you find work before or after you lose your job, and the flip side where you are the small business owner. I’m curious to learn any other ways in which outsourcing can help out individuals during an economic downturn. Please drop me an email or leave a comment with your ideas.

TGIF with Shaine

Just a quick show discussing plans for the weekend. Have a Happy Friday!

Jott Now Has Feeds

Great New Service

One of my all-time favorite web services, Jott, has added yet another kick-butt feature. They have added the ability to listen to RSS feeds. They have a few pre-selected feeds set up, but the service is completely customizable. You can choose your own feeds to hear over your phone.

How It Works

First, you call Jott like you normally would. You dial 1-866-568-8123 for toll-free access, or 1-347-523-8843 if you have MyFaves by T-Mobile or MyCircle by Alltel. When the prompt asks you who you want to Jott, you can say “jott feeds” or press 6 on your keypad. The prompt will then ask you which feed, and will go over the list of feeds for you. You can also press the number of your feed on the keypad, also customizable, if you know which feed you want. After that you can simply listen to the posts. It’s that easy.

Some of the feeds that are already set up on Jott Feeds include Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Weather, LifeHacker, Mashable, and TechCrunch. They also have several feeds ready to just click and go in addition to the ability to add your own custom feeds.

What Practical Use Is This?

The first thing that comes to mind is if you are a commuter. You have the ability to listen to podcasts during your commute; but blogs are still something you have to read yourself. With Jott Feeds, you can listen to your favorite blogs being read to you while you travel. But, that’s the tip of the iceberg. You could subscribe to Twitter updates, Facebook statuses, or any service with an RSS feed. This would include Google alerts, which have RSS feeds. Unfortunately, there is no way to get password-protected feeds. Jott Feeds would be great for employees to subscribe to Intranet feeds from the field.

You can read more on Jott’s blog.

Jawbone Headset Does Cut Out Most Ambient Noise

Tonight, I decided to do a spur of the moment show on Blog Talk Radio. I was at Fedex Kinko’s and took advantage of the T-Mobile Hotspot to schedule a show for myself so that I could talk on the way home. Previously, I have used my mobile phone with or without a headset to run the show. I’ve had the best result using the wired headset, holding it close to my mouth. The other bluetooth headset did a really poor job of capturing my voice. Using the phone by itself actually does a decent job, but when you are holding it up to your face for an hour, it can get tiresome.

I’ve had the new Jawbone headset for a while now, but have not had the opportunity to do a show with it. I’ve tested it on a couple Utterz posts, but have not put it to a good test. After tonight’s show, I can definitely say that the Jawbone does offer kick-ass noise reduction. You can’t really tell on the show that I was driving home except for the parts where the phone signal fades a little. My voice is a little “tinny”, but it is clearer.

Another way in which I love using the Jawbone is with Jott. Prior to the Jawbone, I had a hard time getting the voice recognition to figure out who I wanted to message, especially with the windows open. The Jawbone headset is amazing in its ability to ensure that Jott recognizes my speech in the first attempt. On occasion, I’ll have to repeat, but not too often.

There is one downside to the Jawbone bluetooth headest. I think it does a horrible job in windy conditions. It can deal with lawnmowers and crowded places, but totally blows it in the wind, pun intended. I don’t understand how it can’t deal with wind. Consequently, I often only lower one window on the van to avoid windy conditions while I’m on the phone.

Despite its shortcoming in the wind, I would recommend the Jawbone bluetooth headset to anybody considering the purchase of a new device. It won’t help you hear the other side clearer, but it does help the other side hear you better. Just the benefit of not having to repeat things makes the Jawbone worthwhile. If you plan on podcasting in noisy environments through your phone, it is definitely worth its weight in gold.

The Latest on Shaine Mata

Reading Up on Personal Branding and Your Career

Chris Brogan has a new post titled Develop a Strong Personal Brand Online Part 1. It’s the first of a three-part series. I found both the post and the comments very interesting. I look forward to reading the ensuing posts. I’m sure that Chris will have much insight to offer.

My experience with personal branding has had disjointed results. Being involved in New and Social Media, I have gained some recognition. Yet, the type of job offers that materialize are often not in the realm of New Media. The job offers I get are often for technical work, which is fine in that it’s tangentially related to what I like doing. Yet, it’s not what I want to do for a living.

This issue makes me think that I need to look at what my personal brand says about me. If you are in the same situation where there is a disconnect between what you would like your personal brand to do for you and what it actually does, you should keep up with what Chris Brogan has to say in the next two posts. You should definitely read the comments as plenty of knowledgeable people (and the occasional goofball) will chime in. Let’s figure out how we can improve our personal brands.

UPDATE

Part 2 – Develop a Stong Personal Brand Online

Connie Bensen – Building Brand Through Building Community