Published in the Current
The Cape Elizabeth Town Council unanimously accepted the spirit of the proposed Greenbelt Plan for trails throughout the town, while not formally accepting the specific priority recommendations made in the report from the town's Conservation Commission.
In its regularly scheduled September meeting, the council also approved a proposal to develop a master plan for the Gull Crest property.
The Greenbelt Plan proposed a network of trails throughout Cape Elizabeth, linking neighborhoods to each other and to the town center. Some of the trails already exist either formally on state and town land, or informally on private land, said commission chair Dan Chase. Others, Chase said, would have to be built.
In the public comment section of the meeting, several residents spoke in favor of the proposal.
Ogden Williams, a teacher and resident of Cape Elizabeth, suggested further development of the Gull Crest property, and volunteered to help do so next summer.
Mary Beth Richardson of Valley Road near Maxwell's Farm said the informal trails in that area get year-round use.
"Having a formal [trail] system would be wonderful," she said.
A resident of Sweetser Road said she liked the informal trails and wants a formal network, but was concerned about unanticipated uses of the trails, such as all-terrain three- and four-wheelers.
Tim Robinson of Shore Road was present to speak for his family, which owns some of the property on which private trails exist. He said he has found people coming to the trails from other communities and even other states. He was concerned with overuse of trails once they became publicly available.
Peter Mullen of Two Lights Road opposed the plan, which tentatively locates a trail abutting his property. He was concerned about privacy and public foot traffic near his home.
Other residents spoke about the opportunities for the town's student-athletes, with possibilities for both cross-country running and skiing trails becoming available for meets and practices. At present, the schools have to send their teams to other locations for practice and competition.
The council was also concerned about privacy issues and reiterated the Conservation Commission's promise not to locate trails on private land without express permission from the landowners.
Councilor Carol Fritz said she liked the proposal's principles of property rights, respect for wetlands and vegetation.
Councilor Henry Berry said he was concerned that the proposal was too dedicated to the construction of a trail system, with its stipulation that opposition to specific trails shouldn't stop the effort to construct the entire system.
"Certain opposition to a particular trail might well lead to abandonment of a trail," Berry said.
The council voted approval of the vision and goals statements, as well as the guidelines for possible trail expansions. It excluded from approval the priorities for expansion and recommended additional projects.
The next item on the agenda was a proposal from OEST Associates of South Portland to draft a master trail plan for the Gull Crest property between the schools and the transfer station. It was approved unanimously.
In other business, the town abated personal property taxes in the amount of $57.36 owed by the former Shear Madness business. It was deemed too expensive to collect the money, and the person owing the taxes was not present or able to pay.
The council noted that its next two monthly meetings will be held Wednesday nights because of national holidays. The October meeting will be on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The November meeting will be Wednesday, Nov. 14.
Thursday, September 13, 2001
Friday, September 7, 2001
Sonus refines market approach
Published in Interface Tech News
WESTFORD, Mass. ‹ Sonus Networks continued to broaden its partnership with companies in the packet-switched voice sector in early August by adding seven new companies to its roster, which includes nearly 150 companies providing add-ons to Sonus' hardware.
Sonus provides hardware and basic software for switching voice traffic on packet networks, allowing phone and data carriers to handle all of their traffic over one network, rather than two parallel ones, as is done presently.
Company CEO Steve Nill said Sonus puts together hardware and software and a basic set of applications for voice switching, and allows other companies to build additional applications, permitting clients to buy products and services that have already been tested together.
Mindy Hiebert, a senior analyst at the Boston-based Yankee Group noted that most of the company's announcements this year have been about companies testing Sonus products or working to build on them. With so much testing and so little roll-out, Hiebert said she is guarded about the company's future.
Sonus is changing its technical focus, Hiebert said. "The product that they have right now is very focused on (class 4) Internet offload," she said. "They're trying to migrate it to class 5."
Such a major change in technology, Hiebert said, makes her cautious. "I haven't seen them demonstrate the (technical) acumen to do what they're trying to do," she said. "(Carriers) want a viable solution in their network that they know is going to hold out. They can't afford any network outages."
Nill said the company and its partners are targeting the multibillion-dollar worldwide circuit switch market. He wants to see RBOCs, large CLECs, and "next-generation carriers" like Global Crossing and Qwest using Sonus products.
In April, Japan's Fusion Communications began using Sonus products. Fusion subscribers now number 510,000 customers in 17 Japanese cities. BellSouth has said it will use Sonus products to migrate traffic off its voice networks.
The company had second-quarter revenues up 27 percent from the first quarter this year, while spending 30 cents per share as compared with 51 cents per share in the first quarter. Sonus is expecting $200 million in revenue this year, Nill said.
"We're just not seeing and not hearing what their capabilities are moving forward," Hiebert said, adding there haven't been enough large-scale deployments of Sonus products to prove they can do what they say.
Nill remained confident in the potential of the company's products and services. "We're bringing client-server to voice," he said.
WESTFORD, Mass. ‹ Sonus Networks continued to broaden its partnership with companies in the packet-switched voice sector in early August by adding seven new companies to its roster, which includes nearly 150 companies providing add-ons to Sonus' hardware.
Sonus provides hardware and basic software for switching voice traffic on packet networks, allowing phone and data carriers to handle all of their traffic over one network, rather than two parallel ones, as is done presently.
Company CEO Steve Nill said Sonus puts together hardware and software and a basic set of applications for voice switching, and allows other companies to build additional applications, permitting clients to buy products and services that have already been tested together.
Mindy Hiebert, a senior analyst at the Boston-based Yankee Group noted that most of the company's announcements this year have been about companies testing Sonus products or working to build on them. With so much testing and so little roll-out, Hiebert said she is guarded about the company's future.
Sonus is changing its technical focus, Hiebert said. "The product that they have right now is very focused on (class 4) Internet offload," she said. "They're trying to migrate it to class 5."
Such a major change in technology, Hiebert said, makes her cautious. "I haven't seen them demonstrate the (technical) acumen to do what they're trying to do," she said. "(Carriers) want a viable solution in their network that they know is going to hold out. They can't afford any network outages."
Nill said the company and its partners are targeting the multibillion-dollar worldwide circuit switch market. He wants to see RBOCs, large CLECs, and "next-generation carriers" like Global Crossing and Qwest using Sonus products.
In April, Japan's Fusion Communications began using Sonus products. Fusion subscribers now number 510,000 customers in 17 Japanese cities. BellSouth has said it will use Sonus products to migrate traffic off its voice networks.
The company had second-quarter revenues up 27 percent from the first quarter this year, while spending 30 cents per share as compared with 51 cents per share in the first quarter. Sonus is expecting $200 million in revenue this year, Nill said.
"We're just not seeing and not hearing what their capabilities are moving forward," Hiebert said, adding there haven't been enough large-scale deployments of Sonus products to prove they can do what they say.
Nill remained confident in the potential of the company's products and services. "We're bringing client-server to voice," he said.
Tuesday, September 4, 2001
Metrobility makes short leap with Gigabit Ethernet range
Published in Interface Tech News
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ Working to appeal to telecom carriers, Metrobility Optical Systems has extended Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), considered by many to be a marginal improvement over the 40-50 km (25-31 miles) typically available.
"This is not the order of magnitude improvement the industry is looking for," said Aberdeen Group analyst Andrew McCormick.
Metrobility officials said the company offers signal re-timing to combat the attenuation of an optical signal over distance, and that there are several distances available, rather than just a 70-km length.
Company senior product manager Charlie Wang said Metrobility complements its extended network distance with its NetBeacon software. NetBeacon, Wang said, not only permits long-distance data transmission, but also troubleshooting capability for remote locations and network links.
"When you have a problem, our link-loss return capability allows us to do troubleshooting (remotely)," Wang said.
Wang said he sees the new development as a move toward expanding metropolitan regional networks and reaching rural locations.
"We extend the traditional WAN capability into a metropolitan Ethernet network," Wang said. "This type of capability can fit into all sorts of situations."
The company intends to offer more products for carriers, including optical Ethernetworking, which, as of press time, was expected to enter volume production in August.
McCormick was not enthused. "If you can get some extra distance, you can go a little bit farther," he said, noting there are some better services, like Sonnet and ATM for longer-distance high-bandwidth connections.
The distance extension comes as part of Metrobility's process to refocus on service providers rather than just equipment manufacturers. "We have realigned our company's product portfolio," Wang said.
Metrobility also has a patent pending on its "Stealth IP" technology, which Wang said makes use of space between Ethernet packets for network monitoring and maintenance without increasing demands on available bandwidth.
MERRIMACK, N.H. ‹ Working to appeal to telecom carriers, Metrobility Optical Systems has extended Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances to 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), considered by many to be a marginal improvement over the 40-50 km (25-31 miles) typically available.
"This is not the order of magnitude improvement the industry is looking for," said Aberdeen Group analyst Andrew McCormick.
Metrobility officials said the company offers signal re-timing to combat the attenuation of an optical signal over distance, and that there are several distances available, rather than just a 70-km length.
Company senior product manager Charlie Wang said Metrobility complements its extended network distance with its NetBeacon software. NetBeacon, Wang said, not only permits long-distance data transmission, but also troubleshooting capability for remote locations and network links.
"When you have a problem, our link-loss return capability allows us to do troubleshooting (remotely)," Wang said.
Wang said he sees the new development as a move toward expanding metropolitan regional networks and reaching rural locations.
"We extend the traditional WAN capability into a metropolitan Ethernet network," Wang said. "This type of capability can fit into all sorts of situations."
The company intends to offer more products for carriers, including optical Ethernetworking, which, as of press time, was expected to enter volume production in August.
McCormick was not enthused. "If you can get some extra distance, you can go a little bit farther," he said, noting there are some better services, like Sonnet and ATM for longer-distance high-bandwidth connections.
The distance extension comes as part of Metrobility's process to refocus on service providers rather than just equipment manufacturers. "We have realigned our company's product portfolio," Wang said.
Metrobility also has a patent pending on its "Stealth IP" technology, which Wang said makes use of space between Ethernet packets for network monitoring and maintenance without increasing demands on available bandwidth.
Thursday, August 23, 2001
Oxford Networks expands broadband coverage area
Published in Interface Tech News
In Norway, the company built a central office and laid 400 strands of fiber as part of creating its own infrastructure to compete with Verizon.
"We ran copper to people's houses. We don't have Verizon copper anywhere," said Todd DeWitt, the company's general manager of network solutions.
Oxford has seen DSL demand rise as people who own houses in the area decide to telecommute more frequently.
According to DeWitt, real estate agents often come to Oxford with lists of addresses, and the service provider tells the agents which houses can get DSL service, so home buyers can weigh that in their decision making.
"We've more or less affected the real estate market with DSL," DeWitt said.
The company's growth is supported by its telephone system, which serves 14,000 customers in western Maine. That financial stability is important for customers and investors, according to senior analyst Maribel Dolinov at Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
Oxford is also building a major network access point in Portland to speed up Internet traffic within Maine.
Several larger services may be partnering in that effort, which will shorten the network distance between Maine's major Internet service providers to just one hop, DeWitt said.
As part of these of expansions, Oxford has summoned the software of Sanford, Maine-based Somix Technologies to manage its network. Somix's WebNM product, DeWitt said, is both useful and backed by responsive customer service. Since the package was installed in June, DeWitt said, it has been very useful.
"We've gotten a lot more information out of our network," he said. Oxford also offers reports to its customers, so they can see their network usage and Web site traffic.
"They like to know what's going on in their services," DeWitt said.
Dolinov agreed. "Customers want to make sure that you are delivering on what you say you are offering," she said. "Good network management can allow companies to predict problems and solve them before they occur, leading to better service more consistently. It's absolutely essential going forward."
In Norway, the company built a central office and laid 400 strands of fiber as part of creating its own infrastructure to compete with Verizon.
"We ran copper to people's houses. We don't have Verizon copper anywhere," said Todd DeWitt, the company's general manager of network solutions.
Oxford has seen DSL demand rise as people who own houses in the area decide to telecommute more frequently.
According to DeWitt, real estate agents often come to Oxford with lists of addresses, and the service provider tells the agents which houses can get DSL service, so home buyers can weigh that in their decision making.
"We've more or less affected the real estate market with DSL," DeWitt said.
The company's growth is supported by its telephone system, which serves 14,000 customers in western Maine. That financial stability is important for customers and investors, according to senior analyst Maribel Dolinov at Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research.
Oxford is also building a major network access point in Portland to speed up Internet traffic within Maine.
Several larger services may be partnering in that effort, which will shorten the network distance between Maine's major Internet service providers to just one hop, DeWitt said.
As part of these of expansions, Oxford has summoned the software of Sanford, Maine-based Somix Technologies to manage its network. Somix's WebNM product, DeWitt said, is both useful and backed by responsive customer service. Since the package was installed in June, DeWitt said, it has been very useful.
"We've gotten a lot more information out of our network," he said. Oxford also offers reports to its customers, so they can see their network usage and Web site traffic.
"They like to know what's going on in their services," DeWitt said.
Dolinov agreed. "Customers want to make sure that you are delivering on what you say you are offering," she said. "Good network management can allow companies to predict problems and solve them before they occur, leading to better service more consistently. It's absolutely essential going forward."
Monday, August 20, 2001
My digital encumbrances, myself
Published in Mainebiz
When it comes to digital technology, I consider myself a pretty basic gadget guy. I can honestly say I’m not some overly wired freak who walks around all day with a headset on, gesticulating wildly as I talk to the air.
Though I do have four eyes, I don’t wear a small computer monitor on my glasses, the better to read my e-mail at one-inch range. And what’s up with those guys — why are they always guys? — who wear digital headcams so you can see what they’re doing just by looking at their websites? Thanks, but no thanks.
I may not be a freak, but I am nevertheless digitally encumbered. Don’t get me wrong — all the gadgets are great, and it’s amazing and wonderful to be able to communicate with so many people so many different ways, and so quickly.
Eight years ago, when I first spent extended time overseas, I remember being thrilled as I coordinated travel plans across the Atlantic in a six-message e-mail exchange lasting only 15 minutes. Now we don’t even think twice about such an exchange. Technology is everywhere, and it’s moving “at the speed of business,” as at least one company’s ad campaign says.
But here’s the rub: Do I always need to be moving that fast? Is my on-the-job productivity really heightened that much by being more or less constantly plugged in, or does it just allow me to be more inefficient?
My digital encumbrances, after all, are varied and wondrous: laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), Internet-capable mobile phone, a gaggle of cords and adapters and other gizmos to allow everything to talk to each other and that let me take my encumbrances on the road and overseas.
I’m an avowed tech lover, but even I have come to the realization that this kind of connectivity must have a limit.
I realize this is not a new idea; doomsayers have been wringing their hands over the consequences, real and imagined, of digital encumbrance for a decade or more. But with the gadgets getting smaller, cheaper, sexier and more powerful — witness the advent of wirelessness and the number of people these days who can’t seem to get behind the wheel of an SUV without sparking up the mobile phone — it’s as much of an issue as ever, especially for business people for whom the notion of “staying connected” is as important as maintaining a pulse.
The only way we’re going to nip the connectivity bug in the bud is by just saying no: turning off the pager when we go out to dinner, turning off the cell phone at the kids’ Little League game, going for more than five minutes between e-mail checks. It’s fair to say that somebody somewhere will want to check their e-mail while reading a wireless newspaper that can also receive faxes, but I am not that person.
Thus, my new tech credo: Enough is enough. Enough with 24/7/365 connectedness. Enough with the fetishes over size and speed. (Though a laptop that moves at 1 GHz would be so sweet!) Technology is not an end unto itself but rather a tool. I am my own man. I am not my digital encumbrances.
At least, I don’t think I am.
Getting a big digital grip
As someone running his own small business — I’m a freelance writer — I find I’m constantly evaluating the state of the gadgets I have with me. Do I need to have my phone on during lunch with a friend? Do I keep the to-do alarm on my handheld on or off if I’m in a meeting? Does an
overnight trip somewhere require the laptop, or can I make do with the handheld and its keyboard? We’d like to think such questions have to do with productivity, but what they’re really about is being connected — and that’s not the same as being productive.
Still, we insist on missing the distinction and focusing, as often as not, on the pain our gizmos cause us. More and more of us are sporting a wider array of digital gadgetry on our belts, after all, and we all spout the same vacuous platitudes at business gatherings and parties. “I really
hate being in a movie theater/play/concert/yoga class and hearing somebody’s phone ring,” we complain. “My Palm Pilot would be great, if only I remembered to bring it with me,” we lament.
We’re all starting to get sick. Our devices are becoming the focus of our attention, rather than tools to make our ideas become reality.
Time, in other words, for all of us connected types to get a big collective grip.
If I can learn from my digital missteps, anybody can. I’m 27, I run my business out of my apartment in Portland, and I began dabbling in technology in sixth grade, when my parents bought a 128KB color computer, the IBM PCjr. (Now I carry 32 times more memory and lots more processor power in a little handheld computer clipped onto my belt.) Later on I became a multimedia software developer, but I changed careers because I got tired of doing cool stuff with computers just because I knew how. I’m quite at ease with the technology itself, but I’m not so
sure about its effect on my productivity.
I’ve got early-stage connectivitis, true, but I’m trying to boost my immune system with powerful doses of perspective.
As a small business, I don’t have a lot of spare cash to blow on stuff that makes me look cool but doesn’t actually work. As a frequent traveler, I need things that are light, easy to use and, above all, reliable. Like any smart buyer, I check things out before I buy, and weigh the pros, cons and costs of a purchase. But there are a few things I wish somebody had told me before I dropped a couple of hundred bucks on a handheld personal digital assistant, or signed on for a mobile phone plan.
None of these things, for starters, are actually as small as they seem. Most of them need something else to work properly: batteries, a power cord, a CD drive, and so on. There are external keyboards and modems for handhelds that increase the space and weight requirements significantly. No matter your destination, you have to pack up all your gear, get it in the car or taxi or airplane or rickshaw, and then take it all out of the case and set it up again. As you arrive at the meeting, your focus is not on what you’re going to say, but on whether the equipment will work the way it did when you tested it the day before. So it goes when you’ve got a case of connectivitis.
Part of me insists on thinking that I should have known all this before I began acquiring gadgets — on the other hand, how could I have known about connectivitis before I became connected?
Beware the slippery slope
I own a fair number of these tools myself [see “He’s gotta have it” on previous page], and I’m learning that each has its place. They allow me to work where I need to, when I need to. But I’ve learned that I only need to carry my equipment when I’m actually going to work on it.
During work time, I can maximize my productivity and even enjoy it — at least, sometimes. Try writing your next project or progress report under a tree in a park, or on the beach — it may not make the work go any faster, but it will certainly be more enjoyable than doing it in some fluorescent-lit cubicle.
Aside from allowing me to work in the great outdoors — Can you honestly say you’ve used your encumbrances to work in the great outdoors? If not, why? — the gear has more than earned its keep on numerous occasions. I was recently in the middle of a phone interview and realized
I needed additional background on a company. My laptop was on, connected to the Internet and sitting right in front of me. Without the other person knowing, I hit a couple of websites and found what I needed, which meant I was able to ask a series of follow-up questions I’d have
missed otherwise.
A plus of my PDA and phone is that they combine well, and they allow me to carry less and still do most of what I could with a laptop. Does this mean that I carry them absolutely everywhere? No. While I do drag my phone around most places, I’ve learned over time when I will need
my PDA and I leave it at home the rest of the time.
There are add-ons for these gadgets, which can make life — and my work life — even easier. PDAs have the widest array of extras, though mobile phones have Internet connectivity now, and even little attachable cloth keyboards you can roll up and stick in your pocket. My back-up modules have saved my PDA data many times, when batteries have died or I’ve deleted the wrong thing from my handheld’s memory.
But the pluses, as I’ve learned the hard way, make for a slippery slope. You become more dependent on the gear and on the gadgets they attach to. Your belt becomes more cluttered, and
your pockets fill with spare batteries.
For some folks this is a fashion statement as well as a professional connectivity issue. Not only do they have all the gear, but it’s top-of-the-line and brand-new and they’re awfully pleased with themselves as a result. I say they’re sick.
I need a phone and a PDA and sometimes a laptop. Do I also need a pager? A second phone? A fax machine in my car? No, no and no, and I’m hard-pressed to imagine anyone who does. I’ve known some doctors to wear two pagers — their own and an “on-call” beeper that rotates from person to person as shifts change — but that’s as far as I can conceive of going. I guess if the issue comes down to life and death, I’m willing to concede a little.
We’re gonna make it after all
After all, everyone — doctors, stock brokers, lawyers, bike messengers, even journalists — needs time away from the job. Without time away, connectivitis takes its terminal form, whereupon the fun stops and productivity slams to a halt. We all know that feeling; as a small business person, my work already has a tendency to creep over the edges of my personal life. Right now, for example, it’s almost 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. Where am I? Sitting here typing.
Typing, yes, but typing in the knowledge that recovery is close at hand. Sometimes I need to turn the computer off, not answer the phone, and put down the handheld — and I’m OK with that.
Even so, technological developments are working hard to prevent me from being OK with that. I do think it would be great to get a remotely updated plastic newspaper; I wouldn’t have to pitch so many trees into the recycling bin. But what always comes with new technological capabilities is the promise — no, make that more of a threat — that I need to be even more productive than I already am.
Soon after I get one of those wireless newspapers, somebody’s going to try to sell me a “solution” that will allow me to get my e-mail on it, too. I don’t want that. If I’m reading the newspaper, I’m reading the newspaper. When I want to stop and check my e-mail, I will.
I value my work a great deal, and my quest for perspective is fueled in large part by wanting to do it better and more efficiently. Technology can be a big help, but it can also be a powerful agent for distraction, lack of productivity and stress. If I’m always being distracted, what takes most of my attention is not what’s most important, but what’s making the most noise.
Set your limits and stick to them. You don’t need to be rigid about this; expand them when circumstances warrant. Be sure to take your anti-connectivitis supplements every day: family, friends, time outdoors, time with a book. If you find yourself facing a moment of weakness,
think of a line from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme song: “You’re gonna
make it after all.”
And to think Mary Richards actually made it without the help of a laptop or a PDA. Amazing.
He’s gotta have it
The economics, psychology and cool of digital encumbrance: our correspondent’s arsenal of gear
(batteries not included)
Computer
Gear: Apple Powerbook G3, 233MHz
Outlay: $2500
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Laptops keep getting cooler and more powerful. Who needs a desktop machine anymore? Grab a titanium-clad power machine and compute anywhere.
Personal digital assistant
Gear: Handspring Visor, Deluxe, $200; Handspring Visor 56K modem, $90 Landware GoType! Keyboard, $70
Outlay: $360
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ****
Bottom line: All my business and personal contact information is contained in one small device on which I can also edit text, send e-mail and surf the web. Great when traveling light, but I use my laptop when I’m home. The Handspring modem has been discontinued, but similar items are available at Handspring.com for $89-$119.
Cell phone
Gear: Ericcson R289LX mobile with Internet capability, and charger
Outlay: $100, plus $45/month (including limited Internet access) for AT&T wireless service
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Seems everybody’s got a mobile phone these days, but this one can tell me what time movies are showing or recommend a good nearby restaurant for a business lunch. It also takes voicemail messages and lets me know who’s calling before I answer.
Plugs and adapters
Gear (pictured top to bottom): Three-pronged power adapter for UK/Ireland sockets, sold as part of a worldwide power adapter set, $50 from TeleAdaptUSA.com; two-pronged flat-pin adapter for U.S. plugs to fit into non-grounded sockets, less than $1 at most hardware stores; two-pronged round-pin power adapter for European sockets, part of the set sold by TeleAdaptUSA.com
Outlay: $51
Utility: *****
Cool factor: None
Bottom line: No power, no work. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important. Lose these small items and your overseas productivity is gone. You can also win points with ill-prepared fellow travelers by having spares for loan.
Zip drive
Gear: VST Zip 100 expansion bay drive for Powerbook G3; Iomega Zip disk, 100 megabytes (pictured)
Outlay: Drive, $219.95; disks, $44.95/five-pack
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Better than dragging a Zip drive around with cables to connect to power and your computer. Just pop this in the expansion bay and you’re away. Even outside the laptop, it’s smaller than most Zip drives. A single Zip disk holds the equivalent of 80 floppies; it reads and writes faster than a typical floppy, and is sturdier, too.
Service, access and power
Gear: RoadRunner cable Internet service, $40/month, plus $10/month for LineRunner voice-over-IP service; dialup Internet access for Visor and on the road with laptop, $12/month; home electricity usage, 2.9 kwh/day or $10.50/month, includes lights, kitchen, TV, etc.
Outlay: About $72/month
Utility: *****
Cool factor: **
Bottom line: I couldn’t work without these services, but it’s not like you can rack up status points with your friends by showing off your ISP bill.
When it comes to digital technology, I consider myself a pretty basic gadget guy. I can honestly say I’m not some overly wired freak who walks around all day with a headset on, gesticulating wildly as I talk to the air.
Though I do have four eyes, I don’t wear a small computer monitor on my glasses, the better to read my e-mail at one-inch range. And what’s up with those guys — why are they always guys? — who wear digital headcams so you can see what they’re doing just by looking at their websites? Thanks, but no thanks.
I may not be a freak, but I am nevertheless digitally encumbered. Don’t get me wrong — all the gadgets are great, and it’s amazing and wonderful to be able to communicate with so many people so many different ways, and so quickly.
Eight years ago, when I first spent extended time overseas, I remember being thrilled as I coordinated travel plans across the Atlantic in a six-message e-mail exchange lasting only 15 minutes. Now we don’t even think twice about such an exchange. Technology is everywhere, and it’s moving “at the speed of business,” as at least one company’s ad campaign says.
But here’s the rub: Do I always need to be moving that fast? Is my on-the-job productivity really heightened that much by being more or less constantly plugged in, or does it just allow me to be more inefficient?
My digital encumbrances, after all, are varied and wondrous: laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), Internet-capable mobile phone, a gaggle of cords and adapters and other gizmos to allow everything to talk to each other and that let me take my encumbrances on the road and overseas.
I’m an avowed tech lover, but even I have come to the realization that this kind of connectivity must have a limit.
I realize this is not a new idea; doomsayers have been wringing their hands over the consequences, real and imagined, of digital encumbrance for a decade or more. But with the gadgets getting smaller, cheaper, sexier and more powerful — witness the advent of wirelessness and the number of people these days who can’t seem to get behind the wheel of an SUV without sparking up the mobile phone — it’s as much of an issue as ever, especially for business people for whom the notion of “staying connected” is as important as maintaining a pulse.
The only way we’re going to nip the connectivity bug in the bud is by just saying no: turning off the pager when we go out to dinner, turning off the cell phone at the kids’ Little League game, going for more than five minutes between e-mail checks. It’s fair to say that somebody somewhere will want to check their e-mail while reading a wireless newspaper that can also receive faxes, but I am not that person.
Thus, my new tech credo: Enough is enough. Enough with 24/7/365 connectedness. Enough with the fetishes over size and speed. (Though a laptop that moves at 1 GHz would be so sweet!) Technology is not an end unto itself but rather a tool. I am my own man. I am not my digital encumbrances.
At least, I don’t think I am.
Getting a big digital grip
As someone running his own small business — I’m a freelance writer — I find I’m constantly evaluating the state of the gadgets I have with me. Do I need to have my phone on during lunch with a friend? Do I keep the to-do alarm on my handheld on or off if I’m in a meeting? Does an
overnight trip somewhere require the laptop, or can I make do with the handheld and its keyboard? We’d like to think such questions have to do with productivity, but what they’re really about is being connected — and that’s not the same as being productive.
Still, we insist on missing the distinction and focusing, as often as not, on the pain our gizmos cause us. More and more of us are sporting a wider array of digital gadgetry on our belts, after all, and we all spout the same vacuous platitudes at business gatherings and parties. “I really
hate being in a movie theater/play/concert/yoga class and hearing somebody’s phone ring,” we complain. “My Palm Pilot would be great, if only I remembered to bring it with me,” we lament.
We’re all starting to get sick. Our devices are becoming the focus of our attention, rather than tools to make our ideas become reality.
Time, in other words, for all of us connected types to get a big collective grip.
If I can learn from my digital missteps, anybody can. I’m 27, I run my business out of my apartment in Portland, and I began dabbling in technology in sixth grade, when my parents bought a 128KB color computer, the IBM PCjr. (Now I carry 32 times more memory and lots more processor power in a little handheld computer clipped onto my belt.) Later on I became a multimedia software developer, but I changed careers because I got tired of doing cool stuff with computers just because I knew how. I’m quite at ease with the technology itself, but I’m not so
sure about its effect on my productivity.
I’ve got early-stage connectivitis, true, but I’m trying to boost my immune system with powerful doses of perspective.
As a small business, I don’t have a lot of spare cash to blow on stuff that makes me look cool but doesn’t actually work. As a frequent traveler, I need things that are light, easy to use and, above all, reliable. Like any smart buyer, I check things out before I buy, and weigh the pros, cons and costs of a purchase. But there are a few things I wish somebody had told me before I dropped a couple of hundred bucks on a handheld personal digital assistant, or signed on for a mobile phone plan.
None of these things, for starters, are actually as small as they seem. Most of them need something else to work properly: batteries, a power cord, a CD drive, and so on. There are external keyboards and modems for handhelds that increase the space and weight requirements significantly. No matter your destination, you have to pack up all your gear, get it in the car or taxi or airplane or rickshaw, and then take it all out of the case and set it up again. As you arrive at the meeting, your focus is not on what you’re going to say, but on whether the equipment will work the way it did when you tested it the day before. So it goes when you’ve got a case of connectivitis.
Part of me insists on thinking that I should have known all this before I began acquiring gadgets — on the other hand, how could I have known about connectivitis before I became connected?
Beware the slippery slope
I own a fair number of these tools myself [see “He’s gotta have it” on previous page], and I’m learning that each has its place. They allow me to work where I need to, when I need to. But I’ve learned that I only need to carry my equipment when I’m actually going to work on it.
During work time, I can maximize my productivity and even enjoy it — at least, sometimes. Try writing your next project or progress report under a tree in a park, or on the beach — it may not make the work go any faster, but it will certainly be more enjoyable than doing it in some fluorescent-lit cubicle.
Aside from allowing me to work in the great outdoors — Can you honestly say you’ve used your encumbrances to work in the great outdoors? If not, why? — the gear has more than earned its keep on numerous occasions. I was recently in the middle of a phone interview and realized
I needed additional background on a company. My laptop was on, connected to the Internet and sitting right in front of me. Without the other person knowing, I hit a couple of websites and found what I needed, which meant I was able to ask a series of follow-up questions I’d have
missed otherwise.
A plus of my PDA and phone is that they combine well, and they allow me to carry less and still do most of what I could with a laptop. Does this mean that I carry them absolutely everywhere? No. While I do drag my phone around most places, I’ve learned over time when I will need
my PDA and I leave it at home the rest of the time.
There are add-ons for these gadgets, which can make life — and my work life — even easier. PDAs have the widest array of extras, though mobile phones have Internet connectivity now, and even little attachable cloth keyboards you can roll up and stick in your pocket. My back-up modules have saved my PDA data many times, when batteries have died or I’ve deleted the wrong thing from my handheld’s memory.
But the pluses, as I’ve learned the hard way, make for a slippery slope. You become more dependent on the gear and on the gadgets they attach to. Your belt becomes more cluttered, and
your pockets fill with spare batteries.
For some folks this is a fashion statement as well as a professional connectivity issue. Not only do they have all the gear, but it’s top-of-the-line and brand-new and they’re awfully pleased with themselves as a result. I say they’re sick.
I need a phone and a PDA and sometimes a laptop. Do I also need a pager? A second phone? A fax machine in my car? No, no and no, and I’m hard-pressed to imagine anyone who does. I’ve known some doctors to wear two pagers — their own and an “on-call” beeper that rotates from person to person as shifts change — but that’s as far as I can conceive of going. I guess if the issue comes down to life and death, I’m willing to concede a little.
We’re gonna make it after all
After all, everyone — doctors, stock brokers, lawyers, bike messengers, even journalists — needs time away from the job. Without time away, connectivitis takes its terminal form, whereupon the fun stops and productivity slams to a halt. We all know that feeling; as a small business person, my work already has a tendency to creep over the edges of my personal life. Right now, for example, it’s almost 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. Where am I? Sitting here typing.
Typing, yes, but typing in the knowledge that recovery is close at hand. Sometimes I need to turn the computer off, not answer the phone, and put down the handheld — and I’m OK with that.
Even so, technological developments are working hard to prevent me from being OK with that. I do think it would be great to get a remotely updated plastic newspaper; I wouldn’t have to pitch so many trees into the recycling bin. But what always comes with new technological capabilities is the promise — no, make that more of a threat — that I need to be even more productive than I already am.
Soon after I get one of those wireless newspapers, somebody’s going to try to sell me a “solution” that will allow me to get my e-mail on it, too. I don’t want that. If I’m reading the newspaper, I’m reading the newspaper. When I want to stop and check my e-mail, I will.
I value my work a great deal, and my quest for perspective is fueled in large part by wanting to do it better and more efficiently. Technology can be a big help, but it can also be a powerful agent for distraction, lack of productivity and stress. If I’m always being distracted, what takes most of my attention is not what’s most important, but what’s making the most noise.
Set your limits and stick to them. You don’t need to be rigid about this; expand them when circumstances warrant. Be sure to take your anti-connectivitis supplements every day: family, friends, time outdoors, time with a book. If you find yourself facing a moment of weakness,
think of a line from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” theme song: “You’re gonna
make it after all.”
And to think Mary Richards actually made it without the help of a laptop or a PDA. Amazing.
He’s gotta have it
The economics, psychology and cool of digital encumbrance: our correspondent’s arsenal of gear
(batteries not included)
Computer
Gear: Apple Powerbook G3, 233MHz
Outlay: $2500
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Laptops keep getting cooler and more powerful. Who needs a desktop machine anymore? Grab a titanium-clad power machine and compute anywhere.
Personal digital assistant
Gear: Handspring Visor, Deluxe, $200; Handspring Visor 56K modem, $90 Landware GoType! Keyboard, $70
Outlay: $360
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ****
Bottom line: All my business and personal contact information is contained in one small device on which I can also edit text, send e-mail and surf the web. Great when traveling light, but I use my laptop when I’m home. The Handspring modem has been discontinued, but similar items are available at Handspring.com for $89-$119.
Cell phone
Gear: Ericcson R289LX mobile with Internet capability, and charger
Outlay: $100, plus $45/month (including limited Internet access) for AT&T wireless service
Utility: *****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Seems everybody’s got a mobile phone these days, but this one can tell me what time movies are showing or recommend a good nearby restaurant for a business lunch. It also takes voicemail messages and lets me know who’s calling before I answer.
Plugs and adapters
Gear (pictured top to bottom): Three-pronged power adapter for UK/Ireland sockets, sold as part of a worldwide power adapter set, $50 from TeleAdaptUSA.com; two-pronged flat-pin adapter for U.S. plugs to fit into non-grounded sockets, less than $1 at most hardware stores; two-pronged round-pin power adapter for European sockets, part of the set sold by TeleAdaptUSA.com
Outlay: $51
Utility: *****
Cool factor: None
Bottom line: No power, no work. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important. Lose these small items and your overseas productivity is gone. You can also win points with ill-prepared fellow travelers by having spares for loan.
Zip drive
Gear: VST Zip 100 expansion bay drive for Powerbook G3; Iomega Zip disk, 100 megabytes (pictured)
Outlay: Drive, $219.95; disks, $44.95/five-pack
Utility: ****
Cool factor: ***
Bottom line: Better than dragging a Zip drive around with cables to connect to power and your computer. Just pop this in the expansion bay and you’re away. Even outside the laptop, it’s smaller than most Zip drives. A single Zip disk holds the equivalent of 80 floppies; it reads and writes faster than a typical floppy, and is sturdier, too.
Service, access and power
Gear: RoadRunner cable Internet service, $40/month, plus $10/month for LineRunner voice-over-IP service; dialup Internet access for Visor and on the road with laptop, $12/month; home electricity usage, 2.9 kwh/day or $10.50/month, includes lights, kitchen, TV, etc.
Outlay: About $72/month
Utility: *****
Cool factor: **
Bottom line: I couldn’t work without these services, but it’s not like you can rack up status points with your friends by showing off your ISP bill.
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