Ever wonder how your wireless phone works?

Of course not. Just like a car or an Apple Computer, we don’t wonder about these things. We just turn them on, and they work. Miracles abound, but we don’t really think about them.

I had a chance recently to think about — and actually see — how my wireless phone works. It was pretty impressive.

I visited the Verizon Wireless switching facility, “Mobile Telephone Switching Office” or “switch” in Orlando. It’s a fortress where all Verizon calls to and from Central Florida feed through. This otherwise non-descript building, with its brick trim and secured entrance, represents the brain and spine that mean when I hit “Send,” my call gets sent. Or when I log on with my broadband access card, Gmail comes to my laptop. It knows all.

The name “Hal” came to mind.

My first impression, though? Cool. Read More »

Which road tracking and map tech to use was always a toss up in our car.

We’d traveled for years with traditional GPS devices, that British lass barking out orders and seemingly venting frustration whenever we’d ignore her suggested turns. She was good and reliable. As the kids always warned, “Trust the technology.”

Then along came the Verizon Wireless and its VZ Navigator Version 4 application.

Our “traditional” retail GPS would just tell us, “Make left in 2 miles.” No street name audibly announced (thought it’s there in print on the screen). I have to admit, though, the British voice was something last summer when we took an impromptu detour onto the Blue Ridge Parkway — and she couldn’t convince us to “Make the next available turn…” Frustrated, she was. Read More »

I’ve planted my flag and staked my claim to the front-facing perch of the dinette table in our mobile home office. It is here I’ve created my workspace. And I’m settling in quite nicely.

With a few common supplies, a couple of hardware gadgets, and a little ingenuity, I’ve made it my own

My Foray Mobile Workmate has packed with my laptop (a killer new HP Compaq 2710P tablet ultraslim notebook) and my accessories abound. I’ve got several cameras (a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1 megapixel, and my two-year-old HP Photosmart 5.1 megapixel. Nicole brought her Casio Elixim. And the phones have cameras(of course). The Workmate fits perfectly between the driver and shotgun seats while moving. And when I’ve relocated to my office, it opens right beside me.But what’s really cool are the little tweaks I’ve made.

With a pair of inch-square patches of Velcro, I mounted the Ativa surge protector to thee wall behind me. Up and out of the way, it’s become the power charging station for the phones, cameras, printer, laptops and all our other accessories.

The other occurred in that place where A-Ha! meets the right-designed product. The dinette table has two cup holders set in holes routed out from the wood. I popped out one of the holders, unscrewed the in-desk USB hub, and slip the top through the wood. I then screwed the backing behind the table, screwed it into place and — Viola! — I had an in-desk USB hub.

Working from an “alternative” home office requires a bit of make-shift thinking, a few epiphanies and some luck. More tweaks and creativity to come.

It’s positively a unique experience. Except Sponge Bob’s on the cable. So I guess it’s not that unique at all…

Plates and utensils? Check. Bedding and toiletries? Check. Clothes, food and other necessities? Check, check, check. Once the mainstays of an RV trip have been bought, gathered and stored, then you turn to the office supplies.

When I leave on a business trip, I try to remember all the accessories and accoutrements I’ll need — lest I go without something or have to buy a replacement on the road. But what will I need for a three-week RV trip that seeks to truly replicate the office?

Let’s review the stuff… Read More »

The Internet is vital to any road trip. We’ll have Verizon Wireless on board the RV. But if you need wi-fi connectivity, check out this collection of nationwide wi-fi hot spots from About.com.

The Mobile Office Technology writer Catherine Roseberry also offered these solutions and tools for mobile performance and enjoyment:

1. Mobile Edge Enhanced Wi-Fi Locator. The Mobile Edge Wi-Fi Locator is small enough to fit nicely on your keychain and doesn’t add extra bulk to your keychain. It’s easy to use and when those times arise when you don’t want to stay in a hot spot location but use your vehicle, this gadget is ideal. I was able to test the Wi-Fi locator at a couple locations and I really liked the fact that the LED display will indicate how strong the signal is.

2. Kensington Pocket Speakers: Kensington Pocket Speakers will truly fit into a pocket and are an excellent accessory for any mobile professional, especially those who are responsible for providing presentations on a regular basis. Most onboard speakers in a laptop do not provide adequate volume for use during presentations. Using the Kensington Pocket Speakers will help ensure that everyone in the room can hear what is going on.

3. Laptop Legs/Mac Feet by LapWorks Inc. Laptop Legs/Mac Feet provide an easy way to elevate your laptop on any surface without worrying about making your laptop unstable. If anyone has an older laptop or remembers the older laptops, they did have small legs but they weren’t sturdy at all and quite often broke. The Laptop Legs/Mac Feet are a well constructed and designed solution which enable you to increase airflow beneath your laptop.

4. D-Link Wireless Pocket Router/AP w/Client Mode. The biggest benefit that the D-Link Wireless Pocket Router/AP provides is the ability to combine three different capabilities in one compact mobile gadget. The DWL-G730AP can be used as an Access Point – which is very handy whenever you have to share Internet access and there is only one Ethernet connection available.

5. Targus Mobile Notebook Surge Protector. It’s important to make sure you protect the power provided to your laptop while on the road. The Targus Mobile Notebook Surge Protector is a very compact and lightweight gadget for peace of mind while working on the road. This surge protector includes two and three prong AC adapters to fit most laptops. You can use this anywhere in the world you happen to be working.

Do you like to work when you play? How about work from ‘anywhere’? A study from Citrix Online revealed that for a growing number of American workers, the traditional office is becoming more of a touchpad than a daily destination, or one of several places we do our jobs.

And one of those places increasingly is while away on vacation or any of the popular shorter mini-vacations Americans are taking.

The study, “Web Commuting & the American Workforce,” notes that people are performing at least part of their jobs virtual – and from anywhere, at any hour of the day. How? They’re tapping various technology that allows them to “take their office with them” wherever they go. These remote workers, termed “telecommuters” in the 1980s and 90s, today are called “Web commuters” for their growing reliance on the Internet.

The rise of this ‘Web Commuter’ is changing how people view work. It’s not a place, but a result. It’s not about time, but productivity. As one saying goes, “It’s output, not hours-put.” Among the stats:

– 23% of American workers (and 41% of small business owners) regularly work from home or another offsite location, relying on Web technology (e.g. the Internet, e-mail, or programs that allow them to remotely access their office computers or meet with colleagues online).

– 62% of those who do not have this ability said they would like to be able to do so.

– 14% preferred the ability to work remotely or away from the office at least some of the time as a perk over stock options (13%) and on-site child care (11%).

– 70% of American workers aged 18-34 were most excited about working remotely and would welcome the opportunity.

Products like VPN, or Citrix GoToMyPC, enable people to access their computers from any Internet-enabled destination. That can include a cyber café, or your Verizon wireless broadband aircard. Today, that means work is a thing – regardless of place…

Each summer, my family leaves the home office and road trips for two weeks. And each summer, I find myself gathering up the must-have tools to make my road trip successful.

There’s my laptop and my USB flashdrive with all my most current docs backed up. There’s my Gmail account, through which all my email flows — so I have every email sent or received out there close at hand.

There’s my USB mini-light to illuminate my keyboard or documents, for when I’m working in the early morning — but don’t want to wake the family. I also carry a small Monster power strip to turn one electrical outlet into five — to my laptop, Blackberry, digital camera, iPod (with the Monster cable to broadcast my tunes on the minivan’s stereo) and my family’s phones and accessories can recharge overnight. And there’s our Hampton Inn guide book, so we know where our favorite haunt is along the highway.

And they’re all packed away in my laptop backpack — neatly stashed and close at hand.

Unless the goal is to unplug completely from work, road trips shouldn’t kill productivity. I strive to be just as effective a soloist from the road as I am in the home office.

What’s your Digital Didyaknow? How do you make your travels a time of peak productivity — at least at those times that you want to scratch out a few moments of work? As I gear up for our vocation vacation, I want to learn more.

Let me know…

Are you a mobile home officer? Think you need to work from a home office 9-to-5 to qualify? Think again…

If you run a business from home, then you can be a mobile home officer. If you telework — working a few days each week or month from a home office for a boss someplace else, you can be a mobile home officer.

If you just want to take a stress-free vacation — one that gives you the ability to do a little work comfortably from the road — then you can be a mobile home officer.

Home Office Highway isn’t just for home officers. It’s for anyone who uses technology to improve their workstyle. It’s about laptop computers and wireless broadband connections. It’s about checking email from a campsite in the Smoky Mountains, or working at dawn while watching the sun rise over the Jersey Shore.

It’s about taking the family on the road in a vacation all can enjoy — while mom and dad work a bit and feel less guilty about their getaway.

A marketer recently commented that their audience isn’t “home office,” so Home Office Highway wasn’t for them. This tour isn’t just about entrepreneurs who work from home. It’s about anyone who wants to work and live from the road — doing a little work, journaling about their adventures, even paying their bills online and staying connected with family — from an office on the road.

I just happen to work from home. And this summer, my home — and home office — will be on the road…