Real Estate Techie

iPad Mini Rumor Mill

Many techies have been saying there is an iPad Mini in the works. Most believe it will be released later this year. With the sales of Kindle Fire, it would certainly make sense for Apple to get into this smaller tablet market. Personally, I like the 7″ tablets form factor, because they fit in my hand better.  But I do like the 10″ better for viewing media.

c|net reporter, Joe Aimonetti, disagrees that Apple would have to compete with the Kindle Fire. Read more below.

7-inch iPad Rumor: Slim Bezel Display to Maximize Viewing Area

Digitimes is reporting that their sources are saying LG and AU Optronics will be supplying display panels.  So there is a high probability that the rumor is true.

What do you think? If Apple releases a 7-inch tablet, will you purchase an iPad Mini?  Comment below.

iPad 3 Release Date – Wednesday, March 7th 2012 – Which Rumors are True?

Geeks and technology freaks far and wide are anticipating the release of the new iPad 3 on Wednesday, March 7th in San Francisco, CA.  Apple is really good at keeping the newest features on the down low, so rumors are flying around at light speed. The rumors could be true, but some are most likely hog wash.

Will iPad 3 Have a New Name? iPad HD?

Sources are saying that the newest iPad will be called the iPad HD. That’s because of a higher resolution display (see next rumor). iPads have been supporting 720p HD for sometime, but this rumor says the iPad HD will be the only tablet at time of release to support 1080p high-definition at its full resolution (1,920 by 1,080).

Will iPad 3 Have Retina Display

This rumor is most likely true (see above). The Retina displays are being used on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S as well as the most recent generation of the iPod Touch. The screen is super sharp and hard for the human eye to tell the difference in individual pixels. The rumors are saying the iPad 3 screen will have a resolution of 2048×1536 and allow for full 1080p display. If this rumor is true that is twice the resolution of the iPad 2′s 768×1026 within the same screen real estate.

Will iPad 3 Offer 4G LTE Data Speeds?

With 4G networks expanding, it would make sense for the latest and greatest Apple gadget to feature 4G LTE support. This will allow iPad 3 users to connect at Read more…

I recently started using the Gmail feature “chat to text”, and believe you would find it useful as well.  When you’re on your computer it’s much easier to type on a full keyboard as opposed to your cell or smart phone text entry.  And if you don’t have “unlimited texts/sms”, then this can help save you money as well.  It works great to send a text message to one of your contact’s cell phone.

You have to tweak a few settings within your gmail account, but it only takes just a few minutes to set up.  The video below will help you get it set up and going. I spent about a half hour or more trying to figure this out, because I was certain you could do it.  It was just a matter of finding the instructions.  Hopefully, this post and video will help save you some time.

Whether you are a Realtor or a Real Estate Investor (REI), if you are serious, then you need your own website.  But just having a website is a waste if you don’t know how to drive traffic to your site.  You can have the most beautifulest website in the whole wide world, but if  you don’t have visitors, then your website got dressed up for nothing.  So, if you want leads, you’ve got to have visitors, because visitors convert to potential leads. Read more…

If you have a MAC, and you’ve installed Lion (OS X 10.7), you can now access the Tempo MLS.   Tempo and Lion did not play well to start with, but what’s new, right?!?  Tempo doesn’t play well with anything except stodgy old Internet Explorer and Windows.  However, the IDS Mac client compatibility fix for Apple’s release of OS X Lion 10.7 has now been installed.  So, you can use Tempo MLS on your Mac computer once again whether you have an iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or MacBook.

MAC OS X Lion users will need to do the following to receive the fix:
1. Navigate to http://ids.marketlinx.com/nativemac.html from the default browser on the Mac.
2. ** Install the IDS Links program over top of the current installation (uninstall is not needed first).
3. Launch the IDS icon to access the application.

If you are installing IDS for the first time please follow the instructions here: http://support.triadmls.com/files/pdf/ids.pdf

My Supra eKey recently stopped updating using the USB cradle on my computer.   I found a free an easy fix, so I wanted to share it with you.   Thanks to the Willamette Valley Multiple Listing Service who updated their members regarding the update.   The link with the quick and easy instructions is below.

Supra eKey USB Cradle Software Update

Most of us have multiple computers or devices we check email on, and most of us use a standard POP email account.  One problem with POP email you encounter is when you open an email on one machine and then check email on a different device.  The email on the second or additional devices looks unopened.  Same thing with deleting emails.  Just because you delete an email on one doesn’t mean it will be deleted on the others.   It can be annoying and time consuming to go through and open/delete emails on multiple machines.  So, I began looking into ways to sync my emails in order to save a little time and be more productive.

The other choices for email is IMAP or using a web based service like Yahoo or Gmail.  IMAP is good for syncing your email account, but you still have to use an email client like Outlook, Windows Mail, Mac Mail, Thunderbird, etc.  I’ve tried all of the clients listed previously, and I just got tired of having problems with them (mostly with Windows Mail – arrgh!).

Web based clients are great for syncing, but most people use them for personal email.  But I like the web based clients better than an ISP email (like AT&T, Road Runner, etc), because if you change internet service providers, then you have to change your email address.  Using web based email like Gmail, Yahoo, etc for personal email means you will never have to change your email unless you just want a new email address.  I’ve been using Gmail on my personal email every since “gmail invitations” went out, and love all of the functionality it gives you with “Google Docs”, etc.

So, what if you have your own web site, like many Realtors and real estate investors, and you want to be more professional with your email delivery?  An email from your own domain is much more professional than “yourname@gmail.com”.  After doing a little research, I found out you can use Gmail to send email from any other email address or domain.  I’ve been doing this now for about 6 months, and I love it.  Gmail claims you can also import your contacts and emails from another address, but I couldn’t get that to work (I just left my old emails on the my Godaddy web mail account).  The link below will help you set it up.  It takes about 15 minutes.

Sync your email and use Gmail to send email from another address

I bought my first MAC just over a  year ago, because I was tired of Windows shortcomings (crashes, slow, etc).  As a Realtor®, one of the most important aspects of your business is accessing the MLS.  That’s not so simple with a MAC, because most MLS’s require you to use Internet Explorer by Microsoft.  There are several work arounds, but they aren’t very simple.  They involve installing a full version of Windows on your MAC, which can be costly and complicated if you aren’t tech savy.  Well, if you use the CoreLogic MarketLinx Tempo MLS, I finally found another way to logon to the MLS with your MAC, and it’s FREE!  I’ve probably looked on a thousand different websites trying to find it.  The crazy thing it’s actually on the www.tempohelp.com website.  ”Duh, winning!”

I will give you the instructions here, but you should also go to www.tempohelp.com and register on their support site.  Once you’re logged in, click the “Tutorials and Videos” icon.

The way you access the MLS with your MAC is through IDS.

What is IDS?

IDS (Information Delivery System), is a server based solution that allows Mac users to access programs that require running on a Windows computer. Once logged into the IDS application, you will be able to access your MLS Program from an icon specifically for the site that you use every day. All settings are taken care of on the server for the MLS Program that you access.

What are the minimum system requirements?

• An Intel-based or PowerPC-based Macintosh running OS X 10.4 or later
• A high-speed Internet connection.
• IDS is not compatible with the Apple iPad

You will need to go to http://ids.marketlinx.com/nativemac.html to download the application to your computer.  Once you have installed it, the directions will also include a link for your specific MLS to create a short cut for your desktop.

The link below is the pdf that is on the www.tempohelp.com site, but it is specific to my MLS.  Logon to the website and it should direct you to the instructions for your MLS.

How to Access the Tempo MLS on a MAC – Install IDS

I’ve had a chance to use it a few times over the weekend, and it does have some issues.  I had to “force quit’ the application several times, because it would hang up (typical Windows crap!).  So, it’s not perfect, but you can at least logon to the MLS…when it works.

Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or call your local MLS tech support.  I’m sure they can help you with the installation as well.  Add your comments below to let others know how it’s working for you.

You may have read my earlier review of Dropbox, and know that I’m a firm believer in the functionality, ease of use, and increased productivity it offers.  I have been using another cloud based sync service called SugarSync.  Both SugarSync and Dropbox allow you to sync files across multiple computers, mobile devices and platforms, which allows you to access those files most anywhere.

I’m using SugarSync in our real estate firm to go paperless.  We scan a contract, and then shred the paper.  The files are backed up in multiple locations, so why keep a paper file?  It allows our brokerage to be more green.

It works basically like a “My Documents” folder.

1. You install the SugarSync free software manager on each computer or mobile device you want to sync files with.
2. Then, you add your files to the “Magic Briefcase” folder.  The next time you turn on your other device, the SugarSync servers will add the file/files by syncing with that device.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  SugarSync also allows you to sync multiple folders across multiple systems.  To add folders other than your “Magic Briefcase”, you just open up the software and “add folders”.

What’s even better about SugarSync is that it’s more than twice the storage of the free Dropbox account giving you 5 gigabyte for free (If you sign up for the free account through the following link, you’ll get an additional 500 MB of storage for FREE – Sign up for FREE File Storage with SugarSync).

SugarSync is available on all of the major mobile platforms.

• iPad, iPhone, iTouch
• Android
• Blackberry
• Windows Mobile
• Symbian

You can also access your account from any web browser.  Being able to access your important files while you’re out of the office anytime is priceless to me.  If you have tried Dropbox, I believe you’ll like SugarSync even more.

Do You Use Social Media for Real Estate?