RETRACTION: iPhone Distribution Channel Expands

It appears that the arrival of iPhone to our Apple Authorized Business Agent site was perhaps unintentional as it has now disappeared. We have not received official word as yet from Apple as to why this is the case. We will update here immediately as we receive more information.

iPhone Distribution Channel Expands

Digital Design Solutions, LLC to begin integration immediately

Atlanta, GA – August 13, 2007 – Apple, Inc. introduced the iPhone on June 29, 2007. Still in it’s infancy, Apple has quietly expanded distribution of the iPhone through the Apple Authorized

Business Agent program. Digital Design Solutions, LLC, a technology and consulting firm, Apple Consultants Network member, and Apple Authorized Business Agent based in Atlanta, GA will begin immediately assisting clients and prospects with the integration of the iPhone into their businesses and personal lives. Since it’s release, iPhone has rapidly gained credibility and value as a business tool. Many widely utilized Web 2.0 applications and Software as a Service (SaaS) providers, such as Oracle with it’s NetSuite application, have already modified their products to be supported by iPhone and Apple’s Safari web browser. While Digital Design Solutions, LLC serves many business clients, the firm also serves the home user market and sees a huge opportunity for iPhone there as well. Jarrod Skeggs, Vice President of Sales and Marketing said, “Because of iPhone’s multi-touch interface and Safari web browser functionality, it’s a natural fit for the home entertainment and home automation markets. Many of the home entertainment and automation applications available on the market today allow the homeowner to access their system through a web interface. This makes iPhone the perfect solution. Not to mention the fact that iPhone could possibly be the most visually attractive ‘control surface’ available on the market today.”

Digital Design Solutions is an Atlanta based technology consulting and design firm. We specialize in serving Apple/Macintosh users throughout the United States. We are experts in helping you tell your story across any media. We offer a wide variety of products and services that enable our clients to deliver their message with Maximum Impact. We can be reached for comment at 678.681.1815 or info@digidsolutions.com. Visit us on the web at http://www.digidsolutions.com.

Beep, Beep, Beep...Part 2

(Look out Mama, Daddy’s backing up): Part 2

A Quick Review

In Part 1 of this blog entry we touched on just a little bit about what could be the most important and crucial component of any computing system: the Backup plan. (If you haven’t read this entry, please click here and read it before proceeding). Suffice it to say that there are two types of people in this world….those who have experienced data loss already, and those who will experience data loss at some point in the future. Most of us fall into the former category. Those of you that don’t, I beg you to hear my cry: Please put a backup plan in place. TODAY!

W, W, W, W, W, and H

The five W’s and H. Most of us learned this concept back in elementary school sometime. Let’s apply it to the topic of a Backup Plan. Pay close attention there will be a test at then end.

Who?

Who needs a backup plan? This one is easy. Everyone needs a backup plan. It doesn’t matter if you are an 85-year-old Grandma or a Fortune 100 company. Everyone who owns a computer should have a true backup plan. The impact of data loss affects different parties in different ways. An 85-year-old Grandma may only have some emails, a few text files, and perhaps some photographs at stake, while a Fortune 100 company literally has mission critical data at stake. This doesn’t lessen the importance of Grandma’s data, especially if you consider the possibility that some of Grandma’s photos are irreplaceable, but this example helps illustrate how data loss can affect each party.

What?

What exactly is a backup plan? What files should I back up? We began addressing this first question in Part 1. To summarize, a backup plan is structured, provides redundancy, and can, and should, be located both on and off-site. The location information will be covered in the “Where?” portion of this entry. For now, let’s talk about Structure.

There are two things to consider when it comes to the structure of your backup plan. What will be backed up and when will it be backed up. We’ll tackle the when in a moment but first, and foremost, your plan should be structured so that all of your important files are backed up. This can be as simple as setting up your plan to back up your entire home folder on your Mac or you can get a bit more specific with certain files and folders such as your iTunes library, iPhoto library, or personal data settings. Most folks have their own file management style so everyone’s backup plan will look a little different. Once you’ve considered the structure of your backup plan from a file and folder selection standpoint you must consider the timing and frequency for your backup plan.

When?

The when doesn’t simply refer to a specific time of day. It also refers to how often the backup job is performed. As far as a time of day goes this is typically a matter of personal preference. Many people like to have their backup utility do its work after business hours or at a time of day when they are not using their computer. I personally have my backup utility set to do its work between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. My main reasoning for this is that I like to know immediately if there was a problem or issue with a backup job. Again, this is a matter of personal preference. One thing to note however, if you choose to let your backup utility work during hours that you are not using your computer you should make sure that your system preferences and/or backup utility preferences are set to wake the computer from sleep. Otherwise your backup jobs may not get done. As well, remember that if you shut your system down completely, your backup jobs will not be performed.

How often should I backup? The best way to make this decision is to base it on how often a file or folder changes. If you have files or folders that change daily, then you should back them up daily. If the files are changing only weekly or monthly, then a weekly or monthly backup schedule should suffice. Almost all backup utilities offer the option of creating full or incremental backups. If your utility offers incremental backups then you should take advantage of this feature. An incremental backup saves a new version of only the files that have changed since the previous backup. This saves you time and media cost. We’ll discuss this more in the “How?” section.

Where?

Where should backup files be located? The simple answer is, not on the machine where the original files reside. This may seem like common sense to some of you but let me explain why this is. The purpose of a backup is to protect you from the data loss that will eventually occur. If you are backing up files on the family iMac hard drive to the family iMac hard drive and said hard drive decides to clock out, your backup files are gone along with your originals. I know this seems obvious but I have seen a number of people doing backups this way.

The most common options for backup location are external hard drives, optical media such as CD’s or DVD’s, a file server, or even an online location such as .mac, mozy, or backjack. A solid backup plan will of course include a combination of these locations and or media and may utilize different locations or media based on the frequency of the backup job. For example, you might backup an entire file sharing server daily using incremental backups to an external hard drive. You might also backup the same entire file-sharing server to DVD once per week.

Let’s use this example and briefly discuss where the once per week backup to DVD should be stored. The quick answer is, anywhere besides the location of the primary files and backup files. We are talking about physical location such as a home or office space not the computer or hard drive where the originals and daily backups reside. If you are making backups of your home or office systems you should consider making a deal with a neighbor or friend close by for storing your backup files at their home or office. You could do the same for them. If you must store the backup DVD’s at your home or office, do yourself a favor and budget for a fireproof container or file cabinet in which to store the Backup DVD’s. This is probably not a bad idea even if you are storing them at a friend or family member’s home or office. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Why?

Short and simple…It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. It will happen, will you be prepared?

How?

So, you now have a good grip on the thought process and planning that needs to go into a solid backup plan. The final question is, “How can I actually make this happen?” The good news is that it is very simple to get started. Here is a list of suggested ingredients that you’ll need:

1. Backup Software – There are several good options on the market. We personally use Apple’s “Backup” application, which is free with an annual .mac subscription. This application alone is worth the $99 annual subscription fee. Another good option is Retrospect, which is made by Dantz/EMC and runs about $99 as well. One final consideration is Data Backup, which is made by ProSoft Engineering and runs $59. The thing I like about Data Backup is that it offers not only the backup utility but the user can clone their bootable drive or partition and thus make a completely bootable backup.
2. External Hard Drive – When it comes to cost per gigabyte these days, an external hard drive is typically a very inexpensive ingredient. Many external drives offer two or three interface options including USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and FireWire 800. Some of the higher end drives even offer an eSATA interface. One caution here, don’t go the super cheap route. While it is possible to acquire an external hard drive for as little as $0.25/gigabyte that’s not always the best option. If you budget $0.60 to $0.75/gigabyte you can get a high-quality reliable drive for a reasonable price. As far as drive size goes, take a look at the size of the hard drive or drives that you plan to back up and double that number. This will give you plenty of space for both backup jobs and some external file storage if needed.
3. Optical Media – either CD’s or DVD’s depending on the size of your backup jobs.
4. Fireproof box or file cabinet – These are very inexpensive and should be viewed as your “Backup insurance”. Keep your backup CD’s and DVD’s in there and make sure the box or cabinet is locked. Again, store them at a neighbor’s home or office if you can.
5. DDS Backup Advice – As always, we are available for consultation on the design and implementation of a backup plan that fits your exact needs.

Beep, Beep, Beep…..

So at this point you should be ready to jump in the saddle, fire up you Mac, and start sleeping a little better. If you’ve recently experienced a loss of data please contact us, not only are we experts in backup plans, we offer complete data recovery services. If we can’t retrieve your lost data then all you pay for is the cost of shipping your media. If you need our help designing and implementing a backup plan, contact us; we’ll help give you a little peace of mind and accountability.

Jarrod Skeggs is one of the principles of Digital Design Solutions, an Atlanta based Apple Consulting Firm and authority on Rich Media Publishing. When he’s not blogging about all things Apple he enjoys the finer things in life like bicycling and trail mix.

Digital Design Solutions Is Now A Dealer For Newer Technology

Atlanta, GA – July 16, 2007 – Atlanta based Digital Design Solutions, LLC has established a dealership with Newer Technology, Inc. also known as NewerTech. Based in Woodstock, IL, NewerTech manufactures high quality peripherals for use in conjunction with Apple Macintosh and iPod products. This new partnership helps put Digital Design Solutions in an even more favorable position to serve their growing client base. Jarrod Skeggs, Co-Founder and V.P. of Sales and Marketing said, “This relationship allows us to better serve our clients growing needs. NewerTech has products relevant to the Home Macintosh and iPod user as well as some really great valuable products for the SMB market. We’re excited about the opportunity this presents us.”

Digital Design Solutions, LLC is an Atlanta based Apple consulting firm that specializes in serving the needs of Apple users throughout the United States. For more information about the firm and its products and services please visit http://www.digidsolutions.com

Beep, Beep, Beep...Part 1

(Look out Mama, Daddy’s backing up): Part 1

Is there anything in the way or can I backup?

Backup plan? Sure, adjust the mirrors, look behind the car, put it in reverse, and away we go……Beep, Beep, Beep.

This particular backup plan resembles that of most personal computer users in the world today. The point here is that most of us have no real backup plan in place to protect and preserve the important data that resides on our computer’s hard drive. Be it digital photos, vacation videos, a music library, or simply text documents and spreadsheets that took endless hours to create, very few of us implement a true backup plan. Even when we lose files due to a problem with our hard drives, many of us still fail to take action on this subject once everything is operable again. Its one of those daunting tasks that we all know is important but just can’t bring ourselves to actually follow through on.

Hey wait a minute, I’ve got copies of important files…….(somewhere)

Now, I’m sure there are some of you reading this that are saying, “Wait a minute, I back up my important files by copying them to an external hard drive, or burning them to a CD or DVD.” To those of you making this statement, I applaud you for at least taking some action. In light of that, I’ll take this opportunity to make the point that there is a big difference between copying important files occasionally and a true backup plan. Don’t get me wrong, making copies of important files is better than doing nothing, but there is a better way. You see, the problem with copying files manually is that it relies too much on a human being’s ability to remember to do it with regularity. Those of you who have embraced iCal, PDA’s, “smart phones” (I use this term loosely), or the smartest phone, aka iPhone, understand and realize that the human memory cannot be trusted. As busy as life is these days, there are far too many events, appointments, and the like for our memory to keep up with every single one. That is why you need a true backup plan rather than just a copy of a file.

What does a solid backup plan look like?

A solid backup plan could look vastly different from computer user to computer user but ultimately the plan should include the following components:

Structure

Regular backup intervals are the backbone of a solid backup plan. Whether backups are made daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or any combination thereof, consistency and regularity will prove to be the saving grace in the unfortunate event that you suffer a loss of data but are able to utilize a recent backup to restore your files.

Redundancy

Many would argue that creating a backup copy of a file would qualify as redundancy but, in the case of a backup plan, redundancy refers more to having multiple backups of the same files. I’ll add a little more detail about this in Part 2 of this blog, but suffice it to say that depending on the nature of your data, multiple backups are far less expensive than having to do double work, i.e., recreating what has been lost.

Multiple or Off-site location

This goes hand in hand with redundancy. Creating multiple copies of a backup is far more effective if at least one of those copies is located in a different physical location or off-site. There are a number of options available for off-site backups that will be discussed in Part 2 of this blog.

Stay tuned...

In an effort to cover this subject in depth and to keep from boring you, our readers, I will complete this blog over a number of easily digestible parts. In the next installment I will discuss more about backup software options and how to decide the who, what, when, where, how, and why when it comes to designing and implementing a solid backup plan. Until then, try not to lose any sleep over the potential loss of your data. If you find yourself doing so, contact us; we’ll help give you a little peace of mind and accountability.

Jarrod Skeggs is one of the principles of Digital Design Solutions, an Atlanta based Apple Consulting Firm and authority on Rich Media Publishing. When he’s not blogging about all things Apple he enjoys the finer things in life like bicycling and trail mix.

Delayed WWDC Commentary

If you're reading this, I assume you do not live under a rock and have thus heard about the advancements and new features that are to come in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. If not, you can check them out here. I will focus on the one new feature I believe to be the most important that will be coming in Leopard and one announcement made during the “Stevenote” that is extremely relevant.

Part 1: The Finder

While many felt that Steve’s keynote was a boring rehash of a lot of features we already knew about, there were several truly new features that were revealed. In my opinion, the most important new feature is the Finder. Like most of you, I’ve been to Apple’s website and previewed, as first hand as possible, everything I can about the new features. The thing that really stands out to me about the new Finder is the fact that it is practically an exact copy of the iTunes interface. Like iTunes, it includes several options for viewing your files, including the graphically rich Cover Flow view. To me, here is why this is extremely important. During Steve’s keynote, he mentioned that to date, there have been in excess of 500 million downloads of iTunes…….wait for it, wait for it…….that’s iTunes for Windows! Now, we know based on some information released by Apple earlier this year that there is an installed base of more than 100 million iPods. Making the assumption that the majority of the iPod owners are Windows users, (this stands to reason given current OS market share), that means that there are hundreds of millions of people who do not own iPods that are using iTunes to manage their media libraries. Are you following me? 500 million – 100 million = 400 million. Ok, you’re right; there have been 500 million downloads, that doesn’t mean there are 500 million users. I’m with you, so lets half that, fair enough? Let's say there are 250 million users. That still means that approximately 150 million people are using iTunes to manage their media library and those folks don’t own an iPod.

So, where am I going with all this Finder, iTunes, and iPod nonsense? Here’s the real deal, Steve, Apple, its engineers, and marketing team, or whomever you wish to give credit to, have literally taught the world to use a Mac on their P.C. Are you with me? How, you ask? iTunes. Can you use iTunes? Do you use iTunes? Yes? Then you can use a Mac. The new Finder is iTunes made over. Its pure genius, and I dare say, it's not happenstance either. This was part of the master plan that was formulated long ago folks.

So how easy will it be to “Switch” now???


Part 2: Safari for Windows

So, in Steve’s standard fashion, he pulled out the “one more thing” at the end of his WWDC keynote. Safari 3.0, for Mac…….and Windows???? Whaaa….. Are you kidding me? No kidding.

Many are wondering why Apple would make such a move. Some speculate they want to start another browser war, while others speculate this decision is motivated largely by money, (which I agree with somewhat), but I say it has very little to do with these two reasons. The biggest reason that Apple has made Safari available to Windows users is iPhone.

Unless you live under a rock these days, you have certainly heard about iPhone. The device runs a version of OS X which includes Safari as the web browser. Without a doubt, there will be millions of Windows users purchasing their iPhone starting at 6:00 p.m. on June 29, 2007. Could there be a better way to help them become familiar with how best to utilize the Internet functionality on their new device? I think not. Think about this, the majority of iPhone buyers already know how to interface with it from a configuration and sync standpoint because they already use iTunes. Safari 3.0 gives them a head start on their iPhone web browsing experience.

The most important aspect of this is the appeal Steve made during his keynote to developers that the best way to develop “applications” for iPhone is Web 2.0. While many developers were a bit disappointed with this, this position really makes sense for Apple, AT&T, and most importantly, every single person that ever intends to use the internet, whether on a Mac, P.C., or iPhone. Folks, the days of purchasing a Software Application off the shelf, packaged in a box, are rapidly coming to an end. (At least I hope this is the case). Web apps make far more sense and are another blog topic altogether so I won’t get on my soapbox about that here. Suffice it to say, once again, Apple’s decision to create and release Safari for Windows is not coincidence, but all part of the master plan.

So, let’s cut to the chase. Hundreds of millions of Windows users are using iTunes. Many of those same folks will be in line at 4:00 a.m. on June 29 in front of AT&T Wireless stores to ensure that they get their iPhone the first day it's available. They’ve been browsing the web with Safari 3.0 since June 11, and by the way, haven’t been susceptible to any spyware, thanks to the lack of ActiveX controls in Safari. Within the next three years many analysts believe that Apple could acquire as much as 20% market share in the cellular industry with iPhone. Couple that with the fact that tons of developers are working 24/7 on web apps for Safari and iPhone, many of which will be ready for release in conjunction with iPhone on June 29, 2007.

Anyone think there will be any switchers leaving the dark side during the next few years? Me too.

Jarrod Skeggs is one of the principles of Digital Design Solutions, an Atlanta based Apple Consulting Firm and authority on Rich Media Publishing. When he’s not blogging about all things Apple he enjoys the finer things in life like bicycling and trail mix.

Digital Design Solutions to Present at WFX 2007

June 13, 2007 - Atlanta, GA - Digital Design Solutions, an Atlanta based Apple Consulting firm and authority on Rich Media Publishing, has been selected to present at the Worship Facilities Expo and Conference (WFX) 2007. The firm’s principles, Jarrod Skeggs and Kevin Gilbert, will be presenting two conference sessions on Rich Media Publishing. The sessions will be on the podcasting aspect of Rich Media Publishing and are entitled, “Podcasting: Why it is right for your church” and “Podcasting: How to implement an effective podcast workflow”. These conference sessions will benefit churches that are considering implementing podcasts as part of their ministry as well as those that have already established a podcast or internet ministry. In excess of 200 experts applied to present at WFX 2007 and Digital Design Solutions was chosen as a result of both their relevant topical content and their expertise in serving the church market.

To learn more about Digital Design Solutions please visit www.digidsolutions.com. For more information about WFX 2007 please visit www.wfxweb.com.