Cyberlink DVD Solution and Scansoft OmniPage 15

(Here's my current column for the Biz Journals. To see, hear and listen to more of my thoughts on marketing and generating business visit http://www.terrybrock.com ).

Backing Up And Scanning For Fun And Profit

By Terry L. Brock

Ease of use often beats complexity with technology. Many times we see systems that can “do everything” but are so complicated that you have to have a Masters degree in computer science to fully utilize them.

Cyberlink Dvd Solutions

Recently I had the chance to install and use CyberLink’s new DVD Solution. It is one of those rare tools that provides the ability to handle complexity yet with ease of use that is jaw-dropping. It is an incredibly simple tool for creating CDs and DVDs (and a lot more) but it handles tasks that you’ll want with your computer with aplomb.

The program will play CDs, DVDs and provide a rich-media experience. However, I wanted to use it for some practical matters of backing up specific files to CD and DVD. One of the features of the program is the InstantBurn program. This program has some building-block type icons (in kindergarten colors, no less) that can be activated to sit on your desktop. When you want to backup select files, you can open your My Documents folder and then drag the files individually or in groups over to the icon. The system shows how much you’ve sent and how much space is available on your CD-t-be-burned as you add the files.

Then when you want to create the CD of backup files, you click and it creates the CD.

Keep in mind that I’m used to more complicated, difficult systems. So when someone says something is “easy” my jaded journalist buttons are flashing like a Christmas tree. When I saw Cyberlink’s DVD Solution working, even this jaded journalist was impressed (and that’s hard to accomplish).

I was able to create CD backups of essential Word documents, MP3 audio files, my WMV and AVI video files and more with a few clicks of the mouse.

When it really paid off was when I was able to free up needed hard disk space on my notebook computer and store the CDs elsewhere. Then when I needed one of those projects with several files a couple of weeks later, I reached for my CDs containing the backed-up files, reloaded them by copying and “Voila!” it was ready to roll.

You can also use DVD Solution to create some simple video production tasks. If you don’t have a video editing program, this tool gives you the ability to create simple videos. I’ve found these videos to be real time-savers to capture essential steps for getting office tasks done. No, they’re not Hollywood-quality motion pictures, but they are great references for tasks that have to be done over and over.

Recently we acquired a new CD duplicator and printer. Jason, my technical support assistant, had the usual task of “Figuring out how this dang thing works and then tech Terry.” Jason worked with the CD duplicator for a while then when he had it down, I grabbed a little video camcorder to record all the necessary steps. With that video in hand, I can now refer to it when I have to do something rather than relying on Jason. With a tool like DVD Solution, you can create DVDs of your in-office tasks so that training becomes automated and much easier.

You can also create DVDs that can be created and sent to various offices for new product introductions and demonstrating how to use various tools that are unique to your situation.

The program becomes a complete solution for tasks related to slide show creation so you can add music, pictures and more to computer-based slide shows (for conventions and gatherings) as well as on DVDs.

For $59.95 it is hard to beat this little package. If you have a lot of files that need to be stored and backed up, this is a great tool. The ability to also create and edit video productions is a bonus.

DVD Solution, Cyberlink (www.gocyberlink.com), $59.95
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Scansoft Scores Another Hit With Ominipage 15

OmniPage has been a hit for a long time with scanning. With their new release of OmniPage 15 they have tweaked it further. I recently installed OminiPage 15 and used it for several tasks.

Text scanning was faster than before. I didn’t measure it like the guys with the white coats do in laboratories, but I found that it grabbed the text of a full page in about one minute for a simple magazine scan. This text was then editable in Microsoft Word with minor adjustments.

Scanning photos was pretty straightforward I used my HP All-In-One OfficeJet and with OmniPage 15 I had the pictures I needed.

However, one of the most useful features I found was the ability to batch create PDF files. I had a directory of many past articles. In the past I created these in a Word format and then created them individually as PDF files. With the feature in OmniPage 15 I designated an entire directory of several hundred articles and it created numerous PDF files automatically. While it was doing it’s job, I was able to do other things around the office monitoring its progress.

This is a simple but highly useful program that is a must-have for any office that does a lot of scanning and uses PDF files extensively. A great tool for scanning and more, it is worth investigating.

Both of these programs provide ease of use yet they also handle some rather complex tasks that can save you time and effort. The investment in purchase can save hours and hours of time for the busy entrepreneur and salesperson.

OmniPage 15 Professional, ScanSoft, $99.00 (www.scansoft.com)

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Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission. Permission granted to Biz Journals to use in regular publication.

Skype & Nutrition

From the Notebook Computer of
Terry Brock, MBA, CSP

This week I want to share with you two important concepts. One is about a service called Skype. That is an Internet-based phone service that you can use to talk with people around the world for free. I'm using it now to save a lot of money. However, the best part is the quality of the calls and how clear they are.

Read the article about Skype (below). If you haven't already downloaded it, do so at www.skype.com and try it out. It is free and works with broadband (DSL, Cable-Modem, etc.) access. Don't try it on Dial-up or you'll be very disappointed.

Then watch this video this week. I was over in Daytona and shot some video on the beach looking over the ocean with Dr. Wayne Pickering. If you're in my Online Coaching Program, you know about Dr. Wayne, affectionately called "The Mango Man" for his love of fruit and nutrition. If you're looking for some quick ideas to get energy in the day, this is one for you!

I look forward to hearing from you on this. Hope you enjoy the video (it's pretty cool!) and the article.

Terry

Video For You This Issue

Here's the video of Dr. Wayne Pickering shot on the beach in Daytona Beach, Florida just a few days ago.

http://www.terrysstuff.com/SkyenNutrition/index.htm

Let me know what you think of the video and if this is helpful. I look forward to your comments on this.

Skyping: Worldwide Phone Service For Free

By Terry L. Brock

You know that communication is critical for success in your work. Staying in touch with people is important in business. One of the traits I’ve seen over and over with highly successful executives is their ability to stay in touch with customers and suppliers on a regular basis.

Recently eBay purchased a service called Skype (www.skype.com) for the tidy sum of US$2.6 Billion. This should get the attention of every entrepreneur and salesperson who is interested in staying in touch with customers and in saving money. In case you missed it, Skype is a service that allows you to talk over the Internet and make calls for free. You can call from your Skype account to another Skype account at no charge. The software is also free.

This is a good price.

If you’re a skeptic like me, you might wonder what is the catch? Well, there is none. Skype is free to download. It took me about 5 minutes to download and install and place my first Skype call. Then when you talk to the other person, there is no charge.

It was a moment of panic that brought Skype into my life. I was trying to call a client in London, England for a regular coaching session. When I couldn’t get through to my local phone company after repeated tries and what seemed like forever on hold, I quickly downloaded Skype and then made the Skype call. I was amazed how easy and fast it was. Before the telephone company rep even came on the line I had downloaded Skype and was making the Skype call to my client in London. My phone company lost a lot of revenue beginning that day from this customer who makes a lot of international calls.

Oh, and the best part is that you’d want to use Skype even if you had more money than Bill Gates. The quality of the call is crystal clear. This CD-like quality is because of the Net. No, it is not perfect. It is dependent on a high-speed connection to the Net. If your Net connection is down, you don’t talk to others. So, don’t throw away your traditional phone service just yet.

Skype also offers the ability to call regular phone numbers through their SkypeOut service. Treated like a phone calling card, you buy minutes in blocks of Euros. You can purchase €10 or €25. Calls in the US and Australia will run about 2¢ per minute. Other countries can vary but the rates are usually cheaper than you’ll find from other providers.

Another service Skype offers is called SkypeIn. This gives you a local phone number in a particular place. For instance you can purchase a local New York, Los Angeles, London, England phone number. They are continually adding new countries so check out their website for more information. I have a London, England phone number that rings on my computer when it is called. If I’m not available the message is directed to voice mail for later retrieval. This is a great tool if you want to provide your customers a local number for them to reach you.

One of the prime benefits of using Skype is their voice mail service. If you want to drop a quick voice memo to someone you wouldn’t want to just pick up the phone and call someone late at night who might be working from home. However, like e-mail that won’t disturb them, you can leave a Skype voice mail message and it will be retrieved with your lovely message when the person wants to retrieve it. You have 10 minutes for a message on top of that! Not bad for staying in touch.

I use Skype now when I’m on the road. I have wireless access to the Net and have used it when the connection is good. I also use a direct connect to the Internet to make Skype calls cheaper than on my cell phone. Oh, and did I mention that all the phone calls are tightly encrypted with some of the latest in privacy technology?

Check it out for yourself. Go to www.skype.dom and see what they have to offer. Download the free software and install it on your computer. You’ll want to have an external microphone you can plug into your computer for best quality but you can listen to the other party through your computer’s speakers.

This is a powerful technology that is changing the way the world communicates. Millions are using the service and know that. eBay knows it and was willing to invest $2.6 billion recently. Now you know it and can use this to connect better with customers. Oh, by the way, your competition now also knows about it – so get on it today!

Terry Brock is a marketing coach who helps business owners market more effectively leveraging technology. He shows busy professionals how to squeeze more out of their busy days using the right rules and tools. He can be reached at 407-363-0505, by e-mail at terry@terrybrock.com or through his website at www.terrybrock.com.

Copyright © 2005, Terry Brock, All Rights Reserved Internationally. No portion may be reprinted or used in any way without prior written permission. Permission granted to Biz Journals to use in regular publication.