Since we started in 2010, Silverleaf has been successful in attracting more and more requests from new business clients. But many of our early requests were turned away, because we did not have the resources to meet every specialized, high-demand, or advanced business request. So we started the Silverleaf Affiliates program, to find referral partners to help fulfill requests from our business clients.

The Affiliate program has expanded considerably in the past few months, giving us the capability to take on specialized tasks and difficult projects. The Affiliate program benefits not only our business clients, but our residential clients as well. Here are the new services we’ve added recently:

New Affiliate Services

• Managed IT Services – Proactive and responsive I.T. support around a controlled office environment, without the financial overhead of a full time I.T. employee or staff.
• Managed Cloud Services – Migrate from an aging Exchange Server or sub-par web-based email product to a full cloud-based solution, such as Office 365 or Google Apps for Business.
• Data Security Services – Prevent data breaches, data corruption and loss, and unauthorized access to your firm’s private data.
• Web/App Development – Create a web presence with a responsive mobile-friendly theme, from a simple WordPress site to an advanced web-based app.
• Advanced Hardware Repair – Fix any broken piece of hardware, including laptop screens, tablet/mobile screens, portable music players, gaming consoles, and more.
• Advanced Data Recovery – Recover data from a broken hard drive, USB flash drive, disc, or any storage device, regardless of working condition.

By working with only a select group of Affiliates, we can guarantee that every client request will be fulfilled by a trusted member of our professional I.T. network, no matter how big or small the request.

For more information about the Affiliate program, please visit the Silverleaf Affiliates page.

Recently I received two different questions that, while seemingly very different, are in fact simply different sides of the same ideological coin. The first question was the deceptively simple “which tablet is best?” The second question I got was “How soon will it be before the whole internet crashes and society is totally destroyed?”.

On the surface these two questions may seem completely unrelated but upon further examination they actually reveal a strikingly similar attitude about science, technology, and the integration of new devices into our daily lives.

Technophiles

On one side stand the technophiles, the true believers and early adopters. They are utterly convinced that each new generation or iteration of gadget is going to be the device which completes them. These are the individuals who stand in line for hours for the latest iPhone, who eagerly devour the newest online reviews of devices soon to be released, and all too often join in the loud condemnation when any manufacturers new offering doesn’t live up to their high standards.

While their enthusiasm and currency keeps driving the market forward, their compulsion can create artificial demand and drive up the prices of new products. Asking which tablet is best presupposes the idea that someone needs a tablet to begin with. While they may be the latest and greatest way to play Angry Birds or stream Game of Thrones, ask yourself if this is truly the best option for yourself or are you simply desirous of the newest, coolest gadget?

Tecnhophobes

The other side of the coin are those individuals who adamantly refuse to accept technological advances into their lives. They may not own a computer of any sort, have only a very basic cell phone as opposed to a Smartphone, and avoid using the internet for any research, purchases, or social interaction. Some may say that they suffer from technophobia.

A new study from the Pew research center shows that roughly twenty percent of families are not online in any way. While it is absolutely anyone’s right to abstain from the use of computers, smartphones, and other devices, the fact is that at this point in the development of our society, choosing not to be digitally engaged is detrimental to ones entire lifestyle.

Simple examples include saving money through banking and shopping online or faster access to medical and financial resources. Perhaps most important is the ability of individuals to seek out and connect with business opportunities as more companies move towards soliciting and hiring solely from online sources. Though some few people may harbor Terminator or Matrix-style fears in which all powerful sentient machines make war on helpless humans, the majority on the downside of the digital divide are simply concerned with the difficulty inherent in learning a new skill set or with misbegotten ideas of loss of privacy. While these apprehensions are understandable, its always unfortunate when ones fears prevent them from experiencing new activities which have demonstrable benefits.

Tools are Just Tools

A stroll through any hardware store on a given weekend may give one some perspective on the issue of technophilia versus technophobia. As do-it-yourselfers pursue their projects, its mainly a question of what’s the right tool for the job. Rarely does anyone become passionate about a particular hammer or wrench. On the other hand, rarely does anyone fear that that same hammer or wrench will go wildly out of control and destroy rather than just do the job its designed for.

There is an awareness that these are simply tools, designed and built by people, for other people to use in specific situations. Tools are just tools, whether in the form of a simple machine, like a hammer, or a more complex one, such as an Ipad. While a hammer is relatively simple technology compared to a tablet, the idea is the same. There is no reason for anyone to become any more emotionally engaged with their phone than with a hammer. Nor is there any more reason to fear digital technology rather than that same hammer.

Unless of course the hammer is wielded by a sentient machine bent on human domination, but that’s highly unlikely.

For now.

After the success of our K4RK Donation Drive, my friend Scott and I gathered up all of the computers that were donated, put them in the back of his pickup truck, and drove to the main Komputers 4 R Kids facility in Cerritos to complete the last step of the donation drive process.

The Internet has radically changed our conception and definition of what constitutes entertainers or reporters. Anyone with access to a smartphone or other internet-connected device can potentially be the next Justin Bieber or Matt Drudge. And while the technological advances have been speeding along to make content publication easier, laws relating to creative content and digital privacy have been slow in coming.

Original created works whether literary, dramatic, audio works, pictorial, or otherwise are covered under United States copyright law. This covers anyone posting anything to the internet today, whether an academic article, a song, or even just a post on a social media site with pictures about last weekends birthday party.

The copyright and privacy policies of Facebook are of particular interest. So much, in fact, that a hoax swept through the social media site last year, prompting millions of worried Facebookers to re-post a nonsense copyright protection statement to their profiles. (but more on Facebook’s questionable privacy policies later.)

 

Copyright Before the Internet

Generally, the author or creator of a work is the initial owner of the copyright of that work, whether or not they pursue an official registration. The author is the individual who conceives of the copyrightable expression and creates it or causes it to be created in a tangible form.

As an example, whether Kevin actually types up an artistic description of a sunset, dictates it to a typist, or takes a photograph of it, he is the copyright holder. If he wishes to have an official legal registration of such, he must fill out forms and pay a fee to the United States Copyright Office. This would help him establish ownership of the work should someone else contest his authorship.

To continue with the example, if I attempt to copy Kevin’s work, claim ownership, and sell it, I have infringed on Kevin’s copyright and he can take legal action. When he is able to prove he is the author of the work and I have misappropriated it, I will be liable for damages as determined by the court. In fact Kevin’s initial copyright will last for a full seventy years after his death, with the rights assignable to his descendants.

At least that’s the way copyright law has worked for the past 200 years and for all media prior to the Internet.
 

Copyright in the Facebook Era

In 1998 congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA was designed to extend copyright protection for digital media and to limit the liability of internet service providers from violations by their customers. To return to my former example, if Kevin released his home movies on the Internet, he, as the creator, owns the copyright. If I download the movies and show them in a theatre charging $10 a person, I have violated his copyright protection. While I would be liable in court, my Internet service provider would be considered innocent.

These laws apply to everyone who creates a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account, or otherwise writes anything or posts any pictures online. A very important portion of the Terms of Service of Facebook is this section:

“You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:

For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License).”

http://www.facebook.com/legal/terms

The important term in the above is sub-licensable. This means that Facebook could take content you have posted and grant a sub-license from that to another user. Even more important, they could charge for this sub-license and not remunerate the author since the author has granted a royalty-free license (regardless of any “copyright protection statement” you may have posted to your profile).

To return once more to my example, if I wanted to use Kevin’s picture of a sunset which he had posted on Facebook, and I wanted to be sure not to violate copyright law, I simply need to attempt to purchase the work from Facebook. I get the image, Facebook gets paid, and Kevin loses control of his work

In short, posting to the Internet through a social media site such as Facebook or Twitter greatly reduces any individuals copyright protections and opens up their work to possible exploitation by anyone with Internet access. For anyone participating in such it is highly advisable that they keep careful records and copies of created content before it is posted and for any content that could conceivably be profitable to take the trouble to actually register their copyrights. In the end, protecting the content you create is a worthwhile long term investment.

Any science or technology questions you want answered? Email me questions or comment below:

As a 25 year old, I find myself able to adapt to the constant changes in technology in a way that my older brother can’t. I can also see when people a few years younger than me are able to adapt to technology in a way that I can’t.

And don’t even get me started on teenagers; their ability to adapt to technology is something I envy (and fear).

This generational gap brings up some important questions: how do we bridge the gap in a world that depends so much on technology?

More importantly, how do I teach my mother how to record The Americans on her DVR without overwhelming her?

Take away the fear

The only conclusion I have come to is, rather than explaining the step-by-step process over and over until everyone’s brain hurts, simply explain that even if you make a mistake and find yourself in a place you don’t want to be, the TV/Computer/Tablet/Cell Phone etc. will always ask you if you’re sure (yes or no).

The comprehension gap doesn’t come so much from the inability to learn, but the fear of breaking the machine.

You can always Undo

Everything has an undo button. Every piece of technology is set with a form of cancelation that will always prompt the user before making any decision. If you still make a mistake on a computer, then there is always an Undo!

For those of you who love your shortcuts like I do:

• “Command” + “Z” (on a Mac)
• “CTRL” + “Z” (on a PC)

No need to panic! You can always go back. Don’t let technology control you.

Write it down

Once the ability to cancel/undo has been mastered, then they’re ready to learn. They want to set the DVR? Okay, give them the remote. Don’t do it for them, but walk them through it so they can see they’re capable and that it’s not going to explode. Moreover, make them do it again.

Then, make them write down the steps. Answer any and all questions they have and, most importantly, be patient! Your parents potty trained you – no matter what – they have earned your patience.

Smartphone cameras have gotten so good that many folks use them instead of dedicated point-and-shoots. Both hardware and software on phones now offer sophisticated features that let even lousy photographers take decent photos.

Taking photos is only half the battle for budding photographers, as it creates the need to get those masterpieces onto a computer for storage and other purposes. The more photos you take, the bigger the task of getting them transferred to a bigger screen.

Recently it ocurred to me that maybe a good way to get a lot of photos off my phone and onto my computer could be Google Drive. The more I looked into it, the more I realized this would work no matter what phone or computer I was using.

Photo transfers involve two steps: getting the photos from the phone to my Google Drive storage in the cloud, and accessing them on the computer. The advantage of using Google Drive is that no matter what device your photos are on, you can use the free Google Drive app for either iOS or Android to upload your photos.

I don’t always use the same computer to work with photos either, not even a single platform. I need to work with photos on the iPad, Chromebook, MacBook, or Windows 8 PC. This is why Google Drive works so well for me, as I can access my cloud storage using all these platforms/devices.

Uploading the photos

The first step of uploading the photos to Google Drive is slightly different depending on whether the photos are on the iPhone or an Android device such as the Galaxy Note 2. The free Google Drive app must be installed on the Android phone or the iPhone to get started.

On the Note 2 it’s a simple matter of opening the Gallery app and tagging all the photos for uploading. Once that’s done, hitting the Share icon brings up the share menu shown above. Google Drive is an option, so tapping it and then confirming (above right) starts the upload process in the background. Sliding down the notification shade on the home screen allows checking the upload status. I have transferred as many as 50 photos using this method and it is fast.

The iPhone method is similar to that of the Note 2 but iOS doesn’t allow sharing to the Google Drive. Instead, you should run the Google Drive app, then hit the “+” icon in the upper right. The Add screen appears so select the “Upload Photo or Video” option. This takes you to the photo storage on the iPhone, so select the ones you want to transfer and hit Upload. The photos will upload quickly.

If you are transferring a lot of photos, you may want to do it using wi-fi. It will probably be quicker than using 4G and it won’t make a hit on your data quota.

Your photos are now on your Google Drive in the cloud and waiting for you!

Accessing on the computer

Google Drive can work with any platform, so it’s a good choice for me. There is an app for the Mac, so I can access my Google Drive files directly in the Finder. Google Drive is built into Chrome OS, so I have access from the file manager on the Chromebook. The same iOS app used on the iPhone to upload the photos is used to access the Google Drive on the iPad.

There is no app for Windows 8 but Google Drive is accessible through the web browser. It’s just as easy to use as on the native apps on the other OS’s.

No matter what system is used to access them, the photos can be selected and either copied or moved from Google Drive to local storage. I usually move them as I don’t want to keep them permanently on the Google Drive, but those who want to leave them in the cloud can copy them to the local destination.

On the Mac and the Chromebook it’s technically not necessary to copy the photos to local storage, depending on what you are going to do with them. For uploading to a blog editor or editing in a photo editor they can be accessed directly from Google Drive as if they were located on the local computer.

Using Google Drive has turned a task that was fomerly a pain into one that is quick and easy. It’s certainly not the only way to get the photos onto a computer, but it works very well for my needs.

(Used computers that were contributed this weekend at Backside to support the Komputers 4 R Kids Donation Drive)

Thanks For Your Support!

Our “e-waste collection event” over the weekend was a success! Thanks to some generous donations, we were able to collect 6 desktop computers, 7 laptop computers, and 3 all-in-one computers, plus assorted peripherals, cables, and devices.

These used electronics could have remained sitting in closets or garages for years to come, (or worse, ended up in our landfills!) but will instead be refurbished and/or recycled as part of our Komputers 4 R Kids Donation Drive.

A special thanks goes out to the owners and crew at Backside for generously offering 40% off store merchandise in support of K4RK, and for hosting and promoting the event. Thanks Backside!

We will be accepting all donations of used electronics through the month of March. Additionally, anybody who donates qualifies for a x10 chance to win a Google Nexus 10 tablet when they enter our K4RK Donation Drive Giveaway.

Thanks again to everyone who helped with this event!