Stories by James A. Martin

Two Surprises in Fitbit's New Charge Fitness Tracker

At long last, Fitbit released its successor to the ill-fated Force. The Fitbit Charge ($130) is a solid product, especially if you're already a member of the Fitbit camp. Charge and Fitbit's iOS and Android apps, also surprised me in two notable ways -- one of which has me considering some lifestyle changes.

Written by James A. Martin26 Nov. 14 02:15

Lenovo REACHit Manages Files Across Cloud Accounts

While doing research for a recent CIO.com article I wrote on cloud storage services, I confirmed something I'd long suspected. Lots of people use, say, Dropbox as their main cloud file depository; Google Drive for collaboration documents; OneDrive because of its integration with Microsoft Office; and so on.

Written by James A. Martin22 Nov. 14 02:23

5 Ways to Keep Your Devices Charged During Holiday Travel

I'm at my local Starbucks, drinking a seasonal concoction. (A no-whip caramel brûlée.) I'm listening to tinkly piano music on Pandora while I work. And I'm charging my iPhone using one of Starbucks' new Duracell Powermat wireless charging "spots."

Written by James A. Martin21 Nov. 14 01:27

Mastering the Business Basics of Online Reputation Management

Consumers and business people "search for everything" today before they do anything, according to Paul Shapiro, SEO director of GroupM. "What will people find when they Google your businesses name? Will it be a bad Yelp review cautioning them to not buy from you? Or will it be something positive that will cause them to buy from you? This is your online reputation, and it's important."

Written by James A. Martin14 Nov. 14 03:25

Top Tips and Tools for Online Reputation Management

A handful of companies offer free and paid online reputation management services for consumers and businesses, including Reputation.com and Brand Yourself. In addition to using these services, or in lieu of them, both small and midsize businesses and enterprise digital marketers can take strategic steps to ensure their companies' online reputations are solid.

Written by James A. Martin14 Nov. 14 03:24

iPad Editing App Faceoff: Microsoft Word vs. CloudOn

The iPad-based document-editing universe saw two major updated in recent days -- updates that could compel you to switch to a new app for wording processing via your Apple tablet.

Written by James A. Martin08 Nov. 14 05:11

Bubble for Android, iOS Offers Conference Calls Without Access Codes

Bubble is a new, free app for Android and iOS that makes it easy to initiate and participate in free conference calls. You don't get a lot of conferencing features, and Bubble is by no means the only app of its kind. It is easy to use, however, and there are no limits on call length.

Written by James A. Martin06 Nov. 14 02:53

Google Play Books Gets Unique New 'Skim' Feature

Years ago, when the ebook thing started taking off, my first thought was that ebooks could be very useful while traveling. Instead of lugging along several guidebooks, not to mention dictionaries and phrase books, all I'd need is an ebook reader.

Written by James A. Martin05 Nov. 14 02:08

In Pictures: 12 shocking social media horror stories

There are right ways for companies to use social media, and there are wrong ways. These 12 horror stories, spotlighted by a set of digital marketing professionals, are perfect examples of what organizations should never (ever) do on social sites.

Written by James A. Martin31 Oct. 14 09:24

5 Things You'll Love About Garmin's vivosmart Fitbit Rival -- and 5 You Won't

Amid mounting anticipation for the Apple Watch and the recently announced Fitbit Charge HR and Surge wristbands (all of which are due in early 2015), I've been testing Garmin's new vivosmart activity tracker/smartwatch and the associated Android and iOS Garmin Connect apps.

Written by James A. Martin31 Oct. 14 02:09

Gmail Inbox App is No Solution to Email Overload

It seems like every 10 minutes a new email app arrives in the iTunes or Google Play app stores. They all try to accomplish the same goal -- make it easier to manage email.

Written by James A. Martin29 Oct. 14 01:05

Microsoft snubs Windows Phone, releases 2 Android-only apps

Are you sitting down? I'm glad I was when I heard that Microsoft just released two new mobile apps, Next Lock Screen and Journeys and Notes -- for Android devices and not Windows Phone.

Written by James A. Martin24 Oct. 14 01:18

My First Day With Apple Pay (Mostly) a Success

At the Sept. 9 unveiling of Apple Pay, CEO Tim Cook said the contactless payment technology "will forever change the way all of us buy things." I tried out Apple Pay on Monday, its first day of availability, and while we're not quite at Cook's "forever" stage yet, the process was a smooth one -- with one exception.

Written by James A. Martin22 Oct. 14 03:02
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