Ferrum Technology Services Blog

An IT parody song to the tune of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

It’s the holiday season, and everyone is scrambling to throw together the perfect gift for the technology lover. With so many spectacular consumer electronics available, it can be overwhelming just thinking about all of the possibilities. Before you get in over your head thinking up the best gifts, try checking out this list of cool and practical tech.

The Internet is infested with threats of all kinds, some of the most annoying are bots. These consist of systems which potentially gather information from a variety of sources. While primarily used by search engines to gather data from websites (these are the good kinds), there are others who may have fallen into the hands of hackers which steal information or send spam.

Doing business today is much different than it was in medieval times. Thanks to the Renaissance, modern businesses now have a technology-based economy, instead of one that's magic-based--this has been an especially difficult transition for wizards. Although, one medieval business practice that's still going strong is the idea behind guilds.

Mobility is the new face of business. Application-driven mobile devices are dominating the computing world, and it's making productive work easier to accomplish on the go. These smartphones are more capable of complex computing, but also consume users' attention.

Once in a while, a server must play its part in the ultimate task - moving all of its data to another server. This includes moving all of the files and applications on one server to another unit in a process called server migration.

The latest technology can provide your business with increased productivity. However, not everyone sees it that way. George R. R. Martin, one of the most well-known authors of our time, would disagree. He prefers to work in the ancient realm of 1970s word processing.

The other day, we introduced you to "the most connected human on Earth", Chris Dancy, and his story. Dancy had lost his job due to corporate downsizing, which in turn led the former IT manager to use his knowledge for the study of quantitative technologies and systems as part of a "quantitative life existence." In this second installment of our interview, Chris is going to explain how you too can lead a similar lifestyle.

Most tech-savvy people in this world will agree that if technology can provide the benefits it promises, it is worth giving a shot. However, these same people might feel uneasy about using technology to monitor so much of their personal lives. For Chris, it's about the differentiation between the "augmented self" that is displayed over the Internet, and your real-world self. Ultimately, the user has to lay down the fine line between shareable and non shareable, and it's up to you to determine what information you broadcast online and what you keep to yourself.

However, a person needs to be careful not to be too involved with their "augmented life". Rather, they should focus on finding balance between their online presence and their own earthly existence. Chris believes that taking advantage of as much technology as possible can ensure a successful future. Wired Magazine explains, "Dancy doesn't think that all tracking is necessarily positive, but he's fatalistic about the future. Even if workers reject more Orwellian surveillance from employers — or companies determine these measures to be counterproductive — individual workers will likely use self-tracking to gain a competitive edge."

How To Make Quantitative Technology Your Own
You might feel ready to get involved with quantitative technology, but you should carefully consider the benefits of it before doing so. There are so many types of technology that can be used to segue into a data-driven existence, and it might seem a bit overwhelming if you don't know what to look for. Chris offered Ferrum Technology Services some advice for the average tech user wishing to adopt this new lifestyle.

• "Start at home. Put a nest thermostat in your house. Understand how the thermostat uses weather and behavior to self adjust. Watch it change as the climate changes. Watch it learn." With a smartphone-connected thermostat, you'll be able to adjust the temperature of your home from anywhere, and gather information at the same time. It's the perfect first step toward integrating more technology into your life.
• "Then get a fitbit. Wear it all the time, but only look at the data every two weeks. Then use that data and compare it to your schedule, see if you can find patterns." The fitbit, for Chris, has come with health benefits. Chris stated in an interview with FOX Business that he lost 100 pounds thanks to his lifestyle allowing him to track his health habits!
• "Stay off the 'news hype' 'tech fetish' cycle. There will always be something new and cool to talk about with peers and friends. Learn who you are and what you do. Work in 2020 is about awareness of information and how people will live a data-driven lifestyle."

With so much technology at his disposal, Chris is bound to have some favorites. We asked him the question, "If you had to limit yourself to five, which five would you choose?" In response, Chris selected a few of his favorites. So, if you are looking to quantify your life with lots of useful technology, these are a must.

Chris Dancy is known far and wide for being "the most connected human on earth", but how exactly does he do it? It's much easier than some people think. He takes advantage of the numerous technologies and systems available, and they all work together to track his every move. Why would he want to do this? It's not for bragging rights, as some might say - rather, it is all about a "quantified life existence." To find out what this means, we got a chance to interview Chris about his tech journey.

Due to the overwhelming success of George Lucas's science-fiction film franchise Star Wars, fans all over the world will be celebrating May 4th as a holiday (May the Fourth be with you). Star Wars wouldn't have been nearly as successful if it weren't for its fascinating space technology, something that was previously only imagined by the most creative of minds. X-wings, blasters, and hyperdrives seem really neat, but they can break down just as easily as present-day space technology. There's something about the unknown void that is space which draws our attention, even if it's "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

The people of 1967 were no different than we are today - obsessed with the future and the new technology it might yield. It was a magical time when technology was developing so rapidly that people were placing wild assumptions of what the technology of the 2000s would be like. How accurate were the predictions of the scientific community of the 1960s? Let's look at this 1967 video from CBS's The 21st Century!

Small business owners and executives spend a lot of time going over the expense sheet. Most times, this is a result of not having the financial resources to do everything they want to do, when they want to do it. When your organization's growth stagnates, finding a way to turn that trend around is of paramount importance.

It's embarrassing to get technology terms mixed up with other terms that have nothing to do with technology. If you've found yourself confused by the latest tech terms, then don't feel bad. According to a recent survey of 2,392 adults by Vouchercloud.net, mix ups like this are a fairly common occurrence.

With all the recent buzz about wearable technology, biometrics, and smart appliances, it can be easy to forget about a much older technology that is still providing tremendous value. Bluetooth. Believe it or not, Bluetooth is celebrating its 20th birthday this year, having been invented by Ericsson in 1994.

In the midst of one of the coldest and most grueling winters the U.S. has experienced in years, millions of Americans are growing impatient for the arrival of spring. As subzero temperatures spread across the country, the cold weather and snow has become a hazard not only to humans, but to their technology. How cold is too cold for your gadgets?

After you've finished with that incriminating file (you know which file we're talking about), you will drag and drop it into the Recycling Bin. You may think that just because you selected "Empty Recycling Bin" that the evidence is gone forever, but that's not exactly how the Recycling Bin works. You will need a more permanent solution to completely cover your tracks.

If you take a look around, it's a mystery that the human race is tied to their technology. Many of us use smartphones and tablets every day to get our work done, to communicate with friends and family, to feed us information, to help us be more efficient in everyday life, to aid us in our hobbies, and to entertain us. In their research, Gartner recently found that over 1.2 billion smart devices were purchased in 2013 alone, opening up new market opportunities for technology innovators to explore. XD Design is certainly rising to the occasion with an impressive line of solar-powered battery chargers.

With the introduction of Microsoft's Kinect and Apple's iPhone 5s, biometrics has exploded! Both of these tools are being utilized for security purposes to lock others out of your device and accounts. Biometrics for these devices are also being employed to grant you access to your technology. As biometrics becomes more popular, you are sure to see it used for your business in the not too distant future.

Remember the 3.5" floppy drive?  It held a ton of data back in the day remember?!?!  If you compare it to a USB drive today, they can hold hundreds if not thousands of those old disk drives - isn't that crazy?

Technology is moving forward at a blistering pace and it's changing the IT Industry in a big way. In order to stay competitive and profitable, your business needs to stay on top of the different technology trends. Here are five technology trends you need to be aware of that will shape 2014.