Category: PDRater

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The Internets
The Internets

I’m not exactly a neutral party when it comes to “web apps” (short for “web application”) versus their downloadable-installable cousins.  This website, its articles, and blog posts are basically just packaging for my own suite of free web apps, workers’ compensation calculators.

For the purposes of this post, I’m restricting the definition of “web app” to those programming applications which run from inside an internet web browser and require an internet connection to operate.  I’m excluding those hybrid web apps that require plugins to be installed (think flash or adobe multimedia banner ads).  While web apps have inherent…

Weaknesses

  1. Web browser. Some require a particular type or version of a web browser.
  2. Internet Connection. They won’t work without one.  If you lose your internet connection, you’ve just become isolated from your information and the program.
  3. Form. Sometimes the program will look different depending upon the type or version of web browser.
  4. Function. Sometimes the program will act slightly differently depending upon the type or version of web browser.

… there are also undeniable…

Consumer Benefits

  1. Portability. Web apps allow you to access your information from the internet.
  2. Independence. Web apps allow you to access your information from any computer.
  3. User Friendly. Nothing to download, install, or maintain.
  4. Seamless. These days web apps use AJAX so that your computer doesn’t need to reload the page to show you new information.  The result are web based programs that look and act as if the program was installed on your computer.
  5. Braindead Backups. Since all information is stored on the web app server, a browser crash doesn’t have to mean the end of the world.  No need to do anything.
  6. Updates. You immediately benefit from web app server program updates without needing to do anything.
  7. Compatibility. Most web apps can’t interfere with other programs on your computer.
  8. IT Security. With nothing to install, your IT professionals don’t need to worry about what you’ve got installed on your computer.

By Posted on Posted in Author, Business, Conference, PDRater, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Road Warrior Backpack
Road Warrior Backpack

In earlier posts I gave my “road warrior checklist for the car” and my “road warrior checklist for the techie.”

My backpack is my lifeline when I’m out and about.  Some prefer a laptop case, rolling briefcase/suitcase, suitcase, or purse.  I find that a backpack with a laptop section works best for me.  I can carry a medium file, laptop, and the essentials.

Here’s my road warrior checklist for my backpack:

  • Front flap
    • Notepad
    • Pens
      • 2 blue gel, 1 black pen, 1 red gel pen, 1 permanent ink marker, 1 highlighter
    • Business cards, business card case
    • Eyeglass cloth
  • Front pocket
    • Medication – allergy pills, etc.
    • Granola bar
    • Sticky notes
    • Portable phone charger
    • Breath mints
    • Batteries
  • Side pocket
    • Napkins
  • Main pocket
    • Laptop

What do you take with you?

By Posted on Posted in Author, Business, Technobabble 3 Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Nerdy Road Warrior
Nerdy Road Warrior

In an earlier post I gave my “my road warrior checklist for the car.”  Within the last year I occasionally worked as computer tech support and/or mobile techie.

Sometimes I was on location fixing a problem, writing a database program, or doing a small bit of programming on a friend’s larger program.  I enjoyed being a techie, but wouldn’t want to do it for a living.

When I’m a road warrior techie, here’s what I carry with me:

  • Laptop backpack
  • Laptop, extra battery, power cord
  • Portable hard drive, 120 GB (Actually a laptop hard drive in an enclosure)
  • Flash drives (4G, 128meg)
  • CDRW – rewriteable CD’s
  • DVD-RW – rewriteable DVD’s
  • USB hub, 3 ports
  • USB cable, A to B
  • USB cable, A to mini
  • Ethernet cable, 6′
  • Phone cord, 6′

If I had to keep a techi backpack stocked, here’s what else I’d put in it:

  • Zip ties, twist ties, and/or velcro ties
  • Labels
  • Small screwdriver set

What do you take with you?

Update: A (techie) friend suggested the following additions, trunk space permitting:

  • Ethernet cable, wire crimpers
  • Ethernet hub
  • Installation CD’s

By Posted on Posted in Calculators, Free, Open Source, PDRater, Technobabble, Workers Compensation Resources No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Google Chrome
Google Chrome

Google jumped head fist into the browser war last week.

The big players at the moment are Internet Explorer, Firefox/Mozilla, Opera, and Safari (Mac).  From Google’s information about Chrome, it looks like it was designed based on Apple’s popular Webkit and Mozilla’s very popular Firefox.  An added benefit is that this new browser is open source.  Google’s online comic about Chrome and their new vision of how a web browser should look and behave is actually fairly interesting.

The other bit of good news is that I’ve downloaded and installed the beta version of Google’s Chrome in order to see whether it is compatible with this website and its web apps.

Good news!  Chrome works flawlessly with my workers’ compensation calculators!  So, feel free to use your choice of web broswer to calculate permanent disability percentages, temporary disability rates, life pension rates, and nearly every other kind of benefit available under California workers’ compensation law.

By Posted on Posted in Not Workers Compensation, PDRater, Technobabble No Comments Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Spitzer - The Morning After
Spitzer - The Morning After

Okay, I’ve got good news and bad news.

Good news: The CERN LHC was fired up yesterday and the world didn’t end!

Bad news: If you followed any of my suggestions from the past few days, you might need some pointers on what to do now. ((End of the World Survival Guide, The End of the World: A To Do List.))

  1. Give up smoking and drugs.
  2. You’ll need a new will and gym membership.
  3. You kept receipts, right?
  4. You’ll probably need to go back to renting an apartment.
  5. Work on your resume.  There’s no way your boss is taking you back.
  6. Get a good lawyer to deal with the DUI, solicitation, and federal wildlife protection charges.
  7. Face facts, you’re probably uninsurable now.
  8. Two words: credit counseling.
  9. Consider switching to a religion that offers absolution or papal indulgences.
  10. STD tests for everyone!

Something most of those CERN / LHC lawsuits forgot to mention is that even though the Large Hadron Collider was fired up yesterday, it won’t warm up to smash things together for a few weeks.  So, we’re not totally out of the woods yet…

(Too bleak for a Thursday?)