It's summer. Between planting, scouting and spraying, you probably have oodles of little league games, a week or two of summer vacation and perhaps a few dance recital weekends. Are you effectively using your smartphone to manage your busy schedule? If you're anything like my family, I'd say no. Here's a list of apps I can't do without. Also, I've included some tips on how to get the most out of them. CalenMob: Back when I used an Android phone, I started…

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This spring, chances are you’ll be spending a lot of time in the tractor. I’d wager I’m with most young farmers when I ask, “What in the world did you do before tablets and smartphones?” In all seriousness, this slideshow from Wired has boggled my mind. The article looks at “The 12 Cell Phones That Changed Our World Forever.” The first BlackBerry doesn’t show up until 2003. At this point, savvy Wall Street types were able to be linked…

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After months of debating back and forth, I plunked down $300 for a 32 GB iPhone 5. I just completed my two year contract with Sprint. Throughout much of Illinois, their data coverage is quite slow. Voice coverage is spotty, especially in rural areas. Switching carriers is a necessity, considering how much I'm on rural roads. I signed with Verizon, due in large part to their unmatched 4G LTE coverage across most of Illinois. Now, why am I jumping the Android ship and swimming over…

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Email is not going away as a means of contact in the business world. If anything, it will continue to pick up steam. Yet, I continue to see instances where rural folks go through several email addresses over the course of five years. You have the power to stop this! What used to be the most irritating thing about switching cellular service providers? The number would switch. That’s in the past now, but I still remember the headache that would go along with disseminating your new phone…

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University research is a terrific thing. Great academic minds take the time to limit variables and replicate trials over numerous years and sites. Still, after years of testing, it may not answer your one burning question … will this work on my farm? For this reason, I love the format of Beck’s Hybrids’ Practical Farm Research program. Led by Jason Webster, this team, which also includes Clayton Stufflebeam and a slew of interns, is out to answer that one burning…

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During last week’s company meeting, a presenter explained to the group that folks born in 1980 and after are “digital natives.” That is, these folks have a tough time remembering life before computers. The Flint family entered the computer era in 1987. I was five years old. My sister was barely one. It was an IBM compatible. I honestly can’t remember the specific brand. I do remember there was no Windows. The operating system was MS-DOS. The power switch was on…

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When your teenager complains about making minimum wage this summer, have them sit down and watch this video. Even better, have them watch it on their iPad. It's an inside look at a Chinese factory cranking out the best-selling tablet. Yep, you heard right, these Chinese workers earn $14 per day! If they work hard, they can double their salary in a couple years. No word on how many hours they typically work. If they put in 8-hour days (which I doubt), that comes out to $3.50/hour for veterans…

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Well, I guess it’s about time I bought a tablet. I’ve wanted one for quite a while, but the $500 price point for Apple’s iPad was too steep for my liking. With Amazon’s new Kindle Fire set to launch next month for the low price of $200, I may have to jump on board. Several months prior to the iPad’s launch in April 2010, I remember wondering why anyone would want a tablet. They don’t have all the functionality of a laptop. They can’t make phone…

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I’ve got a bit of a confession to make. I’m a music nut. What type, you ask. Anything and everything. Right now, I’m listening to Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May.” As I culled through my e-mail, I’ve listened to The Statler Brothers, Nirvana, Brett Dennen and Jackson Browne. About a month ago, I gave up on the idea of “owning” the music I enjoy. It was getting expensive, even at 99 cents a song. Plus, it’s a hassle to load it onto…

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Tomorrow the Farm Progress Show kicks off full bore. What started as an expanse of land with a checker board of paved streets has transformed into a city of tents, tractors and combines. It’s also the beginning of a grueling three days of newsgathering for me and nine other editors. Between press events and scheduled interviews, I’ll be gathering info and photos of new products at the show. If you get a chance, please come by and see me in the Hospitality Tent. I’ll be…

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