Mac Pro Archives

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 10

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

On today’s broadcast, how a business model pivot by a rising wealth management software provider will affect your technology spending, technology experts chime in on the trends that are sure to affect all advisory businesses, new integrations provide marketing resources to grow your online audience, and more.

So get ready, FPPad Bits and Bytes begins now!

(Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

This week’s episode of Bits and Bytes is brought to you by Total Rebalance Expert, the industry’s largest, privately owned portfolio rebalancing software provider.

Fresh off its acquisition of PowerAdvisor, TRX offers advisors tax-efficient rebalancing, an easy to use interface, and more, all at an affordable price. Learn how you can gain a half a million dollar return on your technology investment by downloading their latest white paper at fppad.com/trx

Here are this week’s top stories:

inStream abandons free plan, introduces subscription pricing from FPPad.com

[This week’s lead story comes from inStream Solutions, which just announced that the company is no longer offering a free subscription plan to financial advisors. inStream first received attention in 2011 by introducing the free financial planning software tool for advisors, with hopes of monetizing advisor participation through an online product marketplace.

But just like many well-known startups including Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat and more seek ways to monetize their platform, inStream shares the challenge of figuring out how to build a sustainable revenue model for its innovative platform.

So the free plan is going away, replaced by a $2,400 annual subscription. Existing users do have the option to subscribe for $1,000 in the first year, and any advisor who signs up by this summer will receive 50% off their first year subscription.

More details about inStream’s pivot as well as the release of a new Safe Savings Rate tool are in this week’s show notes.] Financial planning software startup inStream Solutions drops its free pricing plan, switches to annual subscription model

Technology for Planners: Trends, Spending, and the Rise of Robo Advisers from the Journal of Financial Planning

[Next up is a peek into the minds of technology experts in financial services. The cover story of this month’s issue of the Journal of Financial Planning is all about technology for planners; the trends, spending patterns, and rising concern of online “robo-adviser” services.

I had the privilege of joining tech experts Joel Bruckenstein, Jennifer Goldman, and JP Nicols in this roundtable discussion moderated by none other than the venerable Michael Kitces. Be sure you read the roundtable transcript and think about what changes you need to make in your business for 2014 and beyond.] Technology is essential to operating a successful and profitable planning practice. Whether it’s software integration, mobile devices, cloud computing, or the latest on so-called robo advisers, you’ve got questions. The Journal’s practitioner editor, Michael Kitces, uncovers the answers in this roundtable discussion with tech experts Joel Bruckenstein, CFP®, Jennifer Goldman, CFP®, JP Nicols, CFP®, and Bill Winterberg, CFP®

Bill Good Marketing Integrates Gorilla with Redtail CRM

[Now one of the takeaways from the roundtable cover story is that advisors don’t have the budget or venture capital funding to deploy a nationwide marketing blitz. So how can you build your brand and online audience in the face of this competition?

One way is to use content marketing libraries that integrate with your current technology. New this week is the integration of the Bill Good Marketing library into Redtail CRM, giving over 75,000 Redtail users access to compliance-approved marketing material from Bill Good.] CRM systems Gorilla and Redtail Technology collaborate to address major trends affecting Financial Advisors

Exclusive new content & videos from Advisor Websites

[And another offering comes from Advisor Websites, which now offers its “Hall of Famer” users the ability to embed written as well as video content on their website through a partnership with FogLifter.

For more information on the marketing integrations and to view some of the sample content, go to Video 1: Tax & Income Planning http://www.viddler.com/v/1c97c093 and Video 2: Fiduciary Difference http://www.viddler.com/v/479dfc19 .] It’s a new year and big things are happening at Advisor Websites! We are thrilled to announce the addition of new content for all Advisor Websites users!

Unboxing the 2013 Mac Pro: The ultimate desktop for financial advisers from FPPad

[And finally, many of you have asked me what equipment I use to produce each episode of FPPad Bits and Bytes. Well just a few weeks ago, I received my new Mac Pro from Apple and have transferred all of my video editing over to this powerhouse of a machine.

I filmed the unboxing of my Mac Pro and uploaded my review to my YouTube channel this week, so if you’re interested in building your multimedia production capabilities, I suggest you watch the review to see if a Mac Pro purchase makes sense for you. And in case you don’t know, everyone who subscribes to the FPPad newsletter gets my complimentary guide to creating awesome videos. Sign up at fppad.com/subscribe to get your copy today.] The all-new Mac Pro is a powerhouse loaded with processors and memory, but it might (just might) be a little bit overkill for financial advisers

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 10, 2014 on YouTube

Unboxing the 2013 Mac Pro: The ultimate desktop for financial advisers

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Bill Winterberg in Technology

The all-new Mac Pro is a powerhouse loaded with processors and memory, but it might (just might) be a little bit overkill for financial advisers

(Watch the Mac Pro Unboxing on YouTube)

In December 2013, I was lucky enough to receive my order of the all-new Apple Mac Pro.

You see, videos have become an important part of content and material on FPPad, and the 2009 iMac I was using was beginning to show its age.

It didn’t help that I recently stepped up to weekly production of FPPad Bits and Bytes episodes, meaning that I was quickly taxing the limited memory and hard drive space of the iMac.

Speed, and then some

So why did I buy the Mac Pro?

In a word, speed.

Each episode of FPPad Bits and Bytes requires several hours of editing in post production. My editing software of choice is Apple’s Final Cut Pro X.

Episodes feature a lot of cut-away video, pop-up images, jammin’ music, and four boxes of simultaneous video in the credits. All of that resulted in final video rendering times of 45 to 60 minutes on the old computer.

How long does it take the Mac Pro to render an episode?

Three.

Yes, three minutes!

Mac Pro Configuration

Here is the complete configuration of my Mac Pro and its accessories shown in the video above.

Mac Pro, 6-Core and Dual GPU with 3.5GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 processor: http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/mac-pro

PROMISE Pegasus2 R4 8TB (4 by 2TB) Thunderbolt 2 RAID System: http://store.apple.com/us/product/HE151VC/A/promise-pegasus2-r4-8tb-4-by-2tb-thunderbolt-2-raid-system?fnode=5f

Apple Thunderbolt Display (27-inch): http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC914LL/B/apple-thunderbolt-display-27-inch?fnode=53

KRK RP5G3-NA Rokit 5 Generation 3 Powered Studio Monitor

Not For Everyone

Should every financial adviser own a Mac Pro? Probably not.

If you’re considering publishing audio and video content in the future, or you are already doing it now, then yes, you likely will want to upgrade to a Mac Pro.

The Mac Pro is designed to work with processor-intensive programs like Final Cut Pro, Aperture, Garage Band, and more.

If you use your computer primarily for web browsing, accessing cloud-based programs, and composing documents with Microsoft Office applications, the Mac Pro is overkill for those applications.

But for me, the Mac Pro is exactly what I’ve needed, and I’m very glad it is sitting on my desk.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to delete the 500 GB of video files hogging up the old iMac’s hard drive.

Watch the Mac Pro unboxing on YouTube

How to install the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 on OS X Mavericks (and Yosemite)

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Bill Winterberg in Efficiency, Technology

Installing the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 on Mac requires a few good Google searches

UPDATE OCTOBER 2016: OS X Sierra created several compatibility issues with the ScanSnap application, so several patches are being released by Fujitsu. Read their official update regarding ScanSnap compatibility for the popular iX500 and S1500 models.

One of my favorite home office devices is my Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 scanner. I purchased it in 2009 and have used it consistently, although Fujitsu recently replaced the S1500 with the updated ScanSnap iX500 model.

Because the S1500 is no longer available for retail purchase, I had a challenging time trying to figure out how to install the S1500 on my Mac Pro with OS X Mavericks.

Google searches turned up a variety of discussion boards and posts from Fujitsu, but it took a half-dozen searches to finally find the exact file I needed.

ScanSnap Manager for Mac

So for anyone looking to install an existing Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 on their new Mac with OS X Mavericks, here is the page from Fujitsu you need to visit to download the .dmg installer.

http://www.fujitsu.com/global/support/computing/peripheral/scanners/software/s1500m-setup.html

If you prefer to link directly to the .dmg file, here it is (433MB): http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/IMAGE/driver/ss/mgr/m-s1500/ScanSnap.dmg

Unidentified Developer

One quick note about the installation process: if you click on the .dmg file to begin installation, Mavericks will complain that it “can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.”

This message comes from the Gatekeeper security feature added in OS X 10.8 and higher. So to successfully open the file, either right click the file or press Control and click the file, then select Open from the context menu. Next, click Open in the warning dialog box and installation will continue.

Let me know if these links expire, and I will update them accordingly to make the installation process as smooth as possible for you.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 25

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Bill Winterberg in Bits & Bytes

(Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes on YouTube)

On this week’s broadcast, get the rundown of all the announcements from Apple this week, the trend of quick financial planning expands to a new software provider, and how you can impress clients with a survey. Yes, I said survey!

So get ready, a special Halloween edition of Bits and Bytes begins now.

This week’s episode is brought to you by Wealth Management Marketing, providers of complete outsourced marketing services for Registered Investment Advisers.

Learn how outsourcing your marketing can result in successful custom marketing campaigns that grow your business by visiting fppad.com/wmm.

From iPad Air to Mac Pro: everything you need to know about Apple’s fall event from TheVerge.com

[By now, you’ve probably heard that Apple has further disrupted the hardware and software market as we know it. The company introduced a more powerful line of MacBook laptops, updated the release date of the Mac Pro uber-computer to December starting at just under $3,000, and revealed the both the iPad Air, with its ultra-thin 9.7-inch Retina display weighing in at just one pound, and a new iPad mini, upgraded with its own 7.9 inch Retina display and now priced at $399.

Apple also accelerated the race to zero on software pricing, announcing that Mavericks, the latest operating system for Mac, is now free for all users, and the iWork and iLife suites are free for anyone who purchases a new Mac or iOS device.

So what does all this mean to advisors?

Most of you run your business on Windows computers, with many of you still using Windows 7 and older versions of Microsoft Office.

The cost of upgrading your software is often a deterrent, especially if you need to buy one or two dozen licenses for everyone in your organization. That’s especially true now that Office 365 requires an annual subscription of $99 per person; that adds up quickly!

So with free versions of the latest software from Apple, you need to consider what your businesses technology will look like in the near future. Will you get more value from low-cost PCs that come with non-trivial software costs, or from higher-priced Apple hardware that includes core software for free?

And for those programs that don’t run on Macs: there’s always Parallels or VMWare Fusion if you absolutely must have access to your legacy Windows-only applications.] After a year in which Apple’s product announcements have largely leaked out ahead of time, today the company delivered something of a surprise: a redesigned tablet, the iPad Air, that is the lightest full-size iPad to date at just 1 pound.

SunGard Launches a Financial Planning Solution that Helps Advisors Quickly Create Holistic, Client-Friendly Plans from Sungard

[If you watched FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 11, you learned that Advisor Software published goalgamiPro, the company’s quick financial plan illustration tool, on the Salesforce AppExchange market.

Now the latest company capitalizing on the popularity of quick financial planning tools is Sungard, who announced this week the introduction of a new product called WealthStation CompAct.

The new tool is a single, stand-alone application advisors can use on their own or in collaboration with clients to highlight planning opportunities across eight areas, including cash management, asset allocation, and retirement planning.

WealthStation CompAct allows advisors to create basic plans simply and efficiently to help clients prioritize their financial goals. Should more detailed planning be needed, data from CompAct can be fed into the more robust WealthStation Financial Planning module.] SunGard has launched WealthStation CompAct, a new financial planning solution that gives advisors the ability to produce results-based, holistic financial plans quickly, simply and interactively.

Use Surveys to Impress Clients. Yes, Surveys! from Morningstar Advisor

[And finally, you’ve no doubt read countless articles why it’s important to send surveys to your clients. Client surveys provide valuable insight on what your clients are thinking, but the last thing you want to do is fill up your client’s inbox with another dull, plain-vanilla survey.

Enter a survey tool called Typeform. In four easy steps, you can use Typeform to create fun, yes I said fun, surveys that stand out among the rest. Instead of the standard radio bubbles and check boxes, Typeform gives you lots of options to add color, style, and bold icons to your survey. And since Typeform uses responsive design, your surveys look great no matter what device clients use to offer feedback.] The last thing you want is a client to see your survey request and think, “Hooray–another boring survey from my financial advisor.”

Watch FPPad Bits and Bytes for October 25, 2013, “Halloween Edition!”

FPPad