Apps For Actuaries Presentation

Editor's Notes

• #3: Hello, I am Rich Junker, Consulting Actuary, currently Co-Editor of the Technology Section Newsletter CompAct. I use a laptop and an Android Smartphone, a Motorola Droid X. Even if you are unfamiliar with app territory, very much an emerging field,questions you ask can contribute to everyone’s learning experience. Before beginning, I ask you to complete a brief survey of which tools you use, filling out the form and leaving it at the table as you depart. This information will help our Technology Section leaders define how we can best identify what you need from our programs.
• #4: This is NOT what we mean by going to the cloud! Cloud Com·put·ingNoun: The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or personal computer.--Wikipedia
• #5: Next, we descend from the CLOUD, to tools for hand-held devices, smartphones…Apps for ActuariesThe Technology Section is sponsoring a series of meeting sessions titled ‘Apps for Actuaries’; the first of these took place at the Life and Annuity Symposium in New Orleans and was repeated at the Health Meeting. Presentations will continue at the Valuation Actuary Symposium and Annual Meeting.  Surprisingly, a show of hands at the New Orleans meeting showed that only half the attendees at that session had a Smart Phone or tablet device.Let’s see how the SEAC membership compares—show hands—do you have a Smart Phone? I fervently hope these articles, and this presentation, will show you the value in these devices if you don’t yet have one. Another reason to consider these devices is that all future meetings will have Wi-Fi in the meeting rooms and there will be Meeting Apps –which we will take up in coming minutes.
• #6: I will highlight a dozen apps today. To conserve time for questions and discussion, I will address each of these only briefly. Feel free to ask questions where I have been overbrief.
• #8: Webexis generous with its offers of two-week trials. As an alternative to Dragon, the Windows 7 operating system offers speech recognition setup for the Office suite via Control Panel\\Ease of Access Center\\Speech Recognition.
• #10: Giventhat Twitter is for sending short messages of 140 characters or less, many wonder what you cando with that. I was asked that question last week, and a member of the audience was so obviously chafing to answer, that I let him take it over. He relates he began Twittering a few months back, and now finds he has 500 followers. He has made connections with experts totally outside his network that he would never have made sticking to Facebook and LinkedIn. Twitter is great for sending links to articles and short comments, especially at meetings. A great way to build allegiances quickly.************************Twitter Apps (Kevin Pledge)I mentioned Twitter in relation to the Meeting App; you should also consider a dedicated Twitter App. Before saying what Apps I prefer I should say something about Twitter for those of you who have not tried it. You are probably already know that Twitter is for sending short messages of 140 characters or less and are wondering what you would do with that. While some people may believe that the world wants to know what they had for lunch and how they feel after the gym, in business Twitter is great for sending links to articles and short comments, especially at meetings. Twitter is further enhanced by lists, this allows you to group people and topics. On the desktop I prefer TweetDeck, which is also available for Chrome, however the mobile version of this is not my first choice.Eddie Smith prefers Tweetbot ($1.99 iPhone) because of the list functionality. I tend to use the native Twitter app (free iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Win7) for reading, but I prefer HootSuite(free iPhone, Android) for writing as it has the link abbreviations (necessary when you are limited to 140 characters). Seesmic (free iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Win7) is also worth a look, but it includes ads which I find distracting on a mobile device where the screen is already quite small.
• #11: GoodReader (Eddie Smith)Virtually all business professionals—actuaries included—need to look at PDF files on the go.  Most iPhone and  iPad users agree that GoodReader is the best app for reading, annotating, and managing PDF files when away from their desktop computer or laptop.  GoodReader can connect to several different types of remote servers making it easy to retrieve and even sync files.  In other words, suppose you mark up a PDF on your iPad: Those changes will be available back on your desktop computer if you connect to a common server. GoodReader also works with Word files, image files, and many other formats making it the de facto “file system” of the iPhone and iPad.
• #12: SOA Meeting AppAnyone can download it from the calendar page for the Health Meeting on soa.org.All large meetings – Val Act, Annual Meeting, and next year’s Life & Annuity Symposium will have it.Anything that is on the onsite brochure is on this and more.You don’t need to print out presentations. You can write notes on them and email them to yourself.Works better on iPad-sized device.iPhone and iPad versions both work smoothly, per Meg Weber of the SoA Office. There is also an Android version and there should be a Blackberry version,however there is not yet a version for Windows Phone 7. The app allows you to browse the event program, build your personal schedule, take notes, rate sessions and speakers. The transition from the event schedule, to the map or to session slides. is seamless. You can also tweet from the application, including tweeting the presentation slides.
• #23: The Technology Section has been influential with the SOA over the years. Recently the Mortality Tables were redesigned. Check out the Technology pages on soa.org.Leaders of the Technology Section introduced the SOA to SharePoint. This is what the Board and the Exam volunteers use to share information. (Did not catch on so much on the section side). Technology was the first SOA entity to have a LinkedIn group. And now Tim Deitz and Eddie Smith are advisors to the SOA on apps.The section considers topics from programs for actuaries to modern technologies as we have covered today that you can use as a business person and in your personal life.On soa.org, go the website and click Join a Section on lower left. Annual dues are $20. Also there are lots of opportunities to volunteer with the Technology Section.
• #24: Superman Returns: “You see whoever controls technology controls the world. The Roman empire ruled the world because they built roads. The British empire ruled the world because they built ships. America; the atom bomb. And so on. I just want what Prometheus wanted. Gods are selfish beings who fly around in little red capes and don't share their power with mankind. No, I don't want to be a *god*. I just want to bring fire to the people. And... I want my cut." You surely recognize LexLuthor’s voice here… arch-fiend and bete noire of SUPERMAN…Hardly a profound, hardly a scintillating, hardly an inspiring, way to conclude an educational session. Hmmm?Yet I take comfort in knowing that whatever new technological controls I may have directed into your arsenal of power tools, you are all a magna animus group who have not a GRAIN of character warpage that might lead you to apply them to dastardly ends such as LexLuthor fantasized of daily.*******************************This concludes my remarks…It’s time for your questions, insights, heresies revealed...Prometheus Story: http://www.authorama.com/old-greek-stories-5.html