Branding Guru Anyone?

Sponsored Article

We would like to introduce a new sponsor to maven mapper's, Brand Identity Guru Inc. is a Branding Agency that provides branding services for companies looking to grow and exploit their brand image.  We often times don't work hard enough to ensure that our brand is fully used at levels that meet its potential.  According to the a recent press release by Brand Identity Guru, they work to ensure that your brand reaches its full potential.  They reach out to all of your partners and contacts in ways to ensure that your brand is experiencing the exposure and notice and attention that it deserves.

Many companies will spend too much time and attention trying to come up with the perfect name and then they never do anything to spread that name around or they don't do enough.  Sometimes they even focus on the wrong areas spending money to make their name known in the wrong circles.  Our sponsor can ensure that your brain reaches out to the customers partners and clients that need to learn and hear about your brand.

Pornography Wins Out Over Protective Parents

In another attempt to control internet pornography, a federal judge in Pennsylvania struck down the government’s suggestion to limit the ability of pornographers to allow access to minors. Judges ruled that parents should be protecting their children against the allure of internet pornography.

Many technology experts have said that in the gambit of internet danger, online pornography is not the top issue. These same experts make reference to predators and bullies, which may in fact cause physical harm to children. Benjamin Halpert, an online security expert, has set up a tutorial for parents called "Safeonline 101", which offers parents tips and solutions to combating online dangers.

UK Broadband Price Comparison

One of the most useful things that many websites offer today is a fast and rapid roll up and review of price comparison services. It is definitely not easy to investigate mutliple broadband providers, run the research, pull the numbers and chop down an apple into an orange to compare it to another service. That is where many service like this UK Broadband Provider comparison can really save you a great deal of time and research.

I came across their site and it provides very detailed comparisons between UK broadband providers. They provide an extensive capability to view monthly rates and Compare Broadband services. There is no point in doing this type of research all over again yourself when a site can cover the work for you aggregating the data and providing a useful means of analyzing the results.

They also provide an extensive list of reviews of Broadband Internet ISP services. Its never easy to find a good service provider but with an aggregation and comparison of rates and reviews readily available it is much easier. Their ISP service provider list is very comprehensive and covers thirteen of the top ISP service providers in the United Kingdom

Apple TV, Where's the Snore Button?

In a statement released Wednesday, Apple Inc. will ship their new Apple TV box to U.S. stores immediately. The new product by Apple Inc. will allow consumers to transfer their music, videos and pictures to play on their television. The revolutionary product will allow over 50 hours(Wow! That's amazingly very little!) of video, 9,000 songs or 25,000 photos or any combination of the three.

The device functions via wireless connection and boast similar quality to that of a standard DVD player. The current suggested retail price for the Apple TV is $299.99 and will be available in the U.S. in the spring.

It remains unclear why Apple would use a device that has a hard drive approximately the same size as a portable MP3 player?

I guess you could call me a naysayer as I just don't get this concept yet maybe you just have to try to understand it...

Web Marketing Services in Dallas

Sponsored Article

We would like Dallas Web services, they provide dallas internet marketing services to local clients and Dallas, Texas.  According to their recent release, they provide full-service web design, web development, an Internet marketing services to help their customers get listed and improve their rankings in search engines from Google to Yahoo and MSN.

Their focus is a local focus looking to the Dallas area and this has its advantages because there are times when customers, especially those new to the Internet or new to their own web design on the Internet, need a face-to-face in person approach.  Sitting down with your Web designer and working out a plan and a strategy while you share with them information about your business so they can capture the egos of the work that you do can be invaluable at times and Dallas Web services looks to help customers in that regard and Dallas.  Did I mention that they're in Dallas?

So Sue Me

In another battle over copyright infringement, Viacom is challenging Youtube and its parent company Google. Viacom claims that Youtube has displayed well in excess of 150,000 videos and images from its various networks (VH1, Comedy Central etc.).  Many broadcast companies are in fear of the growing video-sharing outlets due to the increasing numbers of internet viewers.

With Viacom the situation is even more dire, due to the nature of their cable programs and the fact that they are targeted towards a younger audience who carries higher internet usage. It is unclear what will happen in the lawsuit, however this suit is the largest confrontation regarding video sharing to date.

Note.  The title "so Sue me" is not intended to reference the infamous Apple copyright infringement suit with Apple records.  During the uglier days that battle Apple created music software called sosumi which was pronounced so sue me hinting that if Apple records it like what Apple Computer was doing they could just . . .  :)

Getting Mini Recording Studio Set up

I finally have my mini recording studio set up in my
room. I set it up to try and get the best of any
situation whether it's recording guitar tracks or
vocals. I have a nice corner desk located in my room
with a couple of folding chairs for myself and vocalist to sit in while
recording. On the desk I have my Macbook Pro, a 160GB
external hard drive and speakers for playback. My
guitars are located just to the right of my desk and
it works great. I love my setup and it works great for
frequent music writing.

Coffee Cups going Unused as Pen Holders

It is an unfortunate reality that the digital revolution has brought about a transition that has unbalanced the need for people to utilize coffee cups for pen holders.  Coffee cups haven't just been outsourced they have been automated out of the picture as a necessity to keep your desk free of clutter.  People don't need to collect 50 or 60 pence to make sure they've got one around in case somebody snagged their favorite pen.

They still keep one or two of their favorites) in case they need to write something archaic like to check or fill out a form for the human resource Department or their taxes or some other strange entity that hasn't found its way into the digital world.  Often times companies don't even buy pens that often anymore.  Employees of many companies have to rely on free gifts,  Advertising pens, provided by visiting sales folks or more than likely recruiters trying to drum up business.  But nobody thinks about the poor coffee cups are no longer needed.

Many times today coffee cups are actually used for strange things like holding, coffee!.

There's not much we can do to save the coffee cups these days, they should've seen the writing on the wall and Joe sought additional training or job placement services.  Their demise also spells the demise for another staple in the office place, the filing cabinet is sure to go next!

Vacations.net re-Launch

Sponsored Article
Our sponsor vacations.net has recently launched their new website and tools to enable people to more rapidly purchase an all inclusive caribbean vacation. when you travel abroad if you have less experience in traveling and don't want to be troubled with currency exchanges and haggling on the street, you might benefit from it a vacation where you can pay for everything up front and in advance. In these situations you no longer have to worry about beating yourself or find a place to stay or any other expenses drinks and such that come up during a trip.
You can just focus on having carefree fun in the sun and not worry about writing your credit card up to limit in past while you're traveling.this is a great way to travel if you're on a budget or looking to hold tight to the budget did you set before you left the docks.

Retirees "Wii Would Like To Play!"

Nintendo's Wii video game system has made its way into many homes since its release last Christmas and has recently been found in retirement communities across the country. Seniors enjoy the social benefits as well as the exercise offered by the console system.

"It's a very social thing and it's good exercise ... and you don't have to throw a 16-pound bowling ball to get results," said Flora Dierbach a senior from Chicago.

Boasting a console without all the bells and whistles of the X-Box 360 and PS3, Nintendo's Wii offers an interactive forum, cardiovascular exercise and is just plain fun. Nintendo's goal with the Wii was to make game play easier, more intuitive and more appealing to a mass-market, and with sales exceeding its major competitors, Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo has done just that.

Drug Rehab continues to Demonstrate our Inability to Master Our Own bodies when they become Dependent

There have been a number of celevrities in the news lately with drug incidents and issues(I could have probably made that last statement on any given week of the last 30 or 40 years). Sylvester Stallone, Britney Spears, and Anna Nicole Smith all made headlines in incidents involving drugs or Drug rehab.

The truth of the matter is that many governments, countries, communities, and healthcare institutions have not figured out a good way to deliver drug rehabilitation.  In the United States part of the problem relates in part to an unrealistic approach to dealing with drugs.  Many drugs that are less physically dangerous to the human body are touted as more evil than some drugs that are far more dangerous to the body such as cigarettes and alcohol.

This serves to reduce the credibility of the authority figures that are trying to help people overcome these problems.  I think however that there is probably something that's been missed or overlooked.  I'm no biologist but I suspect that there is a better way that technology could be implemented to help people overcome problems of this nature.  This is a bit off topic but I strode out there from the perspective that I think somebody could probably do a better area and coming up with a technological solution or supplement that could help people overcome their issues with drugs and alcohol.

Safe Online 101 - Teaches Parents how to protect their Kids Online

Instant messaging, chat-rooms and other interactive media have been an outlet for children around the country for what seems like forever. Unfortunately these outlets have been the cause of much dismay for parents around the country, the world. With online predators and bullies, parents have to take to the front lines to protect their children from these new age dangers.

Benjamin Halpert, an online security expert, has released a program entitled "Safeonline 101." In his program, Halpert teaches parents a number of preventative measures to help safeguard their children online. Halpert says that parents need to become more web-savvy and generally computer literate. The online tutorial offers explanation of lingo used in chat rooms and also tips regarding computer use and location.

The right Cable- HDMI

Its always a struggle to setup a new device, even harder when you are making the move to high definition TV with hidef components.

With a high definition TV you cannot just go to your closet and pull out the extra RCA cables that you have lying around from an old TV or sound system.  You have two typically get into the car and drive down to the local store and pay $60 - $100 per cable for wires that you know are definitely not worth that price.

But if you need something like an HDMI cable you might be better off picking it up online, if you can wait for him the shipping.

Hot Enough for this Dating Site? Only the Beautiful need Apply

There is a new dating site on the web, but prerequisites for access may surprise you. Jason Pelligrino, creator of HotEnough.org, has crafted a dating site that is only for "Hot" singles. The subjective nature of the site has roused much curiosity over the weekend. Anyone who wishes to register at the site must submit photos of themselves, which will be rated on a one to ten scale by current members. If the photo is rated eight or higher, access is allowed but if you fall below the cut off you will have to try your luck elsewhere.

Pelligrino developed his site after coming to the consensus that dating sites bring in desperate and not necessarily attractive people. Pelligrino also said that anyone can call the site "shallow and superficial", but went on to add that many aspects of dating are just that

Telecom Consulting Moving into the Home?

My neighbor just had a T1 line and communication package installed in his home.  How far away from needing Telecom consultants is the average person getting?

I suspect the distance isn't very far.  I think this is probably more true for small business owners and professionals trying to get a leg up in a corporation that doesn't provide them all of the remote tools they need to get the job done effectively.

A car or a truck mechanic will go out and spend 10 to 20% of their income on the tools they need to do their job.  A tech worker and a corporation typically relies on the corporations cover all their expenses.  However at that tech worker were to invest 5% of their income, say $5,000 on a $100,000 per year salary and they could deliver greater results that might earn them a promotion or a raise of $10-$20000 a year that investment will be worth it.

That is the potential opportunity for Telecom Consulting to move into the home.  Cable modems and DSL don't know was cut it for a tech worker that's trying to work from home.  In a corporation that's cutting costs may not make those tools available, and so the tech workers sometimes may need to take things into their own hands to get ahead in the game.

Citizendium

Wikipedia designer Larry Sanger has devised a new online encyclopedia that will be free of the inaccuracy, petty vandalism and unknown sources, which contribute to its predecessor. The new encyclopedia entitled "Citizendium", will require contributors to leave their name and profile as well as offer experts from various fields who will weigh in for accuracy,

Citizendium will be a non-profit organization based off of Wikipedia and will remain devoid of advertisements and banners. Sanger wishes to build a better free online encyclopedia and hopes the new format will bring more academics forward to contribute.

Postie Con in Orlando

I've had an interesting week for lots of reasons.  I started out the week wondering if I would actually go to the payperpost sponsored event called PostieCon.  I was on the fence because I wasn't sure if the benefit would be great enough compared to the cost.  The event is taking place in Orlando and I've been on enough Orlando vacations to understand the expense of those types of affairs.

Then I won a free trip this week as a result of a different trade show that I attended call EcomXpo.  So now I think I may use that free trip to go to the event unless I can find a better event to go to for the money after all just because I'm not spending cash out of my own pocket and waste a free trip.

The more I think about it the more useful I think this particular event is going to be.  But the timing and the dates is a little difficult as it's the week right after Memorial Day weekend.  I keep you posted if anybody else is going to the event drop me a comment and let me know!

X-Box 360 Elite

Expected to hit U.S. shelves April 29 this year, Microsoft will release the X-Box 360 Elite. The new X-Box will boast a 120-gigabyte hard drive instead of the prior 20-gigabyte drive offered by the "archaic" 360 released last Christmas. Microsoft's goal is to further define their entertainment console as a digital media center instead of just a video game console.

The 360 Elite will have an initial retail price of $479.99, whereas its predecessor the 360 (20 gig.) prices out at $399.99. Microsoft will release snap-on hard drive for owners of the 20 gigabyte 360 for $179.99. Consumers have demanded a larger hard drive due to all the downloaded media from online stores, game content and other digital media. Other upgrades featured on the Elite are a, HDMI connection, which will improve digital picture and sound quality.

Reigning in Out of the Box Thinking with Ethics

Sponsored Article

Our sponsor simmons jannace & stagg provide a law practice for New York, Connecticut and New Jersey according to their latest release.  They work with Fortune 500 companies, midsize companies and small clients as well.  They have built up a reputation for delivering outside of the box thinking to come up with unique solutions to solve the client problems without having to spend a fortune on lawsuits and settlements.

It's never an easy thing for a law firm to think outside the box as they continually have to remain both inside the law and inside ethical guidelines.  It's very easy to be creative to come up with an idea but it's not easy to come up with a creative solution that saves money and is completely above board.  Many unique solutions are to been identified or utilized in coming up with something brand-new that still within the rules is a tough game that our sponsor continually works to improve.

Digitize Spare Change with a Garbage Man?

Every time I think I have truly become high tech, I get a stupid re-awakening to the doldrums of reality.  This often times happens when I leave a McDonald's Drive thru.

I always end up with spare change, which goes in the change holder and then my 4 year old proceeds at some point to play with the money and its lost.  My four year old doesn't recognize the value (or lack there of) and my vacuum cleaner for the car doesn't discern between straw paper wrappers and a quarter.

Now when I'm on top of things the spare change gets dumped into a big jar at home and every now and then the jar gets taken to a Coinstar where I pay 6-8 percent to have the machine count my money.  That's pretty stupid, I know how to count money, but my bank is 1,000 miles away and I can't mail them the change.

Plus I do not have a coin sorter or anything to rapidly count and bundle it all together. What I need is a nice system where I can dump the money in and have it converted to e-cash or PayPal funds on the quick.  My garbage man comes once a week to pick up trash for about $50 a month, why not send the recycling guy around to pick up my spare change every 6 months.  We just need an incorruptible counter and system so that I can dump it in a safe bin and they can come pick it up and credit my account for the collection.

 

Technorati tags: digital cash, digital coins

Fly Me to the Moon

NASA has begun preparations to test an inflatable structure that if

successful may offer a livable habitat for an outpost on the Earth's Moon. The inflatable habitat will be tested at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia. Although the project is still in its conceptual stage, the research and development of the project has led to a design, which may offer more refined exploration and research of other celestial bodies.

Inflatable Structures Project Leader Karen Whitley said that the project is still conceptual, and has been used for publicity. Senior staff and also a number of congressmen have viewed the inflatable device.

Are You Ready to Deal with an Emergency

I really like this idea and its fairly simple.  An innovative company has put together some relatively low tech solutions to help organize people for emergency.

They have created a backpack with multiple compartments that can open up and provide easy access to each of those compartments which contain Emergency Supplies ready to be used very quickly.

The thing I like about this solution the most is the fact that the supplies are ready to go, ready to travel, ready to be thrown into a car at moment's notice and they are organized in a way that makes them readily accessible when they're needed.

Now I just wish that I could find a backpack to hold my laptop in gear that worked half as well!

Digital Pioneer Backus

John Warner Backus, a name synonymous with the high level programming language of FORTRAN, passed away at his home in Ashland, Oregon a week ago Saturday, he was 82.

Backus led the IBM team, which created FORTRAN in the mid 1950's. The program was created as using a mixture of English words and algebraic notation, commonly used at the time by engineers and scientists in the field. In addition to his work on FORTRAN, Backus also worked in the creation of ALGOL 58 and ALGOL 60, which standardized publishing algorithms.

His accolades stretch across the better half of the 20th century, his work represents the passion of a scientific mind. Due to the efforts of this great mind we are able to live the way we do. John Warner Backus truly was a pioneer of the digital age.

Getting Travel Right with Web 2.0 Tools for Geeks

Ten Years ago it was cool to plan a trip with MapQuest, because it would print out maps!

That doesn't cut it today, today's savvy travelers need many better tools.  We're not looking for tools that simply give us the directions to find a place, we need the tools that get us there faster, more efficiently, using less fuel, avoiding traffic, showing us the best places to park would we get there, and a lot more.

A great little website called VroomVroomVroom.com offers up 25 great Web 2.0 Travel tools to help you get where you're going and do it in a way that works for 2007.  They provide tools that display traffic density charts in one section and consumer driven reviews of the destinations that you're going to another.  They bring together some of the best sites offering up GPS and wireless solutions and significantly more.

Basically they put together the top 25 Web 2.0 tools to help you get from a to B using all the best technology available today.  They've managed to cover some of the best sites and very quick and comprehensive manner you're definitely going to find something useful that will help you on your next trip.  Right off the bat I recognized the couple wed to point out names like Traffic, but they offer up so 24 other new sites that I haven't covered yet or hadn't heard.  Needless to say, I was sufficiently impressed.  I came across them searching through Dick's front page today after they recently climbed to the top.

Zdnet Confused over Concept of Hacking and Modding

I read a relatively dull article on ZDNet about the new Apple ITV product.  The article commented on the fact that only one day out of the chute, people were already taking the Apple TV product and reconfiguring it so that it will work to their needs.

Now the interesting aspect of this story is the fact that Apple got the product wrong people have to refine it to work, that was pretty obvious from jump.

The interesting thing about this article is that ZDNet doesn't seem to understand the difference between hacking and modding.  They talk about people opening up the box and put it in larger hard drives and adding other refinements to the gadget.

The title of the article seems to have been written to attract attention "Apple TV = hacked".  Just like TiVos and many other devices before the Apple TV, many people have modded out the device, so that it will have a useful hard drive and many other features.  (The Apple TV comes with a 40 GB hard drive for some unfathomable reason.  That might be okay for an MP3 player but that's terrible for a video player.)

Mega Yachts for the Caribbean

When you're trying to get away from it all, why would you want to pack up and jump on a ship with thousands of other people. Some friends of mine got married several years back and for their honeymoon trip they went with day Crewed Yacht Charters package.

It was just the two of them, floating around on a massive sailboat in the Caribbean, with their own private crew to guide their way.  That not only sounds romantic, but that sounds like a vacation.  We're not talking about floating around on a dinghy were talking about floating around with a significant amount of luxury and privacy.  And by the time you add it all up as far as cause for concern, the price is not that much different than going on a big cruise ship.

UMPC - Old Product New Specs

Samsung has recently announced plans to improve their UMPC (ultra mobile personal computer). Samsung's latest UMPC the Ultra Q1 boasts higher res., better connectivity, a lighter sleeker design and also improved battery life. In addition to the improvements, the Ultra Q1 will feature Windows Vista as its operating system in place of Windows XP, which is run on the original Q1.

With a price expected to come in just over $1000, depending on variation, the Ultra Q1 is the first wave of upgraded Samsung products scheduled for release. Executive V.P. and General Manager of Samsung computer division HS Kim has also said the company is close to offering hybrid drives (flash and hard disk) as options as well as a lower cost version of the Ultra Q1.

Tagging Your Property Hasn't gone High Tech with RFID or GPS Yet

I have this stupid pink tape in my back yard as a form of yard markers are.  The fluorescent pink tape hangs from a tree and is staked into the ground into different corners of the back of my property.  Somebody came in to do the survey around the time that we bought our house and that marked the plot.

My families have a lot of experience by & property over the last century and I've also noticed that many of the more permanent markers get lost or broken or damaged or destroyed.  It strikes me that the government could start to sponsor program where people could sink GPS markers to 20, 50, or 100 feet into the ground.

The entire country could be put onto a grid system that can be monitored from space.  All that private property could then be easily maintained and monitored in a handheld GPS device.

It wouldn't completely eliminate the need to do physical surveys but it sure would decrease things over time as more of the grid was put into place.

 

Technorati tags: Good Ideas for Property Management, GPS Grid System for Property Management

Arctic melt will heat planet while Antartic melt will flood planet?

 OK, here's the skinny as best as I can unravel the science.  The phenomenon that is melting the polar ice caps at either end, you can it call global warming if you like or what ever it seems to be occurring, is resulting in two different things.

1.  The Arctic melt it is melting ice that's already in the Arctic Ocean.  That means it's not going to raise sea levels, because it's already in the sea.  However decreasing the ice will increase the amount of heat that it absorbed into the ocean.  This will decrease the salinity of the ocean as natural water melts and will reinforce the heating effect around the globe.

The Antarctic melt is melting ice that sits on land, very similar to a glacier melting.  That ice is going to run off the Antarctic and into the sea.  That will increase ocean levels.

One recent report indicates that the Arctic in particular seems to be on a one-way path towards continually decreasing and might reach a day when it will be permanently unfrozen in the near future.

"While the Arctic is losing a great deal of ice in the summer months, it now seems that it also is regenerating less ice in the winter,"

So if you hear the argument about either of these areas will know which ones are contributing to the rise in the ocean levels and which one is contributing to the rise in the Ernst temperature.

In the meantime the real estate market is going topsy-turvy, and if you're looking for a goodbye here's a future tool that might help you find a home in the right spot!

Its brought to you by flood.firetree.net and its basically a Google map overlaid with technology to show you where the ocean levels will be with every 1 m increase in water.  Now I used to live in Boca Raton on a block or so away from the beach, and our elevation was 7 feet above sea level.  In trying to model out I can tell you that it's a little bit inaccurate.  It's an accurate for the perspective that it doesn't flood areas fast enough.  I had to crank the model up to 9 m to show my old house going underwater when I know that it's only 2 1/2 meters above sea level. 

So as you look at it keep in mind that it seems to have a glass as half-full sort of attitude, or maybe that the glass half empty?  a glass half empty would be better global warming?

Oh and happy Monday!

 Source: iTWire - Arctic triggered climate change may have reached tipping point: study

 

Technorati tags: global warming flood model, flood model for polar ice cap melt off

Un-Functional Furniture too Froofy

I am a form over function type of person. I don't normally go on for froofy furniture. After living in Boca Raton for several years I've learned that froofy equals expensive. However I do feel that you're setting does drive your mood, and if you've got cold furniture in a cold work setting or cold home and you are probably going to have a cold attitude.

so you have to balance things out little bit and if you got to do that then get some furniture that slow but functional envelope and inviting as well. Our sponsor  Powell furniture does a pretty good job of achieving this balance. And they don't delivered a Boca Raton prices! (Someday I'll tell you the story about how a salesperson almost conned my wife and I into purchasing a foot stool with elephant prints on it for $1000- keyword there is almost)

MY Super Sized Map

 We don't talk about mapping french fries very often here at maven mapper's information -- the dark.

There's a good reason for that, it's a stupid idea.  But that's exactly what someone did when I created fastfoodmaps.com.

They created something that maps out fast food restaurants especially in metro areas all around the country.  There's probably a socially conscious reason for doing this so that we can all feel guilty about the plethora an overabundance of fast food restaurants.

However even a person that thinks that french fries are good for them probably doesn't need a map to tell them that there's a lot of fast food restaurants in the United States.  Furthermore we don't really need a map to find a fast food restaurant.  You only need to travel a couple miles in any direction and you are bound to find one eventually.

Paint Technology Made to Fade or Made to Last?

When I was in college I worked one summer as a painting contractor.  It was a great experience and I learned a good deal about business at the time.  I also learned that I hate paying my own house.

Now I am getting ready to move in a few months and have to throw a few dozen gallons of paint on my house, a cedar sided job.  10 years ago when I was a contractor, the technology was improving and people were starting to use spray guns more and more.  The real estate boom had quite kicked off but the stock market boom was in full swing.  Now this year Sherwin-Williams and several other paint companies of loss and major lawsuits relating to lead based paint.

The market is primed for some improvements.  We're getting to the point with nanotechnology and a number of other composites that painting companies should be able to find a paint that can be applied easily and rapidly to existing homes and that will last for hundreds of years.

Now I paint my house I'm going to hire House Painters to do the job for the most part.  The point is it is not really a necessary job, or to say that more aptly, it's a job that shouldn't have to be done as much anymore.

In addition to vinyl and aluminum siding, someone should come up with a solution for painting homes that makes it a one-time affair until the home is destroyed.  I really like the concepts coming out of Germany with some plastic that can be applied to Windows turn the windows into solar panes.  Maybe they can find an application that turns citing into a solar panel as well, and a panel that lasts forever.

Vonage Plays Catch Up after Judge awards injunction for Verizon patent

Vonage is having a very bad month.  First they lost a lawsuit brought against them by Verizon claiming patent infringement.  At the time of that loss they were quick to reassure investors and customers that they would not likely lose in the follow on quest by Verizon to get an injunction against Vonage for using that same technology.

They were wrong.  They lost that fight in the injunction is coming.

judge said he will sign a permanent injunction restraining the company from using technology needed to connect many of its customers.

 

Now they are stating that they need more time before the injunction goes into effect.  They claim that they have a workaround technology that they can use instead of Verizon's technology, however they need more time to implement it so that customers will not be impacted by the injunction.  They are hoping that the courts side with them this time, and possibly for the first time so that the customer base belonging to Vonage is not harmed.

Of course Verizon feals that the customer base wouldn't exist if Vonage hadn't improperly used their patents and technology.  Of course Verizon was a little slow to adopt this technology themselves as a weatherbeaten in their own customer base.  That makes it a little hard to feel sorry for Verizon, but a patent is a patent (concept that provides fictional ownership over a fictional concept that used to be called a "good idea" to a fictional entity called Corporation -- you got to love the rule of law!)

Many people are wondering of fries and might go after other people in this market, however it's unlikely as they have provided Verizon with money which seems to heal all wounds.  This money came in the form of payments to Verizon as the other players in the field are Verizon's customers.

Nice how that works, is in it.

 

 

  Source: Vonage denied Verizon patents | Chicago Tribune

MyCoupon Social Network

Some smart entrepreneur was bound to put the idea together eventually.  This week it appears Mycoupon.com wins the prize.  They have built an online coupon repository that currently has over 14,000 coupon codes for products services and items all across the Internet.  That's pretty good considering they've just recently relaunched their site in the numbers of grown by several thousand just since the launch have been a few days ago.

Combining the powers of social networking with concept of sharing a coupon code is kind of like evolving the concept of a chariot wheel to a radial tire.  Coupon codes probably are one of those things that have been shared socially sent shortly after the Internet was created in formalizing that in a structured website that enables people to do that with the latest technology and social networking is bound to make the experience easier.

The result is that instead of having to do a quick Google search every time you're about to check out a product looking for that coupon code essay via fiber 10%, instead you can go to MyCoupons.com and have instant access to thousands of special offers, discount codes, coupon codes and more.  And of course since it's a social network that also encourages you to share the coupon codes and discount codes to find right back in the same repository for the next people in a long.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Still Dealing with the Daily Light Savings Time Bug

I work on a 30 hour day schedule.  I stay up as long as it takes to get the job done I relax as long as I need to relax and I sleep about eight hours a night.  So for me time as a relative issue anyway.  However since March 11 at daylight savings time situation is created a new snag in my schedule that makes it even more difficult.

I'm running Windows XP as far as I can tell my system can't quit seem to figure out how to update for daylight savings time.  Microsoft recommended before daylight savings time went into effect that people should run automatic update on Windows XP and and get a patch to fix things for the bug.  I do that and I've got a brand-new computer running XP and Randy of days before I ran the updates after in my computer still can't seem to synchronize Microsoft get the time right.  

So I've had to turn off the automatic synchronization that comes with the operating system and I've had to change the time manually.  This is fine so that my computer knows the right time, however I'm finding that it's extremely annoying to coordinate times with people in international time zones outside of the US that is.

To make matters worse I drive a Treo 600, the finned Cadillac of the Treo series as I like to refer to it, and I've downloaded an update for or by phone and the new daylight savings time, however I've been too busy with several large projects last couple of weeks to take the time to install the update of my phone.  So I've got it manually corrected for the right time as well and again my city Time function in my phone is also off.

The next time I schedule a meeting I will probably have to go with a less tech-centric approachand just clutch at my great-great-grandmother's rosaries while hoping for the best. She lived in a time where day light savings time was never an issue.

I personally didn't experience any problems with Y2K, but this silly daylight savings time is sure proving to be a pain in the neck!

The Wild Wild Net

The internet can be a dangerous place, and running around unprotected isn't recommended. In Symantec's recent release of the Internet Security Threat Report, they chronicle just how true the threat is. Released every six months, the report find that over 6 million computers are infected with a "bot" and are connected to an underground network of thousands of computers. The report documents its current findings as a whopping 29% increase over the prior report.

Symantec's findings also include arise in Trojans by 23%, also the findings of 12 zero-day vulnerabilities (up from just one last report). The findings also report a shocking rise in underground online databases dealing in stolen credit card numbers, personal identification info and bank account numbers among other articles. The report goes on to document the countries with the most malicious activity, The United States being number one on the list. In this day and age, internet security is not to be taken lightly.

Physical Relocations Don't Phase Web Businesses- too much

This summer I am moving from the Atlanta area to the Charlotte, North Carolina area.  I'm packing up my web business and I'm moving down the road about three hours. 

The funny thing is the move is in going to have a significant impact on my business.  99% of my business is conducted on the Internet and the 1% of the business I do that's conducted in person I can still do regardless of where I am.  I may take an extra couple of road trips to visit some of my clients in the Atlanta area, but it's not going to be a big change.

Tuesday to like and do business anywhere I could back up shop and check out Raleigh North Carolina Real Estate and do business there for a week, or anywhere in the United States for that matter.  However sometimes we in the states take the excessive amount of Internet access for granted.

My brother-in-law recently moved to Australia.  He was surprised to learn after the move that it's actually fairly difficult to get broadband installed in that area and he lives in the second-largest city in the country.  Internet access has spread out to reach the world but it takes different forms of overseeing the United States often times.

So if you're planning and international move, make sure you take a couple weeks and test out Internet connection so to know what to expect.  Internet cafés are prevalent sometimes but that's a whole lot different for a mobile worker used to working in their basement.

Water to Ice in a Nanosecond

Researchers in Albuquerque, New Mexico have discovered a process in which to transform water to ice in a nanosecond. Sandia National Laboratories, using a process of twenty million amperes of electrical pulses through water held in a small aluminum chamber under extreme compression, has created a phase of ice known as "ice VII".

The machine, known as Sandia Z, is expected to help scientists understand the effects of extreme conditions on a wide variety of applications and materials. The preliminary conceptions of applications currently range from manufacturing to defense. More detail on the results of the Sandia Z research and experimentation can be found at Sandia.gov.

Vegas Trends

A word for our sponsor . . .

South Florida may have made the concept of a luxury condo famous, but they have nothing on Las Vegas now.  Las Vegas long known for its hotels and casinos is rapidly going condo.

Las Vegas Luxury Condos are popping up in the desert faster than slot machines can be spit out Nickels.  This is probably much more practical for the desert town than a sprawling suburb with a house on a lot of sand and rock for every family.  Condos may hold as many people utilizing up the water resources, however released from landscape perspective they don't increase sprawl nor do they waste the land providing a fixed space or plot for a family that won't build to do much with the land in the first place.

Florida is very similar in this regard and almost the opposite fashion.  They are the tropical climate creates undergrowth so thick and so fast that yards are kept to a minimum because the upkeep will kill you.  And Las Vegas there's nothing to keep up.  Both scenarios point towards condo living.

Archaelogical Blogging in the Public Domain

I've picked up a new hobby.  I am blogging in the public domain in regards to an old medical encyclopedia originally drafted in the 1860's and my version last published in 1916.

The journal is a 1700 page encyclopedia called the Library of Health and I am going through the book a section at a time and reviewing the book, soon the images, and the belief systems that directed the creation of the book.

This is something that I could not have done in years past without the benefits of a blog, content management system (wordpress), scanner, digital camera and more.

I've establisehed a new site and blog at htp://www.bookofmedicine.com/history/.  You can check out my Book of Medicine and track my progress with the review.  I originally purchased the book ten years ago at an auction, but only recently discovered the jujitsu lesson section.  It features images of two people (presumably Americans in the early 1900's demonstrating jujitsu moves.  One of the men looks just like my Great Grandfather when he was in his late 40's, which was a pretty surreal find for me!

Tuscany Villas

Sponsored Article

If you happen to be traveling to Italy this summer, you might check out our new sponsor luxuryretreats.com.  They have some beautiful Tuscany Villas that can be rented out per night in the Tuscany region.

Tuscany small little patchwork of townships and little villages surrounded by hills and vineyards can definitely provide medication that's paradise for a wine lover.

We're not describing some small little farm cottages, these villas are extremely nice 10 to 15 or 16 bedrooms and more bathrooms even than that.  This would definitely be a vacation that you would remember!

Video Games Contribute to Future Risk

According to German research, there is a direct link between aggressive and dangerous driving behavior and racing video games. The findings show that both men and woman take greater risks while driving after playing virtual racing games, and that even those who played less frequently showed an increase in risk taking while on the road. The American Psychological Association published the German experiments results in the March issue of Experimental Psychology: Applied.

With an eye on the future, researchers conclude that children who begin playing these games at a young age may actually adopt riskier behavioral patterns. These patterns, which develop over the years, suggest that in the future, individuals who spent significant time playing these games will hold a greater risk of being involved in accidents.

Gadgetizing Golf Clubs - can't happen soon enough!

I have a golfing handicap that is contagious. When I golf, my slice is so bad that people standing directly in front of me(I'm facing sideways, with my left side pointing in the direction that the ball should go) are in danger of being hit by a 90 degree slice.

I will admit that I ave more in common with Rodney Dangerfield's Caddy Shack golfer than I do with say Chevy Chase. Putters and golf clubs are slowly almost catching up to my handicap and maybe in another 20 years I will be able to safely hit the ball in the direction that I intend to hit it.

Symantec’s Threat Report Findings

In its recent Internet Security Threat Report, Symantec's findings claim that stolen credit cards are being sold online for as little as one dollar. Symantec's report also indicated that of all the stolen cards, approximately 86% of them were issued in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom coming in around 7%.

A number of other items were also indicated to be hot commodities in underground circles, ranging from 10,000$ bank accounts for 300$, government issued identification cards at 14-18$ to "World of Warcraft" accounts coming in at 10$. Symantec's report goes further to state that internet phishing scams are possibly so wide spread because, in order to make any money, scam artists need thousands of victims at the current rates of 3-5$ per host.

Quotes vs Prices

Many websites these days offer quotes online. You can find mortgage quotes, service quotes, car insurance quotes even home make over quotes.

There comes a point when its just easier to buy than it is to compare quotes. The technology is present online to provide the price as opposed to the quote. Quotes in essence become a way to capture our attention and force us to pay attention to a product, price and program that we would much rather shop around.

I suspect that this form of marketing is going to result in some modernization soon. Wal-mart is starting to enter into insurance and mortgages and Google has some experience with Froogle and online shopping. Its just a matter of time before one of them comes up with a real time personalized pricing product that skips the quote submission process all together.

Inter-Office E-mail Sparks Comradery

Interoffice e-mail has always been a good way to send messages to multiple colleagues at one time, however in a police department in Victoria, Australia it was an interoffice e-mail that sparked scandal. In an apparent get-well soon/joke e-mail, a topless female officer posing in uniform found its way into the inbox of several police officials.

The Geelong Advertiser has published an edited version of the photograph. However, The Victoria Police Department has been offered $500 dollars for an unedited image, and in a show of comradery has resisted the temptation of trading the image for cash. The constable in question Melissa Scannell is currently facing disciplinary action for her semi-naked photo.

Web Based 360 Degree Appraisal Tools

Appraisal360.co.uk offers a web-based 360° appraisal program.  360 degree feedback concepts and appraisal programs have been slowly coming into vogue over the last decade or so.  Appraisal 360 has now taken one of these off-the-shelf ideas and put it on the web providing a web-based solution available to companies of many sizes.

They recently put out a release describing the benefits of the 360° review appraisal process.  More and more companies are not relying on a single boss or manager performer review.  They're taking feedback from the entire team.  It's not because they do not trust the manager or the boss necessarily, however two heads are better than one especially when those other heads are valued members are stakeholders in organizational team.  It only makes sense to get feedback from the people that work around you to determine if you are providing the level of support that's expected for the organization.  Plus as samples go this provides a greater sampling of what you are truly delivering to the organization as opposed to just one person's view.

Domain Business Techniques 201

Over the last year I have done a good bit of work in the domaining business. I have purchased and managed approximately 200 domains in the last twelve months.

Over that time I have occasionally written about the business of buying domains, investing in domains, or strategically purchasing domains for the launch of a website.

Aviva Directory has just released 28 thorough tips on the practice of getting started as a Domainer.

It covered all of the essentials, more thoroughly and more concisely than I have seen elsewhere.

It does seem to miss one key tool (I left a comment there too). Whenever you buy a domain you should insure that the domain has not been blacklisted as a spam domain or banned by Google for some other reason.

Here's a few other tips to be prepared to work with after investing in a domain:

1. You can park a domain, but you will make more money if you turn it into a functional blog (see one of our examples at History of the Book of Medicine). Don't have the time, then hire a blogger to do it for you (ask us how to hire a blogger without paying a penny at Softduit Partners.)
2. Learn how to setup a 301 Redirect in your htaccess
3. Setup a Sitemap for the new site and submit it to Google and yahoo (don't know how to code it try this automated tool or this WordPress tool or this review for the same plugin)
4. Softduit's review of 2 of the 3 largest Domain Parkers that will accept your new domain without any problems.
5. Auto Renew is both your Friend and your Enemy.
1. Friendly Situations
1. If you want to keep a domain, it is your friend.
2. Enemy Situations
1. If you want to get rid of your domain or just let it expire, it is your enemy.
2. Similarly, if you are paying to much for domain renewals, it is your enemy. Get on top of this long before your renewal comes around.

Lip Technology - Lip Stain

Sponsored Article

Our sponsor DivaBeautyProducts.com provides products created Senegence international. They been the leading retailer for senegence products since 2003. Senegence products provide a lip stain beauty product that allows people to apply multiple layers of protection increasing gloss and luster their lips.   This alternative approach to applying color and shine to lips is a simple enough concept in technology, but in application much more complex to execute as successfully as Senegence has done.

Multiple layers also allow for mixing of multiple colors for the optimum color and hue effect.  This solution enables a greater ability to provide protection from checking and dry lips. In addition these products are FDA approved. 

Senegence does provide many reselling opportunities for individual small businesses online businesses that are interested in reselling these products to different clients.

Launch of Top10Tech

This month Softduit Partners has launched a new website called Top10 Tech.com. 

Softduit Partners also owns this site maven mapper's information -- the dark.  The launch of this new site is indicated of of a move into additional websites that will segment information more specifically.  Over the years several of Softduit's sites have become all-inclusive for many different technology topics.  The new sites will break up these topics more specifically and provide a means of attracting more writers for collaborative work.

Swarovski Crystal Bear

After working in the hunting and fishing industry for a couple years I often ran into Swarovski products. They are noted for their scopes, binoculars and other optical technologies. I didn't know that they were into teddy bears like this one at reeds jewelers.

Do you suppose bear hunters pick these up for their daughters and neices?

Google Acquisres Adscape and Adds Gaming Ads to its Adsense and Adwords Advertising Advantage

Google recently acquired Adscape media Inc. closely held company out of San Francisco.

A company whose name sounds as if it was almost tailor-made for a Google purchase, Adscape has now been acquired by Google for terms which have not been disclosed.

Google's primary revenue stream comes from online advertising, especially ads designed to show up on other websites around the Internet.  There AdSense and Adwords lines of business now have a component that will enable advertising to be generated through online gaming systems.  It sounds like a custom fit for Google despite the excessive use of the word 'Ad.'

Just like Apple has attempted to trademark the word 'pod' blatantly after the fact, I wonder if Google will attempt to trademark the word ad?

Stranger things have happened in technology.

The Gold Play; Plays Investors Hard

Sponsored Article

If you like to go on a Roller Coaster Ride every now and then, then you don't have any experience in investing and precious metals, and you don't need that extra money you make out, you might dabble a little bit by investing in gold and other precious metals.  They hit some all-time highs last spring in the spring as the markets gone through some corrections made people that were previously invested in them saw thereby you drop rather rapidly.

Our sponsor, the Monex deposit company recently provided a release touting the benefits of investing in gold and other precious metals. Conventional wisdom has it that investors prefer to buy low and sell high, so if you want to buy in on the depth this could be the tip.  The question becomes will this roller coaster of a market present you with a lower depth tomorrow next week or next month.  Fatso was the gamble and the rest that you take whatever you invest in the markets especially, when the markets are in such a state of flux and when the world is in such a state of flux. 

There was a time when people flocked to precious metals and gold when the world was in a people.  That may or may not be what you want to do today however.  Past performance is never an indicator of future results.  So even in investing just like any other purchase the buyer needs to be aware.

When Technology is Purchased for Looks instead of Utility - Farmers Get a Bargain

When I was growing up in the middle of no where, farmers often times had transfer tank holding extra fuel in the back of their dueley pickup trucks.

The primary purpose of this technology was to refuel tractors in the middle of fields or construction zones. In the last few years just before oil went nuts, and a lot of people wanted to look like a farmer apparently. They purchased big monster trucks only to later learned that these vehicles used a lot of gas. Plus, they often outfitted these trucks with extra tanks for fuel.

When gas prices went nuts, people had a chance to consider the results of their actions and many began re-evaluating their purchase decisions. So now the market is starting to balance itself out. Farmers, who used to struggle to sell corn are now on the ethanol band wagon and they have many great used trucks to choose from at discounted prices.

Better Furniture Needed For Work at Home Comfort

Often times we look at technology and we don't associate all the accessories that go with it.  We do not always look at the furniture that holds our computers keyboards and mice, when at furniture is not your typical desk or chair.

As more people are starting to work from home this focus needs to change and move towards the other furniture that occupies the rest of our 'home' and not just that furniture in the office. As I write this article I am working on my deck outside in the warm spring sun.  I am fortunate to have some great deck furniture.  However, it's not ergonomically the best for use with a laptop let alone a mouse.

Now, There are many states specialized in textiles including my current state residence Georgia, and my future state of residence North Carolina, where north carolina furniture abounds. North Carolina in particular has a tech triangle with many programmers and technologists and scientists concentrated in a tight geographic area code located in the same place where textiles are manufactured.

I do not believe it would be very difficult for these two industries to come together.  They could share some common interests, insights, and develop goals that would be mutually beneficial for both industries.

Beam Me Up Some Flowers Scotty

Sponsored Article

Astronauts may be exchanging sexy e-mails today, but what happens in a few decades when they start beaming each other up flowers?

Fortunately we don't have to worry about that today.  However, our sponsor dotflowers.com has recently provided a new release that could've saved the space program a lot of grief.  They offer some great flowers grown at farms all across the country that can be shipped anywhere in the United States.

You might appeal to send flowers and to outer space, but you can send them anywhere in the 48 states.  Now if we could just get asked her not to send each other black flowers when they're breaking up, instead of doing something as potentially illegal and involves diapers, the world might be a better place.

Astronaut Email Teasing on the Space Shuttle

The ass cannot love triangle that rocked the world when a female last or not drove cross-country wearing diapers to attack a female rival got a little bit weirder this week.  Several "sexy e-mails" were revealed to have been passed back and forth between the female last or not and her off-again on-again currently off again boyfriend, while he was in an outer space on the space shuttle.

It would seem that taxpayers hard-earned money and parts of NASA's budget were utilized to fan the flames of love in outer space.  Suppose it could be worse could've had a web cam going during strip teases for each other, but it just goes to show the matter how smart are capable you might be it won't prevent you from going crazy. 

Future Bets on Technology - Focus on Ease of Interaction

Since I started using voice recognition tools to compose and write my articles, I am now spending a lot less time in front of the computer monitor. This is significantly reducing the amount of eyestrain that I would normally experience. So it doesn't look like I'll be needing a prescription for Fioricet or another case of tylenol anytime soon.

Soon I think technology will improve to the point where human interaction and creative work with computers will be even more effortless. This is the area where we will see a new round of both creative achievement and large strides in productivity improvement. Keep investing long in technology that focuses on these areas in tools such as 3d, virtual reality, audio and video tools and you will do well as a whole.

Cable Boxes to become Universal

The FCC is forcing the cable industry to start using Universal cable boxes.  The new cable boxes would remove all of the security identification from the inside of the cable box and store that secure permission on a smart card that can be inserted into the box.

This technology is very seller to the types of cable boxes of long been used with dish and DirecTV systems.  For security reasons the smartcard solution protects customers more as a cable box might get passed around from one user to the next holding the access information that may have been captured from a former customer.  Now a cable customer can simply remove their smartcard and all their private information will be safe and sound of the card away from potential recipients that may inherit that old box.  This will also make it somewhat cheaper and easier to upgrade to a new cable box, however it is very likely that cable companies will find someway to turn this into a profit center that will end up costing consumers more than current cable box upgrades.

See WSJ Article "A Makeover for the Cable Box"

Do you Have the Bug to Throw Up Your Own Shingle?

Sponsored Article

If you have ever thought about throwing up your own shingle and going into business for yourself as a consultant, you might take a look at our sponsors recent somewhat of a report or almost a white paper on starting a consulting business.

Their report covers a number of topics from the arts of finding prospects as an example to many other aspects of consulting including writing proposals some of the pitfalls to avoid determining what to do as a consultant leveraging your abilities and your revenue through multiple income streams, and the power of passive income trying to find ways to earn money while you sleep.  As an individual person it's important as a consultant to try and find those things that can keep working even when you're not.

Firefox Market share 38.9% | Internet Explorer 56.9%

 The browser wars continue as Mozilla's Firefox continues to gain ground on Internet Explorer.  In February Firefox's market share increased to 38.9% going up 1.3% while Internet Explorer dropped by .7% down to 56.9%.

An interesting trend in browser use movement, is that small and medium-size businesses are now using Firefox as much as they are Internet Explorer.  Smaller firms are often less burdened by IT infrastructures and bureaucratic boards and purchasers that select desktop images for all employees of a big company.  Therefore they been able to adopt and move in to the superior browser environment of Firefox, despite Microsoft's updated Internet Explorer 7.  Microsoft isn't dead yet, but they have definitely had a very bad year with their browser market share. 

In an environment where more people are computing online into browser based services and tools, this is not bode well for Microsoft.  They're losing their foothold in the browser's, and they're losing a little to the foothold in operating system to linux.

 

Link to iTWire - Firefox challenging IE for dominance in US SMBs

Get Creative to Great Domain Name

Is getting real close to that time when everybody starts heading out for spring break. I live in the Atlanta area and its 74° outside right now, so it's probably in the 80s down in Florida.

Working in marketing and Web designers see a lot of domains that cater towards websites for Florida. I came across one the other day though that's caught my eye. The website is moremouse.com.

The concept is simple if you are looking to set up an Orlando Vacation, then you'd make a connection to go to more mouse.com where you can get more Mickey. It strikes me as a great example of people getting creative finding a good domain name. Which is essential to launching successful web business.

Google Pushing Price of Copyright Protection on Owners

Google has recently been required by a US court in Dallas to cough up the names or identities of people that have uploaded movies prior to their official release.  The movie owners complain that Google is essentially muscling copyright owners to protect their content from the system that Google has created.

In physical terms this would be similar to a bank forcing its depositors to protect their own funds stored in their fault.  Or in a better analogy would be a bank that forced the owners of assets to fight the piece that stole those assets and deposited them in the bank.

Google a company that attempts to do no evil, definitely continues to push the envelope and what is deemed evil.

 

Link to iTWire - Google ordered to disclose users' identities

Simple Pricing for Data Storage Backup

The Data Deposit Box offers up a very simple pricing plan for data storage.  They simply charge two dollars per month per gigabyte.  It doesn't matter how many people you have set up as users.  It oesn't matter how many computers or servers you're backing up.  It doesn't even matter how you mix this up with peoples servers computers or anything else.  You simply pay two dollars per gigabyte for everything that you do backup.

For customers looking for data backup solution that makes the pricing decision very easy.  You don't have to get involved with them, super extensive spreadsheet program to figure out just how much your expenses will go up if you go from five employees to six or from 10 to 15 or 50 to a hundred, it only matters how much actual data you're backing out.  If you've got 50 users that generate very little data, and two users that generate a ton of data, you will not be penalized for the light users, nor will you be penalized for the heavy users.

All you have to do is watch your total size, and you'll know approximately what you write will be.

Trial Offer

They do offer a an unlimited 14 day trial, so you can take the service for a test drive.

Partner Search - Online Backup Reseller Success

Plus, they offer many reseller and partner programs for businesses or consultants that would like to resell the service package and offering.  I intend to join this program to softduit partners myself and look forward to adding it to line up and becoming a partner with Data Deposit Box.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Need a Vacation Soon!

Sponsored Article

it's getting to be that time of year when everyone starts getting a little stir crazy from being inside too much for the winter cold, and we all start thinking a little too much about vacation.  I suffer from the same affliction, and there's only one cure.  Take a vacation.

Our sponsor OrlandoVacation.com recently provided a release talking about their terrific services and providing people with access to good deals on Orlando hotels.  There is I can help people find great rates on hotels throughout Orlando, and from those locations you can hit any of over 50 different theme parks, all within about a 40 Minute Drive.  All you need is an Internet connections book a hotel find a cheap flight, and pick up a rental car to get around town.  And you could have one foot pointed in the direction of your escape for the winter blues.

The Little PC That Could - Not -Origami

Do remember that great little concept that came out last year this time called origami? it was this cool concept product came out Microsoft, no less.

The idea was simple stuff a full-fledged computer into a gadget about the size of a book and make it wirelessly connectable to anything.  It is a great idea, but the product didn't work worth a damn win it launched.

There was a classic press conference where the heads of three different companies.  Microsoft, Samsung and I think IBM set up to show the press how the device would work, and none of the heads of companies could, make the device work.

The device at terrible battery life, and many other serious flaws.  It basically wasn't ready for retail when they launched it.  The product however is slowly coming around.  I had a chance to test drive it at CES this year, and it held up a lot better, despite the fact that everyone at CES stole all of the stylus pens that came with the device.

Well now, Sam song is re-launching the UMPC, and this time the device is ready for Microsoft Vista.  It'll be interesting to see if this portable device can run an operating system that most people think will be very difficult to run our regular computer.  I sure won't be that first guinea pig to buy one.

Technorati tags: Origami, Samsung, Vista

Clickgamer Launches Syberia 2 Exclusively

Our sponsor Clickgamer.com picked up the exclusive ability to launch Siberia 2 to the Pocket PC.

The details

The game only cost $25 and it will run onPocket PCs or Pocket PCphoneswith Windows mobile2003.Program requires 230 MB of storage memoryand it's for VGA-based Pocket PCsthat will run at 320x240 resolution.

The premise of the game has a New York lawyer wrapping up a dealin Europeshortly thereafter, she travels off to Siberia to hunt downthe fabled Siberian mammoths in some alternate forgotten universe.

The premise of the game is supposed to be a little surreal and a little bit out there so that you can lose yourself little bit and enjoy that ride to work on the trainor wherever you happen to play.The game offers up some great new characters and the 3-D environment is amazing.

It's definitely worth a look. Besides, you can't beat it for the price, especiallywith the level of detail that you get with the graphics.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

When My People Were Your People -Palm Snarfs from Apple

Here's a story to warm the heart.  Paul maker of handheld computers, a.k.a. PDAs, snarfed one of Apple's former computer engineers.  Palm hired Paul Mercer atop Silicon Valley software designer.

Palm smart phone trio lineup is not aging terribly well, and they needed some new blood to liven things up so they could compete with the potential of an iPhone.  Mercer went to work for Apple in the late 80s and later formed his own firm, which was partially responsible for helping Apple to sign the first interface for the iPod music player.

It will be interesting to see what that type of talent in software design can do with a company like Palm. 

 

Technorati tags: palm, Apple, Silicon Valley, iPhone, People Snarfing

Take a Trip to Disney While Your Robot does Your Reading!

Sponsored Article

One of the reasons why I would like to find a robot to scan and read books for me, is so with that I can have more time to myself to go on vacation.  Now I have a family of five, and we are about 10 to 12 hours from Orlando.  That means that we don't fly to Orlando very often, we drive.  If I had a robot to read books for me, I could digitize the print and listen to the books on the way down to Orlando.

Then I could take advantage of great offers from companies like our sponsor.  Orlandofuntickets.com.  Their recent press release highlights the fact that they are one of the ultimate sources for discounted Disney Tickets and many of the other theme parks and attractions in the Orlando area.  The only thing better than saving money on a vacation or trip, is coming up with the spare time to take that vacation or trip.  If I can pull it the two together, life will be great, and my kids will be very very happy.

Book Scanners for Every Day Use?

I was watching the news the other night, and listening to the story about Microsoft suing Google I think over Google's scanning of multiple textbooks.  I don't really care about that particular story.  However, one of the images on the news caught my eye.  It was a big robot basically that would scan a book automatically, digitizing the text.

I would love to have a robot that did that.  I'm sure their robotic Google cost of $1 million or some ridiculous price.  However, as these things go corporations often spend a fortune for a piece of equipment that will later only cost you were I $100 after someone in China learns how to mass manufacture it.

I did a quick look online, and found the scanner that specializes in scanning books and manuscripts.  It's called the BookEyeScanner. Now, it's not a robot.  But it does seem to have some sort of autofocus capability.  And if I understood the accessories correctly, it has a foot pedal so that you could flip pages with one hand, and snapped pictures with your foot.  I have no idea if it's affordable or not, but I'm looking into the price as well as some of the functionality and intend to do a follow-up review in the future.

Blogitive Advertisers miss an Opportunity to boost Credibility

Blogitive is back up this week, and I am reminded that its straight forward and simple method of blog marketing is very useful.  It does lack one option that could boost Credibility for its Advertisers.

On occasion when I am covering  topics, I would like to put additional reference links into the article such as links to Wikipedia.  This helps the readers tracked down some of the primary source of information and confirm what an advertiser is actually offering.  That's not possible in the blogitive system and so the advertisers actually lose out a little bit in those situations.

It's a small thing, but it would make up big improvement and increase the amount of flexibility that writers can utilize when writing for blogitive.  It also makes for a better reader experience.  At the end of the day, though I do like the way they keep things simple.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

There been great breakthroughs and dentistry in the technology behind it for years.  However, that technology does little good to anyone if you don't go to the dentist.  Our sponsor Hayfield Dental Care, recently provided a release would like to remind everybody that going to the dentist is important.  Hayfield Dental Care's been serving D'Andrea for almost 20 years, providing treatment over 20,000 patients.  They offer services in cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics and general and family care as well.

You only get two sets of teeth in life, in the second set as the last you most your lifetime.  Make sure you take care of those teeth all the gadgets in the world won't help you enough if you don't use them, and if you don't get a professional opinion from time to time.

Terrorists Attack in Second Life to Head of Fascism

It was bound to happen sooner or later, the terrorists are starting to strike in the online virtual reality environment known as Second Life.  We're not talking about Al Qaeda or Hamas or any type of fundamentalist whack jobs, we're talking about people that are fighting for the rights of Second Life citizens.

Only in Second Life

The Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA) was formed as an avatar rights group, they are fighting against the Linden Lab controlled virtual world of second life.  Linden labs is the physical reality company that owns second life, which is essentially a hosting company that provides access for people to move around in a virtual reality realm online.  If that doesn't make any sense to you go out and buy the book called Snow Crash from Neal Stephenson on Amazon.

The SLLA hopes to win the right to vote for a guitars in second life.  It may sound stupid, and made a stomach a waste of time, however in the future.  It could deftly evolved to the point where business users and citizens of second life need to voice their rights.  Imagine living and America owned by a company that had complete veto power over anything you said or did or owns, that's essentially what you have in second life.

Yes, let it lapse to create second life and the parallel is different from a physical reality that we all live in.  However, millions of people are going to second life, and interacting on a regular basis.  It hasn't hit a critical mass yet around the world but what if 50% of the world population decided to interact in a virtual reality environment like second life, who would be responsible for ensuring that people's rights were taken care of?.  It is possible that a democracy should be initiated in second life.  After all, the alternative is second my fascism!

 

Technorati tags: Virtual Reality Fascism

PhotoShop Going online - Big Deal

Pardon me while I gone about the idea of Adobe's Photoshop becoming an online application.    Their CEO recently announced to CNet, that they would start to offer a free version of the program is not my application.

So what?

their software is excellent.  It's very tight and conduct like it to job done for professionals.  But Photoshop is of relatively large program, and turn it into a free online application is almost certain to be underwhelming.  One of the benefits of working with Photoshop on your own computer relies on the fact that the photo was stored on your computer and the manipulation takes place there.  When you start uploading and downloading multiple versions of a photo, the time to achieve the final result of a complete photo shopped photo is going to seem enormous, I suspect.

There is definitely a trend to move programs online, however programs that are extremely resource intensive.  Especially as it relates to file sizes.  Do not seem to be a good fit for a server-side solution.

I would love to be proved wrong about this, as I don't like to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to get Adobe's products, however, I don't think that the concept and live up to the hype.  One of the things that tipped me off to this is that Adobe doesn't plan to launch this online product for another six months.  If it were easy, if it were good, it would be launched right now. 

Search Engine Optimization from the Bay Area - San Diego Bay that is

Sponsored article.

We're happy welcome a new sponsor to our blog, that recently published a press release describing their ability to provide search engine optimization services to websites and bloggers and companies alike.  Search engine optimization is key to establishing your website in a way that search engines can readily and rapidly identify what your site is about.  We're talking about the automated spiders and bots that search to your webpage and attempt to index it such that future actual people performing searches through search engine like Google or Yahoo or MSN can enter a keyword and find a relative site for their search.

If your site is an optimized search engines won't know what it's about.  For companies in the San Diego area, our sponsor provides San Diego Seo services, and they can help you fine-tune your website.  This optimization process can drive more traffic to your website from natural search engine results.  The optimization alone is akin to advertising, it's also very similar to making a good first impression.  Failure to optimize your website will definitely make a bad impression, both on the search engines and on your visitors when they get to your site and are unable to navigate the site and find what you are looking for.

Apple Can't Get Quicktime Right for Vista

Apple IIs can't seem to get QuickTime righties days, especially as it relates to Microsoft's new beast operating system.  Apple recently provided a super update for QuickTime, numbered 7.1.5.  The update addresses eight major vulnerabilities in QuickTime that could impact users running the operating system of these to XP or 2000.

Many originally labeled the vulnerabilities as only covering Microsoft the step as if QuickTime had been prepared for the new operating system, however, the vulnerabilities were actually problems for older legacy operating systems of Microsoft as well.  This indicates that the vulnerabilities have been there for quite some time.  There is a quick rundown of the list of vulnerabilities at ZDNet for anybody that's interested in checking in on it, however, the quick way to fix this is to go get the new update for QuickTime.

Technorati tags: Quicktime Vulnerabilities, Apple, Microsoft

WordPress Servers Hacked

Last week, the pride of the blogosphere is software provider WordPress learned that its servers and been hacked.  Malicious crackers and apparently gained access to the servers and uploaded several different files into the floor press software download.  Such that anyone that would download the latest version of WordPress.  2.1.1, would find themselves installing pages to their WordPress blog that could enable the same crackers to gain access to information or systems from their visitors.

WordPress had to then provide a new install and upgrade to 2.1.2 after they found the malicious code in their previous download.  They indicated that anyone that had downloaded the 2.1.1 code during the timeframe from approximately the 26th of February through the second of March give or take a day or two on either side might be subject to this exploit code.  Anyone running WordPress with that particular version of 2.1.1 is highly encouraged to upgrade immediately.

Throw it In the Cart

Sponsored Article

Our sponsor Ashop.com.8au. provide some powerful electronic commerce software solutions.  Every day millions of people are establishing websites and blogs to capture the attention of readers and website surfers.  Many of those same publishers monetize their websites by providing advertisers with a way of setting up an ad on their website, which launches to their own webpage, the advertiser's webpage that it's.

Those publishers are missing the opportunity to keep their websites, sticky, and keep their visitors on their site.  They could increase their website stickiness by adding a shopping cart or an e-commerce platform.  Our sponsor recently provided the press release describing how their e-commerce tools can not only help the cash flow of a website, but can make it very easy to begin selling products online.

Back Dating Stock Options to Take Advantage of 9/11

The SEC has been investigating Stock option trading scandal quite some time.  Some of the more high-profile cases have included Apple and just recently Research in Motion (RIM) yesterday announced that it had to provide a financial correction totaling $250 million relating to inappropriately costing (or not costing) stock options options granted dating back to 1996.

Enter 9/11

However this tale of backdating has taken a new and slightly uglier twist. Many companies apparently backdated their options shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the United States.  Companies that granted stock options before 9/11, went back and adjusted their options after the 9/11 attack, which witnessed the markets plunging around the world after the attack.

This Post 9/11 backdating gave executives that benefited from stock options huge windfalls in more favorable options, allowing them to purchase the stock at post-9/11 prices. The Wall Street Journal recently published an by Mark Marymount, and James Bandler.

The Wall Street Journal named several companies that a admitted to backdating their options following 9/11 these companies included: Corinthian Colleges, Unitedhealth, Affiliated Computer, Broadcom, Brocade , Take Two Interactive, Monster Worldwide, and Progress Software.

The stock market droped more than 14% following the 9/11 attacks, after the market reopened several days later. It was one of the largest declines in the stock market since Germany invaded France kicking of World War II. There were many companies that rushed to grant options in September 2001.  Even following the attack it is apparent that the terrorists were not able to kill capitalism, nor opportunists looking to skirt a law or guideline here or there.

Purity of Essence - Now Where is that Water Filter?

Global Warming may be a problem, but it could end up curing a different dillema. As more ice melts from the artic and the antartic, more moisture will enter the atmosphere. This will bring about more rainfall, and provide more fresh water.

Then again some of that melting water may end up getting rather salty, and so its possible that you shouldn't neglecto to pick up an extra water bottle filter. Chaos Theory experts are putting in some extra hours to consider and measure the consequences of the changes in our environment. By the time they are able to put a working model together, we will probably be living this new reality.

No More Incumbents - a 2008 Election Goal

I wanted to take a short second today to introduce my readers to a new website that I've started called NoMoreIncumbents.org. 

NoMoreIncumbents.org was founded by Brett Bumeter.  The purpose of the new site is two fold.

1. The site aims to make it easier for non-incumbent politicians to run campaigns against incumbent office holders.  Incumbents are re-elected over 95% of the time in most elections around the country.
2. The site also aims to gather together political writers and bloggers from each of the 50 states.  To focus the message on each state and to push that message out to the voters across United States.

As the site grows we also anticipate form an organization capable of helping to fund campaigns for politicians running against incumbents.  This is a technology blog, but I wanted to disclaim what are political activities are in other areas.  From a political party perspective this new site will not favor or disfavor any party, its only goal is to promote not incumbents and to fight against incumbents.

If you are a political blogger, and you are interested in this movement, please stop by and visit our blog and consider writing for us at NoMoreIncumbents.org.

Ebates on Digital Cameras

Sponsored Article

Our sponsor Ebates it's provides online shoppers with the means of earning a rebate from over 800 different stores.  The rebate can be available even when the manufacturer and the store itself does not offer a true rebate.

Here's how it works on the Internet many online stores pay websites affiliate commissions to sell or connect their products with shoppers.  Ebates basically takes that affiliate commission and splits it with the shopper.  So if you are shopping for digital cameras and you visit Ebates, you can set up an account with an e-mail address and visit any of the stores that you might shop at anyway through Ebates. 

Once you go through Ebates site and purchase something, Ebates earns the affiliate commission from that store.  They use tracking software to determine that you went through them and they then pay you part of that commission.  So in essence you can earn up to 25% in rebates on the purchases you make through stores if you go through Ebates.

It is a relatively simple process.  Eates has been featured on several different TV shows and covered for several years now.  Affiliate commissions have been around the Internet for almost 10 years as well.  Ebates just connects the consumer with the online store in essence turning the consumer into their own salesperson.  Ebates just functions as the middleman to pay the commission to the consumer.

Wal-Mart Steps in a Digital Radio Mess

Wal-Mart jumped on the Digital Radio bandwagon today.  Unfortunately, the wagon wheels are about to get stuck in the mud.  Wal-mart agreed to support HD radio high-definition radio.  They've agreed to sell receivers for high-definition radios for car audio products.

Background

The idea with HD radio is that this digital version of radio can allow people to gain access to many more radio channels including Web radio channels.

Issue

The problem is that  small Web radio broadcasters are being hit hard by the Copyright Royalty Board, a small little sect in the federal government, which sets the royalty rates for songs.  They recently sent a retroactive increase for web broadcasters from six cents per song per listener up to eight cents per song per listener. 

If you're a small web-based radio station and you've got 10 million listeners eight cents per song per listener adds up to be a lot of money($800,000 per song x about 400 songs per day - Its a ridiculous amount.)   So all the radio stations are rapidly suffering and considering bailing out.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is signing up to promote a technology that would enable people to listen those same radio stations. There may not be any small broadcasters that can afford the royalty rates so the content may not be there for Wal-Mart's customers.

Maybe Wal-Mart needs to look at this opportunity holistically and lobby to get the roll back implimented on song royalties.  Now wouldn't that be an interesting fight, Wal-Mart vs. the RIAA.

 

Technorati tags: Wal-Mart, HD Radio, Digital Radio, Internet Radio Royalty Rates

More Automated Stethoscopes

After taking my daughter to the Doctor a short time ago, I left noticing a process that I see each time we go to the pediatrician.  The nurses perform some preliminary screening checks (height, weight, maybe blood pressure and temperature).  Then the Doctor comes in and listens to my kids chest with a littman stethoscope.

I was thinking that it could be useful if the tried and true stethoscope were a little more, gadgetized. 

Envisioning Stethoscope Convergence

Such a device could be a stethoscope attached to a digital recorder. The device could be placed on certain designated areas of the body that are routinely checked.  It could even be something like a shirt attached to the entire chest to take in sound from all of the points of interest at one time, front and back. 

A computer analysis machine could then determine if any sounds were within acceptable ranges of being healthy or unhealthy. The doctor could analyze the results and follow it up manually if necessary.  The recording and the results could be saved for comparative analysis in the future.

Every time a person comes back, a database of sound would accumulate to show what that persons normal breathing sounds like.  That could then be used for analysis based on time of day, time of year, and much more.

Technorati tags: Opportunities for Improvement, Processes needing a New View, medical, stehoscopes

RIM Restates Earnings on Stock Options Scandal

Rim, the Blackberry maker, will restate its earnings by $250 million.  The company is in the midst of a stock options scandal and the restatement compared to other companies is very significant.  Apple's restatement was less than $100 million.

$250 Million Restatement

An independent review found serious flaws in the process by which rim awarded stock options to employees.  Possibly as significant as the restatement, the chairman of REM will step down.  Jim Balsilllie, the chairman, provided the authority for the majority of the options that were granted.  Dennis Kavelman, the chief financial officer has also resigned.

The period covered by this restatement goes all the way back to 1996 similar.  That is a similar time frame as compared to the Apple scandal.  According to reports it sounds as if the CFO in the chairman acting as Co. chief executive actually looked at the dates to find the best date time the option.  That indicates that they weren't just making a mistake ignorant of the rules or regulations, but that they were actively trying to provide employees with a stock option benefit to the detriment of other investors and the company.  It will be interesting to see if this claim proves to be founded and whether or not the two might be prosecuted for further wrongdoing.

Technorati tags: Stock Option Scandal, RIM, Apple

Vista Security Issue - Will Lonely Girl or Ask a Ninja attack your System?

Here is a bizarre scenario that is unfortunately possible, but I suspect slightly unlike for reasons I will mention at the end of this article. 

Microsoft's new Vista Operating System is susceptible to attacks by sound files.  No we are not talking about some malicious code hidden away somewhere in the file.  We're talking about the power of the human voice.

A voice that when played on your computer could tell your computer to delete files and empty your recycle bin.  Vista's voice recognition software has been manipulated in tests that show that it is possible to achieve this effect.

Microsoft in an effort to dismiss the potential also dismissed the usefulness of their voice recognition software.  They mentioned that the system would have to have both the microphone and speakers on and more importantly the system would have to be configured.

Configuring the system for voice recognition requires two things.

1. The user has to turn it on (just once and then its on till they turn it off, if they turn it off)
2. The computer would probably need a little practice with the voice giving it commands

That's the rub the voice recognition program would probably be hard pressed to understand the users voice and get the command correct, let alone lonelygirl or ask a Ninja from YouTube or some other MP3 file.

 More on this story

Link to BBC NEWS | Technology | Vista has speech recognition hole

Technorati tags: Microsoft Vista, YouTube, Voice Recognition