iTechSpeak :::...

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Many people use Google Alerts as a automated tool for acquiring news stories and doing research on various topics. You can even use Google Alerts to search for job or business opportunities. Place 2 to 3 words within "quotes" for each alert. Then you automatically receive an email with results found anywhere on the Internet. You can use Google Alerts to track how your company fares in the public eye or keep up with friends, family and associates. Just create an alert with their name in quotes.

Former New York City Mayor Koch endeared himself to people with his famous line "How am I doing?". That's a question you can and should answer about yourself, using Google Alerts. What do hiring managers, human resource professionals, recruiters or business associates see when they type your name into Google or any search engine?

By creating different Google Alerts with different variations of your name spelling, you receive feedback on what type of information people are viewing about you. This also provides intelligence on whether you should make adjustments to profiles you may have on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or articles mentioning you or your company name etc.. Oh did you think that information about you was private? Think again.

Your web presence should reflect the name you use on your resume or bio. Google Alert intelligence is also valuable, if you have a similar name to someone else. Talk about a case of mistaken identity, if that person has a less than acceptable Internet web presence. Consider making your name more unique by adding a middle initial, generation qualifier or certification distinction (i.e. Al Q. Brown - Jim Smith, III - C. E. Reid, CSI).

Related article: "5 Quick Ways to Grow your Internet Web Presence"

Find Out What Others Are Saying About Your Business

Gee. I wish I could be in on the ground floor of the next technology tsunami. Shoot. I missed that opportunity. Bugsy Segal looked out in the desert and saw opportunity that became Las Vegas. Thomas Edison found over 900+ ways not to make a light bulb, until his patience and persistence paid off. Sitting at his desk as an ordinary office worker, Rod Colon's extraordinary vision with millions of people leveraging human social networking to self empower the masses for success, has impacted many lives globally. William H. (Bill) Gates III worked in a garage to develop a piece of software that changed the fortunes and lives of every person on earth.

Microsoft's surface computing technology will revolutionize the way people live and work. Surface computing will do what the telephone did for communication and what television did for engaging the masses. Everyday input devices are history, with their selfish way of taking up precious desk space. Any mechanical object that moves will eventually break. No more computer mouse, keyboard, scanner, credit card readers etc.. Which means there is a money savings on replacements or repairs. The main input devices for surface computing are our fingers and our imagination.

Based on how surface computing works with proven technology components, it has a serious potential to create opportunities for teachers, product designers, lawyers, test engineers, building superintendents, business administrators, doctors, product managers, restaurant/office workers, program managers, travelers, software engineers, taxi drivers, people who entertain at home, recruiters, sales/marketing persons, hotel workers and many other professions.

Wake up software developers who think your skills are tight. Now is the time to get hot with developing applications for surface computing. And you too entrepreneurs that call yourself visionaries. Pick up the phone and call your investor angels that you brag about to friends, as being available in your trusted network.

Investors are not off the hook either. Is your investment portfolio complete by including surface computing? Let's talk if you're interested in exploring the potential.

Are you an Entrepreneur considering another profit center? No one is suggesting you delineate away from your core profit centers. Consider putting together a consortium of investors and/or distributors that "want in" on a sure bet. Laugh, if you will. Then those with the "show me" mindset can cry later when the surface computing market successfully saturates.

Microsoft Surface - Exclusive Review


Microsoft Surface at the Rio in Las Vegas

By now you may have read John Markoff's article in the yesterday's New York Times "Larger Prey Are Targets of Phishing". Over 2,000 executives received phony, but very official looking, subpoenas to appear in court. From the email they were fooled into thinking they could download a copy of the subpoena. Instead different variants of keylogger programs were installed on each computer. Keylogger programs intercept personal or sensitive corporate information typed on the computer keyboard.

John goes on to explain "The tactic of aiming at the rich and powerful with an online scam is referred to by computer security experts as whaling. The term is a play on phishing, an approach that usually involves tricking e-mail users — in this case the big fish — into divulging personal information like credit card numbers. Phishing attacks that are directed at a particular person, rather than blasted out to millions, are also known as spear phishing."

When are these phishing and whaling horror stories going to end? Never, but there proactive steps people can take. Consider making a small investment in an excellent keylogger prevention program called GuardedID by Strikeforce Technologies. Think of it as buying insurance to protect your sensitive information and prevent identity theft.

GuardedID provides a preemptive approach to protecting your information. GuardedID works by encrypting each and every keystroke the instant that you type it. It then delivers those encrypted keystrokes directly to the browser through its own Patent Pending secure channel, circumventing all the hooks keyloggers use to steal data. This prevents any chance for key loggers to intercept the users information over the keyboard. Read more . . .

Outside of MySpace, YouTube, Linkedin, Bebo, social networks and blogs are also being used by schools, stock traders, non-profit organizations, event planning companies and professional/trade associations.

There is a list you can scroll down to view more videos. Enjoy!!

Since the U. S. Congress ordered the switch to digital television, regular TV is going away on Februaury 17, 2009. After this deadline, anyone who wishes to continue watching TV with the basic "rabbit ear" antenna that comes with the TV, must purchase a digital converter box. This box costs between $50 - $70.

To offset the cost the U. S. National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) is providing a FREE $40 coupon to offset the cost of purchasing the digital TV converter. The limit is 2 coupons per household. Click here to apply for your FREE analog to digital converter box coupon online. Another option is calling 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).

The digital converter box will not be available for purchase until February or March 2008. If you apply for the free converter coupon(s) now, NTIA will send you the coupon at the time when the digital converter boxes are actually in retail outlets. The coupon is good for 90 days from date of issue.

A Reuters article "Strong start for TV converter box program for TV viewers" provides a list of retailers where the coupon can be redeemed towards the digital converter box.

Thousands of hours of invention tweaking, by Thomas Edison and 125 years later, the U.S. Clean Energy Act of 2007 makes the incandescent light bulb go away in 2012. This bill was introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives and pass by the U.S. Senate in June of 2007.

In 2012 the 1st phase is for 100 watt and 75 watt incandescent light bulbs to be banned. By 2014 the 60 watt and 40 watt incandescent light bulbs will be banned.

The smart way is to start replacing each incandescent bulb, as they each go out, with a flourescent bulb. Click here for information on "How to Choose Energy Star Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs"

This new trend creates an awesome opportunity for money making fund raisers. Check out Light Bulbs America for details. Through their program you make approximately 40% profit on each fluorescent light bulb sold.

Check out the Energy Star web site to see if there are cash back rebates in your U.S. state for purchasing Energy Star approved compact fluorescent light bulbs.

ENERGY STAR Qualified CFL facts:

The "Wi" in Wibree stands for wireless, while Bree is a reference to a city in the epic fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings." Go figure . . . click here for Wikipedia's Wibree history and technical details.

Nokia developed Wibree back in 2001. Today there appears to be an update as news periodicals stir up the buzz.

In AMNY, Peter Svensson's article "Bluetooth Links Up With Rival Technology" provides a few simple incites. . . . "The technology, called Wibree, opens up the possibility of a host of small wearable gadgets, like watches, heart rate monitors, pedometers and pill boxes that communicate with Bluetooth-equipped cell phones or computers. A watch could display the user's incoming text messages, for instance, or an action figure toy could sense the presence of other toys." Read more . . .

DotGizmo states "Wibree and Bluetooth play nice Mathematically speaking, Nokia's Wibree technology is now a subset of the Bluetooth realm." Read more . . .


John Blau reports in Infoworld with his article "Nokia's Wibree joins Bluetooth": Ultra low-power technology to connect button-cell battery power devices to users

"In October 2006, Nokia's research arm announced the development of Wibree and establishment of an industry forum, including Broadcom Corp. and STMicroelectronics NV, to define a specification.

But after forming, the companies -- many of them members of Bluetooth SIG -- favored having ultra low-power devices supported in Bluetooth, according to Harri Tulimaa, head of Nokia Technology Out-Licensing. "They didn't want to complete an entirely new technology," he said. " Read more . . .

Reuters reported today: "HELSINKI, June 12 (Reuters) - Mobile handset firm Nokia's (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile , Research) ultra-low-power short-range wireless technology is to be developed as a new version of Bluetooth to connect devices such as watches and heart monitors, the company said on Tuesday.

Nokia's agreement to offer the technology as the basis for an ultra-low-power Bluetooth standard should help to speed its adoption and encourage acceptance -- rather than be a competing technology, the Bluetooth industry interest group said." Read more . . .

Circuit City has been kind enough to provide an excellent public service announcement on their web site. The Congress has now passed legislation requiring all conventional "analog" TV broadcasting to stop on February 17, 2009. After that date, your local television broadcasters will be making only "DTV" broadcasts. If received via an antenna these broadcasts will require different TV tuners. Read more . . .

As of March 1, 2007, all new TVs must include digital tuners.

The bad news is TVs manufactured before 1998 will no longer receive TV broadcasts, if only an antenna is being used to receive free (advertiser sponsored) TV shows. A digital converter will have to be purchased and attached to these older television sets.

The good news is Congress has allocated funds for households, with pre 1998 televisions, to apply for a $40 coupon. With a maximum of two (2) $40 coupons per household, the coupon can used towards the purchase of a digital converter.

The details of the digital converter coupon program will be announced later in 2007. Click here to keep up with the latest on transition to digital TV transmissions February 17, 2009.

Does Personal E-Mail From Sun Exec Reveal Google Is Buying Sun?
by Daniel M. Harrison
Something is definitely going on over at the Sun Microsystems camp right now. Since I wrote my first piece on the topic of a Sun takeover by Google, numerous visitors from SEC and Sun Microsystems internal servers have been flocking to read the analysis.

Read more . . .


Internal Blogs as a Management Tool
by David Maister
I may be coming late to the party and only just catching up, but it occurs to me that blogs could be (are?) an incredibly powerful internal management tool.

Here’s one way I could see it working. There is a blog to which, initially at least, only partners have access. The managing partner (firm leader / practice group leader, whatever you want) could blog regularly about what’s going on in the firm / practice, not just restricted to the formal announcement of new business wins and losses, but actually addressing issues of interest to partners, answering candidly, and allowing partners (anonymously if necessary) to pose questions to firm leadership about what is happening and why things are happening the way they are.

Read more . . .


DearAOL.com Coalition Grows From 50 Organizations to 500 In One Week
as reported by the Electronic Frontier Foundation

30,000 Email Users Sign Open Letter

San Francisco - Despite AOL's attempt to divide its critics, the DearAOL.com Coalition announced Monday it has grown tenfold from 50 organizations to more than 500 as it fights AOL's controversial plan to create a two-tiered Internet that leaves the little guy behind.

Last week, AOL's proposed "email tax" came under fire from a coalition of political groups on the left and right, businesses and non-profits, charities, and Internet advocacy organizations. More than 400 publications around the world published articles about AOL's plan to allow large mass-emailers to pay to bypass AOL's spam filters and get guaranteed delivery directly into the inboxes of AOL customers—leaving the little guy behind with increasingly unreliable second-tier Internet service.

Read more . .
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Usually iTECHSpeak moves on to new technology angles. As a prologue to Blackberry maker Research in Motion's recent victory, it's worth mentioning 20-20 hindsight gained by the unbelievers. An article by Mathew Ingram, "RIM gets reprieve - now free to fight", points out how the scared unbelievers were in a selling frenzy of shedding RIM stock.

Bravo to the believers who staid the course. RIM cut it's losses by settling with NTP. This produced an 18% increase in RIM's value. This is not just due to the outcome of the settlement. The leadership of James Balsillie, Mike Lazaridis and their entire executive team exemplifies compassionate capitalism, where RIM subscriber concerns were placed at the forefront, during the entire process up to the settlement.

Rock on Blackberry. Woo hoo!!

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There was never any doubt in my mind that my Blackberry service would be disrupted. RIM is a company that knows how to do the right thing. I was always confident they would continue to do so. Maybe a portfolio revisit is in order regarding RIM investments.

I understand late Friday (3/3/2006), RIM settled the dispute with NTP for $612.5million. RIM had a work around any way. So Blackberry service would not have been down very long.

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The Social Network Scene is heating up. Potential for huge profits.
Niche Networking by the Numbers: Cyberspace is full of community sites to help you plan a trip, get a job, or make a friend. Here's a rundown - By Alex Halperin

Those days of yester year are returning as pods.
Podcasting Drama: The Golden Days of Radio Serials are Returning. Some out there may remember the days before television, when radio ruled. Others, like me, have heard about "the good old days" of radio. And now, with the advent of podcasting, the radio drama is making a comeback. - by Warren Kelly

Microsoft is being stealth on tid bits of its Origami Project
It's supposed to challenge Apple's iTunes player. A teaser site shows week 1 and week 2 on the progress of this "need to know" secret. Matthew's Technology Blog provides a little background an article "What Are they Up to Now".
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In the mid 1980s I was laughed out of the room by mainframe COBOL developers; not once, but several times. My crime was spouting blasphemy about personal computers being a good marriage for mainframes via local area networks. I suggested my peers adjust their skills accordingly to ramp up for personal computers. I wonder how they made out in IT their careers? I hated programming in COBOL. It was like kicking a dead whale across the beach. I saw it as a dead end. I took my own advice by plunging into the PC arena with both legs and arms. You know what happened in the 1990s. Next . . .

Laugh, if you will. History will repeat itself. Blogs will create very profitable opportunities on an even larger scale. The November/December 2004 issue of Foreign Policy struck a nerve to clue me in. Their article Web of Influence By Daniel W. Drezner and Henry Farrell gave the media fair warning way before the Dan Rather episode.

If 35,000 people say it can't be done and 1 person accomplishes it, who's right? The "Blogs to Riches" article in the February 20, 2006 issue of New York Magazine mentioned AOL purchasing Peter Rojas' blog Engadget for $25million. Everyone will not become a millionaire blogging. There is a potential for people to make 6-figure incomes blogging.

The explanation of the long tail theory in the same Blogs to Riches" article is definitive proof of what the future holds.

Grab on to the Tail . . .
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With almost 25 years of IT experience I have never wasted time tinkering or learning a new technology, unless I saw a profit potential. Oh I'm inspector gadget just like any other red blooded guy. I'm addicted to my Blackberry. Playing with my Blackberry and learning all aspects of it, including implementing the Blackberry Enterprise Server for Lotus Notes, has paid huge profits in consulting assignments.

I've seen many IT professionals get their feelings hurt and become disappointed , when they tried to sell technology skills that were not in demand. It's marketing 101. Meet a customer at their need.

Don't forget your geography lessons when considering a skill transition. Do your homework to make sure your new skills are in demand. One of the best indicators is being able to decipher "want ads" in a local area. If you trend want ads, this built in radar system will help you decide what direction to learn new technology skills.

Want ads should be used as indicators for where to adjust your skills. They are not necessarily good vehicles to apply for jobs. Using your network of contacts is your best bet for landing opportunities. Click here, if you don't have a personal network.

Keep in mind companies are getting more savvy in their technology staffing requirements. They want more specialty skills. Just like doctors and lawyers, specializing within a technology area still dictates earning potential and minimizing competition. Identify technology skills where the demand is high, but not many people have that skill set (i.e. Linux administrators). This sky rockets income. When you see the market starting to saturate (i.e. MCSEs), change skill gears again.

With IT budgets opening up, 2006 is the year for four hot skills. A recent survey by Computer World indicates the 4 top areas in IT expansion are (in order of survey ranking):

Developers
.Net and Java will continue to be the preferred golden children of skill sets in demand.

Technology Security Specialists
With an increase in identity theft, viruses and the potential threat of terrorists crippling society with computer network infiltration, skilled security specialists can write their own ticket.

Project Managers
There is a back log in projects due to economic factors over the last couple of three years. Companies are demanding PMs have their PMI certification. Specific areas of specialties are Health Insurance portability, Sarbanes-Oxley and accounting compliance. Disaster recovery planning is another hot area.

IT Helpdesk
As the back logged projects swing into high gear along with application/system rollouts from 2005, helpdesk staff are still required to perform more support. There are specialties in the helpdesk arena.
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Updated 3-24-2006: This Blackberry Center is CLOSED

This just came across my desk from Yahoo! Financial News. It's an excellent opportunity for the right investor. Located in New York City, Break Through Wireless is the 1st RIM endorsed Blackberry Center in the United States. Founded by 2 savvy Latino Entrepreneurs Manny Garcia and Darwin Valencia, Break Through Wireless offers full service solutions for Blackberry Enterprise Server implementations. In addition to complete solution consulting services, this only Blackberry Center offers customized Blackberry handheld training and all Blackberry accessories, as part the corporate package.

With corporate contracts in place and some additional funding, this Blackberry Center is positioned to make handsome profits while providing a value added service that no other wireless carrier currently offers. For example, T-Mobile sells the Blackberry Enterprise Server software, but they provide no consulting services for planning, installation or production rollouts. Break Through Wireless insures their clients get the full Monty for complete and smooth Blackberry implementations.

Investing in this Blackberry Center is a ground floor opportunity. I am personally meeting with Manny and Darwin today to explore investment opportunities in their Blackberry Center. If you are interested in participating with me, send me an email at MyCompass@Success4U2.net

I do not and cannot not give investment advice. I'm just providing information for an technology opportunity. It's up to you to get investment advice from trained and licensed professionals.

Click here for more information on Blackberry handheld technology. RIM boasts 6 million thumbs (3 million subscribers) and counting. There must be something to it, if every wireless carrier on the planet sells Blackberrys.
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