We keep hearing about pirated software, pirated movies, pirated CDs, etc. Yesterday I heard that the MPAA is installing surveillance cameras in an attempt to catch movie pirates selling their wares. But these packaged copies of XP look to be the real thing...but only one is...take a look.
http://news.com.com/2300-1012_3-6151598-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg
Nothing to write. This one is a visual.
Microsoft is discoutinuing FoxPro...of course, as diehards will tell you, it won't happen until 2015, and Microsoft is releasing what eWeek refers to as "core portions of the FoxPro software" to its open source website. Pundits will tell you that FoxPro will continue to live. Like Paradox...and Turbo Pascal...and Clarion developer...
Reality is that eventually FoxPro will die. We've been telling clients for several years to watch software based on FoxPro. Things like Sage Pro ERP are already on the winded list...now they'll go on the milk-the-user-base-until-it-dies-off list.
Sorry. I should be more positive. DON'T hear me saying that you should abandon any software based on FoxPro TODAY. DO hear me saying that I'd be looking for something else in the next few years.
One other thing. In Microsoft lingo, "Extended support" means "really really expensive support that we hope no one but the most desperate will pay for..."
There I go again...
Avoid FoxPro from now on. If you don't, don't say I didn't warn you.
Show #5 has been posted on the ceoTechCast blog.
Ok, so I don't fit in the demographic of Linux desktop users from the survey. They're in their 20s...but if you want to think of me as in my 20s, you can indeed think of me as that.
I've been interested in Linux for some time. Ever since the first commercial version of Linux appeared on the Egghead Software store shelves for a lot under $100 and included everything you needed to set up a web server with a web store, including credit card processing...for under $100.
And there were these rumors that Linux could run on PCs much too old to run the current version of Windows.
So I picked up the box and took the little penguin home with me. And I TRIED...let me say that again...I TRIED to load it on a PC. I got so far, then couldn't get further.
Turned out that all the instructions were written by pimple-ridden fifteen year olds who constantly reminded you in their instructions to be sure to "read the instructions" before asking questions. The implication was that they would find you and do something monsterous to your computer or email if you dared to ask a newbie (uninitiated user) question.
Well, you can be sure that I wasn't likely to put my own business on the line for support by fifteen year olds...OK, maybe some of them were in college and maybe they didn't have pimples...I was just being facetious (don't send me an email unless you know what this word means without looking it up in a dictionary...and don't comment on the blog entry for this post if you even THOUGHT about looking it up...OR if you're under 40...OR if you own an Apple computer...OR if your mother lives in the house with you...OR worse still, if you live in the house with her).
See what I mean? It's nasty to be reminded that you're ignorant with the insinutation that you might just be stupid or have sub-human intelligence.
Anyway, that has nothing to do with Linux. Except for the sub-human intelligence part.
Linux was too risky, to put it mildly.
Today, several years...maybe a decade later...I realize something. I don't know much more about the innards of Windows XP and Windows Vista than I do about Linux. And when I need to know something about the innards of them, I look it up on the Internet.
It takes a different midset and a different set of skills to look up the answer for Linux. But, frankly, I'm not finding it too difficult. And I'm impressed with the ease of use.
So I went out and bought a $400 laptop. I spent three days downloading the DVDs of Debian (only the first of which I have used). I loaded Linux the first time on my PC. I figured out how to review disk partitions and configure things and look at network configurations. I've loaded a new browser...FireFox. I'm relearning vi -- the text editor -- and learning bash as well as Linux command language.
I'm reading Thomas Merton at the same time. And Linux hasn't yet made me want to become a hermit like Merton. That time may be just around the corner. Who knows.
For now, I think Linux is pretty neat.
I'm not ready to run a business with it or to propose it for any clients. But I'm thinking and learning.
What do you think about Linux?
We've had a way for clients to submit issues and log them automatically for several months. Problem is, few clients use the system. That's too bad because the system automatically logs the issue, sends emails to appropriate DGG staff to immediately start the resolution process, and can generate pages if necessary. Finally, we have some video training showing you how to use this feature. Take a look and let us know if you find this useful.
I was reading an issue of What’s Working in Credit and Collection Management . It's one of those red and black newsletters that they send you and then try to get you to pay $300 a year for the info. Actually, pretty good. I pay for the Marketing newsletter and get a trial of about 3-4 others a year....
Anyway, I noticed an article about depositing checks from your mobile phone. The article was linked to a USAA (bank) product that works with the iPhone. So I decided to google the concept of "depositing a check with a cell phone." Seems that the center of the technology is a product from Mitek systems. Also looks like not just the iPhone, but Blackberry and several others might be able to use this.
The reviews seemed concerned about having to do it over and over because the quality of the closeup picture from the iPhone, etc. is not that great. But it's a great concept. Links are below if you're interested.
http://www.remittancedirectory.com/docs/USAA081109.pdf - USAA product to deposit checks from an iPhone.
http://www.selfserviceworld.com/article.php?id=22194 – NCR’s version of the phone deposit technology.
http://www.miteksystems.com/ImageNet_PhotoVideo.asp - Mitek Systems seems to be the company with the main technology at the center of the phone deposit news.
I was reading an issue of What’s Working in Credit and Collection Management . It's one of those red and black newsletters that they send you and then try to get you to pay $300 a year for the info. Actually, pretty good. I pay for the Marketing newsletter and get a trial of about 3-4 others a year....
Anyway, I noticed an article about depositing checks from your mobile phone. The article was linked to a USAA (bank) product that works with the iPhone. So I decided to google the concept of "depositing a check with a cell phone." Seems that the center of the technology is a product from Mitek systems. Also looks like not just the iPhone, but Blackberry and several others might be able to use this.
The reviews seemed concerned about having to do it over and over because the quality of the closeup picture from the iPhone, etc. is not that great. But it's a great concept. Links are below if you're interested.
http://www.remittancedirectory.com/docs/USAA081109.pdf - USAA product to deposit checks from an iPhone.
http://www.selfserviceworld.com/article.php?id=22194 – NCR’s version of the phone deposit technology.
http://www.miteksystems.com/ImageNet_PhotoVideo.asp - Mitek Systems seems to be the company with the main technology at the center of the phone deposit news.
I was meeting with a client the other day. One of the people in the meeting had deleted his Facebook account because he swore that the list of "Friend Suggestions" was coming from his email list. Facebook had hacked his Outlook phonebook!
I explained that Facebook uses his existing friends to suggest people he might know. By looking at friends of his friends, it's able to identify others he might know.
"Oh!" he said.
Duh!
Paranoia and conspiracy theories always amuse me!
Here's a great little article on how to create "strong" passwords. Strong passwords are those that are very difficult to guess or break by trial and error. This is a great technique for making them. One I've used for years...in concept.
The Art of Creating Strong Passwords - MSN Tech & Gadgets - Security
A few weeks ago, I was at a Memphis Society of Entrepreneur's luncheon at the Crescent Club. We were sitting around the table talking, passing around the "What do you do?" question.
One of the members of the Society--once he found out what we do--said, "I read recently that there are 8.2 applicants for every IT job in Memphis. You must be finding it easy to find people these days, right?"
Well, not really, I said. You see, every one at DGG has to have both technical skills and business skills. Our Senior Developer is finishing up a degree in Supply Chain Management. I'm a CPA.CITP (Certified Public Accountant and Certified Information Technology Professional). Our Project Leader spent 20 years in the accounting department of a multi-national Fortune-something company. All of us have business and IT experience.
"Wow," he said, "That must be a real competitive advantage."
"Yes," I said, "The problem is communicating the benefit for our clients and future clients."
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