The rate of technology change is increasing. Meetings and tradeshow technology continues to advance with technology products becoming better, cheaper and easier to use. Innovation is bubbling with new options. Here are some of the major meetings and tradeshow technology trends to watch for this coming year.
1. More free or low cost apps for events and trade shows.
The cost for the technology is being cut in half every year. Web software development is much faster and easier than ever before. What used to take $100,000+ and a team of programmers weeks or months to do, can now almost be accomplished by a gifted teenager in his/her bedroom over the weekend.
2. Mobile technology crosses the chasm from the early adopter to the early majority for events.
Recent data from MPI”s FutureWatch 2011 Survey and others indicate that more than 80% of meeting professionals use smartphones and other mobile devices in their jobs. Yet, relatively few planners (9%) have used mobile applications yet for their own meetings. This is about to change.
3. Do it yourself (DIY) mobile event apps will proliferate.
One of the hottest areas of mobile development is in the low-cost DIY arena. It is possible to create a fully featured, cross-platform business app (iPhone, android, iPad and mobile web) with customized logos, colors and content using BiznessApps.com for as low as $39.95/month. This DIY site is very easy to use with video tutorials throughout.
4. Conference recording and distribution is becoming cheaper, faster and much more capable.
Conference recording has been around for decades starting in the days that audio-cassettes of the presentations were mass-produced onsite and sold in the foyer. Recent technology advances have made it possible to quickly and relatively inexpensively distribute speaker video, audio and visuals over the web in real-time and on demand afterwards.
5. Hybrid meetings will extend the reach and broaden the impact of face-to-face events.
A hybrid meeting is an event that combines both face-to-face and virtual experience for local and remote attendees. It will become commonplace for many events in the next few years. Meeting professionals are recognizing that it has become much easier to extend the impact of an event beyond the four walls of the meeting room.
6. Near Field Communication (NFC) will provide streamlined connectivity and services for events.
NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity standard to enable communication between devices when they're touched together. It is expected to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the U.S.
The applications for events are significant allowing for very fast, secure and simplified means of:
• Electronic ticketing
• Electronic business card exchange
• Credit card payment
• Easy pick up of conference literature, exhibit brochures, course notes, and other digital documents
7. YouTube and other social publishing tools will be used increasingly to promote and manage meetings and to engage attendees.
Much has been written about the power of Facebook.com and the other social networking sites to engage potential attendees before an event to increase attendance and networking onsite.WeI believe the wide range of free social publishing tools will also be used increasingly for similar purposes:
8. Social gaming tools will be used to engage face-to-face and virtual attendees at events.
People spend more than 3 billion hours a week globally playing online games! Jane McGonigal in her noted TEDTalk speaks of how gaming can make a better world by deeply engaging people and by encouraging collaboration and cooperation. She proposes to harness gamer power to solve real-world problems.
Online gaming engages people. It can immerse in a different reality. It can be very fun! …And it will find its way increasingly into events.
9. iPads and tablets will provide a new medium for accessing data at events.
The iPad is the most recent of the long-running, game-changing innovations from Apple. This and other tablet devices represent new ways to access information. Light weight, highly mobile, highly intuitive. The larger screen allow for bigger fonts, easier readability and more real estate to display material in a page-like format. The navigation is intuitive (with your fingers instead of a keyboard and mouse).
10. Free, easy to access Wi-Fi is increasing expected by meeting planners.
Free basic Wi-Fi broadband internet access is expected by planner in the meeting room, guest rooms and the lobby. Although some luxury properties are clinging to internet fees as a profit center, internet access is viewed by attendees as a utility similar to lights and water. Planners are saying “do not nickel-and-dime us with add-on charges for basic internet access.” If “Motel 6” can provide free Wi-Fi, so should meeting hotels and venues.
However, this does not mean unlimited access. Internet bandwidth can be expensive and most venues cannot handle unexpected, very large demands. If 500 event attendees pulled out their iPads to access HD video simultaneously, there are few venues in the country that could handle this without making special arrangements. If a group needs dedicated bandwidth, a dedicated IP address or other internet services, it is reasonable to charge for these. But basic, throttled access (with a minimum of 500kb/second download -- fast enough to access email and limited video streaming) should be free.
Additionally, venues need to make logging onto the Wi-Fi network easier. Opening the browser and clicking “OK” is all that should be required.
11. “Indoor Positioning Systems” will greatly assist in event and trade show way-finding and navigation.
Standard GPS does not work indoors. Standard Wi-Fi triangulation only gets to about a 100 foot (30 meter) accuracy -- not good enough for precise tracking though an exhibit hall, venue or for person-to-person finding at an event.
New technology from at least two companies (Wifarer.com and Sherpa-Solutions.com) promise to overcome these challenges to provide very precise positioning (as fine as 1 meter) by tracking Wi-Fi enabled smart phones, carried by an increasingly larger percentage of the population. These tools will be able to provide:
• precise positioning
• personal navigation through a venue/exhibit hall with optimized routing
• friend/contact finding and networking (with permission)
• location-based content delivery (exhibit discounts or video as examples)
• optimized exhibit hall viewing by product category
• exhibit hall “hot spot” and traffic flow analytics
• several other features will likely develop from this exciting technology.
In addition to venues and convention centers, this technology holds great promise for shopping centers, airports, hospitals and museums.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
10 Most Annoying Restaurant Trends
The time has come! to give you the latest batch of restaurant-world developments that really get under our skin. Which one of these irks you the most?
1. Dogs in Cafes/Outdoor Restaurants
Sometime during the early aughts, toting around your dog in your purse became acceptable social behavior (along with texting during dinner and talking about Twilight). As a result, it seems more and more restaurants started bending health code rules to please overly entitled "pooch pushers" who insist on dragging their smelly mutts around with them 24/7.
2. Tables Ridiculously Close Together
Unless you have a 22-in. waist à la Lara Flynn Boyle, squeezing out of your seat is nigh impossible in most restaurants these days. We appreciate that eateries are often dealing with high rents, tiny spaces and a need to squeeze as many seats into a space as possible - but seriously, guys, could we space the tables out a little here?
3. Overzealous Wine Pouring
If there’s one thing we definitely don’t need help with, it’s pouring our own alcohol. We hate when servers are constantly topping off our glasses (clearly in an effort to sell more booze) when they’re already mostly full - leaving our wine/beer to get warm and stale in the process.
4. Designer Ice
While bigger, fewer ice cubes help keep drinks cool without watering them down, we're really not a fan of those giant ice blocks that knock against our teeth as we’re sipping.
1. Dogs in Cafes/Outdoor Restaurants
Sometime during the early aughts, toting around your dog in your purse became acceptable social behavior (along with texting during dinner and talking about Twilight). As a result, it seems more and more restaurants started bending health code rules to please overly entitled "pooch pushers" who insist on dragging their smelly mutts around with them 24/7.
2. Tables Ridiculously Close Together
Unless you have a 22-in. waist à la Lara Flynn Boyle, squeezing out of your seat is nigh impossible in most restaurants these days. We appreciate that eateries are often dealing with high rents, tiny spaces and a need to squeeze as many seats into a space as possible - but seriously, guys, could we space the tables out a little here?
3. Overzealous Wine Pouring
If there’s one thing we definitely don’t need help with, it’s pouring our own alcohol. We hate when servers are constantly topping off our glasses (clearly in an effort to sell more booze) when they’re already mostly full - leaving our wine/beer to get warm and stale in the process.
4. Designer Ice
While bigger, fewer ice cubes help keep drinks cool without watering them down, we're really not a fan of those giant ice blocks that knock against our teeth as we’re sipping.
5. Enormous Wine Glasses
What’s with the humongo glasses? We realize a bigger glass makes for tastier wine, blah blah blah, but when the table is barely 12 in. across, those gigantic wine glasses leave little room for the more important stuff - the food!
What’s with the humongo glasses? We realize a bigger glass makes for tastier wine, blah blah blah, but when the table is barely 12 in. across, those gigantic wine glasses leave little room for the more important stuff - the food!
6. Ketchup Snobbery
We don’t care if your homemade ketchup was hand-squished from eight different types of artisanal heirloom tomatoes. With a burger and fries, just give us good old-fashioned Heinz.
7. Sparkling, Flat or Filtered Tap?
Is this a trick question? We realize that the dreaded water question must be asked - but seriously, there’s gotta be a better way to phrase it, because restaurants that make their servers say this seem to be trying to trick their customers into ordering a pricey bottle of water.
8. Unisex Restrooms
Restaurants with unisex bathrooms are just asking for a lawsuit (or some raunchy bathroom situations at the very least). It’s one thing if it’s a unisex, single room kind of situation, but personally it really weirds us out when we’re doing our business in the stall and we see a member of the opposite sex washing their hands just outside. Awkward!
9. Excessive Punctuation/Lower-Case Letters in Restaurant Names, Menu Items
Wh.at is up wi.th all the pe.ri.ods? When you’re trying to look up a restaurant name that happens to have a few extra periods thrown in, the excessive punctuation can make it a little bit tricky.
10. Wood-Infused Food
Lately "wood" is having its moment in the spotlight as some rustic New American restaurants are offering dishes prepare using various "wood infusions," some going as far as to spotlight a different type of wood each day. Interesting idea, but in reality the food comes out half-cooked and smelling like a humidor.
We don’t care if your homemade ketchup was hand-squished from eight different types of artisanal heirloom tomatoes. With a burger and fries, just give us good old-fashioned Heinz.
7. Sparkling, Flat or Filtered Tap?
Is this a trick question? We realize that the dreaded water question must be asked - but seriously, there’s gotta be a better way to phrase it, because restaurants that make their servers say this seem to be trying to trick their customers into ordering a pricey bottle of water.
8. Unisex Restrooms
Restaurants with unisex bathrooms are just asking for a lawsuit (or some raunchy bathroom situations at the very least). It’s one thing if it’s a unisex, single room kind of situation, but personally it really weirds us out when we’re doing our business in the stall and we see a member of the opposite sex washing their hands just outside. Awkward!
9. Excessive Punctuation/Lower-Case Letters in Restaurant Names, Menu Items
Wh.at is up wi.th all the pe.ri.ods? When you’re trying to look up a restaurant name that happens to have a few extra periods thrown in, the excessive punctuation can make it a little bit tricky.
10. Wood-Infused Food
Lately "wood" is having its moment in the spotlight as some rustic New American restaurants are offering dishes prepare using various "wood infusions," some going as far as to spotlight a different type of wood each day. Interesting idea, but in reality the food comes out half-cooked and smelling like a humidor.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
iPad a solid education tool
More and more schools are jumping on the digital bandwagon and adopting iPads for daily use in the classroom. Apple's education-related announcements last week will no doubt bolster the trend, making faculty tools and student textbooks more engaging and accessible.
But today another data point emerged, demonstrating that the iPad can be a valuable asset in education. In a partnership with Apple, textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt performed a pilot study using an iPad text for Algebra 1 courses, and found that 20% more students (78% compared to 59%) scored 'Proficient' or 'Advanced' in subject comprehension when using tablets rather than paper textbook counterparts.
The study was conducted at a Riverside, California, middle school from Spring 2010 to Spring 2011 using HMH's Fuse: Algebra I app. Similar pilot courses and iPad programs have cropped up all over the country, primarily in private and boarding schools, and select universities. In the public school sector, more than 600 school districts have adopted a 1:1 iPad program.
Read more about iPads in schools: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/tech/innovation/ipad-solid-education-tool/index.html
But today another data point emerged, demonstrating that the iPad can be a valuable asset in education. In a partnership with Apple, textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt performed a pilot study using an iPad text for Algebra 1 courses, and found that 20% more students (78% compared to 59%) scored 'Proficient' or 'Advanced' in subject comprehension when using tablets rather than paper textbook counterparts.
The study was conducted at a Riverside, California, middle school from Spring 2010 to Spring 2011 using HMH's Fuse: Algebra I app. Similar pilot courses and iPad programs have cropped up all over the country, primarily in private and boarding schools, and select universities. In the public school sector, more than 600 school districts have adopted a 1:1 iPad program.
Read more about iPads in schools: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/23/tech/innovation/ipad-solid-education-tool/index.html
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Working Through Lunch
Imagine being fired, like this Chicago woman was, for working too much.
A report on Time magazine's website tells the story:
"Back in January 2010, Sharon Smiley, who worked as a receptionist and administrative assistant at a Chicago real estate company, clocked out of work but stayed at her desk to finish a project assigned by her manager. Another manager told her to she had to leave her desk and go to lunch. But she said no and continued working. That turned out to be a bad move. She was fired.
The company required that all hourly non-exempt employees take a 30-minute lunch break, and the issue was complicated by the fact that, as a receptionist, Smiley’s desk was at the front door of the company’s office. It seems that her managers felt it was unprofessional for her to eat in front of clients and potential clients who walked through the door."
When she tried to get unemployment benefits, she was denied them because she had been fired for cause. She fought that decision, and last week an appeals court ruled she could receive unemployment because she was not fired for gross misconduct.
Many people work through their lunch break. A good many of them eat at their desks, too. Maybe it's due to a special project; maybe they need to leave 15 minutes early, or maybe it's the only way to get all their work done and still get home at a decent hour.
Do you work through lunch, and/or eat at your desk? And does your employer have some kind of policy on such behavior?
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Top Spelling Blunders
Increase Your Credibility by Watching Out for These Commonly Misspelled Words
Grab your dictionaries and flip on your spell-checkers, because we are in for one exciting ride! We recently collected the most common spelling mistakes even the most credible expert authors make.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we will present these pesky misspellings to you in order to help you maintain your credibility and build confidence in your writing skills. Without further ado, we give you: The Top 5 Spelling Blunders!
"loosing"
Loosing is the number one, most prevailing spelling blunder! It often occurs when the author intended to use the present participle of the word lose, as in losing weight and mistakenly adds a second o. The root of this blunder stems from the confusion between the words: lose and loose.
Here's the difference: Lose means loss and loose means something is, or has been, released (or something not firmly held in place).
Example: Sam tightened his loose belt after losing weight.
Key: What do winning and losing have in common? Both have only two vowels (winning = ii, losing = oi).
"todays"
Today can be defined as in the course of present time or this present time. The word today can be used as an adverb (qualifies or modifies an adjective) or a noun (person, place or thing). For the sake of brevity, we are going to concentrate on the noun: today.
Here's our issue with todays: it is a noun, sorely missing its good old friend the apostrophe. In order to form the possessive form of a singular noun, no matter what the last consonant is of the noun, you must always add an 's. To do otherwise, you will end up with the plural form of the noun (e.g. dog's vs. dogs, cat's vs. cats, etc.)
Example: John was featured in today's newspaper!
Key: If you state todays, you are essentially stating many present time, which would suggest a bend in the space-time continuum - present time overlapping present time... To fix this, simply add the apostrophe before the s: today's.
"everytime"
Unless you are referring to the Britney Spears pop song "Everytime", every and time should be written as two separate words. The confusion often occurs when writers think about compound words, such as everywhere. Compound words take on a whole new meaning than if they were separated. For instance, everywhere (all places) = every (each, all, any) where (place or position).
Example: Every time you publish an article, your exposure increases.
Key: Everyone, everywhere, should add a space every time.
"aircrafts"
Here's the deal with aircrafts: Whether it be singular or plural, the word aircraft is spelled the same way. Similar words include: moose, fish, and species.
Example: The aircraft are positioned on the carrier. Please watch your step when entering the aircraft.
Key: The pilot of the aircraft won't land when other aircraft are on the runway.
Alternately, this issue with aircrafts may be similar to our previously discussed issue of the possessive form: todays vs. today's.
Example: Please watch your step when descending the aircraft's staircase.
"ect"
No "ifs, ands, or buts," ect is not the correct abbreviation for et cetera. Et Cetera is a Latin expression meaning and so forth or and other things. Its correct abbreviation is etc.
Example: Writing supplies may include pens, pencils, paper, etc.
Key: Don't forget to pack eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, etc. in your lunch.
There you have it - the top 5 most common spelling blunders!
Grab your dictionaries and flip on your spell-checkers, because we are in for one exciting ride! We recently collected the most common spelling mistakes even the most credible expert authors make.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we will present these pesky misspellings to you in order to help you maintain your credibility and build confidence in your writing skills. Without further ado, we give you: The Top 5 Spelling Blunders!
"loosing"
Loosing is the number one, most prevailing spelling blunder! It often occurs when the author intended to use the present participle of the word lose, as in losing weight and mistakenly adds a second o. The root of this blunder stems from the confusion between the words: lose and loose.
Here's the difference: Lose means loss and loose means something is, or has been, released (or something not firmly held in place).
Example: Sam tightened his loose belt after losing weight.
Key: What do winning and losing have in common? Both have only two vowels (winning = ii, losing = oi).
"todays"
Today can be defined as in the course of present time or this present time. The word today can be used as an adverb (qualifies or modifies an adjective) or a noun (person, place or thing). For the sake of brevity, we are going to concentrate on the noun: today.
Here's our issue with todays: it is a noun, sorely missing its good old friend the apostrophe. In order to form the possessive form of a singular noun, no matter what the last consonant is of the noun, you must always add an 's. To do otherwise, you will end up with the plural form of the noun (e.g. dog's vs. dogs, cat's vs. cats, etc.)
Example: John was featured in today's newspaper!
Key: If you state todays, you are essentially stating many present time, which would suggest a bend in the space-time continuum - present time overlapping present time... To fix this, simply add the apostrophe before the s: today's.
"everytime"
Unless you are referring to the Britney Spears pop song "Everytime", every and time should be written as two separate words. The confusion often occurs when writers think about compound words, such as everywhere. Compound words take on a whole new meaning than if they were separated. For instance, everywhere (all places) = every (each, all, any) where (place or position).
Example: Every time you publish an article, your exposure increases.
Key: Everyone, everywhere, should add a space every time.
"aircrafts"
Here's the deal with aircrafts: Whether it be singular or plural, the word aircraft is spelled the same way. Similar words include: moose, fish, and species.
Example: The aircraft are positioned on the carrier. Please watch your step when entering the aircraft.
Key: The pilot of the aircraft won't land when other aircraft are on the runway.
Alternately, this issue with aircrafts may be similar to our previously discussed issue of the possessive form: todays vs. today's.
Example: Please watch your step when descending the aircraft's staircase.
"ect"
No "ifs, ands, or buts," ect is not the correct abbreviation for et cetera. Et Cetera is a Latin expression meaning and so forth or and other things. Its correct abbreviation is etc.
Example: Writing supplies may include pens, pencils, paper, etc.
Key: Don't forget to pack eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, etc. in your lunch.
There you have it - the top 5 most common spelling blunders!
Israel ’s new ‘Cutting Edge’ Airport Security
TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israelis are developing an airport security device that eliminates the privacy concerns that come with full-body scanners. It's an armored booth you step into that will not X-ray you, but will detonate any explosive device you may have on your person.
Israel sees this as a win-win situation for everyone, with none of this stuff about racial profiling. It will also eliminate the costs of long and expensive trials.
You're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter, an announcement: “Attention, all standby passengers. El Al is proud to announce a seat available on flight 670 to London . Shalom!”
Israel sees this as a win-win situation for everyone, with none of this stuff about racial profiling. It will also eliminate the costs of long and expensive trials. You're in the airport terminal and you hear a muffled explosion. Shortly thereafter, an announcement: “Attention, all standby passengers. El Al is proud to announce a seat available on flight 670 to London . Shalom!”
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Record Crowd at "Reaching Your Members in the 21st Century"; Next Year - Orlando, FL, Nov. 8-11
More than 125 credit union attendees from across the country participated recently in the conference program in Palm Springs, CA on "Reaching Your Members in the 21st Century. Key programs included:
Rather than tell you more, here's some photos from the conference.
- Reaching the Senior Market
- Sizzling Marketing in the 21st Century
- Selecting and Developing the Right Talent
- Gens X, Y and Z - The Future of Credit Unions
- The Right Business Models
- Trends in Retail Service
- The Hispanic Growth Opportunity
- Cales Cultures
- Today's Social Media Opportunities
Rather than tell you more, here's some photos from the conference.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
TSA still frustrates 10 years later
Removing shoes, retrieving laptops, displaying bags of liquids: all are part of the airport screening process and all are cited by air travelers as top issues with flying.
In a survey by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), the nation’s largest travel trade group, 600 Americans who traveled in the last 12 months were asked to list their top five grievances with air travel. Four of the five issues named by the majority of the respondents involved the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security checkpoints.
The survey was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created TSA in November 2001.
Top Five Frustrations Cited by Air Travelers:
1.) People who bring too many carry-on bags through security checkpoint (72.4%)
2.) Uncomfortable seats on airplanes (70.4%)
3.) Wait time to clear the TSA checkpoint (68%)
4.) Having to remove shoes, belts and jackets at the TSA checkpoint (62.3%)
5.) TSA employees who are not friendly (42%)
However, TSA also received some positive feedback from the survey. About 66 percent of air travelers said they are somewhat or very satisfied with the organization’s overall performance.
For frequent travelers, that satisfaction rate was 54.6 percent.
Additionally, nearly 75 percent of travelers said they were somewhat or very satisfied with TSA’s recent announcement that it will eventually stop forcing passengers to remove their shoes through the security checkpoints.
In a survey by the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), the nation’s largest travel trade group, 600 Americans who traveled in the last 12 months were asked to list their top five grievances with air travel. Four of the five issues named by the majority of the respondents involved the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) security checkpoints.
The survey was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created TSA in November 2001.
Top Five Frustrations Cited by Air Travelers:
1.) People who bring too many carry-on bags through security checkpoint (72.4%)
2.) Uncomfortable seats on airplanes (70.4%)
3.) Wait time to clear the TSA checkpoint (68%)
4.) Having to remove shoes, belts and jackets at the TSA checkpoint (62.3%)
5.) TSA employees who are not friendly (42%)
However, TSA also received some positive feedback from the survey. About 66 percent of air travelers said they are somewhat or very satisfied with the organization’s overall performance.
For frequent travelers, that satisfaction rate was 54.6 percent.
Additionally, nearly 75 percent of travelers said they were somewhat or very satisfied with TSA’s recent announcement that it will eventually stop forcing passengers to remove their shoes through the security checkpoints.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Bill would scrap checked baggage fee
Fliers hate baggage fees, and the long lines at airport security screening that are made worse by passengers carrying on more bags than they did in the past.
So just before the the busiest air travel day of the year, Sen. Mary Landrieu has introduced legislation to try to put limits on airlines charging for checking in bags.
Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, has two different proposals. One would prohibit airlines from charging for the first checked bag.
The other would allow the fees, but raise taxes on airlines that charge for baggage. That proposal would raise the $260 million that the Transportation Security Administration estimates it needs to handle the extra carry-on bags going through the screening process.
The TSA estimates that the number of checked bags has decreased by 26% since 2009, while carry-on bags increased by 87 million in roughly the same time period.
"Many airlines consider checking a bag not to be a right, but a privilege -- and one with a hefty fee attached," said Landrieu. She said her first legislative proposal "will guarantee passengers one checked bag without the financial burden of paying a fee, or the headache of trying to fit everything into a carry-on."
The second, she added, would at least make sure taxpayers are made whole for the stresses more congestion at security places on the system.
Not surprisingly, the airline industry's trade group objects to both proposals.
The Air Transport Association says its own survey shows only one in four passengers now pay a baggage fee, either by carrying-on bags, choosing an airline that won't charge a fee or having the fee waived due to the credit card they use or the frequent flier perks they receive.
Southwest Airlines (LUV, Fortune 500) doesn't charge for bags and has made the lack of a fee part of its marketing campaign. Jet Blue (JBLU) doesn't have any fees on the first bag. On the other extreme, low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE) charges even for carry-on bags.
"Customers do have choice today," said Steve Lott, spokesman for the association. "In terms of fairness, you pay for the services you get. Under what the senator is suggesting, some people would be paying for a service they aren't using."
Airline consultant Michael Boyd said he believes if the fees were banned, fares would rise instead. That could cost customers even more due to the excise tax they pay on fares and not on fees.
"I hate the fees like everyone else," said Boyd. "When American Airlines (AMR, Fortune 500) initiated a bag fee, I thought they were doomed. But the consumer didn't blink an eye, they just got out their wallet."
So just before the the busiest air travel day of the year, Sen. Mary Landrieu has introduced legislation to try to put limits on airlines charging for checking in bags.
Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat, has two different proposals. One would prohibit airlines from charging for the first checked bag.
The other would allow the fees, but raise taxes on airlines that charge for baggage. That proposal would raise the $260 million that the Transportation Security Administration estimates it needs to handle the extra carry-on bags going through the screening process.
The TSA estimates that the number of checked bags has decreased by 26% since 2009, while carry-on bags increased by 87 million in roughly the same time period.
"Many airlines consider checking a bag not to be a right, but a privilege -- and one with a hefty fee attached," said Landrieu. She said her first legislative proposal "will guarantee passengers one checked bag without the financial burden of paying a fee, or the headache of trying to fit everything into a carry-on."
The second, she added, would at least make sure taxpayers are made whole for the stresses more congestion at security places on the system.
Not surprisingly, the airline industry's trade group objects to both proposals.
The Air Transport Association says its own survey shows only one in four passengers now pay a baggage fee, either by carrying-on bags, choosing an airline that won't charge a fee or having the fee waived due to the credit card they use or the frequent flier perks they receive.
Southwest Airlines (LUV, Fortune 500) doesn't charge for bags and has made the lack of a fee part of its marketing campaign. Jet Blue (JBLU) doesn't have any fees on the first bag. On the other extreme, low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines (SAVE) charges even for carry-on bags.
"Customers do have choice today," said Steve Lott, spokesman for the association. "In terms of fairness, you pay for the services you get. Under what the senator is suggesting, some people would be paying for a service they aren't using."
Airline consultant Michael Boyd said he believes if the fees were banned, fares would rise instead. That could cost customers even more due to the excise tax they pay on fares and not on fees.
"I hate the fees like everyone else," said Boyd. "When American Airlines (AMR, Fortune 500) initiated a bag fee, I thought they were doomed. But the consumer didn't blink an eye, they just got out their wallet."
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
25 "Worst Passwords" of 2011 Revealed
If you see your password below, STOP!
Do not finish reading this post and immediately go change your password -- before you forget. You will probably make changes in several places since passwords tend to be reused for multiple accounts.
Here are two lists, the first compiled by SplashData:
1. password
2. 123456
3.12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football
Last year, Imperva looked at 32 million passwords stolen from RockYou, a hacked website, and released its own Top 10 "worst" list:
1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123
If you've gotten this far and don't see any of your passwords, that's good news. But, note that complex passwords combining letters and numbers, such as passw0rd (with the "o" replaced by a zero) are starting to get onto the 2011 list. abc123 is a mixed password that showed up on both lists.
Last year, Imperva provided a list of password best practices, created by NASA to help its users protect their rocket science, they include:
It should contain at least eight characters
It should contain a mix of four different types of characters - upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters such as !@#$%^&*,;" If there is only one letter or special character, it should not be either the first or last character in the password.
It should not be a name, a slang word, or any word in the dictionary. It should not include any part of your name or your e-mail address.
Following that advice, of course, means you'll create a password that will be impossible, unless you try a trick credited to security guru Bruce Schneir: Turn a sentence into a password.
For example, "Now I lay me down to sleep" might become nilmDOWN2s, a 10-character password that won't be found in any dictionary.
Can't remember that password? Schneir says it's OK to write it down and put it in your wallet, or better yet keep a hint in your wallet. Just don't also include a list of the sites and services that password works with. Try to use a different password on every service, but if you can't do that, at least develop a set of passwords that you use at different sites.
Someday, we will use authentication schemes, perhaps biometrics, that don't require so much jumping through hoops to protect our data. But, in the meantime, passwords are all most of us have, so they ought to be strong enough to do the job.
Do not finish reading this post and immediately go change your password -- before you forget. You will probably make changes in several places since passwords tend to be reused for multiple accounts.
Here are two lists, the first compiled by SplashData:
1. password
2. 123456
3.12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. monkey
7. 1234567
8. letmein
9. trustno1
10. dragon
11. baseball
12. 111111
13. iloveyou
14. master
15. sunshine
16. ashley
17. bailey
18. passw0rd
19. shadow
20. 123123
21. 654321
22. superman
23. qazwsx
24. michael
25. football
Last year, Imperva looked at 32 million passwords stolen from RockYou, a hacked website, and released its own Top 10 "worst" list:
1. 123456
2. 12345
3. 123456789
4. Password
5. iloveyou
6. princess
7. rockyou
8. 1234567
9. 12345678
10. abc123
If you've gotten this far and don't see any of your passwords, that's good news. But, note that complex passwords combining letters and numbers, such as passw0rd (with the "o" replaced by a zero) are starting to get onto the 2011 list. abc123 is a mixed password that showed up on both lists.
Last year, Imperva provided a list of password best practices, created by NASA to help its users protect their rocket science, they include:
It should contain at least eight characters
It should contain a mix of four different types of characters - upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers, and special characters such as !@#$%^&*,;" If there is only one letter or special character, it should not be either the first or last character in the password.
It should not be a name, a slang word, or any word in the dictionary. It should not include any part of your name or your e-mail address.
Following that advice, of course, means you'll create a password that will be impossible, unless you try a trick credited to security guru Bruce Schneir: Turn a sentence into a password.
For example, "Now I lay me down to sleep" might become nilmDOWN2s, a 10-character password that won't be found in any dictionary.
Can't remember that password? Schneir says it's OK to write it down and put it in your wallet, or better yet keep a hint in your wallet. Just don't also include a list of the sites and services that password works with. Try to use a different password on every service, but if you can't do that, at least develop a set of passwords that you use at different sites.
Someday, we will use authentication schemes, perhaps biometrics, that don't require so much jumping through hoops to protect our data. But, in the meantime, passwords are all most of us have, so they ought to be strong enough to do the job.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
My Blackberry Is Not Working
http://www.flixxy.com/my-blackberry-is-not-working.htm
If your PC or blackberry is not working, check this out. LOL
If your PC or blackberry is not working, check this out. LOL
Monday, November 14, 2011
Airline fined $900,000 for lengthy tarmac delays
The Department of Transportation said Monday it has fined a regional affiliate of American Airlines $900,000 for keeping hundreds of passengers cooped up for hours on planes in Chicago earlier this year, a clear warning to airlines on the eve of the holiday travel season that similar incidents won't be tolerated.
American Eagle Airlines had tarmac delays of more than three hours on 15 flights arriving at O'Hare International Airport on May 29, the department said in a statement. A total of 608 passengers were aboard the delayed flights.
The airline must pay $650,000 of the fine within 30 days, the department said. But up to $250,000 can be credited for refunds, vouchers, and frequent flyer mile awards provided to the passengers on the 15 flights, as well as to passengers on future flights that violate the three-hour rule, the department said.
The department implemented a new rule in April 2010 limiting tarmac delays on domestic flights to three hours. After that, airlines must either return to a gate or provide passengers who wish to leave planes with some other means of safely getting off. Airlines that violate the rule can be fined as much as $27,500 per passenger.
The airline must pay $650,000 of the fine within 30 days, the department said. But up to $250,000 can be credited for refunds, vouchers, and frequent flyer mile awards provided to the passengers on the 15 flights, as well as to passengers on future flights that violate the three-hour rule, the department said.
The department implemented a new rule in April 2010 limiting tarmac delays on domestic flights to three hours. After that, airlines must either return to a gate or provide passengers who wish to leave planes with some other means of safely getting off. Airlines that violate the rule can be fined as much as $27,500 per passenger.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
When Was the Last Time You Wrote Something?
I heard a rumor that schools will no longer be teaching handwriting in classes - no more cursive lessons. I have yet to confirm or deny this, but it really has me thinking. My son is going to be growing up in a world that is totally different than mine.
The way he communicates with friend, the way he learns, the way he views the world, will be totally different thanks to technology. It's not a bad thing, but it's definitely different. I guess there's no need to write when you can type. Call me old fashioned, but I miss the days of hand written letters. There's just something to be said of going to the mailbox and pulling out a letter addressed to you. You know the person that sent it once held the same paper your holding and took the time to sit down and pen a message. It's a person's time and effort for YOU right there in the palm of your hands.
So, this week, I sat down and wrote letters to a few friends. I said the same things I would have said in an email, but on paper. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, but I'm also positive it put a smile on their face to get a piece of mail from me.
Moms, when was the last time you sat down and wrote a letter?
The way he communicates with friend, the way he learns, the way he views the world, will be totally different thanks to technology. It's not a bad thing, but it's definitely different. I guess there's no need to write when you can type. Call me old fashioned, but I miss the days of hand written letters. There's just something to be said of going to the mailbox and pulling out a letter addressed to you. You know the person that sent it once held the same paper your holding and took the time to sit down and pen a message. It's a person's time and effort for YOU right there in the palm of your hands.
So, this week, I sat down and wrote letters to a few friends. I said the same things I would have said in an email, but on paper. I'm sure they thought I was crazy, but I'm also positive it put a smile on their face to get a piece of mail from me.
Moms, when was the last time you sat down and wrote a letter?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
More smartphone buyers prefer Apple's iOS
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7444302.html
A latest survey released on Monday showed that iPhone is the top choice for nearly half of North American consumers who plan to purchase a smartphone in the next three months.
According to the survey conducted by ChangeWave Research in June, 46 percent of respondents prefer a device running Apple's iOS, the mobile operating system powering the iPhone. The number increased by two percentage points compared to a similar poll conducted in March.
The survey mainly focused on the North American smartphone market.
Among the 4,163 respondents, 89 percent were from the United States and 11 percent outside the country.
Around 32 percent of prospective smartphone buyers said they will choose a device powered by Google's Android operating system, which is up one percentage point compared to the poll in March.
The gains of Apple and Google's market shares came at the expense of Blackberry phones developed by Research in Motion. Only 4 percent of planned smartphone consumers want to buy a Blackberry, which is down one percentage point since March and the lowest share ever seen in a ChangeWave poll. In September 2008, some 32 percent of consumers said they prefer Blackberry.
The survey also took a look at the potential impact of Apple's iCloud service which will become available this fall. Some 29 percent of Apple product owners said the upcoming iCloud service makes them "more likely" to buy Apple products in the future.
ChangeWave said the result shows the new iCloud service is enhancing existing customer loyalty and will generate customer demand for other Apple products.
Apple's iCloud, introduced in early June, will automatically store music, photos, apps and documents, and wirelessly push them to any Apple device to enable access for uses anytime and anywhere.
For customer satisfaction, iPhone had the highest satisfaction rate in the industry with 70 percent of users "very satisfied" with the iOS.
Some 50 percent of Google Android users said they were "very satisfied" with the operating system. Only 26 percent of Blackberry users said they were satisfied with the system.
Meanwhile, the poll found that 57 percent of consumers using Windows Phone 7 said they were "very satisfied." However, "the higher Windows Phone 7 rating has yet to produce a sustained momentum boost for Microsoft in terms of buyer preference," according to the survey.
A latest survey released on Monday showed that iPhone is the top choice for nearly half of North American consumers who plan to purchase a smartphone in the next three months.
According to the survey conducted by ChangeWave Research in June, 46 percent of respondents prefer a device running Apple's iOS, the mobile operating system powering the iPhone. The number increased by two percentage points compared to a similar poll conducted in March.
The survey mainly focused on the North American smartphone market.
Among the 4,163 respondents, 89 percent were from the United States and 11 percent outside the country.
Around 32 percent of prospective smartphone buyers said they will choose a device powered by Google's Android operating system, which is up one percentage point compared to the poll in March.
The gains of Apple and Google's market shares came at the expense of Blackberry phones developed by Research in Motion. Only 4 percent of planned smartphone consumers want to buy a Blackberry, which is down one percentage point since March and the lowest share ever seen in a ChangeWave poll. In September 2008, some 32 percent of consumers said they prefer Blackberry.
The survey also took a look at the potential impact of Apple's iCloud service which will become available this fall. Some 29 percent of Apple product owners said the upcoming iCloud service makes them "more likely" to buy Apple products in the future.
ChangeWave said the result shows the new iCloud service is enhancing existing customer loyalty and will generate customer demand for other Apple products.
Apple's iCloud, introduced in early June, will automatically store music, photos, apps and documents, and wirelessly push them to any Apple device to enable access for uses anytime and anywhere.
For customer satisfaction, iPhone had the highest satisfaction rate in the industry with 70 percent of users "very satisfied" with the iOS.
Some 50 percent of Google Android users said they were "very satisfied" with the operating system. Only 26 percent of Blackberry users said they were satisfied with the system.
Meanwhile, the poll found that 57 percent of consumers using Windows Phone 7 said they were "very satisfied." However, "the higher Windows Phone 7 rating has yet to produce a sustained momentum boost for Microsoft in terms of buyer preference," according to the survey.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Top Scams of 2011
Where there is money to be had, there will always be con artists looking for new ways to scam you. Listed below are five top scam complaints to protect yourself against:
• Skimming is on the increase this year. Banks have been reporting a huge increase in ATM rigging. Criminals attach a device to the ATM that collects the card information or traps the card so they can use it. When using an ATM, always check around the machine for anything unusual before placing your card into the slot.
• Along with other economy related scams, such as loan modification and foreclosure rip offs, work-from-home scam complaints are becoming more prevalent. Con artists will state that the job requires the purchase of materials to begin working and claim you'll be reimbursed on your first check. Legitimate employers do not charge you for information, start-up kits, software or anything else related to the position. A few popular types of work-from-home scams to avoid are assembly, marketing and stuffing envelopes.
• Internet phishing is still a fast growing complaint with the advancement of more sophisticated malware and hacking of social networking accounts. These phishing scams steal your identity and financial information. Never open emails or links from unknown senders. It's also a good practice to change your passwords often.
• The simple, and less sophisticated, "doorstep" scams are easier to spot. Fake contractors, utility workers, charity collectors and others make the rounds from neighborhood to neighborhood. Simply ask the individual for ident ification, license number or a supervisors name and phone number to verify their identity.
• Vacation and travel related scams mainly target those who journey abroad. Fraudulent companies will book the traveler in sub-standard accommodations or disappear with their money altogether. Be wary of unsolicited offers and promotions as well as unknown callers. Only use established, well-known company websites. If you are suspicious of a deal, research the company and offer before giving out your credit card information.
• Skimming is on the increase this year. Banks have been reporting a huge increase in ATM rigging. Criminals attach a device to the ATM that collects the card information or traps the card so they can use it. When using an ATM, always check around the machine for anything unusual before placing your card into the slot.
• Along with other economy related scams, such as loan modification and foreclosure rip offs, work-from-home scam complaints are becoming more prevalent. Con artists will state that the job requires the purchase of materials to begin working and claim you'll be reimbursed on your first check. Legitimate employers do not charge you for information, start-up kits, software or anything else related to the position. A few popular types of work-from-home scams to avoid are assembly, marketing and stuffing envelopes.
• Internet phishing is still a fast growing complaint with the advancement of more sophisticated malware and hacking of social networking accounts. These phishing scams steal your identity and financial information. Never open emails or links from unknown senders. It's also a good practice to change your passwords often.
• The simple, and less sophisticated, "doorstep" scams are easier to spot. Fake contractors, utility workers, charity collectors and others make the rounds from neighborhood to neighborhood. Simply ask the individual for ident ification, license number or a supervisors name and phone number to verify their identity.
• Vacation and travel related scams mainly target those who journey abroad. Fraudulent companies will book the traveler in sub-standard accommodations or disappear with their money altogether. Be wary of unsolicited offers and promotions as well as unknown callers. Only use established, well-known company websites. If you are suspicious of a deal, research the company and offer before giving out your credit card information.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Bank Fees Fuel Consumer Anger
People are angry at the proposed debit card fees and nearly one-in-three consumers say they will take their money elsewhere.
According to a new study by The Research Intelligence Group, 30% of banking customers say they will leave their institution should the bank start charging a monthly fee for debit card use. This anger is even more pronounced with younger (35%) or more affluent (37%) consumers.
Another 43% of consumers said they would choose a different method of payment. 28% said they would pay by cash, while 15% claimed they would use a credit card.
Regions and SunTrust have already started assessing a monthly fee on debit card usage. Bank of America will begin charging a $5 per month fee in 2012. Chase (one state) and Wells Fargo (five states) are testing this fee in various areas.
The survey was performed by The Research Intelligence Group from a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults in early October.
Consumers do not like paying a monthly fee for using their own money. These fees are also being assessed by some banks that we, the taxpayers, bailed out a few years ago.
Lawmakers are also upset.
After Wells Fargo announced a 21% increase in their third quarter profits, Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter asking the bank’s CEO to explain the need for a new debit fee. Durbin had previously sent a letter to Bank of America, reprimanding the bank after it announced plans to charge consumers for debit card usage.
According to a new study by The Research Intelligence Group, 30% of banking customers say they will leave their institution should the bank start charging a monthly fee for debit card use. This anger is even more pronounced with younger (35%) or more affluent (37%) consumers.
Another 43% of consumers said they would choose a different method of payment. 28% said they would pay by cash, while 15% claimed they would use a credit card.
Regions and SunTrust have already started assessing a monthly fee on debit card usage. Bank of America will begin charging a $5 per month fee in 2012. Chase (one state) and Wells Fargo (five states) are testing this fee in various areas.
The survey was performed by The Research Intelligence Group from a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults in early October.
Consumers do not like paying a monthly fee for using their own money. These fees are also being assessed by some banks that we, the taxpayers, bailed out a few years ago.
Lawmakers are also upset.
After Wells Fargo announced a 21% increase in their third quarter profits, Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter asking the bank’s CEO to explain the need for a new debit fee. Durbin had previously sent a letter to Bank of America, reprimanding the bank after it announced plans to charge consumers for debit card usage.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Changing banks is a hassle that banks may count on
Customers frustrated by banks' controversial new fees are finding out what industry insiders have known for years: It is not so easy to disentangle your life from your bank.
The Internet banking services that have been sold to customers as conveniences, such as online bill paying, serve as powerful tethers that keep them from jumping to another institution.
Tedd Speck, 49, a market researcher in Kent, Conn., was furious about Bank of America's planned $5 monthly fee for debit card use. But he is staying put after being overwhelmed by the inconvenience of moving dozens of online bill paying arrangements to another bank.
"I'm really annoyed," he said, "but someone at Bank of America made that calculation and they made it right."
Former bankers and market researchers say that it's no accident. The steady expansion of online bill paying, they say, has emboldened Bank of America, as well as rivals such as Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and SunTrust, to turn to new fees on customer accounts as other sources of revenue dry up. The fees have caused an uproar among consumers and drawn sharp criticism from politicians, including President Barack Obama.
"The technology locks you in, and they're keenly aware of it," said Robert Smith, who was chief executive of Security Pacific when it was bought by Bank of America in 1992. "It's very hard for consumers to just ditch that."
For years, banks have openly sought to attach as many loans and services such as credit cards, mortgages and mobile phone banking as they can to a customer.
What they haven't mentioned are marketing studies such as the one commissioned by Fiserv, which develops online bill paying systems, showing that using the Internet to pay bills, do automatic deductions and send electronic checks reduced customer turnover for banks by up to 95 percent in some cases.
The Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York have also jumped on the debit card fee as one more example of corporate greed. And activists are calling on account holders to switch to nonprofit credit unions en masse on Nov. 5, which they have named Bank Transfer Day; a Facebook page devoted to the effort has drawn more than 38,000 supporters.
As a result, the question of whether consumers will indeed vote with their feet is being closely watched by the banking industry, consumer advocates and legislators. The banks don't release detailed data on customer defections.
Friday, October 14, 2011
9 Things That may be Gone in our Lifetime
1. The Post Office. Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Check. Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with checks by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process checks. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the check. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.3. The Newspaper. The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
4. The Book. You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
5. The Land Line Telephone. Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes
6. Music. This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalog items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
7. Television. Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery.. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.
8. The "Things" That You Own. Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
9. Privacy. If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. And "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have that can't be changed are Memories.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Data Breaches Top List of Fraud Threats
Data breaches have overtaken the theft of physical assets as the No. 1 fraud type, with most data theft occurring in the financial services industry, according to Ken Otsuka, senior risk consultant for CUNA Mutual Group.
To avoid crippling financial damage and loss of member trust, credit unions must implement measures to prevent data breaches and have a solid mitigation plan if one occurs.
Otsuka, addressing CUNA Mutual’s Online Discovery Conference Tuesday, cited the 2010 Annual Global Fraud Report by the risk management consulting firm, Kroll.
The study indicated the information-rich financial services industry led the way in data theft incidents at 42% in 2010, up from 24% in 2009.
“Data breaches have quickly become a top concern,” Otsuka said. “They are increasing in frequency and severity in terms of number of records breached and recovery costs.”
Breaches can involve electronic data or paper and occur in many ways, including:
To avoid crippling financial damage and loss of member trust, credit unions must implement measures to prevent data breaches and have a solid mitigation plan if one occurs.
Otsuka, addressing CUNA Mutual’s Online Discovery Conference Tuesday, cited the 2010 Annual Global Fraud Report by the risk management consulting firm, Kroll.
The study indicated the information-rich financial services industry led the way in data theft incidents at 42% in 2010, up from 24% in 2009.
“Data breaches have quickly become a top concern,” Otsuka said. “They are increasing in frequency and severity in terms of number of records breached and recovery costs.”
Breaches can involve electronic data or paper and occur in many ways, including:
- Lost or stolen disks, laptops, and other data-bearing devices;
- Dishonest employees;
- System intrusions by hackers;
- Negligent disposal of data; and
- Breaches at third-party vendors housing confidential personal member data.
A data breach can be devastating for a credit union, Otsuka said. A 2010 Ponemon Institute study stated the average cost to repair a compromised record was $214. For financial institutions, that cost was $353.
Friday, September 30, 2011
10 technological changes in 10 technological years
Have you realized how much things have changed in a mere decade.
My goddaughter is now of an age where she can talk, understand, and learn pretty well. She’s six, so she’s pretty on the ball with things already. The things that she experiences and sees are so different to mine, and she’s only 16 years younger than me. Times change quickly, I know, but it hit me like a wave of elderly welfare benefits disguised as a petrol tanker last night.
The differences between her generation and mine, even though separated by a few years, are stark and somewhat terrifying in hindsight.
1. There were nine planets in the solar system.
For years it was always nine planets and then one day, they decided it was either going to be eight, or about twenty. They chose eight. After seven years of primary education, the world I knew it was, well gone actually; they had just declassified it as a planet.
2. A BlackBerry was a fruit, and so was Apple.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if people heard either “blackberry” or “apple” and genuinely thought of the fruit. But I cannot seem to shake the association now built with my mobile device. People say, “have at least one of your five a day”, whilst I have my BlackBerry in my hand making a call. I’d say that counts, right?
3. To load up a program, you’d have to slam in a cassette tape and wait 20 minutes for it to load.
My first computer, a CPC-464. It was so heavy you could have used it as a concrete block in a mafioso novel. A ten year gap is a bit of an exaggeration but I knew people still word processing back then on green-screened computers. When the 5″ floppy disk came out, we saw that as a mini-revolution in itself.
4. You had to dial into the Internet.
You couldn’t just have the Internet flowing in and out of the computer like an out of control waterfall. No, you had to tell it to dial another computer and information would be sent to and fro through, what was essentially a computer-to-computer phone call. What’s even more weird is that it’s still available, even today.
5. A single gigabyte hard drive simply couldn’t be filled, through no will of trying.
My first computer bought for the family at Christmas 1996 (yes, it had Windows 95) had a 64MB memory and a single gigabyte of storage. My dad said, “we will never, ever fill that”.
6. Video tapes the size of Bibles would be the only way to record a television programme, and even then it’d only be able to record an hour and a half at best.
Even though I’m far too young to remember the Betamax vs. VHS war, I most certainly remember hoping to watch back an episode of The Simpsons which I’d recorded on the oldest VCR in the world, and it failing miserably with tape lodged and jammed in every bit. It was heartbreaking.
7. The only porn we could find was the shredded remains of a dirty magazine under a bush in the local park.
This generation of Internet kids has seen more porn than any other generation of children, ever. When I was a lad, one morning you’d be lucky enough to find a shred of it near where the local dirty old man sleeps in the evening. “Kids having kids… blame the parents”: no, blame the Internet.
8. There was only one computer in the house, and if there were more, only one would connect to the Internet at a time.
No such things as wireless back then. The only wireless you’d know of was the radio, and that would have been a main source of entertainment. It may sound like wartime England, 10 years ago wasn’t that far away. Windows XP hadn’t come out yet, I was still in a school uniform and the computers we used were running Windows NT.
9. There were no such things as flat screen televisions.
At least commercially, anyway. I come from a generation where our eyes are slightly closer together yet facing slightly the opposite way from being transfixed by a CRT television for all these years. And I laugh now at the “radiation warnings” from the sticker on the side of the box…
10. Twitter was called “text messaging” and the “tweet” only went to one other person.
Yes, a new phenomenon which many don’t realise that was basically text messaging. While sending a text is still far more popular than Twitter, the days where news would slowly seep its way through a friendship group (nowadays a “social network”), whereas now you can update literally anyone and everyone in the space of 160 characters.
A lot can happen in ten years.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
HR-4646, The Debt Free America Act, Proposed a 1% Tax On All Financial Institution Transaction-Mostly Truth! But Never Passed!
Summary of the eRumor:
This is a forwarded email that says President Obama's finance team is planning to impose a 1% tax on all transactions conducted in financial institutions and that they plan to sneak it in after the November election.
The Truth:
There is a Congressional House Bill, HR-4646, the Debt Free America Act, that was introduced in Congress on February 23, 2010, but we have not found any evidence that the bill is being snuck in by any finance team members as the eRumor alleges.
Details at: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/debt-free-America-act.htm
This is a forwarded email that says President Obama's finance team is planning to impose a 1% tax on all transactions conducted in financial institutions and that they plan to sneak it in after the November election.
The Truth:
There is a Congressional House Bill, HR-4646, the Debt Free America Act, that was introduced in Congress on February 23, 2010, but we have not found any evidence that the bill is being snuck in by any finance team members as the eRumor alleges.
Details at: http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/debt-free-America-act.htm
Monday, September 26, 2011
Do You Complain When You Get bad Service?
We've all been there -- ignored by a waitress, given the "wait a second" gesture by a clerk finishing a phone call. But instead of enduring it, you should let the management know about it. A report in Time magazine says that consumers experience disrespectful treatment about once a month.
And I am willing to bet that most of us do exactly what the magazine reports. (It's exactly how I react.)
Instead of complaining to a supervisor after being treated poorly, most disgruntled customers just go home and gripe to family and friends about their experience. The customer who was the initial target of the employee’s bad behavior is less likely to return to that business in the future. If they’re angry enough, they may abandon the brand entirely, and they’ve given their circle of acquaintances a heads-up to avoid it, too.
I avoid one big-box retailer at all costs because I've encountered too many surly clerks and gum-snapping cashiers. A department store is on my "don't shop there" list because I can never find an employee, and when I do, it seems they are usually on what sounds like a personal call and too busy to answer my question.
Even though it's been many years, I worked in retail for two years at a big box discount store in high school. Just as there are rude clerks and cashiers, there are rude and obnoxious customers, too.
When you get poor service or bad treatment in a retail business or restaurant, do you complain to a manager? Or do you endure it as a part of life? Is there one particular bad behavior that will send you in search of a manager?
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/talk-of-the-day/article_89524822-e83f-11e0-b885-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1Z5nbS0uJ
And I am willing to bet that most of us do exactly what the magazine reports. (It's exactly how I react.)
Instead of complaining to a supervisor after being treated poorly, most disgruntled customers just go home and gripe to family and friends about their experience. The customer who was the initial target of the employee’s bad behavior is less likely to return to that business in the future. If they’re angry enough, they may abandon the brand entirely, and they’ve given their circle of acquaintances a heads-up to avoid it, too.
I avoid one big-box retailer at all costs because I've encountered too many surly clerks and gum-snapping cashiers. A department store is on my "don't shop there" list because I can never find an employee, and when I do, it seems they are usually on what sounds like a personal call and too busy to answer my question.
Even though it's been many years, I worked in retail for two years at a big box discount store in high school. Just as there are rude clerks and cashiers, there are rude and obnoxious customers, too.
When you get poor service or bad treatment in a retail business or restaurant, do you complain to a manager? Or do you endure it as a part of life? Is there one particular bad behavior that will send you in search of a manager?
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/talk-of-the-day/article_89524822-e83f-11e0-b885-0019bb30f31a.html#ixzz1Z5nbS0uJ
Friday, September 23, 2011
‘Extravagant’ Spending, $16 Muffins Found at U.S. Meetings
U.S. Justice Department agencies spent too much for food at conferences, in one case serving $16 muffins and in another dishing out beef Wellington appetizers that cost $7.32 per serving, an audit found.
“Some conferences featured costly meals, refreshments, and themed breaks that we believe were indicative of wasteful or extravagant spending,” the Justice Department’s inspector general wrote in a report released today.
The inspector general reviewed a sample of 10 Justice Department conferences held between October 2007 and September 2009 at a cost of $4.4 million. The Justice Department spent $73.3 million on conferences in fiscal 2009, compared with $47.8 million a year earlier, according to the report.
The muffins were served at a conference of the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the beef Wellington was offered at a meeting hosted by the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. A conference of the Office on Violence Against Women served Cracker Jacks, popcorn and candy bars at a single break, costing $32 per person, according to the report.
The report is a follow-up to one from 2007 that found the Justice Department had few controls to limit the costs of conference planning, food and beverages. That audit cited a reception that included Swedish meatballs costing $5 apiece.
“Some conferences featured costly meals, refreshments, and themed breaks that we believe were indicative of wasteful or extravagant spending,” the Justice Department’s inspector general wrote in a report released today.
The inspector general reviewed a sample of 10 Justice Department conferences held between October 2007 and September 2009 at a cost of $4.4 million. The Justice Department spent $73.3 million on conferences in fiscal 2009, compared with $47.8 million a year earlier, according to the report.
The muffins were served at a conference of the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the beef Wellington was offered at a meeting hosted by the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. A conference of the Office on Violence Against Women served Cracker Jacks, popcorn and candy bars at a single break, costing $32 per person, according to the report.
The report is a follow-up to one from 2007 that found the Justice Department had few controls to limit the costs of conference planning, food and beverages. That audit cited a reception that included Swedish meatballs costing $5 apiece.
Monday, September 19, 2011
What Do the Dress Descriptions Like “Business Casual,” “Summer Wedding,” “Cocktail Attire,” and “Black Tie” All Really Mean?
Fashion etiquette isn’t what it once was, but that doesn’t mean dress codes don’t apply. You probably won’t be shunned for wearing white after Labor Day, but showing up to a wedding sporting the latest Lady Gaga style probably isn’t a good idea. It can be hard to know just what the rules are for all of the various codes you see on invitations. To take the guesswork out of your next invite, just follow the basic rules in this helpful little primer.
Black Tie
Men don’t have actually have to wear a black tie, but they should wear a tux-- and the powder blue one with the ruffled shirt they wore to the prom back in 1976 won’t cut it. Women should wear a fancy-shmancy cocktail dress or long formal dress.
Formal
In most cases this means a monkey suit for the man again. If the invitation is to an uber hip party, where trendy counts, a tux with an expensive shirt but no tie might be acceptable. For women, the same rules as Black Tie apply.
Black Tie Optional
This is Black Tie with an out for those who can’t afford a tux or can’t fit into the one they have anymore. Men should go with a dark suit if they’re sans tux. Women should wear a nice cocktail dress or long gown.
White Tie
For the ultra high class party, the invite might designate White Tie. If someone puts this on their invitation, they mean it. Men should wear a white tie and vest with their tuxedo and women should wear a long formal gown. No cocktail dresses.
Semi-Formal
Semi-Formal means men are free of the tuxedo requirement but should wear a nice suit. A dark colored suit is preferred for evening events. Women don’t have to trip over long formal gowns for this one-- a cocktail dress in the evening or a nice dress during the day will suffice.
Business Formal
Business Formal has the same rules as Semi-Formal for men, but women should opt for more business-appropriate attire like a well-tailored suit.
Cocktail Attire
Dark suits for him and that little black dress for her.
Informal
Don’t let this one fool you. It does not mean come as you are, ripped jeans and all. It’s just another way of saying men should wear a suit and women should wear a dress. Think Cocktail or Business Formal.
Dressy Casual
Men should choose nice slacks and a sports coat. Women should wear a dress or nice pants suit.
Business Casual
Men can drop the blazer if they want, but should still wear nice pants and an oxford-style shirt. Women can wear dresses or skirts as long as they’re not too short or a nice pair of pants and blouse.
Casual
Finally, you can take out those jeans. You shouldn’t wear the stuff you clean your yard with, but something clean and without too many holes will do. These are your running errands or going to the movie clothes.
More information at: http://www.weisstoyotanews.com/Articles/Dress_Descriptions/
Black Tie
Men don’t have actually have to wear a black tie, but they should wear a tux-- and the powder blue one with the ruffled shirt they wore to the prom back in 1976 won’t cut it. Women should wear a fancy-shmancy cocktail dress or long formal dress.
Formal
In most cases this means a monkey suit for the man again. If the invitation is to an uber hip party, where trendy counts, a tux with an expensive shirt but no tie might be acceptable. For women, the same rules as Black Tie apply.
Black Tie Optional
This is Black Tie with an out for those who can’t afford a tux or can’t fit into the one they have anymore. Men should go with a dark suit if they’re sans tux. Women should wear a nice cocktail dress or long gown.
White Tie
For the ultra high class party, the invite might designate White Tie. If someone puts this on their invitation, they mean it. Men should wear a white tie and vest with their tuxedo and women should wear a long formal gown. No cocktail dresses.
Semi-Formal
Semi-Formal means men are free of the tuxedo requirement but should wear a nice suit. A dark colored suit is preferred for evening events. Women don’t have to trip over long formal gowns for this one-- a cocktail dress in the evening or a nice dress during the day will suffice.
Business Formal
Business Formal has the same rules as Semi-Formal for men, but women should opt for more business-appropriate attire like a well-tailored suit.
Cocktail Attire
Dark suits for him and that little black dress for her.
Informal
Don’t let this one fool you. It does not mean come as you are, ripped jeans and all. It’s just another way of saying men should wear a suit and women should wear a dress. Think Cocktail or Business Formal.
Dressy Casual
Men should choose nice slacks and a sports coat. Women should wear a dress or nice pants suit.
Business Casual
Men can drop the blazer if they want, but should still wear nice pants and an oxford-style shirt. Women can wear dresses or skirts as long as they’re not too short or a nice pair of pants and blouse.
Casual
Finally, you can take out those jeans. You shouldn’t wear the stuff you clean your yard with, but something clean and without too many holes will do. These are your running errands or going to the movie clothes.
More information at: http://www.weisstoyotanews.com/Articles/Dress_Descriptions/
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Coins Costing Taxpayers?
Federal government mints coins that nobody uses.
Presidential One Dollar Coins. Pretty dumb.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Can the Post Office Survive the Digital Age?
An article earlier this year asked, "Is email killing the post office?" Well, the post office is not dead yet, but it's not helping from the looks of it. The U.S. Postal Service doesn't have the money it needs to pay its bills, and email and the web are clearly major factors.
Can the post office survive the digital age?
A report from the New York Times is all but predicting the U.S. Postal Service's demise. "The agency is so low on cash that it will not be able to make a $5.5 billion payment due this month and may have to shut down entirely this winter unless Congress takes emergency action to stabilize its finances," the report says.
"If Congress doesn't act, we will default," Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe is quoted as saying.
When the subject was discussed , Bloomberg BusinessWeek had put out a lengthy report looking at the decline of the USPS and its contributing factors. While touching on email, it looked more at comparison of USPS performance versus that of FedEx, UPS and DHL, as well as their international counterparts.
Despite talk that social media might one day kill email, email has proven time and time again that it is still a vital part of the Internet. A report from Pew Internet recently found that email (along with search) is the top activity online adults engage in on the web - way more than social media (though that's growing significantly).
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Facial Recognition is Unreal
Do you think this technology will make the perpetrators think a bit before starting riots? Or maybe they don't think - that is the point.
This is the crowd before the riot in Vancouver. Put your cursor anywhere in the crowd and double-click a couple of times and then use the scroll button in the centre of your mouse to zoom in . . . all the way in.
You can zero in on one single face. The clarity is unbelievable.
This is the photo taken by Port Moody photographer Ronnie Miranda that appeared in our Tri-City News on Friday (24-June).
This is actually scary. You can see - perfectly - the faces of every single individual - and there were thousands!
Privacy? Just think what the police and the military have at their disposal.
http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html
Available for your credit union? Yes, indeed. Many financial institutions - banks, credit unions, investment organizations, etc. already use this technology. It's called "Facial Recognition." Do a search on Google.com using FACIAL RECOGNITION.
Also check out the following:
Credit union lauds facial search application
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application
Members 1st VP: 'It really improves your relationship with a police force'
MECHANICSBURG, Pa.—Does facial recognition technology work? For Chip McBreen, vice president of fraud and security services at Members 1st Federal Credit Union it does. “It’s allowed me to gather additional information that I might not know is out there,” he said. “In a strict date and time search, I’m looking for a specific event and that’s what I’m getting. With the addition of facial recognition, I’m able to do an enterprise-wide search, allowing me to gather evidence that I just didn’t know about.”
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application
This is the crowd before the riot in Vancouver. Put your cursor anywhere in the crowd and double-click a couple of times and then use the scroll button in the centre of your mouse to zoom in . . . all the way in.
This is the photo taken by Port Moody photographer Ronnie Miranda that appeared in our Tri-City News on Friday (24-June).
This is actually scary. You can see - perfectly - the faces of every single individual - and there were thousands!
Privacy? Just think what the police and the military have at their disposal.
http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html
Available for your credit union? Yes, indeed. Many financial institutions - banks, credit unions, investment organizations, etc. already use this technology. It's called "Facial Recognition." Do a search on Google.com using FACIAL RECOGNITION.
Also check out the following:
Credit union lauds facial search application
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application
Members 1st VP: 'It really improves your relationship with a police force'
MECHANICSBURG, Pa.—Does facial recognition technology work? For Chip McBreen, vice president of fraud and security services at Members 1st Federal Credit Union it does. “It’s allowed me to gather additional information that I might not know is out there,” he said. “In a strict date and time search, I’m looking for a specific event and that’s what I’m getting. With the addition of facial recognition, I’m able to do an enterprise-wide search, allowing me to gather evidence that I just didn’t know about.”
http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/credit-union-lauds-facial-search-application
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