Friday, May 09, 2008
THE SNOWBALL EFFECT...(Apr. E-News from 2SS.Com)
[[Contact:26]]
[[Company:25]]
Dear [[Salutation:40]],
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‘ E – N E W S from ‘
‘ 2SS.Com ‘
‘ Compiled and Edited by ‘
‘ Mailed on: 04/01/20019:22 PM Number 30 ‘
‘ Int’l Standard Serial No. - ISSN: 1523-3537‘
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‘ Find E-News promoted at Excite, MSN, ‘
‘ Yahoo, Ziff-Davis University and more. ‘
‘ Please share E-News with others who might be ‘
‘ interested. It’s your FREE first-of-the-month, fast ‘
‘ read, update on technology that aims to make a ‘
‘ difference for your organization. ‘
‘ In this issue (4 Items): ‘
‘ ================ ‘
‘ 1--THE SNOWBALL EFFECT ‘
‘ 2--QUESTIONS? ‘
‘ 3--PRODUCT WATCH - Tactex ‘
‘ 4--STRATEGIC-USEFUL-INTERESTING LINKS ‘
‘ 5--WHY SUBSCRIBE?, 2SS.Com & YOUR ‘
‘ SUBSCRIPTION. ‘
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‘ --------------------------Item One---------------------- ‘
‘ ‘THE SNOWBALL EFFECT’ ‘
‘ ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘
‘ In MILWAUKEE this last February, a civil ‘
‘ servant clutched a pistol-grip joystick while ‘
‘ monitoring global positioning systems, ‘
‘ temperature sensors and a computer. It could ‘
‘ have been a scene from NASA, or a high tech ‘
‘ military operation or even one of many high-tech ‘
‘ monitoring centers for a variety of businesses. ‘
‘ It was SNOW REMOVAL. For five states, ‘
‘ pushing snow has become a high-tech business ‘
‘ as they “soup up” their plows to clear roads faster, ‘
‘ better and more safely. (for more on this see ‘
‘ (www.msnbc.com/news/528692.asp?0na=2226231-)’
‘ The SNOWBALL EFFECT in the title of this issue ‘
‘ isn’t really about snow or even moving snow. ‘
‘ It’s about the SNOWBALL EFFECT of ‘
‘ technology in our lives. ‘
‘ In April of 2001 it’s true that every staff member ‘
‘ at the Volunteer Center of Sacramento has a PC ‘
‘ at their desktop and dedicated high-speed ‘
‘ access to surf and/or E-mail on the Internet. ‘
‘ It’s an accepted part of doing their job of ‘
‘ managing and placing volunteers. ‘
‘ Even our church (probably yours, too) is lamenting ‘
‘ its evolution. It’s moving from an era of ‘
‘ ‘volunteer support, toward realizing that its ‘
‘ dependence on technology is becoming too ‘
‘ great to allow folks who aren’t available ‘
‘ ‘on-demand’ to do the work of keeping the ‘
‘ church’s technology and www pages running.
‘ The message of the SNOWBALL EFFECT we ‘
‘ refer to here is clear. You know it already. ‘
‘ Information and its effective use is becoming a ‘
‘ strategic tool for doing everything from moving ‘
‘ snow to saving souls. ‘
‘ Does the way your business works reflect ‘
‘ what you know? Or are you waiting for the ‘
‘ snowballs? ‘
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‘ --------------------------Item Two----------------------- ‘
‘ QUESTIONS? ‘
‘ ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘
‘ WHAT HAPPENED TO E-NEWS? ‘
‘ In January we had an issue on “E-BRANDING?” ‘
‘ that may not have reached you due to an odd ‘
‘ E-Mail error that left us believing outbound ‘
‘ E-Mail was sent OK when in fact it was NOT! ‘
‘ Then in Feb. & Mar. we started preparing issues ‘
‘ including: ‘
‘ * 2SS.Com client requirements (we put out 4 ‘
‘ new systems and overhauled 3 more), ‘
‘ * Our new enterprise (some of you know the ‘
‘ details) began to blossom as www pages, ‘
‘ back-room operations and database ‘
‘ development began to converge, and ‘
‘ * Business 2001 detail planning (where your ‘
‘ editor was the Sacramento Metro Chamber
‘ volunteer chair) ‘
‘ Needless to say, these above items competed…..’
‘ with the time a ‘good’ issue would require…..’
’ So, it’s no ‘April fool’ that we’re ‘
‘ back, and we expect consistently, because ‘
‘ there’s a lot to share with you! ‘
‘ WHERE CAN I LEARN HOW TO REALLY USE ‘
‘ THE INTERNET? ‘
‘ After recently being asked that question at ‘
‘ 2SS.Com, we were at a loss and said so. Our ‘
‘ less-than-satisfactory recommendation was to ‘
‘ consider getting a book on the topic at a ‘
‘ computer store. ‘
‘ Fortunately, 2SS.Com client, Celeste Greeley, ‘
‘ didn’t take that advice. Instead she found and
‘ now recommends The Learning Exchange’s ‘
‘ “HOW TO FIND ANYTHING ON THE ‘
‘ INTERNET” with instructor Will Ellerby. In her
‘ words., “He teaches a strategic approach to ‘
‘ researching a topic with multiple search ‘
‘ avenues. [before the class] I spent an hour ‘
‘ trying to locate comprehensive information… ‘
‘ [to meet a specific requirement]. After the ‘
‘ class [I] found exactly what was needed in ‘
‘ less than 5 minutes!!! The instructor really ‘
‘ knows his stuff. He communicates well. It was ‘
‘ EXCELLENT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!” ‘
‘ WHERE CAN I GET HELP NOW!!!? ‘
‘ 2SS.Com has established a referral partnership ‘
‘ with www.ExpertCity.Com (just click on it) where ‘
‘ you can have technology experts bid on and ‘
‘ then generally guide you to a solution. Special ‘
‘ Expert City software (try it yourself at ‘
‘ www.GoToMyPC.Com where its about to be ‘
‘ released as a separate product offering) permits ‘
‘ your expert to directly see and if you wish take ‘
‘ control of your PC over the Internet. ‘
‘ WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ BUT HAVE NO ‘
‘ TIME to BUY, READ & DIGEST? ‘
‘ Take advantage of downloadable summaries ‘
‘ by some of the latest and greatest authors that ‘
‘ capture their thoughts on business-related ‘
‘ topics. Office.com is offering a free trial to ‘
‘ ‘The Business Source’ (A book summary service ‘
‘ that normally sells for $90). If you'd like to try ‘
‘ it go to… ‘
‘ http://www.thebusinesssource.com/odcrffriend.htm ‘
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‘ ---------------------Item Three------------------------- ‘
‘ PRODUCT WATCH ‘
‘ ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘
‘ MTC EXPRESS ‘
‘ ---------------------- ‘
‘ The MTC Express is a mouse-pad sized ‘
‘ multi-touch controller which is compatible with ‘
‘ Mac and PC platforms. It ships with an API ‘
‘ (application programming interface) which ‘
‘ allows developers to easily compose ‘
‘ applications that take advantage of raw ‘
‘ pressure data from the pad, or multiple ‘
‘ pressure sensitive pointers. ‘
‘ One early user is Arcadia, California-based ‘
‘ Midiman where they have a series of musical ‘
‘ products in development using the same ‘
‘ technology present in the MTC Express device. ‘
‘ TACTEX ‘
‘ ------------ ‘
‘ The Tactex touch pad $495 (available at ‘
‘ http://www.tactex.com/products.html ) was the ‘
‘ ‘Most Innovative Product of the Year’ award winner ‘
‘ at the National Association of Music Merchants. ‘
‘ The device’s sound-based applications peaked ‘
‘ the interest of some big name bands and music ‘
‘ engineers. Already, Tactex has sold several ‘
‘ hundred units of their leather touch pad via the ‘
‘ company’s WWW site. By year’s end it hopes ‘
‘ to be shipping tens of thousands! ‘
‘ Tactex president Rob Inkster anticipated that the ‘
‘ music community would be among the first ‘
‘ industries to utilize the technology. “Musicians ‘
‘ are tactile people, and this allows them to control ‘
‘ musical effects with their fingers, just like they ‘
‘ were playing a guitar. The next logical step will ‘
‘ be videogames in which the player can tell ‘
‘ characters to run, jump or fight …with more ‘
‘ intuitive, natural gestures than a joystick.” ‘
‘ Tactex envisions a future with couches that ‘
‘ allow you to write the number 7 on the arm to ‘
‘ change TV channels. Already the firm is dealing ‘
‘ with a major cell phone company to use their ‘
‘ smart fabric on the backs of phones. And, not ‘
‘ too surprisingly, Dreamworks Entertainment is ‘
‘ interested in the possibility of enabling graphic ‘
‘ artists to draw more subtle changes in their ‘
‘ animated characters by utilizing more delicate ‘
‘ finger controls ‘
‘ MICROSOFT OFFICE XP ‘
‘ ----------------------------------- ‘
‘ Microsoft’s newest edition of ‘Office’ includes ‘
‘ * Word 2002 ‘
‘ * Excel 2002 ‘
‘ * PowerPoint 2002 ‘
‘ * Access 2002 ‘
‘ * Outlook 2002 ‘
‘ * FrontPage 2002 ‘
‘ There will also be other versions that add ‘
‘ Publisher 2002 and SharePoint Team ‘
‘ Services, a Web-based collaboration tool. ‘
‘ New features in Office XP include a pastel- ‘
‘ colored interface, right-hand side windows for ‘
‘ (1) task-window-panes in applications and ‘
‘ (2) recently-used file lists. Enhanced Internet ‘
‘ integration includes disk and Web-based ‘
‘ searches and translation services. A new ‘Smart ‘
‘ Tag’ icon offers help and options when you ‘
‘ perform more complicated tasks. Just click the ‘
‘ tag (or press Shift-Alt-F10) to choose possible ‘
‘ actions for the affected text or graphic, or to turn- ‘
‘ off www-based automated changes. ‘
‘ Finally, Office XP includes early versions of ‘
‘ new features, like handwriting and speech ‘
‘ recognition (Early reviews report that they work ‘
‘ satisfactorily, but not quite like 2001’s HAL). ‘
‘ These features are targeted toward users who ‘
‘ can’t use keyboards. Also, new in this install is a ‘
‘ requirement to validate your installation over ‘
‘ the web, unless you are a corporate buyer. ‘
‘ Those who avoid validating will be warned that ‘
‘ their software will stop functioning after 50 uses. ‘
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‘ ----------------------Item Four-------------------------- ‘
‘ STRATEGIC-USEFUL-INTERESTING LINKS ‘
‘ ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘
‘ HOW ABOUT SOME $ FOR YOUR THOUGHTS? ‘
‘ 1. www.SurveySavvy.Com As members of ‘
‘ SurveySavvy.com, 2SS.Com routinely ‘
‘ participates in online surveys, which we are paid ‘
‘ for, whenever we can qualify and complete ‘
‘ them within their desired specifications. You
‘ can join, and can get paid when you participate ‘
‘ too! Begin by using the following link ‘
‘ www.SurveySavvy.Com and click on 'Join ‘
‘ SurveySavvy'. If this link doesn’t work ‘
‘ for you, just go to the SurveySavvy web site
‘ and register. I’d be pleased if you’d also note
’ that you were referred by [email protected]. ‘
‘ 2. www.CEOExpress.Com (another find from ‘
‘ 2SS.Com client, Celeste Greeley-see above) ‘
‘ is a site of, by and for busy CEO’s. Go there ‘
‘ to find a wide array of well organized business ;
‘ information. ‘
‘ 3. http://www.geocities.com/~acunu/ is the site ‘
‘ of the UN’s Global Futures Studies & ‘
‘ Research and MILLENNIUM PROJECT. It’s ‘
‘ almost as interesting as Mr. Jerry Glen who ‘
‘ was recently in town to speak at Sac State. ‘
‘ His topics included the project’s vast and ‘
‘ highly complex objectives and progress. ‘
‘ 4. www.GanttHead.Com In their own words, ‘
‘ “GanttHead.Com will help you find everything ‘
‘ you need for managing your project. ‘
‘ Developed BY project managers FOR project ‘
‘ managers.” ‘
‘ 5. www.QuickBase.Com by Intuit (makers of ‘
‘ Quicken and QuickBooks) have been getting ‘
‘ great reviews for this Internet-based data ‘
‘ management tool. It includes many samples ‘
‘ and templates to address a variety of needs. ‘
‘ You can follow one of the links below and, ‘
‘ best of all, get started with up to 2GB of storage
’ for NO cost. Just click on a sample below: ‘
‘ *Small Business Samples* ‘
‘ Contact Manager Asset Tracker ‘
‘ *Corporate Workgroup Samples* ‘
‘ Issues List Project Manager ‘
‘ *Nonprofits & Clubs Samples* ‘
‘ Fundraiser Manager Event Planner ‘
‘ Team League Schedule and Standings ‘
‘ More... ‘
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‘ -------------------------Item Five----------------------- ‘
‘ WHY SUBSCRIBE? ‘
‘ 2SS.Com & YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ‘
‘ ------------------------------------------------------------- ‘
‘ Maybe the best reason to subscribe is ‘
‘ the ‘E-News Strategic Technology ‘
‘ Advisory Panel’, a growing list of ‘
‘ professionals in a variety of disciplines ‘
‘ who have agreed to: ‘
‘ 1--Review each month’s issue in ‘
‘ advance of its release. ‘
‘ 2--Contribute year-round from their ‘
‘ respective areas of specialization. ‘
‘ 3--Accept your strategic systems ‘
‘ technology questions. (This is a free ‘
‘ EXTRAORDINARILY CONVENIENT, ‘
‘ multi-discipline resource available to you.) ‘
‘ Computer Hardware and Software ‘
‘ Acquisition, Service and Repair by ‘
‘ Ron Ellis of 2SS.Com. ‘
‘ Accounting and Financial expertise inclu- ‘
‘ ding Audit, Tax and General Business ‘
‘ Consulting by David Ljung, Principal at ‘
‘ Gilbert Accountancy Corporation. Visit ‘
‘ them at www.GilbertCPA.com. ‘
‘ Perspectives from a long-tenured, technically ‘
‘ savvy and top-notch MIS Director Morris ‘
‘ Slocum of Emergency Physician Billing ‘
‘ located in Oklahoma City, OK. ‘
‘ Human Resources expertise, including ‘
‘ problem employees, policy and procedures, ‘
‘ and customized training by B.J. Flora of . ‘
‘ B.J. Flora Associates. ‘
‘ Computer network design, implementation, ‘
‘ maintenance and support by Ron Ellis, ‘
‘ Managing Director of 2SS.Com. ‘
‘ Computer and printer rentals of all ‘
‘ types by Rick Randall, President of ‘
‘ RenTech Computers. Visit them at ‘
‘ Corporate and professional skill training ‘
‘ by Ann McCandless, Owner and founder ‘
‘ of Computer Assistance. Visit them at ‘
‘ Strategic Planning, turnarounds, marketing ‘
‘ analysis, and litigation support by Peter H. ‘
‘ Michael, President of The Michael Consulting ‘
‘ Group. Visit them at www.mcgmcg.com. ‘
‘ Internet WWW authoring, database ‘
‘ development and connectivity by ‘
‘ Michael Nelson, President of SacWeb.. ‘
‘ Visit them at www.SacWeb.Com. ‘
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‘ you with timely and interesting ideas ‘
‘ that help you identify and implement ‘
‘ strategic systems. You can SUBSCRIBE FREE ‘
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‘ for technologies that interest you, please ‘
‘ send a message to [email protected] . ‘
‘ (A sample issue is available by fax or by mail ‘
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‘ Please advise us of any changes to our ‘
‘ current contact data for you. It is: ‘
‘ Contact: [[Contact:26]] ‘
‘ Company: [[Company:25]] ‘
‘ Title: [[Title:46]] ‘
‘ Address: [[Address 1:27]] [[Address 2:28]] ‘
‘ City: [[City:30]], State: [[State:31]] Zip: [[Zip:32]] ‘
‘ Phone: [[Phone:35]] Fax: [[Fax:36]] ‘