More Cyber Monday tips

Taken from:

Here are three more tips

"4) Buy gift cards ONLY from sources you know and trust. Don’t buy cards from online auction sites -- the cards could be fakes.

5) Be stingy with your personal information, and use only secure sites. Don't email your credit card number, account number, or other financial information. Email isn't a secure way to transmit numbers

6) Don't give out your credit card or other financial information in exchange for an unsolicited “free” or “sale” offer of the newest tech gadget, a gift card, a seasonal job or a holiday vacation rental."

The internet is full of spams and potholes. Getting a $50 Wal-Mart gift card from an auction site for $20 may seem like a great deal until you find out it is a bogus offer - and somebody took your $20 and you can't use the gift card!!!

Look for the https - or similar indicator that the site is secure!!!

I don't look at the wonderful "offers" that frequently pop-up in the margin of sites. Some (and that is too many) are spam sites.

Cyber Monday hints / suggestions

Taken from:

http://oxford-ct.patch.com/articles/better-business-bureau-offers-cyber-monday-tips-poll

This article has twelve tips for shopping on line - explicitly for Cyber Monday, but also for other online shopping.

Here are the first three tips:

1. "Know who you're dealing with. Deal with well-known online sellers as much as you can. If you’re trying out a retailer you are unfamiliar with, at least confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number before you buy. It comes in handy if you have questions or problems later.
2. Know what you're buying. Read the seller's description of the product and (even though it can be painful), the fine print.
3. Check out the terms and conditions. Can you return the item for a refund if you're not satisfied? Who pays the shipping costs? Is there a restocking fee? Print and save records of your online transactions, including all emails to and from the seller."

(From 1 above) There are sites that imitate real sites. There are sites that imitate Amazon.com - and other major etailers. (Note - references exist for the terms "etailer" and "e-tailer" - meaning an electronic retailer company).

(From 2 above) And ... the descriptions online are generally good - but you need to do your homework.

(From 3 above) And ... for the third tip, do get the terms and conditions!!! My wife bought something online - and after it didn't come for a 'long' time, she checked out the conditions and found that they etailer had a note that it could be up to 90 days for delivery!!!

Cyber Monday historical perspective

About 12 years ago, "Cyber Monday" came into being. With the already famous "Black Friday" as the big kickoff to the Christmas / Holiday shopping season on the day after Thanksgiving, it was discovered that many people did a lot of their online shopping on the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Historical perspective:

Twelve years ago, many home users were using dial up technology (yes, remember that) like AOL online. While reading email and surfing the net were part of the AOL (and other) experiences, the speed wasn't really there.

So, many people did their shopping analysis - and then at WORK on the Monday after Thanksgiving, using their employers HIGH SPEED INTERNET, they went shopping - so "Cyber Monday" was the idea that when users could get to faster internet connection, they could go shopping on line.

In this day (2011) where most users have fairly high speed connections at home (with cable companies or with high speed DSL connections), dial up connectivity is pretty much dead. So, in reality, we can (and do) go shopping on line almost anytime. (My wife did a major shopping purchase online on "Black Friday" instead of going into the busy, crowded stores.)

So, the name "Cyber Monday" still exists - and many people will use their employers high speed internet today to go shopping; but it is not the same as the fight against dial up connections!!!

Gifts for the tech folks!!

Taken from:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45344179/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

While this article has ten interesting articles, I think the "Office Chair Bed" might be on my list!!! There are times when a quick ten minute nap might just keep me going for hours!!!

Google's Top Secret Lab

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221796/Top_secret_Google_X_lab_rethinks_the_future?source=CTWNLE_nlt_pm_2011-11-14

Seemingly Google is at work on many ideas - From: "The lab, dubbed Google X, gives researchers an opportunity to work on developing technologies that might lead to people riding elevators into space some day or have a dinner plate report one's dinner menu to Google+."

There are a lot of robotic research projects - including the robotic, unmanned car!!! (Imagine looking at the car coming towards you with no driver!!!).

I've wanted us to look at future ideas - what is now, will be old soon - technology keeps changing - and we need to anticipate the technology of the future and see how we can incorporate it into business for a competitive advantage.

iPad at work; Kindle at play

Taken from:

http://blogs.cio.com/tablet-pcs/16619/ipad-work-kindle-fire-play?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2011-11-14

The article suggests that the two tablets really do not compete all that well with each other. The iPad with the bigger screen (and huge leap in applications) can be more of a business machine. The Kindle Fire with the smaller screen - and with thousands (millions?) or electronic books is more for ebook reading and other activities.

The article notes that a huge number of people are planning on buying a tablet device for Christmas.

The tablet wars can be interesting!!!! Stay tuned!!!

Business Intelligence throws a party

Taken from:

http://www.information-management.com/blogs/business_intelligence_social_media-10021292-1.html

The blogger starts out with this statement:

"As much as we love to ruminate on the frontiers of transformational computing trends like big data or cloud, the field of information management has really become as much about observing the way people work as anything else. That has made it all the more interesting to watch social behavior begin to collide with the business application world."

I think that statement is an eye-opener. IT is really about how people work? Really? In some respects, YES!!! How do people use data, what data is relevant to them, how do they manipulate it, (and ... how does it manipulate them).

Google versus Apple

Taken from:

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/10/8739058-5-reasons-google-is-sweating-apple

In this interesting article - that (1) the Apple Siri search option on the iPhone 4.s will be taking away search revenue ad revenue from Google. (2)Apple is also developing a mapping application that would take away from the Google Maps; (3) Apple Television is coming along; (4) While Google Wallet is here, the new Apple shopping app might be a better and faster was to shop and (5) Apple has 80 billion - which can be used for research and development - while Google has recently laid off some R&D folks.

Taken from:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz17lbjOFn8

This video looks at Omni Touch!!! A wear-able - project on to any surface (including your hand). We (compute users) will probably be almost 'hardware' free in the future - any surface (or ... no surface at all with holograms)!!!

Another change of pace

This week saw the breaking of a scandal at Penn State. It raises the questions of ethics, reporting, and more.

Seemingly a person who saw the act performed reported it to Joe Paterno; who reported it to a higher level - and it stopped. Now, the question becomes - other than the perpetrator, who is guilty of the cover up? Should Joe have pressed it - and/or fired the assistant coach? Who else knew?

The end result to students might be to be ethical in all your actions - and remember - in these days of Facebook, Twitter, and all - actions (and videos) can go viral in a matter of minutes - and a lifetime of performance (like Joe Paterno) can be undone quickly - even if you did report the action.

The Internet of Things

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221614/Today_the_Internet_tomorrow_the_Internet_of_Things_?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2011-11-09

Just when I think I had an idea of most things, something like this comes along - the Internet of Things:

"This is an example of the widely predicted Internet of Things (IoT), where anything with intelligence (including machines, roads and buildings) will have an online presence, generating data that could be put to uses currently unimagined"

The article talks about a jogger with a GPS unit in his shoe during a five mile event. His girlfriend could see exactly where he was. (Just think .. .he could have put a webcam in his shoe as well to see the pavement!!!)

Another prediction: ""In the coming years, anything that has an on-off switch will be on the network". So, the household lights, toaster, microwave, TV, electric toothbrush, etc. can be on the network!!!

This might even lead to a total data overload!!! I can trace the light bulb in my office to see if it is dimming and needs replacing? (Of course, it is a compact fluorescent bulb - so it just might outlast me by years!!!!)

Tablet wars - Christmas 2011

Taken from:

http://gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/07/8682322-tablet-war-2011-nook-vs-kindle-vs-ipad

Barnes and Noble have a new Nook tablet - with more memory than the Amazon Fire - but at $50 more. The Fire is a hot buy at $199; way less than Apple iPad at $500. But, the iPad is much bigger than the Fire or Nook.

Will Amazon throw in additional items - or cut the price? Will Barnes and Noble also compete on the price? Will Apple ignore them? How about the others? The Samsung Galaxy is slightly bigger than the iPad and about $60 less. The Motorola Xoom is only $359.

What features do you want on your tablet? Is the most important feature that it says "Apple"?