Every weekday, our guide to the Web takes care of business, tackling tech topics that really matter to everybody. From topic definitions to topical rants, Dan Gray\’s pieces inform as much as they entertain.
My quest for a VOIP (Voice Over IP) phone system continues. When I wrote my first column on VOIP back in April, I thought it would be fun to include a little survey (via SurveyMonkey). It turned out to be a very cool thing to do … Lockergnome readers are the greatest readers in the […]
Computer recycling is a vital topic. Over the years, I’ve seen my computers become obsolete with disturbing frequency. With operating system and applications increasingly hungry for resources, planned obsolescence is the name of the game. In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have to worry about computer recycling … we’d simply upgrade the components as […]
Life insurance is one of those company perks that we tend to take for granted. Once it’s gone, you realize what you’re missing.
A while back, I wrote about letting my term life insurance lapse. I still feel bad about it, but then again, I’m still walking around, so I guess I’m ahead. For […]
Web conferencing is one of the most important technologies of our Internet age. Yet too few people take advantage of what web conferencing can offer. Unfortunately, many smaller companies consider the technology to be too expensive. But that’s not the case. While many of the larger web conferencing providers are focused on selling high-dollar solutions […]
What’s up with Spyware? Who are these devious companies and what do they think gives them the right to install that hideous stuff on my computer? Spyware does some nasty things and while we can all pine and whine and sit around and wait for the government to do something about spyware (and […]
I’m dreaming of a Lake Tahoe hotel. Not just any old joint, but a four diamond AAA place: Harrah’s Lake Tahoe hotel. And I’m not dreaming about going there any old time, oh no … I’m thinking of the weekend of September 30th through October 2nd, you got it: GNOMEDEX 4.0 … when […]
I pine to charter a private jet … especially after just getting back from Reno on a red eye early this morning. I spent what seemed like all night in the air (and in the airport). Seeing that there are no direct flights from Reno to Joisey, there are no alternatives other then spending half […]
You gotta love online degrees. Or not. The array of educational (and quasi-educational) institutions that offer online degrees never ceases to amaze me. It’s not hard to understand why the field of online education is so hot … folks are pressed for time and the institutions are happy to press for cash, er, provide the […]
I’ve written about payday loans a couple of times lately and I’ve been doing a good bit of reading about the subject of payday loans. But I’ve yet to read something that makes me comfortable with the practice. While a payday loan might help someone out, it’s just as likely to get someone else […]
LCD projector rental is a lifesaver for road warriors and internal presenters alike. Whether you need a LCD projector in a far flung locale or just some place local, renting the projector can be your ticket to presentation success. But you need to be careful about the contracts you sign … all LCD projector rental […]
It’s not hard to find Macromedia Flash Training — there are lots of different sources. But it can be tough to find the right kind of training. Some folks think that books are the best form of Flash training. Other folks feel that the best Flash training can only be had in a classroom setting. […]
If you need to bring a new stream of customers to your business, there’s no better place to start than the Internet. With lead generation one of the Web’s killer apps, it doesn’t take long to start bringing in a crowd. It’s entirely possible to start a basic Internet lead generation campaign in less than […]
Whether you’re selling your company’s services or shopping for a brand new ride, everyone loves a well-designed and nicely printed color brochure. And with the ubiquitous nature of the desktop computer, the ability to print color brochures has fallen into the hands of the masses.
Historically speaking, this hasn’t been the case for long …
The […]
I’m giving serious consideration to switching to a Voice Over IP (VOIP) telephone solution.
VOIP? While the acronym may sound frightening, it’s really quite simple: VOIP is a broadband phone service. With VOIP, your telephone calls take place over your Internet connection, rather the standard phone lines. Voice Over IP is strictly a high-speed technology, […]
It’s heart-warming to know that outsourced call center and outsourced IT workers in third-world countries can now work in cubicles and get paid acceptable wages derived from American corporations, at the cost of American jobs.
But here’s something to think about …
What happens when terrorist organizations infiltrate the overseas outsourcing companies? Are there […]
Spring at Ranchero Indebto means rain. And lots of it. Lots of rain, inevitably, means that I’ll start ranting and raving about basement waterproofing, again.
It seems like every time I think I have the handle on waterproofing my basement, a storm rolls through to dump three inches of rain on my parade. While […]
I’ve been thinking about this prepaid cell phone thing. While initially I was opposed to it, I’ve been wavering.
After my daughter ran up my wife’s cell phone bill with her incessant instant messaging, I was livid. Nevertheless, I kept my cool. That absurd $150 charge will buy us a whole lot of […]
Take a look at the calendar … this is the week to get that tax return done!
No matter how many times I promise (to myself) that I’ll get the tax return finished early, it always seems to come down to the first two weeks of April. And this year is no exception. […]
Call me crazy, but back in the days when all I had was a skinny little pipe, I used to dream about having a big fat T1 line run to ranchero indebto. I’d lay awake (or almost awake) at night, dreaming about the speed and freedom I’d have with a serious connection.
A T1 Internet […]
I love cheap domain name registration. Absolutely love it. When I have a wacky idea for a new domain name, I don’t hesitate. I register it. But it wasn’t always that way …
I recall an incident back in the tail of the boom days, when the Internet-fueled economy was still roaring along with […]