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.
Apple’s new iMac G5 was unveiled today at the Apple Expo in Paris. c|net is calling it “Apple Computer’s fall fashion statement.” I’m calling it an ode to the iPod. The iMac G4’s desk-lamp-stuck-into-a-Hostess-Snowball rig has been jettisoned in favor of a clean one piece design that mimics the iPod’s look and feel. While I […]
It’s that time of year. When the kids go back to school each fall, the kids that are done going to school start to think about student loan consolidation. Scary yes, but somebody has to pay those bills. When I started seeing ads for student loan consolidation pop up earlier this summer, it made me […]
There’s no more cost-effective way than email marketing
to reach a targeted group of people in a very short time. Whether
you’re running the marketing or public relations efforts for a soccer
[…]
“So what’s your web site?” comes the inevitable question. If you don’t have your own properly hosted web site these days, it’s almost as if you don’t have a business card. “In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” said Andy Warhol (who was certainly famous for more than fifteen minutes). Well, it […]
What’s a big company without a proper enterprise portal? a) a day without multiple sun sunshine, b) a home for under-informed employees, c) an enterprise portal-less entity, or d) all of the above? … tick tick tick … the correct answer is D! If you land in an enterprise portal-less planet, get ready […]
Auto insurance is one of those can’t live with it, can’t live without it slices of life. In most places you can’t own a car without insuring it. And if you can’t drive (in many of those same places), you can’t make a living. But while we’re all pretty much stuck with auto insurance, you […]
With today’s crop of recruiting software, the memories of filling out those tedious job applications by hand are but a thing of the past. Once a job prospect fills out an application online, the recruiting software kicks into high gear. The best recruiting software allows for pre-qualification based on job-specific questions. With the right software, […]
What is it about payday loans that makes them so popular? It’s fairly simple when you get right down to it. The payday loan companies feed on those folks that need instant money. The payday loan providers boast that their loans are fast, easy, and discreet, with the promise of no credit checks or faxing. […]
A good spam filter can be a good thing. A bad spam filter can be a very very bad thing. Overzealous spam filters kill legitimate email as they seek to deep six the bad stuff. My business email host recently put a pathetic two-stage spam filtering system in place. I’m miffed, to say the […]
E-mail monitoring is a touchy subject among employees and employers alike. Many employees feel that e-mail is a personal matter and that their employers have no right to take measures to monitor e-mail. On the other side of the fence, however, a great many employers believe that it is fully within their right to use […]
Want to make your digital images really pop in print? It’s time to get back to the Photoshop training basics! In the first two installments of our series on getting the most from your digital images in Photoshop, we focused on some basic scanning advice and provide a bit of background on highlights, shadows, and […]
The field of print on demand publishing has been hot for quite some time now. And for good reason … you stand to save a substantial amount of money by printing only the number of pieces you need at a given time. With print on demand, you only pay to print what you need when […]
The ergonomic seating situation in my home office needs to be rethought. Things have gotten a good bit busier here and I can’t get along with just my trusty old Aeron chair anymore. The only other chair in the room isn’t exactly a sterling example of ergonomic seating - far from it. A dilapidated ladderback […]
Plasma screen televisions are the coolest. They might not run the coolest, but man, plasmas sure look the coolest. I’ve wanted a plasma screen television since the very first time I saw one. I’m not positive what it was that first attracted me, but I’d reckon that it had to be the flatness of it […]
Want to cut your electric bill? Check into compact fluorescent bulbs! They save a dramatic amount of energy in the long run. After procrastinating for years, I’ve bitten the bullet and installed compact fluorescent bulbs in almost every light fixture here at Ranchero Indebto. And I’m reaping the benefits in more ways than one. Not […]
Need to get some business cards printed? When you mix the magic of the Internet with your favorite Windows desktop publishing and design applications you have a world of possibilities at your fingertips! In the old days, business card printing was primarily the realm of graphic designers, local print shops, and specialty printers. (And the […]
Do you crave wireless Internet access for your laptop while you are away from your home or office? The world of Wi-Fi hotspot Internet access is mushrooming, from the smallest cafe through the largest corporation. The good news is that there are scores of companies eager to provide Wi-Fi hotspots for wireless Internet access while […]
Having a current credit report can save you much grief and heartache. The trick is to get the credit report before you set out to make that major purchase. Whether you’re in the market for a computer, home, car, boat, or motorcycle - look into getting a credit report to ensure that everything’s in order […]
It�s t-shirt printing season! With summer in full swing, you can hear those t-shirt printing presses humming, cranking out loads of t-shirts for sports tournaments, company barbecues, and corner bars. T-shirts have become a universal symbol of good times and brand awareness. Let the person in charge of printing beware. The responsibility of printing of […]
For many companies, computer leasing is an important strategy. By leasing computers, you can conserve capital and reduce startup costs. Unlike outright computer purchases, computer leasing requires only a small initial outlay of funds. Payments are then made on a monthly basis, over a pre-specified term. Of course, there are both pros and cons to […]