E-Mail:

2005 February

Author Avatar

Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah Digital Music, Baby!

This brave new world of digital music just can’t be beat, daddy-o. I used to dream of having my own antique jukebox and for years, collected 45 RPM singles, waiting for that magic day. But as much as I’d still love to have a vintage Rockola, Seeburg, or maybe even a Wurlitzer, I’m really not […]

Author Avatar

ISPs: Time to Switch?

How satisfied are you with your current Internet Service Provider (ISP)? Would you be more likely to recommend them to a friend or to an enemy? If you’re still on dial-up, do you get busy signals or have other problems connecting? Do you get disconnected without rhyme or reason? Does your ISP crawl like molasses? […]

Author Avatar

Auto Insurance Shopping?

Rumor has it, you can save a considerable amount of money by shopping for auto insurance online. When I penned a short piece last summer about getting a great deal on your next auto insurance policy, my research was done in the real world–with an insurance agent, over hot dogs and hamburgers at a backyard […]

Author Avatar

Virtual Call Centers

Exactly what is a Virtual Call Center?
Well … no … it’s not what you get when you hook up the Matrix to a predictive dialer.Virtual call centers are largely in-bound in function. They’re a means to assemble a team of knowledge workers across real world boundaries–whether that’s across the corporate campus, the country, or the […]

Author Avatar

Blockbuster Gets Sued for ‘No More Late Fees’

I caught a tiny bit of flak from fringes of the gnomeosphere back in December when I wrote that Blockbuster takes me for an idiot. Well, gee … I guess I’m not alone. The Attorney General of the great State of New Jersey is going after Blockbuster for their “fraudulent and deceptive” advertising …

Author Avatar

Death, Taxes, and Ink Jet Cartridges?

This week’s piece on ink jet cartridges struck a chord. It seems that our universal love/hate relationship with the ink jet printer carries some heavy financial baggage. A couple of printing tips from the Gnomeosphere can help ease that pain in the wallet.

Author Avatar

Keeping Carpal Tunnel at Bay

Hands numb? Intense pain in your wrists? Would you know Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if you saw, er, felt it?

Author Avatar

Why I Ditched My Ink Jet Printer

I’ve unplugged my ink jet printer, quite possibly for good. I finally got sick and tired of paying out the nose for those expensive ink jet printer cartridges.

Author Avatar

The ABCs of ERP and CRM

What’s the difference between ERP and CRM?

Author Avatar

Scanners: One Size Doesn’t Fit All

You won’t see much in the way of true variety when you’re browsing the scanner aisle at the big box store. Oh sure, you’ll see all the usual brands … but what you won’t see are the specialized scanners …
Now I’m not putting down the big boxes. They stock what they can sell. There just […]

Author Avatar

Web Hosting - Storage Space and Bandwidth Explained

Web hosting is often a mysterious endeavor for the uninitiated. The learning curve can be steep and the process daunting. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a degree in physics to grasp the basics. But it does take some clear explanations. I fell short in that respect when I penned the piece on […]

Author Avatar

Driveway Alarm Systems Sound the Bell

Have you ever wanted to know when someone’s headed up your driveway? I know I do. That’s why I’m looking into a driveway alarm system. Whether it’s an invited guest or an unwanted visitor, a driveway alarm system will sound the proverbial bell long before they hit your front door …

Author Avatar

Cheap Domain Name Registration Pioneers

Who the heck is GoDaddy and why should I care?

Author Avatar

Six Sigma Explained

What is Six Sigma?
When I asked that question out loud back in September, I got a handful of replies.
The best of the bunch, by far, was from Gnomie Jeff … who wrote that he could explain Six Sigma in just one sentence:
“Six Sigma is a methodology for improving profitability through reduction of process variability.”
Now, having […]

Author Avatar

Embedded Systems

What’s the difference between an embedded reporter and an embedded system?
While the first term became firmly lodged in the modern lexicon during the early days of the war in Iraq, the only folks who understand embedded systems are true geeks.
Embedded systems are everywhere — from cars to appliances to hand-held devices.
Western Michigan University offers a […]

Author Avatar

Plasma Television Deals Ahoy

Looking for a great deal on a plasma television? With increasing downward pricing on plasma television prices, I see a raft of bargains just around the corner. How soon? It could start as soon as next week …

Author Avatar

Online Degree Due Diligence

Online degrees sound great … you can get your diploma in your spare time, all without leaving your seat. But the big question looms: is that online degree worth the paper on which it’s printed? Is the educational institution offering that online degree accredited by the proper agencies? The United States Department of Education has […]