We’d like to publicly welcome our newest members of the Social Media Business Council: TiVo American Express Scholastic They’re joining the likes of Dell, Walmart, Nokia, SAP, GM and Coke – and more than 40 other fantastic, global brands – as members of the Social Media Business Council collaborating every day on how to create successful, scalable, and sustainable social media programs at large organizations. If you’re leading social media at a major enterprise, we’d love to have you join our family. Click here to learn more.
Social Media Business Council
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Social Media Business Council
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Welcome to the newest members of the SMBC: TiVo, American Express, and Scholastic!
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm -
Research: Social media users have stronger personal networks than non-users
5 Nov 2009 | 7:38 amWhile critics of social media often suggest that it results in emotional isolation and less social interaction, a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds the opposite. Their report, “Social Isolation and New Technology,” finds that people’s discussion networks (defined as “those with whom people discuss important matters) are 9% larger for users who share photos online and 9% larger for users of instant messaging applications. The study also found that those who use mobile phones and basic internet have more diverse “core… -
How Progressive is using Facebook to draw motorcyclists, promote hunger
4 Nov 2009 | 6:35 amCorporate Social Media Case Study: Progressive Progressive Insurance has developed a motorcycle community on Facebook that has attracted nearly 2,000 fans. The page, which periodically unveils new bikes, gives motorcyclists an opportunity to connect with friends, post comments, and upload pictures, many from this year’s Biketoberfest in Daytona. The company is also using Facebook to promote Corn for Kids, Progressive’s charity tour which is stopping at motorcycle rallies across the country collecting a suggested $1 donation per ear of roasted corn. Progressive is giving all the… -
Best Buy preps for a social holiday season
3 Nov 2009 | 6:35 amCorporate Social Media Case Study: Best Buy Best Buy has already begun preparing for the coming holiday season through various social media platforms. The company recently began advertising Twelpforce, a Twitter account staffed by more than 2,500 people providing immediate answers to consumer questions. Seven different new commercials are set to air in the near future in which the Q&A skits are set to Christmas carol melodies. Best Buy is also bringing the Christmas spirit to Facebook. The company profile includes a Gift Ideas tab, which allows users to post questions and comments about… -
Rubbermaid partners with popular blogger to engage young moms
2 Nov 2009 | 6:35 amCorporate Social Media Case Study: Newell Rubbermaid To reach and engage young moms online, Rubbermaid partnered with Leanne Ely, a popular author and nutritionist from the social community BigTent, who leads the popular group Saving Dinner. Rubbermaid conducted a complete kitchen makeover for Ely, who then blogged about the experience and offered Rubbermaid coupons to her 50,000 readers. “I wanted to be really sure that whatever they did, it was very clear that this was a paid sponsorship campaign,” said Jim Deitzel, Rubbermaid’s manager of e-marketing and brand…
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AccuQuote
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Saving you money for life tip: Reduce energy use
6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amEveryone seems to be “going green” these days, but it’s not just a trend that will pass. It’s a choice that not only helps the environment, but helps you save money too. And who doesn’t like to save... AccuQuote blog is brought to you by AccuQuote.com, a leading provider in term life insurance for people across the U.S. This blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable information from experts on the topics of insurance, financial planning and personal finance. -
Annuities can be useful savings tools
5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amIn today’s economy, saving is a much harder task to achieve. Whether it’s adding money to an emergency account or saving for retirement, the fact is you’re money probably isn’t growing as fast as you... AccuQuote blog is brought to you by AccuQuote.com, a leading provider in term life insurance for people across the U.S. This blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable information from experts on the topics of insurance, financial planning and personal finance. -
New AccuQuote Podcast!
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amNovember 4, 2009 What to look for in a policy illustration Description: When purchasing a life insurance policy there are so many things to consider, such as the price and features of the policy.... AccuQuote blog is brought to you by AccuQuote.com, a leading provider in term life insurance for people across the U.S. This blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable information from experts on the topics of insurance, financial planning and personal finance. -
It’s time to buy Return of Premium term life insurance
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amDid you know that there’s a great type of life insurance available right now that’s slowly being discontinued? It’s called Return of Premium (ROP) term life insurance and there’s no better time to... AccuQuote blog is brought to you by AccuQuote.com, a leading provider in term life insurance for people across the U.S. This blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable information from experts on the topics of insurance, financial planning and personal finance. -
AccuQuote earns spot on the 2009 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America
2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amEvery year Inc. magazine honors entrepreneurial companies that have shown evidence of significant accomplishments. This year, AccuQuote is represented among some of the most successful businesses in... AccuQuote blog is brought to you by AccuQuote.com, a leading provider in term life insurance for people across the U.S. This blog is dedicated to providing you with valuable information from experts on the topics of insurance, financial planning and personal finance.
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Allstate--All Things Wheels
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Hybrid Payback Calculator
13 Oct 2009 | 3:55 pmDOWNLOAD CALCULATOR HERENew car season is about to get into full gear and we can expect some interesting models on tap for 2010.If you’re thinking about buying a hybrid car, many shoppers debate if paying the extra money for the hybrid is worth it. Typically that “hybrid premium" needs to be balanced against the cost of gasoline during the time you own your car. When gas averaged over $4 a gallon, the decision was much easier; however, with gas around $2.60 we could go either way.Our handy Hybrid Payback Calculator does the heavy lifting for you. The calculator will determine how long… -
NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger's interview with Allstate
9 Sep 2009 | 9:04 amAt the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the Good Hands (SM) Community got a chance to ask AJ Allmendinger questions from the Good Hands (SM) Community.AJ answers your questions about:What led him to landing a ride in NASCAR (grew up around racetracks)The one race he would most like to win (Brickyard)What its like to race for Richard PettyThe one thing he'd do if he wasn't a race car driver (Comedian)Driving tips to share with everyday drivers (Always be alert)Driving habits that bug him on the racetrackA behind the scenes look at the cockpitCheck out other drivers interviewsElliott SadlerKasey… -
Zero Percent Financing vs. Cash Rebate Calculator
26 Aug 2009 | 9:42 amNew car season is right around the corner and we can expect some exciting cars to hit the market in 2010. We can also expect a blitzkrieg of ads offering us zero percent financing or a cash back rebate. How do you know which offer to take? They both sound great, but there’s a quick way to help you figure out which option you should choose with the Zero Percent Financing or Cash Back Calculator.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD CALCULATORThe idea is simple. If the total amount of interest paid over the life of the loan is greater than the amount of the cash rebate, 0% financing is a better…
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Allstate--Daily Spending
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Make the Most Out of Your Money
2 Nov 2009 | 11:31 amMake the most out of your money with seven solid ways to move towards your financial goals.Related Articles How to Make a Plan You Can Stick to Finding More Money for Savings 8 Ways to Get out of Debt Is All Debt Bad? 1. What is your financial goal?It’s easy to adopt other people’s goals as your own—especially when you hear about them over and over. What matters most to you? Letting go of those things you didn’t feel strongly about in the first place will leave more money to support your true values and life goals. 2. Think creatively for ways to reach your financial goal. So you did… -
Calculator to Help Estimate How Small Purchases Can Add Up Over Time
5 Oct 2009 | 12:25 pmCalculator - Do Small Purchases Add Up – Click to Here Download Steps -
Making Your Life Easier – Use Online Tools for Automatic Budgeting
25 Aug 2009 | 9:46 amCreating a budget is relatively easy. I can look through old bank statements and cancelled checks and get a decent estimate of how much I spend a month, but inevitably, I’ll always forget the $10 I spent on a movie and the $2 on parking. Over the course of a month, $5 here and $10 there can really add up. But, like I said, creating a budget is the easy part. Managing it and sticking to it are the hard parts.Why Do Budgets Fail?Sticking to a budget often fails for a variety of simple and explainable reasons. 1. Forgetting to account for unplanned expenses2. Inability to track a…
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Allstate--Personal Finance
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401(k) Plan Loans — Think Twice
19 Oct 2009 | 11:35 amWhen you need to borrow money to pay a big expense, taking a loan from your 401(k) plan may seem like a good idea. With a 401(k) loan, you are essentially borrowing from your own account rather than from a bank or other lender. Although the loan may be relatively easy to obtain, you’ll want to take a closer look before you decide to go ahead with it.Benefits of a 401(k) LoanOn the plus side, a 401(k) loan can be cost effective. Instead of paying the high interest rates that credit cards typically charge, frequently you can get a much lower rate from your 401(k) plan. In addition, all… -
Life Insurance Myths – Get the Facts & Protect What Matters Most: Part 3
2 Oct 2009 | 12:00 pmSeptember is Life Insurance Awareness Month. We are writing simple posts to debunk some of the myths people may have about life insurance.Check out part one & part two of this three part series Myth 7: If I get a term life insurance policy, I can't convert it to permanent or whole life insurance policies.Fact: It is possible to convert a term life insurance policy into a permanent policy, called a term conversion for some policies; however, you should expect an increase in premium. The benefit to you is that you don’t have to submit evidence of insurability again. Many people like… -
Life Insurance Myths – Get the Facts & Protect What Matters Most: Part 2
29 Sep 2009 | 11:34 amSeptember is Life Insurance Awareness Month. We are writing simple posts to debunk some of the myths people may have about life insurance.Check out part one of this three part series.Myth 4: I have a life insurance policy through my job. If I take another job or lose my job, I can take the policy with me.Fact: Typically, your group life insurance purchased through an employer isn't portable - meaning if you leave your job, you probably can’t take your insurance protection with you. However, if you own an individual life insurance policy, leaving your job will have no effect on your…
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Analog Devices
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Using Isolated RS-485 in DMX512 Lighting Applications
3 Nov 2009 | 10:41 amTheatrical lighting applications have evolved from lanterns in open-air theatres into the more complex systems available today. Modern lighting equipment includes dimmers, flashing lights, moving lights, colored lights, and gobos. These lighting systems are often controlled over long distances—up to 4000 feet—using the DMX512 communications protocol. -
Synchronizing Device Clocks Using IEEE 1588 & Blackfin Embedded Processors
3 Nov 2009 | 10:40 amIEEE 1588 defines a protocol to synchronize distributed clocks on a network. The preferred clock synchronization method for many applications, it is cost-effective, supports heterogeneous systems, and provides nanosecond-level synchronization. The ADSP-BF518 Blackfin® processor includes dedicated hardware support for IEEE 1588. This article shows clock synchronization performance obtained using this solution. -
Automobile Tail Lamp and Brake Lamp Controller
6 Oct 2009 | 11:53 amLight emitting diodes (LEDs) are recently finding uses in automobiles, where they provide signaling, daytime running lights, and interior lighting. As this technology hits the road, manufacturers continue to investigate new ways to apply it, taking advantage of the styling possibilities afforded by LED headlights and taillights. -
Isolation in High-Voltage Battery Monitoring for Transportation Applications
6 Oct 2009 | 11:47 amBattery stacks for transportation can provide hundreds of volts. These high voltages can prove lethal to human beings—and even lower voltages can damage electronic equipment—so safety is a key concern. Although these stacks are inherently dangerous, they must still communicate with the cell monitoring electronics. Galvanic isolation is thus required to make the communications method safe and reliable. -
Phase Response in Active Filters, Part 2: Low-Pass and High-Pass Responses
1 Sep 2009 | 12:04 pmThe transfer function of an active filter can be viewed as the cascaded response of the filter transfer function and an amplifier transfer function. This article examines the phase shift of the filter transfer function itself. While filters are designed primarily for their amplitude response, the phase response can be important in applications such as time delay simulation, cascaded filter stages, and especially process-control loops.
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Avaya
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Social Media and Enterprise Communications
3 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmI attended the 140 Characters, Exploring The State of Now conference in LA last week. It was a "non-techie" type of conference and for that reason alone it was a very different experience, yet very relevant to Avaya and the Future of Communications. You may ask, why would someone from Avaya R&D attend a conference like this? Two reasons; my interest in social media as a new and highly popular mode of communication, and my passion for integrating social media with Avaya business communications systems that are in use in businesses today. I was invited to be a member of the Tuesday panel… -
The Tipping Point and Your Contact Center
3 Nov 2009 | 5:39 amBack in the year 2000, Malcolm Gladwell published his landmark book called The Tipping Point. And little did he know 9 years later he would have set the stage for how many Contact Centers handle Social Media? Let me explain … Many of the most Socially advanced Contact Centers today are using tools to listen in on Conversations. Conversations that are happening about their brand, conversations that are happening about their competition, and of course conversations that revolve around Customer Support! Customer Support makes for an easy anchor of any good Social Media strategy so it stands to… -
Reflecting on Nashville - in a Tennessee Whiskey kind of way
31 Oct 2009 | 8:26 amThose of you who follow such things will know that Avaya recently held its annual Sales Conference at the epicentre of country music; Nashville, Tennessee. As I was travelling from Australia – a journey that took about a day in the air no less, I thought it wise to arrive early and do my best to get into the time-zone. Perhaps catch up on a bit of sleep the following day of my arrival so I would be at my freshest and keenest as I sat through the key-note addresses of Messrs Kennedy and Abbott – not to mention the insights from the other leaders of this great company… I think that idea… -
My Bags Are Packed and the Taxi's Here...
30 Oct 2009 | 9:52 amThis week leading up to the VoiceCon show has been one of the busiest of the year for me. I've spoke to a wide number of DevConnect partners this week about their solutions and how they link to Avaya's new and existing offers. I've blogged about some of these partners in previous posts, and before I board my flight to San Francisco, I want to mention two other Platinum DevConnect partners I'll be visiting with at the show. First up - Acme Packet (booth #401), who'll be demonstrating their Net-Net OSE, a software-based Session Border Controller. As more and more Avaya customers migrate to SIP… -
Measure Twice, Cut Once
30 Oct 2009 | 8:42 amEvery carpenter or seamstress knows the adage "Measure twice, cut once." And if you've been involved in a converged network migrations, you probably have your own variation of this, covering your need to measure and assess your data network infrastructure and voice usage before you implement and migrate your voice traffic to IP. Let's call it "Measure twice, implement once". Earlier this week, I had a chance to talk with Integrated Research, a Platinum DevConnect partner, and they made a very profound observation to me. It's not enough to simply measure and assess voice and data usage before…
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The Official Blackberry Blog
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BlackBerry App World: Everything you wanted to know and weren’t afraid to ask (Part Two)
The Inside BlackBerry commenting system suffered through an error over the weekend, making it impossible for our dear readers to submit new questions in response to part one of my Everything you wanted to know about BlackBerry App World™ post. Thankfully, I was able to "surf the Internet" and find some BlackBerry App World questions that need answering. Thank you, Internet! I've read lots of questions from BlackBerry® smartphone users about when BlackBerry App World will be available in their countries. I can't give out dates or country names, but I can tell you that BlackBerry App… -
BlackBerry App World: everything you wanted to know and weren’t afraid to ask (Part One)
It's time once again for more BlackBerry App World™ goodness! My goal today is to answer a variety of BlackBerry App World-related questions submitted by you, the readers, as well as a few gleaned from the MyBlackBerry community. In future posts we'll walk through BlackBerry App World and BlackBerry App World web store features to maximize your app searching experience. Let's get started! Note: Comment error has now been fixed on this post. Get commenting! We'd love to hear your feedback. Help! BlackBerry App World does (insert issue here) when I (insert action here). I have a (insert… -
Meet BlackBerry Storm2 Product Manager Yasser Mirza
Touch screen BlackBerry® smartphone fans will soon have a new family member to welcome with the announcement of the BlackBerry® Storm2™ smartphone. While there are great resources on BlackBerry.com to learn more about the new BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone, I thought you would be interested to get some information straight from the source: Yasser Mirza, Product Manager for the BlackBerry Storm2 smartphone.Who are you and what do you do?I'm a CDMA Handhelds Product Manager, which means it's my job to work with the various engineering, marketing, and business groups to help identify, plan and… -
5 BlackBerry Safety Tips to Protect your Personal Information
Hello world! My name is Alex M. and I'm a Security Product Manager at Research In Motion (RIM). My job is to make sure that folks like you and me are safe when we use a BlackBerry® smartphone. What do I mean by "safe"? Security is about letting the good guys in and keeping the bad guys out. Sounds simple, right? Just don't tell that to my boss. =DBlackBerry smartphones come with a huge set of built-in security features, but how do we use them and what do they really do? Those are the questions I'll be trying to answer with every post. Let's start from the beginning: protecting your personal… -
BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac OS: v1.0.1 now available!
In case you haven't heard the news, the first update to our BlackBerry® Desktop Software designed for the Mac OS platform is now available. The last two weeks since the release of BlackBerry Desktop Software v1.0 have been very exciting and we received lots of great feedback. It was also very exciting to hear how great the product works for so many of you. The v.1.0.1 update is designed to provide enhancements to data and music sync and is just the first in a series of planned updates. We value your feedback and comments very much so please keep them coming!Download BlackBerry Desktop…
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Cisco
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FAQ on Virtual Computing Environment
5 Nov 2009 | 12:57 pmCisco’s recent announcement of the Virtual Computing Environment Coalition received quite a lot of buzz in the media and social web. So we got Gary Moore, Cisco’s SVP of Advanced Services, and Chuck Hollis, EMC’s Global Marketing CTO, to address some of our most frequently asked questions. They answer the following: 1) How does Virtual Computing Environment Coalition affect Cisco’s UCS offering? How does Vblock differ from UCS?2) How will the Coalition help to deliver benefits to smaller… -
Cisco Q1 FY2010 Earnings Results and Video Highlights
4 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmWatch Cisco EVP and CFO Frank Calderoni discuss the highlights of our Q1 FY2010 View our earnings press release here -
VIDEOS: Virtual Computing Environment Coalition
3 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pmWhat would an announcement from Cisco be without VIDEO? To tell you a bit more about our Virtual Computing Environment (VCE) coalition that we announced today with EMC and VMware, we went to Mark Fulghum, Cisco Vice President of Data Center Solutions and asked him to talk about how VCE addresses the challenges of pervasive virtualization and private cloud computing. We also asked key thought leaders Savvis CTO Bryan Doerr and Purdue University CIO Gerry McCartney to discuss VCE. -
Cisco, EMC, VMware = Virtual Computing Environment Coalition
3 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amTo say that it has been busy at Cisco these past several weeks would be an understatement. We’ve announced some acquisitions recently, we announce Q1’10 earnings tomorrow, and, in the “WAIT, there’s more!!” category, today, we announce our Virtual Computing Environment Coalition with EMC and VMware. Rather than giving you the tick-tock on today’s exciting announcement, I thought I’d let our CEOs quote in the press release sum it up for you. “Today’s announcement addresses our customers’ greatest challenges and opportunities in… -
Cisco Announces Agreement to Acquire DVN Set-Top Box Business
2 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pmCisco today announced a definitive agreement to acquire the set-top box business of DVN (Holdings) Limited. Listed in Hong Kong with major operations in China, DVN is a market and technology leader in digital cable solutions in China and shares Cisco’s vision of a high-performance, scalable and services-rich cable interactive platform extending into every home. In addition to the acquisition, Cisco has entered into a go-to-market alliance with the remainder of the DVN organization in order to utilize the company’s middleware and advanced applications as well as…
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The Coca-Cola Company
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Spotlight On The World Of Coca-Cola - Airline Cooler
6 Nov 2009 | 8:27 amFor our World of Coke spotlight this week, I wanted to both highlight the artifact and the reason we chose it for the museum. I have blogged in the past about Delta Airlines and the early cardboard cooler used to serve Coca-Cola. By 1942, those coolers were replaced by the stainless steel coolers we now call "airline coolers." These distinctively shaped coolers were made to fit compactly on the aircraft.While most of the coolers were painted red, some, such as the one in the photograph to the left, were produced as all stainless steel. All were embossed with the Coca-Cola… -
New Look For Blog
4 Nov 2009 | 7:00 amAfter more than a year with the same design for the blog, we are about to make some changes this week to both the layout and the way we organize the content. The overall goal of the blog to provide insights into the role of Coca-Cola in pop culture and collectibles has not changed.We recognize that many people find our blog while looking for information on the value of their collectibles. While I have periodically posted that we can not evaluate all the items submitted, we have contributed quite a few post with information and resources for the collecting community. We will now have a… -
Cooking With Coca-Cola - Mixologist Greg Best
3 Nov 2009 | 12:08 pmThe second of our Cooking with Coke videos features Mixologist Greg Best of Holeman & Finch Public House in Atlanta. Greg's drink recipes have been featured in GQ Magazine and his Southern Cola was named one of the 10 best drinks in America. Download Coca-Cola Drink Recipies - Southern Cola Enjoy the demonstration and make sure to visit next Tuesday for the next creation. -
CNBC Special - "The Real Story Behind The Real Thing"
2 Nov 2009 | 11:28 amWe have been working the past several months with CNBC on one of their original programs, "The Real Story Behind The Real Thing." The CNBC crews were given unprecedented access to the Archives and conducted an interview with me surrounded by our paintings. We also provided vintage films and photographs. If you have ever wondered what the Archives storage space looks like, here is your chance to get a glimpse inside. This one hour special on The Coca-Cola Company will air on November 11 at 9PM. Keep an eye out for your favorite collectible during our segment. -
Congratulations to Chef Linton Hopkins
30 Oct 2009 | 2:11 pmI hope that you have had the opportunity to watch the first of the "Cooking with Coca-Cola" videos we posted on Tuesday. The video features Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House preparing a salad with a Coca-Cola balsamic dressing.We were excited to learn yesterday that Restaurant Eugene was named the Atlanta Journal Constitution 2009 Restaurant of the Year. What a great and well deserved honor for Chef Hopkins and his staff.
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Dell--Direct2Dell
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Adamo XPS: Thin, Elegant and More
6 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmYou might have seen some of the online buzz about the Adamo XPS on sites like Gizmodo, CNET and Engadget since our recent announcement. I wanted to take moment and provide some insight into this addition to our Adamo product line-up. Like Lionel mentioned, the Adamo brand has always been about providing cutting-edge innovation, premium design, craftsmanship, and luxury to the high-end consumer. This started with the original Adamo Thirteen which utilized authentic materials throughout including an aluminum frame and glass display assembled with Swiss watch-like craftsmanship. With… -
The Clipper Group: Simplifying the SMB IT Experience
6 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amToday I would like to share the following article, Dell Expands the Data Center Options, which discusses the importance of simplifying the SMB IT experience. SMB datacenters have the same requirements from large data centers to remove complexity and make simple the IT process. This article does a great job presenting how well Dell is working to address these requirements from a SMB perspective. SMBs need to improve efficiency with more flexible and agile data center requirements, while controlling the costs. With our newest enterprise offerings – servers, storage, software and… -
ATI CrossFireX – Dual 1GB ATI Radeon Mobility HD 4870 with GDDR3 memory
4 Nov 2009 | 11:01 amA few days ago I ran across an interesting thread on notebookreview.com, where Alienware customers noted some confusion regarding the graphics memory on the ATI HD 4870 in the Alienware M17x. Some folks were reporting that their invoices listed the memory as GDDR5 instead of GDDR3, and were wondering which memory was actually on the card. Just to clear up any remaining confusion, the card definitely has GDDR3, *not* GDDR5. While we’ve taken steps to correct the invoicing error, I hit up some folks from our engineering team to provide more detailed information on the… -
OPI Colors Now Available in Dell Design Studio – That’s La Paz-itively Hot!
3 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amAs you may have read, Dell has partnered with the color experts at OPI to bring 26 classic nail polish colors to the Dell Design Studio. Starting today, you can personalize your Dell Studio, Inspiron or Mini laptop with your favorite OPI color at Dell.com, whether for yourself or a holiday gift for the color lover in your life. Many of OPI’s top selling colors including I’m Not Really a Waitress, Big Apple Red, Princesses Rule!, Louvre Me Louvre Me Not, Cajun Shrimp and Green-wich Village are now available. Looking for something bright? Check out Need Sunglasses? yellow, In… -
What You Need to Know About the Windows 7 Upgrade Process
30 Oct 2009 | 2:45 pmIt’s been a busy time since Windows 7 launched last week. Many customers who bought systems after June 26 have registered for upgrade kits to move from Vista to the of Windows 7. So many, in fact, that we've had to address performance issues on the Windows 7 upgrade site. We've also recently corrected an issue that was causing incorrect ship date information in some cases. Update: I heard from customers like Direct2Dell reader johnkett, shf doc and a couple of others that they could not get beyond documenting their current version of Vista during the registration…
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Dell--Inside Enterprise IT
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Betfair Places its Odds on Dell With Windows 7
5 Nov 2009 | 7:02 amLast week we experienced one of the most significant and exciting launches from Microsoft… the release of Windows 7! As part of the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP), Dell consultants worked with a number of customers during their testing and implementation of both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. At Betfair– home of the world’s biggest betting community – robust IT is crucial. Staff at the firm process six million transactions every day; that’s more than the combined total of the European stock markets. Security and high availability are… -
Virtualization Déjà Vu
4 Nov 2009 | 8:15 amI remember riding in the car which a bunch of teenagers a few months ago when the Seether song “Careless Whisper” came on the radio. They loved it - so edgy, such a great sound. Ugh, really? Had they never heard of Wham? George Michael? I’d like to forget the 80s sometimes, too, but please. How could those kids think that song was an original? Don’t even get me started about Limp Bizkit covering “Faith” … blasphemy. It happens in music, and it happens in IT -- and it appears to have happened this week. The recent VCE announcement from… -
Learning About Cloud Storage From Nirvanix’s Geoff Tudor
29 Oct 2009 | 5:00 amOn Friday I grabbed lunch with Geoff Tudor, SVP of business development and co-founder of Nirvanix . After they cleared the plates I talked to Geoff about what Nirvanix does and where he saw cloud storage heading. (Please visit the site to view this media) Some of the topics Geoff tackles: Providing cloud storage for the enterprise from five data centers around the world that are pooled and presented as one large global file server. The Nirvanix “secret sauce”: the file virtualization layer that sits on top of pooled/virtualized commodity storage. How Nirvanix’s… -
Windows 7 Arrives for Large Enterprise Customers - What Is Your Migration Plan?
28 Oct 2009 | 5:00 amThe day that many of us have been waiting for has come: the official launch of Microsoft Windows 7 and general availability (GA) for consumer customers. What this means is that PC manufacturers like Dell can begin shipping systems with Windows 7 on them. Of course, large corporations and other enterprises have had beta programs in place for some time now so last week's announcement was very much focused on consumers' use of Windows 7. Microsoft hosted events in New York and elsewhere, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer himself spent more than five minutes with Matt Lauer on The Today… -
Gartner’s Bittman: Private Cloud’s Value as Stepping Stone
27 Oct 2009 | 2:38 pmYesterday Gartner distinguished analyst Tom Bittman, who covers cloud computing and virtualization, posted some thoughts and observations from the Gartner Symposium in Orlando. Private Cloud-o-maina Based on Tom’s observations, private cloud (however defined) seems to have captured the hearts and minds of IT. Before he began his talk on virtualiztion he did a quick poll asking how many in the audience considered private cloud computing to be a core strategy of theirs. 75% raised their hands. While not overly scientific, that’s a pretty big number. Little…
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Dell--TechCenter
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Dell Repository Manager Demos
5 Nov 2009 | 1:16 pmI'm a big believer in simple tools with flexibility to create solutions for your needs. As a technical person I find nothing more satisfying than hacking a piece of code to create a unique solution. Dell Repository Manager allows you to create custom repositories that contain the Dell Update Packages (DUPs) which are then exported to either an ISO file of a lightweight deployment script for Windows or Linux. I've created two demos that show both. The first one is an overview of the product and shows exporting to lightweight script for use in Windows. In the second demo I… -
SAN HQ 2.0 First look
28 Oct 2009 | 11:35 amIf you are already a part of the EqualLogic fan base, hopefully you downloaded a free copy of SAN HQ 1.0 off the support site. Less than a year after introducing an already great product (free to customers on support I might add), Dell EqualLogic is getting ready to debut the second version, likely before the end of the year. SAN HQ 2.0's interface is still as snappy, informative and intuitive as the previous generation, with some added capabilities: Packaged Reports -- "Top 10" reports such as Top 10 Busy Volumes, Top 10 Hosts by Connection, and more. … -
Solutions by Engineers for Engineers Present Dell Design Principles for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V
27 Oct 2009 | 1:41 pmMeet Ryan Weldon, Dell Virtualization Solutions Engineering Hyper-V lead. He is helping Dell simplify IT with best practice for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V in Dell’s solution stack. He has put together a wiki page at the Dell TechCenter on a Hyper-V R2 lab configuration describing networking best practice recommendations for a Hyper-V R2 environment built on Dell. The design best practices are based on: Redundant hardware to eliminate a single point of failure Load balancing and failover for iSCSI and virtual machine traffic Redundant paths for… -
Boot from iSCSI – We’d like your $.02
22 Oct 2009 | 2:13 pmOur storage interoperability lab team is taking a look at updating a boot from iSCSI document found here. If you consider the possible scenarios (four different supported array types and multiple supported server/NIC combinations across the supported OS's (W2K3, W2K8, W2K8R2, RHEL, SLES) you start to get a feel for the challenge of creating and maintaining up to date content across all potential Dell supported configurations. That’s where you come in. The Interop team would love to hear your real world datacenter management perspectives on this. What configurations do you… -
The Search for SANity: Comparing FCoE and iSCSI
21 Oct 2009 | 9:09 amFor those of you who would enjoy a little balance to all the FCoE buzz in the industry, let me introduce you to Robert Winter and Gaurav Chawla - two of Dell's strategic engineers in this space. Read below for their take on the realities of FCoE. Thanks again, guys. Robert Winter Gaurav Chawla FCoE has been positioned by some as a future primary data center fabric and by others as simply a transitional technology. We believe that the ultimate position of FCoE will probably be somewhere between these two…
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Ford Motor Company
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FORD ACCELERATED ACTION DAY IS DEDICATED TO HELPING VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pmMODEL Teams of Ford volunteers will go to work for veterans and military families in southeast Michigan and Washington, D.C. Ford has long supported America's servicemen and women, but this is the first Ford Accelerated Action Day focused entirely on projects benefiting veterans and their families. -
FORD INTRODUCES INDUSTRY'S FIRST INFLATABLE SEAT BELTS TO ENHANCE REAR SEAT SAFETY
5 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amFord Motor Company is bringing to market the world's first automotive inflatable seat belts, combining attributes of traditional seat belts and air bags to provide an added level of crash safety protection for rear seat occupants. -
NOVEMBER 4 FORD E-NEWS
4 Nov 2009 | 11:00 amStrong demand for Fiesta continues; Tricks and treats, SEMA style; Unleashing their inner Mustangs; American Journey 2.0; Interior landscape firm goes ‘green’ with fleet of Transit Connects -
NEW PRODUCTS DRIVE FORD’S OCTOBER SALES, SHARE GAINS
3 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amFord, Lincoln and Mercury October U.S. sales totaled 132,483, up 3 percent versus a year ago and 21 percent higher than September. This marks the third time in the last four months Ford sales have increased. -
2010 COBRA JET MUSTANG CONTINUES THE EVOLUTION OF TURNKEY RACE CAR PROGRAM
2 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pmSince its victorious introduction at the NHRA Winternationals in 1968, Ford’s Cobra Jet Mustang has created a legacy of power, performance and triumph.
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Ford Story
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Pumping Up Rear Seat Safety
6 Nov 2009 | 11:18 amFord introduces industry-first inflatable safety belts -
Drive one: Take Three
5 Nov 2009 | 8:01 amThird round of Drive one video spots -
Performance and Personalization
3 Nov 2009 | 6:02 pmSEMA Show 2009 is powered by Ford -
Ford Surprises Most Analysts, Posting a Profit in Third Quarter
2 Nov 2009 | 10:50 amPositive cash flow, third quarter profit are evidence Ford is meeting economic challenges -
300000 Miles And Still Counting
2 Nov 2009 | 10:49 amWe purchased our 1994 Ford Explorer new at Bell Ford in New Jersey. We just hit 300,000 miles this month and the truck is stil going. Although we would love a new vehicle and are unable to afford a new one. I am happy to say that this Ford and we have owned a total of 3, is great. We also purchas
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General Electric
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Improving maternal health worldwide
2 Nov 2009 | 6:56 amEvery mother wants to be healthy for her baby, but in many rural areas childbirth is a dangerous business. In the US about five hundred mothers die every year during childbirth. In Africa it’s around 280,000. That’s tragic, because it so preventable. Ultrasound imaging can help identify the mothers at risk, those where the placenta [...] -
Ferrofluids: The science behind the blob
29 Oct 2009 | 7:58 amHello all. I haven’t blogged in quite a while, I’ve gotten really busy over the past few years working on some exciting projects around novel nanoparticles for medical imaging applications. However, something that I’ve worked on in the past, our ferrofluid demonstration, has been getting some attention recently. Our Global Research headquarters in Niskayuna [...] -
Talking Smart Grid with the Business News Network
28 Oct 2009 | 1:21 pmHi everyone. I was just interviewed by the Business News Network in Canada to talk about the Smart Grid. I was asked to explain what the Smart Grid is and and what benefits can come from making our grid more intelligent. -Click here- to check out the interview. -
Creating a digital revolution in anatomical pathology
28 Oct 2009 | 11:59 amIf you follow the world of pathology, you might have read recently about Omnyx’s new autofocusing patent. In a nutshell, it is the essential piece of IP needed to digitize a world that for more than 125 years has relied on a microscope and glass slides. To read more about Omnyx and GE Healthcare’sjoint venture with [...] -
The art of battery technology
27 Oct 2009 | 1:31 pmHi! I’m Job Rijssenbeek, I am a chemist at GE Global Research and I work on the chemistry behind our sodium metal halide battery. This battery technology was previously highlighted by my colleague, Glen Merfeld, on this blog and is the basis for this summer’s announcement of a GE battery manufacturing plant in Schenectady, NY. [...]
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General Motors
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We’re Not Declaring Victory … But We’re Here to Report Progress
3 Nov 2009 | 11:08 amBy Susan Docherty Vice President, US Sales Today, we reported October sales for the new GM of 177,603 units, up four percent from last October – our first US sales gain in 21 months. Retail sales were up 15 percent for the same period. So, while no one is declaring victory … we are seeing signs of progress. Our estimated share of the US market for October was 21 percent. That was better than September and significantly better than last October. With 95 percent of our retail sales for the month attributed to Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, our sales mix is healthier than it was… -
Webchat: Chevrolet Volt Leadership Change
2 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amGlobal electric vehicle development chief Frank Weber is moving back to Europe to join the Opel/Vauxhall senior leadership team and Doug Parks will takeover the reins of the Chevrolet Volt development team on Dec. 2. Doug was the global compact car team leader, or more specifically, the leader of the same architecture on which the Volt is based, and we expect he will provide the same tireless work ethic and attention to detail put forth by Frank and the entire Volt team. We’re sure there are lots of questions you have for Frank and Doug, so they’ll both be available here for a… -
Mark Reuss on Autoline After Hours
29 Oct 2009 | 3:30 pmOur new head of Global Vehicle Engineering Mark Reuss will be on Autoline After Hours tonight at 7 p.m. EDT and you can join the webcast right here on FastLane. Mark is the son of former GM President Lloyd Reuss and is back stateside from a stint down under running Holden. He is a certified car guy and has been known to throw a car or two around such famed race venues as the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. Get your questions ready and join Mark, John McElroy, Peter Delorenzo and others right here on FastLane to talk cars, culture and customers with an… -
CTS-V Answers the Challenge
29 Oct 2009 | 1:17 pmBy Bob Lutz GM Vice Chairman Today, at the Monticello Motor Club in New York, the Cadillac CTS-V stood tall in the V-Series Challenge, a race pitting the CTS-V against several of the best production sedans on the market today — those that showed up, that is. Here are the results from the track. There were no winners or losers today – the point was to have fun with great cars because that’s what they’re all about, and to show that GM vehicles can compete with the best in the world, in every class. It was a great day for the CTS-V, and an exceptionally fun day for me. I’ll have to… -
Global Vehicle Engineering VP Mark Reuss on Autoline After Hours Tonight
29 Oct 2009 | 9:20 amOur new head of Global Vehicle Engineering Mark Reuss will be on Autoline After Hours tonight at 7 p.m. EDT and you can join the webcast right here on FastLane. Mark is the son of former GM President Lloyd Reuss and is back stateside from a stint down under running Holden. He is a certified car guy and has been known to throw a car or two around such famed race venues as the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. Get your questions ready and join Mark, John McElroy, Peter Delorenzo and others right here on FastLane to talk cars, culture and customers with an…
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Hewlett Packard--The Next Bench
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Heritage of Innovation: Interview with Chuck House
30 Oct 2009 | 2:11 pmIn the latest installment of The Heritage of Innovation podcast series, I had the opportunity to sit down with Chuck House. He is an inventor, innovator, leader, mentor, and much more. During his 28 years at HP, Chuck was part of 11 divisions across a wide range of products and technologies. He received the Award of Defiance from Dave Packard for going above and beyond in his pursuit of one of his projects, a large computer screen that sold 30,000 units instead of the forecasted 30. His development of early display technology ultimately resulted in the moon monitor – allowing NASA and the… -
Movie Mania
13 Oct 2009 | 1:14 amRecently, I have heard rumblings that games like Spore and Call of Duty have been marked for future movies. Unlike the relatively successful conversion of beloved comic book franchises like X-Men, Fantastic 4, and Iron Man from one genre to another, the history of turning games into movies has been, well, spotty. -
We Got The Beats
9 Oct 2009 | 4:44 pmAudiophiles, music producers, DJs... rejoice! Great sound, designed by music lovers, is coming soon to a notebook near you. I am bouncing off the walls! I have been involved with this project since the beginning, and it’s been tough waiting this long for today’s announcement —a strategic partnership between HP and Beats Electronics, LLC. Music legends like Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Will.i.am, Powlow Da Don and Pharrell contributed their expertise to this project, which includes a co-branded HP ENVY 15 Beats limited edition notebook. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine were on hand for the unveiling. -
For the Greener Good
1 Oct 2009 | 12:01 pmNewsweek recently launched its inaugural Green Rankings for U.S. companies. The list recognizes the leaders in sustainability, and Hewlett-Packard was right there – in the number one spot! The ranking system was based on environmental policies and reputation and industry-neutral metrics. -
You on You … the Winners!
30 Sep 2009 | 1:10 pmA few weeks ago, HP announced the ‘You on You’ contest on Youtube. It’s pretty exciting to see the results – more than 4,000 submissions, 2.7 million views, and people from 175 different countries. Wow!
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Intel
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Intel Extreme Masters - Dubai
5 Nov 2009 | 10:01 amThe plane ride to Dubai was interesting. I got to the airport about two and a half hours early, and had a connecting flight to Atlanta. The thing was, it was storming in Atlanta, and in order for me to make my flight in time to Dubai, I would need to get on an earlier flight. I was lucky because there was one departing shortly and I had come early enough to grab that one. Chance, my Quake Live teammate on EG, was supposed to go from Omaha to Atlanta and go to Dubai with me on that same flight. The stormy situation in Atlanta was much worse for him, he would only have a window of about 15… -
Intel Extreme Masters - China
5 Nov 2009 | 9:32 amWe started off our team trip to Chengdu, China on a very high note. Coming from New York, where the Counter-Strike division had just won the World Cyber Games USA national championship, confidence was high. After winning the WCG title on a Sunday, we rushed to the airport (after doing some laundry) the next morning to fly directly to Chengdu. The check-in and security process at the airport went as expected - no big issues, always a hassle, but over eventually. We arrived at our gate and several of the players and I went around the terminal in search of food. … -
The holidays are coming... what's on your Intel wish list?
4 Nov 2009 | 10:54 amComputers have changed our daily schedule so much in the past few years, and as we slowly creep into the holiday season, what is on top of your holiday list this season? Do you envision building the baddest of Core i7 gaming rigs? or one of the cool new Atom based netbooks, like the HP Vivienne Tam? For myself, I’m hoping for another SSD in my Core i7 system and will be shopping for a DX11 based video card… and most likely will be adding a few games to my list! Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Left 4 Dead 2 Bioshock 2 -
Tips and Insights on Windows 7
23 Oct 2009 | 5:22 pmYesterday, it seemed that every time I turned on a radio or peeked at my tech newsfeeds, there was Windows 7. I’ve been reading lots of stories and reviews today now that the new operating system is out. One of the most important questions for me as I consider updgrading is what are the best ways to backup and transfer my photos, videos and documents from Windows XP computers I have at home? Rocketboom Tech reporter Ellie Rountree has been doing some great segments, sharing her top tech tips. Here latest is titled 5 Tips Before Upgrading to Windows 7. Intel is sponsoring Rocketboom this… -
My Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade experience rates 7 out of 7!
22 Oct 2009 | 7:07 amI’ve been dying to do this upgrade for a while, and I finally did the upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate! Yes, I said “upgrade”, mostly because I just wasn’t ready to do a full OS rebuild on my Core i7. But I also wanted to try out the upgrade feature that is so highly acclaimed… Sixty-five minutes later… I was pleasantly surprised! There are several choices in the Windows 7 OS realm… but as many of you know, I’m into the Extreme side of things… Since I was upgrading from Vista 64 Ultimate, this update was a snap! While your PC is running, just…
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Intuit Small Business
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The Unsinkable GenY Entrepreneur
6 Nov 2009 | 10:54 amLooking for a bright spot in today’s doom-and-gloom world?Take note of the GenY entrepreneurs around you.They’re building a future unlike those of generations past.GenYers, according to Jeff Cornwall, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University, make up the most entrepreneurial generation ever. Even in a downturn, GenY entrepreneurs are shaking things up, and mostly in a good way.Using teamwork, leveraging social media, and bootstrapping their start-up efforts, these teens-to-young-adults make things happen in ways that we haven’t seen… -
Lessons for the Working Woman
30 Oct 2009 | 11:28 amIntuit and the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation sponsored the Women’s Conference in Long Beach, Calif. During the two-day event, we distributed thousands of journals and made personal connections with women interested in our small business and personal finance solutions. Since we encouraged women to use the journals to write down their thoughts and reflections, I thought I’d do the same.I’ve somehow managed to whittle down two-days of inspiration, empowerment and education into three key takeaways for professional women: Be passionate and compassionate - Dr. Kathy Hull, one of four… -
The Power of Suggestion: Customer Interaction that Works
29 Oct 2009 | 5:20 pmIf you’ve opened a business, you’ve experienced it. “YOU SHOULD ….serve sandwiches, paint your walls a different color…”and so on. Plenty of well-meaning friends and customers volunteer their advice on things you should do to improve your business. When you’re first starting out, the more suggestions - the more you wonder if you’re doing ANYTHING right! Other small business owners agree it’s difficult to find a balance between being open to good ideas and encouraging input vs. the constant barrage from well meaning… -
Sage Advice for Women from a Secretary of State
29 Oct 2009 | 10:34 amWhile speaking to nearly 25,000 women (including myself) at the recent Women’s Conference in Long Beach, Calif., Madeleine Albright believes there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other. Now, these may seem like harsh words, especially coming from a woman who was named the first female Secretary of State in 1997.But with women making up half the workforce and two-thirds of them serving as the primary or co-bread winner today, it’s more important than ever for women to have a good support system to help them succeed. Think of the progress women have made since… -
Hiring Right the First Time
28 Oct 2009 | 12:13 pmAccording to the Intuit Payroll Survey released this week, “44 percent of small business plan to hire within 12 months.” Are you part of that 44%? With your limited time and budget, are you concerned about hiring the right person? Corey Myers-Fouts runs Strings, a costume and swimwear store in Las Vegas. To meet the demand of her growing company, Corey needed to hire employees to help run her store. Based on her experience, Myers-Fouts said, “a possible employer should always do a reference check”. This allows the hiring manager to speak to past employers to…
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Kaiser Permanente
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Stone Stock
4 Nov 2009 | 9:23 pmAnyone over the age of 40 years and maybe some under may know the story of Stone Soup. My memory without Googling it— An Eastern European soldier comes into a village at a time when food is scarce and offers to make stone soup. He puts a stone in a big pot of boiling water and suggests to various villagers that a few parsnips (or whatever) and other vegetables would really enhance the soup. The villagers all contribute what little they had and a communal feast ensued. Below is my version of that. Recently I had the privilege to do a series of cooking demonstrations with a real… -
Chickpea Croquettes with Greek Salad Topping
26 Oct 2009 | 4:40 pmWhether you call vegetarian dishes like this croquettes, burgers, or patties doesn’t matter. Some people call their basement the “lower level”. The important thing is that bean based dinners are quick, wonderfully tasty, satisfying, and nutritious. Unless you are already a vegetarian or vegan, going more days each week without meat is good for you, good for your pocketbook, and good for the planet. The average American eats 182.5 pounds of meat per year. Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour wasn’t exactly a staple I had on hand but it’s easy to find at a… -
Abu Dureti’s Collard Greens
13 Oct 2009 | 4:21 pmAbu Dureti is a 17-year-old high school student in north Portland, Oregon, who immigrated from Kenya five years ago. After school a few days a week she works at a one acre organic farm on Sauvie Island near the city. “Food Works” employs a number of the community’s youth each year to grow vegetables for sale at farmers’ markets and to donate to needy people. Kaiser Permanente has sponsored this farm through its Community Benefit program. The USDA recently recognized this enterprise and awarded them a sizeable grant to continue their important contribution to the youth… -
Pit Farm All Purpose Mango Salsa
5 Oct 2009 | 1:52 pmLast week I wrote about Souk and Tracy on Oahu the fruits of whose labors grace two of the Kaiser Permanente farmers’ markets on Oahu. Everything needed for a great mango salsa is right there in front of the hospital and at one of the clinics. It’s great on grilled fish and chicken. I think it would be good on whole grain toast as well. Not having cooked with mangoes that much, it was an adventure dicing them. Turns out the pit is sort of flat and wide. I don’t think you can tell the orientation of the pit by looking at the outside. I cut a little slice off of… -
Kaiser Permanente Farmers’ Markets in Hawaii
26 Sep 2009 | 7:07 pmI write from Honolulu having had the opportunity to visit 3 of the 4 KP markets and meet with various groups of wonderful people. Wherever I went, there were warm and friendly people who seemed to almost be family with each other. And they all seemed to come to work to make someone’s life better. They each bring their own passion and expertise to offer and then one woman weaves all this together. Her name is Ashlyn Izumo. A good force of nature, Ashlyn went out on her own 5 years ago and just started finding vendors who would be willing to come to her hospital to start a…
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Mayo Clinic
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Wrist Pain Twitter Chat
5 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmDr. Richard Berger, the Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon who discovered the type of wrist injury that nearly ended Jayson Werth’s baseball career — as well as the successful surgical treatment that has helped him return to baseball and play in two World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies — will participate in a live chat about [...] -
Research results key for understanding, interpreting genetic testing for Long QT Syndrome, other genetic diseases
3 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pmResults of a Long QT Syndrome study in the current issue of Circulation play an important role in understanding genetic testing’s role in diagnosing disease, according to the senior author, Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., the Mayo Clinic pediatric cardiologist who directs Mayo’s Long QT Syndrome Clinic and is the director of the Mayo Clinic Windland Smith [...] -
Mayo Clinic Physician: “H1N1 Vaccine Is Safe”
28 Oct 2009 | 1:22 pmPriya Sampathkumar, M.D., of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Infectious Diseases, today reiterated the H1N1 vaccine is safe. Understanding the public has concerns about the vaccine and questions about who can and should get it, Dr. Sampathkumar sat down to discuss the issues, facts, and myths about H1N1 vaccine. -
Mayo Validates Zebrafish as Nicotine Research Model
26 Oct 2009 | 12:36 pmJournalists: For links to web-video and audio files, see the bottom of this post. Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have validated the zebrafish as a functional model for nicotine addiction research. The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The zebrafish is valuable because it is easy to study and exhibits [...] -
Deadly Stomach Infection Rising in Community Settings
26 Oct 2009 | 9:08 amJournalists: For links to web-video and audio files, see the bottom of this post. Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a sometimes deadly stomach bug, Clostridium difficile, is on the rise in outpatient settings. Clostridium difficile is a serious bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. These findings were [...]
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McDonalds
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Back to the Future - Exploring Our Sustainability Outlook
2 Nov 2009 | 11:07 am -
Insights from McDonald's Chief Global Diversity Officer - Tree Shakers and Jelly Makers
16 Oct 2009 | 7:58 amWhen I am asked about what I like best about working for McDonald's, I have a simple answer: McDonald's diversity. -
The Most Neglected Part of Sustainability
1 Oct 2009 | 2:48 pm -
What is Socially Responsible Investment Anyway...
11 Sep 2009 | 2:39 pmBy Kathleen Bannan, Senior Manager, CSR, McDonald's Corporation McDonald's was recently named to the Dow Jones Sustainability ... -
Where Has the Spirit of Woodstock Gone?
25 Aug 2009 | 1:54 pmI have followed the hype related to the 40th anniversary of this iconic event with great interest. In some ways, I hate to admit it, but age-wise, I am a product of that generation.
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Molson
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2010 Winter Games Countdown – 100 days to go!
4 Nov 2009 | 2:43 pmJoannie Rochette Just 100 days to go until Canada’s athletes get their chance to shine on the world stage. As the Official Beer Supplier of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’re very exited to countdown the days and support our Canadian athletes! Cheers, MolsonTonia Molson’s Fund a Champion Athletes: Mark Arendz – Paralympic Nordic Skiing – Hartsville PEI Brittany Webster – X Country Ski – Caledon Ontario Billy Bridges – Sledge Paralympian – Mississauga Ontario Jeff Batchelor – Snowboard Halfpipe –… -
Molson Coors front and centre in Melissa’s Road Race
4 Nov 2009 | 7:53 amPhoto L-R: Simon Brockett (Molson Coors) presenting Deb Boutilier (Melissa’s) with the donation to Banff Community Foundation Saturday September 26th, 2009 saw the 30th year of the Melissa’s Road Race in Banff, Alberta – Over 4,200 participants ran either a 10kms or 22kms race through the picturesque streets of Banff, with proceeds going to support the Banff Community Foundation. Molson Coors was once again front and centre, with a couple of employees entering the race, as well as, providing a $5,000 donation to the Foundation. Link for race website:… -
François-Louis Tremblay se dit fin prêt pour les Jeux d’hiver 2010!
3 Nov 2009 | 6:17 amUn message de notre athlète en patinage de vitesse en courte piste: Bonjour à tous les employés de Molson Coors, En cette année olympique bien remplie, je me suis dit que vous seriez intéressés de savoir où en est rendue ma préparation. Côté santé, tout va pour le mieux. L’entorse à la cheville qui m’avait ralenti lors de ma préparation estivale est maintenant chose du passé. Grâce au bon travail des médecins, thérapeutes et entraîneurs, j’ai réussi à retrouver la forme d’antan et même à surpasser mon niveau de l’an dernier. Je peux… -
Former Molson Employee Pursues the Podium
2 Nov 2009 | 11:34 amFormer Molson employee in Calgary, Matt Skolnik is training hard in pursuit of the podium at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, and Molson Coors Canada is proud to support him along the way! Good luck Matt! We’re cheering for you. Thanks for being our guest blogger this week. Cheers, @MolsonTonia Matt at the World Championships in Lake Placid I was born in Slovakia and came to Canada when I was 10. Seeing my parents struggle to provide a better life for us has motivated me to take advantage of every opportunity I am given. Not being quite at the level of the top Canadians, my dual… -
Torch Relay kicks off in Victoria
30 Oct 2009 | 3:43 pmToday, I had the privilege of attending the kickoff to Vancouver 2010 Winter Games torch relay on the lawn of the BC legislature. It was an amazing experience with literally thousands of Victorians and other Canadians lining the streets for a view of the torch bearers. I’ve attached a little video that I shot. Hopefully it give you a bit of a sense of what the energy level was like; it was truly amazing. We at Molson Coors are so proud to be the Official Beer Supplier to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and are looking forward to celebrating with Canadians from Coast to Coast to Coast!
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Graco (Newell Rubbermaid)
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November and December are months to CELEBRATE!!
6 Nov 2009 | 2:52 pmWe all know the holiday season is upon us - a reason for anyone to celebrate! But beyond that, we at Graco have a lot to celebrate too. We’re excited to be adding some new faces to our blog team (coming soon!), we’re planning lots of fun new content, there will be final months of pregnancy, new homes, babies on the way and travel for the team - so for the next two months it will be all about CELEBRATION to get you in the spirit (or help you cope with it.) Here’s some of the fun you can expect over the next two months: - Stories from Melissa’s maternity leave -… -
Graco Monthly Nods - November
5 Nov 2009 | 4:54 pmDonna Donnelly - The Breakup That Hurts More Than Anything: Getting Dumped By Your Babysitter - The Storked Blog Did you ever have someone breakup with you? How terrible was it? Now imagine it’s your babysitter!!! The Storked Blog page at Glamour.com had an interesting post this month discussing the dreaded end of babysitter relationships. Finding good babysitters and cultivating the relationship between your child(ren) and you and them is very difficult, especially for single parents. As a child of a single working mother, I remember well, the parade of babysitters that went through our… -
Wondrous Wednesday #96
4 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmWe had too many adorable costumed children to post just one picture for our usual Wondrous Wednesday spotlight this week. So to celebrate ALL of the cuteness, we posted a short slide show for your viewing pleasure. Which one do you love? Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com Every Wednesday we’ll be sharing a photo showing off a little bit of wonder in the lives of our extended Graco family of customers, employees and friends. -
Graco Guest Celebrity Blogger - Actress and Mom - Gena Lee Nolin
3 Nov 2009 | 3:44 pmBest known from the international smash hit “Baywatch” - Gena Lee Nolin, actress and mom, is returning after having three children, Spencer (12), Hudson Lee (3) and baby Stella, with an entirely new image and outlook on life - and we’re thrilled to have Gena here with us on the Graco blog to chat about it! Gena is set to host a new television series, which is currently in development. Also in the works, this gorgeous mom is working on a book which delves into her own experience of postpartum depression. After experiencing postpartum depression with all three of her children,… -
Car Seat Safety Tips - Week 2 Recap
2 Nov 2009 | 1:01 pmAs you may have seen, we’ve been posting car seat safety tips on Twitter (follow us!) over the last month. We know it’s not easy to know all the answers, especially when it comes to the safety of your most precious cargo, so we hope these tips offer some help. Here are some of our most recent safety tips: - The chest clip (on the harness straps) should be placed on the child’s chest at child’s armpit level - For used car seats, make sure you know the car seat’s history, know it hasn’t been recalled & have all instruction manuals - For your child’s safety it is…
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Petro-Canada
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Thanks. It's been a gas.
2 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pmHow do you say goodbye to a blog? As you can see by the date of my last post, it's taken some time for me to figure that out. I started writing my last post a few times, but scrapped them all as they just didn't seem to work. Why? Well, because even as an author, I'm just a participant in the discussion. If I was leaving a group discussion at a party, I wouldn't go around hugging everyone while tearfully saying goodbye. It would seem a little odd. So let me just say a few thanks and let you keep… -
You have questions? We have answers.
6 Jul 2009 | 1:02 pmWe've noticed a lot of new traffic to PumpTalk since the little stickers went on gas pumps across the country a few weeks ago. First off - thanks for dropping by. This blog was started almost 2 years ago to help answer the many questions you and pretty much every other driver has about gas prices. When we launched, I thought we might just be talking to ourselves and a few family members, but the number of visitors continues to grow. We've had some really interesting (and sometimes heated) discussions and they are… -
What about diesel?
30 Jun 2009 | 11:57 amFrom time to time I get a few questions about diesel pump prices. I haven't talked about diesel prices in a while, so before you VW drivers storm my office (a Jetta Vendetta?), let me share with you a good article by Tyler Hamilton of the Toronto Star. As much as I like his last name, there is no known relation. Photo Credit: futurowoman -
Your biggest driving cost? It doesn't rhyme with vasoline.
8 Jun 2009 | 6:15 amThe Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) has released it's latest Driving Costs brochure to help you understand how much it costs to operate a vehicle every year. While we often focus on the most direct costs - fuel and maintenance, it's interesting to see the total cost break down per kilometre for other things such as insurance, license fees and depereciation. Not surprisingly, the total cost of driving a car, according to CAA research, has almost doubled in the last 23 years from 20.1 cents per kilometre driven in 1985 to 38.5 cents per kilometre in… -
Gas Pump Calibration Coincidental Email Chain
26 May 2009 | 12:39 pmThis is a true story, so read it carefully... That sentence looks kind of goofy as I write it, but it seems to have magic powers when attached to an email. The latest one making the rounds has to do with gas pump accuracy/inaccuracy. By the time it got to me, it had already landed in hundreds of email boxes, so I'd like to offer a response. If you haven't already recieved it, let me bring you up to speed. The email tells the story of a guy who filled up his truck in Chatham, Ontario (or Ridgetown, Ontario depending on the email) and…
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Pitney Bowes
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WHY I OPPOSE THE PUBLIC OPTION (I’VE HEARD THIS SONG BEFORE)
31 Oct 2009 | 7:25 pmIn the October 21, Wall Street Journal, there was an article entitled “Japan Post Goes in New Direction.” Reporters Atsuko Fukase and Allison Tudor reported on a change in leadership and the potential reversal of the government’s commitment to privatization. As they described the unfolding situation, they cite a statement from the chairman of the Japanese Bankers Association, who stated that he believed that private banks would face unfair competition from a government-owned Japan Post that offers banking services. If this sounds like the concern expressed about the “public… -
DOGS CAN TRULY BE OUR BEST FRIENDS
20 Oct 2009 | 9:54 amDuring the course of determining whether I should invest in a documentary film about dogs, I gained some quite interesting insights into the potentially new role dogs can play in our health care system. Because dogs have a sense of smell that is 40 times as acute and discriminating as that residing in humans, some researchers have explored whether dogs can detect diseases as accurately and reliability as much more expensive technologies, with no need for invasive and time-consuming diagnostic processes. Two organizations, the Pine Street Foundation in California and the Sensory Research… -
HOW TO MAKE EXERCISE FUN
14 Oct 2009 | 3:08 pmAs I have thought about how to change human behavior to get people to do healthier things, I remember the 1984 movie The Karate Kid. In that movie, the lead character, Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, finds a master teacher, Mr. Miyagi, played by Pat Morita. He believes that he is going to receive conventional instruction on how to be a karate black belt. Instead, he gets assigned one chore after another, such as painting fences and waxing cars. It is only after he is doing these chores for a while that he realizes that each task is also serving to strengthen him for karate. … -
WHY THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY IS NOT WRONG ON INDIVIDUAL MANDATES
12 Oct 2009 | 7:46 pmAt the risk of weighing in on a highly controversial and emotional issue, I want to comment on the insurance industry report that the Senate Finance Committee proposal would add $4,000 in insurance policy costs per insurance policy holder per year by 2019. Not surprisingly, many elected officials are extremely angry about what appears to be a last minute attempt to undermine support for the Committee proposal, which will be the subject of a vote on Tuesday, October 13. One could question why the insurance industry waited until the eve of the vote to release these findings. Their… -
THE MYTH OF THE BORN LEADER
6 Oct 2009 | 3:14 pmA lot has been written about Ken Lewis, the Bank of America CEO, since he announced his decision to retire the week of September 28. Many of the commentaries on him were highly critical, including one included in the Sunday, October 3, New York Times business section by Joe Nocera entitled “Incompetent? No, Just Not a Leader.” Nocera contrasted Lewis, whom I succeeded as Chairman of the National Urban League Board of Trustees in 2002, and who was an exceptionally capable chairman, with his precedessor at the Bank of America, Hugh McColl, whom he described as “born to be a leader.” I…
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Procter & Gamble
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PSI and FHI Providing Safe Drinking Water for Families with HIV/AIDS
6 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amWe’ve learned that safe drinking water is critical for people who have HIV/AIDS because they are prone to opportunistic infections from contaminated water that can make them persistently sick and can be fatal. When an adult is sick or dies... -
PUR where it’s really needed in Ethiopia
30 Oct 2009 | 7:33 amI’m in eastern Ethiopia with Henock Gazahegn of PSI. PSI is doing a great job here in providing safe drinking water with the PUR packets. We recognized PSI at the Clinton Global Initiative with the Live, Learn and Thrive Partnership... -
Committing to 4 Billion Liters of Clean Water with President Bill Clinton and Celebrating Success
30 Sep 2009 | 7:49 amWe just participated in the 5th Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and made our biggest commitment ever. P&G, through our Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, is committed to providing 4 billion liters of safe drinking water in the developing world by... -
Climbing a Mountain to Focus Attention on the Global Water Crisis: PUR Water Filtration Partners with Summit on the Summit:Kilimanjaro and CSDW
24 Sep 2009 | 5:41 amTwitter: @DrGregAllgood I often feel that I’m climbing a metaphorical mountain in leading our Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. We’ve provided 1.6 billion liters of safe drinking water since 2004 and estimate that this has prevented more than 66... -
Starting to Tweet , Clinton Global Initiative Case Study on CSDW, and Nursing Editorial
10 Sep 2009 | 7:18 amI’ve been asked to start Twittering in addition to blogging. I’m brand new at this, but I’m intrigued with the idea of “microblogging” via Twitter and of having a dialogue with people interested in our Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW)...
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Darwin Labarthe Lecture: Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
6 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pmNext up from the Penn Positive Health Lecture Series is a talk by Dr. Darwin Labarthe on cardiovascular disease prevention. As part of his lecture, Dr. Labarthe will explore the contributions that new prevention strategies, social determinants of health and positive health may play in cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr. Labarthe is the Director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the CDC. The second edition of is text, Epidemiology and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Global… -
TEDMED, 23andMe and Kaiser Permanente's RPGEH
3 Nov 2009 | 6:22 amExcitement about the power of genomics was palpable at TEDMED this year as some attendees lined up to spit in DNA vials and send it off to 23andME. Unfortunately, many may be disappointed to find out how little our genomes can tell us without research that a large population-based research program, such as we are helping to build at Kaiser Permanente, can provide. Ann Wojcicki, CEO and founder of 23andMe, stated from TEDMED stage that Kaiser Permanente plans to genotype the DNA of 100K members but does not plan to provide that information to the individuals who donated their DNA, implying… -
Health IT: What’s the Future?
2 Nov 2009 | 2:39 pmI’ve just come back from the "Discovery and Innovation in Health IT" workshop You can find more on the workshop’s web site. You can also follow the twitter stream by using the #dihit hash tag This workshop pulled together about 100 people – mostly researchers from academia, government and corporate labs – to lay out the key health IT research challenges going forward. I’ve attempted to summarize some of the key themes and points that were raised, but I’ve by no means captured it comprehensively and I’m certain that I’ve taken a… -
TEDMED 2009 = Innovation, Technology & Inspiring Stories
2 Nov 2009 | 12:35 pmI really liked TEDMED. There was lots of wiz-bang new technology stuff – genetics, organ regeneration, ways to slow the aging process, wearable sensors that can monitor and wirelessly transmit data that traditionally required a person to be in a controlled environment with leads connected to multiple body locations. It’s really exciting to see what may be possible in a few short years. Of course, no one really talks about how long it will take, how real people will be able to use these gadgets and how they’ll be paid for. There are also great stories of human accomplishments –… -
This Week We Are Reading About TEDMED
30 Oct 2009 | 6:25 pmThis year’s TEDMED conference was packed with engaging speakers, exciting presentations, and promising innovations. If you weren’t able to attend or you just want to see what other attendees had to say then we have some links for you. Want a comprehensive day by day rundown of TEDMED 2009? Medgadget has just what you are looking for. Check out their recaps of Day 1Day 2 and Day 3 Looking for more detail on a specific speaker or innovation? Chances are that mobihealthnews has a recap for you. The future of wireless stethoscopes; the state of 23andME’s genome…
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Salesforce
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8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #7
6 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmDreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today. 8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE Reason #7: The Salesforce.com Campground At the heart of the Cloud Expo is the Salesforce.com Campground: your go-to source for everything salesforce.com at Dreamforce. In our massive booth, you can: - See the latest demos of the Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Custom Cloud, Force.com, the Winter ’10 release, and the… -
8 Reasons to Get Excited About Dreamforce – Reason #8
5 Nov 2009 | 4:39 pmDreamforce is coming... in a matter of days, we’ll all be living the dream. Are you ready? We’re here to help. Check back each business day for a preview of conference activities, so you can start planning your Dreamforce agenda today. 8 REASONS TO GET EXCITED ABOUT DREAMFORCE Reason #8: Pre-Conference Training and Hands-On Sessions --->Bonus: 5 things to do in San Francisco We can’t wait to get Dreamforce started—so we won’t. Training sessions to help you master Salesforce CRM and Force.com begin on Monday, November 16. For two days we’ll place you in the hands of our… -
Access the Experts at Dreamforce!
21 Oct 2009 | 10:56 amYou tune-up your car every 40,000 miles…When was the last time you tuned up your Salesforce CRM deployment? Schedule a 30-minute CRM Success Clinic with a Salesforce expert and learn to get the most from what you have. Benefits of Success Clinic Session: - Take advantage of expert knowledge - Receive FREE recommendations on how to better use salesforce.com - Learn about new Winter ’10 features and possibilities with our platform - Address specific top of mind questions - Receive quick feedback on current implementation - Promote Dreamforce resources for immediate success - Located… -
My new book, Behind the Cloud, is officially released today!
19 Oct 2009 | 11:59 pmDreamforce is always my favorite day of the year because there’s no better chance to be face-to-face with the reason we’ve been working so hard all year long: our customers. It’s also an opportunity for us to celebrate how salesforce.com revolutionized an industry by turning back conventional wisdom and shattering what people expect. Today is one month before our big event, but it’s another highly anticipated day as Behind the Cloud—a book that discloses insider details that are pivotal to our success and that can be replicated by anyone—hits the shelves. Since our customers have… -
IT Opportunities Rise to the Cloud
19 Oct 2009 | 11:18 amCloud computing's naysayers encourage misplaced fears that IT careers are threatened by cloud adoption. Don't believe it. The economic argument for clouds as career opportunities is clear; the need for insightful expertise to realize the cloud's full potential is becoming...
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SAP
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You have the CCMS that goes PING?
7 Nov 2009 | 3:02 amThere's a scene in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life where Michael Palin exclaims to Graham Chapman and John Cleese, "Ah, I see you have the machine that goes *ping*" in an expensively furbished hospital operating room. This story has nothing to do with that. Other than the ping sound. And maybe the overly expensive tools to do simple jobs. -
What I Learned Installing Crystal Reports Server
6 Nov 2009 | 7:38 pmMy experience installing Crystal Reports Server 2008 V1 -
Café Innovation -- How about an SAP App store?
6 Nov 2009 | 11:49 amIn this age of people-centric technology, the iPhone revolution has brought about new business models and innovative ways in which people seek to conduct routine business. Fueling this is the availability of an increasing number of “apps” that are a result of a community-driven approach to make the mobile experience more meaningful. Enterprise application of this approach is picking up. Possibly, it is only a matter of time before we see a plethora of “apps” serving those that have enterprise needs -- including those serviced by SAP functionality. -
Be careful when using BRFplus to take actions
6 Nov 2009 | 10:53 amDon't use the action functionality of BRFplus when you are automating decision making. -
Podcast: Amit Bendov of Panaya on SAP User Attitudes Towards SAP Support
6 Nov 2009 | 10:32 amRecently, Panaya conducted a survey which asked SAP customers exactly these kinds of questions - about issues with SAP support and SAP support packs. I thought this survey had some interesting results. To get a better feeling for the survey results and also for how Panaya's content sharing approach works for them, I recently issued a twenty minute podcast on this topic with Panaya's Chief Marketing Officer Amit Bendov. I'm now sharing that podcast with the SCN community.
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Starbucks
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In Response to Your Comments on My Starbucks Rewards
6 Nov 2009 | 5:09 pmHi Everyone,Thank you for your comments and feedback on the launch of My Starbucks Rewards - the new improved rewards program for our valued Starbucks Card members. We are very excited about this new program, because it incorporates many of the ideas we've heard from you and from our store Partners and provides even more value and ways to save. From the day we launched MSI one of the top ideas has been "let me earn FREE beverages" - well, that is now easier than ever and is one of the most anticipated additions to this new program. Here are some other improvements… -
3 Holiday Beverages + One More on the Way!
4 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pmHi everyone. My name is Tara, and I’m the product manager on the espresso team leading the Starbucks holiday beverage promotion this year. I’m personally thrilled to announce the return of red cups, holiday sleeves, and our three holiday classic beverages to participating stores in the U.S. on November 3. Better yet, I’m excited to inform you that on November 17, we will launch a new holiday espresso drink that you’re going to love. It’s sweet, creamy, and delicious in all forms (hot, iced, or blended in the form of a Frappuccino®… -
And the winner is …
3 Nov 2009 | 8:47 amOn September 29, we not only launched Starbucks VIA™ in the U.S. and Canada, we also launched an interactive online experience at StarbucksVIA.com. If you haven’t checked out StarbucksVIA.com – visit the site today! It’s a great way to see how other people are using Starbucks VIA™ at home, at work, on the go, in far out places, and even in recipes. On top of getting ideas from other customers, you can upload your own Starbucks VIA™ experience through pictures, videos, or stories, and enter one of the contests on the site. One winner,… -
Introducing My Starbucks Rewards
30 Oct 2009 | 2:53 pmI am excited to share the next evolution of our loyalty program. While both Starbucks Card Rewards and Starbucks Gold exceeded our expectations, we are always looking for ways to improve our programs and we received a lot of great feedback on what we could do differently. Launching on December 26, 2009, My Starbucks Rewards will combine many elements of both programs – with no membership fee! – into one simplified program. On more than one occasion, I have been in line at my local Starbucks and saw one of our wonderful Gold members pull out a Gold card AND… -
New Mini Starbucks Card – Coming Soon
30 Oct 2009 | 8:57 amWe are happy to announce our new Designer Mini Starbucks Card. This limited edition Starbucks Card is a collaboration with fashion designer, Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway Season 4. The Card’s design is inspired by mod style, contemporary drama and Christian’s love of theatrical fantasy. Available in stores this holiday season, the Christian Siriano Mini Starbucks Card is sure to be a great holiday gift!Also, remember to register the Card to unlock the benefits of Starbucks Rewards* including balance protection, free select syrups and soy milk, free…
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SunGard Technology
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The 1969 Big Bang
The rapid expansion of the universe is nothing short of amazing. It’s now everywhere, and the size is unimaginable. To be clear, I’m not referring to the universe that suddenly sprang into existence with the Big Bang 13 billion years ago, but the universe that was born 40 years ago ... -
Historical engineering patterns can predict the future of cloud computing, SaaS and SOA
I’ve been thinking about some examples of the correlations between the engineering of hardware versus software. Because the engineering processes themselves have matured along different paths, there are some historical patterns that can be used to predict how some future innovations could unfold, in particular some of considerate interest at ... -
SOA in the Clouds
Many are pondering what impact SOA will have on Cloud Computing. Because Clouds utility today is very low-level (e.g. pay-as-you-go computing cycles, storage, network) the inevitable evolution is the climb up the stack to application container services, then finally to application components. Interestingly enough, the highest level of the stack ... -
Cloud vs. SaaS and SunGard Financial Systems
A number of cloud offerings are appearing, and some mixed with SaaS messages, in particular some clouds are going to market with other clouds. IBM’s offering coupled with Amazon’s EC2 is one example, see this article, or this one, (also here, here and here). Cloud offerings will continue to appear. These services provide generic ... -
Twitter
If you'd prefer the more shortend bursts of thought on software, I'm tweeting at twitter.com/DarrenWesemann.
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Symantec
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What’s Behind the News—Maybe a 419 Scam?
6 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pmScammers based in Nigeria have long been known for using legitimate email formats for spreading infamously fraudulent 419 messages. We have already monitored e-card services, social networking invites, and various other services provided on social networking sites. Yet another example is a calendar service being abused for sending scam messages. -
Spam and Phishing Landscape: November 2009
5 Nov 2009 | 4:48 amOctober 2009 saw spam volumes averaging at 87 percent of all email messages, which is consistent with spam volumes observed in August and September 2009, but 10.6% higher than October 2008. -
Fragus Exploit Kit Changes the Business Model
4 Nov 2009 | 11:26 amThe Fragus exploit pack showed up on our radar a few months ago and has been steadily growing to become one of the most prevalent exploit packs being seen in the wild today by Symantec. It is similar to other popular exploit packs available—such as Unique, YES, Eleonore, and Liberty—but it brings some new and interesting features with it. -
Phishing Attach
3 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pmRecently, I've been seeing phishing attacks using Web forms attached to emails making the rounds again. This type of phishing isn't so common but is used on occasion, so I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone not to fall for this trick. -
OSX.Loosemaque: It’s Not Just a Game Anymore
3 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pmThreats targeting the Macintosh platform are much less common than those targeting Windows. The same can be said about video games, where Windows is the dominate platform of the two. Combining games and malware has happened before, but a Mac game performing malicious activities? That’s something relatively new.
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Tyson Foods
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Advocating for Hunger Relief
30 Oct 2009 | 2:58 amBy Ed Nicholson I'm continually impressed by the way the folks at Capital Area Food Bank of Texas communicate the issue of hunger. E.D., David Davenport, along with Lisa Goddard, Kerri Qunell and the rest of the communications team are not just good adminstrators, fundraisers and communicators--they're passionate about and authentically committed to the issue, and understand that in order for there to be sustainable progress in the fight against hunger, there will need to be informed and engaged stakeholders. Their latest online project, Hunger is UNacceptable, does a… -
"That just blessed my soul..."
28 Oct 2009 | 10:36 amBy Ed Nicholson Today I had the distinct honor to join a lot of folks, including Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe (who, along with First Lady Ginger Beebe, deserves enormous kudos for a keen awareness of and commmitment to the issue of hunger), Feeding America CEO, Vicki Escarra, and many others in honoring Erma Smith as a Tyson Hunger All-Star (see the entry below). Erma is truly one of those folks who understands hunger from the neck down, and has devoted her life to the service of those less fortunte. If you ever start feeling proud of how you're helping the world out, go spend a… -
Hunger Twitterers
27 Oct 2009 | 1:25 amI ran through my Twitter follower list and quickly picked some names of folks who have been active (online or offline) in the discussion of hunger. There are probably names I've left off. From time to time, I'll re-tweet the URL to this post. If you'd like your name added to this list, comment here with your Twittername, or send a Twitter reply to @TysonFoods. I probably won't add you unless you ask me, so if you want to be added, just ask! Now. You all go follow each other and talk amongst yourselves. http://twitter.com/sharestrength SOS… -
Erma Smith, Hunger All-Star of the Month
26 Oct 2009 | 9:03 amErma Smith Erma Smith is more than a tireless advocate for the hungry. She’s also an inspiration and a role model in her determination to feed her neighbors. For 25 years, she has been active in fighting hunger, making her a natural to be named our newest Tyson Foods Hunger All-Star of the Month. Erma began as a volunteer with the Southwest Arkansas Foodbank and then served as its executive director for many years. While there, she helped provide food regularly to 100 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and other organizations. Each year, she distributed about 1.5… -
Be kind to your in-kind friends
21 Oct 2009 | 11:11 pmBy Ed Nicholson I know cash is king. Money talks...screams...and everything else whispers.. After all, you gotta pay the light bill. But sometimes money's not available. And remember a couple of things: Your in-kind donors can always--always--find other things to do with the resources they're donating. Look at what their competitors are doing as an indicator. There's always someone in that donor organization who's advocating for the donation to you. And there's someone who's advocating for other uses. Don't give the second guy ammunition. Times are…
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WalMart
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Most Improved Player of the Year?
2 Nov 2009 | 2:06 amEvery year the National Basketball Association honors only six individual players with annual awards. Along with the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year, the NBA awards the Most Improved Player Award (formerly known as the Comeback Player of the Year). As the name implies, the award is given to the player that has made the largest single season improvement in play. For example, in the 2007-2008 season Hedo Turkoglu scored and rebounded well above his career average to earn the honor…and then the next season helped to lead his… -
Windows 7 at Walmart
16 Oct 2009 | 2:50 amNext week is a big week at Walmart. Lots going on across the electronics area. Straight Talk is launching in our wireless area, Transformers 2 releases, and on October 22nd Windows 7 will launch.Product will begin setting in stores starting Monday. There is a street date on all software and computers that have Windows 7 so we cannot sell the product until Thursday, October 22nd. We will have a lot of activity in the stores Thursday, October 22nd. If you are an early adopter, many of our stores are open 24 hours so you can come in at midnight to buy a new laptop… -
Straight Talk = Straight-Forward Savings
13 Oct 2009 | 10:33 amOne of my favorite quotes is by Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” I have always felt like that quote embodies the benefits of being a coupon-clipping, sale-savvy, disciplined shopper. Now that I work in retail, I also interpret that quote as a responsibility for assisting our customers in “saving pennies.” As evidenced by many of the posts on this blog, “saving people money so they can live better” is top-of-mind for the buyers at Walmart. Not only are we committed to bringing in… -
Early Holiday Shopping- Asus Disney Netpal PC
12 Oct 2009 | 8:22 amI know parents like to get a jump on holiday season shopping. My brother and sister in-law start now and want to be done by Thanksgiving. For me I like the time of the season and enjoy the shopping with the rush of parking, shoppers, Décor and all in the stores. Enough of that, let me get back to the subject of the blog. This year walmart.com has partnered with Asus and Disney to offer the Netpal PC Designed for kids aged 6-12, the Disney Netpal by ASUS is durable, with a reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with a unique… -
Early Holiday Season at Sam’s Club
8 Oct 2009 | 10:30 amThe holidays are coming, which means it is an exciting time to be in retail. (Unfortunately, that also means the bad weather is coming… I know people like the fall/winter, but I’d prefer the warm weather all year long.) At Sam’s Club, lots of the seasonal merchandise is already out in the clubs. If you see me out in the clubs, it would be hard for you to know if I was looking at the items professionally or personally.Professionally, I’m looking at the packaging performance. Did the packaging protect the product during distribution? …
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Wells Fargo
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Mrs. Shore's loss is women's gain
2 Nov 2009 | 3:30 pmWhen was the last time you lost $2,150? And because of a hole—not in your pocket, but in your stocking! The Wells Fargo History Museum in San Francisco recently opened a new exhibit, "Women Making Financial History." It interprets the many different roles women have played and are playing in the financial world: as bankers, as customers, as pioneers; even as images on currency. If you’re in town, I’d definitely recommend you check it out. (But until then, take a look at the mini-site about the exhibit, sort of a "sneak preview.") One of the interesting stories on the site is one about… -
Women Making Financial History
29 Oct 2009 | 10:45 amIn association with the International Museum of Women (IMOW) , the Wells Fargo History Museum in San Francisco has opened its latest exhibit, "Women Making Financial History." This exhibit examines women's roles in making and managing money, from the early history of the United States to today — all around the world. The exhibit features striking photo essays of women benefitting from micro-lending in Nepal, new entrepreneurship of Arab women in Qatar, and more. The original material is from IMOW's virtual exhibition, "Economica," which explores the many facets of women's… -
Clark, Gruber & Co. and the First National Bank of Denver
22 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pmIn past articles I covered the first national bank chartered in California and the first national bank chartered on the Pacific Coast. In this post I'll share some of the incredible history of the first national bank chartered west of the Great Plains, the First National Bank of Denver. This bank's history incorporates a gold rush, a private mint, a national bank, and ultimately a Federal mint. This is truly amazing. Our story begins in Leavenworth, Kansas Territory , in 1855 when Milton Clark set up shop as a grocer. Within two years, Clark, his brother Austin, and Emanuel Gruber… -
Build a Wells Fargo History Museum...
19 Oct 2009 | 2:52 pm...and they will come.... Minnesota may not be the center of the world in many respects, but the world certainly comes to visit us. Over a span of just two days, the Wells Fargo History Museum in Minnesota had visitors from six different countries.* First was a group of visitors from Iceland , who were on a trip tracing the paths of emigrants from Iceland to the United States. They were followed by a research scientist from Scotland, who came back the next day to show us photographs of the museum that he'd created in his village to document their local history. Next were… -
Remember and Prepare!
16 Oct 2009 | 4:45 pmSaturday, October 17, marks the anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area. We've posted some stories this past week of people who remember the day. Also this past week, millions of Californians participated in the "The Great California Shake Out," a series of events that became the biggest earthquake drill ever. That morning 20 years ago, just about everyone everywhere was ducking, covering, maneuvering, practicing, checking. We're ready — but you can't be too ready, of course. That's why we practice, practice, practice. Meanwhile, the Bay Area Chapter of the…
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Home Depot Foundation
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An Exciting Day in Atlanta
4 Nov 2009 | 9:31 amIt’s an exciting day for us. I know, it’s just Wednesday, it’s November 4th, election results are in, Halloween’s passed, Thanksgiving’s not here yet and it’s getting a little cold. But in Atlanta, for The Home Depot Foundation, it’s our 4th annual “Building Community Day.” It’s exciting for us because on this day each year, we select 20 nonprofits in the area who work outside of our focus on healthy, affordable housing, and we recognize and celebrate the outstanding work they do to impact our community and make Atlanta a… -
Energy Savings for All
23 Oct 2009 | 9:26 amThis was a big week for the idea of residential green building. Enterprise Community Partners announced the launch of their next generation of the Green Communities Program. Not only did Enterpise make a $4 billion commitment to create, preserve or retrofit 75,000 green homes and community buildings over the next 5 years, but perhaps more importantly, they issued a national call to action to make all affordable housing green by 2020. As the founding funder of Green Communities, we were proud to support the next generation of the program with a grant of $1.5 million. Earlier in the week,… -
There’s Money in those Trees!
19 Oct 2009 | 8:29 amAs autumn has arrived, and we begin enjoying the beauty of the fall foliage, is seems like an appropriate time to reconsider the value of trees. I know that there are some who fear storm damage from trees or who dislike the raking chores, but in general, I think it’s safe to say most people like trees. They add variety to the landscape, provide cool shade to rest and give us a connection to the past and the future. Trees are nice and good, and some people even write poems about them. Today, though, I want to present some different information about trees - some economic… -
Not what we do it, but who we do it for
8 Oct 2009 | 2:13 pmYesterday I got the chance to visit a family who has lived for about a year in a house they helped build with the Atlanta affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. I always enjoy these opportunities to see the work of the organizations we support, so I was looking forward to the chance to talk to the parents and spend a little time with their 3 children (I’m a sucker for kids). I didn’t expect, however, to be touched to the extent I was by their story. Yasir and his doctors after his transplant. The family we visited had struggled to afford a healthy, safe home to raise their two… -
WHEW - What a week!
28 Sep 2009 | 2:18 pmThe rains hit Atlanta hard last week, and The Home Depot Foundation partnered with the Company to help those impacted here in our hometown. That meant making donations to the Red Cross, which was providing shelter and food to those who were driven from their homes, and local governments struggling to keep up with the needs of their residents and to assess the damage. We donated almost $50,000 just in bottled water, and we made a further commitment that we are standing ready to help when the rebuilding begins. There was quite a flurry of activity among the staff: assessing the situation,…
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Home Depot: Orangeblooded.net
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Michigan Stores Share their Know-How at Symposium
30 Oct 2009 | 8:52 amAttendees at a recent symposium were fascinated to learn what they could do to make their homes a safe and eco friendly place, especially those who were undergoing treatment or recovering from recent surgery. -
A Splash of Pink Paint…for the Chicken Coop?
30 Oct 2009 | 6:56 amSharon, a paint associate at Home Depot Store 2108 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, couldn’t help but wonder what her customer was working on when the customer ordered 10 gallons of exterior paint in bright pink. -
Associates from Florida Celebrate 15+ years of Service
26 Oct 2009 | 6:58 amHome Depot district 9 in Southwest Florida recently held an event to bring together workers from the area with 15 years or more with the company. More than 100 associates attended the event, including one who has been with Home Depot for 26 years. -
50,000 Watts of Sound Home Improvement Advice
21 Oct 2009 | 8:02 amGet Home Improvement advice from Home Depot's John Gordon every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. ET on Charlotte's WBT AM Radio. -
Store Earns Salute from Arkansas Air National Guard
19 Oct 2009 | 2:36 pmHome Depot Store 1404 in Fort Smith, Ark., is the latest Home Depot store to earn the "Patriotic Employer" recognition for its support of military-member employees.
