Archive: August 2005

August 31, 2005

Book Review: Superb Tips & Tricks for Managing Your Customer Information

Deborah Mayo-Smith, the DIVA of email newsletters and email marketing pens "Superb Tips and Tricks for Managing Your Customer...

August 31, 2005

Yahoo Search Improves Thanks to Gmail

While I can't recommend Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or other online email services for core business use, these services do come...

August 31, 2005

Newsletters vs Blogs: Newsletters Win

Blogs have been getting a LOT of attention over the past several weeks as the hottest communication media for business....

August 30, 2005

Tips In Honor of National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month and this year it is being co-sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and the...

August 30, 2005

Ipswitch FTP: Efficient Opportunities for Content & Data Management

In data intensive offices, where many people work on various pieces of data it is important to be able...

August 30, 2005

Firewalls Should be Only ONE Part of Your Network Security

When analyzing the security of your network it is so very important to ensure that you don't feel that...

August 30, 2005

Is Your Business NetFlixed? It should be or your Competition Will Be.

Yesterday someone was telling me how happy they were with the DVD rental service of NetFlix. Hearing this person...

August 30, 2005

New Windows File System

A new version of Microsoft's Windows File System is in the works and touted to be better than what we...

August 29, 2005

FileMaker Pro 8: Giving You No Excuse To Not Have a Database

Unfortunately, many businesses still rely on Microsoft Excel to keep track of their data. Why? Excel is very easy...

August 29, 2005

Emerge's Core IT-In-A-Box Gets Bundled

EmergeCore's IT IN A BOX, network appliance with built in email, web server, FTP, networking, wireless and more, has signed...

August 29, 2005

Should You Buy A Warranty

When buying electronics, or other products you'll most likely be offered the opportunity to buy an extended warranty. Should you?...

August 29, 2005

Your In-Box: Will Your Email Be There | More Then Email

The International Herald Tribune reminds us that if you are storing email in one of the several online email systems...

August 29, 2005

Verizon Cut's High Speed Wireless Service

Verizon's wireless high-speed Internet service is PERFECT when you have no Wi-Fi, Ethernet, dial-up or any other means to...

August 29, 2005

Data Security Options: YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE

Listen. I am NEVER going to stop beating the drum of how important data security is for your business. Every...

August 29, 2005

Email? Don't Forget Face to Face Communication

Inc Magazine writes in it's September 2005 issue that with the growth of email, instant messag9ing and two-way pagers, face...

August 27, 2005

How Intuit and Microsoft Will Face Offce

On 7 September 2005 Microsoft will release Small Business Accounting, their accounting program for small-medium sized businesses that links perfectly...

August 27, 2005

Microsoft Gives A Boost to Its Retail Management System

Microsoft announces, free and tighter integration between Microsoft's Retail Management System and Small Business Financials. Mike Dickstein, director of Microsoft...

August 26, 2005

Video: Using BlackBerry's In Your Business

TechTarget is hosting a BlackBerry sponsored video showcasing businesses using BlackBerry's in their businesses. It's about 30 minutes I...

August 26, 2005

IBM's New Data Protection System for SMBs

There's many data backup solutions on the market that work quite well for SMBs. One that comes to mind is...

August 26, 2005

Content Management System or Simple Blog?

Remember back "then" when content management systems (CMS) were all the rage? Well in some ways they still are. Companies...

August 26, 2005

Managing Email: A Hassle You Must Manage

The number one form of business communication is by far email. Of course in some industries fax is used...

August 26, 2005

If You Have VOIP Acknowledge 911 Or Else

If your business is one of the millions of customers who use voice over the Internet services from one of...

August 25, 2005

Yahoo's New Check Out: Raising Profits

Smart online retailers know that proper implementation and design of their check out systems can make, break or increase a...

August 25, 2005

Vote for Smallbiztechnology.com

Business Week is running a vote for some of the best web sites. I would appreciate you typing in Smallbiztechnology.com...

August 25, 2005

White People, Africa and Technology

In Africa, although most of the region is impoverished and economically depressed cell phone technology is booming. It's interesting...

August 25, 2005

Fujitsu Lifebook 2.2lbs

The NY Times briefly reviews the Fujitsu Lifebook P1500 and writes The tiny Fujitsu LifeBook P1500 looks a lot...

August 25, 2005

7 Reasons You Should Consider Blogging

As America's biggest SMB geek, I'll admit that blogging does have some smell of "fad-ishness" to it. However, it is...

August 25, 2005

How Technology Levels The Playing Field

The New York Times writes how technology enables smaller businesses to compete on a pretty much equal level (besides raw...

August 25, 2005

Microsoft Small Business Accounting - $200

Cnet reports that MSFT's Small Business Accounting Program will be $200 about $100 less than the full retail price of...

August 24, 2005

IT Costs: A $ Maker or $ Loser?

Instead of thinking of your computers, servers, ISP charges, cell phones and etc as a "cost of doing business" or...

August 24, 2005

Merging Traffic: Cell Phones and WiFi Phones

I have in front of me a WiFi phone from Zyxel that uses WiFi to place telephone calls. Eventually,...

August 24, 2005

'Net Based PBX Telephone Systems Are Better

A report by market research firm In-Stat reads that IP based PBX system are growing faster than traditional PBX systems....

August 24, 2005

ZoneAlarm Adds Spyware

Millions (I'd guess) of you have download ZoneAlarm's free software firewall to protect your PC from intruders and recently ZoneAlarm...

August 24, 2005

SMB Tip: Making The Internet An Operating System

When I first started using the computer the PC, the actual desktop was so important. Email, files, and more were...

August 24, 2005

Beyond Desktops and Servers: End to End Security Policies

Security, now, more than ever, is so important. It is not enough to simply have anti-virus on your local...

August 23, 2005

Bob Parsons (GoDaddy.com) Responds to Champ Mitchell (Network Solutions)

Cnet ran a story about the new Network Solutions (the new Network Solutions is impressive). In the story, Network Solutions...

August 23, 2005

PC Giving You Trouble? Stop Thinking Like a Human.

Like any good business owner, I'm sure you have a great computer consultant you can call on for tech support....

August 23, 2005

Cheaper, Cheaper, Cheaper 'Net Broadband from Yahoo-Verizon

Although gas prices are going up - DSL speeds are going down thanks to competition. Cable, DSL and telephone companies...

August 22, 2005

Google: Yeah..It's Powerful But Your Web Site Can Win

Since Google is the top-dog in search engines it is SO important to be listed in its indexed and...

August 22, 2005

Open Source - Keep It In Mind for Your Next Software Purchase But Be Careful

Cnet has written a VERY good and substantive article on the value and the cautions of using open source in...

August 22, 2005

No WiFi? Use Your Cell Phone!

This past week I was at a children's camp helping out. It was a lot of fun being with...

August 22, 2005

Google's Search Desktop: Perfect For Novices and Professionals Alike

Based on what I've been reading (USA Today and others) the latest version of Google's desktop appears to be...

August 19, 2005

I'm off today...

There is a lot of news and information I have to post, but I'm away and will resume regular news...

August 18, 2005

Label Printers - Put Things in Perfect Order

Every business needs to organize the paper work they receive and generate. I use one of Dymo's Label printers and...

August 17, 2005

Microsoft's Biggest Threat? Itself

News Factor writes that Microsoft's biggest threat is NOT Linux as many people had thought, but really are the...

August 17, 2005

Wireless Via Cell Phone In Rural PA

I'm sitting in a log cabin in rural Pennsylvania. Via my cell phone (Verizon) I am able to get "broadband"...

August 16, 2005

Email Authentication: Will It Solve the Spam/Phishing Problem or Not?

Many online vendors are promoting an email authentication system that would help ISP's confirm that the one sending email...

August 15, 2005

Laplink Everywhere Hits Retail Stores

Laplink released to retail stores, the retail version of its remote access solution, Laplink Everywhere. There are many remote...

August 15, 2005

A Gas Prices Escalate Let Tech Save $

As I don't use my car very much (only three days per week on average) I didn't realize that the...

August 15, 2005

Sprint & Nextel Are Combined

This will not affect your business directly, yet, but do note that Sprint and Nextel have completed their merger. Learn...

August 15, 2005

West Virginia SMB Orgs Get Together Online

It is refreshing to know that there are so many resources for small businesses to get technology information. West Virginia...

August 15, 2005

Microsoft Small Business Specialist Kit

Microsoft sure knows how to make its IT partners feel special. Harry Brelsford, SMBNation writes The USA welcome kit contains...

August 13, 2005

Microsoft Small Business Accounting - Sep Release

Beta News writes that Microsoft will release its Small Business Accounting program, DIRECTLY competing with Intuit Quickbooks on 7...

August 12, 2005

Moving PC Files? CA's Desktop DNA vs Laplink's PC Mover

Over the last several days I've had the opportunity to try out two PC file moving utilities. One is Computer...

August 12, 2005

A Real "Smart" Memory Card from SanDisk

Secure Digital cards are great to have. They store lots of things - photos for your camera or files...

August 12, 2005

How Technology Levels Your Playing Field

Using the power of web sites, blogging, podcasts (online radio show), RSS feeds (online content pushed to you), newsletters and...

August 12, 2005

Lenovo Predicted Dell's Revenue Miss: Lessons for SMBs

At a recent meeting I had with executives from Lenovo they said that Dell was pricing themselves too low and...

August 11, 2005

More Insight on the Webex purchase of Intranets.com

AMI-USA analyst Laurie McCabe writes in a recnet AMI newsletter Webex and Intranets.com are both software-as-services (SaS) pioneers that have...

August 11, 2005

Webinar: Phishing Protection for Small Business

Phishing is a growing online threat and you need to educate yourself about it. On Tuesday, August 16th Symantec will...

August 11, 2005

Inc Magazine On Blogs

Inc.com has a suite of pieces on blogs: Why I Read Business Blogs Some of the smartest people Hillary Johnson...

August 11, 2005

Book Review: Computer Privacy Annoyances: How to Avoid the Most Annoying Invasions of Your Personal and Online Privacy

Publisher O'Reilly writes No one needs to tell you that personal privacy is an increasingly rare commodity. Identity theft...

August 11, 2005

RapidFax vs eFax: RapidFax WINS!

Like me, many of you have relied on eFax as your email-to-fax and fax-to-email service. There's a new service...

August 10, 2005

Dell Printers. Its "Low Price" Is Only Skin Deep.

When buying technology, Dell and its competition often have two different views of the story. Dell touts low price and...

August 10, 2005

"Live" Customer Service On Your Web Site. No Human? How?

Oddcast has raised the bar with its easy to use avators by embedding artificial intelligence with them. Oddcast's characters...

August 10, 2005

Dual Hard Drives. Double Data Safety

Having one hard disk is asking for trouble, especially if you are not backing up your data. Having two hard...

August 10, 2005

The New Network Solutions - Giving GoDaddy & Register.com a Run For Their Money

Network Solutions started out as a quasi government entity managing domain names. The world of domain names and online...

August 10, 2005

Lenovo - Doing Well So Far.

Lenovo's first quarter profit rose 6 percent. This is the first time since 2001 that the formerly IBM PC division...

August 10, 2005

Should You Report A Security Breach?

If your network or other digital security is breached should you keep quiet or should you tell a relevant authority...

August 9, 2005

Dual-Core Processors: Faster. Hidden Costs?

Dual-core processors are used more and more, not only in servers but in PCs to increase speed. Physically, there...

August 9, 2005

Gateway Goes For Embedded Security

Because notebook computers are small they can more easily be stolen than desktops. Not only are they small but they...

August 8, 2005

Organizing Bits of Digital Information

If your day is spent collecting and keeping track of bits of information its important that you have a tool...

August 8, 2005

Scammers Haven: Nigeria & Your Email

Many of the scams you and I receive have their origins from Nigeria. The scam often reads that a...

August 8, 2005

Search: Solutions For Finding Information

As your business obtains and creates more and more information the solutions you use to FIND the information is VERY...

August 8, 2005

Security Updates: The Operating System is Easy

Windows XP makes it very easy to keep updated as you can automatically let Windows XP periodically check for updates...

August 8, 2005

Selling Data Services: A Look At A Small Town In Maryland

If you don't have broadband access yet, invariably you are going to purchase it. If you already have it, you...

August 8, 2005

Kim Komando on Battery Life

Batteries. Without them mobile technology would not be what it is today. Every mobile device needs batteries to keep...

August 8, 2005

Software995.com - A Must Visit Web Site

I'm trying out Gateway's beautiful widescreen notebook (M250) and am in the midst of transferring and downloading software. One tool...

August 5, 2005

WCBS 880 Radio: Small Businesses Are Making $ With Google

It exciting to see that small businesses, not just big businesses, are leveraging the Internet to make MONEY and lots...

August 5, 2005

e-Merchants: Surviving Against Scammers Is Not Profitable

Online it is so hard to detect scams. Offline is a little easier as you can at least physically see...

August 5, 2005

SMB Tech Road Block: Why Is Logan Airport (Boston) Blocking Free Wi-Fi

If you fly a lot for your business you enjoy the perks of frequent flyer travel. In the case...

August 5, 2005

AOL's Latin America Failure Can Teach Small Business So Much

When AOL launched in Latin America, everything could have gone great. However, USA Today writes The failure is a...

August 4, 2005

Be Careful: Choosing A Vendor For Your Business

Choosing a technology consultant to work with you is important, but it's equally important to select a good technology vendor...

August 4, 2005

RSS: Are You Using Its Power?

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is one of the MOST powerful ways to get content from point "a" to point "b"....

August 4, 2005

Handhelds in the Enterprise: Learning From Large Businesses

Information Week presents an overview of how large companies are using handheld devices in their companies. You should read this...

August 4, 2005

Microsoft Business Contact Manager

Microsoft Business Contact Manager gives you a high-powered way to use Outlook to manage your business contacts. Think of turning...

August 4, 2005

When Will YOU Go Wireless? My 2 Low Cost Solutions.

If you have not tried the wonders of wireless communication, you are not by yourself. But soon you should give...

August 4, 2005

Mozilla: Now It's For Profit. What This Means For Businesses

Mozilla Foundation, makers of the email client Thunderbird and web browser Firefox, is now a for profit corporation, Mozilla Corp....

August 3, 2005

Service & Price: Cable Companies Want Your Boardband Business

Traditionally, telephone companies have been the huge sellers of broadband to businesses. Their DSL lines snake in and out...

August 3, 2005

InkJets Challenge Laser Jets

Although traditional B&W laser printers print faster and cheaper than ink jets, many businesses want color printing. Color Laser printers...

August 3, 2005

Lexis-Nexis Continues to Price for SMB

Lexis-Nexis can be expensive. However, they are getting smater and smarter and realize that to expand their reach they'll...

August 3, 2005

ShopSite Boosts SMB Sales With New e-Commerce Features

Selling online is fun, but the real fun starts when you can add new features to your web site...

August 3, 2005

Could You Ditch Your Notebook For A SmartPhone

With smartphones and PDAs being used more and more could your notebook be replaced? Maybe. If you only need a...

August 3, 2005

Book Review: Reaching Small Business Owners Is NOT Easy

Selling to small businesses (us) is not as easy as some large vendors think. But a new book, which I...

August 3, 2005

WiMax: Coming To A Home/Business Near Your

WMax is a wireless broadband technology which works over long distances. Whereas WiFi is only good for a few hundred...

August 3, 2005

NetSuite: Making The Hosted Experience Even Better

NetSuite is clearly becoming a usability leader in making NetSuite easier to use in so many areas. Yesterday it...

August 2, 2005

Building A Web Site Still Takes Paitence and Thought

Although building web sites is no longer the "hot" topic it was only a few years ago, it is STILL...

August 2, 2005

Big Biz Love Small Biz: WebEx Buys Intranets.com

In a move clearly showing that small businesses are the sweet spot for most all vendors and showing that it...

August 1, 2005

Radio Shack: No More Verizon. Hello Cingular.

Starting next year, Radio Shack will no longer sell Verizon's wireless telephone service, but will continue to sell Sprint...

August 1, 2005

Security Takes Two: One To Do. One To Check.

If you are VERY serious about securing your computer systems it's important that you leverage a two person system says...

August 1, 2005

Your Next Notebook: What To Look For

I've been through several notebooks, IBM Thinkpads and two from Gateway recently. When looking for a notebook computer I've found...

August 1, 2005

Gadgets: Too Much Is Never Enough

Sometimes people get frustrated with the gadgets they use in their lives, but its refreshing to read about someone...

August 1, 2005

Politics: How A Recent Court Ruling Could Affect Your High Speed 'Net Access

Recently the Supreme Court ruled that a small DSL provider did not have a "right" to access the cable...

August 1, 2005

Smooth Operator: Lenovo's ThinkVision L171p LCD Monitor

When I first heard about Lenovo's new monitor I yawned and figured why do I need to tell my audience...

August 1, 2005

Video Monitoring: Do Yourself For Less $

Those in big office buildings can rely on the security services of their management company to secure the building....