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Monday, January 31, 2011

If You Haven't Changed Your Amazon Password in a While... Do So Now!

It seems that Amazon has acknowledged some type of flaw with their password system that allows people to log into your account with variations of your password.

Supposedly the flaw only affects those who haven't changed their password in years.

Rather than repeat the whole post, I'll provide a link to the story I read at Wired. Check it out and change your password!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Impressions from the Yankee Dental Congress

I returned home late last night from New England where I was honored to be asked to give 5 lectures at the Yankee Dental Congress. The weather didn't cooperate much this year with the opening day, Thursday, being dealt a 10 inch snowfall overnight. That meant schools were cancelled and many attendees were forced to stay home due to the school closings & driving conditions. As proof of that, I arrived at the convention center on Thursday morning in a snow plow as I was unable to find a cab... but that's another whole post.

The weather definitely affected attendance on Thursday, especially in the morning, but the afternoon showed increased attendance. Friday was crazy with vendors reporting brisk sales and lots of booth traffic. Saturday was lighter which is usually expected on the last day of a meeting, especially one where a city was still digging out of the snow.

One of the highlights of the show was the Technology Playground organized and manned by my buddy Dr. Paul Feuerstein. Paul spent a good deal of time in the playground showing & talking about the latest tech with vendors there showing their wares. It's definitely an idea I can see being picked up by other major meetings.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

CAO Group Brings Years of Experience to Dental - Although You've Never Heard of Them

At the ADA in Orlando, I had a chance to meet and spend some time with folks from the CAO Group.  While you may not have heard of CAO group you've almost certainly used at least some of their products.  How you ask?  Because over the years they've been making products for some pretty large dental manufacturers which were then rebranded under the manufacturer's name.
CAO holds or has applied for 150 patents.  And, over the years, has made some very innovative products for their partners.  Now they've decided to step into the dental market on their own.
Their premier product at this time is "Sheer White" which, as the name indicates, is a whitening product.  It's a strip type product that uses carbamide peroxide as the whitening agent.  What really sets this product apart though is the material the strip is made of.  Unlike other products in this category, Sheer White has an amazing adhesive property, allowing it to literally "stick" to the tooth.  The product doesn't slide around, doesn't get the whitening material all over the mouth, and is so thin it is very easy to tolerate.  They have similar products for desensitivity (Sheer Desenz) and fluoride (Sheer Fluorx).
CAO Group also has several other products including curing lights and a diode laser that should be on the market in the first half of 2011.
Their products are exclusively available through Henry Schein.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Kickstarter Creates Rustic iPad & KIndle Cases

This a really cool idea for those of you who own portable devices.  The folks at Kickstarter are making these really cool products to help protect your gadgets.
From their website:  Rustic Case is a line of sleeve cases that are handmade in New England. We make them using 80% wool/ 20% polyester blend for extra durability. We hand select and buy the material from a small shop in Massachusetts that has been in business since 1905. We add 100% genuine leather accent pieces for an elegant touch with our company name branded into each piece. We've found small workshops all over New England that will supply us with all the materials needed to make these high quality, hand made products.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

New Hands-On Courses at Chicago’s CEE

Cosmedent’s Center for Esthetic Excellence (CEE) announces its new course schedule for 2011. The CEE features the most comprehensive courses in direct resin bonding and offers unique lecture/hands on programs designed to enhance your clinical skills and help you grow your practice in this economically challenging time. Increase your success with composite with these courses: Ultimate Esthetics, Accreditation Case Type 5 and Transitional Bonding. In addition to these popular 2 and 3 day classes, the CEE is now offering highly focused, 3 hour courses on incisal translucency and tooth shaping and contouring for maximum learning in minimal time. For information on any of the courses at the CEE, contact Erika Heier at

800-837-2321 or online at

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Verizon Offers Unlimited iPhone Data... For a Limited Time

It seems there is some hesitation at Verizon.  The mobile phone company who just announced that they will be the second US carrier to get the iPhone, announced on Tuesday morning that unlike AT&T, they would be offering iPhone users on their network the $30 unlimited plan that they offer to all of their smartphone customers.  That's incredible news, right?  AT&T contract holders currently pay $15 a month for 250 megabytes of  data per month, or $25 for 2 gigabytes of data and an additional $10 for each gigabyte of monthly data usage that exceeds the allotted 2 GB limit.
Needless to say, Verizon customers were buzzing.  Then... the news changed a few hours later.  That's when Verizon announced the the announced "unlimited" plan would be "for a limited time".  Translation: If you get an iPhone on Verizon within a narrow window of time when they are first being sold, you can have unlimited data for the life of your contract.  Miss the window and you will be given a metered plan with caps similar to AT&T.
So unlimited or limited... which is it?  Can you hear me now?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Top 15 Free Android Medical Apps for Healthcare Professionals Top 15 Free Android Medical apps for Healthcare professionals

Android Medical.jpg
I can remember when the Android Operating System for mobile phones was announced.  Sure, it was designed by Google, but still... a Google mobile phone?  What does Google know about phones anyway?  However, once Android phones hit the market, there was a steady stream of successful devices and users began to really like the way they worked.
The result?  Just about 3 years later, Android is a serious player in the smartphone market.  Heck, I was a doubter at first and now I'm carrying an Android device and couldn't be happier.
One of the ways you can tell a platform has staying power is by the number of useful apps it has.  To that end, Apple is the 800 pound gorilla, but Android is chugging along with a very nice second place.  The Android Market Place has tons of apps.  Some of these are even very specific to certain professions.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Azenic Disposable Handpieces - Going through Clinical Trial Now

In the next couple of weeks, I'll be putting the Azenic disposable handpiece through its paces in my office.  I've had a hands-on demo and was impressed, but the real proof will come from clinical testing.
The company has a unique approach to the market.  They don't propose you eliminate your everyday handpieces and replace them with theirs.  Instead, they recommend keeping a few of the Azaenic DHP handpieces around for times when you don't want the wear and tear on your precision instruments.
They are recommended for removing crowns & bridges, sectioning teeth for surgery (since it has no chip air), and as a backup should your autoclave go down.  They are also a good backup should one or more of your normal highspeeds need repair.
The devices are individually packaged and are available in packages of 12 per box.  They are designed for 16 minutes of continuous run time and have significant torque.
My emphasis in testing will be in removing fixed prosthetics.  That type of situation is tough on turbines and anything that can extend the life of a turbine should be evaluated.
I'll have my opinions in a few weeks.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Working & the NFL Playoffs - Can They Coexist?

Today I'll be spending the day reviewing and finalizing my 5 (that's right 5) lectures that I'll be giving at the Yankee Dental Congress this week.  Of course the problem with that is that the NFL Playofs are today too.  What's a sports fan to do?

Well, fortunately for me, I have a bit of tech to help me along.

While I'll be working away on my MacBook Pro, I'll also be using an extra 19" monitor that allows me to have 2 screens.   Studies have shown that people who use 2 screens are a minimum of 20% more efficient.  I'll gladly attest to that.  When I'm on the road and forced to use just the screen on my Mac, it feels like I'm typing with only one hand or something.

Add to that the fact that I have a Windows machine in my home office that is also set up with 2 monitors.  One of them is an Exorvision 17" with a cable TV connection.  That allows me to have the games up (and muted unfortunately), but i can, with the push of a remote, switch it back to computer if need be to do some research.  Oh, and since that monitor will have a browser open, I'll also have the ESPN live game feed open so if the TV is off, game progress can still be followed.  Even with the monitor in TV mode, the other monitor will have Tweetdeck up to keep me updated of the info coming in from my Twitter buddies and Facebook friends.

It won't be like sitting  on a comfy couch and watching the game in surround sound, but it's far better than the alternative!

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Lexi-Comp Discount!

Lexi logo.jpg
I love being organized.  Granted, it's not always the easiest thing to do, but when you got things just where you want them, it's a tremendous feeling.
Of course, I love to be organized through the use of good technology. Let's face it, technology for the sake of technology may be fun for someone like me, but for most of you, there has to be a payoff, an advantage.  If there isn't an advantage to using technology, it just becomes one more thing you have to do or one more thing you have to deal with. So if you are going to use it, and use it on a regular basis, there has got to be a clearcut advantage.
One of those advantages for me comes by using Lexi-Comp in my day to day life as practicing dentist.  Lexi products provide a ton of valuable information and allow you access that info in a lot of different ways.  Whether it be through your computer or a handheld device (iPad, iPhone, iPod, Blackberry, Android, etc), all of the data is current, constantly updated, and complete.  It is also thorough and it doesn't matter which product(s) you use, the info is the same and all the formats are easy to use.
To top it all off, the good folks at Lexicomp are offering a discount until the end of the month.  You will save 25% on your entire order with coupon code DNN111.  Click here to browse all products for dentistry.
I've been using Lexi products for several years and they are highly recommended!!!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Dragontrail from Asahi Glass-Making Smartphones Tougher

Our devices, despite our best efforts, take a beating.  Heck think of the world wide market for cell phone, iPod, and iPad cases.  There are millions of dollars being spent on them.  I own one of each of the aforementioned devices and each one of them has a case that cost more than just a couple of bucks.
Now from Japan comes an announcement from the country's largest glass maker.  It seems Asahi Glass has developed an amazingly tough glass formula they are calling Dragontrail.  The idea is simple in nature, but complicated to create.  The picture above is the best demonstration.  A glass that can resist scratching despite the rigors of everyday life like purses, keys, etc.
The only competitor is from Corning who introduced Gorilla glass in 2008.  Several manufacturers are rumored to be using Gorilla Glass although Corning will not divulge who they might be.
However, Asahi feels the global market is enough to support 2 companies in the "tough glass" market.  With the substances being used in cell phones, tablet devices, and high end televisions, industry analysts are estimating the global revenue may be upward of 1 billion dollars.  That's a lot of cash.
According to the company Dragontrail " multiple times stronger than soda-lime glass commonly used in windows, resists scratches and has a "beautiful, pristine" finish."
I'm personally all for anything that keeps my devices from getting beaten up...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

eCommerce Comes to Starbucks... in the Form of Your SmartPhone

You gotta love Starbucks... I know I sure do. They have managed to become the McDonalds of the premium coffee shop world. And by that, I mean it as a compliment. I know that no matter where I am, my favorite coffee request will taste exactly the same as it does back home.
They've also managed to create an environment where most don't mind paying a premium. Heck, Dave Ramsey even refers to the place as "Five bucks"... and with good reason.
So, as the economy rebounds and Starbucks begins to grow and expand again, it figures that they would create a way to make it even more convenient to pay than ever before. Enter the Starbucks app. Basically it is a downloadable app for the iPhone and the Blackberry that allows you to pay directly from your phone. We're going to see more and more of this in the future. Remember when you used to carry photos in your wallet? Now we all use our phones for that right? The same thing is going to hap pen with payments. The SmartPhone is about to become the wallet of the future when it comes to payments.
Here are all the details:

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Sprint & T-Mobile iPhones on the Horizon?

If you're a Sprint or T-Mobile customer, the recent announcement of the iPhone on Verizon could be good news for you.

It seems that Apple has shown that (in Europe, anyway) once their exclusive agreement expires with a carrier, they are quick to make the iPhone available on other networks. So, since the exclusive agreement with AT&T has expired and Verizon is getting the iPhone, it follows that other US carriers may soon be part of the iPhone family.

Add to that the fact that Verizon and Sprint both use CDMA technology as their wireless standard and it becomes a fairly easy thing to switch networks.

Sprint actually has an announcement planned for February 7th, so that may well be what it is about... but that is speculation at this time.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

HP May unveil WebOS Tablet on February 9th

When the Consumer Electronics Show ended without an announcement from HP on its rumored tablet, some people didn't know what to think. This past CES really seemed to be a tablet centered event and lots of companies were showing off their new devices.

When HP purchased Palm last year, rumors swirled regarding the reason for the acquisition. HP had already been making hand held devices and moved on from them. What would they want with a company that was making smartphones? Then the speculation began that it wasn't about the phones, it was about the OS that ran the phones. WebOS could hold a lot of promise for a lot of different portable devices.

The next round of rumors related to a new tablet device that HP would be bringing to market. It would run, of course, WebOS. So when the CES wrapped up with no HP announcement, there was confusion.

Now comes word that on February 9th, HP will have an event centered on the WebOS software. My money is on them announcing their tablet at that time. I owned a Palm Pre WebOS smartphone for a while. The OS seems robust and truly allows for multitasking. This might be just the thing to shake up the market. However, it's got to be more stable and faster than what I experienced in the phone. Here's hoping they get it right.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Verizon to Sell iPad with a Connection to its Network

Fresh on the heels of the announcement that Verizon will soon have the iPhone, comes news that it will soon have the iPad as well.

For a while now, Verizon has been promoting buying the WiFi only iPad and then connecting it via wireless WiFi broadband hotspot (which is exactly what I'm doing on the Sprint network).  However, now comes the news that Verizon will actually be able to sell an iPad with an onboard chip that will allow the device to connect directly to Verizon's high speed network, just like the current model available only on AT&T.  It's looking more and more like there will be no difference at all between the devices available from the 2 competing companies.

While this news is confirmed by Verizon's CFO in an article appearing from Bloomberg, there is no indication as to exactly when this will be available.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Voctorinox Swiss Army Jump Drive

If you spend as much time on the road as I do, you're always looking for a way to streamline the amount of things you have to carry and that includes backup medium.

The folks at Victorinox are famous for making Swiss Army knives. They've even, in the past, made them with jump drives built in. The drawback to that design comes if you are traveling with it. The TSA frowns on knives in your carryon nowadays.

As a solution to that problem, Victorinox is now making a form factor similar to their knives, but all it contains is USB jump drives. They come in several sizes including a 128GB model that features 2 64GB drives.

They were shown at the recently held Consumer Electronics Show and should be available in the not too distant future.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Sony eReader Pocket Edition

Sony eReader Pocket.jpg
As regular readers know, I'm a huge fan of eBook readers.  To me it doesn't matter what model you own.  Whether it be Nook, iPad, or my device the Amazon Kindle, they all work well and are an excellent way to read and to keep track of your collections.  Since purchasing my first generation Kindle 2-3 years ago, I've read more non-dental stuff than I had in the previous 10 years combined.
Now the folks at Sony have come up with a new device that keeps the same screen size as previous models, but cuts the size of the device overall.  This could make a big impact for some of you.    The Sony PRS-350SC, pictured above, is a sweet little device.  It features a compact size measuring 5.7x4.1x.3 inches and weighs just .4 pounds (155g).  However, it keeps the 5 inch display of the previous renditions from Sony.  What's great is that while the display is the same size, it has been upgraded to what Sony calls E Ink Pearl which provides an easier to read resolution.
The screen has also been updated to a touchscreen which allows you to control the device with your fingers and allows you to turn pages with a swipe, similar to the iPad.  The 2GB onboard memory allows you to store up to 1200 books and the OS supports many different ebook formats.  It also has 12 built-in dictionaries.  I'm personally not sure why so many, but let's face it... that's impressive.
If you are looking for an eBook Reader and haven't yet found the one that's right for you.  Give this one a look.  While I don't have any personal experience with it, I'm impressed with the info on it that I've been able to find.
Also, I'll put in a plug for the book shown on the screen.  If  you haven't yet had a chance to read Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", you owe it to yourself to do so.  Larsson managed to create three books in the series before his untimely passing and I've read 2 and am currently working on the third.  All of them are highly recommended.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Verizon iPhone is Coming! The Date is Announced!

What may have been one of the worst kept tech secrets of all time has finally come to pass.  The iPhone is headed to Verizon.  Now subscribers to the "big V" can have all the techie goodness they can handle.
On February 10, 2011, Verizon subscribers can begin to purchase the most popular smartphone of all time.  Are you a Verizon customer with questions about how to get one and what it all means?  If so, here is the FAQ straight from the company:

New & Existing Customer Eligibility

  1. Can I transfer my service from my current wireless service provider to Verizon Wireless?

    Yes, if your number is portable, you can bring your existing number from your current wireless or landline service provider to Verizon Wireless. To check if you're eligible to port, or to check the status of a current port request, click here.

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  2. Should I cancel my existing service before porting?

    No. Your number must remain active. Canceling your service prior to porting will prevent you from keeping your number. Please note: You may be responsible to your old service provider for any contractual requirements and applicable charges, including an early termination fee, on your old account.

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  3. How long will it take to port my number?

    Wireless to wireless ports generally should take no more than three hours to one day, but could take longer. Landline to wireless ports generally should take no more than 4 days, but could take longer. Please note: Actual processing time may vary depending on the complexity of the port, existing volumes between carriers and your old service provider.

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  4. How will I know when the port in to Verizon Wireless is complete?

    Verizon Wireless will send a free text message to your phone notifying you that your new service is fully activated.

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  5. Do I need to sign up for a 2 year agreement?

    When purchasing iPhone at the 2 year promotional price a new agreement is required. However, you will also have the option to purchase iPhone at full retail price, which will not require you to sign a long-term agreement.

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  6. Will existing customers be able to redeem their New Every Two credit?

    Yes, existing customers will be able to take advantage of their New Every Two credit if eligible, and use it towards the purchase of iPhone (may not be available at all agent locations).

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  1. Are there minimum service and data pricing requirements?

    Yes, iPhone customers will need to choose from any of the current Nationwide plans. Customers will also be required to activate a data package, pricing will be announced at a later date.

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  1. I currently have an iPhone with AT&T. Can I keep my existing version of iPhone?

    No, in order to take advantage of the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network, you will need an iPhone 4 that works on the Verizon Wireless network.

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  2. Can I upgrade to an iPhone even though I am not eligible to upgrade?

    If you are not eligible to upgrade, you cannot upgrade at promotional pricing today, but you can pay full retail price and upgrade your phone if you would like to.

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  3. How much will iPhone cost?

    $199.99 for the 16GB model, and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new 2 year agreement.

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  4. When can I purchase iPhone?

    iPhone 4 will be available for pre-order to Verizon Wireless customers only, on a “first come, first serve” basis via, on or around February 3rd 2011 – details to be confirmed a week prior by Verizon Wireless. New and existing customers can purchase in select channels on February 10th 2011.

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  5. I am an existing customer and I’d like to go into a store to pre-order iPhone, will I be able to place my order in store?

    No, iPhone will only be available for pre-order online for both consumer and business customers.

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  6. Can I go to an Apple store to purchase and activate the phone?

    Yes, beginning on February 10th, you can visit an Apple Retail store to purchase and activate. However, prior to visiting, please make sure to check your upgrade eligibility if you are an existing Verizon Wireless customer.

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  7. Where is your closest store where I can purchase iPhone?

    Click here to visit the Verizon Wireless store locator.

    Click here to visit the Apple retail store locator.

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  8. Do you anticipate high demand for iPhone 4?

    We do expect that iPhone 4 will be in high demand. In the event that iPhone 4 is not available in stores after February 10th, you can place your order in store and have the phone shipped directly to your billing address. Shipments will take place on a “first come, first serve” basis. No billing will take place until shipments are made.

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Content Transfer

  1. If I’m an existing Verizon Wireless customer, how do I transfer my contacts?

    In order to transfer contacts, download and run Backup Assistant on your existing phone before receiving your new iPhone. Click here for more details, and for step-by-step instructions on how to transfer your contacts from your existing phone to iPhone. If you already keep your contacts on your Mac or PC, you can use iTunes to sync them to your new iPhone 4. iTunes syncs contacts with applications such as Mac OS X Address Book, Yahoo! Address Book, and Google Contacts on a Mac, or with Yahoo! Address Book, Google Contacts, Windows Address Book (Outlook Express), Windows Contacts (Vista and Windows 7), or Microsoft Outlook 2003, 2007, or 2010 on a PC.iPhone 4 can also sync your contacts over the air using MobileMe or Microsoft Exchange. If your current device cannot sync contacts with any of these options, you may need to re-enter your contacts on your new iPhone 4 manually.

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  2. Will my existing voice mail transfer over when I activate my iPhone?

    No, all existing voice mails will be lost when transferring over to iPhone.Click here for more details, and for step-by-step instructions on how to save your existing voice mail.

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  3. Can I save my voice mails?

    Yes, click here for more details, and for step-by-step instructions on how to save your existing voice mail.

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iPhone and iTunes

  1. Will the iPhone work on Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network?

    iPhone 4 works on Verizon Wireless' 3G network.

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  2. Do I need iTunes to set up my iPhone?

    Yes, you need to use iTunes 10.1 or later to set up your iPhone for the first time. If you'd like to make purchases from the iTunes Store or App Store, you can create a new Apple ID or specify an existing Apple ID during set up. For corporate users, you may need to contact your wireless administrator for additional information on installing iTunes.

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  3. If I already have an iTunes account, can I use it with my new iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless?

    Yes, during set up, you can specify your existing Apple ID.

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  4. Will I be able to sync content and iOS apps that I already have in iTunes to my new iPhone 4?

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  5. Will I be able to buy apps via the App Store?

    You can search for, browse, review, purchase, and download iOS apps from the App Store directly to iPhone. Apps that you download and install from the App Store on iPhone are backed up to your iTunes library the next time you sync iPhone with your computer. When you sync iPhone, you can also install apps you’ve purchased or downloaded from the iTunes Store on your computer.

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  6. What happens to any existing apps that I have purchased on my Verizon Wireless handset?

    The apps purchased on your existing handset will not work on your iPhone4.

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  7. Will Verizon carry accessories for iPhone?

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  8. If I have an iPhone 4 on another wireless carrier and switch to an iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless, will all of my accessories be compatible?

    Most accessories should work, however you may find that cases and covers could be different depending on the product manufacturer.

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  9. Can I use my iPhone 4 while traveling abroad?

    Yes, customers can use iPhone for voice and text in over 40 countries with data service in over 20 countries. For service availability and rate information, visit International Roaming Rates and Coverage. When travelling outside of these 40 destinations, the Global Travel program is the perfect short-term solution for the occasional or infrequent global traveler who needs to stay in touch when travelling internationally.

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  1. Who do I call for support or general questions?

    Verizon Wireless customers with general support questions can contact customer service by dialing *611 from your cell phone, or (800) 922-0204 from a landline, Monday-Sunday 6am-11pm.

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  2. How will Verizon Wireless continue to maintain the largest and most reliable 3G network in America with the launch of iPhone 4?

    Verizon Wireless has invested more than $60 billion since it was formed – $5.7 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. Verizon Wireless' 'most reliable network' claim is based on network studies conducted by test men and women who drive 100 specially-equipped vehicles more than 1 million miles annually to test network performance, call quality, and data network performance. Verizon Wireless uses the results of its frequent network tests to maintain and fine-tune the company's network on a regular basis as part of its ongoing quality maintenance programs and annual capacity planning.

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Returns & Exchanges

  1. Can I exchange a device that I recently purchased for iPhone?

    Yes, we will gladly accept returns or make exchanges on all wireless devices and accessories purchased from Verizon Wireless within 30 days of purchase (14 days for tablets). To make an exchange, return the merchandise (including device, charger, battery, instructions, and any other components) in the ORIGINAL box. All merchandise must be in like-new condition and accompanied by the original receipt. Shipping charges may apply to exchange merchandise sent to you by Verizon Wireless. A restocking fee of $35 ($70 for netbooks and tablets) applies to any second return or exchange of a wireless device (excluding Hawaii).

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

EconoKeys Sealed Medical Keyboard

Cross contamination is always an issue in healthcare.  Surface disinfection is a constant and ongoing process and with the proliferation of computers into treatment areas, keyboard disinfection is important.  Unfortunately, almost all keyboards are not built to stand the rigors of the chemicals we use to make sure cross contamination doesn't occur.  Because of that, most offices are either using some type of barrier to isolate their keyboards or are using disinfection solutions with the knowledge that keyboard life will be severely shortened.  Oh, and what about the mouse?
As a solution to this problem, EconoKeys has created the  EKW-105 Wireless Medical Keyboard. This device is a totally sealed keyboard that can be sprayed and wiped down with no risk of damage to the internal components.  As the picture above shows, the device is pretty much impervious to liquids.
It is a full sized QWERTY keyboard with an integrated track pad and a 10 key.  The keys have good action and the range of 10 meters is great for a dental environment.
Here are the specs:
Fully sealed IP68 keypad
2.4 GHz wireless USB technology
Integrated touchpad with left- and right- click keys
105 keys, including 12 function keys
Full size, 10-key numeric pad
• Compatible with all Windows operating systems
• Operates on two AAA batteries (included)
13.70” x 5.59” x 0.59” (from top of battery compartment)
348 x 142 x 15 (mm)
I've seen similar devices priced at $400 yet the EKW-105 is available for $176.  The company has lots of different models, check them out here.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

I've been using the Cadent iTero digital impression system for a year now and have been thrilled with the performance of the device.  Now, Cadent is expanding its reach into digital impressions for using with Invisalign.  Read on for all the details.

Companies to Develop 3D Scanner-based Applications for Invisalign® Treatment

SAN JOSE, Calif. and CARLSTADT, N.J., January 10, 2011 -- Align Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) and Cadent, Inc., today announced an agreement to jointly develop software applications that will run on Cadent iTeroTM and iOCTM scanners for use in Invisalign treatment. The new applications will optimize case assessment and planning for Invisalign treatment, and bring valuable digital tools chair-side for Invisalign providers who use Cadent scanners.

“The joint development agreement with Cadent is in line with our long-term strategic initiatives of improving the Invisalign customer experience through innovation,” said Thomas M. Prescott, Align president and CEO. “Our partnership with Cadent allows us to leverage our own and other innovative technology to bring digital diagnosis and treatment tools conveniently chair-side in customers’ practices.”

“Cadent’s powder-free scanning technology is fundamental for meeting the precision demanded by Align’s standards,” said Timothy Mack, Cadent president and CEO. “We are honored to develop new Invisalign applications which leverage our combined technologies and create value for our mutual customers and their patients. Integration with Invisalign has been one of the most widely requested enhancements by both general practitioners who use the iTero system and orthodontists who are using the iOC system.”

Over the past few years, Align has worked with several manufacturers of intra-oral scanning (IOS) systems to evaluate interoperability of these systems for future use with Invisalign treatment. Rigorous standards for scan quality and accuracy have been defined by Align to ensure a specific scanning technology can successfully replace the physical impressions currently used in an Invisalign case submission. As part of that program, Align is currently in final beta tests with Cadent to validate their systems for use with Invisalign and expects to announce interoperability in the second quarter of 2011.

Under the terms of the agreement, Align will fund several million dollars for Cadent software development over the next few quarters in order to accelerate the availability of these chair-side applications. Align will own all rights to the developed applications and technology. Additional information regarding these new Invisalign applications will be provided closer to commercial launch.

About Align Technology, Inc.

Align Technology designs, manufactures and markets Invisalign, a proprietary method for treating malocclusion, or the misalignment of teeth. Invisalign corrects malocclusion using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. Because it does not rely on the use of metal or ceramic brackets and wires, Invisalign significantly reduces the aesthetic and other limitations associated with braces. Invisalign is appropriate for treating adults and teens. Align Technology was founded in March 1997 and received FDA clearance to market Invisalign in 1998. Today, the Invisalign product family includes Invisalign Full, Invisalign Teen, Invisalign Assist, Invisalign Express, and Vivera Retainers. For additional information, please visit

To learn more about Invisalign or to find an Invisalign trained doctor in your area, please visit

About Cadent, Inc.

Cadent is the leading provider of 3-D digital CAD/CAM solutions for the orthodontic and dental industries. The Company services thousands of cases per day for a rapidly expanding customer base. Cadent's offerings, including Cadent iTeroTM, iOCTM powered by iTeroTM, OrthoCADTM iCastTM and iQTM, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of orthodontic and dental treatments while increasing the revenue of dental healthcare providers. The Company is backed by a syndicate of leading venture capital investors including Fortissimo Capital, Apax Partners, Panorama Capital (J.P. Morgan Partners), STAR Ventures and SV Life Sciences. For additional information, please visit

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

iCade is Coming... Grab your iPads Now!!!

iPad Console.jpg
Some things are just too good to pass up.  The device pictured here is the iCade.  It's a gaming cabinet for the iPad that will feature old school video games.  And will be available through  The iPad isn't permanently attached, so you can truly use the iPad that you are taking everywhere now.  Price?  $99  Availability?  Around April.  Here are the details from ThinkGeek:

Didn't think you needed an iPad? Think again!

When the iPad was announced, we all crammed into a conference room to watch live and drool over every shiny corner and reflecty icon. After the glow of the initial announcement wore off, many of us came to the conclusion that the iPad was actually pretty useless. "It's a giant iPhone!" some said. Others exclaimed, "WTF, no Flash!?". Still, we knew that most Apple fanbots (us included) would have to have one anyway.

Knowing that many of our loyal geeky customers would eventually get their retractable claws on an iPad at some point, we knew we needed to take it to the next level. What cool things could we do with the iPad that you, our lovely geek customers, would squee over? A few brainstorming sessions later, the idea of a MAME cabinet came up and we knew we'd struck gold. How cool would it be to slide your iPad into a desktop-sized arcade cabinet and rock it old school with some Pac-Man or Space Invaders?

Enter the iCADE iPad Arcade Cabinet! To use the iCade, gently slide the iPad into the cradle. The iCADE uses Bluetooth to connect to the iPad so there's nothing else you need to do. You're ready to "insert coin" and game on!

To bring the iCADE to life, ThinkGeek has partnered with ION. Atari, the first name in classic arcade games, also signed up to bring a huge suite of classic arcade titles including Asteroids® to market with iCADE support built right in. When released, a friendly API will be made available to developers to add iCADE support to almost any game.

Product Specifications

  • Beautifully retro-styled tabletop arcade cabinet for your otherwise useless iPad
  • iPad connects to the iCADE controls via Bluetooth
  • Atari providing classic games ready to go with the iCADE, including Asteroids and other top games.
  • API to be released allowing any iOS developer to create iCADE-compatible games.

Monday, January 10, 2011

IoSafe Rugged Portable in Action

Here is a short post, but in my opinion most of you will love this.

ioSafe has sent me a link to a video showing just a bit of the abuse their new Ruffed Portable can take.

Click here to view the video.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Do You Know what Your Apps Know?

As an Android user, I love what my Samsung Epic provides me. Let's face it, one of the best things a smartphone does nowadays is run apps.

You can find an app for just about everything... and then some. Most of us have become pretty dependent on at least a few apps whether they be for organizing our lives or playing our tunes.

Because of that dependence, and because we tend not to read the fine print, most of us have non idea what we agree to when we install our apps. In fact I think it's fair to say that you'd be surprised. However, if you don't check you'll never know.

Read the article referenced below from the Wall Street Journal and then check your apps!

For the full story from the Wall Street Journal, click here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, January 7, 2011

Samsung Galaxy S Selling Like Hot Cakes

Samsung has announced that the Galaxy S smartphone running the Android operating system has sold 10 million units in the first 6 months it has been available.
That's pretty impressive considering that Apple has moved about 14.1 million of their iPhone 4 devices between July and September 2010.  Let's face it, Apple is the undisputed leader at this point, but selling 10 million of anything is reason to celebrate.
From someone who has been using a Samsung device since October, I can definitely vouch for the quality.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I entered the world of Android, but I've been very happy with both the hardware and the operating system since I switched over from my Palm Pre.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

ioSafe Announces Rugged Portable Drive with Data Recovery Service

The folks at ioSafe just keep coming up with better mousetrap kinds of ideas.  Their latest endeavor is the one pictured above.  If you have the need to have your dat with you on the go, but fear that the bumps & thumps portable drives take in your backpack or briefcase will ruin your data, fear no more.
The Rugged Portable will take anything you (or anyone else) can dish out.  And... if the worst case happens & the drive gets exposed to some nastiness such as fire, water, etc... there is the data recovery service to get your info back.  This thing is just plain sweet, there's no other way to describe it.
Here are the details, straight from ioSafe:

ioSafe® Rugged Portable + DRS

The Go-AnywhereTM Ultra Rugged Hard Drive + Data Recovery Service (DRS) Product Specifications

Data Recovery Service (DRS) and No-HassleTM Warranty1 • 1 Year Data Recovery Service (DRS) included – one time, any reason, no questions asked • 1 Year No-HassleTM Warranty included – replacement or repair for any defects or damage • DRS includes accidental deletion, any damage, disasters or hardware failure • Up to $2500 included for third party forensic recovery service if needed for DRS (HDD versions) • Up to $5000 included for third party forensic recovery service if needed for DRS (SSD versions) • 3 and 5 year upgrades for DRS and No-HassleTM Warranty plans available at

Construction and Physical Security Specifications

• Full Metal JacketTM Technology – CNC machined enclosure from a solid billet of aluminum (Al) or titanium (Ti) alloy. Crush resistant to up to 5000 lbs (Ti) and 2500 lbs (Al) yet weighs as little as a pound (Al).

• Full Suspension DriveTM Technology – Full suspension in all six axis of motion. Optimized for data loss protection from drop and shock of 20’ drops (SSD version) and 10’ drops (HDD version) onto concrete per MIL-STD-810G Method 516.5.

• HydroSafeTM Technology – Waterproof yet heat conducting barrier to protect against data loss up to 10’ for 3 days in fresh water or salt water (aluminum version) or 30’ for 3 days (titanium version) per IP68. Protects data even when USB or FW plug is in. No requirement for a connector cap to retain data protection.

• ChemSafeTM Technology – Full immersion in diesel fuel, oils, hydraulic fluids, aircraft fuels, 12” depth for 1 hour with no data loss per MIL-STD-810G Method 504 • EnviroSafeTM Technology – Continuous exposure to UV, blowing sand, blowing dust, rain, salt fog, icing or freezing rain, 24 hours with no data loss per

MIL-STD-810G Methods 505.4, 506.4, 509.4 and 510. • AltiSafeTM Technology – High altitude operation. 15K ft. (Alum.) and 30K ft. (SSD and Ti.) rated altitudes per MIL-STD-810G Method 500.4 • Theft Resistant Kensington® Lock compatible slot solid metal construction – theft protection

Software Specifications (included but not required for use)

• Genie TimelineTM Pro Full Version2 ($60 Value) Award winning backup software. Simple, block level, open file and OS Continuous Data Protection (CDP) software for Windows users. Disaster recovery for entire hard drive including programs and settings, roll back and AES encryption features for the ultimate protection. Registration required at to validate purchase prior to downloading software and install code.

• Apple® Mac® TimeMachine® Supported – Apple Time Machine fully supported. Reformat of device may be required. Simple instructions online at

• TrueCrypt® AES-256 Encryption Compatible3 - Open source, encryption software. FIPS 140-2, ISO/IEC 10118-3:2004. PC, Mac and Linux compatible.

Operational Details

• 5400, 7200 RPM HDDs available, 250GB – 1TB capacities • SSD capacities from 256GB-512GB • Billet-machined Aluminum (1lb.) and Titanium (1.5 lb.) enclosures (3.9"W x 5.7"L x 1.0"H) • Multi-platform compatibility with Mac & PC/Windows • USB 3.0 (compatible with USB 2.0 computers) • FireWire® 800/USB 2.0 (Available 3/2010)

Inside The Box

• ioSafe Rugged Portable + DRS • USB 3.0 Cable (USB 3.0 version), • FireWire 800 Cable (FW800/USB 2.0 version) • USB Micro-B Y-Cable (for low powered USB 2.0 ports) • Owners Manual and Warranty

System Requirements

• Intel Pentium II 350 Mhz-compatible or Mac G3 processor & greater • For USB 3.0/USB 2.0 speeds, the system must support applicable specifications • For FireWire 800 speeds, the system must support applicable specifications

Operating Environment

• Operating: 0 to 35°C (32 to 95°F) for HDD versions • Operating: 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F) for SSD versions • Non-operating: -40°C to 65°C (-40 to 149°F) all versions • Operating Humidity: 5% - 80% (non-condensing) all versions • Non-operating Humidity: 100%, Full immersion, 10 feet, 3 days (Aluminum version) • Non-operating Humidity: 100%, Full immersion, 30 feet, 3 days (Titanium version)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Toshiba Readying New Tablet for First Half of 2011

Toshiba Tablet.jpg
Rumors abound about a new tablet device that will be coming your way from Toshiba.  It seems that sometime in the not too distant 2011 future, the Android based device will be hitting shelves in stores near you.  As a matter of fact, if news from the Consumer Electronics Show is any indication, you'll be seeing several new tablets in the first half of the new year.
Anyway, here are some of the specs that have hit the news:
  • Android "Gingerbread" Operating System
  • Removable battery - while this is nice, if the device has a battery life similar to the iPad (I'm not sure if it does) this seems nice but maybe overkill
  • Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor
  • 10.1 Inch 1280 x 800 display
  • An SD card slot as well as a HDMI port for connecting to other video devices
  • 2 cameras - a rear facing camera that will have a 5 megapixel capacity and a forward facing camera with a 2 megapixel capacity
  • Wifi but no connection to any wireless data networks from wireless carriers like Sprint, AT&T, etc

As more and more of these devices hit the market they'll begin to push into iPad sales.  This is going to be a really interesting year for tablets.  No doubt about that .


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text:
The day the chin up bar gave up on me

The chin up bar gave way. Not because I gain weight.

I’ve been expecting it to give way 1 day. The screw is too short. Not deep enough to hold the bar and a human weight. It will give way sooner or later. And it give way today.

So I landed on the ground with my kneecap. OUCH.

Think I’m going to have black blue / black green / whatever.

1 comment

  1. Hi bro,
    You should get a fully wall mounted chin up bar. It is naturally much stronger and able to support your weight better.

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text:
Enterprise grade Java.
You'll read about Conferences, Java User Groups, Java, Integration, Reactive, Microservices and other technologies.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

FacesTrace - tracing your JSF applications

11:41 Thursday, August 27, 2009 Posted by Unknown 4 comments:
, ,
Ever wondered, where your JSF app spends it's evenings? FacesTrace aims to enhance the traceability of JavaServer Faces based applications. It collects several trace information and performance metrics and presents them on the
page being traced. It is related to but not dependent on PrimeFaces.
The main metrics and information covered are:

• JSF LifeCycle visualizer
• Performance Tracker
• Scoped Attributes
• Log4J appender
• FacesMessage Lister
• Component Tree visualizer

I tryed it with weblogic 11g and it works fine.
FacesTrace has a single jar called facestrace-{version}.jar, it has no dependency to any other PrimeFaces module and can be used seperately. The only other dependency you need is a recent commons-logging-{version}.jar.
FacesTrace setup is simply about having the facestrace jar in your classpath. No other configuration beside the *.jsf mapping needed. FacesTrace is both compatible with Facelets and JSP. In order to display the trace information, simply add trace=true request parameter to the page youʼre tracing.

Performance Tracker
The performance tracker keeps track of how long each jsf phase takes and displays the execution times.

Lifecycle Tracker
Visualizes the JSF Request Lifecycle and displays each phases's state in different color. Green means, the phase is executed with success. Red means, the phase caused an error. Gray indicates, that the phase was never executed.

Displays each key-value pair in different scopes like application, session, request, cookies,params and more.

Faces Messages
Displays FacesMessages added to the FaceContext for the request being processed.

FacesTrace has it's own appender, setting the log4j to use this appender will alow
FacesTrace to display the logs at the page

Component Tree
The component tree of the view, can be traversed using the dhtml tree view of the

  1. Hi,

    After installing the facestrace, where would I be able to see the trace info ?

  2. If you add the request param to the page, scroll down to the bottom.
    That's all.

  3. done that, like http://localhost:8080/wompower6/faces/home.xhtml?trace=true

    still nothing appears.

  4. Maybe, you could get your answer in the primefaces forums: http://primefaces.prime.com.tr/forum/


text:
Healthcare Billing Solutions to Help Patients

Have you ever put off getting medical care that you knew you needed? Even those who work in the healthcare industry avoid getting the treatment they need for one reason or another, whether it's due to financial concerns, a busy schedule, or simply a fear of treatment. At Epic River, we believe that finances should never be a hindrance to obtaining necessary medical care, so we set out to break down the financial barriers that patients often face. Our healthcare billing solutions benefit patients and physicians alike, making it easier for individuals to get the care they need to enjoy optimal health.
Read More

3 Reasons Why Healthcare Practices Love Patient Lending

Like any industry in America, the healthcare industry faces many challenges. Recruiting and retaining qualified physicians, driving revenue growth, and encouraging employee engagement are among the most compelling overall. But, for many healthcare finance administrators, revenue cycle challenges are equally daunting. One reason for this is the constant struggle to collect payments from patients, which makes it difficult to maintain a low ‘Days in Accounts Receivables’ (DAR) rate. If this struggle sounds familiar to you, then Epic River is here to help.
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Congratulations! Qatar Airways, global Air Traveling brand makes your trip luxuriate. You can approach your desire destination with tranquility, from Pakistan’s first online travel company.

Enjoy long travel with emirates first-class flight that gives best private cabin like bed-room and outstanding well-structured seats with space of shoulder & leg full of snug. Pakistan First Online Travel Company Powered By Travel Channel International (Pvt.) Ltd. Pakistan. Which is Nationwide IATA accredited company, Founded in 2003 & successfully operating the business in Lahore, Karachi & Islamabad. Our Goal is Making Travel Simple & Easy through Giving Best Travel Services all over the Pakistan.

7 Tips To Save Your Money On Family Vacations

We all wait eagerly for the vacations. We make ambitious plans for vacations and think that we would enjoy the holidays to the fullest. However, vacations have the potential of making our money disappear. From the airfare and lodging cost to the shopping and packing, we have to spend so much money that traveling oftentimes becomes a hard nut to crack. If you don’t approach your traveling endeavors with a plan, then you would probably overspend the money which could have been used for something better.

Therefore, it becomes imperative to plan everything in advance in order to conveniently manage traveling expenditures. To help the readers in saving their money on vacations, we have interviewed various travel experts and asked them about the creative ways of saving money while traveling. After thoroughly evaluating their answers, we have come up with 7 amazing tips that will not only save your money but also quadruple the enjoyment. Let’s reveal all of them.

1. Be Flexible With The Flights And Days:

Before taking your feet outside the home, do thorough research for the airfares of all the flights. Some airlines charge whopping sums, while others complete the same journey in Cheap Flight Tickets. So, it would help if you are going for the one which is economical and prestigious. Similarly, there is also no need to book the premium or business class as they would dwindle your pockets. Last but not least, try to book the flights on the days when the fare is lowest.

2. Go Off-Season:

Traveling to a place off season will enable you to buy cheaper plane tickets and hotel rooms. Furthermore, given the absence of larger crowds, you will also be able to enjoy the activities without the usual commotion and hubbub of the place. For example, if you want to visit the northern areas of Pakistan, then it would be prudent if you come between March and June as the climate remains suitable during this time and the hotel rooms are also available at a low price.

3. Use a Travel Agency:

Instead of locating all the things manually, you should be hiring the services of a reputable travel agency as they offer package deals on hotels and flights that are much cheaper than you would get by paying for them separately. Furthermore, travel agencies will also provide you with top-notch transport services and accommodation of PIA Flight Booking because they do it every day. Not only your time would be saved, but you would also save lots of bucks, which can be used on other occasions.

4. Look For Free Activities:

After doing proper research, you will come to know that there are lots of free activities you can enjoy in the area. For example, there can be a festival nearby, or there can be an exhibition where you can participate free of cost. Similarly, some museums also offer discounted admissions on particular days. You can get the in-depth knowledge of free activities by looking at the community calendar of the particular area.

5. Don’t Book Expensive Hotels:

On your destination, you will find plenty of hotels. Some of them might be charging $100 a night, while others might be asking for $1000 a day. Even though you will be able to enjoy luxury amenities in the expensive rooms, but you have come here to explore the nature, and not to spend your entire money on a gold-plated toilet! So, if you can accommodate yourself in a cheaper room, then why go for a highly expensive one?

Must Read: Rookie Mistakes While Traveling

6. Bring Some Food With You:

Buying expensive meals from the restaurants again and again is not a wise move. You should bring some food and drink with you so that you can satiate your hunger on the plane or at the airport. The almond packets and the butter biscuits will also do the thing for you.

Similarly, most of the restaurants offer meals at discounted prices to allure potential customers. So, try to look for deals to save money whenever you go to restaurants.

7. Use Public Transport:

Instead of costly cabs, you should be taking advantage of public transport. Through public transport, you can conveniently travel from one part of the city to another at a low price. Furthermore, the buses do stops at prominent destinations, thereby giving you a chance to explore the ins-and-outs of the city. Apart from buses, rickshaws and wagons can also be used to reach the desired destination in economical rates.

Final Thoughts:

Your travel dreams are worth pursuing, and money should not be getting in the way of your travel fantasies. All you have to do is approach the things smartly, and you would never run short of money on your next vacation. If you have anything to ask, you can ask your questions in the comment section below. Happy vacations!

    Hamza Farooq     0

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Gryphon Named as Leader in Enterprise Sales Performance Management by G2 Crowd Community

Aug 28, 2019 | News

BOSTON–(MARKETWATCH)–Gryphon Networks, a SaaS provider of sales performance management for distributed sales and service teams, is proud to announce that the company received best-in-class recognition from the G2 Crowd community across five (5) key customer metrics for Enterprise Sales Performance Software. In addition to claiming “Overall Leader in Enterprise Sales Performance Management,” Gryphon was also voted #1 for “Best Usability” and “Easiest Admin.” The firm was also voted by users as having the “Best Relationship” and “Easiest to Do Business With.” These awards are particularly notable because G2Crowd rankings are derived from voluntary, anonymized user reviews, rather than 3rd party analyst reports.

“We are honored to be recognized by our clients for our high levels of product quality and client success,” said Jeff Fotta, CEO of Gryphon Networks. “These accolades speak to the success of our incredibly focused Gryphon team to innovate and translate valued client feedback into product enhancements that move the revenue needle.”

Fueled by record growth and key new clients in the telecommunications, healthcare, and media industries, Gryphon recently introduced new capabilities to further improve time-to-value, CRM integration and ease-of-use – most recently launching Sales Performance for Microsoft Dynamics CRM and support for multiple views within Sales Performance Dashboards.

Gryphon’s award-winning Sales Performance Platform automatically captures, controls, and visualizes sales and marketing activity to help leaders improve rep effectiveness, optimize coaching, and reduce compliance risk. Their patented “Core-to-Edge” approach ensures centralized control with maximum operating flexibility and clear, accurate visibility for agents working from any location, device or application.

To learn more about Gryphon Networks, please visit

About Gryphon Networks
Gryphon Networks, The Sales Intelligence Company™, is the leading provider of performance management solutions for distributed, mobile, and remote sales teams. More than a dozen Fortune 100 clients, including some of the largest banks, brokerage, insurance, and media firms are among 200+ clients in North America. Gryphon Networks is an independent software provider and is neither affiliated with nor authorized sponsored or approved by, Microsoft Corporation or

About G2 Crowd, Inc.
The world’s leading marketplace for business software and services, G2 Crowd drives better purchasing decisions. Business professionals, buyers, investors, and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software and services based on more than 500,000 peer reviews and synthesized social data. Over 23 million business buyers around the world have trusted G2 Crowd to gain unique insights. Co-founded in 2012, G2 Crowd aims to bring authenticity and transparency to the business marketplace. The company also offers scholarships to college students who are aspiring entrepreneurs.

To learn more about G2 Crowd or write a review, please visit

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Paul Rawate, 617.279.2659

 Insights | Gryphon Networks
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Featured Article

Wiseman Uses Diverse Skillset to Propel Cutting-Edge Delivery Method

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Feb 14, 2020

Haskell’s Landscape Architecture Team Grows Sustainability and Promotes Civic Leadership at Green Apple Day of Service

Since beginning in 2012, the Green Apple Day of Service (GADoS) has worked to unite communities in making schools safer, healthier and more sustainable.

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Inlumino Global

Coronavirus Channelling

The global situation we are in is testing and may seem baffling in its uncertainty.  No-one knows what will happen next, or indeed what to do.

Whoever and wherever we are, all of us are affected by the pandemic, and you may feel disbelief and a sense of unreality as the prospect of weeks and maybe months of the cessation of life as we have known it stretches before us.  These are early days yet: there is a sense of novelty still but also uncertainty as the warnings get louder and the virus becomes more real, and close, every day.

However much you and I know that the Coronavirus is with us for a reason and that the outcome must be one that is for the greatest good, this dark period of closing down and uncertain waiting, of heavy energy, and constant focus on something invisible and potentially deadly in its toxicity, is depleting.

It is easy to forget, at times like this, the love and support of Spirit which at this time of all times wants to help us directly and unconditionally.  In my work, Spirit speaks with my voice through the Masters of Light to give that help to those who choose to hear, and it seems timely for them to speak more publicly once again, giving a spiritual perspective and guidance on the pandemic sweeping the world.

So, I have recorded a channelling in which they speak freely on the present situation: it is not a formal question and answer session, more a monologue with a few questions put to them at the end, kindly, by James Weaver.

If you would like to hear the Coronavirus Channelling, it is available on my website Free Channellings page now, and the link to it is here.  It lasts for 40 minutes. I hope you find it helpful.

Meanwhile, a friend has recommended a homeopathic remedy to protect again the virus, and she is happy for me to share it with you in case it is of interest and you would like to explore it further.  It uses Arsenicum-album and Bryonia-alba:

  • Arsenicum-album 30c, take 1 tablet twice weekly e.g. Mondays and Thursdays for 6 weeks and
  • Bryonia-alba 30c, take 1 tablet twice weekly e.g. Wednesdays and Sundays for 6 weeks.

In the UK the remedies are available from from Helios Pharmacy ( or Ainsworth’s Pharmacy (

The love and sharing within friends and community of information and life necessities is remarkable in its generosity, isn’t it? It is humbling too.

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“All is well.....”


text:
CompTIA training for Mobile Devices

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Mobile devices have evolved from an employee’s personal phone to a critical tool for the ever-moving employee. Sometimes, it may be a company-issued device, but more often, companies are turning to a “bring your own device,” or BYOD model. With 87% of companies relying on their employees using personal devices to access business applications (Syntonic), it’s often up to the IT team to offer support on whatever device the employee chooses to use. But how can IT teams be expected to support devices made by a myriad of manufacturers running varied operating systems they can’t control?

This is why IT training is more important than ever. Not only do they need to understand how to work on the devices and support them, but they also need to know how to create a BYOD policy to ensure their network remains secure. As such, training needs to cover everything, from setting up secure wireless networks to backing up critical data to understanding the devices themselves. In some cases, this could even include building and supporting company-specific mobile apps.

In this article, ITProTV explains the three biggest challenges when managing a mobile team, check it out.

As the premier IT industry trade association, CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) is looked to by IT teams seeking training and guidance in the BYOD world. They offer vendor-neutral certifications on general IT fundamentals, cloud, Linux, security, and much more. Check out this full guide to getting certified.  While at first glance CompTIA doesn’t offer a mobile-specific training certification, a few of their certifications cover important mobile technologies.

With more than one million people certified, CompaTIA’s A+ is the flagship certification for demonstrating competency as a computer technician. In early 2019, CompTIA updated the curriculum for A+ to stay current with the latest trends in the industry, and part of that included increasing the focus on mobile computing. The objectives include an understanding of different mobile device types, their accessories, network connectivity, app support, device security, and troubleshooting.

A+ isn’t the only CompTIA course that delves into the mobile world. Network+ covers topics like wireless technology, which includes cellular technologies like GSM, TMDA, and CDMA. Understanding these technologies provides a solid foundation for further education on how to support them. Network+ also covers device security and securing wireless networks, two critical issues when writing or carrying out a BYOD policy.

Security+ tackles the issues of securing a mobile workforce. Specifically, it ensures you’re able to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses unique to mobile devices. This includes physical security like biometrics and passcodes, as well as data security such as geofences, remote management, and containerization. Finally, it helps in enforcement and monitoring for common BYOD considerations like camera use, jailbreaking, GPS tagging, mobile payments, and more.

While the certifications listed above directly cover mobile technology and devices, it’s important to have a strong foundation is technology in general. As the lines between desktop and mobile continue to blur with the rise of netbooks and tablets that double as laptops, having broad knowledge in topics like networking and security, beyond just the mobile-specific areas, is increasingly important. Even CompTIA’s entry-level certification, IT Fundamentals+, covers high-level networking and security concepts that are important foundations for IT workers today.

So how can you learn about these topics and prepare for the certification exams? There are several options available including books and classroom training. If you’re looking for an online resource where you control the pace of learning, you’ll want to consider ITProTV. As CompTIA’s official video training partner, ITProTV offers more than 430 hours of CompTIA-specific training content. In addition to the topics mentioned above, ITProTV also has exam prep courses for CySA+ (cybersecurity analyst), PenTest+, Linux+, Project+, and Server+. And if you want to practice what you preach, you can even learn about mobile devices on your mobile device, with ITProTV’s iOS and Android apps. How’s that for hands-on training?


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When Was I Last Scared to Act?

This will be a short one. I don’t have any insights, just a description. Today’s writing prompt over at the talk.desk.pm forum is a pretty easy one:

Tell us a story about a time when you were scared to act.

When was I last scared to act? Right. Freaking. Now. haha

I just broke a project I was tweaking for my portfolio. It is the LAST piece of the puzzle to the minimum viable product version of my site so I can finally send out some resumes. It’s 11:45 PM, and my rake db:rollback or db:drop or any number of rake commands are doing me no good. A relation is duplicating from a table that doesn’t exist.

If you don’t understand the exact words I just wrote, you still know the feeling. There’s a safety net in rails to make sure you can fix what you break, but that net has given way and my newbie-ness is showing big time. The week is almost over, it’s time to act.

I have three contacts I have set as goals to send my portfolio to tomorrow. Ready or not, it’s going out into the world by noon (but I really want it to be ready). Do I pack it up and try again in the morning or do I push through tonight? I’ll let you know what I decided tomorrow.


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LV NewsThe Basics

The LetsVenture Fundraise Experience: Trell

Curious to know what kind of startups get funded on LetsVenture? Well, all kinds of startups, but it helps to understand the characteristics of a funded startup to gauge how ready you are for your Fundraise. Check out this quick Q&A with Trell founders Prashant and Pulkit to learn more about their company.

Q: What is Trell?

Trell is a local experience sharing network that facilitates people to talk about their interesting explorations and favourite places such as fun hangout spots, maggie hubs, ice cream corners, scenic getaways, stunning travel stories full of adventures etc. in an all new visual format.

Through the app, users can upload a picture, include a location, add what they liked about the place with relevant visual tags and share it with other users on the platform in a form of Trail or collections. As they explore the platform, users can also bookmark posts they like for location based reminders at an appropriate time later.

Q: What problem are you solving?

Local discovery is largely an unsolved problem.  The existing solutions (like Foursquare, Zomato, Cleartrip Local etc) are primarily static listings, blogs or click baiting links.

We observed a consumer behaviour shift towards profiles on Instagram and twitter that facilitate local discovery (like Things to do in Mumbai, Streets of India, Mumbaifoodie etc.). This type of discovery model is becoming increasingly popular because it’s fun, it’s fresh and it has an element of surprise. Most importantly, its experience first.

Q: What market is Trell addressing?

We are approaching the O2O market with $90.4 Bn Total Market Size in India in an innovative way with a great product having a roadmap of infinite possibilities. Today, millennials are tech-savvy, informed with the latest trends, and very active on social media who are highly unpredictable. In such a case, having a platform that gives them a sense of being projected as an “explorer”, “foodie” or “traveller” gives an immense ego-boost which is ideal for tapping into the behaviour of the millennials generation. It provides them with a chance to be cool and different, two things they value a lot.

Q: Who are the core team members?

Trell was started by the core team of IIT Bombay alumni Pulkit Agrawal (Ex-Qualcomm), Arun Lodhi, Prashant Sachan (Ex-Microsoft), NITIE alumnus Bimal Kartheek Rebba (Ex-ITC) and Akshay Mehta (Ex-ParityCube) and Nirav Sheth (Ex-EY) from Mumbai University.

Q: Tell us about your Journey

Before coming up with the application, we formed an active community of explorers (foodies, photographers, travellers) on Instagram which got viral with 250K+ organic followers spread across 15 cities and reaching out to people with 4.3M+ weekly impressions. It helped us to understand and gain insights into user behaviour patterns. Also, we interacted with more than 1000 bloggers & travellers on a personal level to realise their needs and gaps in the ecosystem.  That’s when we decided to form a dedicated platform for them where they can effortlessly create collections and share their journeys or trails.

Trell with its innovative format and peer to peer approach has been appreciated worldwide and selected in StartupBootcamp’16 – (Europe’s Largest Business Accelerator) as “Top 10 promising startups worldwide”, Nasscom’s 10K Program and FBStart.

We have also been featured in various newspaper columns for the community engaging activities like DNA, Guardian,London, Bangalore Local, Nearfox, Blogs etc.

Q: What are your next steps?

After the successful and highly engaging beta launch of Trell App on Android with more than 20,000 users and 93% returning rate, we received requests from a lot of users in the community to come up with iOS and open the network for everyone. Hence, we decided to build one and are releasing the iOS App and revamped Android app on 30th May’17. This will take the user experience to a whole new level and people who were using it in beta are already in love with it.

Are you a startup looking to Fundraise? Get started TODAY 🙂

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This week a complaint about a restaurant on Trip Advisor went viral after the chef of the Blade Bone Inn’s response to the complaint was posted below it. The reply from Kiren Puri was tweeted by thousands within hours and he told the Daily Mail that the review was ‘unfair and untrue’, and said the complainer was the kind of customer who is a ‘disease upon our wonderful industry, and it must be addressed’. The review is available to read on Trip Advisor so make up your own mind. It does raise lots of questions however. As customers we reserve the right to complain – but how is the best way to do it? Here we have reblogged a great article printed earlier this year on Eatocracy by contributor “Manuel T. Waiter” which we think points all of us in the right direction…

Posted by:Luxury Restaurant Guide

Luxury Restaurant Guide is the place to discover and book the finest dining experiences at all highly awarded restaurants throughout the UK. A must-visit site and FREE app for all food lovers. Subscribe to the Club, the largest fine dining club in the UK from just £10 per month, to receive instant rewards, insights and invitations from over 500 leading restaurants.

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Social Media Society

All Apps are bad: ‘scarenomic’ may be just as harmful as privacy scourging

Yes, please do educate the public on the privacy issues that current social media services are raising. But do so in a measure way, don’t squarely blame every app for trying to steal user information. That is simply not the case.

Can the media tackle any important issue without resorting to hyperboles?

The WSJ piece on Selling You on Facebook, makes an interesting read on privacy issues for the non-initiated, clearly their main target audience. I was going to agree with it wholesale until I realised that the article sweeps too large and makes every app look bad – I mean mobile apps, not Facebook apps which clearly are something else in my opinion.

Yes, it’s true that the general public doesn’t realise the privacy implications of social media. Yes, it’s true that some apps and some companies are abusing the trust implicitly placed in them and taking more than they should. But I disagree with the way the WSJ article seems to be pointing to every app out there, the notion of app itself. That’s not a realistic ways of painting the true picture of what is going on. If that were to be allowed, then you could say the same thing of every human creation that may possibly be put to bad uses. The list would be long, folks wouldn’t feel safe anywhere or at any moment.

I agree that people need to be educated on the privacy issues surrounding social media in general. I disagree with trying to scare people into, perhaps, reading your article. If you try to scare people about every possible thing that could go wrong, then you blur your message and may defeat its purpose. What really helps is giving people self-help clues on what may be happening, and the implications of the specific actions they may be taking online. This should be measured, paced and kept up-to-date. But not a broad sweep because then people are no better off than when they weren’t told anything at all.

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NAS Webinar: Programmatic strategies for right now (and tomorrow)

Topics: Webinar, programmatic advertising

Posted by NAS on Apr 23, 2020 9:30:00 AM

Pay-for-performance (PFP) media ensures you’re getting the most for your investment. In this 30-minute webinar, we’ll take a closer look at how PFP is performing during the pandemic and what strategies you can use if you need to hire right now, as well as how you can use PFP to pipeline for the future.

Join us on Thursday, April 30 as the NAS team and guest speaker Tyler Dewdney, from Appcast, take you through key points you need to know. The webinar will cover:

  • The current market for pay-for-performance media
  • Strategies by vertical, including healthcare, logistics and more
  • Looking ahead to the post-COVID landscape

We are committed to doing all we can to help you in your hiring challenges during these uncertain times. We hope to welcome you to the webinar.

NAS Webinar Series:
Pay-for-performance media
Thursday, April 30
11am to 11:30am EST

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Lessons from TA tech: Embracing the Programmatic Future

Topics: programmatic advertising

Posted by NAS on Jun 12, 2019 10:25:28 AM

Courtney Compton, NAS MediaPro Strategist and Erin Duffy, NAS Account Director attended last week’s TAtech Leadership Summit in Boston. Sponsored by Appcast, the TAtech Leadership Summit is the only conference focused solely on the application of programmatic technology in recruitment advertising. Here are Courtney’s and Erin’s insights from the Summit.

Initial Impressions

Courtney: This was my first time at TAtech’s Leadership Summit on Programmatic Ad Buying. I found the summit to be a great learning experience. The welcome reception at Fenway Park was a really fun time. It provided an opportunity to meet people I have only spoken with via phone or email. Throughout the summit, I had the opportunity to network with colleagues in the recruitment media industry.

Erin: It was also my first time at TAtech. Seeing some of the vendors you talk with over email or on the phone every day/week was a great experience. All came forward with promise of advancements in their own platforms or intentions of looking to improve their relationships with us for a better experience for our clients. Programmatic is still new to the industry and it was encouraging to see it evolving from all sides (ATS, programmatic vendors, media and other agencies).

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Q&A with our Programmatic Power Players

Topics: programmatic advertising

Posted by NAS on Feb 7, 2019 9:00:00 AM

Programmatic advertising has been one of the most talked-about areas of recruitment marketing in the past year. Our NAS MediaPro offering has been adopted by a large number of our clients, with great success, which gives us a lot of insight into the process, the progress and the performance of programmatic.

Jennifer Henley (Vice President of Client Services) and Chris Knott (Account Director) recently spoke with AppCast about some of the rewards and challenges of programmatic advertising as part of an e-book they are preparing. We decided to share some of the wide-ranging conversation on NAS Talent Talk.

How would you describe programmatic advertising to recruitment professionals?

Chris Knott: When I discuss programmatic with clients, the word that comes to mind is evolution. To me, it’s the evolution of the PPC media strategy to a programmatic media strategy. It’s the best way to manage an active candidate strategy, it’s what’s NOW and it will only continue to evolve.

Jennifer Henley: When I think of programmatic I think: simple and effective. Those are two keywords that come to mind for me. I know there’s a lot happening in the background and it’s technology-driven, but when I think about what it will do for you – it will simplify your process, and you will be more effective – the benefits are obvious and transparent.

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Programmatic Power Plays

Topics: recruitment strategies, programmatic advertising

Posted by NAS on Nov 9, 2018 3:03:30 PM

We’ve been telling you about the power of programmatic advertising and how it can transform your media purchasing in some pretty dramatic ways. As more and more clients adopt this approach, success stories begin to emerge. We thought it might help to highlight a few case studies from our clients that provide insight into how programmatic advertising works – and get you thinking about how it might help you, too!

Case file #1: Rethinking the automatic contract renewal
Our healthcare client had been locked into purchasing contracts on an annual basis with certain media partners. We ran a trial of NAS MediaPro for three months, just prior to their annual renewal of a large contract. Based on results from the campaigns, we made the decision to NOT renew that annual contract, but to still include that site as a vendor through programmatic purchasing. The client was saved from a dreaded annual commitment and the difficult process of forecasting the exact number of postings to buy. Yet, they are still able to leverage the site at competitive pricing and get great results from it on an as-needed basis.

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Scary Situations, Spooktacular Solutions

Topics: open house for recruiting, recruitment strategy, programmatic advertising

Posted by NAS on Oct 25, 2018 10:07:19 AM

Recruitment marketing can send chills down your spine when the unexpected hits. Problems can creep up on you and challenges often need to be solved ASAP. In honor of Halloween, we asked the NAS team to tell their scariest recruitment stories and how they fixed the frightening for our clients.

Tracy O’Neal | Account Director

Scary Situation:
My client’s career site provider contract was expiring at the end of the month. Meanwhile, the client did not have a new solution in place. They needed an interim way to handle job-seeker site traffic while they transitioned to a new career site.

Spooktacular Solution:
NAS quickly developed a landing page rolling out the client’s new employment brand, and linked job seekers to the client’s ATS. This strategy provided a seamless user experience, and allowed the client and NAS the necessary time to develop additional content for their full career site.

Read More


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Celebrating our Military Families

Girl Scouts-North Carolina Coastal Pines is proud to honor our military Girl Scouts and to celebrate Month of the Military Child in April and Military Appreciation Month in May. Our military families mean so much to our council, and we are incredibly grateful for all that they add to our Girl Scout Movement.

To celebrate, we’re asking all GS-NCCP Girl Scouts who are military-connected to participate in a special contest. Entering is easy! Visit this form and share with us why you are proud to be a military child, what makes you special, or just tell us about your experience. This can be done by submitting a short video or by sharing a photo and writing a few sentences.

On June 1st, we will be selecting two winners at random for a $50 council gift card.  We’re honoring each girl that participates with a special FREE patch designed to show you’re a part of a global community of military-connected Girl Scouts!

At Girl Scouts, we are happy to be a home for military-connected girls and families who are serving our country in the U.S. and across the world! Below, Fort Bragg Service Unit Manager Stephanie Blackadar shares what it is like to be a Girl Scout in a military family and about a program they started called Boots Back Home.

“I wasn’t a Girl Scout growing up. I got my start in Girl Scouts the same way many leaders do. When signing my daughter up I learned her troop needed a leader and I gave it a shot. My daughter is in her 8th year of Girl Scouts now. A second year Cadette who has been in troops in three different states, at three different military bases. My second daughter is a first year Daisy, and my youngest daughter will start this coming school year.

These on-post Girl Scout troops have their own dynamic. With girls constantly rotating in and out, new troop and Service Unit leadership every couple of years, and unique challenges that come with the military, our troops don’t look like the traditional Girl Scout troops.

One of the recent challenges we faced was the rapid deployment of troops from Fort Bragg in January. Many of our Girl Scouts, both in and out of our Fort Bragg Service Unit, had a parent leaving with just a few hours notice. We had volunteers within our Service Unit who were packing to deploy. Our cookie season was just getting started, we had events coming up, and this rapid deployment changed everything for us. We had leaders whose spouses left, troops where every girl now had a deployed parent, and girls who were understandably upset and anxious.

I spoke to one of our volunteers, Erika, who is in the military and a Girl Scout alumna. We came up with a plan to support our Girl Scouts, and in a matter of just about 3 weeks hosted our first Boots Back Home event.

The goal of the Boots Back Home program is to offer Girl Scouts with a deployed parent a way to build resilience and face the situation head on. The aim was not to give them a break or take their minds off it, but to provide a safe environment where the girls could confront their feelings and learn to move forward.

At our first event, the girls created affirmation cards, took photos in a photo booth, and worked with an incredible yoga instructor who created a program just for them. They played games, won prizes, and spent time with girls in the same situation as they were.  They all went home with an American Flag, resource packets for their families, a special Military Child patch, and special SWAPS and cards from a Girl Scout troop from Indiana.

At our second event, they worked with the Fayetteville Art Council. They learned about an amazing female artist and created their own pieces based off of her work. The girls spent time painting and talking about channeling their emotions into art. They also learned about chemical reactions by putting Mentos into Coke bottles and making geysers and built vinegar and baking soda powered boats from recycled materials. They laughed, and leaned on each other for support. Our plans for our third event include hiking, setting up a campsite, and outdoor art.

These events are not possible without volunteers and community partners who understand the tough situations our military children find themselves in. Girl Scouts helps to provide these girls consistency wherever they go. Being able to join a troop, create friendships, and find a family with Girl Scout sisters in almost every corner of the world helps reduce the fear and anxiety that comes with constant change. “

A huge thank you to Stephanie and all of the other volunteers that provide our Girl Scouts in military families with a solid support system and a safe space to make new friends, discover passions, and become their best selves.

With questions about our Military Family Appreciation contest, please reach out to Christina Harper.

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Essential Work/Life Gadgets

I work in IT and I’m a man so inevitably that means that I have and love many, many electronic gadgets. To make matters worse (or better depending on your point of view) I’m also a musician. Not any old musician but a musician who has recently developed an interest in making digital music! So along with the kind of electronic gadgets most of us have these days such as Tablets, Smartphones, Laptops etc.. the musical side of me owns Guitars, a Digital Piano, Mixing Desk and Recording equipment too. I also have work equipment such as a Desktop Computer, Printer, Speakers, Chromebook for meetings and remote working, Phone Equipment and a Pro Camera.

Then there’s the leisure side. Many of us have PlayStations, X-Boxes, TVs (Curiously, I don’t have one currently for once and don’t actually miss it at all), Hi-Fi systems and more. There’s also a plethora of Hi-Tech smart home gadgets these days such as WiFi and Bluetooth Lights, Speakers, Heating Systems and even WiFi Smoke Alarms! So in general gadgets are an important part of our lives and sadly if anything happened to them, particularly our smartphones and tablets, the resulting cut off from society can be a pretty hard shock to the system. The average modern smartphone for example can cost over €600/€700 (I’m talking Android here. Apple stuff is even dearer!) to replace new out of contract. A cost many of us can’t afford. I personally rely on my 18 monthly free (or nearly free) phone upgrade with Three to get new phones. I’d never be able to afford to buy one off the shelf.

We’re all human and while I myself am fairly careful and protective of my stuff, accidents do happen. Especially if you have young kids knocking around as I do or are the kind of person who can’t leave their phone down when they go to the toilet!?

Many of our items may be covered under an existing house contents policy but why not have peace of mind for your gadgets on the move by signing up for an affordable monthly gadget insurance policy? Insurance companies cover the usual gadgets we all have and in addition, items can be covered on route to your home or place of work, travel usage worldwide, liquid damage cover, etc.. There’s also a lot of flexibility in cover and payment options and you can make two claims within any 12 month period. Quotes are instantaneous online and policies can be setup in minutes.

This post is in collaboration with Chill Insurance.

Published by

Leon Quinn

Multimedia Design company in Leitrim, Ireland specializing in WordPress Website Design, Photoshop and Graphics.

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Showing posts from February, 2020

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

Release Date - February 18, 2020

Part of me found The Sun Down Motel to be a very sad story. It's also pretty haunting and held my interest from the start.

On her way to New York City, Viv Delaney is dropped off in the remote town of Fell. She's ready for something bigger and better than the left she left behind, but money is an issue. She takes a job as the night desk clerk at a seedy little motel in Fell. Little does she know that the Sun Down Motel will change her life.

After her mother's death, Carly Kirk feels lost. She's also always been curious as to what happened to her Aunt Viv. She never knew her and the family rarely talked about her. All that's known is that Viv disappeared from her shift at the Sun Down Motel and was never seen of or heard from again. Carly's going to travel to Fell and see if she can't uncover the truth.

In Fell, Carly finds herself landing the exact same job Viv held. It's the same shift, too. Soon, she realizes that thi…

Only One Life by Ashley Farley

Release Date - April 2019

Just yesterday morning, I'd given up on this book. I had marked it as unable to finish. The book I chose instead of it wasn't grabbing me, so I went back and gave it one more try. Why I was never able to finish it in the past is truly beyond me. It turned out to be an emotional read.

Julia Martin was kicked from her family's manor when she announced she was getting married, pregnant, and dropping out of college. Expecting her parents' support, she received a very cold dismissal. Fifteen years have passed. She's just had her first child after years of miscarriages. Her husband died tragically in an accident hours before their son was born.

It's been a struggle, but her husband's death has made it impossible for Julia to survive. The bank is foreclosing on her home and she has no choice but to go home. There, she's surprised by her mom's warm welcome, but her father and sister treat her just as horridly as they did in the pa…

Spotlight on Harlequin March 2020 Releases

Welcome to a sneak peek into Harlequin's March 2020 releases. Each month, readers find dozens of new books to indulge in. From princesses to missing children, there's a lot in store for readers who want to curl up and get lost in an engaging story this March. For this month, my standout picks are:

Reese Ryan's Secret Heir SeductionDebra Webb's Before He VanishedAnnie West's Revelations of a Secret Princess

Starting with Secret Heir Seduction, Reese Ryan's story takes you on a sizzling journey to Texas where sportswear fashion mogul Darius Taylor-Pratt is in town hoping to land a partnership. Things go awry when he learns his birth father was a very, very wealthy man and that he's really the man's long-lost heir. He's also not amused as he's never heard from or even of this man.

Worse, or maybe that's better, Darius' rental home neighbor is his ex-flame. He broke her heart for reasons known only to him. The sparks between them cannot be i…

Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin

Release Date - February 18, 2020

Foul is Fair is a violent, honest, and very, very satisfying revenge tale. I will warn that rape, rape culture, and murderous revenge are some of the themes you'll come across.

Along with her friends, Jade is one of her school's elite. On her 16th birthday, the Los Angeles teen is attacked by a group of golden boys from St. Andrew's Prep. She will not let the brutal assault tear her down. She's going to reestablish herself and get revenge.

This means Jade switches school and enters St. Andrew's Prep with the goal of taking down those boys and their circle. They may be the golden boys, but they're human and just as capable as suffering as Jade was the night they assaulted her.

This isn't my typical read, but I am so glad I gave it a try. The writing is brutally honest. Imagine being 16 and raped by a group with far too much power. The desire to get even in just as brutal a manner is understandable. I cheered her on as she bui…

Been There, Married That by Gigi Levangie

Release Date - February 11, 2020

One thing is certain of Been There, Married That. The "husband" in this book is an obnoxious turd. I couldn't stand his character, which is probably for the best given that I found very little to connect to when it came to Agnes Murphy Nash.

Agnes (Aggie if you will) is married to a powerful producer and has her own career as an author. She has bundles of friends, a gorgeous house with more than a dozen bathrooms, and a lifestyle that most would kill to have. Her daughter is not as easy to please, but then she's nearing her pre-teen years. After arriving home one day, she finds herself locked out of their estate. Worse, she's hit with a taser when she tries to enter anyway. Her husband has decided he wants a divorce.

With her credit cards all frozen, a daughter who seems to hate her, and a husband who is busy sleeping but not "sleeping" with the household manager, Aggie isn't sure what to do. One thing is for certai…

An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham

Release Date - February 4, 2020

Book covers sometimes catch my eye and draw me in. That's exactly what happened with An Everyday Hero. The title didn't do much for me, but that cover most certainly did. Then, I read the blurb and knew it sounded like it would be a book that tugs at the heartstrings. Laura Trentham doesn't ever disappoint when it comes to hitting the emotions.

Greer Hadley's returned to Madison, Tennessee, a little shaken. Her career as a Nashville songwriter didn't hit the mark she'd hoped. Her romance is over. Plus, she's gotten herself into a bit of a situation that's going to require her to perform community service for a bit. Her community service puts her into the tough position of helping others through music at Music Tree Foundation. Her first troubled souls are a teen and a wounded veteran.

The vet, Emmett, is a former classmate who was injured in battle and doesn't seem himself as the man he once was. Greer can deal with h…

An Optimist's Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichart

Release Date - May 18, 2018

This is another book I struggled to get into. I'm glad I tried again. It was a lovely read that was ideal for a cold, dreary winter's day.

Gina Zoberski is a struggling single mom. Her husband and true love died two years ago, and she has a hard time moving on. Her teen daughter's becoming moody and difficult to be around. Her mother is demanding and almost insulting at times. It's her food truck, "Grilled G's," and her clientele that keep her sane.

Gina's sister doesn't have any easier a time with her mom than Gina does. Regardless, Gina stops by to check on her mom and finds her on the floor following a stroke. While searching for the paperwork the hospital needs, she comes across a shocking secret that has the power to change the sisters' lives.

An Optimist's Guide to Letting Go was a tearjerker. Gina's easy to connect with. Her mother bugged me, so I could understand exactly why her Gina and her sister …

By Reservation Only (Deerbourne Inn) - Barbara Edwards

Release Date - October 8, 2018

Here's a book I started and lost interest in. Tried again and still couldn't get into it. I gave it one more shot more than a year later, and this time I met with success. Unfortunately, I did also find myself frustrated that I did.

Welcome to Willow Spring, Vermont. Chef Nathan Harte was given a historic inn by a favorite client. He's spent months restoring it, and work is coming to an end. A short time prior to the opening, Emily Harrington arrives hoping to go through the inn's historic documents. As Nathan's been injured and could use an extra pair of hands, he reluctantly agrees.

Emily is in Vermont for reasons she doesn't want to share. She finds herself falling for Nathan, but she can't let that attraction keep her from her goals. Plus, Willow Spring has a lot going on. There's an arsonist on the loose, too.

I liked the setting. I found certain things to be unrealistic. This really isn't a romance. It's mor…