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Some Tech Companies Care More about Sales than Quality

This morning, I was sitting in a diner near some salespeople who work for different computer hardware companies. They were each complaining about the perceived quality of the hardware they are selling — or not selling — to customers. Each of the observations was valid from my perspective as a technologist, and these salespeople said they reported client concerns to their supervisors. I was…

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Getting Fit with a Virtual Trainer

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley March 5, 2012 Deadline April 2012 Issue Getting Fit with a Virtual Trainer “Lose weight,” the doctor advised me, “or you could be headed for diabetes.” I’m the first to admit I had added a few extra pounds while completing my doctorate. There’s a lot of sitting and reading when you’re in graduate school. When I defended my dissertation in 2010, I weighed more than…

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Internet Radio: Something for Everyone

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley September 3, 2012 Deadline October 2012 Issue Internet Radio: Something for Everyone Radio has changed dramatically since I first wrote about Internet radio five years ago. Way back in 2007, you needed a computer with a broadband Internet connection to listen to streaming audio. Today, I listen to live BBC broadcasts on my iPhone while taking walks. You can stream…

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Telecommuting: Embracing the Possibilities

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley May 7, 2012 Deadline June 2012 Issue Telecommuting: Embracing the Possibilities My wife, Susan, works for a company located in the suburbs of Minneapolis. I work for a university located about 20 miles from Pittsburgh. For us, the promise of telecommuting has become a reality. We are able to live in the foothills we love, surrounded by trees and wildlife, working…

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The End is Near: Deciding to Replace a Computer

MacBook Pro Available in 15.4- and 17-inch diagonal size. MacBook Pro (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley April 9, 2012 Deadline May 2012 Issue The End is Near: Deciding to Replace a Computer There comes a time in every computer’s life when, regrettably, it can no longer keep up with the demands of work. We grow attached to our computers, accepting their quirks and (at least…

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RSS Feeds: The Best Way to (not) Surf the Web

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley October 8, 2012 Deadline November 2012 Issue RSS Feeds: The Best Way to (not) Surf the Web Surfing the World Wide Web on a daily quest for the latest news is inefficient and frustrating. I read stories from at least a dozen technology sites and the experience can be annoying. From too many advertisements to videos that start automatically, I don’t like the…

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The Publishing Revolution: Create Your Own E-Book

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley February 6, 2012 Deadline March 2012 Issue The Publishing Revolution: Create Your Own E-Book Publish your book this year! Only a few years ago, “vanity presses” used such pitches to appeal to aspiring writers. For a fee, the vanity publishers would convert your manuscript into a reasonably nice book. Vanity publishers are nothing more than print brokers. Using a…

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The Responsive Web: Every Screen is Different

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley August 6, 2012 Deadline September 2012 Issue The Responsive Web: Every Screen is Different Websites should be viewable and usable on as many devices and computer screen sizes as possible. That sounds obvious and simple, but designers know that it is increasingly difficult to anticipate how people might visit a website. If you have a website for your business or…

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The Teacher’s Pet: Computers Grade Homework

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley July 9, 2012 Deadline August 2012 Issue The Teacher’s Pet: Computers Grade Homework While technology long ago replaced human grading of multiple-choice exams, with the familiar “machine gun” rattle of Scantron machines heard in schools around the globe, few teachers expected software to start grading student essays. Early this year a research paper was published by…

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Have a Happy High-Tech Holiday

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley October 31, 2011 Deadline December 2011 Issue Have a Happy High-Tech Holiday Holidays are about faith, family, and friendships, with some gift giving as an added bonus. If you can be with loved ones for the holidays, that’s the most important gift. Still, giving that perfect gift is a challenge we all face. The best gifts reflect how well you know the recipients.…

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You Need Backups: The Benefits of Off-Site Storage

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley November 5, 2012 Deadline December 2012 Issue You Need Backups: The Benefits of Off-Site Storage Hurricane Sandy reminds us that in a matter of minutes everything in a building can be destroyed. Though we can predict some disasters, others come quickly and without warning. My wife and I have lived in places with earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and blizzards. Those…

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Crafting a Resume for the Digital Age

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley September 26, 2011 Deadline November 2011 Issue Crafting a Résumé for the Digital Age Job hunting is tough enough without companies forcing applicants to use poorly designed online résumé submission databases. A reader emailed me asking why some companies rejected her résumé, despite great qualifications. Based on my experiences assisting students on the job market,…

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Online Universities: An Opportunity for Valley Residents

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley June 27, 2011 Deadline August 2011 Issue Online Universities: An Opportunity for Valley Residents Individuals with college and university degrees have a substantially lower unemployment rate than others in our community. Every political, business and educational leader I’ve met in the Central Valley has told me that education is essential to improving the quality of…

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Real Estate Websites: House Hunting Goes Virtual

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley May 26, 2011 Deadline July 2011 Issue Real Estate Websites: House Hunting Goes Virtual Buying a house is one of the most stressful experiences I can imagine. Add in the stress of selling an existing home and trying to coordinate the move and the stress level increases exponentially. My wife and I spent May and June house hunting and are now in the process of selling…

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A Web of Tech Problems: Finding Answers Online

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley March 28, 2011 Deadline May 2011 Issue A Web of Tech Problems: Finding Answers Online Computer hardware and software once came with stacks of manuals. I remember the massive slipcases containing manuals for DOS, WordPerfect and my programming tools. The original CorelDRAW manuals were in the most impressive box on my desk. In addition to the manuals that accompanied…

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Reliving the Past: Retro Gaming and Vintage Computing

Visalia Direct: Virtual Valley May 1, 2011 Deadline June 2011 Issue Reliving the Past: Retro Gaming and Vintage Computing The Commodore 64 is back. Known by its fans as the C64, this “keyboard is the computer” stands alongside the Atari 800 and Apple IIe as one of the most important computers of all time. Technically, the new C64 is a licensed recreation, offered by a new company named Commodore…

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The Wedding Planner: Google Your Big Day

Wedding Style: Virtual Valley April 12, 2011 Deadline Special to Wedding Style (Summer) The Wedding Planner: Google Your Big Day Great wedding planners help with everything from guest lists to creating photo albums of your special day. My recently married cousin also had a website with photos and information for friends and family unable to attend in person. Sharing via the Web is now as much a…