Top Equipment Choice

Sunday Service Call

2009-10-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of my job is the flexibility of my position. I get paid for full time hours, but I rarely work that much. But the catch is that I am always on call, which means that I can be working on just about any day at any time. Thankfully my family understands this so it isn’t much of an inconvenience.

But, I received a call today from one of our clients that uses one of our electronic document management systems. It seems that they are having some difficulty with the hardware interfacing with the document scanning solutions that they have been using.

Unfortunately, I don’t know how easy this service call is going to be since the client on the phone couldn’t give me enough details to make a guess on the diagnosis. I know that the last time that I was there, it was a simple case of not having the equipment turned on (which makes for an easy job).

I am just hoping that it goes ok as we have company coming tonight. Even if the job ends up being a long one, I love what I do since I get to solve problems every day. What can I say, I love a challenge!

It's Good To Know Equipment Experts

2009-09-24T23:21:00.000-07:00

I don't know that much about choosing new equipment. From my personal cell phone to the computers for my business, I just kind of have to guess at what's the best equipment for the job. Guessing isn't a very smart way to make these types of purchases though. Over the years I've honed my friendships with people who are knowledgeable about different types of equipment. I can go to these people for advice on all of my new purchases.

For example, my friend Tommy knows computers. He knows all different types of computers. If I ever need to look at computer rentals or purchases, Tommy is the guy that I call because he can tell me immediately which computer is right for the job. Likewise I have friends that I call when I need advice about audio visual rentals, buying a new smartphone or purchasing copiers for the office.

It might sound like I'm using my friends but I'm not. I help them out in the ways that I can and they help me out with things like this. We can't all know everything. But we can know people who know what we need to know. Learning how to make friends with those people is a valuable skill.

Making a difference with chair lifts

2009-08-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

When it comes to doing the job right, you clearly have to have the best equipment. If you're a carpenter attempting to create a masterfully built house, you have a number of different types of hammers, saws, and various other specialty tools at your disposal. If you were outfitting a house to provide special needs you might think to include liftchairs, accessibility aids in bath and bedrooms, ramps for entry and exit, and more.

When you're running a business that employs real people and may interface with the general public, there are inevitably going to be access issues you'll face. More importantly, you'll need to adequately solve these problems before they become challenges which could lead to legal disputes.

For instance, chair lifts provide access for those requiring the mobility of a wheel chair to be able to access vertical spaces. Whether the person needs to go upstairs or down to the basement, without adequate lifts, their progress is impeded. Ultimately, it is the equal access which laws and regulations on the books have been designed to protect and promote.

By being conscious of the needs of those differently abled, we all become better stewards. With generosity and compassion we can make a difference for everyone around us.

Romantic Tech Skills

2009-07-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about the guy that I am dating is that he has excellent skills with technology. He can fix my computer every time that there's a problem with it. I know that doesn't sound particularly romantic but sometimes usefulness is better than romance!

Actually, he's pretty good at using his tech skills to send a little bit of romance my way as well. He's the kind of person who is always sending instant messages and text messages and emailing me photos to stay in touch with me throughout the day.

When we first started dating, he already had the plans to spend the summer in a foreign country. He wasn't able to talk to me much while he was gone. However, he always found a way to stay in touch. One time when I had a dentist appointment that I was nervous about, he used an SMS gateway to send me a text message from an Internet cafe that he was at. I wouldn't have known how to do that but he did and the thoughtfulness behind the gesture was sweet.

Of course, he does the more traditional romantic things as well. He brings flowers on my birthday and all of that. But honestly I prefer the way he uses technology to get into my heart!

Dreamweaver Extensions: for the coder with everything

2009-07-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

For his latest birthday, I decided to buy my nephew something that would really do him so good. Since he had been demonstrating some real consistency in his professional life working as a web developer, I decided to inquire into what his digital tool set looked like.

I made inquiries of him under the pretense that I was interested in learning more about doing similar type of work for a non-profit charity that I'm involved with. Once he started talking, I could barely keep up with all the stuff he was sharing. It was good to see and feel his passions for the work he is doing.

When he got to the area of web application development, he indicated how much he would like to get a license for a program called Dreamweaver, made by Adobe. Further he indicated there were add on applications called dreamweaver extensions which would allow him to develop even faster with higher degrees of perfection.

While I'm not a rich man, I do make much more money than he does, so spending a couple of bucks to help him in his career was not a challenge for me at all. In fact, I personally believe this was the best gift I'd ever gotten him. When I saw the gratitude on his face after giving him the software, I knew he thought so as well.

Budget for the best rated web hosting

2009-07-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

When it comes to web site hosting, much of the time you get what you pay for. There are always unsavory characters that will try and steer you towards higher priced service offerings that are inflated versions of perfectly affordable web hosting services. The best way you can ensure you'll not get caught in those traps is to proactively seek out the best rated web hosting companies.

When you do this you are going to find that most of the members of those top lists have several things in common. One, they all tend to have happy customers. Very happy customers. With hundreds of millions of web sites being hosted on the Internet today, it doesn't take very many dissatisfied consumer web hosting customers to drastically reduce a company's ratings in any of the consumer reporting sites.

Another aspect they all tend to do well is provide true quality for their service prices. With so many of the hosting companies in business today trying to snow their potential customers with inflated, yet useless metrics it can be challenging to know who to trust. If you're currently looking at a company that continually focuses on storage capacity and you are really more interested in transfer rates, move on. You'll be happier that you did when you get with the right company and your monthly bills are protected from sudden bursts of transfer due to your website's success.

No More Physical Paperwork

2009-07-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

The company I work for recently changed the way we have to turn in reports and receipts. And so far it has kind of been a rough transition. Well at least it has been for me because I’m not all that techno savvy. I can use the fax machine just fine. I can use the copier fine too. But instead of actually turning in physical reports and copies of receipts it all has to be digital.

So the new drill now is that we have to scan everything that is on paper in. For all of the old paperwork they had a special company come in that was a document imaging service. And I will admit that I can see where in the long run this will save a lot of paper.

But now instead of just stapling my reports together and turning them in, I have to do everything electronically. Some of my reports can just be turned in by emailing them without even printing them out. And that’s easy enough. But the difficult part is when I have to turn in receipts. Instead of making copies now I have to scan them in. Then I have to remember to save it a special way. I suppose I’ll catch on, but right now it’s a pain.

What Is Happening To Those Of Us Who Own Guns?

2009-07-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

I don’t think I’m being paranoid when I say this because I have seen first hand what is happening in the current administration as far as gun control. I myself am guilty of hoarding ammunition. I am also scared of the rumors that are going around about some sort of a national registry that gun owners will have to be a part of. There is even a rumor that us gun owners will have to declare what guns we own on our tax returns.

So I like many people from states where gun registration is not required am keeping things on the down low as they say. But at the same time I am trying to stock pile. I don’t hunt. I just target shoot. And the guns I have are all what you would call tactical weapons. I like to use the word tactical instead of assault. I’m not assaulting anyone, I’m just plinking targets.

And now instead of plinking targets, I’m forced to hoard ammo because of the writing I see on the wall. And in order to be as discreet as possible, I even removed the shooting videos that I had posted on YouTube. I’m a big fan of having the right to own all of this tactical gear. I sure hope our current administration does not infringe upon that right.

Doing my Taxes Late

2009-07-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

I don’t know what happened this year, but somehow we are off track to have our taxes done on time. It could be that the passing of my parents messed things up, but whatever the reasons, we need to get them done.

Our accountant was happy to hear from us and we made an appointment to meet with him to prepare our tax returns. Since I am not the organized person in my marriage, it was up to my wife to get everything in order so that we would be ready when we went to the accountant.

She collected all of our medical receipts (including the one for my hearing aid), the charitable donation receipts and all those other forms that we needed. She put them all in color coded envelopes and then we were all ready to go.

After just an hour at the accountant, he had everything that he needed to prepare our income tax returns, and we will just have to wait until he is done to know how much we will get back or how much we will owe. I am hoping for a refund so that I can buy a new laptop, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

Delivering more and more CPAP supplies

2009-06-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that my full-time day job is working as a delivery person for a certain company that has a lot of the color brown associated with it. Due to corporate rules and regulations, I'm not really permitted to indicate in a non-sanctioned web site the name of the company. I trust you understand.

photo credit: Andrei!

Anyway, recently in my daily deliveries I've seen an increasing number of packages having to do with CPAP supplies. Ordinarily, I really don't pay much attention to what I deliver, however, since I've been picking up extra shifts, in different delivery areas, I get more opportunity to see delivery trends.

One package was heavily damaged, and as such, I was able to actually see the contents inside the box. It was apparently a CPAP machine that would now have to be re-ordered.

After learning more about what these devices do at a website about sleep apnea I really began to feel distress for the patients who would have to wait even longer for their delivery.

What was even more interesting to me, however, was why there seemed to be an increasing number of these devices and supplies in our general region. Was there something going on that we should be aware of?

Keeping My Mobility After the Accident

2009-06-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

Just a year ago tomorrow, I was in a terrible car accident that impaired my mobility. It was the worst experience of my life and my life was forever changed because of that moment. I spent a lot of time in the hospital and that gave me a lot of time to think.

But, I am not a quitter, and I decided that I wanted to try to live a normal life if I could. I knew that there were going to be certain limitations for me (for example I walk around with a walker now), but I thought that I could try to have the same standard of living as I used to.

I needed to make some changes around my home to better accommodate my needs. For example, I changed my recliners in my living room for pride lift chairs which helped me to get seated on my own. I was also able to get a walk-in bath installed so I didn’t need to depend on anyone to help me wash myself.

Needless to say, on the eve of the year anniversary of the accident, I am doing okay. I can still take care of myself and have a somewhat normal life despite my physical condition. And that is something that I am proud of.

The Best Way to Read eBooks

2009-06-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

In my line of work, I deal a lot with ebooks. I write them, I use them to research articles, and of course I read them too. As a result, I need to find a good way to store and view them.

Currently my mom is trying out the Kindle, Amazon's answer to the need for an ebook reader. The Kindle is a slim, handheld ebook reader that resembles a small pad of paper, except that it is electronic: It can store, display, and even download (for a price) ebooks from Amazon.com.

The Kindle has a lot of advantages: For one thing, the battery lasts a long time, since the screen doesn't require a lot of power. Also, the Kindle is pretty easy to read and use.

However, the Kindle also has some drawbacks. The ebooks you purchase from Amazon.com can only be read on the Kindle, because of the unique software and digital rights management (DRM) Amazon uses.

And of course, for most people carrying a laptop around to read an ebook is just not a viable alternative. Most laptops are heavy and cumbersome, and while netbooks offer greater portability, they are still awkward to pull out on, say, the bus so that you can read an ebook.

One idea I've had lately is to use my husband's iPhone as an ebook reader. There are a number of ebook reader apps for the iPhone. The iPhone and accessories that you can buy for it result in a product that can do almost anything you need — phone calls, email, organizer, music, and even ebook reader.

So I am curious — what device do you use to read ebooks, and why did you choose it over the other options available?

Getting the RV out of Storage

2009-05-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Even though I love my home, we have always been short on space. The lot that our house sits on is really small, and we only have a little driveway. This has been a big stumbling block for us because we own a large RV and have never had the room to park it at our house.

Years ago I used to leave it on my buddy’s farm, but he has since passed away and that is no longer an option. When I was forced to figure out a new place to store the RV, I turned to the Yellow pages at the time and looked for Phoenix storage facilities.

I was able to find a couple that would meet my needs, but in the end, I went with a self storage company that had all the space I needed at a price that I could afford.

Now, five years later, I am still with the same company that I started out with, and they continue to impress me with their customer service and competitive pricing. In fact, they just phoned me to remind me to come get my RV out of storage since this weekend is supposed to be really nice.

Training for a Job in Boat Parts Sales

2009-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

After losing my job just two months ago, I took a little break. It was nice to sit back and reflect on life and take some time for myself. You see, I had been working the same job for the past ten years, and though I liked it, I really never had the chance to take a holiday.

After my siesta was finished, I knew that I just couldn’t survive forever without a job. I did have some savings set aside, but there wasn’t going to be enough to live the rest of my life without working, so I found myself out job hunting for the first time in ten years. It was rather scary.

But, after dropping off resumes and getting a few callbacks, I went for three interviews and was offered jobs at two businesses. I decided to take the job where I would sell boat accessories and parts as it sounded very interesting.

Sadly, the truth of the matter is that I had no experience with boat parts, so I will be in intensive training for the next week to learn the ropes. It is interesting, but there is a lot to cover, so I hope I can remember anything.

I have a great feeling about this job and I can’t wait to get out on the sales floor – it will be so nice to do something different for a change.

Does Your Security System have a Weak Spot?

2009-05-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Whether you have ADT Security in your home or a more high tech surveillance system in your place of business, it is important to make sure that your security system doesn't have any weak spots — and if it does, to resolve them as quickly as possible.

For instance, I used to hang out at a gas station where a friend of a friend worked. He knew that there was a blind spot in the camera surveillance, so he would always go over there when he wanted to do something he wasn't supposed to — such as open soda or candy he hadn't paid for.

As another example, one family I used to babysit for had a cheap-o security system with little devices that detected when any of the doors were open — but they didn't have any of those devices on the windows, so what good was the system, really?

Of course, there are the other extremes, such as another family I babysat for, who had every single one of their screens on their windows wired so that the alarm would go off if someone cut the screen. It was actually kind of scary how high tech that house was, and you probably don't need to go quite to that extreme, either for your house or your business — but somewhere between the two extremes would be good!

Moving Into My Dream House

2009-04-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

I finally have moved into my dream house. It took me a while to find it but is has all of the things that I have been looking for. It is located in the Pacific Northwest, in the city of Portland Oregon. It is a two story home that overlooks the mountains on one side and a lake on the other side. I have a large picture window in both the front and the back that overlook the beautiful outdoors I am lucky enough to be near. I have a patio that is entered through by a patio door. The patio door is so very nice. Off of the patio door I have a sun room that is closed off by French doors. These French doors offer an extension of the patio because of the openness of the windows in the French door.

Upstairs I have the 4 bedrooms. All of them have wood floors and windows galore to look out at our beautiful outside. I am really happy that we finally were able to move into this house. It is one that I had been looking at for a very long time and I am so thrilled to finally be in it.

What Sort of Pad Is Best for An Outdoor Barbecue Island?

2009-04-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

I’d really love to get one of those built in gas grills outside on a large area that would be used for entertaining. But I have some questions as to what work bests given our weather, trees and soil.

I want the barbecue to be one of those where you run a gas line to it. But I also want it away from the house itself. So is it better to have the barbecue area sit on tile pavers (and then maybe they’d go crooked if the soil heaved,) just a rocky area, like with that “breeze” stuff, (and then I’ve be fighting lumps, divets and weeds but it would allow for flexing,) or just setting everything on concrete pad, (which might crack). I like the latter best, even though we’ve had quite a bit of trouble with the concrete on our driveway “spalling,” or chipping and peeling away.

Has anyone had experience with this sort of thing? What’s best for your built in grill, especially considering the gas line? Considering our weather, my trees that drop lots of pine needles and our soil, which do you think would hold up the best? I kind of want to do some poking around among regular people for information before I get bids from contractors: they’re just going to try to sell me the job that does THEM the most good!

Bluetooth 3.0 Will Be Out Later This Month

2009-04-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

The latest version of Bluetooth, the Bluetooth 3.0 standard, is scheduled for its official launch later this month. The new technology is going to be even faster than existing Bluetooth adaptors which means that these cellular phone accessories will be able to be used for transferring data between phones at a speed that is far faster than in the past. The speed will be comparable to data transfer speeds over Wi-Fi today.

Speaking of Wi-Fi, the new Bluetooth is also going to be capable of actually piggybacking on to Wi-Fi services which means that you'll be able to use Bluetooth over Wi-Fi in some areas. If you're wondering why you would prefer to use Bluetooth instead of Wi-Fi directly, the answer is that the Bluetooth option is a lower-cost option that doesn't take away as much power from cellular phone batteries as straight Wi-Fi does. This means that you can have high-speed data transfers without reducing your phone's charge significantly.

The new Bluetooth standard will not only increase the speed of data transfers but should also improve call quality. Many phones today still get disconnected when syncing but that should no longer be a problem with the new Bluetooth standard. We'll see for sure on April 21st when it's released.

A Baby Gift for My Friend

2009-03-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

A friend from work is expecting her first child after years of trying to have a baby. She and her husband are so excited and since it is their firstborn every last detail is important. I have worked with her for almost five years therefore she is a pretty good friend so I want to get something really special for the shower.

I have shopped in all of the local stores and nothing really caught my eye. I know my friends style so I have taken the task of purchasing the baby bedding. I finally directed the search online and I found a really great site with some more interesting options. I found some beautiful custom crib bedding and several other sets that were equally adorable. I finally decided to go with a ten piece set that has little caterpillars and butterflies on it. The hand embroidered set even comes with valances, a toy bag, and a bib that matches the theme.

I know my friend is going to love the set and I cannot wait to give it to her. I realize that having her first baby is a really event and I know my gift will express that I am commemorating the occasion along with her.

Used Fork Lift – Overview

2009-03-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

When you hear the term used, for some people it brings to mind something that is not only out dated, not efficient and just plain not good enough to be used in today’s business world. Only the opposite is true. Today, when you are referring to a used fork lift you should be aware that these machines and different models are actually reconditioned to be up to today’s working standards. Each used fork lift on the market today goes through rigorous tests and maintenance to make sure they are not only capable of doing the tasks they are built for but that they will last for their second or third owner.

Anywhere new forklifts are sold you can be sure reconditioned fork lifts are sold as well. Companies are aware of their customers being careful with their money lately and therefore are doing what they can to meet the demands of the industry and today those demands require used equipment to save more.

It is important to do what you can to learn about your used fork lift truck before making any decisions. You should be allowed to test its capabilities before purchase so you can be confident in what you are buying.

Getting the Most Out of Your Tax Deductions

2009-02-20T00:55:00.001-08:00

Well, it's that time of year, and if you're not already thinking about filing your business taxes, you should be! We have less than two months to go until they are do, and it never pays to leave something this important until the last minute.

By getting your taxes done now, and not waiting until the last minute, you will have the time to make sure everything is done right, even if that means paying someone to do part or all of it for you. One thing that businesses often need help in is expensing business property.

When you do your small business taxes, most business expenses are entered into Schedule C, the same form you use to report your income. Not so with business equipment and other property. For these expenses you will need to use Form 4562. Also, large equipment or property expenses cannot be deducted all in one year — the deduction is amortized over a certain period of time, depending on how the property is classified.

Perhaps you can see the problem here. If an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer categorizes the property wrong, the business could end up paying more in taxes than necessary. So one way to make sure you get the most out of your business tax deductions is to engage professional cost segregation services. Cost segregation, or cost segmentation as it is also called, ensures that your business property is categorized properly so that you maximize your tax deductions, and minimize what you pay each year in taxes. It can even be post dated, so that you can reclaim over taxes that you've paid.

As a business owner, you already know that minimizing your expenses is necessary if you are to maximize your profits. Don't forget that taxes paid to the government are also a sort of expense, and you need to make sure that you don't pay a penny more than you actually have to!

Staying connected while traveling

2009-02-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

I do a lot of traveling in my line of work and have spent many nights in different hotels. While most people prefer to stay in hotels with a sauna, room service and in room jacuzzi, what always gets me excited is the extent of their computer services. It might sound weird, but it's true. If the internet connection is sub par, I won't stay.

I need to be constantly connected with the office, so high speed internet when traveling is a must. I don't want to be bothered with having to plug in my laptop into a phone outlet whenever I want to use it. While most hotels do supply their rooms with internet access, I prefer to stay in hotels that have wireless internet service throughout the building, including the dining area and coffee shop. I've even been known to sit by the pool and do some work! I find it relaxing and it allows me to focus better sometimes. Being able to get out of the room and still get some work done is great for me when I'm on the road. Even being able to sit out in a common room with my laptop can help break up the monotony of a hotel stay.

The Right Tools for Emergencies

2009-02-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

One of the most important things that you can have when dealing with an emergency situation is the right tool for the job. In any emergency, there will be things that need to be done that are done most easily with the right equipment. A simple example is that an emergency requiring 911 assistance first requires that a phone be present to make the call to 911.

There are a lot of different types of equipment that can be used in different types of emergencies. For example, if a riot breaks out then emergency responders may use equipment such as crowd control barriers to direct the flow of human traffic and keep people safe. This kind of crowd control reduces the number of problems that can exacerbate the emergency and therefore diffuses the situation.

People who make the equipment that is used in emergencies may not have any idea just how important their jobs are. However, without the right equipment, many emergencies would be a lot worse than they already are. It's a good thing that so many people have invested their energy into creating and manufacturing the various types of equipment that end up being needed when things in life get out of control.

My Sappy Valentine

2009-01-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

I know I told you all I wouldn't be that sappy romantic blogger but here goes. I have the most beautiful Valentine's Day with Ethan last year. As you know, we headed off to that resort in Big Bear, California for a few days. Well it was freezing as I had imagined but you wouldn't believe how gorgeous the scenery was! We stayed at this tiny little lodge and I honestly felt like we were the only people there. In the evenings we would sit around an out door fireplace with a steaming cup of something and simply enjoy the nature around us. In the mornings, we would get up for a walk through the snow (which was tough on my Arizona body!) and then relax in the steam room and hot tub.

Although it was so cold, the outdoor restaurant was definitely our favorite. It actually had outside kitchens so we could see our food being cooked and it smelled just that much better through the crisp air. They did everything from giant pots of clam chowder soup to massive steaks slathered in Worcestershire sauce. They would throw the meat on red hot coals on gas grill islands dotted on each side of the restaurant. The most romantic of all was having a glass of wine while a small orchestra played in the corner of the sitting room. It really was the most amazing trip and a Valentine's Day to go down in history for sure!

New Tricks

2009-01-20T10:20:00.001-08:00

My father is one of those people who truly love to work. That’s why I was shocked when he told me he was considering retirement. He said he didn’t have enough time on his hands, and just didn’t have the energy for the grind anymore. For whatever reason, I was never interested in joining the family business, but now I finally saw my opportunity to help out. After looking into my father’s daily agenda, I had one major suggestion: a project management software system. It’s something that my company uses to keep track of everything that’s going on, project by project. It can save a manager a lot of time by showing everything in one place and allowing instant communication with every relevant employee. Assigning tasks, tracking progress, and resource allocation are all made more efficient by such software.

Dad was convinced by my spiel and decided to give it a shot. Project management software has saved him loads of time. It has allowed him to continue the work he loves so much. I know retirement will be a very sad day for him, so it’s great to see him back at work, even if I still find his career choice a little strange.