Monday, January 19, 2015

January TRI News

For those that follow me on Facebook, you know that I have taken on a new project this year. I have set out to photograph and develop photographs everyday and post a representative photo for the day online. The best, in my minds eye. I am only a couple weeks into the project, but it is consuming and inspiring. I love it! For a small part of my day, it changes how I see things, where and how I drive and how I think. Friend me on Facebook, look at my blogs or here, find me on Instagram or look me up on Flickr. The above picture was taken on Lynn Beach with Nahant in the distance. Sunset was just about to take place over the Boston skyline out of view. For a full shot, click the picture.

In This Issue
January 2015

Apple Pay

Follow the Sun

WeMo

Welcome to News from trif.com! First time readers, I am glad you're here! Returning readers, welcome back!

Greetings and welcome to our Newsletter! I want to share the many photos I have taken of places, people and things throughout the country and beyond. Each month our headline photo will be something new and different. The caption will present a small explanation. We hope you enjoy. Keep in mind, we don't want to waste your time. Articles will contain generally less than 250 words. Please have a look and give us your feedback. By all means, forward to a friend using the link at the bottom of the Newsletter. Thanks. Questions? Send me an email!

Apple Pay is Setting the Stage....

We already use our finger print to unlock our iPhones. Why not use it to pay for merchandise. Apple Pay is here and already an impressive contender in tendering payments for purchases in a store or online. And soon, we may see an iris scan being required by some institutions to authorize payment. Beyond Iris scanning, there is heart beat monitoring and other biometric instruments that are in test.

In the end, anything that eliminates the threat of identity theft is a welcome and needed improvement, especially for those paying the bill. Us!

It is reported that identity theft is on the rise. 8 million people in 2010, 12 million in 2011 and 14 million people in 2012. With an estimated cost of $24 billion in 2012, this problem is getting seriously out of hand. The IRS lost a purported $5.2 billion in 2013 as a result of identity theft.

Apple is working on being the leader with the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch due out early this year. Apple is increasing purchase security by scanning a credit card to be used for purchases. Supported by Mastercard, Visa and American Express along with Capital One, Chase, Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and more, these methods of payment will soon retire our credit cards and maybe our wallet.

One of the best things we can begin to expect is that transactional information with credit authorizing data will no longer be saved and therefore no longer stolen. How long will it take the $24 billion a year to trickle back into our pockets?

Technology solutions are a part of doing business just like sales and marketing, It is an important component in servicing customers, managing costs and controlling operations. Our capabilities bridge database design and development, Internet services, network and computer sales and support, document imaging, bar code scanning, corporate communications, fax and email programs, mobile applications, cloud computing and help desk services. Interested in taking a step forward with technology? Looking to take advantage of the latest advances? Or just want to take advantage of your new computer?

Email me at rmj@trif.com The first consultation is always without charge.

Follow the Sun

Know when and where the sun is has become important especially as I photograph each and every day. I am always interested in what direction the light will be coming from at what time of day.

There are a couple of tools I use that combine the path of the sun with a topographic - satellite map. It helps determine possible view points for sunrise or sunset light.

The first is an iPad/iPhone App from OzPad called Sun Seeker. At $6.99, it is a great source of Sun information. The image at left is one of the most valuable.

It allows you to virtually travel from place to place and view the path the sun will follow and its relationship to that vantage point.

The other application is a web site called suncalc.net which will display a google map and the location of the sun at sunrise, sunset and current time.

If you want to see a sunset over water in New England, these applications will help you find a place to go. For example, the map at left shows the path of the sun January 16th from the Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary in Gloucester, MA. It looks like a winter sunset over water is possible or certainly over Marblehead. For a sampling of sunset/sunrise photos. Click here or here.

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

WiFi that will Change your Life

Welcome to WeMo®, a handy little WiFi appliance that allows you to control your home or office. Plug in any device to a WeMo which in turns plugs into any outlet and that device is under your control. According to Belkin, the makers of this device, "The Wi-Fi enabled WeMo Insight Switch connects your home appliances and electronic devices to your Wi-Fi network, allowing you to turn devices on or off, program customized notifications and change device status - from anywhere.

WeMo Insight Switch can monitor your electronics and will send information about the device's energy usage directly to your smartphone or tablet. Perfect to pair with space heaters, wall A/C units, TVs, washers, dryers, fans, lights and more.

Download the free WeMo App to as many smartphones and tablets as you like to create rules and custom schedules. The WeMo App can be as flexible as you need and allows you to create rules that are easy to set up and can easily be changed. You can even receive notifications that are personalized to meet your needs. Get notified when your laundry cycle is finished so that you avoid wrinkled clothes, know when your child has exceeded their daily TV limit and turn it off, or find out if you left the space heater on accidentally."

WeMo Apps are available for Androids and iPhones.

Social

Nuts and Bolts

Excel loading time getting you down? It may be as simple as looking at your add-ins. Over time, add-ins connect themselves to Microsoft Office applications. They may be intended, they may be added as a result of installing a new application.

Click on File-Options-Add-ins and make sure the Active Add-ins are only the ones you want and need. Like Adobe Acrobat may install an add-on for Acrobat PDF Maker. But you may have also installed an Analysis Toolpak that you don't need or a Lync sharing add-in. These all take time and may not be necessary. Also slect the type of add-in at the bottom of the screen. You may see other add-ins in the COM Add-Ins like the QB Add-ins for QuickBooks.

Hope you enjoyed this new feature - Nuts and Bolts. Please let us know!

Robert McKay Jones
TRI
9 Waushacum Avenue
Sterling, Massachusetts 01564

978-422-7770
rmj@trif.com


Copyright ©2015 TRI
All Rights Reserved
All Photographs Copyright ©2015 by Robert McKay Jones unless otherwise credited
Artists Sketch by Bruce Davidson
This document is provided for informational purposes only.
The information contained in this document represents the views of Robert McKay Jones and Transportation Resources, Inc.
All information provided in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.
The reader assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.
Permission to use the words in this document for commercial purposes usually is granted. However, commercial use requires advance authorization.

Forward email


This email was sent to robertmckayjones.stager52@blogger.com by rmj@trif.com |  

Transportation Resources, Inc. | 9 Waushacum Avenue | Post Office Box 452 | Sterling | MA | 01564

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

December News - News from TRI

I already miss the sun in Florida. The sun sets late as you get closer to the summer solstice. As it sets, amazing color fills a cloudless sky. Palms swaying in the breeze shades the disappearing sun and marks a time and a place that I often think of as the weight of winter begins to take hold in New England. I couldn't decide what picture to use this month, so I have two versions of my December Newsletter. Here is the other choice. You pick!

In This Issue
December 2014

Imagination

Statistics

Fake Followers

Welcome to News from trif.com! First time readers, I am glad you're here! Returning readers, welcome back!

Greetings and welcome to our Newsletter! We wanted to share the many photos we have taken of places, people and things throughout the country and beyond. Each month our headline photo will be something new and different. The caption will present a small explanation. We hope you enjoy. Keep in mind, we don't want to waste your time. Articles will contain generally less than 250 words. Please have a look and give us your feedback. By all means, forward to a friend using the link at the bottom of the Newsletter. Thanks. Questions? Send me an email!

Imagination....

I recently saw a program with Dr. Wayne Dyer, who at age 74 looks like he just turned 50. Dr. Dyer has written more than 40 books, half of which were New York Times best sellers. He has also generated more than $250 million dollars for public television with his 10 PBS specials. His focus? A better you -- improving the spiritual aspects of your human experience.

Although he speaks of many things, there is one concept that to me speaks the loudest. We have the gift of imagination. When we talk about imagination, it always makes me think of Walt Disney and of course Mickey Mouse.

Our lives tend to get in the way of our focus but there is a truism; if you imagine it hard enough and long enough, your dreams will come true.

I have seen evidence so many times. Back in October of 2009, I blogged about the Vision of a Child and talked about an image book I had created in 1982. It was filled with pictures and ideas - things I wanted to accomplish, achieve or acquire. In 2009, when I reviewed this image book, I was astonished at all that I had achieved and acquired. And it seems the things that had not been achieved or acquired were things I really wanted.

So my Christmas wish for everyone is that you can empower your imagination with the things you want to achieve, acquire and accomplish. Take heed to this (anonymous) quote:

When our childhood ended, did we cease to dream? Hardly. Yet after quiet moments looking beyond the horizon, we hesitate to speak. We pull back, rationalize into insignificance. Are we embarrassed by the "childishness" of it all? What a loss. For, surely to benefit from seeing things anew, we must acknowledge the sense of wonder that remains with us. And grant that child freedom. So, share your vision, your big ideas. And just perhaps it will fly.

Merry Christmas everyone! Happy dreaming!

Technology solutions are a part of doing business just like sales and marketing, It is an important component in servicing customers, managing costs and controlling operations. Our capabilities bridge database design and development, Internet services, network and computer sales and support, document imaging, bar code scanning, corporate communications, fax and email programs, mobile applications, cloud computing and help desk services. Interested in taking a step forward with technology? Looking to take advantage of the latest advances? Or just want to take advantage of your new computer?

Email me at rmj@trif.com The first consultation is always without charge.

Statistics are Fun?

Have you ever looked at trends? Before there was Internet, I always enjoyed Statistical Abstracts. Now there is a web service that will tell you much the same kinds of information. Find it at www.statista.com. For example, how much does the State and Local Lottery make, and chart it back to 1977? Have a look... 21 Billion in 2011. Or if you were interested in how many users sign up for World of Warcraft. Subscribers grew to 12 million in 2010 and now hovers at 7.5 million.

Or look at the national debt as compared to the gross domestic. It has grown from 65% in 2004 to 105% in 2014 climbing drastically after the 2008 debacle.

Take a look at social media. You will see that Facebook is still the leader with 1.3 billion followers compared to Google+ with 343 million and Twitter with 284 million. What you will also see is Qzone with 629 million active users. What is QZone? QZone is a Chinese social media website. But even in China, Facebook leads the way.

Look at over-budget construction projects and you will see the the Big Dig was merely the 3rd largest over-budget project in the world superceded by the Channel Tunnel project between Great Britain and France and the Three Gorges Dam project in China.

Lastly, look at the facts on Microsoft. Looking at their revenues over the last few years, they have steadily increased revenues from 28 billion to 86 billion in the last dozen years. With barely a hiccup in 2009 after the recession of 2008. More staggering is their net income which was more than 20 billion in 2013. Consider a 93% market share in PC's.

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

Fake Followers is Big Business

Going viral in Social Media is a big thing and it makes money. So it makes perfect sense that companies are sprouting up that sell followers. You can buy 50,000 followers on Facebook for $500, or 50,000 followers on Twitter for $250 or 50,000 followers on Instagram. Not just followers, but likes as well. You can buy likes! So I can post a picture on my Facebook (I have a couple of hundred friends) and then buy 5,000 likes for $100. What does that give me? Bragging rights? I am not sure. But do you think that Justin Beiber really has 57 million Twitter followers? I highly doubt it.

Prove this phenomena for yourself. Load up Justin's Twitter page and click on Followers and go down the list and look for a follower that has no picture and click on that follower. Here is an example. Jevypoo aka @LovelesBadBad has virtually no content, but is following 40 -- the likes of Kim Kardashian, Conan O'Brien, Universal Orlando, ESPN, Demi Lovato and LeBron James.

This means that a company has set up a fake user on the Social Media site, and sold the following of that user to all of these celebrities or companies. So the question becomes, What is the social media budget of Justin Beiber and how many followers are fake? The BBC claims that in excess of 50% have been purchased. This makes it possible for ytview.com to thrive - a business with no address, no phone number, a gmail email address and a private domain registered with GoDaddy.

Social

Nuts and Bolts

Don't get too upset over Windows 8, if it is on your desktop, it really isn't much different than Windows 7. Just click Desktop and there you are. Yes, I know, there is no start button and your applications are hard to find, but that is easily solved. In the Windows 8 Start screen, scan for the applications that you will want to use all the time and right-click on each one and pin to your task bar. You will find it much easier to navigate. Good luck!

Hope you enjoyed this new feature - Nuts and Bolts. Please let us know!

Robert McKay Jones
TRI
9 Waushacum Avenue
Sterling, Massachusetts 01564

978-422-7770
rmj@trif.com


Copyright ©2014 TRI
All Rights Reserved
All Photographs Copyright ©2014 by Robert McKay Jones unless otherwise credited
Artists Sketch by Bruce Davidson
This document is provided for informational purposes only.
The information contained in this document represents the views of Robert McKay Jones and Transportation Resources, Inc.
All information provided in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.
The reader assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.
Permission to use the words in this document for commercial purposes usually is granted. However, commercial use requires advance authorization.

Forward email


This email was sent to robertmckayjones.stager52@blogger.com by rmj@trif.com |  

Transportation Resources, Inc. | 9 Waushacum Avenue | Post Office Box 452 | Sterling | MA | 01564

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Learn to use your smart phone to make amazing pictures

 
Saturday, November 22, 2014
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Theia-Studios
47 High Street, North Andover, MA
Smart Phoneography!
Thought you might be interested....
Hi everyone,

I thought you might be interested in making better use of your iPhone or Android to make awesome pictures.  Edward Stapel, my Photography Professor, is giving this class. He is a great teacher with a lot of experience and tidbits of valuable information.  It applies to everyone who has a phone that has a camera... oh, that's everyone!

Good luck!  Share your thoughts.

Bob



Details:

Learn to use your smart phone to make amazing photos!

COURSE OVERVIEW

 

This fun and lively one-day workshop will show you how this little piece of technology can be used as a serious tool to create amazing images, whether you're in your backyard, on vacation, or promoting your business.

 

Today's phone cameras have come a long way and in many situations, it is the most convenient tool to capture important moments. In this worksop, you'll learn techniques to get the most from your phone's camera...from it's built-in features to fun equipment to extend it's capabilities and current apps to edit and share your photos.

 

Check out the course at www.theia-studios.com  


Forward this email



This email was sent to robertmckayjones.stager52@blogger.com by rmj@trif.com |  


Transportation Resources, Inc. | 9 Waushacum Avenue | Post Office Box 452 | Sterling | MA | 01564

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

November News - News from TRI

Pictured here is the Beast's Ballroom, a luxurious dining room in the Beast's French-styled castle in Disney's Fantasyland. Reservations for this restaurant, Be Our Guest, are difficult to obtain, but with patience you can wait for a table. As we carried the Lumiere candelabra through the palace rooms in search of our table, we were awed by the scale of the estate. Also impressive is the menu and varied wine selection considering alcohol is unusual at the Magic Kingdom. Highlighting the evening was the entrance of our host, the 8' Beast himself, entering the dining hall and taking a bow to the cheers and applause of everyone, young and old alike. It was by all accounts a thrilling honor. If you are skeptical, make the journey with a nine-year-old princess.

In This Issue
November 2014

Wacom Cintiq 24HD

Iphone 6 Plus

Dispatch Board

Welcome to News from trif.com! First time readers, I am glad you're here! Returning readers, welcome back!

Greetings and welcome to our Newsletter! We wanted to share the many photos we have taken of places, people and things throughout the country and beyond. Each month our headline photo will be something new and different. The caption will present a small explanation. We hope you enjoy. Keep in mind, we don't want to waste your time. Articles will contain generally less than 250 words. Please have a look and give us your feedback. By all means, forward to a friend using the link at the bottom of the Newsletter. Thanks. Questions? Send me an email!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

A Look at the Wacom Cintiq 24HD Touch

Wacom has long been the choice of graphic pen tablets used by designers and artists alike. I have used these pen tablets, they are like an extremely accurate mouse with a familiar feel. What I have been waiting for is a large screen touch and pen sensitive tablet compatible with Adobe Photoshop. I believe Wacom has delivered with the Cintiq 24HD Touch Graphic Monitor. $2,499 Amazon.

This is a world class 1920x1200 display monitor outfitted with a touch sensitive surface that is sensitive to 2048 levels of pen pressure along with varying degrees of tilt recognition. This means that you can draw as if you had a graphite pencil on a piece of paper.

The monitor pen tablet connects as a second monitor to your PC or laptop using a single cable that has both a USB and an HDMI connector. The USB listens and the HDMI displays.

What does this allow you to do? It opens the door to very precise graphic editing which can apply to drawing, painting, design, photographic editing and post production work. The key is precision. You can do all these things with a mouse, but it is difficult at best. For example, in photography post-production, you may need to remove a hair from a person's face, or a power line from a landscape. Using the spot healing brush in Photoshop, you can trace the line and it will disappear. Using a mouse, it is difficult. Using a pen on a tablet, it becomes a simple task.

Just so you know, you don't need to spend $2,500, a 13" model is available for under $1,000.

Technology solutions are a part of doing business just like sales and marketing, It is an important component in servicing customers, managing costs and controlling operations. Our capabilities bridge database design and development, Internet services, network and computer sales and support, document imaging, bar code scanning, corporate communications, fax and email programs, mobile applications, cloud computing and help desk services. Interested in taking a step forward with technology? Looking to take advantage of the latest advances? Or just want to take advantage of your new computer?

Email me at rmj@trif.com The first consultation is always without charge.

iPhone 6 Plus

The new iPhone 6 and especially the 6 Plus, what is called a phablet, are sleek and as pretty as any Apple product. What inspired me to upgrade was the screen resolution on the 6 Plus which matches your desktop; 1920 x 1080. That is full retina HD quality in a 5.5" display. That is resolution at 401 pixels per inch (PPI). Phenomenal. And it is incredibly bright. In comparison tests, it is far more brilliant than the Samsung Galaxy which sports greater resolution and PPI.

The iPhone 6 Plus sports an 8 megapixel camera with optical image stabilization capable of some wonderful HDR images as well as 240 frames per second video. The result is very high quality images and slow motion video. The camera will also shoot excellent panoramic, square, standard and time delay photos.

The editing features that now exist in IOS 8.1 are quite capable. Added to the list of editing are aspect ratio cropping and adjustments to saturation, contrast, cast, exposure, highlights, shadows, brightness, blacks, intensity, tone and grain.

You might ask, can you watch a movie on such a small screen? The answer is generally a resounding yes, but certainly depends on the movie. Would I select this device as my screen of choice for a full length movie? No, but I frequently use it as my go-to video option for educational, instructional, Youtube or video shorts. It is large enough and in fact, quite beautiful.

I will say that the size of the 6 Plus is more than one hand can handle comfortably. It is a two-hand phone. Drivers take head! Do not text with this phone while driving. Lastly, the comments regarding the phone bending are over blown. The phone is quite sturdy. If you put it in your back pocket and sat down at a picnic table, you might find that it was not intended to meet the contours of your butt. Don't sit on the phone.

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

Time to Rethink Your Dispatch Board

This past month, we created an automated dispatch board for a client to suit a 70 inch HD Smart TV. That is a screen more than five feet wide. No more writing slips, tickets, or magnetic strips. No more ugly magnetic boards. It is more efficient, better looking, easier to adjust or edit and viewable on any device - not just the 70" screen. The same dispatch board can be viewed on any screen any where in the world.

It can be completely customized for any of our logistics applications. Add the fields needed in the sequence desired. Assign special colors to identify service, commodity or status. Flash status when action is urgent.

The application is in fact a web app tied to the necessary tables in the SQL Server database. The display refreshes every few seconds, keeping the information real-time. Records are listed and sorted according to the needs of the client.

Watch for the sales coming up. Although prices are generally between $1,500 and $2,500, they can be had for under $1,500 and the resolution and clarity is excellent.

Consider throwing away those cards, tickets and post-it notes - permanently!

Social

Nuts and Bolts

Have you ever wanted to schedule an email to be sent? In Outlook, you can with a little known feature in the Options tab of Outlook called Delay Delivery. It allows you to delay the sending of an email until a particular date and time. The email will sit in your Outbox until it is time for it to be sent. Test this before you put it into action. I found some inconsistencies with date scheduling but it worked like a charm for times. But keep in mind that the message will be timestamped the time you create it, not the time it was actually sent.

Use it for messages you want to be recieved on a particular date/time but don't plan on being close to your email at that time you want it sent -- or if you want to say something tomorrow, but want to forget about it today.

Hope you enjoyed this new feature - Nuts and Bolts. Please let us know!

Robert McKay Jones
TRI
9 Waushacum Avenue
Sterling, Massachusetts 01564

978-422-7770
rmj@trif.com


Copyright ©2014 TRI
All Rights Reserved
All Photographs Copyright ©2014 by Robert McKay Jones unless otherwise credited
Artists Sketch by Bruce Davidson
This document is provided for informational purposes only.
The information contained in this document represents the views of Robert McKay Jones and Transportation Resources, Inc.
All information provided in this document is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied.
The reader assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and the use of this document.
Permission to use the words in this document for commercial purposes usually is granted. However, commercial use requires advance authorization.

Forward email


This email was sent to robertmckayjones.stager52@blogger.com by rmj@trif.com |  

Transportation Resources, Inc. | 9 Waushacum Avenue | Post Office Box 452 | Sterling | MA | 01564