Introducing WhiteboardMobile℠!!!

For years, we have been converting whiteboards to custom software applications. Why? Because whiteboards are inefficient, ineffective, limited, available only when on site, prone to unintended erasure and generally ugly. So it is our clients who have asked us to create software to eliminate the use of their whiteboard by creating something that is available at every workstation or remotely through a web site or remote access.

Our latest project WhiteboardMobile℠ provides our clients a custom Headline News whiteboard that is available to their intra-company subscribers (employees, salespeople, field workers, vendors, or even customers) which can be viewed on PC or mobile. It allows our clients to send alerts to the whiteboard simply by sending an email to msg@whiteboard.mobi with the headline as the subject and the message the body of the email. Based on the senders email address, the news headline (almost like a tweet on Twitter) will automatically appear for all company subscribers to read no matter where in the world they happen to be.

Each subscriber authorized to publish headlines will have an avatar (picture or icon) which will identify the source. You can set this web site as the default site in your browser. You can also schedule the loading of the WhiteboardMobile℠ periodically so that you can be assured your staff is reviewing it frequently. Need to let everyone know of an important visitor? Post it to WhiteboardMobile℠. Need to alert staff about an upcoming construction project? Post it to WhiteboardMobile℠.

When you (as a subscriber) login to WhiteboardMobile℠ with your security code WhiteboardMobile℠ remembers the headlines you have read and displays those that you have not at the top of the list so you know you won't miss out on important news.

For more information about WhiteboardMobile℠, send email to info@trif.com.

It's News from trif.com!!

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May 2011 In This Issue White Boards Celebrity Wines Wine Transportation Technology Resources Technology solutions are a part of doing business just like sales and marketing,  It is an integral component in servicing customers, managing costs and controlling operations. trif.com  has an uncanny ability to find affordable technology solutions for a wide variety of situations. Our capabilities bridge database design and development,  Internet web-based programs, hosting and co-location 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?  Just want to take advantage of your new computer?    Small or large, simple or complex, give us a call to discuss where you want to go.  The first consultation is always without charge. Call us at 877-253-2379 or email rmj@trif.com to discuss your opportunities. Tech Spotlight   Like to listen to Books? AUDIBLE.COM    I wrote about this last month.  If you missed it, click here.   It is a very powerful tool and worth your review. Click below to set up a free account. Audible is an Amazon company that provides  books which can be downloaded to your MP3 player, computer, iPod, iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry or Kindle.  Yes Kindle.  And not just books.  Podcasts, newspapers (like the Wall Street Journal), magazines, radio, TV and original content.  Type in a keyword and then sort the results by best sellers, customer rating, release date, length, price, author or title.          Look for us on     Greetings robertmckayjones., First time readers, welcome!  Returning readers, welcome back!  Springtime in New England can be a damp and dark time.  It can also be a time of hard work rebuilding what winter has torn apart.  And then comes some time for leisure.  What better way to enjoy a little leisure time than to share a glass of wine.  Cheers! We do not 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?  Email me at rmj@trif.com White Boards in Peril?   At TRI, We are on the war-path.  We are looking for white boards.  Not the kind that frequent conference rooms hither and yon.  We are looking for the white boards used to keep lists.  Lists of customers, appointments, drivers, trucks, loads, shipments, days, weeks, months or even years.  White boards that exist in one place and time, viewable by only those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.    Don't get us wrong.  We like white boards. They are colorful, informative and help collaboration and the dissemination of information.  But be cautious of the drawbacks.   Information once recorded can be instantly erased with the swipe of just about anything Erasing can be accomplished intentionally as easily as unintentionally Information can be recorded in a logical manner but not easily edited with the same clarity Over time, information can become spotty as if moths had eaten bits of it away Fonts are not included, handwriting quality is solely dependent upon the author Children love to play with white boards We aren't looking to eliminate white boards, although for some, we will.  We are however looking to supplant them with software that enables the white board lovers to visualize the same information on their PC, on their iPad or in a Web browser. We are looking to empower white board users across time and space making information available anytime and anywhere. Celebrity Wines   I have enjoyed wine for a number of years, particularly the hearty red wines (I am told they are good for the heart, not just the soul).  As it turns out, it also seems to be a very popular past time for those who have, shall we say, excess capital. You probably have seen wines by Greg Norman or Francis Coppola.  You can find them just about anywhere.  You may have even seen Tommy Smothers (The Smothers Brothers) hawking his fine Sonoma County wines.    But did you know that wines were also produced by such notables as Dave Mathews, Ernie Els, Peggy Fleming, Mario Andretti, Dan Aykroyd and Gerard Depardieu.  Oh, that's not all. Lorraine Bracco (Soprano's) produces wine in Tuscany. Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) has a winery in Lake County, California. Emilio Estevez calls himself Don Emilio and built a winery in Malibu, California.   Pixar's John Lasseter has the Lasseter Family Wines in Sonoma County, California.  Even Madonna has thrown her hat into the mix with a winery in her home state of Michigan run by her father Silvio T. Ciccone.   No matter.  Whatever winery you choose, the soil, weather, bottling and vintage are what matters most.  Enjoy. Wine Transportation to Massachusetts?    Thirty-seven states and Washington D.C., but not Massachusetts, allow licensed wineries to ship directly to consumers. Those states account for 83% of US wine consumption.  Massachusetts is the seventh largest wine consumption state in the U.S. however it is one of 17 states that continue to ban winery-to-consumer direct shipments.   Currently, the 2006 Massachusetts law had provided for direct shipment only when the source winery produced less than 30,000 gallons of wine per year and were not represented by a Massachusetts wholesale distributor. This eliminates wines from smaller winery's to ever reach our table.   A hearing was held on May 10th on HB 1029 which would allow wines to be shipped directly to consumers in Massachusetts.   Have an opinion?  Voice it to your representative.   If any of the information here is of interest to you, please drop us a note.  If you would like to see specific information on technology issues that affect you and your business, please let us know.    Sincerely, Robert McKay Jones Transportation Resources, Inc.   50 Leominster Road, Suite #3  Sterling, Massachusetts 01564 877-253-2379 Contact Me

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April 2011 In This Issue Antitrust Immunity Stick to Your Customers Necessary iPad add-on Technology Resources Technology solutions are a part of doing business just like sales and marketing,  It is an integral component in servicing customers, managing costs and controlling operations. trif.com  has an uncanny ability to find affordable technology solutions for a wide variety of situations. Our capabilities bridge database design and development,  Internet web-based programs, hosting and co-location 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?  Just want to take advantage of your new computer?    Small or large, simple or complex, give us a call to discuss where you want to go.  The first consultation is always without charge. Call us at 877-253-2379 or email rmj@trif.com to discuss your opportunities. Tech Spotlight   Like to listen to Books? AUDIBLE.COM    I wrote about this last month.  If you missed it, click here.   It is a very powerful tool and worth your review. Click below to set up a free account. Audible is an Amazon company that provides  books which can be downloaded to your MP3 player, computer, iPod, iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry or Kindle.  Yes Kindle.  And not just books.  Podcasts, newspapers (like the Wall Street Journal), magazines, radio, TV and original content.  Type in a keyword and then sort the results by best sellers, customer rating, release date, length, price, author or title.          Look for us on     Greetings robertmckayjones., First time readers, welcome!  Returning readers, welcome back!  Our hearts go out to the people of Japan and around the world from the earthquakes that seem to still be occurring and the resulting devastation from Tsunamis. If you have not yet donated and would like to, you may by clicking the header above. The Red Cross is accepting donations specifically destined for the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami victims. We do not 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?  Email me at rmj@trif.com No More Antitrust Immunity?  So for more than 100 years, transportation companies (originally railroads) have been immune from antitrust laws through section (5a) in the antitrust laws which have allowed collective ratemaking by carriers since the late 1800's.  This all may end if Senator Herb Kohl from Wisconsin has his way.  The exemption has been teetering since the mid 1970's and especially since the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 which allowed Transportation Resources to publish freight tariffs for motor carriers in place of rate bureaus (a collection of carriers allowed to gather in a closed room and set transportation rates). In March, the Senate subcommittee passed (14-1) a resolution to end antitrust immunity and it may reach the floor of the Senate in May.  No longer would associations, bureaus, cooperatives or other transportation groups be allowed to set rates and impede competition. Stick To Your Customer   Over the next few months, you'll be hearing more and more about how TRI can help you stick to your customer.  It has been a staple of the TRI offerings. We have been helping our clients collaborate with their customers in a way that is hard to replicate, resists replacement, and adds that extra degree of glue that helps cement a relationship.  It might be some very specialized reporting, a special web view of data, custom emails sent automatically when an event occurs, a text message sent to many recipients automatically when a problem arises or a special program designed specifically to make it easier for the customer to work with you.  So as you connect with your customers, always think of ways that you can make the customer connection permanent. No matter what the discussion or how the conversation arises, always ask yourself these questions, "How can I make a unique connection to this customer?", "How can I create loyalty?", or "What can I do that will make our partnership more valuable?"  The answers to these questions may just give you a customer for life!     What Do You Need For Your iPad?    A Cover!  The iPad screen is made with optical glass - like your eyeglasses.  What happens when you put a gash in your eyeglasses?  You replace them!  Well the same holds true for your iPad.  Put a gash in the screen and it will bug you for the rest of your life.  Oh, you could try toothpaste.  It may actually fix very slight scratches. But it won't fix a gash.  Yes, of course all of this information comes from dedicated experience and firsthand knowledge!  So what is the next best solution if you have yet to scratch your screen?  Try the Invisible Shield by Zagg.  They offer a cover for front and back which is made of an incredibly tough clear film. The film was originally designed for military use in protecting helicopter blades.  Once stretched over your iPad it provides an impermeable layer of protection.  Seriously!  Watch the videos.  They are very impressive. For more information, click Zagg.      If any of the information here is of interest to you, please drop us a note.  If you would like to see specific information on technology issues that affect you and your business, please let us know.    Sincerely, Robert McKay Jones Transportation Resources, Inc.   50 Leominster Road, Suite #3  Sterling, Massachusetts 01564 877-253-2379 Contact Me

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Rumblings Inside Apple

Do you listen to the water-cooler chat about the latest and greatest news about our iDevices? I do. And there is some more chatter this morning. iLove my iPad!!!!

• First, Apple has kept on a major portion of their Holiday staffing at their stores. In anticipation of what?  
• Second, Apple is restricting vacation time between the last week in January through the first half of February. In anticipation of what?
• These seem indicative of something brewing.
• Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Fortune all report iPhone for Verizon will be released January 2011
• The release of the new iPad is expected imminently. Features such as camera-equipped, Face-Time Video Chat are expected.
• What will that do to the stock price? The stock price has doubled in 4 years and is still on the climb

The Best iPad Apps of 2010

I have spent hours and hours (in fact, more hours than that) with my iPad playing, creating, testing, writing, working, planning and more. Here is a list of the applications I use the most.Would I recommend you buy an iPad? Absolutely unequivocally YES! Enjoy.


Productivity (Work Related)
Logmein (Remote control)
DropBox (Setup account here: https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTMxNjUxODM5?src=global0)
QuickOffice (Word and Excel document viewing and editing)
iThoughts (Great mind mapping tool)
Corkulous (Post it Notes on a bulletin board)


Social Networking
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube
Twittelator
Facebook HD (Lets you look at all your friends picture albums)


Art
Let’s create Pottery (Awesome! Fun)
iDough (mush up a piece of clay)
Livesketch HD (Very cool drawing tool)
Sketchbook Pro (A very good almost professional drawing and design tool)
Drawing Pad (Great for the kids, has crayons and pens and pencils and markers and stickers…..)
World of Sand (4 falling streams of sand which you can block and divert. Ammuzing)



Photography
Paintmee (Turn photographs into paintings)
Photgene (Edit photos)
Phot fx Ultra (Edit Photos)
Crop Smart (Great tool for cropping pictures)



Reference
Clinometer – Very cool tool to check level and angles
Backyard Birds – If you like birds, great tool to figure out who is making that chirp
Starmap – if you like astronomy
Live Cams HD – Lets you look at a bunch of live cameras all around the world



Music
Pandora – an online radio station that builds music playlists based on the music you select and like / dislike. Very cool
BeatPad – if your kids like to create beats with drums and cymbals



Games
Scrabble
Pinball HD
10 PinShuffle
Yahtzee
Simcity DLX
RealGolf2011
Vegas Slots


Publications
Kindle Software for iPad
TED
Audible
NPR



Research
IMDB – database of the stars and cinema
WebMD
Zillow – Housing prices and for sale
Dictionary
The Weather Channel
Google Earth
Where to – Find a place to eat, drink, shop, etc close to where you are or where you are going
Stumble Upon – Just a sampling of what is on the web



Lifestyle
Yoga HD
Bowls HD – Tibetan singing bowls
SimplyBeing – Guided meditations
SilentIsland – Great for background sounds and nature
ZenTimer – Silent timed meditation
Whitenoise
GazeHD – Sounds combined with video to help you relax


Just for Fun
Inspiro – when you have nothing better to do than think
Jiggle Balls HD – Cool toy withlots of balls and great sound
Forge of Neon – Light show you create
Liquidmantra – like a plastic covered vat of colored oil to squish around
WindTunnel – Interesting and educational
SymmetryPro – Just fun



Utilities
NightStand – Great clock
SaiSuke – Calendar that interfaces with Google Calendar

Why Use a Web Portal?

This is a complicated subject that deserves some attention. First, what is a web portal? Simply stated, a web portal presents information and software services in a unified way through a web browser. It is far different than running your own software on your own servers. A web portal application runs on one or more host computers storing data in one or more locations and the use of the portal is paid for on a recurring basis as in a monthly or annual fee. The major advantages of a web portal are:

• No investment in hardware
• Little or no investment in software (unless the service is customized) as the application is rented as needed
• No support staff is required to maintain server or client systems
• Software can be operated from anywhere in the world

So let’s look at a custom Inventory Control system to compare. If you were to purchase this and the server that it requires, it would cost upwards of $25,000 not including customization and portable data terminals / bar code scanners and the monthly support would cost roughly $225 per month. So if you amortize the cost over 5 years and add the month-to-month, it would add up to about $650 per month at which point new hardware and would probably be needed.

Compare this to the cost to of a basic Inventory Control Web Portal Application – between $420 and $600. A maintenance-free solution at a considerable savings.

So when you are looking at new software, consider Web Portal solutions.

Are you seeing more SPAM than ever?

Are you getting more SPAM than ever or is it my imagination?  The Federal Trade Commission enforces the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM).  But not really.  They collect complaints and those complaints are used by law enforcement agencies all over the world. It collects the information in what they refer to as the Consumer Sentinel which gathers information along with other data contributors like the Better Business World, US Postal Service, The National Fraud Center, The Identity Theft Assistance Center and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Click here to file a complaint.

Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, so non-compliance can be costly. But following the law isn’t complicated. Here’s a rundown of CAN-SPAM’s main requirements:

1. Don’t use false or misleading header information. Your “From,” “To,” “Reply-To,” and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person or business who initiated the message.
2. Don’t use deceptive subject lines. The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message.
3. Identify the message as an ad. The law gives you a lot of leeway in how to do this, but you must disclose clearly and conspicuously that your message is an advertisement.
4. Tell recipients where you’re located. Your message must include your valid physical postal address. This can be your current street address, a post office box you’ve registered with the U.S. Postal Service, or a private mailbox you’ve registered with a commercial mail receiving agency established under Postal Service regulations.
5. Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future email from you. Your message must include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future. Craft the notice in a way that’s easy for an ordinary person to recognize, read, and understand. Creative use of type size, color, and location can improve clarity. Give a return email address or another easy Internet-based way to allow people to communicate their choice to you. You may create a menu to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to stop all commercial messages from you. Make sure your spam filter doesn’t block these opt-out requests.
6. Honor opt-out requests promptly. Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your message. You must honor a recipient’s opt-out request within 10 business days. You can’t charge a fee, require the recipient to give you any personally identifying information beyond an email address, or make the recipient take any step other than sending a reply email or visiting a single page on an Internet website as a condition for honoring an opt-out request. Once people have told you they don’t want to receive more messages from you, you can’t sell or transfer their email addresses, even in the form of a mailing list. The only exception is that you may transfer the addresses to a company you’ve hired to help you comply with the CAN-SPAM Act.
7. Monitor what others are doing on your behalf. The law makes clear that even if you hire another company to handle your email marketing, you can’t contract away your legal responsibility to comply with the law. Both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that actually sends the message may be held legally responsible.

CAN-SPAM; A refresher

Have you noticed a surge in SPAM?  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003. But not really.  It merely collects complaints which are then used by criminal and civil law enforcement authorities worldwide. You may file a complaint with the FTC by clicking this link.

Each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, so non-compliance can be costly. But following the law isn’t complicated. Here’s a rundown of CAN-SPAM’s main requirements:

1. Don’t use false or misleading header information. Your “From,” “To,” “Reply-To,” and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person or business who initiated the message.
2. Don’t use deceptive subject lines. The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message.
3. Identify the message as an ad. The law gives you a lot of leeway in how to do this, but you must disclose clearly and conspicuously that your message is an advertisement.
4. Tell recipients where you’re located. Your message must include your valid physical postal address. This can be your current street address, a post office box you’ve registered with the U.S. Postal Service, or a private mailbox you’ve registered with a commercial mail receiving agency established under Postal Service regulations.
5. Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future email from you. Your message must include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future. Craft the notice in a way that’s easy for an ordinary person to recognize, read, and understand. Creative use of type size, color, and location can improve clarity. Give a return email address or another easy Internet-based way to allow people to communicate their choice to you. You may create a menu to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to stop all commercial messages from you. Make sure your spam filter doesn’t block these opt-out requests.
6. Honor opt-out requests promptly. Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your message. You must honor a recipient’s opt-out request within 10 business days. You can’t charge a fee, require the recipient to give you any personally identifying information beyond an email address, or make the recipient take any step other than sending a reply email or visiting a single page on an Internet website as a condition for honoring an opt-out request. Once people have told you they don’t want to receive more messages from you, you can’t sell or transfer their email addresses, even in the form of a mailing list. The only exception is that you may transfer the addresses to a company you’ve hired to help you comply with the CAN-SPAM Act.
7. Monitor what others are doing on your behalf. The law makes clear that even if you hire another company to handle your email marketing, you can’t contract away your legal responsibility to comply with the law. Both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that actually sends the message may be held legally responsible.

 

What is a TRIF?

TRIF; trĭf, -noun (origin: 1175–1225; (n.) ME tru(f)fle idle talk, deceit < OF, var. of truf(f)e mocker)

1) A mammal like creature which would fly if it could. But can only fly a few feet at a time – basically jumping from point to point. Usually hides in cave-like dwellings for much of the day. Feeds on sweet objects that present themselves without hunt or chase. 2) A simulator, one who sets forth a claim, especially a claimant to a throne.

But really, it represents the three aspects of TRI, design, build and support. Just like constructing a building, you have a design-build team that takes your ideas, hopes, wishes and dreams and brings them into reality. Then a support team takes over to make sure the building stands tall and strong. Our team of experts works in the same way to create an application that fulfills your desires, performs as expected and we stand behind that application with dedicated support. That’s what TRIF stands for. Send an email to info@trif.com if you would like more information.

Virtual Art - Is It Real?

Is it really art if it wasn’t created in 3-dimensions? Is it any the less creative? Creating art virtually or otherwise is all about what the minds eye can do with the tools and canvas provided.

The inset pictures a creation of pottery which I suspect many would purchase at Pier One given the opportunity. Alas, it was created virtually with an amazing pottery creation tool on an iPad. This Halloween surprise was created by an esteemed artist using an iPad application called let’s create Pottery written by company based in Poland called Infinite Dreams. The application is a clever combination of tools for artistically creating pottery and a community web portal that allows the sharing of the creations so that members of the community can review the works of others.

So click on the pumpkin and take a look at the 200+ original works of art brought to us by the artist who created this piece and feel free to scan the gallery of the 16,875+ creations from other artists around the world.

So is it art if it wasn’t created in 3-dimensions? Of course it is. Is it any less creative? Absolutely not. It requires the same instinct, eye, talent, dedication, expertise and mastering the available materials and tools. See for yourself.