Tuesday, June 16, 2015

June TRI News

I get starved for moving or reflecting water in winter and need a fix in spring that seems to last a couple of months. During the day, this little cove is secluded and very quiet. The fishermen don't get here until the afternoon. They launch their row boats, canoes or electric fishing boats and head out to kick back and relax and maybe catch dinner. Massachusetts DCR owns most of the shore line, so it is pristine as it was when the Indians fished here in the early 18th century. Friend me on Facebook, look at my blogs, or look me up on Flickr.

In This Issue

June 2015

The New Surface

Windows 10

Heading to Italy

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!

Surface is Going Mobile

The Microsoft Surface has never been a real competitor to the iPad because it didn't have cellular. This is about to change. Microsoft is linking up with T-Mobile. Granted, not the best provider of cellular service, but still, it is a 4G LTE network.

The map at left shows the 4G coverage and it isn't too bad unless you happen to live in Barre, Hubbardston or Petersham.

The new Surface is thinner, lighter and less expensive than its predecessor starting at $499. The only version that deserves attention is the one packed with 4gb of RAM and 128gb storage plus 4g for $699.

It will come off the line running Windows 8.1 but will include a free upgrade to Windows 10. This may be a contender for the iPad.

Let it be known that we have two Surface Pro 3's for sale. Original cost $1,099. Will sell for $450 each. Each comes with keyboard.

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.

Windows 10

Windows 10 is purported to be coming this summer (target July). It actually looks very slick for both Windows 7 users and Windows 8 users. if they can deliver what they Here is what's new, according to Microsoft:

Cortana. Not to be confused with Cortona, a medieval town in Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy, Cortana is a personal digital assistant backed by the power of Bing, customized to you and connected to your keyboard, speaker and microphone. Windows Phone users might be acquainted with Cortona. It is said to be one of the better things about the phone. What is a personal assistant? Cortona will help you remember things. It will keep track of things that interest you. It will learn about you the more you use it. Cortana responds to the voice command, "Hey Cortana".

Microsoft Edge (code name Project Spartan) is the new browser replacing Microsoft Internet Explorer. Features of Edge include:

  • Ability to write on a web page using your tablet pen allowing you to annotate a web page.
  • Cortana is integrated with Edge so you can highlight a word or phrase and ask Cortana for more information.
  • Contains a reading list which you can bring to the front for clean reading.
  • Provides a HUB which is like a dashboard to enhance your personal Internet experience.
  • A cleaner look and feel to make it more user friendly.

Start Menu is back. It is a combination of the traditional Windows 7 start menu plus the Windows 8 tile view menu. You will also find Cortana "Ask me anything" prompt when you click Start or hit the Windows key.

Task View icon is a new icon in the start bar which will display running tasks

XBox Integration will allow you to play or stream XBox Apps

Photo App has been improved

PDF support is integrated into Windows. No need for Adobe Reader.

HoloLens will be Microsoft's first take of implementing a holographic display.

Skype for Business is integrated into Windows 10

OneNote is integrated with Windows 10

Microsoft is promising to make this a very user friendly release with a greater use of Universal Windows App's that look the same on phone, tablet or PC.

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

Heading to Italy

I am heading to Italy with my wife for three-weeks in July. It will be a self-imposed photographic expedition which will includes Rome, Tuscany, Cappaccio, Siena, Florence, Pisa and cities and towns we do not yet know. We will be a week in Rome with a tour group, and then we are off on our own and left to our own devices. Lodging is set, but where we visit remains open, flexible and at this point unknown.

I will be producing a photographic journal of the places we visit and the people we meet. I have plans of producing a book later this year which will be a composite of the best photographs and journal entries. I have been practicing this process since January 1st with my photographic blog where I take pictures every day and select one picture each day and publish it with text. Those who follow me on Facebook see my posting's every day.

So why do I tell you about this? Because I am open to receiving advice, counsel and tips. This will be our first trip to Europe and if you have words of wisdom, please share them with me.

I should tell you that I used Microsoft OneNote to keep track of my itinerary,all my research including maps, routes, words and phrases, city information, do-not-miss list, train schedules, tours, restaurant listings and more, all within a folder in OneNote which I can review on my computer, iPhone or iPad.

Social

Nuts and Bolts

Office 365 Subscribers may not know that they have a powerful organization tool available to them in OneNote. It's great! I have written about it before because I continue to use it for business as well as personal objectives. Do you multi task? Do you have many projects going at the same time. Do you take notes in a meeting? Do you copy screen shots from a web site? Do you save PDF's for future reading? Do you want to save a YouTube video to play back later? It makes sense that Windows 10 will integrate OneNote into the Operating System.

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

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

May TRI News

This is an iPhone 6 panorama converted to black and white in Photoshop. I love the drama that black & white brings to a photo. This is an undeveloped area in the Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples, Florida. At the time this photo was taken, a dinosaur exhibit was being presented with moving T-Rex and roaring sound and tar pits. Turning this otherwise beautiful and warm day into black and white allowed me to produce what might be construed as a tar pit where there was none. You can see the full image here. Friend me on Facebook, look at my blogs, or look me up on Flickr.

In This Issue

May 2015

Flying

Corporate Value

Software Review

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!

Flying

Lately, it seems the airlines in their quest to run 110% full are squeezing patrons to the breaking point. On trips under 1,500 miles, it is making more sense to drive than fly. Less costly, more fun, less headaches and stress. Sad to say, unless you live in a major hub, direct flights are becoming very difficult to find. Boston is not a major hub.

I recently spent hours booking air travel to Cabo San Lucas in Baja, Mexico. This was not my first time booking flights online, I have done it many times. It is just harder these days. In order to fly to Cabo from Boston, a low cost option was to fly to Mexico City and lay over for 17 hours. Really?

Although the options are still pretty awful, I came across SkyScanner a web site, iPhone App and Android App. You can use Skyscanner to check for flights (and cars and hotels). The list of airlines scanned is extensive and seems to only omit Southwest which doesn't participate in any online booking sites other than its own. Using the App and changing departure and return dates was easy. It is very helpful to quickly see all the options available.

When you book your own flights, here are some ideas for you to consider. Search often and over a period of time. Get the Twitter feed from airwatchdog. Make sure you check Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, but also check American Express Travel (especially if you have points), SkyScanner and Southwest and check airline sites directly. Leave yourself open to traveling on off days. For example, flying on a Monday or Tuesday is often less than a Saturday or a Sunday. Good information can save hundreds of dollars.

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.

Corporate Value and the Just Index

A Ted Talks first introduced me to the Just Index, but I have done a good deal of reading since. Paul Tudor Jones, founder of the Tudor Group (manage hedge funds) has started Just Capital. He stated that the widening gap between the richest and the poorest will get closed, somehow history always handles the gap, usually by revolution, war or higher taxation. He proposes to find another solution, a solution based on market forces rather than political uprising or bloodshed. His idea is the Just Index. His proposal, survey 20,000 Americans on the parameters of value beyond earnings per share, that is the value to all stakeholders, and then rank the top 1,000 companies performance. We should see the results next year.

It is a concept not dissimilar to the efforts put forth by Conscious Capitalism which believes that companies should focus not just on shareholders, but on the entire value of the business including customers, community, suppliers, employees and environment.

His board members include the likes of Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra and Jennifer McCrea. His intention seems sincere, evaluating businesses on their long-term contribution to society rather than just the short-term benefit to share-holders.

Financial Times reports that the market is trying to also adjust by implementing evaluations in accordance with the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance which is an alliance of investment organizations dedicated to integrating the value of sustainability of the business and the environment into the over-all value of corporate worthiness. The valuations are defined as environmental, social, and governance (ESG). Bloomberg reports ESG data on10,500 companies world wide.

Another indication that value to society is becoming more important can be seen looking at the Shared Value Initiative. As stated in their website, the Shared Value framework (originally described by Professor Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer in a Harvard Business Review article) defined a new role for business in society to advance social progress and deliver social impact.

These programs all look at the roll of business in our society. For more in depth reading on the changing role of businesses in our society, read this report produced for the Clinton Global Initiative. Is there cause for optimism?

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

Is It Time For a Software Review?

At what point do you consider having functional portions of your software re-written? The answer is different for everyone, but it usually stems from looking at these factors:

  • Communication
    • Ease of integrating operational data with customers and vendors
    • Better use of automating tools like email, file sharing, web portals
    • Implementation of customer relationship management techniques to improve customer information
    • Benefits of going mobile
    • Voice over IP integration
  • Technical
    • Advances in display screens as well as the use of multiple displays
    • Use of headsets
  • Business Intelligence
    • Looking at the bigger picture
    • Tracking customer utilization
    • Creating a Corporate Dashboard

As with all things, software is designed in light of the technology of the times. As times change, software enhancements can harness advances in technology and communication improving operations, customer service and profitability. Only you can know if it is the right time to think about exploiting these improvements. Send an email if you would like to have a conversation.

Social

Nuts and Bolts

Camera users: For those of us lacking perfect vision, setting your diopter on your camera may make the difference between a clear shot and an out of focus shot if you ever focus manually. 98% of the time when you see blurry but the results are great when using auto focus it means your camera's diopter is not adjusted for your eye. Here is how to set it on a 35mm camera. Have the camera focus on a scene at infinity, then rotating the diopter all the way on the plus + side, rotate back till the scene is as clear as possible.

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, April 28, 2015

April TRI News

Sunsets are one of my favorite subjects. I never tire of them. This one was pretty special because of the quiet and spring warmth of a near perfect day. A lone duck swimming in the foreground was enjoying it as well. The sun sets over the trees on the Quag here in Sterling. The rail-trail runs the middle of the Quag and West Lake Waushacum, so from this vantage you can see sunsets over the Quag, sunrises over West Lake Waushacum. It is a wonderfully peaceful place to be. You can see the full image here. Friend me on Facebook, look at my blogs, or look me up on Flickr.

In This Issue

April 2015

Skype for Business

Inbound Marketing

FujiX100T

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!

Lync is now Skype for Business

Beginning April 14th, Microsoft Lync started being transitioned to Skype for Business. For those of us that have used Lync, this is a welcome change and offers us a bit more flexibility. Considering there are about 300 million skype connections worldwide, it could be considered a standard. There is a lot to Skype because it handles voice, video, multi-user, Windows 8 functionality, I have taken a Lynda.com course on Skype.

If you would like to see an all-hype advertisement from Microsoft, check out this video. It is under 2-minutes and implies a great deal.

All that said, Microsoft is working hard on the technology and capability with a lot of functionality rolling out this month. For example, Skype for Broadcasters part of the Skype in Media offering. A great video to watch to see the what can be done with Skype is Eric Whitacre's 2013 "live" short-version: Virtual Choir or 2011 "recorded" long version: Virtual Choir, which was presented in a TED conference. The latter is an inspirational presentation.

In any case, Skype for Business is bound to become a standard in calling for all Office 365 Users and is certainly a refreshing step forward for Lync users. Stay tuned.

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.

Inbound Marketing

I have written about inbound marketing on and off for some time. If you were curios to learn more, Leading Results is offering a few webinars that will help you get up to speed beginning May 21st at 1pm Eastern. The first webinar is 8 minutes.

Seminar 1

Focuses on New Leads and Sales Through Inbound Marketing and Inbound Sales (Join us on May 21 @ 1PM EST, 10AM PST) Marketing - We'll review Inbound Marketing essentials such as keywords, long tail keywords, and content that helps prospects find you. Sales - We'll dive into Inbound Sales and show you how to manage MQLs through Sales into pipeline. We'll shine special attention on how you need to speak differently to an inbound lead.

Seminar 2

Learn how to produce New Leads and Sales Through Effective Referral Marketing: We'll focus on industry partners and customers, how to be truly talkable to customers, using the perfect introduction for partners. Learn how to use CRM to track the productivity of your referral sources, remembering that in selling referrals you need to be sure to take them back through your entire value proposition.

Seminar 3

Dive into Creating New Revenue from the Customers that Love You: Learn about creating add on offers, regular client meetings, paying attention to what customers are telling you. Using CRM to track the total customer experience and building the depth of your customer information.

For more information or to sign up - click here for the first Webinar

TRI is a

Specializing in deploying

Fuji X100T

I just purchased a new camera for travel and street photography. Not a replacement for my full-frame DSLR, but as a second camera. The Fuji X100T is the 3rd generation compact camera originally introduced by Fuji in 2010 as the X100 and followed by the X100S. It is a fixed length lens camera which means that there is no zooming in or out, you are forced to move your body in order to frame your shot. It has a 16.3 megapixel APS-C sensor (15.8x23.6mm) which is not full frame (35mm) but combined with the 23mm lens provides 35mm equivalent photographs. It has a rear 3" LCD monitor, electronic shutter, it is mirrorless and near silent when shooting (although you can optionally add sound effects). It is capable of HD video although that is not what makes this camera is all about.

What makes this camera special is its size, 14oz and about 5" x 3" x 2", ISO 100-6400 (51.2k electronically), maximum aperture is F2.0, dial in the shutter speed for shutter priority - as high as 1/4000 (faster electronically) or as slow as 30 seconds, dial in the aperture for aperture priority f/2 to f/16, dial in both for manual. EV +/-3 steps, built in flash and flash hot-shoe, viewfinder that is optical, electronic or hybrid, macro focus as close as 10cm (about 4"). It has phenomenal depth of field capabilities, very fast auto focus with up to 49 focus points, able to shoot 6 frams per second.

Now add Wifi control and you have an incredibly powerful and stealth camera for street photography. The iPhone Fujifilm CamRemote App handles remote control, photo transfer and GPS tagging of photos. Taking macro photographs using your iPhone is nothing less than awesome. Your viewfinder becomes your iPhone and it allows you to see the depth of field and bokeh as you change the aperture - with your iPhone. Some pictures I took with the iPhone CamRemote App and transferred to my iPhone and uploaded to the web can be seen here: Fuji X100T Photographs.

Do I like this camera? A resounding Yes!

Social

Nuts and Bolts

This almost always helps speed up your computer; clearing temporary Internet files. Internet Explorer - Internet Options - Delete temporary files, history, download history, form data, tracking protection (omit Cookies and Passwords). If you use Firefox or Chrome, right click on your C-Drive and click Properties. Then select Disk Cleanup and delete unwanted temporary files.

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