John W. Scherer Video Professor Blog July 21, 2006

Technically Speaking!!

Lapping the competition
The world has gone mobile; we all know this and live with the changes everyday. I have to think that it’s only a matter of time before we see the end of desktops. Who knows? I guess there will always be people who want the added power of a desktop, with a separate screen and keyboard. Why? If you could have a laptop that is just as powerful as your desktop, I don’t really see a need for a desktop. I guess I’m not the only one. According to this survey, desktop sales are “stagnant” while sales of laptops keep booming.
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Online reading program helps people with disabilities
As you all know, I’m in the business of teaching computers to people through my Video Professor learning lessons. So anytime I see a situation that embraces technology to help teach others, I’m all for it, especially when technology helps children. New software and programs utilized by the Community Association for Rehabilitation in Palo Alto, Calif., is allowing children with disabilities to become literate. Because the program, Route 66, combines short stories with photos, it helps kids stay focused on the material.
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The Feds are cracking down on online gambling
Apparently Uncle Sam wasn’t playing around a couple weeks ago when they passed legislation cracking down on online gambling. This week, federal agents arrested 11 people, including a very big fish. The CEO of a very, very popular gambling web site, David Carruthers, was taken into custody for alleged fraud, racketeering and conspiracy charges.
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Age verification tough for MySpace
MySpace.com is certainly taking steps to better protect its users. With the recent scrutiny in the media of late, they realized there is a lot of work to be done. One of the biggest problems with this site is that anyone can be anyone at anytime. A 50-year-old predator can pass himself off as a 15-year-old free spirit, or a 12-year-old, who is desperate for friends, can pose as the 18-year-old life of the party. Until the site can come up with a way to verify age requirements, which is a very tough hurdle, these problems will continue.
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Does this make you happy?
We’ve all pondered the age old adage that money buys happiness. Or, maybe you are on the other side of the fence, saying money can’t make you feel better. Can high-tech toys make you happy? Nope! At least that’s the opinion of the New Economics Foundation, who recently conducted a study to see if more material objects and tech toys leads to a brighter outlook on life.
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Do you YouTube?
If you have seen a newspaper or online news outlet recently, you know that YouTube.com has taken off. I haven’t seen any numbers, but the founders made an announcement last week that blew me away. Fans of the site, which was started in 2005, are downloading more than 100 million videos a day. According to site officials, 60 percent of all videos served up online are through YouTube.com.
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Off topic:
A democratic lottery
Everyone should vote. It’s our civic duty, our responsibility and the reason we’re allowed to live in the best country in the world. But unfortunately not everyone frequents the polling stations. Maybe this activist in Arizona is on to something. In an effort to get more people out to vote, he’s suggesting entering every voter into a lottery where the prize is a million bucks. Heck, your odds would be a lot better than PowerBall, that’s for sure.
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Site o’ the week
We all think we are geniuses, right? Well if you really think so, take this little test and see where you rank. By the way, I’m not going to divulge what my score was. You’ll just have to guess.
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John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc.