Friday, January 26, 2007

John W. Scherer Video Professor Blog Jan. 26, 2007

Technology abound!

Keep your hardware up with the times
I’ve been teaching people how to use the software on their computers for years, but Video Professor does not have a tutorial on how to upgrade a computer’s hardware. So as a service to you, I like to try and offer articles that can help. By doing simple things like adding more RAM or using an external hard drive to back up your system, you can extend the life of your computer without breaking the bank to buy a new one.
Read More >

I’m being watched, but I don’t care
This is encouraging news for IT directors and bosses around the country. According to a recent survey by http://www.lawyers.com/, 69 percent of workers said they use their work Internet connections for personal use. And, 55 percent of workers surveyed use their work account to receive personal e-mails. What does this survey really mean? Is it that employees just don’t care about the job they have and that they would risk losing it to surf the Web? Or, do employees simply believe that IT experts just aren’t going to take the time to watch them? Read More >

Hey waiter, where’s the fly in my soup?
Are you ready to walk into an eatery and order by using a touch screen? What’s next, a conveyer belt that drops off my food? Call me “old school” but one of the reasons I go to restaurants is for the personal service. I like interacting with the servers. I realize that cost of labor is a big issue for restaurateurs, but it’s personal service that separates restaurants from vending machines.
Read More >

Let your photos see the light of day
If you’re like most people, you probably have a hard drive full of digital photos. The problem, however, is that you aren’t doing anything with them. Maybe you’ve been snapping digital photos for years, or maybe you got your first digital camera over the holidays. Well, if you don’t know what to do with your photos, this article can give you some interesting ideas. In addition, Video Professor recently released a couple of tutorials that can help you get the most out of your digital images, including Learn Digital Photography and Learn Adobe Photoshop CS2 Essentials.
Read More >

Picks o’ the week!
It’s a darn good thing Video Professor has been so successful. If I had to rely on my NFL picks to make a living, I wouldn’t survive very long. I have to give credit to the Bears and the Colts. There were a lot of people like me who did not think they had a chance to win. For the first time in a while the Bears didn’t just escape with a win. They handled the Saints from the beginning and had control of the game. The Bears’ defense showed why it has been feared all season long. They played a complete game and deserved to take the NFC crown.

Switching gears to the AFC, that was one of the best football games I have seen in a long time. I still can’t believe, however, that a Bill Belichick-coached team would squander a lead in the second half. I give Peyton Manning and the Colts credit. They fought hard all game, and in the end, they deserved to win. It was just odd not to see the Patriots pull it out like they have so many times before.

Heading into the Super Bowl, my playoff record stands at 5-5. I have one last chance to ensure I don’t finish below .500. I think Chicago will give Indianapolis all they can handle. In fact I think they will have a legit shot to win in then end. But, Indianapolis will escape with the win. Have a good week.

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc.

Friday, January 19, 2007

John W. Scherer Video Professor Blog Jan. 19, 2007

Time to talk tech!

Book ’em, Dano

Finally, here is some relief for parents and students in the fight against higher college tuition. How many times have you needed an obscure book for a class and realized that it’s only available at the school’s bookstore? Who knows how much they are marking up the price. There is a new web store that helps students find the books they need and saves them a lot of money in the process. Where was this when I was in school?

Read More >

Do we need more distractions?

Video Professor has taught a lot of people how to use the Internet and how to e-mail, but this is definitely not what I had in mind. Aren’t drivers distracted enough on the roads? We certainly don’t need a more convenient way to send and receive e-mail while driving. I realize that the makers of this product say that it’s safe. They claim it is hands-free and eyes-free, but you’re still not thinking about driving. If your mind is focused on 16 work-related topics, you certainly aren’t paying attention to your driving.

Read More >

MySpace® stepping up its security

It’s been a while since I’ve written about the dangers lurking on MySpace. Thankfully, MySpace is stepping up its security efforts by adding parental notification software. I’m in the business of teaching people how to use their computers, and I know that there are a lot of ways to get into trouble. Please be careful and please watch your children. If you need any more information about how to protect yourself, your kids and your computer, please visit the resource library at www.videoprofessor.com, where we have a ton of great articles to help you.

Read More >

Picks o’ the week!

As for drama, last week’s games were pretty good. As for my picks, I could have done much better. I finished 2-2 for the week and sit at 5-3 overall in the playoffs. Here are a couple of thoughts from the week that was. I don’t want to pile on Marty Schottenheimer anymore. Can you really blame San Diego’s collapse on him? Some will argue that you can while others will say that the players should have been better. Regardless of what you think, Marty and his team, haven’t exactly been clutch in the playoffs. It was no different this year. Taking nothing away from New England and what they’ve accomplished, San Diego was in complete control of that game, but they made some boneheaded mistakes that caused them to surrender 11 unanswered points down the stretch.

As for the other game in the AFC, had I told you that the Colts would fail to score a touchdown but still win on the road, you would have thought I had lost my marbles. What an impressive display by the Colts. But it wasn’t the offense that got it done. Indianapolis’s defense has been on fire the past couple of weeks. Can they keep it going this week when they take on New England? We’ll see. It’s going to be a great game.

AFC Championship Game

New England over Indianapolis: Is this the year that Peyton Manning finally breaks through and gets to the Super Bowl? I don’t see it. How can you bet against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady this time of year? It’s in the dome, but I still think the Patriots will have enough to win. They have seemingly “owned” the Colts in the past few years, and I don’t see anything changing this year. A lot of people will claim that the stars are aligning for the Colts this year. They were the No. 3 seed, and it looked like if they had a shot they’d have to win twice on the road. Well, now they are hosting the AFC Championship. That should be enough, right? Just remember the Broncos last year when the stars were seemingly aligning for them. They were dominated by the Steelers—at home.

NFC Championship Game

New Orleans over Chicago: What a potential story brewing in the Big Easy. If the Saints are able to get past the Bears and go to the franchise’s first Super Bowl, it would be such a tremendous lift to the entire region. There was a time when it looked like the Saints were going to move out of New Orleans, and now they are on the verge of going to the Super Bowl. The Bears are tough, especially at home, but they have not been very good of late. The defense is showing weaknesses and the offense isn’t very good. Frankly, the Bears were lucky to win last week. Plus, quarterback Rex Grossman is finally going to cost “Da Bears” a game. Saints win!

See you next week!

John W. Scherer

CEO and Founder

VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc.

Friday, January 12, 2007

John W. Scherer Video Professor Blog Jan. 12, 2007

Technology: It’s fantastic!

It’s a small world after all

We hear the term “downsizing” and we immediately think we’re going to lose our jobs. But it seems that technology keeps downsizing. Here is a look at a new computer that fits in your pocket. More than ever people are using their cell phones to get their info on the go, but here is a computer that will let you do so much more.
Read More >

And speaking of cool gadgets …
Working in the technology field for the past 20 years with Video Professor, I felt I had to talk a little about some of the coolest new products that launched this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Here is a pretty good wrap-up of the show and info on some of the cooler gadgets. If you are interested in more, there are plenty of articles out there talking about CES. If you are a technology junky, there is no better show on earth.
Read More >

Having trouble with Internet Explorer® 7?
If you are like this reader, you may be having a problem with IE7. For all its pluses, there are some negatives floating around. Apparently the new browser will work great with the new Vista operating system, but in XP it has some flaws. This helpful article gives a few tips on how to help remedy the situation.
Read More >

“Spam-a-lot”
Don’t worry: This is not going to be a review of the Broadway show produced by the Monty Python comedy troupe. Are you like most people who are bugged by spam e-mail, or do you have a very good filter that keeps the junk away? According to the company Postini®, spam mail accounted for 94 percent of all e-mail sent in December. That is an increase of 144 percent over 2005. Staggering! If you want more information about preventing spam, and what filter is right for you, visit the resource library at www.videoprofessor.com.
Read More >

Picks o’ the week!
Well three out of four isn’t bad. But how many people picked all the games right? I would say most of you. Looking back, it turned out to be an easy week of picking. Every home team won. No Wild Card entrants were able to move on. That’s a pretty big deal in my opinion, considering Wild Card teams have been very successful in recent years. Heck, a year ago the Steelers were a Wild Card team that won three straight road games to advance to the Super Bowl.

A quick note before we get to my picks: I will admit that I was completely wrong about Indianapolis last week. I agreed with the experts who said that Larry Johnson and the Chiefs would run roughshod over the Colts. Indy’s defense stepped up big time; in fact, the Chiefs went without a first down until midway through the second half. It was a very dominating performance, but can they replicate that effort this week? It’s going to be very, very hard. It’s a lot easier to get up for a game when you are playing in the comfort of your own home. This week they travel to Baltimore to face one of the hottest teams in the AFC.

Well, on to my picks …

AFC Divisional Playoff Games
Baltimore over Indianapolis:
Despite the effort they gave last week, I really don’t think they can get it done against Baltimore. Even if the Colts’ defense can hold Baltimore’s offense at bay, their offense is going to have its hands full with the Ravens’ defense. Baltimore, on the defensive side of the ball this year, is almost as good as they were in 2000 when they won the Super Bowl.

New England over San Diego: This is going to be the game of the weekend, and probably the hardest to predict. San Diego looked great this season and LaDainian Tomlinson can’t be stopped. However, how will Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers react in his first career playoff game? On the other sideline, they’ll face Tom Brady, who is turning into this generation’s Joe Montana. There has not been a more clutch quarterback in the playoffs than Brady. In a very close battle, I see the Pats pulling off the upset.

NFC Divisional Playoff Games
New Orleans over Philadelphia:
I know this is the popular choice, but I think New Orleans is the better team. Philadelphia escaped last week, and I don’t think they have the man power to beat the Saints. Plus, the Superdome is going to be rocking. The home field advantage in this game will prove to be the key.

Seattle over Chicago: I don’t trust Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. He was incredibly shaky down the stretch (and that’s being kind). Granted, Seattle didn’t exactly knock our socks off last week with their squeaker win over Dallas (thanks Tony Romo), but I think they are good enough to beat “Da Bears.”

Have a good week!

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc.

Friday, January 05, 2007

John W. Scherer Video Professor Blog Jan. 5, 2007

Time to talk tech!

People will sell anything on eBay®
By now we’ve all seen the reports that Denver got pounded by two major winter storms in the past month. The storms pretty much shut down the city for a series of days. I guess there was nothing better to do than think of crazy business ideas. A woman last week began selling the snow in auctions on eBay. When Video Professor launched its Learn eBay tutorial last year, this isn’t what we had in mind. But give her credit for originality.
Read More >

Do you trust your security software?
Internet and computer security is one of the biggest issues we constantly face while surfing. It seems like every week a new hack or virus is detected and we are all immediately warned. We all take great strides protecting our computers from installing firewalls to purchasing antivirus software. Are we really safe, though? Have you given your computer a complete check? If you need any more information about how to safeguard your computer, Video Professor’s web site has a resource library with a number of articles on how to protect your computer.
Read More >

Flaw found in Acrobat® Reader®
On a related note, I wanted to pass along a bit of a warning for computer users who regularly use Adobe® Acrobat Reader and PDF files. Researchers last week discovered a flaw in the software that could potentially allow hackers to break into your computer through trusted links. Read this story for more information.
Read More >

Off topic:
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Darrent Williams
It’s with an incredibly heavy heart that I write this entry. By now most of you have heard about the senseless tragedy that occurred in Denver early in the morning on New Year’s Day. Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, who was only 24 years old, was murdered in his limo after leaving a club on New Year’s Eve. I was shocked when I heard the news and I wanted to pass along my deepest condolences to the young man’s family. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I truly hope the slayer is brought to justice.

Picks o’ the week!
The playoffs start this week, and I must say, I wasn’t too happy with how I finished up the regular season. I missed two of three picks last week and finished the season at 27-24. If you remember, back in September, I warned you not to take my advice when picking your own games, and I guess my statement rang true. As we move on to the playoffs, maybe I can do a little better. The plan is to pick the winner in every playoff game leading up to and including the Super Bowl. On a related note, it sure looks hard to bet against San Diego getting to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately the way it looks now, if Baltimore and San Diego meet in the AFC Championship game, that could be a better game than the Super Bowl . We all know how bad the NFC is compared to the AFC. Can the NFC representative stay within 15 points of either San Diego or Baltimore? We’ll see. You know what they say: that’s why you play the games.

AFC Wild Card Games
New England over the New York Jets:
This is going to be one heck of a game. These two bitter division rivals will face off for the third time this season, and I think New England will come away with the win at home. The Jets will put up quite a fight, but the Patriots and Tom Brady will be proven stronger in the end.

Kansas City over Indianapolis: It seems as if there is always one upset in the Wild Card round, and I think this game could be it. Indianapolis has a lethal offense, but there defense has been offensive. The Colts don’t defend the run very well and running the ball is KC’s specialty. If the Chiefs can survive the first quarter and not find themselves in a huge hole, they’ll be able to take control of the game with the run, wind down the clock and keep Peyton and the boys off the field.

NFC Wild Card Games
Seattle over Dallas:
The Cowboys have not played very well the past couple weeks and have no momentum heading into the playoffs. They choked away the division title to Philadelphia and limp in after a humiliating loss at home to Detroit last week. Seattle finally appears healthy and could be hitting their stride. I don’t see this game being very close in the end.

Philadelphia over the New York Giants: This game almost mirrors the other NFC Wild Card game. One team struggled down the stretch, while the other is playing great. Philadelphia got hot a couple weeks back and is soaring into the playoffs. Philly is a tough, tough place to play and the Giants won’t be able to compete in those conditions. Like the Seattle game, I don’t think this game will be very close. Philadelphia wins going away.

Have a good week!

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR, Inc.