Beware of rebate scammers and spammers

I’m sure most of you are excited about the planned stimulus check both the president and Congress hope will help spur on the economy. Checks are expected to be in the mail by May.

I won’t presume to tell you whether to spend it or to save it. It’s your money and it’s up to you.

Guess who else is excited about this? Spammers and scammers, they see the rebates as an opportunity to line their pockets with your money and even worse, your identity.

People are already receiving official looking e-mails and even phone calls, claiming to be from the IRS. Here’s the scam: the crooks e-mail or call you saying they can facilitate an early check to you and just need your bank account information for direct deposit. The e-mails have IRS logos on them, which can look very official. These e-mails are designed to fool the smartest and savviest of you all.

The Internal Revenue Service makes two important points:

• Their agents or representatives will never call or e-mail you.


• You won’t even be eligible for stimulus checks until you file your 2007 taxes.

 

These crooks can be convincingly persistent telling you that if you don’t cooperate, you won’t get your check. They will also try and get additional personal information in order to steal your identity. Sadly, it’s the elderly that are getting ripped off the most.

I’ve personally been a victim of identity theft. It’s one of the reasons I partnered with cybercrime expert and author Jayne Hitchcock on our Protect Yourself Online tutorial. It’s based on her terrific book “Net Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Jayne was a victim of cyber stalking, so you can understand our motivation to protect others from these kinds of blatant rip-offs and attacks.

I asked Jayne if she’d share some tips on what to do if you’re contacted by someone pretending to be from the IRS, or worse yet, if you fell for their scams, she was happy to help out.

Jayne said if you took the bait and gave away your financial or credit card information, here’s what to do.

     

• Report it to the card issuer as quickly as possible: Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies.


• Cancel your account and open a new one.


• Review your billing statements carefully after the loss: If they show any unauthorized charges, send a letter to the card issuer describing each questionable charge.


• Know your rights according to the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) for credit card loss or fraudulent charges: Your maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your credit card is $50. If the loss involves your credit card number, but not the card itself, you have no liability for unauthorized use.


• Also know your rights associated with the Electronic Funds Transfer Association (EFTA) for ATM or debit card loss or fraudulent transfers: Your liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your ATM or debit card depends on how quickly you report the loss. You risk unlimited loss if you fail to report an unauthorized transfer within 60 days after your bank statement containing unauthorized use is mailed to you.
  
  

If you gave out personal information:

• Report the theft to the three major credit reporting agencies: Experian®, Equifax® and TransUnion® and do the following: request that they place a fraud alert and victim’s statement in your file. Request a free copy of your credit report to check whether any accounts were opened without your consent. Request that the agencies remove inquiries and/or fraudulent accounts stemming from the theft.
  
          
  
  Equifax Credit Information Services - Consumer Fraud Div.
  
  P.O. Box 105496
  
  Atlanta, Georgia 30348-5496
  
  Tel: (800) 766-0008
  
  www.equifax.com
  
  
  
  Experian
  
  P.O. Box 2104
  
  Allen, Texas 75013-2104
  
  Tel: (888) EXPERIAN (397-3742)
  
  www.experian.com
  
  
  
  Trans Union Fraud Victim Assistance Dept.
  
  P.O. Box 390
  
  Springfield, PA 19064-0390
  
  Tel: (800) 680-7289
  
  www.transunion.com

 

• Notify your bank(s) and ask them to flag your account and contact you regarding any unusual activity: If bank accounts were set up without your consent, close them. If your ATM card was stolen, get a new card, account number and PIN.


• Contact your local police department to file a criminal report.


• Contact the Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline to report the unauthorized use of your personal identification information.


• Notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of your identity theft and check to see whether an unauthorized license number had been issued in your name.


• Notify the passport office to watch out for anyone ordering a passport in your name.


• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm


• File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) http://www.ic3.gov/complaint


• Document the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak to or contact regarding the incident. Follow up your phone calls with letters and keep copies of all correspondence.
  
  
  
  The FTC also advises:
  
  


• If you get an e-mail or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information via e-mail. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization in the e-mail using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type in the company’s correct web address. In any case, don’t cut and paste the link in the message.


• Don’t e-mail personal or financial information. E-mail is not a secure method of transmitting personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization’s web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the browser’s status bar or a URL for a web site that begins with “https:” (the “s” stands for “secure”). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged these security icons.


• Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to determine whether there are any unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.


• Use antivirus software and keep it up-to-date. Some phishing e-mails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge. Antivirus software and a firewall can protect you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. Antivirus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for antivirus software that recognizes current viruses, as well as older ones, can effectively reverse the damage, and updates automatically. A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It’s especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Finally, your operating system (like Windows® or Linux) may offer free software patches to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit.


• Be cautious about opening any attachments or downloading any files from e-mails you receive, regardless of who sent them.


• Report suspicious activity to the FTC. If you get spam that is phishing for information, forward it to spam@uce.gov. If you believe you’ve been scammed, file your complaint at www.ftc.gov and then visit the FTC’s Identity Theft web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft to learn how to minimize your risk of damage from ID theft. Visit www.ftc.gov/spam to learn other ways to avoid e-mail scams and deal with deceptive spam.

As you can see, Jayne knows her stuff, and this is why we were so happy to work with her on our Protect Yourself Online tutorial.

Let me reiterate, the IRS will never, ever attempt to contact you by e-mail or phone to ask for personal information.

If you get e-mail, delete it immediately. If you get a phone call, hang up right away.

Stay safe and enjoy your check!

-John

John W. Scherer

John is CEO & founder of Video Professor, Inc.

Technology just keeps on charging ahead.

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about all the new technological products and innovations coming down the pipeline. As usual, it’s a busy part of the business world, especially when it comes to innovation.

Big news, Blu-Ray Disc is the new standard for HD-DVD. I know I’m dating myself here, but this was just like the VHS and Betamax wars a generation ago. I believe that when Blu-Ray compatibility was added to the Playstation® 3 (PS3) the war was finally won. That and the fact that Wal-Mart® (the ultimate 800 pound marketing gorilla) decided to stock their shelves with Blu-Ray DVDs as well.

On the music front, the iTunes® music store is now the number two seller of music, following Wal-Mart. As usual, it’s the teen audience leading the way. They would rather download their songs than drive down the road to buy them. What I still can’t figure out is why the music industry continues to fight iTunes so much. iTunes is directly responsible for the success of many musicians, who are playing on stage instead of flipping burgers for a living.

Add Google® (http://sites.google.com/) to your list of places to search the Internet. I loved writer Dan Farber’s thoughts about Google launches in a piece he did for cnet.com called “Google Sites: What’s all the fuss?” In which Farber compares the way people review and react to anything new from Google the same way movie and theater reviewers do. When you’re both a noun and a verb, you’re bound to attract attention whatever you do, or don’t do.

Microsoft Corp. is cutting the price of its Windows Vista® operating system, which retailed last year at $399 and is now available at $319. Microsoft wants more people to try it, and people should. If you do, make sure you try our Video Professor Learn Windows Vista® tutorial. We’ll take you step-by-step and prove to you that while Windows Vista may be new, it’s just as easy to operate if you just know how.

I’ve read numerous articles on how advertising dollars are spent on traditional media versus online advertising. It’s something we study all the time. I posted recently that while huge shares of politicians’ campaign money is being spent on television and radio this year, the best return on their investments remains the Net. E-Commerce is the future. It’s cheaper simply because it’s more efficient for both the consumer and the seller. Dollars spent aren’t the true measure, dollars earned are.

Just for fun fact: Check out this story .The folks at Philips Electronics installed a giant Imagination Light Station canvas for kids to play with at Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, Ark. This looks like great fun for some deserving kids and I do believe a few adults.

Finally, this decidedly non-tech item, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre announced this week he's retiring from football on the "frozen tundra."  I know sports pundits and fans love to compare this player to that player and who was the best to ever play the game. None of that matters. Brett Favre was simply an exciting player, who played with a level of enthusiasm and professionalism seldom seen in professional sports, anywhere. His place in Canton is secured. He's won the Super Bowl, three consecutive MVP awards and has more wins than any QB in history. My Gosh, he had such fun playing the game and that made it fun for all of us. Heck, forget Canton, let's put him on Mount Rushmore!

Here’s a fun site to check out: www.bizonyms.com

See you next week.

-John

John W. Scherer

ceo@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer is CEO & founder of Video Professor, Inc.

E-commerce and infomercials remain a good marketing mix

The past couple of weeks have been a mix of both new and old for us here at Video Professor. The online publication Adotas.com just ran a feature article about me called, From Infomercial To E-Commerce, Video Professor Starts 3rd Decade of Business.  Then a few days later I was back in the studio taping an infomercial.

Both E-commerce and infomercials are very effective ways for companies, like Video Professor, to communicate their message directly to you, the customer. I enjoy the opportunity to look you in the eye, and share with you the enthusiasm I have for my proven teaching method, which shows you how to get the most out of your computer.

E-commerce is one way to tell you about the wide-range of Video Professor products via the Internet. It’s as simple as logging on to www.videoprofessor.com. You can shop for a lesson and have the option of either learning online with the lessons streamed directly to your computer or ordering our traditional CD-ROM lessons. Either way, it takes just minutes.

The infomercial is something we here at Video Professor helped pioneer. It’s a 30-minute television program where we spend quality time with you, showcasing the wide-variety of our available lessons and of course, getting you to “Try my product.®” Video Professor infomercials air on dozens of channels and at various times of the day and night. We’re a 24/7 society.  You’d probably be surprised by the huge audiences watching at 2 p.m. and 2 a.m.!

While the concept of the infomercial hasn’t changed much, in that we simply tell you about the benefits of the many tutorials Video Professor offers. What has changed is the technology and how we produce our lessons.

Sets, for example, are virtual. We have a studio at our corporate office along with post-production facilities. From time to time we rent larger studios off-site. However, the backgrounds you see on TV really don’t exist. They’re added in electronically post-production by our video-production team. What remains real is the quality and affordability of our lessons. That will never change.

                                                  How it looks in the studio

What you see in 30 minutes actually takes several weeks to plan, a couple of days to shoot, then several more to edit. Our marketing, Quality Assurance, legal and of course video-production teams are all involved. They’re all very good at what they do and the results show not only on screen, but in the huge number of calls we get after one of our infomercials airs.

                                     The virtual set after post-production

As with any marketing effort, we want to reach as large an audience as possible. E-commerce is certainly an increasingly powerful tool. Although, the infomercial also remains an excellent way to show you how easy our lessons are, and how they make a difference in the way you learn computer programs, how to sell something on eBay® or even plan a vacation. In the coming months you’re going to have many more tutorial choices. Stay tuned for some wonderful learning opportunities.

Above all, I enjoy being able to talk to you directly about trying my product. All of us at Video Professor appreciate when you do just that.

-John

John W. Scherer

CEO & Founder, Video Professor, Inc.

You can contact me at ceo@videoprofessor.com

© Video Professor, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Wi-Fi: A word to the wise

I saw something at the airport the other day very telling about progress. While waiting to board a flight, I noticed what used to be a kiosk for the long-gone pay phone has been replaced by power outlets for laptops. There was a power cord connected to a laptop in every one of them; one has to be careful walking around departure lounges these days for fear of tripping over them.

Laptops are a pretty common sight from airports to coffee shops. I’ll be the first to admit I’m on my laptop a lot when I travel. Most of the time there is more work than hours available and I can’t afford to simply sit and relax. Besides, taking care of e-mails while I’m away avoids having a big pile of them in my inbox when I return to the office.

Plus, it looks good to be working on a computer when you’re the Video Professor!

Fellow road warriors use wireless cards from providers like Verizon Wireless and many other companies. It’s a good way to go; however, many of you take advantage of the free Wi-Fi available at various locations. Many businesses, like coffee shops advertise free Wi-Fi to attract customers who like to sip and surf at the same time.

I just read a very interesting story called “Hidden dangers of free public WiFi” by Corey O’Donnell in ZDNet News. He writes, “Research shows that free wireless public networks located in airports and other public places are ripe for exploitation by hackers.”

Many folks naturally choose a free service simply because it’s free. When you log on in public places like airports or coffee shops you assume that everything is safe. However, by doing so, you may unwittingly end up sending everything from your computer to a hacker’s computer. It’s quite amazing how easily they can steal your identity.

O’Donnell says it’s all very simple. “Users who connect to these ‘free’ networks are at great risk of experiencing a ‘channeling’ attack. ‘Channeling’ is a common practice used by hackers and identity thieves to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, with the objective of stealing user names, passwords and other sensitive data transmitted by the user. The practice is disturbingly simple to carry out: by setting up an unauthorized access point in an airport lounge, hackers can easily trap passwords and other information without the user's knowledge.”

So if you’re using free Wi-Fi in public locations, know that what you communicate, from passwords, to credit card data and other personal information can be hijacked. While, the person sitting nearby looks like they are simply enjoying their cup of coffee they may indeed be trying to pick the electronic equivalent of your wallet!

One final thought about protecting yourself online. The Video Professor team got to work closely with author and cyber-crime expert Jayne Hitchcock on our new Protect Yourself Online tutorial. Much of the material is based on her book, “Net Crimes and Misdemeanors.” One point we make is you’re far more at risk for identity theft offline, usually from someone you know or work with. Online activity is actually safer. That said; always double check and protect your safety online and offline. In this very modern world of instant communication it’s best to remember the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

By the way, I wonder what they did with all those pay phones? I’ll bet a few ended up at the Smithsonian. Just like the Apple® iPhone will be someday. In the meantime check out our Digital Devices Made Easy or Protect Yourself Online tutorials to help you out with it all, and rest assured when the next generation of modern gadgets comes along, the Video Professor team will have a tutorial for that too!

Until then, I’m going find an outlet where that pay phone used to be. I’ve got work to do.

-John

John W. Scherer

(CEO and Founder of Video Professor, Inc.)

You can read more about him at www.johnwscherer.com.

Read Corey O’Donnell’s article at http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6122707.html

 

Space tourism. Finally, it’s our turn.

I’m a proud member of the generation that got to watch the first manned space missions in the 1960s. That was the time of the space race. What used to be called the Soviet Union beat us in putting both a satellite and a man in orbit. It all happened smack dab in the middle of the Cold War. Both America and the Soviet Union were vying for the chance to be the first to put a man on the moon. A Texas Senator named Lyndon B. Johnson said he didn’t want to sleep by the light of a Communist moon. Today, we watch television broadcasts and get directions on our GPS devices from dozens of satellites orbiting the earth.

For a few years American played catch up, I clearly remember watching and waiting as American Astronaut Al Shepherd sat on top of the rocket, while Walter Cronkite kept us posted through each agonizing minute before the rocket finally launched, May 5, 1961, sending the first American into outer space. Our successes and failures were well documented; while the Soviets were far more secretive.

The big goal was still the moon, and America was the first, and still is the only, nation to land men there and return them safely back home.

We haven’t been back in a generation, just low-earth orbits aboard the International Space Station. Routine stuff, if anything about space travel can ever be considered routine.

In those days, who among us didn’t dream of becoming an astronaut? Nowadays, if you have a spare $200,000 lying around Richard Branson can make that dream a reality. Branson is an English entrepreneur, best known for his Virgin brand, which includes over 360 companies.

He and designer Burt Ruttan just unveiled Spaceship Two, a very cool looking Virgin Galactic spaceship that will carry up to six passengers for a quick trip to the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere. Passengers will actually experience several minutes of weightlessness and one heck of a view with full orbital flights coming soon.

Risky? You bet. However, there is already a long waiting list of people who want to fly to space and back.

Richard Branson is the classic entrepreneur. He believes that space shouldn’t be an exclusive domain of the government. It’s no different when other entrepreneurs made it possible and affordable for computers to move outside the once-exclusive domains of government and academia. I’m proud to have played a small part in all of that. Someone had to teach you how to use the darn things. We’ve taught over eight million people.

Flight tests will begin soon for Spaceship Two. Branson’s spaceship is to outer space what the Commodore 64 was for home computing. Look for the first-paying passengers to start their space adventures by 2010. For innovators like Branson, space won’t be the final frontier; it will be just another opportunity.

You, too, will be able to experience the right stuff if you have the right amount of cash and a true sense of adventure. Just think of all those frequent flier miles!

Would you fly into space if you could afford to? Let me know at:ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

(John W. Scherer is CEO and founder of Video Professor, Inc.)

A newspaper’s “cautionary tale for the Web era.”

Like you, I spend a lot of time on the Internet. Many times during the day I surf the Net to look for information on business, hobbies and interests or to find out what’s going on in the world I live in.

I remember reading an article on the Net where the author said something along the lines of, “It’s on the Internet; it must be true, right?”

Not necessarily. In fact, not even close.

Rocky Mountain News Editor John Temple’s column on Saturday, February 2 brought focus to the whole issue of anonymous posting, or unsubstantiated reporting via the Web. The story centered on a Colorado state legislator caught in a compromising situation with a lobbyist. That legislator has since resigned.

But Mr. Temple took us through his own organization’s process of getting it right, both in the print and online editions of the Rocky.

He’s as competitive as any legitimate journalist in wanting to get the story first.  He also holds the highest journalistic standards for himself and his organization. Other outlets may have already printed or posted a story. He decided to wait, to gather more corroborated information. Not to be first, but to be right.

John Temple’s issue was simple. The source was anonymous and the lobbyist in question wanted to remain anonymous as well.

Here’s the official policy of the Rocky Mountain News. “The Rocky Mountain News discourages the use of anonymous sources. Their use threatens the credibility of the newspaper because the reader has no way to judge whether the source is reliable and/or whether the source is using the newspaper for his or her own end.”

He stuck to his guns when the Denver Post ran the story, but remained suspicious when that story also appeared on political websites.

Ultimately the story was indeed true, the legislator admitted to what happened and his resignation was part of the official record. That’s when the Rocky ran the story. They waited and got it right. To do otherwise wasn’t worth the risk to the paper’s credibility.

John Temple calls it all a “cautionary tale about the Internet.” He says that many stories posted on the Web are indeed true. But he adds that many others aren’t.

And his ultimate point is, readers don’t know the difference.

Finally Mr. Temple says that his paper did the right thing in staying clear of the story until facts were authenticated. Otherwise he says, “Anonymous people with axes to grind will exploit the media for their own agendas-destroying reputations along the way.”

John Temple and the staff of the Rocky Mountain News are among the very best at what they do. For just the reasons I outlined above.

I congratulate them.

Do you believe everything you read on the Internet? Let me know by contacting me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

(John W. Scherer is CEO and Founder of Video Professor, Inc)

Campaign ‘08 via Web 2.0

Before you read any further, I’m not endorsing any candidate. I’ll leave it up to your good judgment as to who you want to be our next president.

We’ll be bombarded again with television and radio ads this year. Although, I think the 2008 Presidential Campaign marks the true arrival of the Web as a campaign tool, to connect, to raise money and as a source of information and misinformation.

Politics and the Web are not a new mix. John McCain made effective use of it in 2000. Howard Dean successfully harnessed the Web to raise funds in 2004. His famous scream after the Iowa Caucus was both heard and seen around the world by that same Web. Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee shot a spot on the cheap with actor Chuck Norris (who endorses his run), posted it on YouTube™ and got a million hits.

Succeed by technology or fail by technology. It still comes down to content, message and voter perception; their perception is their reality.

A new survey released by the Pew Internet and Review Project shows 48 percent of Web users have been to video file share sites like YouTube. The daily traffic to these sites has doubled since last year. Predictably, it’s younger users who visit the most. They’re a key demographic in this election.

A recent article from MediaPost.com Publications called “Politicos Spend Big On Traditional Media; Crumbs For Web” said that of the $5 billion spent on campaign advertising this campaign, less than one percent will be spent on the Internet. Broadcast television will still get the largest portion of money, at least 60 percent. The story from MediaPost also said that “the Web’s importance for candidates goes well beyond what they’re paying for online media.” It cites Barack Obama’s 2007 second quarter fund raising of $17 million, $10 million of which was raised through his campaign on the Internet. It’s hard to argue with that kind of return on an investment.

What candidates have also discovered is the Internet removes the filter of network reporters, pundits and analysts. Why risk “Meet the Press” when you can meet the people via the Web? If you watch network coverage, you’re merely seeing reports on what the bloggers have already reported. Today’s political campaign stops include YouTube, Flikr™, Facebook® and MySpace®.

Your blog can link to your candidate and if you have any influence on Web 2.0 during Campaign 08, they’ll link to you. Link is replacing ink for coverage.

At least two debates this campaign season featured questions from folks living along Main Street, U.S.A. via YouTube. But, say something stupid during a stump speech and you can count on that blunder showing up on YouTube instantly. The Web makes everyone a reporter and everyone fair game even when it’s unfair. The rule still applies; if you don’t want to be quoted, don’t say it. Just ask George Allen.

The Web is the information source of choice for the younger generation of voters. They could care less about the opinions of those who report on America from inside the beltway. TV and print are out as far as they’re concerned. Their parents, who use the Internet in growing numbers, still read the paper and get their news from TV. So the question is, who will be more informed and more importantly who will actually vote?

As races get tighter and sadly, nastier, be prepared to see a flood of various e-mails and postings designed to mislead and misinform. It’s often hard to track the source, so pay attention to everything you read. Just because it’s on the Web does not make it true. Dirty campaign tricks are nothing new, the Web simply provides a high-tech way to create political mischief. It also allows nimble and Web-savvy campaigns to react quickly to such attacks.

Ultimately, I don’t think it will be the best political machine that wins, but the campaign team that best knows how to use the machine on their laps.

Regardless of your party affiliation, let’s take a moment to salute those who have the courage to stand up and put their name on the ballot. It’s a deeply personal commitment to do so and a high form of personal patriotism. You can’t run for office anonymously.

Respect the process by casting your vote for your candidate of choice in this year’s election.

Where are you getting your campaign information this year? Let me know at ceo@videoprofessor.com

-John

John W. Scherer

Beginning of the end for online predators?

MySpace® is in the news, having reached an agreement with at least 49 states and the District of Columbia attempting to prevent sexual predators from using the site as a cyber trap. MySpace has agreed to add several layers of protection and develop new technologies including ways to verify the age of users.

It’s a common tactic used by predators and deviants to create false identities to lure unsuspecting kids. That cool 16-year-old guy might actually be a 45-year-old weirdo with a long rap sheet, his true identity hidden by online anonymity.

Keeping kids safe online isn’t new. Back in 2000 President Clinton signed the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA legislation was originally introduced by Sen. John McCain of Arizona. There was a Supreme Court challenge to the law made by the American Library Association (ALA), but the court upheld the law.

This is all great news. Who isn’t against protecting our kids from the worst of society, predators who will stop at nothing to exploit or even kill a child lured by a trap set on the Internet?
"The Internet can be a dangerous place for children and young adults, with sexual predators surfing social networking sites in search of potential victims and cyber bullies sending threatening and anonymous messages," said New Jersey state Attorney General Anne Milgram.

I learned a lot about all this while working with author and cybercrime expert Jayne Hitchcock on our new tutorial, Protect Yourself Online. The Internet is full of anonymous users who can post just about anything they want, regardless of the truth. Predators and just plain cyber bullies troll the Net for victims.

Texas psychologist Shari Julian was quoted in a Denver Post article, “Craigslist develops a dark side” that the Internet has created “an “artificial” sense of community among the hateful.” Julian said “When you have a venue for ventilating your rage, your belief in that rage is ratified.”

For proof look no further than the story of a 13-year-old Missouri girl who was the victim of what she thought was her new cyber boyfriend on MySpace. The posts eventually turned hateful and due to this she committed suicide. It turns out the posts were actually the work of her next-door neighbor, the mother of a former friend.

Legislation and enforcement are two very different things. Again, when you have a group like the ALA challenging such laws, it makes it that more difficult to protect our kids from anonymous predators.

A novel approach is being taken in the Missouri case. According to the Los Angeles Times, a federal grand jury is issuing subpoenas to look into the circumstances of the case. Prosecutors are considering charging the neighbor, Lori Drew, with fraud against MySpace for creating a false account.

Here’s the bottom line: It’s the line between constitutionally protected free speech and conduct that is illegal, immoral or untruthful.

A long time ago, prosecutors never did nail Al Capone on murder. They instead convicted him of tax evasion. It will be interesting to see if the tactics taken by Los Angeles authorities, making MySpace a victim, will actually work.

At best, there may be some minor punishment doled out but as Loyola Law School Professor Laurie Levenson said, “I doubt it’s really going to lead to the type of punishment people really want to see, which is the woman being held responsible for the girl’s death.”

It could set an important precedent and as with Capone, at least a measure of justice.

The announcements made by MySpace and laws like CIPA, are all tiny steps, which will be challenged by those who put the First Amendment above the safety of our kids. I really don’t think it has to come to choosing between the two.

Let’s not give up, especially when it comes to protecting kids from those who lurk on the Internet under a cloak of anonymity.
What do you think? Write me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

Small is big at CES

Imagine a football field sized room filled with all sorts of electronic toys and goodies. Then, multiply that by 90! That’s the size of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that was held January 7-10, in Las Vegas, Nev. Strangely, consumers aren’t invited to the show, just those in the business and those who cover the business of selling to consumers.

Among the highlights, Sony® introduced a 150 inch plasma TV. If you have over 12 feet of space on a wall in your house, this screen is for you. Also, Bill Gates bid farewell as he approaches retirement from Microsoft®.

The real news, however, is that small is big. To call the economic situation uncertain is an understatement. Many companies are hoping you’ll spend money on the content pipeline, multiple connected media types that fit in your pocket or purse, rather than the larger (and more expensive) TVs that take up an entire wall. While the line is becoming blurred between computer and TV entertainment, the mobile phone is becoming the true center of attention.

We’ve developed an insatiable appetite to be connected to the Internet regardless of where we are, simply because we can.

Music, e-mail, pictures, Internet access and even live television will all be options available to you on your phone.

However, no device does it all.

Simply because of content providers and owners, no studio, record label or other outlet is able, nor willing, to come up with a universal pricing policy. It would take an electronics industry version of the United Nations to make it work and let’s face it; the UN simply does not work very well.

That said; you as a consumer will be in pretty good shape when it comes to choice based on competition. We’re all part of an international market place and while you won’t be able to have it all, you will still be able to have a huge variety of content and a fast connection. You will even have choices between either low-cost or free service, if you’re willing to watch an ad before you make a call or access certain content. Which means it’s entirely possible for those political ads you hate so much to be on your phone or latest electronic device!

A generation ago, we bought televisions and phones with the expectation of having them for several years. Today many of you think in terms of just several months, because something newer and better is always around the corner.

Bob Dylan had it right years ago. “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” so is technology and the availability of the next big thing.

It’s always good to hear from you, drop me an e-mail anytime at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

Thanks for making my point, Goofy!

I was among the millions going to the movies over the holidays and once again the folks at Walt Disney® proved they're simply the best at what they do. I hope you had a chance to see "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." Without giving away the plot, I am happy to report that there will be yet another sequel! I wonder what's on page 47?

A nice surprise before the movie started was a genuine, old-style Disney cartoon starring Goofy. At first I thought it was a nostalgic cartoon from the Disney archives. When I looked at the art and animation, I thought I was in for a wonderful trip back to the days of my childhood when before every movie there were a few cartoons.

The subject matter, however, was definitely 21st century. In the cartoon, Goofy is portrayed as a TV and sports nut who realizes he's missing out on the modern technology of HD flat screens, Digital Video Recorders with movie theater sound along with satellite or digital cable.

So ole' Goofy heads to the nearest electronics superstore and buys the latest in video and audio technology in sight.

The cartoon takes a hilarious turn when he waits for everything to be delivered. You know, the “between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.” promise that is never met. Once his packages arrive, Goofy is surrounded by stacks of boxes with “easy” instructions that look more like the plans to the International Space Station than directions on how to set-up your new flat screen TV.

Goofy gives it his best shot but when he plugs in the power, everything blows up, including the roof of his house sending Goofy into orbit.

This, of course, reminded me of the commercial featuring a couple of guys who are playing a baseball video game using sensor controlled hand devices . One of the guys accidentally tosses the controller at the flat screen TV on the wall, shattering the TV.

When mainstream media starts poking fun at something, you know it's truly arrived.

In order to keep up with the ever-changing technology, I decided to produce our “Digital Devices Made Easy” lesson.

It is very likely that there was a high-tech device under your tree this year from phones that play videos, music and yes, even make phone calls to a home theater sound system and flat screen TV that actually places you in the middle of your favorite sport or movie.

And this week video rental giant Netflix® announced an agreement where they'll deliver rental movies directly to your television via a set-top box produced by LG Electronics. You'll need to have high-speed Internet to use the system.

More wires and more boxes.

While all this is very cool and fun to use, hooking it all up is another matter! Instruction manuals remain complicated. You can choose the option of hiring someone to do it for you, just remember the installers do not work for free and always come with a “between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.” promise.

I would hate to see you end up like poor Goofy, or go goofy trying to hook cables to outputs and inputs, making sure your woofer isn’t where your satellite dish should be or vice-versa.

I recommend you take the least goofy route and try “Digital Devices Made Easy” for free.

-John

John W. Scherer

ceo@videoprofessor.com

How guarded is your gate?

I recently read a story about a home in a high-end gated community that was burglarized. The place was ransacked and many valuable items were taken. The owners were surprised because they lived in a gated and walled community.

The police told them the crooks simply crawled over those gates and walls.

So how about the gates and walls around your computer?

We just partnered with author Jayne Hitchcock for a new set of lessons based on her book, “Net Crimes & Misdemeanors.”  Not only is the book a real page-turner, it’s also an eye-opener. Look for our new lesson set called Protect Yourself Online from Video Professor this month.

I was once a victim of identity theft. So was Jayne. You can understand why we’re both so passionate about this subject. The Internet is an amazing thing. It’s an incredible cyber universe to explore, learn, socialize and shop, but it also has many dark and dangerous alleys.

Even some of the well-lit streets on the Net can be dangerous to the uninformed. You’ve likely heard of the Nigerian money offers scam where you receive an e-mail from someone claiming to be a relative of a deceased millionaire. You have been singled out amongst millions of people to assist them in moving several hundred millions of dollars from one bank account to another. Of course, you will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts. It all sounds, and is of course, preposterous. Yet, some very intelligent people fall for it, and lose thousands and thousands of dollars.

So if something as obvious and transparently bogus as the Nigerian money offers scam fools people, you can only imagine other devious tactics being used to separate you from your money, identity or both.

Twice as dangerous are the stories involving Internet predators. They’re especially adept at seeking out young and innocent kids via a myriad of social sites and chat rooms available on the Internet today. If you’re a worried parent, I don’t blame you one bit, just read the headlines every day. You can learn how to monitor your child’s activities on the Internet. It’s actually quite simple.

Other people will try to rip you off using fake auctions. One trick of some Internet auction sites is to conduct several, small transactions so you build up a good rating. Then the crook offers something of real value, you win the auction, send the check or even worse, turn over your credit card information, and then wait for something that never arrives.

Have you ever received an official notice from what appears to be your bank or a government agency? These look absolutely legitimate, right down to logos, language and forms asking for your personal information. This kind of online fraud is called phishing. I received one such e-mail last week. It had the logo of my bank on it and informed me that my account was locked and that I needed to click on the supplied link to verify my account information. It looked official, but misspellings, poor grammar, etc. quickly confirmed my suspicions. I notified the bank and deleted the e-mail.

Thousands of people fall for these phishing schemes each and every day, and lose their money, identity or both.

O.K., I guess I’ve scared you a bit. Truth be known, the Internet can be a very safe place. It’s a place to conduct business, to learn, to meet people and to expand your life experience. Who could have imagined earning a college degree from a prestigious university via computer, buying a car or booking a dream vacation via computer?

When you were a child your parents always told you to look both ways before crossing the street, you have to do the same thing on the information superhighway.

Like the folks who thought they were safe living in that gated community, don’t be lulled into a false sense of security.

Working with Hitchcock was a great experience. I think you’ll both enjoy and be enlightened by this new set of lessons, available either on CD-ROM or online, which can be streamed directly to your computer.

Have prosperous and safe, 2008.

-John

John W. Scherer

Video Professor Version 21.0 aka I can’t wait for ’08!

Wow, another year has flown by. Why do they seem to go by faster the older one gets? I’ll save that subject for a future blog.

This certainly is a time that people tend to look back. But, since I started this company I’ve always preferred to look ahead. Rearview mirrors are great in cars but not in business. Always best to keep your focus on the road ahead.

That said, 2007 was a challenging year for most businesses. The folks who run Wall Street acted like drunken sailors with money to burn. They burned so much of our money, but of course, not their own. More than ever, people are looking for maximum value and customer service for every dollar they spend. Both are something we’ve been proud to offer since we started, in 1987.

I’ve stayed in business for two decades by watching my pennies and hiring good people. So far so good!

This is a good time to salute the hard work and generosity of our Video Professor team. Recently, they collected over 330 gifts for 110 needy families through the Salvation Army Angel Tree Project, over 850 food items and hundreds of dollars to the Jeffco Action Center, dozens of coats to people in need, plus gift cards and turkeys for holiday dinners. Many of our employees are active volunteers in the community. I’m proud of them all and I fully support their efforts.

As a company we were able to donate to groups like the Fisher House Foundation™, which provides a free place to stay for families of our soldiers recovering from illness and injury at Military hospitals. Also, to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver that makes a difference in the lives of 9,000 terrific kids each and every day. We just presented a check to Jeffco Action Center as well. They tell us that families who used to come in one door to donate food, clothing and shelter, now come in another door to get help themselves. All of these nonprofits have coveted 4-star ratings by Charity Navigator, which analyzes and rates the financial health and efficiency of charities and nonprofits in the U.S.(www.charitynavigator.org

We also donate computer lessons to many nonprofit organizations which include computer education as a part of their programs. We recently helped the New Horizons Independent Living Center in Shreveport, La. Daryn Broussard runs the program there and tells us “The tutorials we received have worked marvelously. Our students report an overall positive experience with the Video Professor products.” We’re glad to have helped you and your clients Daryn.

O.K., lets move on to next year.

I can’t recall ever looking forward to a year like I am 2008. There’s an excitement at our corporate headquarters that’s simply contagious. It’s generated by some of the team who’ve been with me since day one. It’s also fueled by a new generation of leaders and technical wizards who’ve recently joined us.

Video Professor is known for our lessons that teach you everything you need to know about operating your computer. But, when you look at our library of over 50 titles, you’ll also see lessons about online travel, buying and selling on eBay®, online investing and how to connect and actually use all those new digital toys you found under the tree.

We’ve taught a generation how to use their computers. Now we’re teaching them along with new customers how to get the most benefit and value out of their computers. All this technology is designed to make our lives easier, more productive and simply more efficient. You just have to know how.

I know Internet safety is an important issue for the entire family. We’ll be revisiting that subject with a terrific new tutorial being released in just a few days. Definitely content you can use.

Finally, our list of titles is going to increase dramatically from dozens to thousands in 2008. If you can place a “How to” in front of it, we’ll have a tutorial for you. While CD-ROM lessons are still a part of our business, we’ll be making a very strong move to provide lesson material that can be streamed directly to your computer.

It will be easier and faster than ever before to start learning with Video Professor.

2008 promises to be an exciting year. I wish all of you a most happy and prosperous New Year and promise you that whether or not you agree with everything I post on my blogs each week, I will sign my real name to it!

Never hesitate to contact me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

The Mitchell Report: Major League Baseball’s dark cloud

Shoeless Joe Jackson must be smiling somewhere. Along with his fellow Chicago White Sox players, Jackson is finally off the hook, the 1921 Black Sox scandal is no longer the worst disgrace in baseball history.

There are far more opinions about the Mitchell Report than there are actual findings issued by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell on the use of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball. Almost everyone has an opinion, including me.

Let me say this right now. I’m old school. Baseball is a game to be played on green grass, on warm afternoons under the bluest of skies. The game itself doesn’t have to be played by saints. Hank Aaron was darn near perfect while Mantle and Ruth were far from it. What made them all special is that they played the game with a level of integrity baseball needs to remain America’s favorite past time.

But the list of names in the Mitchell report is staggering and stunning.

The numbers: 409 pages. 86 names. 30 teams.

We expected to hear about Barry Bonds, but Roger Clemens? Clemens was known for his seven Cy Young Awards, but now people will only think about his 82 mentions in this report. Ouch.

Let’s begin where the stink starts: Bud Selig and Donald Fehr. Selig, by any measure, is the weakest commissioner in the history of baseball. Fehr, heads the Major League Baseball Players Association, the players’ union, is equally complicit. They’ve always known and they’ve done nothing. I would hate to look under the rugs in their offices.

Both should step down immediately. Of course, they won’t. Selig will hide behind record attendance and revenue numbers. Same goes for Fehr, the only thing we have to fear is Fehr himself.

It doesn’t help matters that Sen. Mitchell is on the board of directors of the Boston Red Sox. Which makes him an insider. He does, however, have a well earned reputation as a respected and honest man. So while his report has no legal weight behind it, it is a damning indictment that the past 20 years of baseball will forever be known as the Steroid Era.

Numerous records, awards and even World Series titles are tainted forever.

Congress, of course, will call hearings; they love to do these sorts of things. It gives them plenty of face-time for the folks back home. Unfortunately, while Congress loves to hear, it seldom listens and they will do nothing. It’s what these appointed officials do best.

But when every single team in Major League Baseball is named, teams that play in stadiums financed by you and me, action needs to be taken. Selig says the “report is a call to action” and that “[he] will act.” We’ll see.

So, will Roger Clemens be locked out, instead of a lock for the Hall of Fame? That will be decided by voters who are all a part of this sorry mess.

To be fair, everyone named in the report deserves a chance to defend themselves. It is indeed likely that some of the players named did nothing wrong at all. Major League Baseball commissioned the report and now must deal with the consequences. 

There is simply too much dirt hidden under the rug to hide anymore.

Here is my solution, simply step up or step aside. All the members of Congress, should have hearings, bring in league officials, owners and players, and meet in private if they have to. (There will be less showboating that way.) The best way to handle this is to listen, then act and give us a plan.

Make testing for steroids and other human growth drugs mandatory. Testing would be random and conducted by an outside independent agency. If a player tests positive, they’re off the team for good. One strike and you’re out. What possibly could the players’ union have against that? What honest player wants to play against a cheater?

 We’re going to hold every member accountable which you will see at voting and ticket booths. Some fresh leadership is in order.

The report is out, what’s done is done. I agree with Sen. Mitchell, to a point. Let’s not hang the players out to dry. The people in charge weren’t doing their jobs. In fact, they failed miserably. Let’s hold Selig and Fehr accountable instead. Moving forward, everyone knows what the rules are. Life and business are all about rules.

There are rules for fans. If I throw a bottle on to the field or chase after an umpire, your tossed out, arrested or both. No second strike. Fans have a clear choice: behave yourself and  enjoy the game, but if you do something stupid, you’ll be tossed out.

Players should follow the same rules. Behave yourself and enjoy the game.  Do something stupid, like take performance-enhancing drugs and you’ll be the one tossed out.

I’m just one fan who hopes the game can save itself, from itself. I’m not an optimist.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

My name is URL

I thought about calling this blog “Shootout at the E-comm Corral.”

E-comm is short for electronic commerce, which is business conducted over the Internet. We love jargon in this industry, so we often refer to it as e-commerce or e-comm. We might even shorten it to EC one day, but I can assure you it’s anything but EZ.

Enough with the one-liners, even if they are intentional. What was once “the wave of the future,” has become more like a Tsunami.

You’ve likely conducted electronic commerce, which is when you buy something on the Internet. Perhaps you were notified by e-mail from businesses you have bought from concerning a sale, or perhaps you followed a link suggested in an e-mail.

Imagine a shopping mall with millions of stores. Then imagine the many ways they would try to get your attention: huge billboards and signs, people handing out pamphlets, or even being lost and wandering into the wrong store, where they make it very difficult to leave. All of these methods have electronic equivalents that exist today.

E-commerce is a business full of terms like SEO (Search Engine Optimization) the process of improving the volume and the quality of traffic to a web site,  URL’s (Uniform Resource Locator) which specifies an actual web site address, keywords and new terms being developed every day.

We have a very talented team of professionals here at Video Professor who specializes in all of this. In fact, they’re pioneers of sorts, whose ancestors settled the West in the 1800s.

That’s where “Shoot-out at the E-comm Corral” comes in. Cities like Tombstone, Ariz. sprung up overnight. It was a wild and wooly place, until lawmen like Wyatt Earp brought in a little law and order. While the early Western towns were full of fine, law-abiding folks, there were also more than a few villains.

The Wild West relates to e-commerce due to issues like cyber squatters that buy up domain names of very familiar or popular brands, but with slight misspellings. We often type faster than our brains can keep up, or misspell the URL we’re looking for. Cyber squatters want you to end up at a web site much different than what you intended. It could be a pornographic web site or one that is simply designed to steal your identity. Some very important companies recognize how damaging this can be and are taking legal action. There aren’t many laws pertaining to this subject and lawmakers are finding it hard to keep up with the technology.

Another nasty bit of business going on the Internet these days are web sites designed to allow users to post blogs, or anything, for that matter, anonymously. Many allow people to make any claim they want and then sign their work with a false identity. Forget the facts, anyone can be falsely accused or slandered on these sites. There are sites that will charge money to clear your name and absolve you of wrongdoing. Whether you are part of a business or are a private individual, we’re all equal opportunity victims, so be careful.

You may have read about the 13-year-old girl who committed suicide as the result of false and hurtful postings made under a phony name. This is all protected by what some would consider free speech. I wonder how the parents of the young girl feel about this falling under First Amendment rights. These were not just innocent postings; they were malicious attacks made on a young girl, which inevitably lead to her taking her own life.

The great thing about the Internet is that everyone has access. The bad thing about the Internet is that everyone has access.

Again, technology is moving much faster than litigation and businesses, so government agencies are starting to take notice. Just like in the old West, people are calling for law and order. It is on the way, it is hard to say how long it will take, but it will be good for all of us.

This is obviously a hot-button topic. I’d like to hear your thoughts. Send an e-mail to ceo@videoprofessor.com and let me know how you feel.

-John

John W. Scherer

To TiVo® or not to TiVo? That is the question

You may have read recent news stories about the just–completed, November television ratings period. It’s a time for networks and their local affiliates to get a measure of who is watching and who is not.

These rating periods are conducted four times each year in November, February, May and July. You’ll have no problem noticing these occasions because it’s when the networks air their most popular shows’ premieres and   promote various new series.

A company called Nielsen Media Research measures the results which are critical to programmers as it sets the rate they’re able to charge people like me for commercials..

One method involves a group of selected viewers filling out diaries and sending them in. Others have boxes hooked up to their TV’s in order to electronically measure viewing data. In a market like Denver, between 4-600 viewers are needed to make up the sample to be able to measure the viewing habits of hundreds of thousands of people.

But is measurement technology keeping up with viewing technology?

Here’s an example that one of our staff here at Video Professor shared with me.

He watches programs like NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CBS’s “Face the Nation”, at his leisure instead of Sunday mornings when they both air. He can watch them later that evening or while eating lunch on Mondays. Both programs are available as podcasts which he watches on his video iPod® player.

On a recent Tuesday night he watched episodes of “Shark” airing on  Sunday evenings on CBS, and “Heroes,” airing on Monday evenings on NBC,  via DVR (Digital Video Recorder.) He enjoys being able to skip through commercials, two hours of programming is compressed into less than 90 minutes.

He also mentioned that at least twice that Tuesday evening, he checked in with a local station’s news website via his BlackBerry ® device. He didn’t have to watch a traditional newscast to find out the news, weather and sports he needed.  I just hope he read the e-mail I sent to that very same BlackBerry about getting next year’s budget numbers in!

So, while he does watch some programming live, much of his news and information comes via delay on the DVR, his iPod or BlackBerry device. So it appears that while he watches, he’s not one of the counted.

Companies like Nielsen are working hard to catch up with technology, like many of us these days. While technology moves ahead at what seems light speed, the methods to measure it, and legislate it effectively, move far slower. So, is that good or bad? Do you even care?

However, that’s just part of the equation. You could get your news on the Internet and comment about with a blog, like I do. Some blogs are extremely influential in politics, business and entertainment.

While you may be watching a show on television or your iPod, others are listening to music on their MP3 players, playing video games, watching movies on their home theater systems, or downloading video to their computer. Nowadays, people are not just watching television. We have many choices, whether it’s between a satellite provider or cable company, both are  available in HD (High Definition) which is optional. There are even more choices with the invention of HDTV, built-in digital video recorders and third party hardware such as  TiVo ®  digital video recorder.

Here’s the bottom line: Technology is doing what it’s supposed to be doing: Empowering you, the consumer, with choices. Networks do not dictate when or how you watch. You do. When there isn’t something interesting to watch in  our 500 channel universe; you now have so many other choices.

All of us here at Video Professor have been paying very close attention to this surge in technology since we started working on our Digital Devices Made Easy tutorial. We learned from our own experiences, plus those of our customers that while all this technology is fabulous, understanding how it works can be quite frustrating. We’ve also learned from all the lessons we’re selling, you will continue to come to us for help.

It reminds me of when I first started Video Professor over 20 years ago, people knew that computers were the future. They knew that like it or not, computers would become a part of their every day lives. They just needed someone to teach them how to operate their machines.

Technology we could only dream about 20 years ago, including  HDTV’s, iPods and digital video recorders are here to stay. So, the technology has changed. What hasn’t changed is that we simply need to learn how to operate it all!

I guess it’s true, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We’re happy to keep up with it all in order to help you keep up with it all.

I’m curious as to how the many home entertainment choices available today are used in your house. Share your stories with me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

-John

John W. Scherer

 

 

An extra helping of Turkey for all!

MLB blows MVP call
A mysterious group of sports writers picked Jimmie Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies as the National League MVP. They obviously didn’t see the Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday play. They obviously didn’t read his statistics. They obviously blew the call. They obviously have an East Coast bias. This makes them oblivious and obtuse… obviously. I say, HOO-RAY for Holliday!

Baseball is going to need a very big asterisk
If for some, strange and incredibly bizarre reason Barry Bonds makes it into Cooperstown, there won’t be an asterisk big enough to put next to his name and “accomplishments.” It’s been both interesting and incredibly sad to see Bud Selig and company hide their heads in the sand.

Rocky Mountain News columnist Mike Littwin recently wrote an article entitled “Special bat a reminder of a time before steroids,” in the article he writes that he heard about Barry Bond’s indictment the same day he bought a baseball bat autographed be his hero, Duke Snyder on eBay®. Baseball is “the one game where history matters” said Littwin. He also added that when you lie to the government, they will win 95 percent of the time. That’s .950 in baseball terms. Even A-Rod isn’t that good.

I would bet that Bond’s only visit to Cooperstown will be as a paying customer. You see, the Baseball Hall of Fame is for heroes.

That said…
There are many terrific professional athletes out there. They realize that fame and fortune comes with responsibility. One great example of this is Domonique Foxworth of the Denver Broncos. He’s a volunteer teacher at one of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver every Tuesday night, leading creative writing class. He’s one of the many pro athletes who volunteer when the cameras aren’t there. Good for him.

They call it Cyber Monday
You’re likely hearing about Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when people fight incredible crowds, jammed parking lots and long lines at stores. Growing in popularity is the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is becoming a big on-line shopping day. MediaPost.com writer Seana Mulcahy calls it “Cyber Monday”. She reports on 58 percent of on-line shopping is done from the office, which spikes up after the holiday weekend and search engine queries go up 20 percent. One can safely assume that worker productivity goes down about the same amount!

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!
"We all agree. Climate change is real, and we humans are its chief cause... we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The United Nations warns that unless we do something by 2012, it’s the beginning of the end for planet Earth. Ki-moon points out China and the United States as the two biggest polluters in the world. Actually, India deserves the 2nd spot on the list but facts do not matter much at the UN. It’s the UN that allows terrorist nations to serve on the Human Rights and Security Councils, and spends time at tea parties while people are slaughtered in places like Darfur every day.

Once again, would someone with credibility step up for a free and reasonable debate on the subject? The keyword being credibility.

Stupid HOA tricks
Mary Sims is a nice lady who lives in Aurora, Colorado. Her son died in Iraq two years ago fighting for our freedom. Her husband is a civilian contractor working in Iraq. She has an American flag hanging from the front porch of her home to honor her son, her husband and all those who serve. Her Home Owner’s Association says she has to take it down. The rule says her porch is a “common element,” whatever that means and flags aren’t allowed. She can hang it in her window, but not on the porch. Mary vows not to take the flag down. Good for her.

Tech news and notes
Amazon® is trying to revive its e-book business. They want to kindle your interest in curling up with a Kindle. Instead of a book, there is a screen about the size of a book. Reception has been lukewarm, at best, so expect the next generation to include pictures and snazzy graphics. Just like real books, except you can store hundreds of books on the one device.

DirecTV® is making an out-of-this-world offer to NASA. Really. The satellite TV provider wants to install a receiver and a High Definition flat screen in the International Space Station. Of course, they’ll have to orbit between noon and 5pm waiting for installation.

Big is bigger, at least for big screen TV manufacturers. Companies like Sony®, Toshiba® and Philips® are pushing 40-inch screens and larger this shopping season. Sony especially, promoting both size and brand, claiming they have the better screen. (Thanks to www.MediaPost.com)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone
It’s my wish that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We all have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is living in the United States of America. Let’s take a moment amidst the feasting and football to remember our troops standing guard here at home and around the world. Also, that at least in some places, we’re still allowed to fly our flag, that part needs work.

My inbox is open 24/7
E-mail me anytime with ideas, thoughts, comments and suggestions at CEO@videoprofessor.com.

Enjoy you enjoyed your holiday,
John W. Scherer

Bonds will post bond, Army vs. Navy is class of the field and advice for Wall Street.

Bonds indictment makes for creative headlines

A grand jury has indicted Barry Bonds on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. It’s making for some very creative headlines around the country. My favorites:

“Lyin’ King”-Rocky Mountain News

Drew Litton, sports editorial cartoonist, has a cartoon showing Bonds going from “Inducted” to “Indicted.”

“A full count on Bonds”-The Denver Post

“Mighty Barry has struck out”-Woody Paige of ESPN and The Denver Post.

I’m a firm believer that everyone deserves their day in court and that holds true for Barry Bonds. But, he’s definitely spent his last day playing baseball.

This is a sad day for baseball. And shame on baseball for letting this happen. Sadly the courts are doing, what baseball should have done a long time ago. There are a lot of kids who idolize these players. And that's the saddest part of all this.

College football: parity and clarity?

Ohio State became the latest team to add a loss next to their win column. Just two teams remain undefeated as the regular season winds down, Kansas and Hawaii. Many sports pundits attribute it all to parity in college football. Yet the Jayhawks are ranked 3rd in the BCS poll behind LSU and Oregon, who both have lost one game. Hawaii is ranked 16th. It’s not about parity, it’s about politics and it will all change again. As I post this, Oregon lost to Arizona on Thursday night. But it does give the sports talk shows great fodder. And I’ll be talking about it more in next week’s blog.

Mark your calendars for this game

Army takes on Navy December 1 for one of the best college football traditions in the nation. The players on these two teams, along with the players at the bowl-bound Air Force Academy don’t have multi-million dollar contracts waiting for them when they graduate. Instead they’ll serve at least five years in service to our nation. The only “bling” they can look forward to is a shiny new set of Lieutenant’s bars on their shoulders or perhaps some aviator wings.

Then, when they return to class Monday after the game, they’ll be getting ready for finals in courses like engineering, physics and chemistry.

It’s always a fabulous game to watch, full of tradition and sportsmanship. But these players are truly something special. Enjoy the game and honor their commitment to America!

As far as bowls, Navy is heading to the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego (there will be no shortage of Navy fans in that crowd) with Air Force likely playing in the Fort Worth Bowl.

Veteran’s Day Salute

Our own team here at Video Professor gets up bright and early each Veteran’s Day to place over 150 flags around our headquarters. Here’s a link to a video of our COO Bettye Harrison and the team honoring our vets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDgAnV_jbmU

What’s with Terrell and Randy?

Did you notice that the only attention Terrell Owens and Randy Moss are getting this season is for on-field accomplishment instead of off-field silliness? Maturity is a wonderful thing, however late in coming. Plus it makes a difference in the win-loss column.

Tu-lo two short

O.K., I’m a homer and I am very disappointed that Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzski lost out by two votes to the Milwaukee Brewer’s Ryan Braun for Rookie of the Year. The voters appreciated hitting more than fielding, apparently. No worries Troy. Keep playing the way you do and you’re going to end up in Cooperstown. Without the asterisk!

How about a debate Al?

Al Gore won an Oscar for his documentary (actually a video of a Microsoft Power Point® presentation) about global warming. He even won the Nobel Peace Prize. (But so did Yasser Arafat.) Curiously, he ducks every opportunity to actually debate his claim of an imminent global disaster. Gore may indeed be right. But, many distinguished scientists and even – John Coleman, the founder of The Weather Channel dispute what he says. I think hearing both sides would be very interesting.

Google®, Gas and Go

O.K. guys, one less reason for us not to ask for directions. Google is launching a program at 3,500 gas pumps around the country. While you gas up, the pump will have a screen where you can get directions using the Google Maps feature. You’ll still have to check your own oil however. Although I’m sure Google is working on that too.

How true

I got this from a friend. It’s a joke, or is it? “The reason congress tries so hard to get re-elected is that they would hate to have to make a regular living under the laws they pass.”

Memo to Wall Street

I don’t have a degree in economics from an Ivy League school, but my suggestion to the folks on Wall Street; don’t buy stuff you can’t afford and don’t lend money to people who can’t pay it back. The headline in this week’s edition of Fortune Magazine says it best. “What were they smoking?”

Brew U

Colorado State University has launched a very popular new course on brewing beer. Officially it’s called Brewing Science and Technology. Yes, science is involved including engineering, biochemistry and microbiology. The class has room for 20 students, but hundreds applied. They actually produce their own micro-brews with tasting parties. Imagine getting an e-mail from your college kid asking for money for beer class!

Tech news and notes

Intel® announced a new chip this week. It will have 820 million transistors. That’s up from 582 million. For a real comparison, Intel’s first chips released in the 1970’s had just 2,700 transistors. Look for these new and very powerful chips to show up in servers and high-end video games soon. All in something that fits on the tip of your finger. Wow.

I hear that Google is in talks with American Idol creator Simon Fuller that “…could change the way TV is watched over the Internet.” According to sources in the U.K.’s The Guardian, the partnership will do for video, what Apple’s iTunes® music store did for music.

It used to be for kids that saving up your pennies followed by a trip to the comic book store was the highlight of a Saturday afternoon. Then you could catch up on the adventures of your favorite superhero. Marvel Comics is now taking the experience online. You’ll be able to sign up for a year for $4.99 per month and have access to 2,500 titles. These will include original issues of Spiderman and other Marvel comic book heroes.

The Professor is in

My inbox is open 24/7. It’s always great to hear from you about the blog, comments about our product and suggestions to serve you better. Just e-mail me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

-John

John W. Scherer

Talking sports, tech and heroes.

Half of Super Bowl field set

Ok, without a doubt, the New England Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Their win on Sunday against the Colts showed me a team very strong team on both sides of the ball. They beat a great team in a great game. I believe they will play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLII. Brett Favre is playing like a 28-year-old, not someone 10 years older. It will be some game! What would really make it exciting is if the Packers play the Cowboys for the NFC championship. Remember when they played 40 years ago on the “frozen tundra” of Lambeau Field?

The Pats look simply unbeatable. For those of you who disagree with my choices, feel free to drop me an e-mail and tell me why I’m wrong!

$-Rod

I recently read a report on http://www.ESPN.com/ that Alex Rodriguez wanted at least a $350 million offer from the Yankees before he would even consider meeting with them. There was no meeting. Wow, one-third of a billion dollars for a baseball player.

Instant replay for baseball?

Baseball General Managers voted 25-5 in favor of limited use of instant replay by umpires. Instant replay would be limited to determine only if possible home run balls are fair or foul, go over the fence or bounce back and of course fan interference. Personally, I think replays would make long games longer and would take away the human factor of a game that is played with a stick and a ball. Baseball changes about as fast as molasses flows in January. We’ll see.

gPhone

The folks at Google™ unveiled their long-awaited cell phone strategy. It’s called Android. Essentially, Google would like to make Internet services work on your cell phone the way they do on your computer. You can easily e-mail someone from your PC to their Apple. Although, the multitude of cell service providers and manufacturers make it difficult to do the same thing with your mobile devices. Google isn’t going to manufacture phones like Apple does with its iPhone™, nor do they plan to offer their own cell service. What they plan on offering is an operating system with a full feature Internet browser that will work across all cell phones. Some big names are already signing on including LG® Electronics, Sprint®, T-Mobile®, Qualcomm®, Texas Instruments Incorporated®, Samsung® and even eBay®. Apple® and AT&T® haven’t. Ultimately, consumers will benefit from all of this. As companies like Google offer more and more services, prices come down and we all prosper. Look for it to launch by the middle of next year.

TIME Magazine’s pick of top tech toys

The November 12th edition of TIME® Magazine TIME® Magazine is a must-read if you’re into tech toys. Their invention of the year is on the cover; the iPhone. TIME TIME describes the iPhone as “more than just a gadget. It’s a genuine handheld computer, the first device that really deserves the name.” It is also one of the reasons Video Professor came up with our popular “Digital Devices Made Easy” tutorial. When you invest in tech, it’s best to get the maximum benefit from that investment by knowing how to use it.

Dobbs dumps on candidates

CNN’s Lou Dobbs never hesitates to speak his mind. Speaking this week on Larry King Live, he predicted that none of the existing presidential candidates from either party will be elected. He thinks someone may actually step up with real solutions to the challenges our nation faces. Maybe even a third-party bid.

Hail and farewell to a hero

General Paul Tibbets, who commanded the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan during World War II, died last week at the age of 92. Tibbets was a hero in every sense of the word. His mission over Hiroshima directly helped bring an end to a terrible war. I hope that this nation finds an appropriate way to honor him. If we had invaded Japan, there would have been millions of casualties. Tibbets and his brave crew prevented that. Sadly, Tibbets requested no funeral or gravestone because he feared it would be disrupted, or worse, by protesters. People who still protest against the Hiroshima bombing should take note; it would never have happened if we weren’t attacked first at Pearl Harbor. Just like the attack on 9-11,someone else always starts it. Heroes like Paul Tibbets always step up to bring an end to it.

I salute General Tibbets and all those who continue to serve so bravely to keep us free.

Tech News and Notes

A new Harris Interactive poll shows 80 percent of us now use the Web on a regular basis. That is up from just 9percent 12 years ago when they started polling. Still, that 20percent who don’t use the Web translates into 60 million Americans. (I have a great tutorial for them.)

Research released this week by the Kelsey Group reveals 44.7percent of mobile phone users say Internet capability will be a key factor in buying their next cell phone. (I guess Google really is onto something!)

Next year’s Olympic Games in China are billed as the “high-tech games.” But an attempt to sell tickets online failed when an influx of ticket buyers crashed the site. They’ will try a lottery system instead. They should have called the Rockies first.

I read on http://www.CNNmoney.com/, that the perception of the United States is that we are shedding jobs overseas, but we apparently continue to develop new and better ones like no one else. What are the hot, new careers? Disease mapper, robot programmer, information engineer, radiosurgeon. My favorite?, Second life lawyer ,yep, practicing law on virtual sites like www.SecondLife.com.

Inbox open 24/7

As always, I appreciate hearing your thoughts, ideas and comments. Especially ideas for new products and how all of us at Video Professor can serve you better. E-mail me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.

Thanks,

JWS

John W. Scherer

ROX, SOX and Cheap Laptops

SOX sweep, but Rockies fans don’t weep.
The Boston Red Socks swept the Rockies. All it took was fabulous pitching, timely hitting and the fact that the Rockies left way too many runners stranded, instead of hitting them home. It’s the second series sweep for Boston in just four years and already there is talk of a dynasty. With A-Rod on the market, and Boston on the very short list of teams who can actually afford him, they could have a long run. The Yankees won’t be a factor next year, so I won’t be surprised at all to see Boston in the series next year. And the year after that.

Two key stats that tell the story:
Team series batting average: Boston- .333, Rockies- .218
Batting average with runners in scoring position: Boston- .419, Rockies- .167

That said …
Rockies fans are down but not out. It would have been nice to win at least one game, but the bar was set so low last April that it made September and October beyond memorable. The Rockies are a very young team, with just about everyone coming back next year. Boston played fabulously. They had to because the Rockies are a terrific team with very good pitching, fielding and hitting. Of course, after this season, the bar will be set a tad higher. Opening day at Coors Field will be awesome, especially when they raise the National League Championship Pennant.

Former Rockies star Joe Girardi is set to take the helm of the New York Yankees, by the way. He was hugely popular here in Denver and has made the transition from Blake Street Bomber to Bronx Bomber easily. Former Yankees manager Joe Torre looks to be headed for the top job with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That job has a great perk: You get October off! (Sorry Dodgers fans, I couldn’t resist that one.)

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in three and a half months. I can’t wait!

If you need to reach me Sunday….
I’ll be in front of the TV watching the Patriots play the Colts . Regardless of who you are cheering for , it will be a pleasure to watch two of the best teams in football play against each other. One of them will be playing in the next Super Bowl.

World Internet Day
Monday, October 29, 2007 was World Internet Day. There are many different stories about exactly who invented the Internet. Here is a link to a lot of interesting information about something that is such a large part of our lives, including all of us here at Video Professor. A number that really caught my attention was that, according to Internet World Statistics, 1.244 billion people have access to the Internet.

Our tax dollars at work. Really.
Once in a while the Government gets things right. This week Congress voted unanimously to extend the moratorium on state and local Internet taxes. Both Republicans and Democrats agreed that surfing the Net shouldn’t be a taxing experience. The moratorium continues through 2014.

$100 laptop! Just $200.
MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte had a good idea: Produce a laptop affordable to just about everyone. His $100 laptop was the talk of the town, and third world countries. But as they say, reality bites. The machines are now priced at $200, with only Uruguay, Peru and Mongolia placing orders. Negroponte predicted he’d sell 2.5 million laptops by May. His heart was in the right place, but as with anything going to market, start-up costs, manufacturing and marketing all add to the bottom line. Negroponte’s biggest mistake was setting too high an expectation with too low a price. If he can indeed market the machine to millions of people with a $200 price tag, good for him. But that won’t be the headline.

Tech News and Notes
It’s looking like the much anticipated cell phone by Google™ will become a reality next year. Look for an announcement in a couple of weeks.

The name is weird, but look for a new video site called Hulu.com. The NBC/News Corp.-owned site is being tested right now.

Nintendo® is saying “whoo-hoo” about Wii. Third quarter revenue indicators put Nintendo ahead of the Microsoft® Xbox® and Sony® PlayStation® lines.

Inbox Open 24/7
As always, it’s great to hear from you. I get so many great ideas for products from folks just like you. E-mail me anytime at ceo@videoprofessor.com. See you next week.

World Series Week, PR 101 and what NASA doesn't want us to know

World Series Time in Denver.
Forget about team salaries, batting averages, ERA’s and all the statistical stuff baseball fans love. It’s the ROX and the SOX. Two teams at the top of their game. And now they play in the World Series; one of the most special events in all of sports. Have you noticed that the truly great series were the ones with the great moments? Remember Kirk Gibson’s home run back in 1988? Or how about Reggie Jackson’s 3-homers in one game against the Dodgers in ’77? And one of the true classics has to be Bob Gibson’s 3 complete-game wins in the ’67 series. I hope the ’07 series brings even more.

The series, so far.
Game 1: Boston 13-Colorado 1. What happened? Josh Beckett. His fastball worked. So did his curve ball. He struck out 9 in 7 innings allowing 6 hits and just 1 run scored. “We got outplayed,” said Rockies Manager Clint Hurdle. Every Red Sox starter except Mike Lowell drove in at least one run.

Game 2: Boston 2-Colorado 1. What happened? Not much. 2 runs and 22 strike-outs in 2 games doesn’t cut it. The finisher was when Matt Holliday was picked off at 1st in the 8th inning with Todd Helton at the plate.

Game 3: There will be a game 3. And a game 4. I guarantee you that two losses in Boston won’t diminish the Rockies fans. Coors Field will be packed, it will be loud and it will be a sea of purple. It’s the World Series. I was lucky enough to get a ticket through a friend and I’ll be there, cheering as loud as I can.

Roctober Crash of ’07.
Not all went well in the long week leading up to the series for the Rockies. The team chose to sell series tickets on-line only. The first day the system crashed and fans literally marched on Coors Field. The next day things worked, sort of, but there were a lot of disappointed fans who simply couldn’t even get to the Rockies website, and became even un-happier when they heard others were able to log in multiple times to get tickets. The Rockies blamed “outside and malicious attempt” by some un-known hacker or company for the crash. Late this week the FBI announced it was investigating. Malicious and the Internet are two words you hear more and more these days. It will be interesting to see what the FBI finds out.

Rockies PR did get pretty testy with local media and lost some goodwill. Sometimes it’s best to simply say you did the best you could, mistakes were made, and that you’re sorry and will do better next time. Fan who did get tickets of course, have no complaints. And you won’t believe what tickets are going for on eBay. Ouch!

California Fires.
I doubt many fans in the San Diego area are thinking about baseball. The worst wildfires in history have displaced over a million people. The scope of the fires and devastation is overwhelming. I love the San Diego area and especially the people there. They’re going through a very tough time and it’s good to see the nation stepping up to help. One of the best stories I’ve heard so far is about a local Rockies fan that wasn’t able to get series tickets. She’s donating the money she budgeted instead to relief effort. You can help too. Visit the Red Cross at www.redcross.org. No one does a better job than those fine folks. And the people in California really need our help.

One last sports story.
New England Patriots versus the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, November 4. ‘Nuff said!

Scarlett O’Hara to head NASA?
Just after Rhett Butler ditched her, Scarlett O’Hara said she’d “worry about it tomorrow.” Well, she has nothing on NASA who just completed a detailed study on air traffic safety. You didn’t hear about it because NASA tried to bury the bad news which included far more near-misses, both in the air and on the ground, than anyone anticipated. There were also a lot more aerial blunders reporters by thousands of pilots surveyed. But NASA tried to bury the results, ordering the research contractor to purge records of their computers. Thankfully the Associated Press got wind of all this, filed some timely Freedom of Information Reports and now we’re finding out the facts.

Memo to NASA: You’re a public agency. We pay your bills. You owe us an explanation. Not only about the research, but why you chose to bury the information.

Even more stupid Congress tricks. Granted, the debate in Washington these days has sunk to historic levels. But things are getting out of hand. Here’s what USA TODAY reported about a recent speech by Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif.

“He has added another item to our catalogue of the sort of discourse that now defines so much of American politics.

Stark took to the House floor yesterday to speak in favor of overriding President Bush's veto of legislation that would have expanded a children's health insurance program. He somehow veered into Iraq, saying that young Americans are getting their "heads blown off for the president's amusement."

"The truth is, Bush just likes to blow things up in Iraq, in the United States and in Congress," Stark says.”

Shameful? You bet. Stark, finally, apologized. Too little too late. We face serious issues. We need serious people solving them.

iMuggings.
The Washington, DC think tank, The Urban Institute, reports muggings are up 7%. And it thinks it knows the reason: iPods. Seems like folks zoned out listening to tunes are easily identifiable by the white ear buds. And iPods are extremely easy for crooks to fence or re-sell. Crooks wipe the drives clean, re-box them and sell them. So enjoy your music but keep an eye peeled. And when buying an iPod, shop with a brand name retailer. This way you don’t contribute to the problem.

In-box is open 24/7.
I love to hear from our about our lessons and customer service. If you have an idea for a new product or how we can simple serve you better, e-mail me at ceo@videoprofessor.com.