Archive for the 'Technology' Category

Published by One Sec Writer on 24 Nov 2009

La-Z-Boy Stops Auction on Motorized Chair

Cited: Law.com

motorized-la-z-boy-2Everybody has now heard about the infamous motorized La-Z-Boy whose owner or driver became the first person to be arrested for driving under the influence in an easy chair. After his arrest, the police department put it on eBay to sell and it was going for over $40,000. Unfortunately, La-Z-Boy (the company) did not like the idea of being associated with a drunk driver. They put a stop to the auction real fast.

Well, now we know more, thanks to reports from Wired and Sphere, among other sources. Walter Wobig, the police chief in Proctor, Minn., whose department had seized the notorious chair and put it up for auction, told Wired, “I talked to this guy Rand Tucker from La-Z-Boy who asked if we could take ‘La-Z-Boy’ out of the listing and out of the whole thing and to respect the La-Z-Boy trademark.”

Rand Tucker would be R. Rand Tucker, assistant secretary and corporate counsel of La-Z-Boy Incorporated. Chief Wobig said his conversation with Tucker was cordial and the lawyer agreed the auction could go forward provided the La-Z-Boy name was not used.

For those who have also had trouble with drinking and driving . . . There is a Monmouth County traffic ticket lawyer who can also handle DUIs. If you think about it, all that really stands between you and the power of the police is a d good Freehold NJ DUI attorney. Or if you live elsewhere and get your license suspended, you could get a MA OUI defense attorney to help your case. A license suspension specialist will also tell you if there are grounds to challenge your license suspension to get your full license back. This Mass DWI lawyer will fight for you.

Turns out the motorized chair was not even a La-Z-Boy in the first place. A company spokesperson told Wired, “The La-Z-Boy chair and name is one of our most valuable assets and this is a trademark infringement.” As a matter of fact, Wobig said he used the trade name in his eBay auction only because the media had used it in reporting on the case. “The chief even ran the listing by his attorney beforehand, but the guy didn’t pick up on the legal landmine,” Wired says.

Meanwhile, the Proctor police department has relisted the motorized chair on eBay, this time as DWI Chair, Motorized Chair, and Racing Chair. It would appear that now that everyone knows this is a knock-off and not an actual La-Z-Boy, the chair’s value has diminished. The bidding this time around has so far yet to break $10,000.

Going … Going … the DWI Chair is Gone!motorized-la-z-boy-1

The city of Proctor, Minn., is $11,000 richer today but $30,000 poorer than it would have been had it not been for the intervention of the lawyers for La-Z-Boy Corp. The city was finally able to conclude its eBay auction of the now world-famous, pimped-out motorized recliner it seized after arresting the recliner’s driver for operating under the influence.

The auction end on November 6 at 8:15 PM Eastern. The chair officially went to the winning bid of $10,099.99. So far, nobody knows who the new driver is who purchased, however they will have to go to Proctor to get the chair since the bid did not include shipping. Let’s hope the new owner will not repeat the events of the previous owner.

—————————————

My Take: I think this is the most ingenious thing anybody has ever created. It just shows you how lazy people really are. I mean, how lazy can you be if you do not want to get out of your easy chair to get a beer?

When will people learn that drinking and driving, even in an easy chair, does not mix. I keep hearing about these devices are going to be put into cars that prevent people from driving if their breath contains a certain level of alcohol, but that does not prevent people with older cars from driving drunk. Too many people die because of drunk drivers.

On a lighter note, this is easy chair and drunk driver have insurance? I wonder if you get charged with not having license plates or insurance?

—————————————-

Related Resources

Classifications of Crimes

The classification of a crime reflects its seriousness. A Middlesex County criminal lawyer can explain that criminal laws vary from relatively minor to devastatingly violent and crimes are classified into levels or degrees. The classification of a particular crime will vary depending on the jurisdiction or where the crime is committed. Any time you are questioned about a crime accused of or arrested for crime, you should contact an experienced Ocean County criminal attorney as quickly as possible. The Freehold reckless driving attorneys can quickly explain the specific crime involved as well as the ramifications. Remember, the Sixth Amendment guarantees you the right to an attorney before questioning.

Canadian DUI and Traffic Tickets

If you have been charged with impaired driving, operating a motor vehicle while impaired, driving under the influence (DUI), or any other drinking and driving offence, an Ontario traffic ticket attorney may be able to help you. It is also in Ottawa assault lawyer who can help you if you were involved in an altercation.

Published by One Sec Writer on 24 Nov 2009

Technology to stop Five-Finger Discount

Cited: Fortune Small Business

five-finger-discountMany businesses do not have the time or manpower to wade through security-camera footage on a daily basis. Because of this inventory losses are on the rise and the culprits are usually the cashiers giving themselves and friends and old-fashioned five-finger discount. It is estimated that $15 billion was stolen by employees from realtors in the last year, at least according to University of Fort criminologist Richard Hollinger. He conducts annual surveys of the top stores in the country. This figure indicates that 25% more in inventory was lost than what is lost to shoplifters. However, there is hope on the horizon to retailers across the country.

In almost all of these cases, closed-circuit-TV monitoring systems failed to spot the crime. “The problem is, you have hours and hours of video to go through,” says Hollinger. In recessionary times few companies have the staff to review all that footage.

So Agilence, a small firm in Camden, N.J., is stepping in with a solution: patented software that scans for likely theft moments and a team of “loss prevention” experts to review the results for you. By synchronizing raw security-camera footage with point-of-sale data, the software takes a still image associated with every item scanned at a checkout stand.

The market is crowded: Plenty of companies, including Vfinity and StopLift, sell advanced video surveillance technology. But few offer point-of-sale synchronization, and fewer still include human video analysts in the price of a subscription, which starts at $300 per month.

For those who need a different type of attorney . . . As in any other service, you get what you pay for. The settlement you reach, or the result obtained at trial will affect your life for years to come. Choose your NJ child custody lawyer, certainly not solely on the basis of price, but on reputation, skill, and knowledge. Most Bergen County New Jersey divorce lawyer are hardworking individuals, who in many instances put their professional responsibilities before their personal lives.

Rather than having to scan hours of video, Agilence’s investigators can quickly review thousands of still images on a computer screen, click on any that appear suspect and call up the full video of the transactions.

The Agilence analysts report likely cases of fraud — which employers can then see for themselves — and note areas in which intervention or improved training might help. “A retailer would have to hire 10 employees to do what we do for them,” says Pedro Ramos, vice president of operations at Agilence.

In particular, Ramos says, Agilence is seeing an increase in conspiracies between cashiers and customers, known as “sweet-hearting.” The employee may bag an item after voiding a transaction, or simply press the price check button on the register and allow his friend to walk past the checkout station as if a sale had been made.

Hollinger and other experts say Agilence is onto something big. The next step is to automate the process and identify common scam patterns. “We’re starting to see the computers getting smarter,” Hollinger says. “They soon may be smart enough to send a text message to alert a manager who’s actually in the store and can do something about it.”

————————–

My Take: Well, I guess the employees that have sticky fingers better start watching what they are doing not to mention the shoplifters. My concern would be employee harassment. Some employees just might be contacting in NY Long Island harassment lawyer. When you measure jobs because of theft, you usually do not get any severance pay. And if you are accused and there is no evidence, you should get an NYC severance pay lawyer to get what is coming to you.

The ones I worry about are the kids. There are so many kids that use the five finger discount to get things at their parents cannot afford or will not buy for them. That means that parents are going to have to get a Pittsburgh family lawyer that can handle a theft case. Then again, the way kids are big on technology today they just might take your way around it. However, these are usually caught eventually and they will still need an Allegheny PA family attorney.

—————————–

Related Resources

Published by One Sec Writer on 16 Nov 2009

East Coast Supports West Coast Clean Truck Program

Cited: TruckingInfo.com/ApparelNews.net

clean-trucks-1New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Cory Booker have announced their support of the Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Truck Program, and have urged Congress to update the law to allow all ports to implement such programs.

“Today, I am calling on Congress to support legislation that will empower ports to implement the LA Clean Truck Program, an innovative initiative that will create good, green jobs and improve the quality of the air that New Yorkers breathe,” said Bloomberg.

Earlier this week Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums also expressed his willingness to educate Congress on the need to amend the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, which prohibits states and local governments from regulating the trucking industry.

“Newark’s residents and port workers disproportionately bear hazards from pollution caused by outdated diesel trucks that transfer cargo shipments,” said Booker. “I applaud the Port Authority efforts to enhance air quality such as their program to replace over 600 of the oldest most polluting trucks with newer models, but much more needs to be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. I urge Congress to support changes in federal legislation that would enhance the ability of our nation’s ports to effectuate policies to improve air quality and protect public health.”

The Port of Los Angeles announced earlier this month that the program is on track to reduce truck-related emissions by 80%, two years ahead of schedule. Since inception, the program has purged the roads of more than 2,000 polluting trucks, with more than 5,500 clean trucks in operation today.

As part of the Los Angeles Clean Truck Program, owner-operators are banned from servicing the port, a provision for which the American Trucking Associations has obtained a temporary injunction. The Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports charges the injunction has caused large trucking companies to transfer the cost and maintenance of the clean technology to its individual contract drivers.

For those drivers were looking to improve their driving ability . . . There is an online defensive driving course that offers one of the most trusted and effective defensive driving course options available, providing students with a fully approved safety course designed to help graduates keep their insurance rates low and protect their driving record. In fact, the school also offers a NJ insurance rate reduction course that is designed specifically to help lower insurance rates.

“We must have a federal framework that allows local port authorities to implement market-based solutions to replicate LA’s clean-air successes on both coasts and create a level-playing field for responsible businesses ready to compete and grow in a green economy,” said Amy Goldsmith, the state director of the New Jersey Environmental Federation.

In addition to the mayors in California, New York and New Jersey, the Los Angeles Clean Truck Program has received public endorsements from then-Senator Barack Obama; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein; 31 House California Democrats; Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-N.J.); and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.); and New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine.

Picking up and dropping off cargo containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will soon get easier. Starting Nov. 15, cargo hauled by clean trucks will no longer have to pre-pay a clean-truck fee and then be reimbursed for it. The new, simplified process came after a number of meetings were held between officials at the Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles and the West Coast Marine Terminals Operators Association.

Under the new system, cargo owners using trucks that comply with 2007 emissions standards will no longer pre-pay the clean-truck fee. Only cargo owners using older, more polluting trucks will pre-pay the fee, which is $35 per 20-foot container and $70 per 40-foot container. Cargo moved by train is exempt from the fees.

Since the Clean Trucks Program was launched at the two ports on Oct. 1, 2008, 85% of all containers moved through the Port of Long Beach and 66% of containers moved through the Port of Los Angeles are done with clean trucks.

The program is attempting to reduce diesel fuel emissions that come from cargo container-hauling trucks by some 80% by the year 2012. Companies need to purchase newer and cleaner trucks and the clean truck fees are used to help those companies.

————————–

My Take: I am glad to see that some companies are actually trying to help the environment. Now if they could do the same thing with the trucks that are cross country that would really be impressive. Then they should start on the city buses. I know a lot of city buses now run on natural gas, but there is still some that you do not want to be sitting behind a stoplight.

I see more and more that people are becoming more conscious of our environmental problems. I just hope that it is not too little too late and all the horror stories we keep hearing from scientists will not come true. All we have to do is take a look at the weather and we can see something different each year.

I live in Phoenix Arizona where the summers are hot and the winters are almost cold. However, this summer it was hotter than normal and summer lasted longer. We have had temperatures in the 90s in October and November, which is not normal. At this time of the year we are usually in the 70s and 80s. To make it even weirder, one day we had temperatures almost to the 90s and the next two days were down in the 60s and then back up into the 80s and 90s. A ruddy hair was talking about the effects of global warming after that.

—————————–

Other Resources

First Drivers License?

First, you need to know that for a car or motorcycle license you must be 16 to get a permit and 18 to get a license. For a CDL Class B or C you must be at least 18. For a CDL Class A you must be at least 21. You should also attend an academy driving school NY to learn the rules of the road. There is also a driving school that offers the 5 hour class is a safety course required by the NY DMV for all applicants who are getting their license for the first time. Completion of the class is necessary in order to be able to schedule the protest. They also offer have free pick up for automobile lessons only.

Soft Skin

Do you want products that are ethically produced, and that help promote a cleaner planet? One company offers trusted brands that do not contain potentially harmful synthetic chemicals and are never tested on animals like organic moisturizers. They come from natural ingredients that are healthier for you, healthier for the planet. They offer only organic and natural beauty products from reputable manufacturers with a track record of purity, quality, and efficacy.

Published by One Sec Writer on 16 Nov 2009

Steve Jobs Created Apple Ecosystem

Cited: CNNMoney.com

steve-jobs-1Steve Jobs has turned geeky PCs into lusted-after objects from the brightly colored iMac to the ultra-sleek MacBook Pro and it all started when Apple launched the iMac in 2001. At that time it only had a 2% share of the US PC market. Over the next 10 years things would drastically change things thanks to Steve Jobs.

The “decade” of Steve actually began in 1997, when he returned to Apple after having been ousted a dozen years earlier. That was a year of triage, of a humbling investment from Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), of paring Apple’s product line to a bare minimum of four computers.

By the following year Steve’s regime had kicked into gear. Jobs completed the hiring of a new management team, which included several executives from his previous company, Next. Those top players would form the nucleus of the Jobs brain trust for nearly 10 years.

Then came the first Macintosh after Jobs’ return, the iMac, a breakthrough all-in-one computer and monitor that heralded Apple’s return to health. The success of the pricey iMac, coupled with drastic cost cutting, allowed Jobs to build a cash cushion. By repairing Apple’s balance sheet, he prepared the company for big investments to come, a shrewd business move if ever there was one.

Today Apple has 9% of the PC market, but it dominates the high end, accounting for 90% of the dollars spent on computers costing over $1,000, according to NPD Group. Of course, that’s almost the only place Apple plays; the cheapest notebook starts at $999.

For those who are looking for good contact center solutions . . . One company represents is the ability for you and your call center agents to operate a work from home call center, or run a call center operation from anywhere in the world via their state-of-the art telephone application systems, and top-tier auto attendant and voice message broadcasting system.

Retail environment

From the glass staircase that he holds a design patent on, to roving T-shirt-clad wireless checkout “specialists” the Apple Store has become the best place to experience computing the way Jobs intended. Apple’s 275 stores around the world netted $1.4 billion in operating income during fiscal 2009.

Other gadgets

While sales of Macs and iPods made up 60% of Apple’s revenue in fiscal 2009, the fastest-growing gadget Apple sells is the iPhone. In 2009, iPhone sales accounted for 18.5% of revenue. Additional gear like wireless hubs, fancy monitors, and other accessories brought in $1.5 billion, or 4% of sales.

Customer service

Computer viruses, the scourge of the Windows world, are almost nonexistent in the Mac universe, thanks in part to the security built into the UNIX software. But customers with problems can visit the Genius Bar, which was designed not to sell products but to mimic the concierge service found at a high-end hotel.

Case Closedsteve-jobs-2

All software and or or work magnificently together but not well with others. Apple computing is basically closed and developers and gadget makers need permission to break into the software and hardware so that their programs or gadgets will work. Of course, in 2006 Apple started using the Intel processors and made it possible for windows to run on a Mac, however most consumers do not run Windows. While Apple’s OS X. sets the standard for user-friendly software, it has also brought multi-touch trackpad, backlit keyboards and integrated Webcams to the mainstream

—————————————

My Take: Well, it is evident that Steve Jobs is done very well for Apple! However, I am a PC and I will remain a PC! I do not care for the Mac because it is such a closed system. I like to be able to change things on my computer that you cannot change on a Mac.

I am sure that data recovery on a Mac is much easier than on a PC. In fact, you probably do not have to worry about data recovery services unless there is a power surge or something like that. However, I am unsure of multi level RAID types for a Mac, so I could not comment on this. I do know that all of these are easily achievable with a PC.

I also know that there are many businesses that use Macs because they are simple to use. However someone who needs construction estimating software needs to make sure that it is compatible with Mac, which could be costly. Even if they only want to use blueprint software, they would need to get a compatible program. With a PC all I have to do is make sure it is compatible with the version of Windows they are using. I also understand that most software designers develop their software so it is compatible for both Mac and PC, however this does make the software cause more.

—————————————-

Other Resources

Unlimited DVD Movies

Just imagine, you could start viewing your favorite movie titles, TV shows, and music files for free today with full confidence. There is a service online that can provide unlimited 24/7 movies download capability, with no time limits, no bandwidth limits, and no content limits. They also provide software for you to easily burn your videos or music downloads directly to CD, with no expensive CD burner required. This means you can get the best movie downloads any time!