Wordless Wednesday - Thermal Image of Me at Museum of Science & Industry, Chicago

AI OD: A farewell to David Hernandez - VIDEOS

Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Contestants, Alumni, Performances, News and Gossip

David Hernandez was always a bit of a wild card for me. He was handsome but fairly nondescript and forgettable. He had a nice enough voice but again how memorable was he. Then, the internet blew up with the story about his having worked as a male stripper prior to American Idol and suddenly he was arguably the most recognized face on the show ... and abs ... and chest ...

In AOL's coverage of the exit interview with David Hernandez, he emphatically stated that he doesn't believe that his past vocation had anything to do with his sudden vacation (see what I did there?). He blames it solely on song choice. He should also put some of that blame on his bad performance of said song. And on that horrible running through the crowd thing he did. Did that work out for Chris Slight last year, David? No. Unless you're Taylor Hicks you can't pull that off.

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Talk Talk: Ian McShane, Frank Caliendo, Cheryl Hines

Filed under: Late Night, TV Royalty, Programming, Celebrities, Talk Show

Here's who's on the late night shows tonight.

• Charlie Rose: Al Hunt and Ian McShane
• The Late Show with David Letterman: Jaime Pressly and Brian Regan
• Jay Leno: Paula Abdul
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Djimon Hounsou, Kenneth Hotz, Spencer Rice, and Fat Joe
• Tavis Smiley: Rep. Patrick Murphy and E.J. Dionne
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Frank Caliendo, Cheryl Hines, and The Bad Plus
• The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Sebastian Maniscalco (repeat)
• Last Call with Carson Daly: TBA

 

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More On Sequoia's Legal Threats Against Ed Felten: The Intimidation Worked

Yesterday we covered the threats that e-voting firm Sequoia had sent to Ed Felten and to various officials in New Jersey. Unfortunately, it appears those threats worked: the election officials have backed down and agreed not to send Felten the machine to test. News.com has more details on both the reason for the test and Sequoia's response to the whole mess. The reason? Shockingly enough, Sequoia's e-voting machines malfunctioned during the primary in a way that should scare you: it gave two different vote counts. You would think that's a pretty good reason for allowing a qualified, well-respected researcher like Felten to check out the machines. No such luck. Sequoia has tried to explain it away as a bug, but that doesn't explain why the machines shouldn't be tested by a third party.Sequoia's response to that question is disingenuous, claiming that the company "supports third party reviews and testing of its election equipment." If that's so, then why not Ed Felten? Well, because Sequoia says that the machines have already been through a "rigorous" independent review from an accredited Voting System Test Labs. Ah? Would that be one of the accredited Voting System Test Labs that was barred from further testing for not having proper controls in place and having no evidence that tests were actually conducted? Most of those tests have very limited real-world applicability -- which is what Felten is good at testing. Sequoia also lists out some independent tests in other states that the company was forced into accepting, as if it willingly took part in them. Yet, what the company doesn't explain is what it's so scared of in having Felten test its machine. If the company is confident in the machines, then where's the problem? As a last resort, Sequoia appeals to the fact that such a test would break a licensing agreement, noting that "Licensing agreements are standard practice in the technology industry." That's clearly a cop out. While it may be legally correct, it's no reason not to let a researcher try to figure out if there are any problems with its machines. This isn't some random technology here. This is the technology we're trusting with providing a free and fair election. Sequoia should be ashamed of pulling out legal threats and weak excuses. Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Big Brother 9: Live feeds report - March 16

Filed under: OpEd, Big Brother (US)

Well, well, well ... just when you think it's a bad season of Big Brother, they get rid of the couples and the game is on! The couples bit for the show was an incredible flop for me as a long time show fan. But since they went to a singles game, my interest is definitely back up to par.

Tonight's show will cover the end of the HOH competition, nominations and I'm not sure what else --. perhaps the power of veto comp, but certainly not the power of veto meeting.

But you could know it all before it airs! Read on past the jump for the latest from the 24/7 live feeds within the house. Spoilers for both Sunday and Tuesday shows ahead!

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Big Brother 9: Live feeds report - March 16

Filed under: OpEd, Big Brother (US)

Well, well, well ... just when you think it's a bad season of Big Brother, they get rid of the couples and the game is on! The couples bit for the show was an incredible flop for me as a long time show fan. But since they went to a singles game, my interest is definitely back up to par.

Tonight's show will cover the end of the HOH competition, nominations and I'm not sure what else --. perhaps the power of veto comp, but certainly not the power of veto meeting.

But you could know it all before it airs! Read on past the jump for the latest from the 24/7 live feeds within the house. Spoilers for both Sunday and Tuesday shows ahead!

Continue reading Big Brother 9: Live feeds report - March 16

 

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Where Do Community Managers Come From?

Recently, I published a report called How to Hire for Social Computing, it indicates what management should look for, how to manage them, and how they should think about compensating them.

Just over a week ago, I put out a call to the industry that we were hiring a Community Manager. Because I was a Community Manager and write about it frequently, I received an above normal response rate, 19 Resumes were submitted. Keep in mind, that some of these folks are not community managers, but they’ve all aspired to be in the role.

I promised to protect everyone’s identity, (as many of them are currently employed) but here are the high level findings at average:

A Persona of the Community Manager (based on 19 resumes)

Years of Work Experience
An average of 10.61 Years

Current roles
A majority are working in Marketing or are currently social media position (community manager or social media strategist)

What Industries did they come from?
Most are in tech or media or PR. A handful working in education, religious or non-profit (makes sense as these inexpensive tools have great reach)

Education
Most have a BA or BS, followed by many with MBAs and a handful without a degree.

I think I’m in one of the most rare positions in the industry to have my hands on so many Community Manager resumes in one place, especially so early in the industry

Interesting, I fit almost exactly into that persona: 9 years exp, Marketing exp, from Tech, and Bachelor degree.

8 Groundswell Examples: News, Education, Religion, Cops, Restaurants, Music, Conferences, and Analysts

While my focus is on social computing for the interactive marketer, as an objective researcher (I’ve no affiliations with any of these groups), I can’t but help but watch the parallels that are happening in other industries outside of marketing.

What’s a Groundswell? We define it as:

[A Groundswell as a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions]

I’m watching how examples of Groundswells are appearing (outside of my coverage area) on the web, and then impact the real world.

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Eight Industries Impacted by Groundswells:

1) News: Where Readers Become the Editors
Digg.com is a social news site where the members submit URLs to news stories, and the community can vote them up. Although there’s some criticism of who is empowered within the group, the site sends massive amounts of traffic that can bring down servers.

2) Education: Students Rate Teachers
Perhaps one of my first Groundswell experience, Rate My Teacher has been around for some time, in fact, I used this while in college to find out which teachers were good, which were horrible, and which were easy. Students rate teachers, provide real time feedback, and in one case, even called out a teacher for doing unethical things at one school.

3) Religion: Opposing Groups Organize Against Church
This hotly debated topic came up on my radar when I noticed that a hidden entity called “Anonymous” continued to be featured on Digg.com. This is an anti-scientology group that stages videos on YouTube, and even a masked protest on the Ides of March (March 15th, today) You can see their photos on flickr. This group appears to organize and give orders via the web.

4) Law Enforcement: Citizens Rate Cops
Spurring a lot of news yesterday, this site Rate My Cop lets citizens review the experience they had with an officer, either good or bad. Yet some critics suggest this puts officers lives and families in danger.

5) Restaurants: Patrons Review Restaurants
This bay area company, Yelp, lets the patrons of restaurants rate restaurant food, service, and overall experience. I frequently use this before trying new restaurants or looking for new types of cuisine. Some savvy restaurants have signs on their door asking to be rated, it’s a new shift that puts formal restaurant reviewers in a slightly less relevant position.

6) Music Industry: Consumers Bypass Music Stores
As soon (or even before) a CD hits the shelves, it’s available for free in many file sharing services that have strong connections to cash strapped students and hubs in college dorms. These songs end up on MySpace profiles, or can even be found in file sharing services. Most music industry companies have fought them with legal action, and have made little progress. A few bands and artists are skipping the middle man and publishing songs directly on their websites.

7) Conferences: Audiences Assert Control
I covered what happened at SXSW, in summary, the audience asserted control at the conference, not at just the Zuckerberg keynote, but in three other occasions. Also learn about unconferences where the audience is in control to set the discussion topics, lead, and share.

8 ) Analyst Industry: Markets Can Self Help
I’d be truly ignorant if I didn’t put my own industry here. People come to analysts as they have answers, but people are connecting using social networks, blogs, an forums to communicate and answer problems, many of them are our clients. People want good answers to questions, and they will go to trusted sources to get them, analysts aren’t the only ones who can provide this. It’s safe to assume that the collective market has far more knowledge on social media than I do. This is certainly in my mind, an opportunity, and a threat if ignored.

A few years ago, people told me that Social Media was a fad, I think I’m going to forward them this post.

Where did I learn of the term Grounsdswell? When Charlene was recruiting me, she told me it was the name of her and Josh Bernoff’s upcoming book, Groundswell.

Trends: Corporate Adoption of Social Media: Tire, Tower, and the Wheel

Spending time with large corporations and getting to understand how they adopt social media is fascinating, recently, I’ve noticed a trend, not on public use, but on internal organization.

Unlikes Advertising (which is often controlled by a single group) Social Media is being adopted by many business groups across the enterprise, from marketing, product teams, sales, to support. While not uncommon, social media tends to be a grassroots movement that comes from the edges (where customers are) of the company, where individual users, vertical marketers, and client facing teams exist.

At least three models of social media orginization within a large corporation, which loosely resemble a tire, a tower, or a spoke model.

The Tire
Common to grassroots movements within corporations, adoption happens at the lowest levels at the company, rather than from a centralized group. You’ll see individual business units define their own strategy, pick their own tools, engage their own vendors, and communicate with the market on their own terms.

Common to companies that haven’t put a strategy in place, depending on culture, this could be detrimental as resources are not used efficiently, data is spread on multiple systems, and the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing.

The Tower
Common in organizations where power is centralized, we may see a central team formed to organize social media. This team defines the policy, best practices, vendors, and tools. This team which will commonly found in corporate communications and supported by PR will often dictate the direction of social media. Expect a dedicated role or sub-group to appear either experiential marketing, new media, or interactive media to eventually be born out of the group, where social media is centralized.

Social media is a grassroots movement, so common dangers can be gagging the natural voice of conversations of product experts with customers using these tools, so a centralized team needs to be more of a support organization to the enterprise, not a controller.

The Wheel
This coordinated model has a central organizational unit that provides best practices, sets policy, supports infrastructure but encourages conversations at the edges of the company. More about empowering business groups to partake in natural social media discussions without hindering, this group will be more of a coordinator, and less of a controller. Expect to see this model to occur as social media infiltrates every nook and cranny of a business, and at a certain point, a company as an enterprise can’t ignore the raging groundswell.

Cautions to this model, as overly coordinated programs will be difficult to achieve, and may be ineffective to different unique markets that a large company may have. Like the tower, having a centralized group at a large enterprise is always going to slow down natural conversations so focus on empowerment, rather than control.

What styles of adoption are you noticing from large companies?

Silicon Valley Sightings (Special Edition): New York’s Tech Scene

(Above: The Flat Iron Building [map], in New York’s Silicon Alley)

I usually reserve this tag for the interesting places I see in Silicon Valley, but am traipsing around New York for a few days.

I’m camping at the office of Bricabox, as a guest of CEO Nate Westheimer in a small thin incubator building with quite a few startups. We’re across the street from Madison Square Park, where there’s several social media, interactive firms in the area. Before lunch I had a briefing from James Gross of Federated Media, learning about a recent social network marketing campaign I’ll share with you later.

Now I’m told that the original Silicon Alley was actually in Soho, but there’s quite a few folks popping up in this general area, VCs included. I twittered I was having lunch at Shake Shack in the park, and a total of 7 of us joined up, great discussions yet in the cold (by my Californian standards). I met Ryan Anderson from Fuel Industries (he’s a Forrester client) and Matt Zarzecki from CafeMom a social network for mothers.

Silicon Valley is very insular, we don’t know much of what happens outside of 408 650 415 and it’s really fascinating to see different communities of the tech industry.

Here’s a list of NY Tech events, Allen Stern has a list of events this week, and Bricabox (I unique content system) has this list of NY Tech Organizations.

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(Silicon Valley Sightings is an ongoing PhotoBlog that captures the intersection of Tech Culture in the San Francisco Silicon Valley Bay Area, check out the archives (which now showcase some tech areas in Asia). All photos by Jeremiah Owyang)

Analysis of the Zuckerberg Lacy Interview

Key Hinkley the CEO of Somewhere does a technical analysis on the Mark Zuckerberg and Sarah Lacy interview, he brings forth frequency charts by keyword, new users sign ups, and provides some analysis and predictions.

What’s interesting isn’t so much the interview itself but how social media has spread among the crowd, it’s a cross between sociology , technology adoption, and psychology.

I know the drama of the discussion has already been talked about by many bloggers, so I’ll leave my opinions off the table, I’m more interested in the impact this has to future conferences. At least two conference organizers have come to me asking for guidance, there is some concern over social media revolts.

A few days ago, I reported the keynote wasn’t the only session where the audience asserted control.

Notebook - Why Do Business Executives Like It?

Notebooks have become an all time companion of many business executives around the world largely because of its portability, sleek design and user-friendly features.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/notebook-why-do-business-executives-like-it-365206.html

(IT) Senior .NET Developer, London

Rate: Good Rate   Location: London (West London)   

Senior .NET Developer, London.Excellent opportunity to work for a Brand, Digital Design and Communications Agency! My client is looking for a heavyweight developer who will be able to take a lead development role in an exciting consumer facing solution. You must have excellent .NET/SQL server skills. The contract will be for a minimum of 4 months.Previous experience working on transactional E-commerce sites with a focus on building a secure platform would be advantageous! Working as the Senior .NET Developer you will manage a small team and you must be capable of being able to develop a solution that is secure, scalable and robust (help to plan a sustainable infrastructure). You should have first hand experience in some of the following areas: E-commerce on large multinational deployments; security; n-tier (ideally Windows Communication Foundation); custom controls; API integration (ecommerce etc). You will have the lead on this development and will get involved with the project immediately! Send CV to (see below) for more details. Siptus is a recruitment agency specialising in Digital/New Media, Online Marketing and Web positions.

Rate:Good RateType:ContractLocation:London (West London)Country:UKContact:Andy HammondAdvertiser:Siptus LtdEmail:Andy.Hammond.0CF3B.635A7@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JS0803-11

How to Hire a Limousine:

It is pretty easy to hire a limousine if the proper way of hiring is known, there are different limousine rental service providers but selection of the appropriate one is most important

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/vacation-rentals-articles/how-to-hire-a-limousine-365187.html

Massage in Boston

Did you know that the historic city of Boston, Massachusetts is a great place to get a massage? Massage in Boston is widely available from independent Licensed and Certified Massage Therapists, Licensed Massage Establishments, and many Day Spas that rival the best in the world.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/massage-in-boston-365201.html

Did Starbucks or McDonald’s Get More PR Mileage This Week?

In addition to this week having the leap year day of February 29, it was also a week that featured public relation moves by 2 of the world's largest restaurateurs – McDonald's and Starbucks.  Each had a cost, got some attention, but who got the most mileage?

On Tuesday, February 26, Starbucks closed all of their US stores for 3 hours to retrain their baristas (the ones who make the coffee drinks) on the art of espresso.  For those who don't know, espresso coffee is not only a standalone drink, but the key component of many of their coffee drinks, such as the latte.  This affected all 7,100 of their US stores.

On Thursday and Friday, February 28 & 29, McDonald's gave away a free McSkillet Burrito breakfast sandwich with the purchase of a drink in all of their US stores.  The McSkillet is a relatively new addition to their menu, a large burrito filled with just about every ingredient of a hearty breakfast, including eggs, cheese and sausage.

Both of these events have a cost – lost revenue for Starbucks, but the shutdown was in the early evening when traffic is not as busy as compared to the morning commute, and potential lost revenue for McDonald's, but you also needed to buy a drink, which have high revenue margins.

Where both companies did these promotions to get free publicity, the reasons behind Starbucks shutdown for training are not purely for marketing.  Its founder Howard Schultz has retaken the helm of the company and is trying to get the coffee shop to regain its mojo, or at least that is what I have called it before.  Anyone can say they are retraining its staff, but the point gets across much better when you can see it for yourself.  The site of an empty Starbucks at the corner of North and Wells in Chicago, a normally bustling, 24/7 location, was something to see.

So who made out better on this?  My vote is for Starbucks.  First off, most people I asked learned about the free breakfast item from me, where I heard many people talking about Starbucks.  And so was the evening news, local and national.  Whether you believe the training makes a difference or not, you know Starbucks did so, that they care enough to shut down to do so, and that speaks volumes over something for free.

Everex's CloudBook arrives in Japan with touchscreen, Bluetooth

The FIC manufactured Everex CloudBook has finally made its way to Japan. What's interesting is not its US-rooted Everex branding but the fact that the ultra-portable picked up a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, and 802.11a (to augment the existing b/g WiFi) along the way without any change to the CE1200J model number. All the other specs remain true to the original right on down to the 1.2GHz VIA C7-M proc and 30GB hard disk. We'd chalk this up to a typo(s) if it wasn't for the new, tax-inclusive price of ¥59,800 or about $600 -- a stiff bump from the $399 touchscreen-less, Stateside model. Let's see if the March 22nd release in Japan brings the additional options for North America and Europe.

[Via Impress]

 

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Dot Plots

A dot plot graphically records variable data in such a way that it forms a picture of the combined effect of the random variation inherent in a process and the influence of any special causes acting on it. To understand the power of dot plots as a basic tool, it first helps to visualize how variation occurs.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/dot-plots-365166.html

Orange County Giving Away Money!

If you are currently trying to sell your home in Florida and it is around the two hundred thousand dollar mark, you may be interested in a new piece of legislation brought in to Orange County. They are going to give away money to certain first time buyers wishing to buy a house in this price range. Lower income groups have the best chance and the home must not be over two hundred and nineteen thousand dollars.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/orange-county-giving-away-money-365196.html

Business Debt Consolidation – Cash Flow is King?

During these difficult times business owners search for any angle on how to reduce costs. Consolidating business debt into commercial mortgages can be a "clean" and relatively easy way to increase cash flow, but there is risk and a cost to do this.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/debt-consolidation-articles/business-debt-consolidation-cash-flow-is-king-365194.html

A Simple Approach to Entertaining

Carmen Parmeter wanted to do something different this year for her birthday -- so she called her granddaughter. The 83 year old wanted to throw a party for her friends, but needed some inspiration.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/recipes-articles/a-simple-approach-to-entertaining-365178.html

What is the Georgian Bay Unesco Biosphere Reserve?

Canada is well know for it's for it's vast area of wilderness, national parks and wildlife resrerves

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/what-is-the-georgian-bay-unesco-biosphere-reserve-365200.html

(IT) TEAM LEADER IT Support

Rate: 40k-50k   Location: London   

Team Leader IT Support Location: London Salary: £40K - £50K A Team Leader is required to work in IT Support on client site for an IT Services Company. The Specialist Onsite Team deal with the followings: - software & hardware PC/laptop support - computer room management - windows servers - Blackberry/BES - backups - customer service printers, scanners, PC peripherals - PC application support - reporting, etc The Team Leader's role will be: - To lead and motivate the Specialist Onsite Team to deliver excellent service at a price that is acceptable for the service delivered -To run, manage and develop the team, its services and its perception in the marketplace both internally and externally -To lead the provision of Service Management for key external customers who receive desktop support services -To run the P&L for the team and achieve cost reduction and increased revenue where opportunity exists You will need to have the following skills: - PC Hardware and software fault finding - 5 years+ - Demonstrable success in Team leadership. Examples include cost reduction, service improvement, increased customer satisfaction, team/service line growth, etc - Microsoft Windows, Active Directory and Networking- 3 years+ - Working Knowledge of MS Office - 3 years+ - Excellent Presentation skills, both written and oral - Documentation skills both Technical and process based -Excellent interpersonal skills - able to work confidently with senior directors - ITIL foundation or demonstrable

Rate:40k-50kType:PermanentLocation:LondonCountry:UKContact:Julie TailhanAdvertiser:Xchanging - CityEmail:Julie.Tailhan.831F2.82628@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JSJT/XUK/G214

(IT) Release Engineer

Location: City Of London   

A leading asset management organisation is seeking a Release Engineer to work on a contract basis in their City of London office. The ideal candidate for this job will be someone with extensive experience in software version control, build methodology, and system integration. Besides standardizing and refining the build process, the successful candidate will use his creativity and programming skill to automate the release process. A secondary responsibility is to support several critical production applications, so we are looking for candidates with excellent debugging skills. Agile Development and/or IT infrastructure experience are major pluses. Key skills/experience required: 5+ years experience in build & deployment on full life-cycle development projects in a Unix or Windows Production environment. Preferred: 2+ years of experience supporting Calypso. 3+ years release management for a Java application. Production experience with Ant, CruiseControl. Unix Shell Scripting (Perl, Python experience a plus). Source Control (eg, SVN, CVS). Domain knowledge in investments and portfolio management is beneficial. Please note your CV will not be submitted for this or any other role without your prior approval. SQ Computer Personnel Limited acts as both an Employment Agency and Employment Business.

Type:ContractLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Joanne GalbraithAdvertiser:SQ Computer PersonnelEmail:Joanne.Galbraith.662B7.6E38D@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JS/DW/2010

(IT) MI Analyst

Rate: Competetive + Bonus + Bens   Location: Derby, Derbyshire   

Job Purpose To collate, analyse, evaluate and distribute Management Information for Nerve Centre Team & Operational areas To maintain and develop existing MI reporting by utilising appropriate technology, tools & techniques to ensure all initiatives, workloads are of quality and accuracy and delivered on time Job Background/Context Reporting in to Operations area within the Nerve Centre team whom provide operational performance and capacity reporting and analysis for all Egg Egg and Citi areas including HR, Finance, Customer Services, Operations, Collections, offshore and Sales Key responsibilities Deliver MI within agreed timescales and levels of accuracy to keep the Operational areas up to date on key performance indicators. Provide MI analysis to influence decision making on behalf of our customers. Continually evaluate MI processes and make recommendation for improvement and automation to improve efficiency of the MI team. Respond to customer requests by using agreed processes, to ensure the effective, efficient and timely delivery of MI in support of the business in delivery of excellent services. Proactively search and recommend new MI reporting on behalf of the team to ensure our customers receive the highest level of customer service possible. To work as part of a team to identify opportunities for multi skilling of workloads of individuals which encompasses the absence, sickness, attrition, overtime processes which are currently held as a singular point of production

Rate:Competetive + Bonus + BensType:PermanentLocation:Derby, DerbyshireCountry:UKContact:Kate SpencerAdvertiser:Alexander Mann Solutions - EggEmail:Kate.Spencer.8FC73.052BC@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JS08007139

Hold Your Sweetest Moments Still With a Digital Camera

Memories of special moments are the best treasure of life. A basic digital camera forms the best way to secure these moments.

Read Full Article Here: http://www.articlesbase.com/gadgets-and-gizmos-articles/hold-your-sweetest-moments-still-with-a-digital-camera-365203.html

(IT) Business Analyst/Systems Analyst - Gloucestershire

Rate: 35k-45k Per Annum + Bonus and Benefits   Location: Gloucestershire, South West   

Business Analyst/Systems Analyst required. A software provider in the Gloucestershire/Wiltshire area is keen to recruit a Business Analyst/Systems Analyst to their team, you will be working closely alongside the Project Manager performing an exciting and varied role where your responsibilities will include Capturing Business requirements and turning them into high level functional requirements, providing business consultancy and contributing to evolving processes and procedures amongst other responsibilities. You will be an experienced Business Analyst/Systems Analyst with a knowledge of Financial Services software or solutions and experience of structured methodologies such as UML. You will have a solid understanding of IT systems. This is a great opportunity for career progression and to work alongside leading UK financial players. Commutable from: Swindon, Cirencester, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Bristol, South West, South Wales, Wiltshire and surrounding areas. Monarch Recruitment Limited provides services as an Agency and an Employment Business.

Rate:35k-45k Per Annum + Bonus and BenefitsType:PermanentLocation:Gloucestershire, South WestCountry:EnglandContact:Katie WilkinsonAdvertiser:Monarch Recruitment Ltd.Email:Katie.Wilkinson.48692.1DC5F@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JSKWILK/BASA

(IT) PLM Specialist - Romania

Location: Romania   

PLM Specialist - Telecommunications - Romania. My client are seeking a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Specialist to join their Romania-based team. You will be working on telecommunications products. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND: - PLM skills - PDM product skills - eMatrix - Teamcenter Engineering - Teamcenter Enterprise - Teamcenter Manufacturing - Windchill - Enovia - PDMLink Ideally you will come from a Manufacturing background, particularly Aerospace, Automotive or Semiconductor. Please send your CV in for further information on the role.

Type:ContractLocation:RomaniaCountry:RomaniaContact:Rob NettletonAdvertiser:Nicoll Curtin LimitedEmail:Rob.Nettleton.D02F8.47F43@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JSRN/PLM

(IT) Latent Zero Business Analyst/Project Manager

Location: Germany   

My client is a leading international investment bank, based in Germany. They are starting to implement Latent Zero (Minerva, Tesseract, Sentinel) as their new trading platform in April/May and are currently looking for each one experienced Business Analyst and one Project Manager with experience in implementing Latent Zero. This is an international project environment and German language skills are not necessary. This project is an excellent opportunity to work in a responsible Senior position with a highly regarded company for a good duration.

Type:ContractLocation:GermanyCountry:GermanyContact:Arne WunderAdvertiser:Eurostaff Group LimitedEmail:Arne.Wunder.156F4.8A40E@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:April/MayReference:JS/LZBAPM/D7AW115

McLaren Mercedes SLR makes £160,500

A McLaren Mercedes SLR achieved a record price for Manheim Auctions in Europe when it sold for £160,500 at the recent Prestige Sale at Manheim's Colchester Auction Centre, beating the £158,000 paid for a similar car at Manheim's Manchester Auction Centre in January. The sale attracted a huge amount of interest with over 300 buyers registered on the day.

The McLaren Mercedes SLR was one of 45 vehicles at the first Prestige Sale to be held at Colchester's four lane facility. Other vehicles featured at the sale included two BMW 650i coupes which sold for £30,200 and £31,500, a Mercedes-Benz SL 5.4 AMG convertible (£31,200), a BMW M5 (£43,000), a Jaguar XKR (£49,400) and two Porsche 911s which sold for £48,000 and £ 57,000.

"The atmosphere was really exciting especially when the McLaren Mercedes SLR came into view" commented Chris Cush, Manager at Manheim's Colchester Auction Centre. "To have broken the price record for a car sold by Manheim Auctions in Europe was an unexpected bonus and rounded off a great day."

Other Prestige Sales this year at Colchester will be on 13th May, 1st July, 2nd September and 4th November.

WebVisible, an interactive ad company for local markets, gets $12M more

WebVisible, a company that focuses on interactive advertising in local markets, said it has received $12 million in second round of funding.

The funding was led by Sutter Hill Ventures and included existing investor Redpoint Ventures.

The Irvine, Calif. company offers a software that manages interactive advertising campaigns for small-to-medium-sized businesses.

It can track a consumer’s location apparently because it partners with companies that have cookies and other information that provides it with that information, including Yahoo, MSN, Ask, Local.com, Voicestar, eStara, Telmetrics, Blue Lithium, Advertising.com, ValueClick, and Looksmart.

 

WebVisible then partners with companies like AT&T, British Telecom, Yellow Pages Group of Canada, Earthlink, and The McClatchy Company, among others — which sell Webvisible’s advertising product to their local business customers trying to reach consumers in their geographical area.

House producer heading to Court K

Filed under: House, Pickups and Renewals

Paul Attanasio, House executive producer, has conjured up a legal drama for Fox. The network greenlighted a one-hour pilot, Court K, which is set in Milwaukee and involves a judge, a prosecutor and a public defender. Just because it's set in Milwaukee, don't expect to see Laverne and Shirley.

Like House is not your typical medical drama, Court K will not be a typical lawyer show, not that Boston Legal is typical, but you know what I mean. Court K is reportedly a lot grittier, with sardonic, dark comic elements. We'll have to see if any of the principals are hooked on Vicodan. I wonder if it'll remind me of the movie ...And Justice For All, which was also a dark comic look at a Baltimore courthouse. But then, wasn't that Night Court, too?

Continue reading House producer heading to Court K

 

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Sam Raimi teams with CW for reality

Filed under: Pickups and Renewals

Spider-Man's director is going real. Reality TV that is. After nearly two years of talking with the CW about this project, Sam Raimi is prepping a summer reality series called 13. Considering Raimi's unique vision, as seen in the Spider-Man movies and other features like Darkman and Evil Dead, you have to hope that he'll bring something fresh to a genre as played out as reality.

Raimi with co-executive produce the eight-episodes of 13 with a renown reality producer, Jay Bienstock (Survivor and The Apprentice). Also attached is Robert Tapert, Sam's Ghost House Productions partner.

Continue reading Sam Raimi teams with CW for reality

 

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Help study software protection scheme / Aladdin HASP protection systems - oDesk

Help study software protection scheme / Aladdin HASP protection systemsAdditional SkillsI have been studying activation protection schemes used in some software packages. One in particular has me stumped with how it operates. It is believed to be operating with an Aladdin HASP protection system.I'm looking for someone to help examine one final area of the protection scheme with me and hopefully find what I'm missing so I can continue my research.C...

Budget: $250.00
Starting On: March 19, 2008
Ending On:
Posted On: March 19, 2008
ID: 729966
Category: Software Development > Other - Software Development
Skills: C/C++/Win32SDK
Country: United States
Hours Billed: 0

click to apply

30 Tasks In 30 Hours Over 30 Days

In the shadow of just about everyone is a burgeoning to-do list.  Some things are essential, some need to get done eventually.  The bigger it gets, the less motivated you can get that you will complete them all.

Like many of you I have one, and I was seeking a way to motivate myself to pare it down.  I then recalled a blog post a while back by Andy Wibbels on his concept called 30h30d, or 30 hours in 30 days.  The principle is you take your list, identify tasks that are an hour in length, for those that are longer, break them into hour-long pieces, and schedule one a day for the next 30 days.  Its beauty is in its straight-forward simplicity.

I started it last Wednesday, and as of today I have completed 7 days and as a result 7 tasks.  I must admit not every task was a complete hour (scheduling a doctor appointment) and some took a little longer (integrating Feedburner monetization into my sourcegate technical tips blog), and with these examples you can see there's a mix of business and personal tasks.

So far so good.  My reporting this has a dual purpose – to inform people of this method, and to publicly let people know I am doing it, adding more accountability to this endeavor.

Flash 3d/2D Chart - oDesk

Prefer Russian-speaking Developer Budget:$350-$450 Description: Develop Flash-based 2D/3D Chart (candlesticks/OCHL/Line) Ability to animate(move/rotate, zoom,deform in 3d), create apperance effects Draw lines on chart (expand lines if new data becomes availabe later) Count candlesticks between two selected Highlights Candlesticks user changable Skins Chart user changable Skins 3D effects - movements, rotations/spins Commentary/labe...

Budget: $400.00
Starting On: March 29, 2008
Ending On:
Posted On: March 19, 2008
ID: 729962
Category: Web Development > Web Applications
Skills: Flash/ActionScript, Flash/Macromedia, Design/Flash, PHP/MySQL, Graphics, 3D Design, Financial
Country: United States
Hours Billed: 0

click to apply

GUEST ARTIST - Jeff Kennedy

No. 18 - Coffee, Pen and Ink sketch by Jeff Kennedy

Although I have yet to meet Jeff personally, he’s one of many friends I’ve met thanks to the Internet. Jeff is one talented, busy person who has several sites in various stages of development including, Northern Illinois Fly TYers, Jeff Kennedy Studio, My Sketch Blog, Brook - Pinup Fishing Illustrations, Callibaetis, and of course, Drawing Flies!

Jeff says of his work at Drawing Flies,

“I initiated the creation of this blog as a challenge. The challenge is to draw a fly a day for an entire year. Part of the challenge is the discipline to accomplish this every day and the other is to expand my creativity and to help find my artistic voice.”

At Jeff’s site, you’ll discover he is quite prolific and accomplished in many media!

As one might imagine, among Jeff’s many hobbies are fly fishing and fly tying. While the number of fishing flies I’ve tied in my life could be counted on one hand, Jeff and I share an interest in the great outdoors, streams, fishing, fishing flies, and watercolor. I could have highlighted any number of Jeff’s works, but I chose “No 18,” because—aside from appreciating the work itself—there is an interesting and informative story as to how Jeff created it. You can read about it here.

The artistic beauty of a well tied fishing fly has never escaped my attention. However, I’ve overlooked the fly as subject matter for my own work. Besides it historical significance, a fishing fly could argumentatively be thought of as a beautifully designed piece of miniaturized, utilitarian sculpture. Thus, my fascination with Jeff’’s new found direction! It is one of those, “Darn, why didn’t I think of that” things that—one time or another—happens to everyone.

If you haven’t already, I invite you to visit Drawing Flies. As Jeff stated when he began the site the first of the year, “… hang on and enjoy the ride for the next 365 days!”

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(IT) Middleware Developer/Support

Rate: £70k-£75k   Location: City Of London   

Middleware developer/support analyst is required for top tier Investment bank. Candidates must have Java, XML, PL/SQL, Web technologies, Tibco MQ Series, Scripting languages, inter application messaging, architecture, lead development and application support experience. Only candidates with Investment banking experience will be considered. Please contact Az Lasmi immediately on 0207 608 5802 or please send an updated CV.

Rate:£70k-£75kType:PermanentLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Azzez LasmiAdvertiser:Cititec Associates LimitedEmail:Azzez.Lasmi.EC0F5.65174@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAP Or 4 WeeksReference:JSREFAL957

By The River

Next Workshop:
Sacramento, CA., March 8 & 9. Click here for details

By The River - DETAIL - Watercolor by Woody Hansen
(Click image to view entire painting)

Living close to the American River Parkway, in Sacramento, California, has advantages for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Seasonal changes are constantly reflected along the parkway. Hardly a week goes by without a new visual menu of inspiring shapes, colors, values, sights, smells, and sounds.

Depending on the season, and time of day, the river rises and falls, speeds up and slows down. The water appears to turn from blue, to green, to brown, and back to blue again. Then too, the riverbank and surrounding area is in continual change from day to day.

However, I’m seldom interested in replicating the exact scene before me. Therefore, the greens, oranges, purples, seen in By The River are not as they were on the day of the painting, but are from a mental inventory of images both near and far.

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River Debris

Next Workshop:
Mendocino, CA., April 5 & 6, 2008 Click here for details

River Debris - DETAIL - Watercolor by Woody Hansen
(Click image to view entire painting)

On any given day one might find a variety of debris along the banks of Sacramento’s American River. The debris is quite often left by people who claim to enjoy the great outdoors. That’s the bad news. The good news is that from time to time that trash provides subject matter for a painting or two.

Interestingly, the garbage left along the river today doesn’t seem as large in size compared to what I recall seeing in the mid-seventies. Back then, the river was littered with large objects like discarded refrigerators, old tires, engine blocks, shopping carts, and even rusted automobile bodies. I recall a full sheet watercolor painting I did back then of an old, rusted out auto body half submerged in a muddy pool of water. It came out looking close to something Gahan Wilson* might have created for Playboy or the New Yorker magazines.

However—other than a recliner, a sleeping bag, and a mattress—today’s discarded trash seems small by comparison to thirty years ago. Today’s trash seems made up of smaller objects like crushed beer cans, magazines, soiled diapers, empty potato chip bags, old shoes, torn clothing, condoms, and discarded fishing paraphernalia. Unlike automobile bodies, these items can be carried to a nearby trash can in a large plastic bag. So, I suppose the optimistic observation is that things are improving, we are messing our nest less.

Note: Colors used in this painting are Joe Blow Green, Bountiful Blueberry, Mousey Grey, and Sutter’s Gold (available at your local art supplier).
——————–
*Click here to visit the Official Gahan Wilson website.

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Levee Growth

Next Workshop:
Sacramento, CA., March 8 & 9. Click here for details

Levee Growth - DETAIL - Watercolor by Woody Hansen
(Click image to view entire painting)

Despite the sky being overcast, today was a good day to paint at the river. The American River levee was replete with lush growth and signs of impending spring.

I set up along the river bank, near a rivulet which echoed the sounds of a babbling brook, or stream. The calming sound of the water was only occasionally punctuated by the “thunk” of a wooden oar banging against the side of an aluminum boat filled with three fishermen.

My painting was interrupted only once, by a polite young man who—after looking at the work on my easel and the scenery (water) in front of me—asked, “What are you painting?” It is interesting that almost everyone assumes all outdoor artists paint only what is in front of them. Another interesting comment often comes when strangers see me painting, complete with easel, brushes, palette, etc., and ask, “Are you an artist” or, “Are you painting?” It is amusing in that people don’t ask of someone with a fishing rod, waders, and related fishing gear, “Are you a fisherman?”

Bottom line: The fishermen went home empty handed, but I came home with a painting. For me, it was a good day in the neighborhood.

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(IT) C#, C++, Equity Derivatives Developer

Rate: 550-600/Day   Location: City Of London   

C#, C++, Equity Derivatives developer is required for top tier Investment bank. Candidates must have C#, C++, MFC, SQL Server, Equities and Tibco. This position will be Front Office facing and will consider any candidates that have worked within derivatives. Please contact Az Lasmi immediately on 0207 608 5802 or send an updated CV.

Rate:550-600/DayType:ContractLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Azzez LasmiAdvertiser:Cititec Associates LimitedEmail:Azzez.Lasmi.8AD95.36866@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JSREFAL958

(IT) C#, ASP.NET, SQL, AJAX, XML, Developer, Greenfield, City, Londo

Rate: £38k - £45k per annum + Good Bonus   Location: London   

C#, ASP.NET, SQL, AJAX, XML, Developer, Greenfield, City, London, Graduate This represents an amazing opportunity for a strong C#, ASP.NET Object Orientated, multi-tiered developer in an enterprise environment. Have a good understanding of SQL Server, T-SQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, XML. Exposure to the latest technologies is an advantage AJAX, and .NET 3.0 is a must. This opportunity is a great chance for a quality developer to gain a place at the cutting edge of software development. My client is one of UK's largest media groups, one of the country's leading consumer price comparison services with a commitment to rapidly expanding our online portfolio of products and services. This is an excellent opportunity for the right person to join a growing development team, currently in its infancy. The successful candidate will have an understanding of the concepts of building scalable, highly available Websites be experience of working with source control systems and be outgoing and possess excellent communication skills. Aston Carter is the sole recruiter for this position apply now!

Rate:£38k - £45k per annum + Good BonusType:PermanentLocation:LondonCountry:UKContact:Jon-Paul BrettAdvertiser:Aston CarterEmail:Jon.Paul.047F9.6D98C@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAP Or 1 months NoticeReference:JSJB29

(IT) Service Delivery Engineer

Rate: £70k-80k   Location: City Of London   

Service Delivery Engineer is required for top tier Investment bank. Candidates must have good knowledge of modern application development methodologies within development tools such as IDE's, Source code management, incident management, build and deployment tools, testing tools across both the Java and Microsoft environments. Only candidates that have worked within a financial environment will be considered. Please contact Az Lasmi immediately on 0207 608 5802 or please send an updated CV.

Rate:£70k-80kType:PermanentLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Azzez LasmiAdvertiser:Cititec Associates LimitedEmail:Azzez.Lasmi.D89FC.E5550@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAP Or 4 WeeksReference:JSREFAL947

(IT) IT Support Analyst/QA Technician - Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire - £25k

Rate: £21k - £25k per annum + Pension + Training   Location: Berkhamsted,Hertfordshire   

IT Support Analyst/QA Technician - Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire - £25k Keywords IT Support Analyst/IT Technician Support Engineer/QA/Tester/Web Applications Support/IIS/Windows Server 2003/Windows XP/Quality Assurance An IT Support Analyst with some knowledge of Quality Assurance or testing is required to provide project support for a large Web development team based near Berkhamsted, Hert. A salary of up to £25,000 basic is offered (dependent upon experience). Position The IT Support Analyst will provide support and quality assurabce on Web applications and Websites on a project by project basis as well as support internal systems. You will provide desktop and server support within a Windows environment. Specification The IT Support Analyst will have strong knowledge of Windows Server 2000/2003 as well as Web based application and possibly IIS Server. Strong customer service and/or user support experience is essential. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Graduate IT Support Analyst to develop their career with a rewarding and professional employer based near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. Salary from £21k to £25k (dependent upon skills and experience) Benefits include flexi-time and pension. Location Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire Commute from High Wycombe/Watford/Chesham/Aylesbury/Hemel Hempstead/Luton/Buckinghamshire/West London CV Screen is the recruitment agency managing this vacancy. To apply, please email your CV through to (see below) in strict confidence.

Rate:£21k - £25k per annum + Pension + TrainingType:PermanentLocation:Berkhamsted,HertfordshireCountry:UKContact:Peter StruttAdvertiser:CV Screen LtdEmail:Peter.Strutt.2EB9F.3F4AA@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JS3452_DOS

(IT) Delivery Project Manager

Rate: £650-£700/Day   Location: City Of London   

Delivery Project Manager is required for top tier Investment bank. Candidates must have Investment banking background, have managed IT Delivery projects, managed projects over 1 million Euros, managed delivery within an outsourcing/multi-vendor environment. Only candidates with Investment banking will be considered. Please contact Az Lasmi on 0207 608 5802 or please send an updated CV.

Rate:£650-£700/DayType:ContractLocation:City Of LondonCountry:UKContact:Azzez LasmiAdvertiser:Cititec Associates LimitedEmail:Azzez.Lasmi.6FB71.A78FF@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAP Or 4 WeeksReference:JSREFAL956

(IT) Cool:Gen Developer

Location: Canberra   

Canberra Location. Initial Contract through until June 2009. Dynamic Federal Government Department. A number of exciting opportunities are available for experienced Cool: Gen Developers keen to be trained on the job in AppBuilder (similar CASE tool), within a dynamic and supportive government environment. Due to existing developers progressing within other areas of the department, this team is seeking multiple experienced and professional Cool: Gen developers able to write computer programs using DB2 in AppBuilder development environment. Previous experience in DB2 (or relational database), AppBuilder and basic working knowledge of XML and XSLT will be held in high regard. The key duties of this role will include: Developing less complex technical design solutions. Develop system changes as per functional specifications within deadlines. Review code and conduct QA of system changes. Assist in both the management of resources and work allocation. Ideally to be successful in gaining one of these opportunities you will have at least 3 years experience in Cool: Gen application development and have past experience using Case Tools. These opportunities will not be available long. Interested candidates are encouraged to email their CV to (see below) quoting vacancy reference number 1022837 in the subject line or call Sacha on (02) 6213 5933.

Type:ContractLocation:CanberraCountry:AustraliaContact:Sacha JeeawodyAdvertiser:Greythorn - CanberraEmail:Sacha.Jeeawody.3379C.F079F@mail.jobserve.comReference:JS1022837

(IT) Senior Web Developer (PHP/ASP/MySQL/SQL) - Maidstone - £35k

Rate: £30k - £35k per annum + Pension + Perks +   Location: Maidstone, Kent   

Senior Web Developer/PHP Developer (PHP/ASP/MySQL/SQL) - Maidstone - £35k An experienced PHP Developer or ASP Developer with knowledge of E-Commerce Web development and SQL Server is required by our client based in Midstone, Kent. A salary of up to £35,000 is offered. Strong knowledge in PHP and possibly ASP is highly desirable as well as and a good knowledge of DHTML and XHTML. Based near Maidstone in Kent, this is a superb opportunity for an experienced Web Developer to join a successful organisation which offers excellent career prospects. The successful developer will work on a varied range of applications and technologies and will also gain experience of technologies such as Java, AJAX and Web2.0. Good Web hosting and Web Server skills are highly desirable. This is a superb opportunity for an experienced Developer to further their career, working for an organisation with an established Web presence that offers excellent career prospects. Salary to £35,000 basic plus Pension + Perks Location Maidstone, Kent Commute from Tonbridge/Sittingbourne/Rochester/Chatham/Ashford/Canterbury/Dover/Dartford/Orpington To apply, please email your CV through to (see below) in strict confidence. CV Screen is the agency managing this vacancy.

Rate:£30k - £35k per annum + Pension + Perks +Type:PermanentLocation:Maidstone, KentCountry:UKContact:Peter StruttAdvertiser:CV Screen LtdEmail:Peter.Strutt.4DC19.F8DA9@mail.jobserve.comStart Date:ASAPReference:JS3419-NAN

[ISN] Gambling site brought to its knees by 'unstoppable' botnet

http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39170296,00.htm

By Nick Heath
Silicon.com
6 March 2008

A major UK gambling business has warned that all commercial websites are
at risk from a new type of unstoppable and undetectable botnet denial of
service attack.

Gala Coral ecommerce's gambling sites were taken down for almost 30
minutes by the next generation 10Gb distributed denial of service (DDoS)
attack, delegates at the e-crime congress in London were told this week.

Attackers disguised the build up of traffic from up to 30,000 PC and
Apple Mac botnet computers during the attack by analysing and
reproducing the browsing habits of the sites' typical users.

Peter Bassill, information security officer with Gala Coral ecommerce,
said attackers spent about four months infiltrating the sites ahead of
the attack last year, using stolen credit card details to open the
thousands of accounts needed to generate the huge volume of web traffic
to swamp Coral's servers.

More worrying, during a second attack the botnet blocked attempts by the
websites to stop them using a port firewall while continuing sending out
data to carry on the attack.

Bassill said: "This is a very worrying step we have seen in botnets, we
have no way of responding to this without working with law enforcement.
The attacks will come from many hosts in small volumes and they are
going to be very hard to spot.

"If they can do that to us, a large gaming company, than think what they
could do it they find a way to target companies like BT or the nuclear
power industry."

Bassill said DDoS attacks brought its websites down about twice per year
and attacks were often preceded by demands for more than $100,000.


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Jade - Round Crib Bedding Baby Bedding by Celebrations

Recommended by saxynicki on Mar 9, 2008

Green and pink come together in the Jade Round Crib Baby bedding collection for a surprisingly sophisticated (although lovely and girly) colorscheme.

This Review is: Smart Funny Useful

Tags: baby bedding, bedding, round crib, round crib bedding

Add to my wish list on ThisNext
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[ISN] Don't forget to secure your BlackBerry, companies told

http://software.silicon.com/security/0,39024655,39170322,00.htm

By Natasha Lomas
Silicon.com
10 March 2008

Companies are being warned to make sure they correctly configure
BlackBerrys - or risk weakening their IT security.

Internet security consultancy company NTA Monitor says recent testing
showed that organisations are still failing to ensure the smart phone
devices are locked down.

It said the BlackBerry architecture can be insecure if no firewalls are
used to separate the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) router component
from the central BES server on the internal network. If the BES is
compromised and there is no separation of the BES router, it can lead to
the whole network becoming insecure, it claims.

Roy Hills, technical director at NTA, said in a statement: "A hacker
could potentially use this back channel to move around inside an
organisation undetected."

Hills said the ideal scenario for BlackBerry security is to create a
'demilitarised zone' to separate the router component from the BES. He
explained: "If the BES router gets compromised, the demilitarised zone
will ensure that there is no direct access to the local area network."

But Scott Totzke, VP of global security at RIM, said while this
demilitarised zone may work for some BlackBerry customers it is just one
approach to securing the devices - stressing there is no
"one-size-fits-all answer" to security.

He told silicon.com: "We actually have customers who look at information
security in an even stricter sense - say no component should exist
without a firewall and actually distribute BlackBerrys amongst multiple
servers with multiple firewalls. And the good news is the documentation
support for that is readily available on our website.

"At the same time we have other customers who look at the risks and say
if I just control access to third party applications I can have maybe a
more simplified network infrastructure behind the firewall. There's not
going to be a one-size-fits-all answer here. But it's that flexibility
that allows us [BlackBerrys] to exist within whatever the existing IT
framework is for securing network systems and services that's built into
the platform."

Totzke said the BlackBerry platform includes more than 400 configurable
security policies - which gives customers the ability to mitigate their
own level of risk. He said: "Having something that is flexible and
adaptable and can be modified to suit the needs of your customer is
really important."

He added: "One of the biggest things that we've learned over the years
with our solution is that you have to balance security and usability -
if you make a product that's way too secure you're likely going to
compromise usability so we always look at how we can balance that."

NTA Monitor also recommends BlackBerry admins turn off Bluetooth
altogether. But Totzke said this is again down to the discretion of
individual customers, adding that the BlackBerry platform allows users
to enable parts of Bluetooth and disable others - which may be the most
appropriate response.

He added: "If you look at probably our largest and most paranoid
customer in North America - the United States Department of Defense -
they publish about a 125-page configuration guide for BlackBerry… That's
the extreme - but that's not going to be for everybody."



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[ISN] BlackBerry servers ripe for the hacking

http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=11663

By John E. Dunn
Techworld
10 March 2008

Many companies running BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) could be
inadvertently opening a door to attackers, a penetration testing company
has found.

Penetration testing consultancy NTA Monitor found that most of its
customers running the BlackBerry Server with Microsoft Exchange were
taking the path of least resistance by opening unencrypted ports from
the heart of their network to service providers. The providers, in turn,
opened a return back to the BES that would pass through firewalls
without any policies being applied.

This left the network open on several levels, including session
hijacking, IP spoofing, or just the interception of unencrypted traffic.

"A hacker could potentially use this back channel to move around inside
an organisation undetected, removing confidential information or
installing malware on to the network," said Roy Hills, NTA's technical
director.

According to NTA Monitor's technical manager, Adrian Goodhead, the open
configuration was no accident of poor implementation, accounting for a
sizeable 10-15 of the company's enterprise-level customers using
BlackBerry handhelds (roughly 70-80 percent of the total base they
surveyed). The commonest cause was simply cost.

The company recommends implementing a BES in a demilitarised zone (DMZ),
which would isolate attacks against the sever from the wider network.
However, this added complexity, and added complexity added expense.

"You have to add various software and hardware. People are trying to
keep costs down," said Goodhead.

He characterised the flaw as low-to-medium in severity because "it
requires a fair amount of knowledge" to exploit, but nevertheless one
that needed to be addressed.

Goodhead criticised the service providers for not explaining that a more
expensive implementation was usually necessary for security reasons.
BlackBerry, for its part, gave details of how to implement its
technology securely, he said, and so couldn't be blamed.

NTA Monitor, which recently found holes in VPNs, offers several general
security recommendations for clients using BES. These include using SSL
encryption, enabling content protection on the handheld, disallowing
non-approved applications – including P2P messaging – and turning off
Bluetooth on the handheld.



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MacFamilyTree 5.1b5 - Genealogy application. (Demo)

MacFamilyTree 5.1b5MacFamilyTree's fifth release offers an entirely new GUI a highly modern, graphical user interface that is individually configurable to your needs.

By the use of Apple's revolutionary Core Data technology it is possible to easily sift through huge databases. These may consist of information about thousands of individuals, including digitized photographic images, sound files and movies.

To achieve this, MacFamilyTree 5 has been completely rewritten with the use of the most recent development technique.

Updates from previous versions are available for $25 (US)

More information

VueScan 8.4.63 - Software for scanners, demo now fully functional. (Demo)

VueScan 8.4.63VueScan is a scanning program that works with most high-quality flatbed and film scanners to produce scans that have excellent color fidelity and color balance. VueScan is easy to use, and has advanced features for restoring faded colors, batch scanning and other features used by professional photographers.

Why should you use VueScan?

• Easy to use - just run VueScan, press Preview, adjust the cropping, then press Scan
• Accurate colors - uses ICC profiles and IT8 calibration
• Powerful - dozens of advanced options
• Faster workflow - can edit one image while the next image is being scanned (most scanner software won't let you work with one image while another is being scanned)
• Simple to install - installing VueScan changes nothing on your system, installs nothing in your operating system and all other scanner software will continue to function.
• Award winning - 2002 "Best Utility", Mac Addict Magazine

The list of supported scanners is available here.

The list of supported digital camera RAW files is available here.

You can improve your Optical Character Recognition (OCR) results if you download a dictionary containing common US English, French, Dutch and UK English words. Put this file (vuedict.dat) in the same directory as the VueScan program. You can choose the language using the "Output|OCR text language" option.More information

[ISN] MTV Breach Underscores Company's Need For DLP

http://www.crn.com/security/206902848

By Stefanie Hoffman
ChannelWeb
March 10, 2008

MTV Networks might still be reeling after the leakage of 5,000
confidential files containing personal and sensitive employee
information were illegally accessed by an individual outside the
company. But experts say that the incident might prompt companies to
reevaluate data loss protection capabilities throughout their networks.

The security breach occurred when data was compromised over an Internet
connection on an employee's computer, according to a statement released
by the network Friday. An internal memo by Catherine Houser, executive
vice president of Human Resources at MTV Networks, said that the
compromised personal information included names, birth dates, Social
Security numbers and compensation data of network employees. A Reuters
report said that MTV declined to provide any further information about
the number of affected employees or the nature of the compromised
information.

MTV is currently conducting an investigation regarding the breach. While
the network notified law enforcement and a credit monitoring company to
alert and protect the identities of the affected employees, it was not
immediately clear whether the password protected files were opened or
actively exploited.

However, security experts say that this most recent breach could prompt
companies to further invest in data protection technologies.

"It underscores the need for better endpoint control and visibility of
corporate assets, that's really the bottom line here," said Mike Haro,
senior security analyst for Sophos.

Other security experts say this latest incident speaks to the fact that
many organizations have yet to implement comprehensive processes that
can monitor and regulate internal access to data and systems.

"Depending upon if it was an outsourcer, or contractor, who might have
been working for the organization, what we're seeing is that
organizations are struggling to keep up with change," said Brian Cleary,
vice president of marketing for Aveksa, an enterprise access governance
software company. "If you're using an outsourcer, you cannot outsource
your liability. If you lose customer information and employee
information, at the end of the day, you own that liability."

In order to better secure data and reduce that liability, Cleary said
that companies needed to subject their outsourcers and contractors to
the same kind of scrutiny and review as their regular employees. In
addition, companies also need to ensure that their payroll employees are
given appropriate access when roles change within a company, Cleary
said.

"The company has an obligation to make sure that these kinds of events
don't occur," said Cleary. "You can't just trust an outsourcer to fill
out an SAS 70 report. You can't count on that for having a good control
framework. That report is meaningless if there's no process behind it."

To help prevent possible identity theft or stolen credentials, MTV
strongly encouraged affected employees to place a 90-day fraud alert on
their credit files with the three major credit agencies, and offered
them complementary credit monitoring services for a period of two years.

Cleary said that companies will likely continue to be more aggressive
about implementing controls and access management policies as breaches
become more common, noting that "this continues to be on a weekly basis
a headline in the business news section."

"I think the right way to look at this is inside out," said Cleary. "Our
enterprises are somewhat porous. We outsource a lot of different
functions. We need to stop thinking just about the perimeter. How do we
protect the resource?"

"A data loss isn't just for a retailer. It can happen to everybody," he
added.


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Senior PHP developer required for Helpdesk/Issue Reporting Module - oDesk

The project is to create a "Helpdesk / Issue Reporting" module. This will be used in my existing web-based PHP applications. Among them are File Tracking System, Fixed Asset Management System, Job Application and Membership Management System. Helpdesk / Issue Reporting module functionality is to provide integrated helpdesk and issue tracking. Currently, my customers request support / report bug via email and phone calls.  Even though we have prepared...

Work Load: FullTime
Estimated Duration: 1 week
Starting On: March 12, 2008
Posted On: March 12, 2008
ID: 709449
Category: Web Development > Web Applications
Skills: PHP, MySQL
Country: Malaysia
Hours Billed: 0

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Senior PHP or ASP Programmer Needed - oDesk

California based web and graphic design studio is looking for a web programmer to develop simple code for a new and upcoming website. This code must be compatible to our custom designed website. We are developing a website to promote a weight loss program for the local community. What we need is the programmer to develop a log-in/registration application. Registrants will be able to log-in and update their weight and how many pounds lost. We also would like a calculation of the total amount o...

Budget: $300.00
Starting On: March 12, 2008
Ending On:
Posted On: March 12, 2008
ID: 709445
Category: Web Development > Web Programming
Skills: PHP/MySQL, ASP.NET+ADO
Country: United States
Hours Billed: 0

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Adobe Lightroom 1.4 - Demo also available. (Updater)

Adobe Lightroom 1.4Adobe Lightroom is the efficient new way for professional photographers to import, select, develop, and showcase large volumes of digital images. So you can spend less time sorting and refining photographs, and more time actually shooting them. Its clean, elegant interface literally steps out of the way and lets you quickly view and work with the images you shot today, as well as the thousands of images that you will shoot over the course of your career. Because no two photographers work alike, Adobe Lightroom adapts to your workflow, not the other way around.

Lightroom lets you view, zoom in, and compare photographs quickly and easily. Precise, photography-specific adjustments allow you to fine tune your images while maintaining the highest level of image quality from capture through output. And best of all, it runs on most commonly used computers, even notebook computers used on location.More information

Symfony/PHP/MySQL Web Developer - oDesk

Looking for a website and web application.  Customers will come to the site to post requirements.  Vendors will sign up to be a site member and receive these requests and be able to reply with a quote through the website.  The website will mark up the price given by the vendor and present to the customer.  More details of the exact product will be given during interview and/or development. The information captured from users will include basic conta...

Work Load: FullTime
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Category: Web Development > Web Applications
Skills: Symfony, MySQL, PHP
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Inflation And Your Retirement: A Dangerous Combination

The Danger in 'Senior' Inflation

For Aging Americans, Rising Prices Will Take an Even Bigger Toll

Worried about inflation? It may be an even bigger danger than most of us realize.

That's because the American population is aging. The Baby Boomer generation is heading into retirement. And inflation for older Americans is considerably higher than it is for the rest of the population.

This is an underappreciated topic. There isn't much research on it. People usually talk about the average inflation figure, the Consumer Price Index.

But common sense, as well as official statistics, tells the story.

Look, first, at the products where inflation in recent times has been lowest, such as high-tech gear, and clothes.

In both areas, prices are actually falling, and have been for years. Last year's computers are on sale. Even the hottest product in recent memory, the iPhone, has had its price slashed. Through January, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics, information-technology prices fell around 6.2% on average, and apparel by 0.2%.

But these are mostly products bought by younger Americans.

Meanwhile, according to BLS data, the cost of food in the supermarket is rising by 5.7% a year. Home energy is up 5.5%. Gasoline is up 34%.

It costs 8.9% more to fly than it did a year ago. Medical services are rising by 5.7% a year, hospital services by 8.5%, home health-care and nursing-home fees by 4.5%. Funerals are up 4.8%.

Overall, this "senior" inflation is running well ahead of the official CPI, even though that just scared investors by rising at a 4.4% annual rate. The latest producer-price data, out Tuesday, added to concerns.

Falling house prices, while deflationary, actually hurt seniors as well. Many of those heading into retirement are, effectively, net sellers of real estate. Empty nesters often hope to cash out of their big family homes and move to something smaller, pocketing the difference. Via reverse mortgages, many also may want to tap into their homes' values in the years ahead.

If "senior" inflation continues to run well ahead of general inflation, it could raise two extra problems, even for those who are a long way from retirement.

The first is that tens of millions of Americans may be in even worse shape financially than they realize. We already have a savings crisis in this country. The national savings rate is on the floor, and millions of Americans are financially unprepared for retirement. Yet most of their personal retirement calculations factor in "standard" CPI estimates. Raise those numbers by a percentage point or two per year, and what looks like a savings "shortfall" by the time you reach 65 will stretch into a yawning chasm.

The second risk is that as the population ages, so this "senior" inflation figure will become closer and closer to the norm. And that would add further impetus to rising official inflation.

Plan Now For A Boomer Retirement

Lying in a hammock or perfecting the old golf game for 20 years might seem the ideal retirement to baby boomers at 3 p.m. on a hectic Wednesday, but it will likely lose its luster after a few years.

Unlike their parents, baby boomers have plenty of healthy years ahead of them once they reach 65, thanks to modern medicine. Add to that the shortage of skilled employees in the workforce, and baby boomers have the option of working through what was once considered the traditional retirement years.

Since trudging to the office until age 85 sounds horrific, the question is: What will an enjoyable and fulfilling retirement look like? In her new book, Retire Retirement: Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation, Tamara Erickson explores boomers' options and offers guidance for achieving them.

Ideally, the workplace will be flexible and boomers will work on a project basis as opposed to five days a week from 9 to 5. Or it will be a time when they can explore a second or even third career. But the key is to start planning now.

"Most people have not gotten their head around the idea of the next 20 to 30 years," says Erickson. "When you ask most people what they're going to do when they retire, most people are lucky if they can come up with a one year plan."

That's not enough. Although Retire Retirement is written for individuals, Erickson urges companies to have an equal role in figuring out the best way to put boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, to work after age 65. Instead of fretting over the "brain drain" employers say will happen when droves of boomers retire, she tells companies to change the traditional model. And that shouldn't be beyond them; just look at how accommodating most employers are when it comes to flexible working arrangements for new parents, for instance.

Erickson recently spoke to Forbes.com about what the ideal retirement world will look like to boomers. Here is an edited transcript.

Forbes.com: What should boomers do to prepare before they reach the typical retirement?

Erickson: First, they need to ask themselves if they want to work at their existing company or branch off into something new. The reality is most companies don't have policies in place that will make it easy to stay. That's why boomers should start talking to their company five to 10 years before the typical retirement age.

Many companies suggest putting these experienced employees into mentor roles as a way to transfer their knowledge to the younger staffers. Is that an option?

I think that's ridiculous. How many advisers can any corporation have? The most attractive option is to create project work. Companies have to get a lot smarter about breaking jobs down into projects that can be done cyclically or in chunks.

So not necessarily working Monday through Friday, 9 to 5?

Right. They might work intensively for two or three months, but then they'll take a break and come back when they're needed on another project.

That sounds complicated for companies, logistically.

That's why companies need to get started today. It will take time to get these jobs into place. I can't tell you how many times companies say, "We don't have those kinds of jobs." I say, create them. Jobs that aren't naturally project-based can be chunked out into time slots.

Look at one of the hottest trends in nursing. It's having contract nurses travel to hospitals around the country and the world for periods of time. They sign up for contracts of about three months and then take time off and then they sign up again. Companies need to look at that model for their older employees who don't want to fully retire.

Have you seen examples like that in other professions?

We're starting to see signs of that in specialized science areas. There are online services where retired scientists and engineers can go to tap into projects. They work on the project and then they can sign up for something new.

What if a boomer wants to go in the other direction and start a new career?

You can't sit in a cubicle and think up something. The way to find this second path is by trying different things. If you're a few years away from making a transition, start now to experiment with your hobby, volunteer organization or some other interest. Start doing more and explore if can turn it into a commercial activity. Learn by doing.

What's the big message to boomers who are approaching age 65?

Start thinking about this early. I want people to change their assumptions. There's an assumption that old people are not welcome in the workplace. That's continuing to change. We're not our parents' generation. We have a longer period of time after retirement. Work doesn't have to be a very rigid 9 to 5 and going into the office. We assume our kids will leave us. That assumption is untrue. Boomers will continue to have warm relationships with their kids, and that will influence what they want to do later in life. We're seeing reversal of dispersion of the nuclear family. Some boomers will want to change their geographic location because they will want to follow their kids. And the work they want to do should have spontaneous flexibility to accommodate that.

This is all great to talk about, but the reality is many companies are offering buyout packages to their older, more expensive employees. Those people are then having a hard time finding work because other companies think they'll be too expensive to hire. Isn't that the harsh reality?

You see the most innovation at the ends of the spectrum. You see it in higher-skilled technical jobs and in places like Wal-Mart. We've still got this big middle which is the norm. It's an interesting question and I don't know how fast those two ends will overtake the middle.

What industries or companies are being most progressive in this area?

Aerospace and petroleum engineers tend to be progressive since they need engineers and they're highly skilled fields. Generally, though, it will happen in whatever industry experiences a talent shortage. The truth is nobody will do it unless they face necessity.

16 Ways To Save $100

16 Ways to Save $100
Simple, sensible ways to save money.
By Susan Berger

From Reader's Digest

As the government and Federal Reserve campaign to head off a recession, many families are working hard to save money and reduce debt. Credit-card debts and other loans hang over us like a sword. By saving modest amounts, however, you can reap big rewards over time. And that doesn't require clipping coupons and washing out used coffee filters. Here are easy ways you can save $100 or more this year:

1. Plug into bargain electricity.
Mickey Greenblatt was spending nearly $250 a month on electricity for his home in Potomac, Md. When the retired executive called his utility company to find out why his bills were so high, the company offered to do a free home-energy audit. Greenblatt learned that simple things such as running his dishwasher at night rather than during the day could cut his bill by 40 percent. Taking advantage of such options as off-peak rates can save most consumers $100 a year.

Savings are also possible under "load management" programs. You get discounts for allowing your utility company to put a device on your water heater and air conditioner that switches them off briefly during periods of high demand.

2. Hit the brakes on automobile-insurance rates.
You can save substantially by increasing the deductibles on the comprehensive and collision portions of your policy. According to the Insurance Information Institute, raising collision deductibles from $200 to $500 could reduce your collision and comprehensive coverage by 15-30 percent. Squeeze out additional savings by asking about every possible discount, such as for carpooling, air bags, annual mileage below 10,000 miles -- even for teenage drivers with grade averages above a B.

3. Challenge your property tax.
Ruth Rejnis, author of Squeeze Your Home for Cash, recommends going to your local assessor's office and finding out what property taxes your neighbors are paying. If your house is similar but your taxes are higher, you may want to challenge your bill. Also, read the description of your home. Errors in square footage or the number of bathrooms could mean an overcharge. The assessor's office or local board of tax review can tell you how to file an appeal.

4. Shop for a bargain bank.
Look for free checking and no ATM fees. Also, if you have direct deposit of your paycheck, your bank might waive its monthly fee.

5. Remedy pricey prescriptions.
Cut your bills in half by buying generic drugs instead of name brands. Also, buy your prescriptions via mail order through a drugstore chain or your company health plan.

6. Pay off your plastic.
If you carry a credit-card balance from month to month, pay it back pronto. A $1000 balance at 18 percent blows nearly $200 a year in interest. If you can't pay it off in full, transfer your debt to a lower-rate card.

7. Say no to car extras.
Your car dealer may sell rustproofing and fabric protection at $100 a pop, and paint protection for as much as $250. "Usually these extras are the dealer's way to squeeze more money out of you," says Bob Elliston, author of What Car Dealers Won't Tell You. Do-it-yourself fabric protector costs about $10 a bottle. Paint protection is unnecessary, since most cars have many layers of paint. And skip rustproofing: cars come already treated so that they won't need it.

8. Take a longer waiting period for disability insurance.
If you can't work, disability insurance pays your living expenses. Many employers offer this. But if you must buy your own, accept the longest waiting period before benefits kick in -- as long as you can cover those expenses, suggests Shelly Branch, author of Dollar Pinching: A Consumer's Guide to Smart Spending. A healthy male carpenter earning $40,000 annually could pay up to $1800 a year for a policy with a 30-day wait. With a 90-day wait it could cost $800 to $1100.

9. Cancel mortgage insurance.
When you buy a house with less than 20 percent down, your lender may insist you buy private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect against default. The average cost of this insurance is $45 a month, or $540 a year. However, once you have 20-percent equity (either because you've paid down your mortgage or because area property values have risen), you may be allowed to cancel the PMI.

10. Explore DRIPs.
If you buy stock, you can save on brokerage commissions by enrolling in a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). Offered by more than 900 companies, DRIPs allow shareholders to buy stock directly. You may have to be a shareholder of record, however, so find out if you'll need to use a broker to buy your first few shares. Then enroll in the DRIP.

11. Buy straight from the Treasury.
Another way to bypass brokers and save money on fees is to buy Treasury notes, bills or bonds directly. The minimum investment is $1000 for bonds and for notes with maturities between five and ten years, $5000 for notes with shorter maturities and $10,000 for bills. Ask the nearest branch of the Federal Reserve Bank for an application for a Treasury Direct account.

12. Clean out your closet.
When you deduct charitable donations of clothing at tax time, do you just guess $100? William Lewis, author of Cash for Your Used Clothing, says most people underestimate the worth of such items.

Before you donate, price each item against similar ones sold at the store where you drop them off. If you're in a 28-percent tax bracket, a donation worth $400 will earn you a tax deduction of at least $112.

13. Skip the service contract.
Extended warranties on electronics are rarely a good deal. According to Tom Garman, a Virginia Tech professor of consumer affairs, most product breakdowns occur in the first year and are covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

14. Flex your company's flexible spending account.
These accounts allow you to set aside part of your pretax salary for dependent-care costs and unreimbursed medical expenses. You decide at the beginning of the year how much money you want to set aside in the account. The downside is that if you don't use all the money, you lose it. However, if you're in the 28-percent tax bracket and allocate $500 to cover your health-insurance deductible, you'll cut taxes by $140.

15. Buy in bulk.
Items you may use a lot, such as paper towels and diapers, are often far cheaper when you buy in quantity. For example, Alan and Denise Fields, co-authors of Baby Bargains, say new parents buy an average of 2400 disposable diapers in their baby's first year alone. Diapers that cost 20 cents apiece in the packages sold at grocery shops and drugstores might go for 15 cents when bought in bulk at a discount store or warehouse club. Just a nickel a diaper could add up to an annual savings of $120.

16. Rethink your vacations.
"Homestay" programs offer free lodging all over the world to travelers who are themselves willing to host other members in their homes. Some groups charge an annual membership fee, but your savings can easily be worth more than a hundred dollars a day.

More On Saving Money

Reduce Your Income Taxes

Itemize Deductions
Part of sound financial planning is ensuring that you don't pay more taxes than necessary, which means you need to have at least a basic understanding of itemized deductions, even if an accountant prepares your taxes. It's especially important if you prepare your own taxes.

What Is Itemizing?

Each year when you file your income tax return, you have to choose between using the standard deduction (a flat amount) or claiming your actual allowed deductions, called itemizing. If your actual expenses exceed the standard deduction, you'll save money by itemizing.

What's the Difference Between the Standard Deduction and Exemptions?

The standard deduction is a flat amount that you deduct from your taxable income if you don't itemize, and shouldn't be confused with exemptions, which you're entitled to whether you itemize or not (unless your income exceeds certain limits).

Either way, for 2007 you get a $3,400 personal exemption for yourself, $3,400 for your spouse, and up to $3,400 for each person you can claim as a dependent. Personal exemptions are phased out at certain income levels. See Publication 501 for details.

If you don't itemize, the standard deduction for tax year 2007 is as follows:

* $5,350 if you file as single
* $7,850 if you file as Head of Household
* $10,700 if you're married filing jointly or are a qualifying widow(er)
* $5,350 if you're married filing separately

You're entitled to an additional deduction, depending on your filing status, if you're over age 65 or legally blind (see Form 1040). If you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return, your standard deduction may be limited.

Should I Itemize or Take the Standard Deduction?

To determine if you have enough deductions to itemize, use Schedule A (included with the long version of Form 1040) to list all of your allowable expenses, and compare the total to the standard deduction for your filing status. If your allowable expenses are more than the standard deduction, you can itemize.

Over the years, the number of allowable deductions has been shrinking, so it's increasingly difficult to itemize. Mortgage interest is the major allowable deduction for most people, and unless you have a very small mortgage, you probably paid enough interest to put you over the standard deduction and make it possible for you to itemize.

What Expenses Are Allowable Deductions If I Itemize?

Some of the most common allowable expenses include:

* State and local income taxes
* Real estate taxes (if your taxes include service fees for things like trash pickup, recycling, etc., only the portion related to the value of your property is deductible)
* State and local personal property taxes based on the value of personal property such as cars or boats
* Mortgage interest
* Charitable contributions
* Medical expenses (but only if they exceed 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income

Get The 2007 Tax Refund You Deserve

Uncle Sam cuts you a deal on mortgage insurance, college bills and retirement savings

Procrastinators, rejoice! You don't have to feel quite so guilty if you get a late start on your income taxes this year. Thanks to Congress's tardiness in passing tax legislation, the IRS couldn't begin to process some returns until mid February -- about a month later than usual. Unfortunately, that delay will also postpone refunds for millions of taxpayers who usually file simple returns early in the season.

But if your tax situation is complicated, you probably won't even notice the slowdown. You may be waiting for the stragglers among your 1099s to arrive from brokers, mutual funds and IRA sponsors. By the time you've gathered all of your paperwork, the IRS backlog should be cleared out. At least, that's the plan.

The stealth tax

Why the holdup? Blame it on the alternative minimum tax. Congress created the AMT back in 1969 to ensure that 155 wealthy Americans paid their fair share of taxes. But the tax was never indexed to inflation. Lately, it's been entrapping millions of unsuspecting taxpayers -- mainly upper-middle-income Americans with big families and fat state write-offs.

That's because this parallel tax system requires you to figure your taxes twice. First you calculate your taxes under the regular rules, claiming all your allowable credits and deductions. Then you do it again under the AMT rules, which don't allow many of those adjustments. You owe whichever tax is higher (the table on page 61 shows which taxpayers are most likely to pay the AMT). Although the AMT taxes more of your income, it does so at a rate of 26% or 28%. So wealthy taxpayers in the 33% and 35% tax brackets are often unaffected by the AMT.

Last year, the AMT snared four million people, whose tax bills increased by an average of about $2,000. Without congressional intervention, another 20 million taxpayers would have been hit by the AMT when they filed their 2007 tax returns this spring. After prolonged squabbling, Congress finally approved a one-year patch that boosted AMT-exemption amounts slightly above 2006 levels to prevent the expansion of this stealth tax.

That means that if you didn't pay the AMT in 2006, you're probably safe for 2007. But if you paid the AMT in 2006, and your financial situation is essentially unchanged, you can expect to pay it again in 2007.

Ironically, many people affected by this season's delay won't be paying the AMT. They file certain tax forms that can't be processed until the IRS reprograms its computers to reflect the AMT change. For example, if you claim the Hope or Lifetime Learning credit for college tuition -- which is available only to individuals whose income is less than $57,000 and to married couples with incomes less than $114,000 -- mid February is the earliest you can file your tax return.

The delay also applies to taxpayers with incomes less than $100,000 who claim child-care or elder-care credits on the 1040A form. (They can skip around the delay and claim the credit, though, by filing a standard 1040.) Also affected: anyone, regardless of income, who claims a tax credit for installing energy-efficient windows and doors. In either case, if you try to file your return electronically too early, it will be rejected. Paper returns mailed too soon will languish in the to-be-processed pile.

Filing made easy

If you are still filing a paper tax return, this may be a good year to switch to electronic preparation and filing to reduce errors and speed your refund. With direct deposit, you can expect your refund in as little as ten days, the IRS says, compared with four to six weeks in the case of a paper return. If you buy tax-preparation software in a box (such as TurboTax, which includes tax advice from Kiplinger's), download all the latest updates to ensure that you are using the correct forms. If you use the online versions, the programs are updated automatically.

If your adjusted gross income is $54,000 or less (as it is for 97 million taxpayers), you can prepare and electronically file your federal tax return free (go to www.irs.gov and click on "Free File" for details).

When it comes to filing tax returns, the majority of Americans take the easy route. Only 35% of us itemize our deductions; the rest claim the standard deduction. For 2007, that's $5,350 for individuals, $7,850 for heads of households, and $10,700 for married couples filing jointly, all up slightly from 2006.

But don't let habit (or just plain laziness) cost you money. If you bought your first home in 2007, that could be the trigger that makes itemizing make sense. You can deduct your mortgage interest and property taxes, which, along with state income or sales taxes and charitable contributions, may push your total write-offs over the standard deduction.

If you had a baby or adopted a child, you can claim a $1,000-per-child tax credit for each child under 17 whether you itemize or not.

If you turned 65 in 2007, you may benefit by switching from itemizing to taking the standard deduction -- particularly if your mortgage is paid off -- because you are now entitled to a larger standard deduction than younger taxpayers.

And if you have paid the AMT in the past but recently became an empty nester, losing the $3,400 personal exemption for your former dependent might be enough to slip you back into regular-tax territory, says Donna Cocovinis, a tax lawyer and contributing editor to J.K. Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide series.

If you itemize, you need to know about a tough new rule for charitable contributions: You now need documentation -- in the form of a bank record, credit-card statement or acknowledgment from the charity noting the date, amount and recipient -- for every contribution you deduct.

Breaks for homeowners

If you bought a house last year and made a down payment of less than 20%, you are probably paying for mortgage insurance. If your income is $100,000 or less, you can now deduct all of your private mortgage insurance, or mortgage insurance that you purchase through the Veterans Administration, Federal Housing Administration or Rural Housing Administration. (The IRS added a line to the Form 1098 from your lender to show how much mortgage insurance you paid in 2007.) The deduction phases out completely once your AGI tops $110,000.

Some homeowners affected by the subprime-mortgage mess will also benefit from new tax relief. Ordinarily, if you lose your home to foreclosure or your lender forgives some of your mortgage debt, that debt relief is considered taxable income. For example, if a bank forecloses when you owe $400,000 on your home and then sells the property for $310,000 in full satisfaction of the debt, you would normally owe tax on the $90,000 difference. Ouch!

But a new law excludes up to $2 million of forgiven indebtedness from taxes, if the debt is secured by a principal residence and if the money was used to buy, build or substantially improve your home. The exclusion does not apply to second homes or vacation property, or to home-equity debt resulting from cash-out refinancing. The relief is temporary and applies only to debts that are eliminated in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Also new in 2007: relief for taxpayers who paid the AMT in 2003 or earlier because they exercised options on company stock that later lost value. As a result, they were taxed on gains they never realized, and received AMT credits they could never fully recover under old tax rules. Starting in 2007, these taxpayers can claim a refund of $5,000 or 20% of their unused AMT credit, whichever is greater. The refundable AMT credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes of more than $278,900 for individuals and $357,100 for married couples.

Trim tuition costs

Thanks to inflation adjustments, some education tax breaks now have slightly more generous income-eligibility levels. Individuals with incomes up to $57,000, and married couples with incomes up to $114,000, can claim some or all of the Hope credit for first- and second-year college students, which is worth up to $1,650 per student. The same income limits apply to the Lifetime Learning credit for any postÐhigh school education. That credit is worth up to $2,000 per tax return.

A tax credit is more valuable than a deduction; it reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar compared with a deduction, which merely reduces the amount of income subject to tax. Still, if you earn too much to qualify for education tax credits, you can benefit by deducting $4,000 of college tuition if your income is $130,000 or less on a joint return ($65,000 for others), or $2,000 if your joint income is between $130,001 and $160,000 ($65,001 to $80,000 for others).

But wait, there's more. If you are single and your income is $70,000 or less, or married with a joint income of $140,000 or less, you can also deduct up to $2,500 of student-loan interest for yourself, your spouse or your dependent. And you can take the deduction regardless of whether you itemize.

Even if your income is too high to qualify, you can pay back the student loan on behalf of your child. The IRS will treat it as though you gave the money to your child, who then paid the debt and can claim the tax break, says Bob Scharin, senior tax analyst with Thomson Tax & Accounting.

Bear in mind that if your child takes the deduction, you can't claim him or her as a dependent. But this strategy makes even more sense if you're subject to the AMT, because you lose the dependent deduction anyway.

If you used savings bonds to pay for college expenses, the interest is tax-free if your income doesn't exceed certain thresholds. For married couples, the exclusion begins to phase out above $98,400 and disappears when your income reaches $128,400. For other taxpayers, the interest exclusion is available to those with incomes of $65,500 or less and disappears once your income hits $80,600.

Teachers and aides can deduct up to $250 of out-of-pocket expenses for classroom supplies, regardless of their income or whether they itemize deductions.

Deduct sales taxes?

In 2007, taxpayers who itemize get another chance to choose between deducting state income taxes or state and local sales taxes on their federal returns. In most cases, going the income-tax route will result in a bigger deduction. But for residents of states such as Florida, Nevada, Texas and Washington, which have no income tax, the sales-tax deduction is an easy choice.

If you elect the sales-tax deduction, you have two options: Add up the tax on all of your receipts throughout the year, or use the IRS's sales-tax tables or online calculator for your state, family size and income level. Either way, you can tack on the sales tax for major expenses, such as a car, boat or mobile home.

But the sales-tax deduction is easy to overlook. Last year, more than two million taxpayers who were eligible to deduct their state and local sales taxes didn't, missing out on more than $3.5 billion in potential tax breaks.

Blake Young is a self-confessed fanatic about keeping records, and it's paying off. Young, who lives in Bellaire, Tex., racked up roughly $10,000 in sales-tax payments for 2007, thanks in part to the purchase of a new Mercedes and jewelry for his wife, Mindy. That compares with just $3,100 the IRS sales-tax tables say he could deduct based on his situation: a family of four with more than $200,000 in income. "The trick is to be diligent about collecting receipts throughout the year," says Young. His diligence allowed him to claim $5,000 in general sales taxes, plus an additional $5,000 for the car.

In Young's 35% tax bracket, the $10,000 sales-tax deduction could trim $3,500 from his tax bill. But there's a catch: High earners such as Young lose part of their itemized deductions when their income exceeds certain thresholds. (If you're subject to the AMT, which Young is not, you lose the state and local sales-tax deduction altogether.)

If your 2007 adjusted gross income exceeds $156,400, regardless of whether you are married or single, your deductions will be reduced by 2% of the amount by which your AGI exceeds the trigger point. Let's say, for example, that your AGI is $200,000. Your itemized deductions would be reduced by $872 (2% of the $43,600 in income that tops $156,400). If you are single with an AGI of more than $156,400, or married with a combined income of $234,600 or more, you also lose a portion of the personal exemptions that you claim for yourself, your spouse and your dependents. Normally those are worth $3,400 each.

More ways to save

There's still time to trim your 2007 taxes by contributing to a tax-deductible IRA. You can contribute up to $4,000 (or $5,000 if you're 50 or older) until the time you file your tax return, but no later than April 15. And for 2007 you can earn more than in 2006 and still deduct your IRA contributions.

Even if you participate in a retirement plan at work, you can deduct some or all of your IRA contributions if you are married and your joint income is $103,000 or less, or if you are single and your income is $62,000 or less. If you don't participate in a workplace-based retirement plan but your spouse does, you can deduct some or all of your IRA contributions as long as your joint income doesn't exceed $166,000.

In addition, lower-income taxpayers, such as young workers and retirees who work part-time, can reduce their tax bill or increase their refund by claiming the retirement savers tax credit. This tax credit, which has been made permanent, is worth up to $1,000 when you contribute $2,000 to a traditional or Roth IRA, 401(k) or other workplace-based retirement plan. To claim the credit, you must be at least 18 years old and not a student, and you cannot be claimed as a dependent by anyone else. You are eligible if you are single with an income of $26,000 or less; head of a household with an income of $39,000 or less; or married filing jointly with an income of $52,000 or less.

Retirees who donated some or all of their 2007 IRA distribution to charity can exclude the donated amount from their adjusted gross income. Although you can't claim the contribution as a charitable deduction, your lower income may mean that the taxes you pay on your Social Security benefits will be reduced. Or it may be easier for you to qualify for other tax breaks, such as deducting medical expenses that exceed 7.5% of your AGI. When calculating your medical expenses, don't forget to include your Medicare Part D premiums for prescription-drug coverage.