Recently in Economy & Business Category

Do You Have Your Converter Box Yet?

on November 2, 2008 1:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was reading this article on the WSOC website about the pending change from analog television signal to a digital one starting on February 17th, 2009. That's only a couple of months away. After that date, local television states will only broadcast a digital signal. At least that's what's planned for here in the United States.

The cool thing is that the government is printing up these coupons where you can basically get a converter box for a small amount of money. Neat, right? Never mind that they're spending tax money to support businesses and all that.

Here's the problem. The change over occurs on February 17th, right? As I read the article, the coupons won't be going out until the converter boxes are in stores. No problem with that but the boxes themselves aren't due until "the end of February or first of March."

Anyone else concerned about the boxes not being available until after the change over occurs?

Happy Halloween - Have a Cookie!

Dr. Mike

on October 31, 2008 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Doubletree Hotels are giving away free Chocolate Chip cookies this Halloween. Have you gotten yours?

Image from here.

17 Ways to Save Money Running a Startup

Dr. Mike

on October 18, 2008 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of the folks I follow is Chris Comella, one of the lead people over at buzzpal, a USA / Sweden-based social startup. A long while ago, I bookmarked and saved this post on 17 Ways to Save Money Running a Startup. It contains a list of different method to save cash when you're struggling to get your company off the ground. The list originally comes from over at Calacanis although a few places have copied it without giving proper credit. :(

I noted in a comment and I still think that one should allow some customization in what programs and methods employees use to get their work done. I use Ultraedit, a feature rich text editor that I can do both php editing as well as regular text editing like the tutorials I've been writing. (Heck, I even paid for it. I must like it.) To be "forced" or "encouraged" to use a different program I would think would mean a lag as you got used to the new program and maybe even a lag as you progressed due to your wishing you could use what you normally did. (I wish I could have said that better.) Sure, everybody has to be on the same page and be able to read and use each other's work. As long as you don't try coding in MS Word, I would think you would be fine.

I hope they stock their fridges with Monster Drinks as well. :)

edit: Oops, I forgot to mention that the image is from buzzpal. I think all startups should have a cool looking model in their company's logo. :)

Sohmer Goes Shopping at the Apple Store and Buys Out the Store

Dr. Mike

on October 17, 2008 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sohmer, the writer and creator behind Least I Could Do webcomic, ran into his local Apple Store looking for accessories for his MacBook Air and it developed into an article about customer service. Most of the comments that follow, I don't have a problem with except for this one where a manager goes on about how he encourages his own employees to provide the best customer service that they can. My problem with that is I wonder how much credit that manager give his employees. I know for experience that little benefit gets down to the employee who goes out of his or her way to provide that wonderful customer support as usually the levels above that manager is told folks back or the manager is trying to keep his own butt covered by reducing costs.

My response is here and, yes, when I worked for Kinko's, they had their local pot dealer on speed dial. It was pretty sad.

Picture from here.

Honey, I got fired today because I make too much

Dr. Mike

on April 8, 2007 8:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

So Circuit City fired 3,400 employees recently. It's being talked about a great deal around Wordpress.com today. Gotta love this one post where we're reminded how Circuit City says that their employees are the best part of it. Had a chuckle over that. I don't think much of Wal-Mart but at least they just capped their employee's salaries and told them to go after promotions. And it's not the first time the Circuit City has done this either or screwed over their victims, um clients I mean. edit: It would have been a major PR advantage if a company like BestBuy stepped in and hired them all.

Do you want fries with your latte?

Dr. Mike

on March 29, 2007 1:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Debbie Herman of Eagle Mountain and Sharon Bloom of Noel, Mo., eat at Saratoga Springs McDonald's, which resembles a coffee shop

Something you don't see every day. A McDonalds done up as a coffee house. I wonder if the employees still have to wear the paper hats though or do they get something classier.

Link

Satellite Radio Rivals XM, Sirius Agree To Merge

Dr. Mike

on February 20, 2007 2:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Now this is a bit scary: Link

Satellite radio's two rivals have agreed to merge. XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio announced the plan Monday. The deal will consolidate the only two companies in the emerging business of subscription-only satellite radio. It's sure to face tough scrutiny from federal regulators. A clause in the Federal Communications Commission ruling that gave the satellite radio operators a license said one company cannot own the other one. Investors and analysts have been speculating about a deal for months. The two companies said in a statement that Mel Karmazin, the CEO of Sirius, would become chief executive of the new company while Gary Parsons, the chairman of XM, would remain in that role. The merger will join Howard Stern and NASCAR on Sirius with XM's Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan and Major League Baseball.

Can you say Monopoly? I knew you could. Satellite Radio, XM, Sirius, Howard Stern, Radio

Site sues Google over search rankings

Dr. Mike

on March 22, 2006 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From here:

A parental advice Internet site has sued Google Inc., charging it unfairly deprived the company of customers by downgrading its search-result ranking without reason or warning.

Shoddy Email Practices Cost US$1.1M

Dr. Mike

on March 14, 2006 8:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From here:

March 13, 2006: A U.S. email marketing company has agreed to pay US$1.1M and clean up its act after being caught using unethically obtained consumer data from several data mining companies. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's office has reportedly said that Datran Media Corp used emails obtained from data mining companies to spam consumers with a reported six million emails selling discount drugs, diet pills and other products.

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