Posted by Rich Rodgers on Fri, Jul 30, 2010
The Shoshone chief Pocatello signs the Treaty of Box Elder, bringing peace to the emigrant trails of southern Idaho and northern Utah. Pocatello was a Bannock Shoshone, one of the two major Shoshone tribes that dominated modern-day southern Idaho. Once a large and very powerful people, the Shoshone lost thousands to a smallpox epidemic in 1781. The fierce Blackfoot Indians took further advantage of the badly weakened Shoshone to push them off the plains and into the mountains. The first representatives of a people who would soon prove even more dangerous than the Blackfoot arrived in August 1805: The expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Anxious to establish good relations with the Americans in hopes of someday obtaining guns to fight the dreaded Blackfoot, the Shoshone welcomed Lewis and Clark and gave them the horses they needed to cross the Rocky Mountains. However, by the time Pocatello had become a chief 50 years later, the Shoshone realized the white people were more of a threat than the Blackfoot. By 1857, Pocatello was a young chief who controlled an extensive territory around present-day Pocatello, Idaho. Pocatello was greatly alarmed by the growing number of Mormons who were traveling north from Salt Lake City and settling in Shoshone territory. The Indians and Mormons increasingly clashed, with both sides committing brutal and unjustified murders. Pocatello was determined to resist the white settlement. He led several attacks on the Mormons, killing or wounding several of them and stealing their horses. In 1863, the U.S. government sent Colonel Patrick Connor and a company of soldiers into the region to protect American telegraph lines and, secondarily, the Mormon settlers. That May, Connor set out to track down Pocatello and his followers, but the Shoshone chief managed to evade the soldiers. On his own initiative, Pocatello then proposed a peace agreement. If the Mormons provided the Shoshone with compensation for lost game and land, Pocatello promised to cease his attacks. The Mormons accepted his terms. On this day in 1863, Pocatello signed his "X" on the Treaty of Box Elder and the overt hostilities ended. As the Anglo settlers in the region grew more numerous and gained the support of the U.S. government, the Shoshone were confined to a reservation within their traditional territory. Pocatello died on the reservation in 1884. The nearby Idaho city of Pocatello was named for him.
http://tdiumh.blogspot.com/2005/07/july-30.html
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Posted by Rich Rodgers on Thu, Jul 29, 2010
Obtain your Microsoft MCSE Certification before the exams expire. You work with the Operating System and you know it well, but you do not have the Certifications to back it up. Complete your certifications now before it is too late!
Microsoft Certified Professionals stand apart from other IT personnel. They've demonstrated undeniable expertise with Microsoft products and platforms to colleagues, employers, and—most importantly—to themselves.
Earning your MCSE certification provides objective validation of the ability to successfully perform critical IT functions. Embraced by industry professionals worldwide, Microsoft certification remains one of the most effective ways to reach long-term career goals.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
The MCSE credential is the premier certification for professionals who design and implement the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows platform and Microsoft Windows Server System™.
The MCSA/MCSE: Security exams support the release of Windows Server™ 2003 by identifying systems engineers who can successfully plan and implement a network infrastructure, Active Directory® infrastructure, and client deployment on the Windows 2003 platform, and perform maintenance at a high level for a medium- to large-sized Windows 2003 environment.
The MCSA/MCSE: Security on Windows Server™ 2003 credential offers IT professionals a competitive edge in today's constantly changing business environment by validating the specific experience required by the network and systems administrator job role. The certification provides employers with a means to identify those qualified individuals who have the appropriate skills set to do the job successfully.
CED Solutions is #1 in Microsoft Certifications in North America (2009). CED Solutions has thousands of students attending training and certification each year.
www.cedsolutions.com, info@cedsolutions.com, (800) 611-1840
For more information contact CED Solutions at http://www.cedsolutions.com or call 1 (800) 611-1840
Posted by Rich Rodgers on Tue, Jul 27, 2010
Jailbreaking an Apple iPhone to add unauthorized apps or use an alternative cell provider is officially no longer a government offense.
The Library of Congress, as part of a regular review of copyright rules, has revised a 1998 position that banned phone owners from bypassing technical locks on the devices. The process, nicknamed jailbreaking, has been used by iPhone owners to buck AT&T Inc.'s exclusivity as the cell carrier for the device.
Apple Inc., which makes the iPhone, had urged that the rules be kept intact. But in a statement Monday on the rule changes, Librarian of Congress James Billington said phone owners who did a workaround on the device were among those who would "not be subject to the statutory prohibition against circumvention."
The new rules also negate any potential legal arguments from Motorola, Samsung or their companion carriers in response to attempts at prying open software on their phones. For example, the operating system on Motorola's Droid X cannot be altered, and Samsung's Captivate can install apps only from the Google and AT&T Marketplace.
Although cutting through manufacturers' security measures is now legal, such a move would still violate product warranties set by many companies. So if an iPhone locks down after it has been jailbroken — "bricking," as it's called — Apple doesn't have to repair it or provide technical support.
"Apple's goal has always been to ensure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said in an e-mail. "As we've said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones, as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably."
About 4 million iPhone and iPod Touch units had been jailbroken as of last August, and were accessing apps from a sort of black-market storefront called Cydia, the marketplace's founder told Wired. The store is a haven for many developers that Apple, the gatekeeper to its App Store, has ignored or turned away.
Google Inc., which produces a competing smart-phone platform called Android, was one victim of Apple's sometimes ambiguous and much lambasted regulation over the App Store.
The Cupertino, Calif., iPhone maker had to respond to an inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission last year regarding why its store would not carry an app called Google Voice. The program lets users reroute phone calls and voicemail through Google's system for perks such as cheaper international call rates and voicemail transcription. A similar app, not made by Google, that interfaces with the Voice service is for sale through Cydia.
Apple Chief Steve Jobs' retort: 95% of the 15,000 apps submitted per week are approved within a week.
The new federal exemptions also apply to video games, allowing players to break measures to investigate or fix security flaws. Additionally, educators can circumvent copy protection on DVDs for noncommercial purposes; computer owners may bypass security dongles when they break and cannot be replaced; and blind people may break digital locks on e-books to access read-aloud software.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-iphone-apps-20100727,0,4385067.story
CED Solutions is one of the largest providers of computer software training in North America.
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Posted by Rich Rodgers on Wed, Jun 30, 2010
Letter from John Adams to his daughter Abigail on July 5th about the previous day: "In the morning the Delaware frigate, several large gallies, and other continental armed vessels, the Pennsylvania ship and row gallies and guard boats, were all hawled off in the river, and several of them beautifully dressed in the colours of all nations, displayed about upon the masts, yards, and rigging.
At one o'clock the ships were all manned, that is, the men were all ordered aloft, and arranged upon the tops, yards, and shrowds, making a striking appearance-of companies of men drawn up in order, in the air.
Then I went on board the Delaware, with the President and several gentlemen of the Marine Committee, soon after which we were saluted with a discharge of thirteen guns, which was followed by thirteen others, from each other armed vessel in the river; then the gallies followed the fire, and after them the guard boats. Then the President and company returned in the barge to the shore, and were saluted with three cheers, from every ship, galley, and boat in the river. The wharves and shores, were lined with a vast concourse of people, all shouting and huzzaing, in a manner which gave great joy to every friend to this country, and the utmost terror and dismay to every lurking tory.
At three we went to dinner, and were very agreeably entertained with excellent company, good cheer, fine music from the band of Hessians taken at Trenton, and continual vollies between every toast, from a company of soldiers drawn up in Second-street before the city tavern, where we dined. The toasts were in honour of our country, and the heroes who have fallen in their pious efforts to defend her. After this, two troops of light-horse, raised in Maryland, accidentally here in their way to camp, were paraded through Second-street, after them a train of artillery, and then about a thousand infantry, now in this city on their march to camp, from North Carolina. All these marched into the common, where they went through their firings and manoeuvres; but I did not follow them. In the evening, I was walking about the streets for a little fresh air and exercise, and was surprised to find the whole city lighting up their candles at the windows. I walked most of the evening, and I think it was the most splendid illumination I ever saw; a few surly houses were dark; but the lights were very universal. Considering the lateness of the design and the suddenness of the execution, I was amazed at the universal joy and alacrity that was discovered, and at the brilliancy and splendour of every part of this joyful exhibition. I had forgot the ringing of bells all day and evening, and the bonfires in the streets, and the fireworks played off.
Had General Howe been here in disguise, or his master, this show would have given them the heart-ache. I am your affectionate father,
John Adams"
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Posted by Rich Rodgers on Fri, Jun 25, 2010
10 Reasons Why Google Won't Beat Microsoft in Cloud Collaboration
by Clint Boulton
Microsoft Is Big, Getting Bigger
When was the last time you saw a study that said Microsoft's market share was declining? Microsoft has a $17 billion a year Office business and 500 million seats for that suite. Microsoft SharePoint is a $1 billion a year business. It isn't going anywhere.
Local Still Preferable?
Despite all of the hoopla surrounding cloud computing, that talk is reserved for cost-conscious enterprises. Forrester Research analyst JP Gownder noted that, at least for consumers, "local computing power is plentiful and cheap." There are still plenty of consumers using Office on their store-bought PCs. Google Apps is unlikely to peck away at Microsoft's user base there.
Microsoft Now Lives in the Cloud
For a couple years, Microsoft had no cloud computing offering and Google mopped the floor with the software giant from a PR and marketing standpoint. Microsoft is fully in the cloud now with Office 2010 and a few flavors of Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite, whose standard version (BPOS-S) costs $10 per user, per month.
Bang for the Buck Lies with Microsoft
It's true that $120 per user, per year for BPOS-S, seems a bit pricey compared to Google's $50 per user, per year for Google Apps suite. However, some customers would argue that because BPOS-S includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Live Meeting and Office Communications Online, they get more bang for their buck. Office 2010 with the lightweight Office Web Apps solidifies Microsoft's cloud ambitions for the casual cloud collaboration user.
Serena Said It and Did It
Serena left Microsoft Exchange for Google Apps in March 2009, but has come back to license BPOS-S, citing what it said was immature products and customer service. We don't know about that. Google Apps performs well for our casual use. But, when it comes to the enterprise, Serena IT Director Ron Brister tells another tale.
Limited Browser
Brister complained about the inability for Google Apps to synch properly between offline and online data. Forrester's Gownder said that despite programming advances browser-based programs are still more limited than client software today. Google Docs has gotten a nice refresh. But Gownder and others wonder whether it will be enough to satisfy power users. That's Microsoft's sweet spot.
Customer Service
While Microsoft has rich, years-long relationships with thousands of enterprise customers, Google Apps is putting off some customers. Brister told eWEEK Google's customer service was non-existent, or worse, arrogant about correcting issues Serena had with Google Apps. And he was paying for 24-7 customer service, which at one point told him to disable offline access. This sort of negative attention will keep other customers away.
Enterprise?
Google doesn't have the cachet Microsoft does in the enterprise. Rumor has it that Microsoft gave Serena BPOS-S free for three years. If this is true, the open source adage about it being "tough to compete with free" can be applied here. Microsoft can afford to give its cloud computing software to customers it wants to win from Google. The question is: will Google forego enterprise sales to do the same?
Google Billboards?!
Microsoft Office sells itself by way of word of mouth and entrenched contract renewals. Google has been knocked in the past for failing to advertise Google Apps and other Google Web services. Google Apps went two-plus years without advertising until Google launched its Going Google ad campaign. Going Google isn't on TV, where ads matter. It's on highway, train and subway billboards! When was the last time you went on the Web to look for something advertised on a billboard?
Good Enough
People, from consumers to enterprises, have a longstanding relationship with Office. As Gownder notes: "Consumers have years' worth of digital assets designed in, and still most suited to, Office." Unfortunately, while there is a segment of companies pining for the newfangled approach of the cloud, Microsoft now has the cloud computing assets to move employees from its local Microsoft Office and SharePoint suites to Web-based versions. So customers who once would have left Microsoft for Google's cloud will likely stick with Microsoft. Save for business customers and individuals that flocked to Google because they detested the legacy Office and SharePoint hegemonies, the software giant hasn't given them enough reasons to switch.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Cloud-Computing/10-Reasons-Why-Google-Wont-Beat-Microsoft-in-Cloud-Collaboration-823604/?kc=EWKNLEDP06232010A
CED Solutions is #1 in Microsoft Certifications in North America (2009).
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For more information contact CED Solutions at http://www.cedsolutions.com or call 1 (800) 611-1840
Posted by Rich Rodgers on Wed, Jun 23, 2010
The Soviet attack begins. There are four front-level commands engaged in the operation, under the STAVKA direction of Marshal Zhukov (the southern wing) and Marshal Vasilevsky (the northern wing). From left to right: 1st Belorussian Front (Rokossovsky); 2nd Belorussian Front (Zakharov); 3rd Belorussian Front (Cherniakhovsky); and, 1st Baltic Front (Bagramian). The Soviet combat forces directly engaged in the offensive amount to over 1,250,000 men (in 124 divisions), over 4000 tanks and self-propelled guns, over 24,000 artillery pieces and over 6300 aircraft. Soviet objectives include tactical encirclements at Vitebsk and Bobruisk while a deep encirclement would aim for Minsk. Soviet forces are then to drive west toward the Vistula River. The target of Operation Bagration is German Army Group Center (Busch) holding a salient centered on Minsk, and including most of Belorussia. Its forces, from right to left, include: 9th Army (Jordan), 4th Army (Tippelskirch); and, 3rd Panzer Army (Reinhardt). On the right flank of the army group is the German 2nd Army (Weiss) which is not targeted by the Soviet offensive. The German defenders amount to 800,000 men in 63 divisions with about 900 tanks and assault guns, 10,000 artillery pieces and 1300 planes. Advances of up 11 miles are recorded by Red Army troops of 2nd, 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic Fronts. The 1st Belorussian Front does not join in the assault during the day. Meanwhile in the far north, forces of the Soviet 7th Separate Army cross the Svir River.
http://tdiumh.blogspot.com/2005/06/june-23.html
CED Solutions is proud to provide computer software training and certification to thousands of active duty, reserve, national guard, and veterans of the armed forces.
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For more information contact CED Solutions at http://www.cedsolutions.com or call 1 (800) 611-1840
Posted by Rich Rodgers on Tue, Jun 22, 2010
On Okinawa, on June 22nd, 1945, the battle ends. American forces have lost 12,500 dead and 35,500 wounded. The US Navy has had 36 ships sunk and 368 damaged. In the air, the American forces have lost 763 planes. The Japanese losses include 120,000 military and 42,000 civilian dead. For the first time in the war, there are a relatively large number of Japanese prisoners: 10,755. American reports claim the Japanese have lost 7,830 planes.
Based on the American losses on Okinawa it is estimated that US losses in the attack on mainland Japan will be in excess of 100,000 dead and 300,000 wounded.
CED Solutions is proud to provide computer training and certification for thousands of active duty, reserve, national guard and veteran students each year.
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Posted by Rich Rodgers on Mon, Jun 21, 2010
If you have a recent iPhone, you'll want to download Apple's new iOS 4 software update today.
If you have an older iPhone, the most highly touted features won't apply to you.
Apple's iOS 4 software promises 100 new features for owners of the iPhone 3GS, released last June, including the ability to multitask, or run more than one app at once. It also lets you take control of the growing inventory of apps by organizing them into folders.
The software is being released today in advance of Thursday's 7 a.m. launch of the new iPhone 4.
Will iOS 4 work for you? Check your model:
• iPhone. Besides last year's 3GS, the new software will work with the 3G iPhone, released in 2008, but not with all features. For instance, multitasking and Bluetooth keyboard support won't work with iPhone 3G.
• iPod Touch. The new features are mostly operable only with the latest version of Apple's touch-screen iPod, the one released in late 2009. Multitasking doesn't work with the second-generation iPod Touch, released in 2008.
• iPad. Apple's latest hit - the hard-to-get iPad touch-screen tablet computer - doesn't get the iOS 4 update until later this year.
Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, says Apple's innovation with new software releases keeps products up to date and "is part of the science."
"Apple is a smart company and wants to make a lot of money," he says. "This is how it forces people to buy the latest products."
In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty estimated that 57% of current iPhone owners have older models that won't work with all of the features in the new operating system, which will help fuel sales of the new phone. She expects more than 50% of current iPhone customers to upgrade to the new phone, up from just 18% for last year's iPhone.
Apple says it has sold more than 50 million iPhones since its 2007 launch. Munster projects sales of 39 million this year, with total iPhone sales topping 100 million next year.
Apple and exclusive carrier partner AT&T began taking orders for the new iPhone Tuesday, selling out on the first day as demand overwhelmed resources. Apple says about 600,000 have already been sold. Its website says new orders will ship by July 14.
Apple hasn't said what time the software update will be available Monday. To access the new iOS, plug your iPhone or iPod into your computer and you will be prompted to download the new software via Apple's iTunes program.
Munster says the biggest new feature is multitasking, the familiar computer function that lets you, for instance, listen to Pandora online radio and answer e-mail at the same time. "It's a feature that's really been missing," he says.
Among the other new features:
• Books. Apple's iBooks store, first seen on the iPad, comes to the iPhone. (Current iPhone users already have been able to download e-books from Amazon and others.)
• E-mail. For those with multiple e-mail accounts, the new operating system lets you combine the accounts into one, for a unified inbox. A spell-checker has been added for e-mail.
• Playlists. You can now create playlists directly on your phone or iPod Touch.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-06-21-apple21_ST_N.htm?csp=hf
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For more information contact CED Solutions at http://www.cedsolutions.com or call 1 (800) 611-1840
Posted by Rich Rodgers on Tue, Jun 15, 2010
6 Critical IT Hiring Trends to Watch in 2010
by Don E. Sears
Do you anticipate hiring more professionals in the second half of 2010 than in the first half?
| Yes, substantially more hiring in the second half: |
20% |
| Yes, slightly more hiring in the second half: |
51% |
| No: |
29% |
What trend do you see in salaries for new hires?
| |
May 2010 |
Nov. 2009 |
| They are significantly higher than last year: |
4% |
1% |
| They are slightly higher than last year: |
26% |
8% |
| They are the same as last year: |
43% |
44% |
| They are slightly less than last year: |
23% |
37% |
| They are significantly less than last year: |
4% |
10% |
How many more professionals do you intend to hire in the second half of this year vs. the first half?
| 1 - 10% More: |
36% |
| 11 - 20% More: |
30% |
| 21 - 30% More: |
23% |
| 31 - 40% More: |
4% |
| 41 - 50% More: |
4% |
| More than 50%: |
3% |
How likely do you think layoffs are in the next six months at your organization?
| Very likely: |
3% |
| Likely: |
11% |
| Not Likely: |
72% |
| Don't know: |
14% |
Do you believe that voluntary departures will increase at your company this year?
Should turnover increase, does your company have an external bench of talent that can be hired quickly for key positions?
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Management/6-Critical-IT-Hiring-Trends-to-Watch-in-2010-286878/?kc=EWKNLCSM06152010STR1
CED Solutions provides training and certifications for IT Professionals to develop skill sets to improve performance in current positions and obtain new job opportunities.
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For more information contact CED Solutions at http://www.cedsolutions.com or call 1 (800) 611-1840
Posted by Rich Rodgers on Tue, Jun 15, 2010
Coming to stores this week: a new, souped-up Xbox 360 system to match that hands-free Kinect controller adapter due Nov. 4.
Attendees at the Electronic Entertainment Expo here expected Microsoft (MSFT) to show off its new Kinect device (no price yet), which enables players to play video games using their bodies and voices in lieu of standard video game controllers.
But the software giant and video game maker Monday also revealed a slimmer Xbox 360 game system priced at $299, same as the current model. The new model increases the hard drive space to 250 gigabytes - twice that of the current one - and includes built-in Wi-Fi capability. Current Xbox models need an accessory to access Xbox Live and other online features wirelessly.
The redesigned device, expected to be available at retailers later this week, is smaller and "whisper quiet," says Don Mattrick, the company's senior vice president of interactive entertainment. The new Xbox is "completely designed for the future of entertainment," he says.
Microsoft also announced a deal with ESPN to deliver free access to more than 3,500 live sports events (college and pro football and basketball, Major League Baseball) annually for Xbox Live subscribers. Live costs $50 per year.
The revamped Xbox 360 - combined with launch of Kinect, formerly named Project Natal - might help Microsoft in the competitive $20 billion video game industry. "They are taking their console, which has primarily been a core gaming outlet, and transforming it into an entertainment hub the whole family can enjoy," says Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research.
Since the November 2006 release of the Wii, Nintendo has dominated the casual and family video game market selling 28 million Wiis, according to market tracking firm The NPD Group. Microsoft has sold about 20 million Xbox 360s; Sony, 12.3 million PlayStation 3 systems.
An online survey by Frank N. Magid Associates found that consumers want easier-to-use video game controllers. About a third of those aware of Microsoft's system or Sony's PlayStation Move wand-like control system, due later this year, are interested in buying, analyst Mike Vorhaus says. "I would think the Nintendo guys are worried."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2010-06-15-microsoft15_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip
CED Solutions provides training and certification on Microsoft products to include network administration, security, database administration and development, professional developers.
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