I am getting ready to leave for the Portable Media Expo and Podcasting Conference. If you are going to attend, please let me know: technewsradio@gmail.com.
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Network World recently had an interesting story on how Chevron is moving to an enterprise-wide smart-card based security system as they bring on the last 50,000 users into their two-factor authenticated network password system.
The article is by John Fontana, and was published on Oct. 31, 2005.
This system supports 200 countries and 1800 offices worldwide, and is called "Chevron SmartBadge" which enables both building and network access with desktop logon and single sign-on to over 3000 applications.
This effort started nearly four years ago with the first year devoted to defining governance and policy standards before actually implementations started via a pilot program. Obviously, the pilot program matured into an actual implementation and this last part is called Phase 3. The effort is spearheaded by integrator Schlumberger and Chevron’s Information Technology Company.
Before the system, Chevron had 4000 password resets on average a month, now they have 70% less. Exact details on corporate wide ROI was not released by Chevron for the article, but they did say they received positive ROI almost immediately. The article did note that the end-user hardware/software cost to enable the system was in the $50 per user area, but the costs associated with the back-end were not made available.
Other technologies mentioned in the article:
GotoMeeting & TechPocasts.com event for November 2005 being planned.
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There are a couple of scences in Star Wars Episode III
that I’d like to just pass over so that Conrad and I can watch without seeing something that a 6 year old shouldn’t see (death of the small Jedi’s in training and part of the last light saber battle).
You can’t make a tape copy of the DVD that I purchased … there is some sort of copy protection. I guess I could try to get a video editable version on my PC or iBook, and then just "cut" the parts out I don’t want, and then burn a new DVD?
I noticed something in the Sunday paper called Sima GoDVD Video Duplicator Adapter that is suppose to let you make backup copies. As anyone tried this?
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Here are some pointers to opening day: MonstersAndCritics.com, Newsday, Courant, and PlayBill.
What did the critics have to say? Here is a summary:
- Elysa Gardner @ USA Today gives the production 3 out of 4 score.
- Robert Feldberg @ NorthJersey.com as a pretty good review and ends with the analysis that the show "just wants to be fun, and it succeeds at that extremely well."
- FoxNews.com calls the show a "home run" and has a good overview of some of the celebrities who attended on openting night including "De Niro, Pesci."
- Howard Kissel @ NY Daily News calls "Jersey Boys hit of the season."
- Michael Kuchwara (the AP Drama Critic) notes "the physical production is impressive."
- Michael Feingold @ The Villiage Voice does not appear to like the product that much.
- Simon Saltzman has his "A CurtainUp Review of Jersey Boys"
- Diane Haithman summarizes the reviews as "mixed" for the LA Times.
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Today we continue to look at USB storage solutions and cool hacks:
- The Gadgeteer.com has a Swiss Memory 1GB USB Victorinox Knife Review
- Make Magazine recently examined Computer-On-a-Stick (COS)
- Wired recently reviewed the 2-GB FBi Fingerprint Biometric Identity Drive
- Gizmodo and Engadget both have a pointer to Black Dog USB Key Linux Server.
Additionally, 43Folders.com mailing list recently had a thread on the subject and the following sites were recommended:
GotoMeeting & TechPocasts.com event for November 2005 being planned.
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+ Development, Enterprise, gadget, Linux, open source, Podcasting, Security, Tech Tidbits Daily, Technology+
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Over the last two weeks I’ve actually ordered three "music" CDs from Amazon.com:
- Jersey Boys Broadway Cast CD
- thelonious monk quartet with john coltrane at carnegie hall
- The Who: The Ultimate Collection
The first one is semi-obvious, I’ve posted in the past how much I’ve enjoyed the La Jolla Playhouse production of Jersey Boys. Now it is on Broadway. And I like it so much I am sticking my neck out by creating: www.jerseyboyspodcast.com [A topic of several dozen other posts to follow when I get a chance.]
The second one I purchase was because of a podcast from NPR that outlined how this recording was found in the National Archives, nearly lost. It was recorded on Nov. 29, 1957. Monk is on piano, Coltrane on tenor sax, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, and Shadow Wilson on drums. I am not a huge Jazz fan, but if you need to have one Jazz CD in the house, this is the one to get IMHO.
The Who was purchased because Brian Bailey recently posted his 10 ten CDROM list, and it had The Who on it, and all my Who is on tape, so I figured let’s just bite the bullet and get this CD (which seems to be pretty comprehensive).
Key though, all of them cost me under $14 and I had free shipping from Amazon, because I have Amazon Prime (I guess shipping isn’t really free since this is a membership with a fee, but I’m not sure how I’d calculate until I had a year’s worth of service). And I have no DRM issues. Which is a real blessing.
Before that the only other music I can remember purchasing over the last year is Brad Sucks, DJ Amber, and The Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons Anthology (from Rhino Records).
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Dan Klass has nothing to worry about, but I am happy to be able to be a stay at home dad today while Christy goes with her mom and niece to see the King Tut Exhibit in LA.
Schedule:
- 0600-0745: Get kids dressed and nourished
- 0745-0800: Drive Conrad to school
- 0800-0830: Visit La Mesa Train Museum to play on the trains
- 0830-0845: Drive back home
- 0845-0945: Hang out @ home (feed kids, read some books, clean kitchen, do some laundry)
- 0945-1015: Drive to bank, deposit iBook+iPod rebate check, get money for Podcast Expo [wired], come back home
- 1015-1045: Work in the yard
- 1045-1145: Play with Carson & Spencer in back yard
- 1145-1230: Lunch
- 1230-1300: Take Spencer to Pre-School
- 1300-1445: Carson down for nap, Podcasting
- 1445-1500: Drive to Church to pick up Conrad
- 1500-1530: Drive to pickup Spencer from Pre-School
- 1530-1545: Come home and have snacks!
Hopefully then Christy will be home and I can go for a run, and then make dinner after I get back.
Nice to have a planned out day?!?
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We turned off all but the most basic cable service today.
Only bad news is that I need some more clocks. I can’t tell what time it is because I always used the clock on the cable boxes to give me that information.
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The following articles were pretty interesting to read through:
- Joe LaGregor was the manager at the Four Seasons Bowling Alley in Union, NJ when Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons were known as the Four Lovers. [The Star-Ledger]
- Newsday has a good history piece on Jersey Boys and The 4 Seasons.
- Dana Tyler @ wcbstv.com as a "Top News" article on the Broadway production. There is also an online video.
- A good collection of little known Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons facts.
- Some great cast pictures from BroadwayWorld.com.
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Today’s podcast examines a host of technology blog and podcast sources that may be of interest. Unfortunately, the audio on this one is again a problem, like yesterdays. I think I now know what the problem is: (latest version of Mac OS X + Audacity 1.2.3 + Plantronics DSP-400 USB microphone) are not working that well together. I am going to switch to an iMic setup for tomorrow.
Here are the links mentioned in this podcast:
- TechPodcasts.com
- FriendsInTech.com
- JK On The Run (OTR) blog and podcast
- Mobile Tech Roundup (MOTR) podcast
- TechPodcast.com RSS feed
- Network Magazine (becoming IT Architect)
- CIO Podcasts
- Attention Tech
- Podshow
- Designtechnica Podcasts
GotoMeeting & TechPocasts.com event for November 2005 being planned.
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+ Enterprise, Macintosh, Mobile, Podcast, Podcasting, Tablet PC, Tech Tidbits Daily, Technology, windows+
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Steve Holden's Blog 