Well, since I’m not the world’s foremost expert on anything computer — or specifically, web — related, I’ve decided I’ll write a layman’s terms review of the newest Google exploit, the Web Browser.

Yes, folks, they’ve done it again. In their latest and greatest attempt at total web domination, Google has reached a new level of triumph… providing a cleaner, simpler, redeveloped transport vehicle for my favorite media mechanism: the internets. What does this mean to you and me? Well, that’s up to you at least partially. I can only tell you what it means to me: not much.

The Chrome browser means that I’ll have to preview this posting in 3 web browsers before it goes live to make sure the pictures look right, and that there are no html tags hanging out. It means that DE’s home page and all of its subsidiaries will need to have some plugins (or something???) updated so that our flash images show up. It means that if I try to log in to hotmail, I’ll be prompted to update my browser even though I just did…

On the bright side, there’s something about the way Chrome was programmed that allows it to load differently, thus storing less useless junk on your drive… which makes it go faster longer. There’s a lot less clutter at the top of the screen, and while I’m aware you can customize Firefox and IE to look any way you want it, Chrome seems to be set up more intuitively.

I definitely appreciate the fact that you can search Google by typing in your search terms into the address bar. It saves time, it saves space, and it just makes sense. I also really approve of the way they’ve chosen to handle downloads, specifically application downloads. For example, when I downloaded Google Earth, I was prompted to run or save the program. I choose “save” and it did it’s thing… then at the bottom left-hand corner there appeared a little tab which showed the install I had just downloaded. One click, and I was installing. No minimizing windows, no double clicking through options… very smooth. Intuitive, I’d say.

I’m surprised that I didn’t know about Chrome before today…. I remember the day Firefox launched v.3 and everyone (well, almost everyone) was very eager to try it out. Chrome emerged with little preface, and I’d have to say that, if nothing more, it feels easier to use than any of its predecessors.

If you’re curious about Chrome, or in limbo… give it a test drive. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

ttyl.

storm

Just in case you haven’t heard, Dynamic Edge co-owner and resident fitness guru, TIM NEIMAN traveled to New Hampshire this past weekend to compete at the annual Timberman Triathlon Festival, named the #1 “Must-do Triathlon Adventure” by Triathlete Magazine.

But, not to be mistaken with the throng of international superstars-turned-triathletes, Neiman didn’t hire a former Olympian to coach him through this race, which was three times the distance and pain of his last competition. He trained solo, spending long hours after a full day’s work running, biking, swimming and (I would guess) wincing in pain.

The 70.3 mile race included 56 hilly miles of biking, a 1.2 mile swim in clear, blue Lake Winnipesaukee, and a 13.1 mile run along its shores… a trek that most of us would only hope to make over a series of days. His time was 5:36:1!

Congratulations and Admiration are due to Tim Neiman, Our Fearless Leader… who inspires us to go further, push harder, and curl up in the fetal position to cry like babies.

… Who would have thought (those of you who read my first couple of entries, that is) that you would ever be reading about me explaining something at least marginally technical to one of our clients?!?

We started testing out a new email program, called MyEmma, which allows us to generate and email newsletters to our subscribed clients at the end of June. Since then, we’ve really gotten the hang of this thing and are now implementing this email marketing for our clients. And who, do you think, is responsible for handling this all?? Exactly! Weird huh?

So far, I’ve learned that the biggest drawback to the utility is the initial startup cost. At $250, a number of our clients have shied away at first, but the benefits really outweigh the cost… for sure!

First, you can register as many of your clients/customers/contacts as you want, with as many different lists as you need. You can upload them from a spreadsheet program, and you can send out as many different mailings as you’d like. This is huge, considering most other services limit either the number of contacts you can set up or the number of  lists you have. It’s all spelled out very clearly on the service provider’s website, and best of all there are no hidden fees. You simply get billed for what you use. Here’s how it breaks down:

1,000 emails a month / $30
2,500 emails a month / $45
5,000 emails a month / $70
7,500 emails a month / $100
10,000 emails a month / $125
17,500 emails a month / $170
25,000 emails a month / $210
37,500 emails a month / $280
50,000 emails a month / $350
75,000 emails a month / $480
100,000 emails a month / $600
larger volumes/custom pricing

As with everything, there are advantages and disadvantages for businesses who use email newsletters and blasts to stay in contact with their customers and friends. Recently, we had a seminar on SEO and we added in a little bit about just such a thing. So, without further adieu, here are Dynamic Edge Inc’s six steps to a successful email campaign!

1. Use Email to Relate – They need to know who it’s coming from. Every “from” sends a different message.
2. Come up with an attention-getting subject line.
3. Tell them a story. Everybody loves a good story, and pictures are worth 1,000 words!
4. Make your message memorable – it does you no good to email if they immediately forget it.
5. Be relevant. The quickest way to get flagged as spam is to send people messages that are totally unrelated to what you do. For example, if you run a shoe boutique, don’t e-blast your client list for cosmetic products, etc!
6. Make sure to incorporate a human touch. People are drawn to what they can relate to. A great photo can accomplish human touch, too.

If you have questions about writing an e-edition newsletter, building an email campaign, MyEmma or anything related give me a call at ext. 129 and I’ll try and help you out!

And there was much rejoicing…

Deb has been having a hard time seeing the videos on YouTube, which wouldn’t be a big deal except that on a somewhat regular basis, a rather hilarious YouTube will come around the office email system, and she’s just wondering what’s so funny.

We identified the problem: No Flash Player.
The solution to Deb’s little conundrum was clear and simple to me, as I’ve been immersed in Techland for nearly three months, we needed to download a Flash Player for Deb’s laptop.

Okay, so it wasn’t exactly rocket science. As Trevor pointed out, “You’d be amazed by how far you can get with technology by simply reading.” Not to burst my own bubble, but he was right. Alas! In the area where Deb’s YouTube video frame should be appearing, was black text that read “YOU NEED FLASH PLAYER TO WATCH THIS VIDEO” in not so explicit terms, of course.

Three clicks later and Voila! Deb’s YouTubing with the best of us! I helped somebody, life is good :)

ttyl, stormie

Imagine a day when you open your email to find that all of your messages are from actual people that you know. No offers for prescription drugs, home loans or sexually explicit content, and no more sifting through mounds of trash to find the few messages you actually want to read…

… okay, so maybe that will never happen. But while eliminating all that junk mail may be impossible, there are a few things you can do to seriously limit the amount of spam you have to deal with in your inbox.

1. Protect Your E-mail Address: The best way to avoid getting spammed is to keep your personal and business email addresses private. If the spammers don’t know you exist, you’re not a likely target. To stay off their radar, avoid Newsgroups, bulletin boards, and chat rooms that require you to enter your email address. (And if you can’t resist, try try tip #2.)

2. Create a Spam E-Mail Account: If you’re finding it difficult to keep your personal e-mail address completely private, setting  up another email address may be the solution. Email accounts are easy to set up and often free, and this address is perfect to use when you have to register for that newsgroup, bulletin board, sweepstakes, or in any other situation where you’re not quite sure your privacy will be protected. The best part about this is that, because you aren’t expecting any important mail at this account, if it becomes over run with spam, you can throw it away and get another one to catch all your unwanted spam.

3. Message Rules in Outlook / Outlook Express: If you’re using Outlook or Outlook Express as your e-mail client, you can create message rules in the “Tools” drop down menu. You can set up rules that allow you to analyze sender’s names, subject line and message body before processing them. For example, you could set up a rule  that automatically sends any message with an offensive word in the subject line to the Deleted Items folder.

You can also add notorious spammers to your “Blocked Senders” list without having to create a rule… and in a few clicks, a sender of unsolicited e-mail can be added to your personal blocked senders list. Whenever mail arrives from this sender in the future, it will skip the inbox and go straight to the Deleted Items folder.

4. Third Party Software: There are tons of applications that you can for purchase (or download for free) that were designed to filter spam as it enters your inbox. Basically, these programs recognize the telltale signs of spam and keep them out of our inboxes. There are a lot of companies out there producing spam filters, but they all do essentially the same thing: allow users to take control of the spam in their Outlook or Outlook Express mailboxes.

5. Server Based Solutions: Most major internet service providers offer a spam filter as part of the package offered to its subscribers. At DE, we use Barracuda Systems to keep our mailboxes clean… and since we’re an authorized Barracuda partner, we strongly recommend this product to our customers. (As a testimonial, I’ve been at Dynamic Edge for about three months now, and have yet to receive any spam at my business email address.) If your office email is being spammed, it may be because you’ve inadvertently signed up for it… but it could also be because your server’s spam firewall isn’t performing. Call us at 734.975.0460 if you’d like to talk to one of our expert consultants about that!

Final thoughts:
Spam is a nuisance that impacts just about everybody on some level. Even if the content is not inappropriate or offensive, it is a waste of time and money. That said, protecting your email address and  getting the appropriate spam filter will greatly reduce the amount spam in your life… which leaves you more time to read blogs, like this one!

Here’s a little discovery that was made last week:

The key that’s called “Num Lk” is not, in fact, your computer’s shortcut to a very cold lake.
Its actually a function that allows you to enter numbers.

If you’re using a desktop PC, these keys will be in a block to the right of the keys you generally type with. Yes I know… obvious. But if you’re using a laptop (specifically, one that looks like mine — pearly pink with silver keys) you won’t have those off to the side. The numbers are actually hidden in with the lettered keys. Ok, so you probably already knew that too.

But on my laptop, they’re really small. I mean tiny, small. So small that I didn’t know they were even there.

Here’s the point: if you press “Num Lk,” you will not be able to type normal letters. And until you find that magical key again, you’ll be typing 0123456 instead of m, j, k, l, u, i and o… which can be really agitating. My suggestion: find your “Num Lk” key and NEVER push it.

later!

storm

The last several posts have been pretty much just the facts, ma’am… and that’s good, but I’m a little worried that you might be getting a little bored with that. So this will be a 60-second update of life at DE this past week or so:

Deb had an incident with the dumpster. It’s big and she’s small, so there was a little bit of a hubbub in the parking lot. Nothing major really, and I think the dumpster got the worst of it.

One of our owners had a landmark Birthday. I’m not going to say which <owner> or which <birthday> because I like my job <a lot> and I would really like to keep it. Great party(ies) though, Tim!!! You don’t look a day over 23.

Friday was haircut day. Bruce braved the clippers and Dusty donned a mohawk… at least for the weekend. I really wish we’d have had a hair dryer and some glue, though.

This week is the Ann Arbor Art Fair, so Brittani’s been driving the bus all week. Traffic is awesome, we all love it so much!

Today, I got out of my improper right-turn ticket for $1.15 — .65 for parking and .50 for a tiny locker to put my cell phone into. There was much rejoicing!!!

Rest assured, more factual information will follow this post, but I’m sure you’ll all admit this posting was more fun to read than the excel tip that’s just above it… (I’m bumping it down out of sequence to help our SEO — Rock on!)

Have a Good Weekend (even though I’m post-dating this to Wednesday).

stormie

to be added very soon!

That’s right, I’m scouring the office leaving no stone un-turned to find any great and useful tips and tricks to post on the blog for you: our lovely readers! I’ve already got a pretty good list going on here, so be looking forward to at least one juicy tidbit per week in this space.

My next post will contain our favorite Excel tip… so stay tuned!

Hey! For those of you who may not already know this, Dynamic Edge, Inc. has a consulting side that I don’t think I’ve mentioned in this blog before. Yep, it’s true. So not only are there people here who can help with all of your technological woes, there are also a handful of experts that can get you out of that Peachtree Problem, QuickBooks Quandry or Oracle Obstacle.

Ok, so  I probably didn’t have to be so alliterative for y’all, but I had a few pangs of guilt over talking about DE all the time without mentioning the good people that help a lot of our clients keep their businesses on track. This was a shameless plug for them…

… and now… a link to our friends at Dynamic Edge Consulting!

and to their awesome Quickbooks and Peachtree Support pages!

If you keep getting complaints that people can’t open your file attachments, it’s probably because Office 2007 is saving all its usual extensions with an “x” at the end. You can stop (or avoid) running into this frustration by following these steps:

1. Open Excel, (this will also work for Word or PowerPoint).
2. Click the “Office” button up in the far left hand side of the screen.
3. Click on the “Excel Options” button at the bottom left.
4. Click on the “Save” button on the left side of the panel.
5. Change the “save files in this format”  area from “Excel Document (*.xlsx)” to “Excel 97- 2003 Document (*.xls)”

You’ll want to repeat this process for Word and PowerPoint so that the next time you save, it will be in the format everyone knows and loves.

Your Dynamic Edge consultant can make this change on your Server, and you won’t have to change all of the settings on your office’s computers.