A laptop studey

Greetings!  I'm Mark Micheau, manager of research and translation services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  Today, I have an article to share with you; one that hits close to home.  All about laptop reliability and I hope you find it interesting.
I wish you a great day.
 
 
Mac fans are often quick to claim superior performance from their Apple
laptops, but a study from a warranty supplier in the US has ranked the
reliability of their hardware fourth behind Asus, Toshiba and Sony.

 

The reliability study, conducted by SquareTrade, was based on 30,000
individual laptop units covered by its in-house warranty plans.

 

Nine brands, represented by a minimum of 1000 units each, were ranked in the
report, which revealed that laptops from Toshiba and Sony were nearly 40 per
cent more reliable than those from HP, which came last.

 

"In terms of brands, Asus and Toshiba stood out as the most reliable
manufacturers; while Acer, Gateway and HP had failure rates significantly
higher than the average," the report said.

 

The study also found that one-third of all laptops would fail within three
years, a rate that it says exceeds that of most other consumer electronics
products.

 

"Given that the typical laptop endures more use and abuse than nearly any
other consumer electronic device (with the possible exception of cell
phones), it is not surprising to see such high failure rates,"
SquareTrade said.

 

Although fewer than 5 per cent of the laptops surveyed failed in the first
year, 8 per cent more failed in subsequent years, with two-thirds of the
reported failure rate from hardware malfunctions and the remainder reported
as accidental damage.

 

Netbooks costing less than $400 also fared badly, with 5.8 per cent
reporting a malfunction over a one-year period. Excluding failures from
accidents, they were also 20 per cent more likely to fail than entry level
laptops.

 

"Given the high failure rates of laptops and sizeable difference in
reliability by brand, reliability should be a concern for consumers shopping
around for the best holiday deals," the SquareTrade report said.

 

For the full report, visit
<http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf>
SquareTrade
report (pdf)

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

Talking Business: How to Avoid a Translation Fail | The Language ...

Talking Business: How to Avoid a Translation Fail | The Language ...
By Donna J. Jodhan

 

When it comes to the translation of slangs and colloquialisms, one has to be extremely careful to ensure that the real meaning of what you are translating is indeed translated.  For example; if a German translator comes across a phrase such as "give me a ball park figure", they need to be able to understand the true meaning of this phrase before even attempting to translate it into German.  So often, and too often, the real meaning of slang phrases is lost in translation and this frequently leads to misunderstanding and in many cases it ends up causing a lot of hardship for business as a whole.
 
Maybe, and just maybe, there should be a compilation of some of the more popular English slangs and colloquialisms and then this should be taken and turned into translations that would be appropriate for the more spoken languages.  Something that a budding translator may want to think about; it could turn into a very useful project.  Many businesses and companies could easily benefit from this.  Food for thought.
 
I am going to leave you with a really interesting reference to check out and from it you will get a much better picture of what I am talking about.  Please see below.

 

Talking Business: How to Avoid a Translation Fail | The Language ...
By Carolyn
Take, for example, the common English expression "give me a ballpark figure." Translated into Russian literally, as a computer would do it, you get "Give to me the diagram of the baseball stadium." Unless you're in the baseball stadium ... In Spanish, "We'll hit the ground running" turns into a phrase that brings to mind an action movie: "We will strike the earth operation." The best of the bunch is probably the literal Chinese translation of the phrase "We need to get ...
The Language Blog | Bloglingua.com –
http://www.bloglingua.com/ 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day.
Donna J. Jodhan is the president of Sterling Creations
Now you can view blogs and editorials written by Donna at:
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all)
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca (monthly editorial on issues concerning diversity)
 http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility)
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada)
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link) 
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial)
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants)

Jobsand careers identified

Greetings everyone!  I'm Jill Christiansen, manager of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca and today, I have some very telling headlines to share with you; all about what our landscape could look like for 2010 when it comes to jobs and job opportunities.  I invite you now to read on.

 

Week of Mar 06
Jobs and careers identified

 

Are you wondering which careers could be available to you for 2010?
Not sure where to start looking?
Please read on.
Examiner.com
2010 could be the year for a new career
Examiner.com
Some are baby boomers who have only had one or two jobs throughout their entire career. Others are entry-level workers who recently entered the market, ...
Read more at:
http://www.examiner.com/x-33202-Newark-Unemployment-Examiner~y2009m12d30-2010-could-be-the-year-for-a-new-career

 

So, how much do you know about the medical education field?
Are there really job opportunities in this area?
Please read on.
Looking For A Job In Medical Education? | Articlicious
By ArtEntertain
As previously stated, medical education jobs are some of the most lucrative careers in the US. Neurosurgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, cosmetic surgeons are among the prime paying professions within the field. ... prices of healthcare and therefore the adverse effects of the economy, it's while not a doubt that medical education jobs can thrive. On high of that, we tend to are beginning to work out the retirement of the baby boomers. The baby [...] ...
Articlicious -
http://articlicious.com/ 

 

What are some of the most secure jobs to be had at the present time?
Can you identify some of these?
Please read on.
The 8 Most Secure Jobs for 2010 - Careers Articles
Between the ongoing need for hospital workers and the aging baby boomer ... Of all the jobs that require an associate degree, this one promises the most ...
Read more at:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/12/29/the-8-most-secure-jobs-for-2010/

 

Could retirees learn something new in order to enrich their golden years?
If so, where do they start?
Please read on.
Retirees Find It's Never Too Late to Learn | MyFoxHouston.com
Autos; Jobs. What. Where. Local listings from all over 80000 websites. ... workers have had to return to school to study for new careers, many retirees are ... The retirees who enroll in Emeritus College's noncredit courses don't have ... lifelong learning programs will become popular with baby boomers as they look ...
Read more at:
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/texas/091221-retirees-never-late-learn
 
 
If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

On the streets with drunk drivers

Greetings!  I'm Scott Savoy, editor of writing services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.  Today, I am delighted to introduce an editorial by our president Donna J. Jodhan and today, Donna has an opinion to share with her readers on the subject of being on the streets with drunk drivers.
I wish you a great weekend.
 
On the streets with drunk drivers
By Donna J. Jodhan
 
At the best of times, drunk drivers are a problem for any and everyone but when you are blind or sight impaired!  It can turn into a double whammy. For a blind person, it is just one more thing that we have to worry about when walking the sidewalks or the streets.  Drunk drivers and/or not so sober drivers.  Maybe it is time for us to start voicing our concerns and partnering with other organizations to put the pressure on both provincial and federal governments to be more stern with drunk drivers and impose stiffer sentences on then whenever they commit an offence. 
 
We already have enough challenges to deal with when traveling outdoors.  Such as:  Having to deal with potential robbers and pick pockets, unfamiliar terrain, persons inadvertently or purposely pushing and shoving us in order to get where they're going, construction obstacles, snow banks, slippery sidewalks, plus more.  It is even more scary to think that as we travel outdoors there is a high possibility that we could potentially be hit by a driver who has thrown responsibility and caution out of the window in favour of drinking themselves into oblivion.  Very scary to think that as we go to cross a street, we could be run over by a drunk driver who has not seen us crossing because his vision and reflexes have been immobilized by alcohol.  Very scary to think that as we step off a bus or are walking along on a sidewalk be it day or night, our lives could be either shortened or severely changed because an individual drank too much before getting into their vehicles.
 
Drunk drivers are a menace to society and it is time for us to start highlighting our concerns and fears.  Our plight is even more severe than the so-called seeing world.  Let us make a concerted effort to partner with other organizations and entities to fight drunk driving.
 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan wishing you a terrific day and weekend.
To reach me, please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca and I would be delighted to send you an electronic copy of our latest newsletter.
 
Here is a complete list of where you can view Donna's blogs and editorials.
Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all
http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com 
a weekly feature on important answers to consumers concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm
Weekly blogs for language professionals and accessibility consultants
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html
A monthly editorial on issues on diversity
http://www.diversityintheworkplace.ca
a monthly editorial on business issues and concerns
http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html 
weekly editorials on accessibility issues in Canada
http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php
Editorials:  An International perspective on issues of accessibility and disability
http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (under the editorials section, an international perspective)
A general perspective on issues of access and accessibility
http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 

Your best American cities

Hello there!  I'm Donna J. Jodhan and today is get away day!  I hope that you are ready for a really nice journey. 
I have chosen some very pleasant destinations for us to visit this week and I hope you find them delightful.  So, buckle up!  Sit back!  Let's take off!

 

Week of March 06 2010
 
Your Best American cities
 
1. Kansas City Kansas
If you are bound and determined to live in a city with lots of greenery then you need look no further than Kansas City Kansas.
A city that offers prairie life in a metropolitan city.
A city that is safe, has reasonable housing, and a city steeped in culture and history.
A city with just the right touch and one with distinct neighborhoods.
 
2. Springfield Missouri
Springfield is a city that continues to receive very high marks for its safety, quality of life, its healthiness, and its ability to provide some of the best starts for young professionals in America.
Springfield is accented by cool streams, lots of greenery, and majestic mountain ranges.
It offers terrific job opportunities in the manufacturing, health care, and education sectors plus more.
There are lots of museums to visit, historical sites to tour, and theaters and music halls to frequent.
There are oodles of parks to stroll through, and lots of sports, restaurants, and friendly neighborhoods to enjoy.

 

3. Richmond Virginia
Are you seeking a city with job opportunities?
A city that offers great educational facilities, an above average health care system,terrific neighborhoods, and top notch shopping?
Richmond has all of this plus lots more.
A city that is steeped in history, culture, lots of museums to visit, and above all, a cost of living that is significantly below the National average.
There are Victorian mansions, Spanish houses, and Queen Anne home styles to choose from.
Cheap apartments to rent, and affordable town houses and condos to buy.
Neighborhoods with beautiful row houses, and upscale riverfront neighborhoods with lots of classy shopping malls.
Richmond is a city for all.

 

4. Hampton Virginia
If you are seeking a city with fresh sea air, a beautiful downtown waterfront neighborhood, and one with better weather than you would get in colder parts, then Hampton is it.
Hampton is steeped in history, and has lots of great shopping, fine dining, and a lot of art galleries and museums for you to visit.
You would absolutely fall in love with Hampton's downtown waterfront area because it has everything for you to love.
Beautiful homes, top class shopping, out of the world dining, and lots to see.
 
 
I'm Donna J. Jodhan bidding you a happy travel time.
Visit me at www.sterlingcreations.ca if you would like to learn more.
Or send me an email at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.

It's not just what you say, it's how you say it

Hello there!  I'm Nico Trimoff, manager of transcription and accessibility services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I have a very sobering article to share with you; all about how one's words can affect one's message.  I hope you find this article useful.
Have a great day.
 
 
It's not just what you say, it's how you say it

 

From arrogance to excessive jargon, career consultant Barbara Moses lists
nine poor communication habits to avoid

 

Barbara Moses

 

Someone recently sent me an e-mail about some work she had done. At least I
think that was what it was about.

 

With seven acronyms in a couple of paragraphs, it had as much meaning as
alphabet soup. She wrapped up by saying that I looked familiar, and asked if
I had met her (at another acronym conference).

 

I frequently receive such incomprehensible notes. I always wonder if the
senders have any idea of how ridiculous they sound, and how their
communication style seriously undermines how they are seen by others.
Some reflect underlying personality deficiencies, such as narcissism,
arrogance, insecurity or laziness. Others are simply irritating quirks.
Regardless, they all interfere with an individual's communication
effectiveness.

 

Whether written or oral, here are some of the more egregious types of
Communication sins. If you see yourself committing them, consider the
suggestions for changing how you communicate.

 

Narcissism
Narcissistic communicators not only see everything from their own point of
view, they believe that everything about that point of view and who they are
is endlessly fascinating.
The main function of an audience is to mirror how great the narcissist is.
This is the office bore who, when telling a story to co-workers, thinks that
20 years of week-by-week background is necessary to really understand what
he or she is saying.

 

Or the egomaniac, who relays, word for word, an entire conversation and then
repeats all the clever things he or she said.

 

Or the people who think they are so endlessly fascinating that you must
remember them after meeting them at a conference 15 years before.

 

Narcissists rarely see themselves. But if you can, take note: What enthralls
you - you - is not particularly enthralling to others. Unless you are one of
the rare charming raconteurs, stories about how accomplished and admired you
are can be terminally boring.

 

Give your co-workers some breathing room. Ask something about them. And get
to the point quickly.

 

Arrogance
Arrogant communicators see interpersonal interactions as a kind of
competitive sport. The winner? The person who inflates his or her own ego by
diminishing that of others. They usually keep their cards close to the
chest, waiting for you to make an idiot of yourself. For example, when you
offer an opinion, the person says, in a Voice dripping with patronizing
indulgence, "That's an interesting point of view." What you hear: "That's
the most incredibly stupid thing anyone has ever said."

 

Sometimes the psychological underpinning of arrogant communication is
arrogance. But sometimes it is actually shyness.
If you think people experience you as arrogant, and you don't actually
believe yourself to be superior but are simply socially awkward, soften how
people see you.

 

Compliment co-workers. Ask them questions about their work. Act like what
they say is important.

 

Status seekers
They come in a variety: Name droppers need to be seen as a Very Important
Person by their association with Very Important People.

 

Achievement droppers like to tell you who they are by a list of all their
recent accomplishments, quantified: "My unit increased profitability 500 per
cent last quarter." Or "my stock portfolio soared 1,000 per cent."
Both are insecure - name-droppers searching are for cachet by association;

 

 achievement-droppers want recognition of their competence. Unfortunately,
both do the opposite of what they intended: They don't impress. Rather  than
assume people care about who you know or your  business coups,share
something about who you are, or an interesting life experience. Make a
connection.

 

Jargon addiction
The people who pepper all conversation with professional terminology also
typically have many insecurities.
They are really saying, "Look at how smart I am." Or, "Look at what
exclusive club I belong to that you don't."

 

The alienating language usually backfires. Rather than thinking, "My, how
clever you are because you use five-syllable words rarely spoken in everyday
English," I always think, "If you were really clever, you would be able to
translate this professional concept into words my mother would have
understood."

 

Simplify your language and your audience may understand you better, and be
more interested in what you have to say.

 

Adjective impairment
One of my clients was delighted when the shy staff member she had coached
delivered a highly poised presentation. Unfortunately, my  client didn't
relay her delight in a very motivating way: Instead of saying how great it
was, she merely said it was fine.
The adjective-deprived use language so flat and matter-of- fact that you
have little idea what the communicator really thinks about something. And
such neutral language is not very inspiring.

 

On the flipside are those who go too far, describing everything as cool,
fabulous, awesome or amazing - discounting the value of anything that really
is worthy of that description.

 

Adjective deprivation is easy to fix: Use fulsome words, and give emotive
feedback.

 

To remedy adjective overuse, be selective in what you describe as being
awesome, and use adjectives appropriate to the situation. Not everything
requires a modifier.

 

Soft speaking
Whether, as some psychologists suggest, speaking in a quiet voice is a sign
that someone is manipulative and trying to get more power in a conversation,
or simply that the communicator has weak vocal chords, the effect is the
same: The listener will stop listening or trying to understand.

 

Raise your voice if you are constantly being asked to repeat yourself or see
that your listener practically has his or her ear on your lips.

 

Speaking verrry slooowly
These people, most often older workers, talk very deliberately. The problem
is that by the time they get to the point, their audience has often drifted
off.

 

Do people sometimes finish your sentences for you? When you look at someone
you are talking to, are his or her eyes glazed over? If you answered yes,
you may need to speed it up if you want your audience to hear what you have
to say.

 

Missing the point
My friends say the worst insult I can level is to describe someone as
"concrete." Here's an example. You lead into a brilliant solution you've
come up with by way of a brief anecdote about bumping into someone in the
hall. When you are finished your clever analysis, your listener asks: "Where
in the hall did you bump into her?"

 

If you absolutely must ask a question that shows you completely missed the
point, take a lesson from my husband who, after many years of training, has
finally learned to acknowledge when he focuses on the tangential instead of
the gist. Banality

 

Whenever I get together with one acquaintance, he peppers me with banal
questions, such as which hotel chain I prefer to stay in or on what floor.
He's not interested in the answers - and why should he be? He's just trying
to make a connection, but I always feel he's taken one Dale Carnegie course
too many.

 

The key to making a connection is to be genuine. Ask an interesting
question. If you don't have one, try silence.

 

Barbara Moses, PhD, is a speaker, organizational career management
consultant and the author of What Next? Find the Work That's Right For You.
Website:
bmoses.com
bmoses@globeandmail.com

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.

Ghost tweeting, the real fantom menace

Hello there!  I'm Mark Micheau, manager of research and translation services at www.sterlingcreations.ca.
Today, I have a very thought provoking article to share with you and I hope you find it good reading.
I wish you a great day.
 
 
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
 I just found out that my favorite celebrity contracts their Tweets and I'm so sad....

 

One of the coolest parts about about my job is the fact that I am always up to speed on the latest and coolest stuff in the world of search, social media and things of that nature. Over the course of the past decade, there have been no shortage of things to keep my eye on. That's one of the cool parts of my job. What makes it interesting however is not necessarily the emergence of these new tools and/or technologies but how they end up being used.

 

 

 

I'll give you an example. A couple of weeks ago at SES Chicago, our own Abby Johnson had a chat with Liana Evans about the concept of 'ghost tweeting'. Ghost Tweeting is the practice of having multiple people twittering on the same account. Earlier in the year, Guy Kawasaki kind of got the search marketers buzzing about this a little bit at SES New York when he admitted he employs people to post updates on his Twitter account.

 

So you have Twitter, growing like crazy, immensely popular… then you have marketers like Kawasaki doing something a little differently with it. What happens? Well, it doesn't take long before people start to point and say things like; 'he's doing it wrong' or 'that isn't how you're supposed to use it' and when folks really want to climb up and stick a flag in that moral high ground, they question the ethics. They'll call it unethical. They'll call it amoral. Why, I have no doubt that a few of them will even say it's contributing to global warming. The nerve of this guy… um, Guy. Twittering in such a way. It's unnatural.

 

Do you think ghost tweeting is a problem or a bad thing? Let us know in the comments.

 

Now on the one hand, I can't argue the rationale used when critics will say: it has his name on the account. It has his picture on the account. Therefore people assume that he is actually doing the talking. True, true and true… but so what? If you follow Guy, do you follow Guy because, gosh, he's just so awesome and having a look at what he's thinking every hour or so is just the high point of your day? Or, do you follow Guy because you like the articles, ideas and links he posts? I suppose if your Guy following is a product of the former, then, yes, you might reasonably be expected to feel somewhat disillusioned to learn that his hand may not be directly on the wheel of some of those updates. Then again, if this is the case, I would submit that you might need to talk to someone about adjusting your meds. Here's a little revelation for you: the people you follow on Twitter are not your real 'friends'. They are people who feel like they have something interesting (or not) to say and that somewhere someone might find what they have to say interesting enough to read it. That's it.

 

Twitter ethics? Please. Morally responsible Tweets? I mean really people. I follow Kawasaki myself and have no problem suggesting you do too because he frequently has updates I find interesting for some reason or another. Does it matter that he isn't personally type or even find the updates? Not to me. Not even a little. He is employing people to Twitter things on his behalf and I assume, if nothing else, if they were Twittering things he didn't agree with, like, or find interesting himself… well, he'd go get somebody else to do it. If the updates weren't interesting, I would just stop reading them… or unfollow him altogether. Being upset because you find out Guy isn't personally typing updates into his Twitter account is akin to seeing Michael Jordan out somewhere and being upset because he's wearing something other than Hanes and drinking something other than Gatorade.

 

Was Twitter originally designed for marketers? No probably not. Again, so what? The Internet was created as a communications tool for the military. Was it designed for people to be able to order stuff from Amazon and play farm town? Was email designed for newsletters? Was video designed for ? Ok, I'll give you the  thing maybe, but the rest of it? No, I don't think so. The best internet tools are the tools with the broadest range of applications. If you have a good tool, invariably someone will use it in a way that was previously not considered or maybe even intended. Does that make the new application somehow wrong or evil?

 

As for ghost tweeting, I suppose it comes down to basically what Liana is saying in the video. It's about the expectations of your followers. If they are following you because you are 'you' and 'you' are Tweeting about you (which is just creepy)… you may need to do your own updates. Otherwise, if the people following your account seem to be engaged and interested in what you are putting up there, then what in the world difference does it make as to who pushed the update button?

 

So where do you stand on this whole 'ghost tweeting' thing? Sound off in the comments.

 

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About the Author:
Mike has been covering ebusiness and the search industry for WebProNews since 2000.
Follow me on Twitter! 
 
 
12.29.09 

 

If you would like to learn more about us and the services we offer, then please visit www.sterlingcreations.ca
If you would like to keep abreast of some of the most important happenings affecting your lives today, then please visit http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm.  There you will get the latest news roundups on such topics as:
Stress, anxiety, and depression. News for retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers.  Security tips for home computer users.  Home business opportunities, Internet business opportunities, small business opportunities, business opportunities in Asia.  You will also learn how to obtain tremendous personal and financial satisfaction by selling your knowledge and experience.