I purchased a TomTom Global Positioning System (GPS) for my car last year. This product has the ability to have map upgrades via computer four times a year (for an annual fee).
I've run into problems with my TomTom and the support staff at TomTom.com has been very helpful in getting my GPS up and running again.
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Support Information for U.S. Census 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census in the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the point of reference date used in filling out the form.[1]
The questions asked on each census are based on current conditions and vary. The data collected is protected by law. While summary data is made available for use by a wide variety of agencies, the detailed personal information is held on a strictly confidential basis. No ties to the data and the personal information collected are shared with any other agency.
The U.S. Census Bureau has developed a wide range of support information in various media formats to help people understand the purpose of the census and how it works.
As usual, scams have cropped up. The best source of data about the census is the official 2010 Census Website.
The questions asked on each census are based on current conditions and vary. The data collected is protected by law. While summary data is made available for use by a wide variety of agencies, the detailed personal information is held on a strictly confidential basis. No ties to the data and the personal information collected are shared with any other agency.
The U.S. Census Bureau has developed a wide range of support information in various media formats to help people understand the purpose of the census and how it works.
As usual, scams have cropped up. The best source of data about the census is the official 2010 Census Website.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Mac vs PC--Marketing at the Apple Store
Mac vs PC takes on a new dimension at the Apple Store on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. I went there with two friends today for a series of workshops on how to work with the Macintosh computers, the iPhone, and the iPod Touch. While there I received free tech support at the iPod bar (across from the "Genius" bar) regarding using Netlibrary with iTunes.
The workshops, also free, provided a good introduction into how to work with the Macintosh and its integrated programs. I first worked on an Apple computer in 1979 and have always been "addicted" to the Macintosh while working with multiple PCs.
The advent of the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest generation of Macintosh computers and Snow Leopard are moving me to return to the Macintosh at last. I have recommended the Mac to friends and family just getting started on computers and have consistently found that they enjoy their computer experience tremendously working on the Macintosh.
A few years ago I flew with an Apple executive from California to Chicago and almost switched then. My problem at the time was that I had too much invested in software that only ran on a PC.
With the new Macintosh programs, those issues have largely faded into the woodwork. I enjoy my iPod Touch (3Gs, 32GB) and look forward to getting an iPhone (3Gs, 32GB or 64GB) in the near future. Shortly after that I expect to transition to a MacBook Pro laptop and, later, an iMac with a 27-inch flat screen display.
The workshops, also free, provided a good introduction into how to work with the Macintosh and its integrated programs. I first worked on an Apple computer in 1979 and have always been "addicted" to the Macintosh while working with multiple PCs.
The advent of the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the latest generation of Macintosh computers and Snow Leopard are moving me to return to the Macintosh at last. I have recommended the Mac to friends and family just getting started on computers and have consistently found that they enjoy their computer experience tremendously working on the Macintosh.
A few years ago I flew with an Apple executive from California to Chicago and almost switched then. My problem at the time was that I had too much invested in software that only ran on a PC.
With the new Macintosh programs, those issues have largely faded into the woodwork. I enjoy my iPod Touch (3Gs, 32GB) and look forward to getting an iPhone (3Gs, 32GB or 64GB) in the near future. Shortly after that I expect to transition to a MacBook Pro laptop and, later, an iMac with a 27-inch flat screen display.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Organizational Culture, Comfort Zones, Support, Trust, Norms, and Change
Organizational culture contains norms of accepted behavior, comfort zones, and processes to find support and to develop trust. There is an Organizational Performance Change Curve (slide 9) that shows how organizations move through a process of change.
Some organizations have created habits of looking internally for support--a kind of "inside the box" thinking. As organizations grow and mature, some learn to look outside the box and outside the organization for appropriate support. It is difficult for people enmeshed in the culture of an organization to seek outside support unless it is endorsed and encouraged by the culture.
In many small to mid-sized entrepreneurial businesses, all employees turn to the business owner for support. This can create problems for the entrepreneur. He or she can get bogged down by the number of daily challenges and problems brought to him or her for decisions and advice. Instead of putting his or her energy toward the improvement of business processes and in growing the business, he or she is invested in putting out innumerable small-fire-problems brought by the employees.
Often the entrepreneur can seek outside support for the business owner, the business, and the employees. By finding a trusted advisor outside the business, he or she can suggest that employees take many of their small-fire-problems to the consultant who is not going to have his or her support for the business interrupted by dealing with the problems and the employees. When entrepreneurs can use these consultants more effectively, they can choose a few employees to be the "go-to" people within the organization and the outside consultant can coach those people to be effective in helping employees with small-fire-problems and in improving their own ability to make daily decisions and to put-out the "small-fires" themselves.
Some organizations have created habits of looking internally for support--a kind of "inside the box" thinking. As organizations grow and mature, some learn to look outside the box and outside the organization for appropriate support. It is difficult for people enmeshed in the culture of an organization to seek outside support unless it is endorsed and encouraged by the culture.
In many small to mid-sized entrepreneurial businesses, all employees turn to the business owner for support. This can create problems for the entrepreneur. He or she can get bogged down by the number of daily challenges and problems brought to him or her for decisions and advice. Instead of putting his or her energy toward the improvement of business processes and in growing the business, he or she is invested in putting out innumerable small-fire-problems brought by the employees.
Often the entrepreneur can seek outside support for the business owner, the business, and the employees. By finding a trusted advisor outside the business, he or she can suggest that employees take many of their small-fire-problems to the consultant who is not going to have his or her support for the business interrupted by dealing with the problems and the employees. When entrepreneurs can use these consultants more effectively, they can choose a few employees to be the "go-to" people within the organization and the outside consultant can coach those people to be effective in helping employees with small-fire-problems and in improving their own ability to make daily decisions and to put-out the "small-fires" themselves.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Why Set-Up an Online Support Network?
Why would anyone set-up a support network? One reason is to create a sense of community, of sharing ideas and resources and innovations. A benefit of a community is that members build a shared sense of identity. I have been involved in building online support networks for more than 12 years, starting with eGroups--which became Yahoo Groups and currently focusing on LinkedIn Discussion Groups.
One of the longest running and most successful groups which I started--and which runs itself--is the Action Learning eGroup on Yahoo Groups, run by IFAL-USA.
My most recent group is the DrM-Language Network discussion group on LinkedIn. This group was created to provide the opportunity to build a sense of community around the affordable, online language learning programs supported by http://www.drm-language.com/. While membership is open to people learning languages with other online programs, the main focus is to have the community network available for people working with two different online language programs available globally. Many of the people will be learning English, and one of the two programs offers eight other languages as well.
Many business professionals around the world will be working with me to enroll learners in these programs and this network is open to language learners and to entrepreneurs setting-up their own businesses concerning e-learning and these online language programs.
Some of the questions and answers and other support areas will also offer members a chance to practice their English in their interaction in the discussion group.
One of the longest running and most successful groups which I started--and which runs itself--is the Action Learning eGroup on Yahoo Groups, run by IFAL-USA.
My most recent group is the DrM-Language Network discussion group on LinkedIn. This group was created to provide the opportunity to build a sense of community around the affordable, online language learning programs supported by http://www.drm-language.com/. While membership is open to people learning languages with other online programs, the main focus is to have the community network available for people working with two different online language programs available globally. Many of the people will be learning English, and one of the two programs offers eight other languages as well.
Many business professionals around the world will be working with me to enroll learners in these programs and this network is open to language learners and to entrepreneurs setting-up their own businesses concerning e-learning and these online language programs.
Some of the questions and answers and other support areas will also offer members a chance to practice their English in their interaction in the discussion group.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
What does it take to write and publish a book?
In 2001, a public relations firm in Chicago advised me that they could promote me easily if I published a book. I've been working on ideas for one or more books since 2001 and still haven't put everything together. Perhaps I am being too much of a perfectionist--waiting for "just the right" book.
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