Tips on writing effective blogging content

August 1st, 2012

Holly Arthur, assistant VP, media and public relations at the Association of American Railroads, recommends sticking to the facts and skipping the hype. “The key is to remember that a press release is only as good as the facts presented and news value they represent,” she says.

Avoiding stale, overused words and phrases in press releases and other copy will remain a perpetual challenge for PR pros. Staci Perkins, director of marketing and communications at the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, says that lately she has been focusing more on her writing style. “Even with our subject matter—foster care adoption, child welfare, policy updates and so on—there’s a way to write without sounding stale, and a way to tell a compelling story from the heart, without those overused press release words and phrases,” Perkins says.

Here are the 25 words and phrases the PR News staff and our community have deemed to be overused to the point of being almost meaningless. Keep in mind, the point is not to avoid these words entirely, but to use them with discretion or find case-specific substitutes. As Arthur says, these words have become overused because “they are so effective in quickly setting the tone or context for the information being conveyed in a release.”

  1. Announced
  2. Authentic
  3. Award-winning
  4. Best of breed
  5. Cross platform
  6. Cutting edge
  7. Exciting
  8. Exclusive
  9. Groundbreaking
  10. Impact
  11. Improved
  12. Innovative
  13. Launched
  14. Leader/leading
  15. Leverage
  16. Next generation
  17. New
  18. Proactive
  19. Proud to announce
  20. Revolutionary
  21. Solution
  22. State of the art
  23. Unprecedented
  24. Up and coming
  25. Unique

Posted in Kewler Favorites, Managing Business | No Comments »

The Microsoft era begins

July 31st, 2012

On July 31st, 2012 the Java debacle struck me, so this is old news to some.  The Java Runtime environment was assembled to run similarly to visual basic only in its portable simplicity;  write once and package the appropriate runtime engine for the associated operating system. ->  Pretty simple and effective method to gain programmer momentum. The programmer is still bound to an English written/language and as such, is difficult to master more than one.  Once seasoned, a single-threaded programmer could write complex code that just worked and cleaned up after itself.  After several revisions of Java, they have apparently the “worst” or #1 infection vector on PC’s and Macs. So the situation deteriorates with “Sandbox breaches” where Java jumps into the operating system of the hosting virtual machine and contaminates all of the other critical sessions on the host hardware.  This situation is very bad.  As a purveyor of virtual machines very early on in my career,  I continue to encounter more uses for virtual machines (which were the first real implementation of “Cloud” computing).  Multiple hosted locations are now standard features of hosted business websites, mirror/load balance/virtualization all providing a seamless, consistent user experience across the globe.  If your website isn’t ready for multiple locations, that may be good if you are a hosted user as the providers are beefing up their offering for a competitive shopping market.

Posted in Invention, iPhone, Managing Business, Technology, Wealth Management, windows 8 | No Comments »

How do I keep all of my passwords in one place?

July 26th, 2012

I just found Lastpass.com -> has a plugin for IE and Chrome Firefox to capture your password and securely transmit them for safe keeping at their site. I need this on my machines as I frequently uswe several machines and concentrate on one or two for days at a time. I will keep you posted as to my progress if bad, otherwise, I’ll be there.
HINT: strongest passwords are ones with combinations of numbers and letters and special charactersl. I like to think of mine as a combination lock with text. I don’t receive anything from anyone that I sponsor or recommend, so if its free, you didn’t pay anything for it.

Posted in Kewler Favorites, Managing Business, Patents and Portfolios, Technology, windows 8 | No Comments »

HVVi and the Silicon Wireless coincidence

July 13th, 2012

A while back Fairchild semiconductor invested in a start-up called Silicon Wireless.  The partnership revolved around an impressive patent portfolio provided through a NC State Professor ubiquitous in the area of semiconductor physics (he wrote most of the electrical engineering textbooks that semiconductor professionals refer to when they really need to solve a problem).  Well, the little start-up got some amazing results in the lower frequencies, but had some heat issues at the upper frequencies due to the nature of vertical devices (in this configuration flip-chip, gold ball bonding limited the CW power).  The professor worked directly with Silicon Wireless who extended their portfolio into high power high efficiency planar semiconductor devices and changed their name to Silicon Semiconductor.  NDA’s in place with the MOT folks and complete tours including inspection of Smith charts at the DUT.  MOT has a lateral RF power device that was in its 5 or 6th generation at the time and was pretty hard to beat.  At the lower frequencies, our device was almost noiseless – superior in that regard.  Without a military business strategy, Silicon Semiconductor eventually moved all resources to the power semiconductor area and began to farm out the intellectual property, some of which was shared with Fairchild Semiconductor to other entities, but eventually Fairchild bought sole rights to the technology.  Today, I catch up with one of my dream-team from Silicon Wireless and he tells me the story of a couple years ago when he met our professor and shared what he had learned about what was happening to “his” technology.  Apparently, the intellectual property we were unsuccessful in generating high power cellular revenue from was “unknowingly??” used at HVVI in pulsed avionics.  Now the interesting part is that using social networking tools (like Linked-in), the small network of gifted RF professionals is small, but deep in connections.  I am connected (by 1 degree of freedom) to 6 of the employees including the CTO and CEO.  How did I not know about this company?  Further investigation yields inter-connections with the Fairchild people that were responsible for our product line in the fab…and the MOT people appear as well, in 2nd and 3rd degree connections…Moral to the story is that it is a small world and sometimes things are hidden in plain sight. My Wow for the day!

Posted in Invention, Kewler Favorites, Managing Business, Marketing, Military, Patents and Portfolios, Social Network, Technology | 1 Comment »

Trustworthiness

May 22nd, 2012

trustworthy study

trustworthy study

The way you look means a lot—especially if you’re in the financial industry—and the more trustworthy you look to potential clients, the more you’ll attract higher investments.

Despite appearances and first impressions, a recently published study in the PLoS One journal reports that even if people hear negative information about you, they’ll still be more inclined to invest their money with the person whose face is perceived to be more trustworthy.

“Trustworthiness is one of the most important traits for social and economic interactions and our study examines whether people take potentially costly actions in line with their face-based trustworthiness judgments,” Chris Olivola, one of the study’s authors, said in the University of Warwick’s press release. “It seems we are still willing to go with our own instincts about whether we think someone looks like we can trust them.”

Researchers from Warwick Business School, the University College London and Dartmouth College gave participants real money and asked them to choose who they’d invest with out of the face images provided. The volunteers were then given bad and good information about each of the faces, and asked again who they’d invest their money with.

Despite knowing the different reputations, the outcome didn’t change: participants were still more likely to invest their money with those who had more trustworthy-looking appearances

The team used a software created by Alex Todorov from Princeton University to produce 40 faces—20 pairs of faces at opposing ends of the trustworthiness scale—and altered features to “correspond to the way natural faces are perceived in reality.”

The study says that the difference in a trustworthy face and one that isn’t as much results from features that look “slightly angry or slightly happy, even when these faces are ‘at rest.’ ”

Basically, the bottom line is saying when it comes to investing, the way you look and the way people perceive you is a lot more important than your reputation. 

Posted in Kewler Favorites, Social Network, Wealth Management | No Comments »

Steps to successful SBIR bidding

May 22nd, 2012

To get started, please see the steps we’ve laid out below.

Step #1 - Review topics at www.sbtdc.org/technology/newsletter/12-05/dod-solicitation-topics-042812.pdf. This will give you a good idea of what DoD’s current interests are.

Step #2 – Refine your search at www.dodsbir.net/Topics/CusTopicsSearch.asp. Be sure to conduct a search on EACH of the key words separately, or use the search tips at www.dodsbir.net/Topics/TopicsSearchScoop.htm if inputting multiple words.

Step #3 – Communication: Once a solicitation is identified, you are strongly encouraged to call and discuss your proposed project with the Topic Author. You have until May 23rd to communicate directly with him/her. After May 23rd, for reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed when DoD begins accepting proposals for each solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR/STTR topic under which they are proposing.

Step #4 – Presentation: Review the presentation at www.sbtdc.org/technology/newsletter/12-05/dod-overview.ppt presented by Nicole Fox of the Army Research Office. It provides a clear overview of the DoD SBIR program.

Posted in Kewler Favorites, Managing Business, Military, Nonprofit, SBIR / STTR, Technology, Wealth Management | No Comments »

NC’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program

May 14th, 2012

Dear Kevin,

I’m writing you to convey the following important information and option:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Last Thursday, May 10, Governor Perdue released her budget recommendations for next year, FY 2012-13, which starts this coming July. The Governor’s budget is available at: Governor Perdue’s 2012-13 Recommended Budget Adjustments. Page 155 of the budget includes a recommendation of $2.5 million for the One NC Small Business Program (a.k.a., NC’s SBIR/STTR Matching Grant Program).

 

This recommendation is significant, particularly because the One NC Small Business Program has no funding in this current fiscal year. Notably, inclusion of the program in the Governor’s budget recommendations for next year is a direct result of your input. As you will recall, at the start of this year you provided to us, via an online survey, information regarding one or more grants you have received under the One NC Small Business Program. Using that information, we drafted a report evaluating the One NC Small Business Program and other activities of the Office of Science & Technology. The full 83-page report, which we provided to the NC General Assembly on March 1, is available at: Office of Science & Technology Continuation Review Report. Information pertaining specifically to the One NC Small Business Program is available on pages 29-39.

 

While being included in the Governor’s budget is a necessary step toward restoring funding for the One NC Small Business Program, it is not sufficient. Specifically, only the NC General Assembly has the authority to appropriate funding. And as you know, the state budget continues to be very constrained, meaning that not all worthy programs will receive funding. Accordingly, to improve the odds of the One NC Small Business Program receiving funding, you may opt to let the General Assembly know the importance of the program to your small business, North Carolina’s economy, and its citizens.

OPTION

The NC General Assembly will begin its legislative session on Wednesday, May 16. The session will move very quickly. Thus, if you opt to convey to key legislators the importance of restoring funding for the One NC Small Business Program, it is recommended that you do so within the next week, preferably as soon as possible.

Doing so is easy. Initially, you need only write a brief letter your local Senator (The Senate starts the budget process this year). You can locate your Senator’s contact information at the following link — Who Represents Me? You can search by county, but if more than one Senator represents your county and you need more information regarding specifically which one represents you, you may also search by ZIP Code at the link above. When you send the letter to your senator, it may also be beneficial to send copies to the Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Senate Appropriations/Base Budget Committee. Their contact information is available at: Appropriations/Base Budget Committee.

 

Hard copy letters on your company’s letter head are best, but you may also e-mail your letter (on letterhead) to the Senators. The Senators would benefit from hearing why you think state support, particularly the One NC Small Business Program, is important is for small, promising, high-tech companies such as yours. They also would benefit from learning more about your company, including its location, mission, technologies, size, potential for growth, etc., as well as your appreciation for their past support of the One NC Small Business Program. As a constituent and contributor to North Carolina’s economic growth and quality of life, you play an important role in informing the General Assembly of the importance of their support for your company’s growth and development.

Posted in Invention, Managing Business, Military, Patents and Portfolios, SBIR / STTR | No Comments »

What am I going to do about my back pain?

May 2nd, 2012

1/18/2012 – See Dr. Hey and hear that the icyball has allowed me a significant quality of life until this point.  Phrases like “worst stenosis of the year, but its only January” “If we didn’t see you we would have thought you were much older from your X-rays” “If you were my younger brother, I’d had the surgery” Post pics later:

$50 Copay NCBCBS Blue advantage B

$250 against $3500 deductible for back brace

What is an epidural?

1/20/2012 – First Epidural – I almost passed out.  The pain became excruciating as my leg nerve blocks were “pressing in”.  I said”I don’t feel well, it hurtssssss…and then the pain became a tingle.  Then the right leg started to hurt excurciatingly.  I didn’t think I was going to make it.  The pain was so intense that I felt nausea and started sweating and had to be carted into a room and observed.  Within a few minutes my BP was back to normal, but I have never felt so much pain. My nurse intimated that I was a wimp.  It hurt, way more than the MRI in Dec. Humbled by the pain of the injection makes me feel like I don’t know real pain. Numb sciatic nerve and burning foot from injection lasted several hours.

$50 Copay NCBCBS Blue advantage B

1/21/2012 – Spend the day helping my son do a brake and rotor replacement on a Saab.  Feeling OK without the brace.  Went to church with it under a sweater and was un-noticeable.   CC would regularly bring 2 blue icyballs cold in a sack inside her purse and bring them out at just the right time.  In church, after we have been standing.  Got bill for surgery Posterior T12 or L1-illiac wing instrumentation fusion with laminectomies. possible TLIF. Bone autograft and allograft

1/22/2012 – Finished the brake job with my son and daughter.  She had her first date.  Pain is minimal, although wearing brace. Horrible night sweats!

1/23/2012 – Localized pain due to the injection. Otherwise feeling good.  Went a few hours without backbrace. Went swimming.

1/24/2012 – Up early, localized pain.  Feeling a bit better.

2/13/2012 – Twinge, but abated with a swim, phew!

3/5/2012 – Struggling to get up stairs, hurts in the morning – hoping to swim later tonight.

3/7/2012 – Call for another injection.  Try Naproxen Sodium and hold out for total 3 months between

3/9/2012 – Remarkably better on Naproxen Sodium.  I swam 30 laps today (continuous for cardio) – kept up with Catherine only because we were on a time crunch.

3/30/2012 – BCBSNC won’t pay for a lidoderm patch.

4/2/2012 – Still doing remarkably well even after mowing the lawn.  Yes, up hills to the point where my legs went numb from muscle pain, not nerve pain.

3/30/2012 Noticed 2 weeks of swimming ~ 1 mile 3xweek – weight is 205

5/1/2012 Swam 40 laps over a mile today.

5/7/2012 Swimming miles a week.  Hope it keeps up.

5/10/2012 Wow, Took two heavy gracery bags back to  our room in Atlanta (the “W”) Reverse descrimination is nice.  I

5/11/2012 Walked several miles today on a treasure hunt for my wife. What fun, but the clinical trial is a NO. I do not have a disc tear, so no injections of Fiberin. Oh. Well. Not my plan.  God’s plan. I walked another 20 Atlanta blocks to prove I can do whatever it takes.

5/14/2012 Having difficulty walking – loosing my breath (even after swimming 3 days in a row). Seems I may have injured abdominus rectus muscles “six-pack” and its causing smaller lung capacity.

5/22/2012 2 ESI (epidural steroidal injection) with lydocaine.  Felt initially better due to the lydocaineand had cold sweats like the first in January on the first night after.

Posted in Back Pain, Health and Wellness, Pain Relief, Physical Therapy | No Comments »

Windows 8 revealed

April 24th, 2012

Since I have been playing with RC2 on my Acer W500 I Love it.  It will byte with a non-touch interface.  Might have to come up with at portable tablet screen….

Microsoft last week for the first time revealed specifics about Windows 8 versions and features, confirming that the operating system will come in three, traditional desktop editions and a version built specifically for tablets that run chips based on ARM’s reference design.

Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows 8 Enterprise will run on traditional desktops and laptops, as well as ultrabooks. Windows 8 RT will run on tablets that use ARM-based chips manufactured by Qualcomm, Motorola, and Nvidia. Windows 8 RT will only be available as a preinstalled OS on tablets and other mobile devices. Those tablets will also come with a touch-optimized version of Office 15 preinstalled.

The Windows 8 lineup represents a streamlining of sorts by Microsoft. By comparison, Windows 7 was available in six editions, including Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. Microsoft did not release pricing details of the various Windows 8 versions.

Windows 8 marks Microsoft’s most significant redesign of its franchise OS since Windows 95. The new OS gives users the option of ditching the familiar Windows Explorer interface in favor of the touch-based Metro UI, which first appeared on Windows Phone.

Posted in Technology, windows 8 | No Comments »

How to curb spending

April 18th, 2012

…stop subscribing to deal sites and guys stay away from slickdeals.net and newegg

A new study by ExactTarget found more than two-thirds of Americans shopping online are baited with email first – nearly twice the rate brought in from Facebook and text messages.

It makes sense why we’re partial to the email route. It’s easy enough to mark messages as spam and ignore ones we don’t feel like reading straightaway.

But for a shopaholic, email is basically the gateway drug to overspending.

When the time comes that I actually need to shop, I’ll prowl CouponSherpa.com or Retailmenot.com for discount codes first and check to see if Ebates has a cashback offer available. I rarely turn up empty-handed.

Posted in Health and Wellness, Technology, Wealth Management | No Comments »

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