A recent book by branding guru Martin Lindstrom discusses how involving all of the senses improves marketing outcomes.

Aptly named ‘Brand Sense’ it discusses branding results as measured by the Millward Brown research institute during an 18-month study across 13 countries.

I find it interesting that the next ‘frontier’ in branding and marketing, the next ‘cutting edge’ delves into what can’t be done on the Internet (yet)…

We can have the sight and the sound, but the but the other three – taste, smell and touch – are left ‘out in the cold.’

Corporate America has looked into the effects of certain scents ‘pumped’ into offices through the ventilation system to improve productivity, alertness, and other desirable effects for several years… but now the aroma therapy approach to marketing is threatening to expand dramatically.

The question is… how will this new twist impact the online approach?

Now THERE is a challenge worthy of the most inventive hardware/software geek!

Well the mobile masses are quickly discovering that security is even more vital when your files are stored on tiny devices that are easily misplaced, lost or stolen.

And the corporate types are discovering that their personal/company use of flashdrives and PDAs that are left without strong encryption is being discouraged, even forbidden.

And now… there’s even a mobile-specific virus that’s heating up the media… introducing Cabir — the first infection designed for your phone!

Can life get any better than this?… and what are your options?…
You can get a program to lock down your flash drive, or you can get a hard-ware based one for about… hmmm about TEN TIMES the price of a standard thumb-drive (on sale of course).

You can even get thumb-print-scanning security drives — requiring a thumbprint to use your thumbdrive.

The way I see it, I’ve managed to have three kids and travel in and out of the country and pass several security checks for jobs without being fingerprinted… I’ll be darned if my thumbdrive (or laptop, or any other device) is going to use it to identify me.

Yeah, I know, I’m weird.

Some companies are reportedly WELDING closed the USB ports on employee computers! Others are instituting policies against using personal USBs in a corporate environment. But, flash drives are so convenient, that even the big boys know it’s a losing battle.

I have found a nice option for my Treo that I really like — and recommend. It’s a picturepassword. It works like this… I have my logo on my treo face (and can change that to other pictures at any time) and there is one pixel that, if tapped, my PDA opens. If, however, the wrong pixel is tapped — you are required to type in my QUITE lengthy secure password with upper and lowercase letters and numbers.

I used the free download for quite awhile before changing over to the paid version. It’s a good product, causes no crashes and leaves me feeling much more secure.

My next purchase for the Treo is a program which permits a user-set number of password attempts and if there is a PW failure after that number is reached, there is a bit wipe of all or selected data on the PDA. I’ve not tried either of these two programs… yet. It’s created by PDA Defense (www.PDADefense.com)

I’ve even heard some scuttle-butt about a program that allows you to dial the cell and remotely wipe the entire memory (not including the FLASH card expansion, of course). This means, if (goodness forbid) you ever lose your little “brain” — it’s protected from hacking attempts through the memory wiped. If anyone has heard of this beyond the Urban Legends, drop me line.

Another article I’ve read talks about an exploding chip for future use in mobile device security. Nothing like a little “boom” to keep the thieves at bay, eh?

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_498292.html?menu=news.technology

And as far as the Mobile Virus goes – it’s a bunch of hype. You can only get it through mobile devices with Bluetooth which means I won’t be at risk until I upgrade to the Treo 650.

And, you also have to be gullible enough to actually agree to download and launch the infected file. Now, I’m sure there are those out there who will do exactly that (hence the spreading of the thing)- but I’m not one of them, are you?

According to computerworld.com:

To be infected by Cabir, mobile phones must be running Symbian OS with the Series 60 software and have the Bluetooth wireless feature in “discoverable” mode, making them open to new connections, according to Hyppnen. In addition, the owner of the phone would have to press a key to dismiss a security warning about installing software of unknown origin, and then another to agree to install the file being transmitted.

If you ask me, to be infected with this particular virus at this particular point in the game requires that there be a LOT of stupid going on. :O)

For now, the infections are limited and the biggest thing about this (other than the promise that a new age of security concerns) is the media hype.

I played with my index page last night, to add a site search, and finally found a way to use the Halloween Google graphic from this year. I’d saved it because it was so perfect for Wicked’s “witchy theme”…I’ve written Google to be sure it’s an acceptable use of their logo and I’ve already had a couple “how cool” comments.

I’ve wanted a site search for quite some time and this fills the bill for Wicked. It searches all the articles I have posted and the business web pages… and stays clear of the blog. Of course, I already have a search feature here ;O)

Anyway, since it IS their logo, and not one that I’ve changed, I’m hopeful that they will let it stand and will send me official approval.

In the meantime… go check it out. Isn’t it cool?!?!

I’m not really into promoting software of one type over another — at least not publicly, but today I make an exception. It seems like an exceptional sort of day.

I’m not going to rant about MS or IE. Instead, I’m going to be more positive and proactive and tell you why you should consider the (in my humble opinion) best alternatives to MS IE and Outlook.

Now, I’m never shy about my advice in person- when clients ask what software they should use, for a particular application, I always offer my opinions and my experiences — the good, the bad and the ugly… from an e-mail and contact management handler to a graphics program and an HTML coding tool.

With that said, I feel compelled to tell you that since I went to Firefox instead of IE and since I adopted ThunderBird instead of Outlook, my issues with security have greatly diminished. And I’m a security gal…
Do I promote these free Mozilla-based programs? You betcha! Best thing, techie speaking, since optical mice. Ok, maybe they have been around a lot longer than optical mice� but you get the idea.

I’ve been using, and LOVING these programs for well over a year now. I don’t even “power up” IE except to check the view on a website during the production phase. If you want a great browser with all the bells and whistles, full control over what downloads via that browser and a simple interface, check out FireFox.

Aside from the security benefits- it has TABS! Which means I can do my usual, multi-tasking approach to web research and keep it all in one window – no more diving to the bottom of my screen to try to figure out which of those browser windows has the information I just found that I now need. No more “duck-duck-goose” styled handling of my open web browser windows. It’s neat, organized and topic-viewable across the top of my browser’s window. I love it.

For more information on ThunderBird, visit the mozilla site www.Mozilla.org, where you can pick up a copy of FireFox too! And if you like it as much as I do, donate a buck or two to the cause. (It’s tax deductible!)

You know, some people don’t understand blogging. Others don’t understand it until they get “hooked” by reading some… or in one of the most modern incarnations… listening to some.

But, in my humble opinion, way too many people in our society watch “created” reality TV. Not the real stuff, but the Hollywood version. That annoys me (as I’ve mentioned a couple times before). People are most fascinated with other people and their personal details. It’s a fact. So, if you want the “real deal” — why expect Hollywood to produce it?

Devour your “reality” raw – like vegetables, it’s better un-processed.

Now, the blogging approach to reality TV has taken off… and it’s affectionately known as “Pod Casting” because it’s reality radio you download and take with you on your IPOD…I’ve been working pretty hard to get my Treo to be my on the road solution… and now I’m going to have to research to see if there is an easy way to get Podcasts on it. There should be, with a simple MP3 format download, but I’ll look that up later today.

Not that I’m a big Pod Cast fan… I’ve not listened to any yet (that’s on the schedule for this afternoon)… but because it’s a new bend in an already twisted world of communication, advertising and online content.

And, because I adore it when the “little guys” do things that shock and rock the mainstream.

The first one I’m going to que up is the Drew and Dawn show — the sweethearts of the PodCasting world now (according to the early a.m. searches and research I’ve done.)

As far as the concept of this particular style of spell “casting” for Wicked…

I must admit that the concept of PODCasting would take alot less time than blogging — I talk a little faster than I type — but it would reach a different audience than the one I prefer right now… I want readers rather than listeners. This may change with more thought, and a voice version may be test launched later.

And as far as video blogging goes… although I respect this new twist, and may even investigate it in the future… it’s not the same as typing out my thoughts in solid text.

I think I may have found the “old fashioned” part of myself here… I prefer words to pictures. Now I must evaluate if I prefer the written word to the spoken word. That will take some thought.

Pictures versus words are an easy choice…

I think that if you are presented a picture, you have only one option for how to view it. But, if you are presented words… you bring your own experiences to the table and you envision the most appealing “picture” in your mind… based on your own experiences. It’s more personal. You are more active. It’s a less mentally sedentary endeavor.

But, all this is off the topic of PodCasting…

Right now, I’m going to go listen to a few… later I will decide if it’s something I might want to do.

Of course, since it takes me five or six times to record my voice mail message to my satisfaction, I’m not sure “speaking” my mind would be a quicker option. And as for the video blogging…that would mean I’d have to brush my hair and dress in something other than sweats early on a Sunday morning when I get the idea that I should come and blog… *shudder* — nah, that’s probably not going to happen for awhile.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, you cherish the sweet little things your loved ones say to you… but do you keep a file of the nice things your satisfied clients say? You should. Word-of-mouth marketing is essential for real estate success, so why not help spread “the good word” yourself? If you think that you don’t have testimonials, you may not be looking in the right places. If you don’t have a file in your marketing folder called “testimonials,” chances are good that you are missing golden opportunities.

(more…)

I’m not a hacker. I stay on top of technology as well as I can between all my other duties, but I don’t hack. I know “white hats” and “black hats” and I know there are legitimate hacking endeavors… but it’s not for me. I despise people who take joy in making work and causing headaches for others. It’s wrong. Period.

Now, with that said, I find it amazing how many wide-open networks are available all over the place. Just out of curiosity, I drove around the local town here, with my laptop open, searching for open networks. It took me less than ten minutes — even in this rural area to locate one that was completely open to surfing the net, downloading e-mails, viewing their network computers, shared files, printers, shared resources, etc.

And I must admit, from a couple hours of poking around, I discovered that real estate offices are probably one of the worst for this.

In one case, I could see the network, identify all the computers and even access the resources, files and printers in two of the computers. I couldn’t stand it, so I went into one of these local offices to tell them. I identified myself and asked who handled their computer services and networking. Not surprisingly, I was told a “friend” set them up.

When I told them that they were running “wide open” – I was told, “yeah, we know, but you can’t get past the main machine, you can’t get past our firewall.” I told them that, actually, I could – and that I not only had access to some of their files and their shared resources, but that I also had information about their network and the computers, including the names of the computers and how they were connected and that the computers were automatically assigned and that I was on their network at that moment.

He appeared suspicious … like I’d just handed him a crumpled up brown paper bag and said “Go ahead, open it, I dare you.– So I told him that I was doing a little survey and that real estate agencies, in particular, seemed to be at risk from wireless networks, and that I just thought he might want to know.

He thanked me, nodding and waited for me to leave. He never asked me how to secure it, he never asked me anything. So, I left.

I guess my point is, that there are so many people with laptops these days, and that some of them may also have malicious intent. If your network is wide open, close it.

It only takes a few moments to set an encryption key. And that makes it much more difficult to become a victim.

Now maybe you don’t care either, your files aren’t confidential and someone hacking into your systems and destroying your ability to use them properly is not a showstopper. Personally, for me, it would be. I run 128-bit encryption on mine. Call me paranoid.

Ok, my age is getting ready to show in NEON colors… but what’s up with kids today? In particular, young ladies (and I use that term incredibly loosely — pun intended). And as recently as yesterday, I thought that young men were the ones most out of control these days…

Is it because our society encourages makeup before puberty, heels and bras before middle school, and a vocabulary that begs for mouths to be washed out with soap?

Today, my seven-year-old daughter got off the bus and was glowing with news about what a wonderful day she had enjoyed.

Her Poppa and I had secretly ordered two valentines from a school fundraising project and they were both delivered to her today. She asked me to read them and told me they were in her backpack pocket.

I unzipped the pocket while the pack was still on her back and pulled out two Valentines, one from Wayne and one from me. She said there was another one in there, a red one, but the only thing I saw was a sheet of notebook paper with red writing in large, permanent marker. So, I opened it up.

I was NOT prepared for the “note” contained within. It was from two girls on the bus, and was being “transported” by my daughter to my sixteen-year-old son, because my son had missed the bus on his first full day of school in the new school system.

The words contained in that letter, and the implied and blatant offers would only be bleeped out by my content “nanny” on this blog – if I still have that flipped on — so I’ll spare you.

But in the course of about two paragraphs this large kindergarten-styled handwriting offered him certain oral feats, inquired whether or not he had drug habits (two mentioned by name) and called him “sexy” and asked if he was interested in…. well, you get the idea.

Now, having informed my son of this situation, I’m the enemy. I told him that I’ll be taking steps on it, because I will NOT have my 7-year old — who is just now able to read most words that she sees, incidentally — carrying such smut for anyone.

And, furthermore, I don’t want HIM getting these notes, much less have them transported by my daughter.

So now, I’m ruining his life and ensuring that he never fits in.

Is it horrid of me to hope that’s true — especially with girls like THOSE?

Just last week, my blog was coming up on the first page of Google for, of all things, “mean things to say” as a search term… and even before I could determine if I was happy to be at number three on Google or merely alarmed to be “made famous” for that particular phrase… it was gone…Marketing on the web is always a challenge – ALWAYS. But the changes going on at the big boy search engines right now are making those of us who keep an eye on such things, nuts. NUTS I tell you! (more…)

I’ve worked for such long hours for so many years now, I’m not sure I know how to “gear down”… and yet that time has come. I’ve preached to others for years, and although I believe it – I’m a terrible student of my own lessons. I guess those who can’t — really DO teach (although I’ve always balked at that concept).

I think the reason that I felt it was imperative to enjoy my work, to do only what I love most, is because I knew I’d have to continue working long hours for the rest of my life.

Why work 10-14 hours a day if you hate what you do? That’s a death sentence.

It hit me like the proverbial “ton of bricks” yesterday, that I no longer have to work the number of hours that I’ve always worked. Until yesterday it never really hit me that I worked so hard because I had to – I guess, I just twisted it around to “I want to, so I could keep moving forward.

I didn’t know all this until I actually HAD another option.

When Wayne and I married, he moved to the farm and the travel back and forth to his job in the “Big City” was required just as the gas prices started to climb.

We were trying to build the cabin in between his twelve hours or more away to commute two hours away for an eight-hour shift and then another two hours on the road back home, and my own unruly work schedule. He was getting him home around 2 a.m. He was exhausted, he was sleeping when I was working, and we seldom saw each other. I worked all the time and I was exhausted too.

We then made the decision that, financially, it was wise to release the job in the city. And, we wanted to see each other more. Wayne came home to work on getting the cabin weather-proofed and to make domestic progress on literally building our dreams. He spent just over four months working on the cabin along side my father daily, or nearly daily.

During that time, the financial pressures increased, as we needed more materials and supplies to build. It was becoming quite stressful for us both. So, Wayne started looking for a job locally. Here, in rural Kentucky, good jobs aren’t that plentiful.

Yesterday, Wayne enjoyed his first full day of work in a position that will provide him professional challenges, the opportunity for growth and a job that he believes he’s really going to enjoy. He will be able to cover health insurance for the family, and it’s a 15-minute commute from the farm.

Suddenly, stresses I have been carrying around began to melt away. He’s seemed to relax a bit, too. Things have come into crisper focus. And, I can take a day off without guilt. It’s been literally YEARS since I’ve taken a day (even a weekend) off without feeling guilty. Now I can.

Now I can set regular business hours. Now I can know that the bills will be paid even if I don’t work into the wee hours of the a.m., now sleep may not be so much of a personal enemy, now relaxing won’t seem so much like a guilty sin.

It’s liberating and a bit odd. And I realized that the last time I didn’t HAVE to work, was when Nicholas was a baby (he’s nearly 17 now). For ten months, I didn’t have to work. I was finishing my undergraduate thesis at that time, but I didn’t have a “JOB” — I did move twice and once was across three states, but no work, per se.

Before then, from age 18 until then, I was working one, two, even three jobs at a time, even while attending the University of Kentucky. Later, when we returned to Kentucky, after the boys’ father completed a military stint, when I was going to school at Centre College to complete my degree, I worked part time. Before I could finish my degree, I was supporting the two boys alone.

And I am in wonder when I consider how much easier life will be with this new change. Wayne has always been a partner, he’s helped me to define exactly what that term means for the first time in my life. But, to have two good,dependable incomes to support a single family… well, that’s all new to me.

There are so many plans we will be able to make, we will be able to eliminate lingering debt load and invest in our future. And, I’ll be able to work regular hours- beginning immediately.

The pressure is releasing, pressure I didn’t even know I had. It’s like being immersed in pure luxury. It’s being able to breathe deeply. It’s like heaven.

With good kids, my health, a wonderful life-partner, my business flourishing, and my love of my career – I thought life was good.

Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, it just got a whole lot better.

This weekend, my eldest son returned home. He’s been living with his father for just over two years.It will be interesting to see the change in family dynamics with the addition of a 16 year old just a month after the departure of my 14 year old. They are such different personalities. Like the proverbial night and day.

Suddenly I feel like we are playing musical houses with the boys. Like we “traded” — which is really weird. I miss Derrick terribly and wish he would return home as well.

I know having three again would complicate life, but I don’t care. It’s wonderful to have Nicholas back home, I only wish I hadn’t lost Derrick just prior.

So THESE are the trials that make you stronger, eh?