Author Archives: Robert McKay Jones

Robert McKay Jones

I have spent more than 25 years working hand in hand with clients in creating custom software applications that improve and enhance their operation, productivity and visibility.

Windows 8 Pro

February 17, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

Windows 8 is the new OS from Microsoft replacing Windows 7 and giving it a new look and feel

20130217-135147.jpgdesigned for touch screens and especially tablets. It might be a natural for Xbox 360 users because that is the interface that you will first see.

So it takes a little getting used to begin using your new Windows 8 computer because there is no familiar desktop, no start button in the lower left hand corner. But on closer scrutiny, you will find a desktop and a task bar just like the good old days. But you will never find the start button. It is gone! However, there are now 3rd party applications which will bring it back to life in a big way.
With touch screen on a tablet, you can sweep your finger from the left to change applications or see a list of running applications. Sweep from the right and you will see the date and time along with start, search and settings options.

The Start option provides a ‘metro’ look at available programs in square or rectangle icons. The icons are dynamic, so your photos icon displays photos from your computer, Facebook, SkyDrive or Flickr online accounts. The People icon displays images from your social network like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Connect, etc.

In summary, we will all get used to Windows 8 but Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, continues to take two steps forward and one step back.

Posted in Technology.

Microsoft Surface

February 17, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

At first glance, the Surface is a sleek wide-screen (16:9) high resolution tablet with super crisp

20130217-134218.jpgdisplay. It has a magnesium stand (the entire device is magnesium clad) that clicks out from the back side and a sleek keyboard cover that snaps into place magnetically into place making it look more like a laptop than a tablet. It starts quickly and easily with Windows 8 Pro which I will talk about in the next section. IT has a USB port (awesome) and a Micro SD memory card slot. It also has an earphone jack and an interesting magnetic connector for power or pen. The USB port is wonderful because you can connect a mouse or normal keyboard or a USB Hub so you can connect multiple USB devices. Being able to use a mouse and full keyboard makes seem like a laptop or desktop.

Mine came with 64gb of disk solid-state space (because the 128gb model was out of stock). After I installed a full version of Office 2010, I was left with a mere 20gb of space. Not a lot of space! That said, with the use of cloud computing options like Microsoft Skydrive, Yahoo Flickr, Dropbox, Vimeo, Facebook, and others, most of my data is in the cloud so the space required is really used on programs.

There are two choices in keypads available. A touch and a type. The touch is a slim 3mm thick with embossed keys that are touch sensitive. The type keyboard is more like a normal keyboard. I like both very much although it takes a short time to get used to the touch version.

The Microsoft Surface has a Corning Gorilla Glass 2 screen which makes it nearly impervious to scratches or cracking.

All things considered, I love the design, clarity and Windows of the new Surface! I also love that it is a Windows device with all the features of my desktop. Things I use everyday like Outlook, OneNote, Excel, a Mouse and a keyboard!

Posted in Technology. Tagged with .

What makes a Diner Great?

January 29, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

In some circles, I am known as Diner Bob because of my passion to seek out and enjoy great diner’s around the country.  It stems from my growing up in New Jersey, the capital of Diners in America in my opinion, and living in Sterling, Worcester County, Massachusetts for 30 years. Worcester is the home of the Worcester Lunch Car Company which produced more than 600 Diners between 1906 and 1957.

Nautilus Diner

Nautilus Diner, Madison, NJ

I had the opportunity to eat breakfast a few times at one of my all time favorites this past week in Madison, New Jersey. The Nautilus has been around since as long as I can remember. I grew up only a few miles away. It hasn’t changed much over the years. There are pictures on the walls of how it used to be and it is hard to tell the difference. I think that is the first rule in being a great Diner, consistency. This applies to any service organization. The second rule is a great product – in the case of the Nautilus, it is great food. Over the course of a few days, I had the opportunity to eat breakfast at the Nautilus a number of times. At each occasion, my party was seated promptly, tended to immediately and quickly served our orders exactly as ordered. All Diner’s across America can take a lesson here; provide consistent service, cook great food, have wait staff that are there to serve providing quick, attentive and accurate service and you just might have a successful business.  It isn’t complicated, but it is rare to find.

And you needn’t take my word for it, this past Sunday we were honored to enjoy breakfast with Governor Chris Christy (look closely) sitting just a few tables away.  As it turns out, this large man (in size and stature) who lives a few miles, New Jersey frequents the Nautilus. A great compliment to any Diner!

My hat is off to the Nautilus in Madison, New Jersey.  Setting a great example! Long live the American Diner!

Posted in Customer Service, Diners, Passion. Tagged with .

People Tracking with RFID

January 22, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) was thought to be a transportation and logistics tool for managing inventory of packages, especially high value products like Gillette razor blades or Pfizer packages of Viagra. Although not in every store just yet, RFID is hitting it big when it comes to tracking people. 

Sometimes called spy chips, these tiny devices are connected to a particular package or person. They might be thought of as electronic bar codes. A court just upheld the legality of using RFID tags as an electronic badge for students of a Texas High School that wants to use RFID tags to manage the security of students.

Disney World plans to begin using RFID tags installed in bracelets this spring. These wrist bands (MyMagic+ bracelets) will be used for park admission, room keys, charge cards and FastPass’s (used to make reservations on popular attractions). This will replace the plastic “Card to the Kingdom” which resort guests use today as park access, room access and charge cards. The RFID scanners (pictured here) will be located everywhere and will track each individual as we move through the parks. All information gathered will feed a comprehensive logistics application to better monitor crowd levels, queue lines, and store activity. Although not specifically disclosed, the RFID bracelets will also be able to track the use of restrooms, front desks, concierge, buses, boats, monorail, automobile, room use, resort amenities such as spas, exercise facilities, lobby’s, bars, restaurants and walkways. 

Fortunately, Disney guests will of course be able to accessorize the MyMagic+ Bracelets with charms and Mouse paraphernalia. Thank Goodness! So Mickey Mouse has become our Big Brother.

Posted in Customer Service, geodata, mapping statistics, Technology.

Seed Money

January 22, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

Seed Money

There is a very nice wooden box on my desk that contains hundreds of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. The coins look like money but are really made of paper. These coins were my gift for being one of the 1,100 backers of this project on Kickstarter.com.
The paper coins can be planted. Each coin contains seeds to grow a colorful flower or herb or vegetable. Yes, these coins are called “Seed Money”. The Seed Money is hand-illustrated and engraved on thick custom papers and each is embedded with seeds. Buy them in rolls just like real coins. 

You can secretly plant them in different places you travel or give them away as tokens of appreciation or give an entire roll of Seed Money away as a gift for someone special. Here is what you can get:

  • Pennies: flower mix (Don’t worry, nothing invasive!)
  • Nickels: hearty greens mix (such as kale, chard & spinach)
  • Dimes: herb mix (such as thyme, dill, oregano, parsley & basil)
  • Quarters: salad mix (lettuce, carrot & tomato)

 And if you are really taken with the concept, you can design your own Seed Money (Minimum order is 10,000 coins)!

You can visit our office to receive your own Seed Money coin or reach out to Leafcutter Designs. They are located in Berkeley, California. Find them on the web at http://leafcutterdesigns.com.

Posted in Marketing, Nature.

Calendar 20-20

January 22, 2013 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

Here is an opening for a conversation. Calendar 20-20 is the name we have given to a new calendar project we are working on at TRI this month. We have used the calendar in Outlook for more than a decade and we have used the Google calendar for almost as long. These calendars are only moderately adequate. Here is a short requirements list of things we feel are missing from our Outlook or Google calendar. We intend to fix that problem.

  • Associate calendar entries to a project
  • Associate calendar entries to a client, associate or contact
  • Associate calendar entries to an employee or group member
  • Associate calendar entries to a task
  • Permit drag and drop editing
  • Grouping calendar entries by task within project, within client or contact within employee
  • Manage projects better by allowing all the tasks associated with a project to be rescheduled or cancelled as the project changes state
  • Prioritizing calendar entries
  • Adding comments to calendar entries
  • Add activities or requirements to calendar entries
  • Allow clients to see and/or manage calendar entries specific to them on the web
  • Allow employees to see and/or manage calendar entries specific to them on the web
  • Allow supervisors to review calendar entries for all employees
  • and clients Although Calendar 20-20 will replace the need to use the Outlook calendar, for those who wish, Calendar 20-20 can be downloaded and overlaid on top of an Outlook calendar.
  • Print or display calendars in special report formats
    • Listings by task by date
    • Listings by client and include tasks and dates
    • Listing by employee and include clients, tasks and dates
    • Daily task list for employees and supervisors
    • Special Monthly or Weekly calendars with avatars depicting employees, projects, clients and tasks
  • Interactive day view that allows a supervisor or employee to better manage a client

If you agree that we need to bring calendaring into the new millennium, please drop us a line and let us know what we are missing. How can a calendar be improved to help YOU in your business? Let us know!

Posted in Scheduling, Services, Technology. Tagged with .

Hidden Beauty in Central Massachusetts

September 23, 2012 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

Central Massachusetts Rail Trails

The Central Massachusetts Rail Trails are a gem for nature lovers of all kinds. With miles of trails along old rail routes, the views are amazing, the nature is plentiful and the peace tranquil and energizing.  A walk, bike ride or jog is the best way to take it all in.  Pack a lunch if you plan to stay a while but certainly carry some drinking water.  The map shows a recent ride I took starting in Rutland and ending in Barre.  It was a 7 mile ride through the woods and past ponds and brooks.

In some cases, tunnels were put in under roads and in others bridges were built over waterways or ravines. Along the way, you might find a few hikers, bikers and maybe some horse-back riders. You may see some fisherman, dog-walkers or kayakers. You will certainly see and hear the birds of the area along with migrant swan, geese, duck and Herron.

The trail is part of the Wachusett Greenway a stretch of Massachusetts Rail Trail which are old rail lines recaptured for the use of the public. Wachusett Greenways’ mission is connecting the Wachusett communities with Trails and Greenways. Their major project is building and helping to maintain 30 miles of the Mass Central Rail Trail through Barre, Oakham, Rutland, Holden, West Boylston and Sterling.

Click on any of the pictures below for a full size image. If you get a chance, take a run out to Rutland or Barre and have yourself a nice walk in the woods.

 

 

Wachusett Greenways, Rutland, MA

Wachusett Greenways Tunnel

Trail cut into mountainside

Stump Art in the middle of nowhere

Bog

Dieing Forest - Living Watershed

Posted in Nature, Passion.

Comcast Blocking Access to Web Sites

August 7, 2012 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

I have been experiencing problems accessing web sites from home. My ISP is Comcast.  I have discovered the problem.  Comcast has recently implemented DNSSEC – Domain Name System Security Extensions.  DNSSEC validates web site domain name settings with a fine tooth comb. In many cases this fine tooth comb is filtering out sites which you would think should be a-ok.  Sites like portal.microsoftonline.com (the Microsoft Exchange Online web site or www.mass.gov (the State of Massachusetts web site).

It all has to do with DNS Servers. A DNS Server is like a phone book that gives you the number associated to the name. If you can’t associate the name (URL) to the IP address (Phone Number), it can’t make the call.

In researching the problem, I discovered that DNS could not resolve these URL’s.  That means that when the computer looks up the URL in the DNS Servers to get the associated IP address to call the web page, it can’t find the IP. It can’t find the IP because access has been denied by Comcast’s DNS servers.  It has been denied because Comcast now uses DNSSEC to validate URL’s – theoretically for improved security.

The problem is that many web sites do not yet comply with DNSSEC validation rules.

If you are experiencing issues accessing certain web pages, check out the site using this tool: http://dnssec-debugger.verisignlabs.com/ and enter the web site in question. If you see all green lights, the site is ok, if you see red lights, the site may not be in compliance with DNSSEC validation rules.

Feel free to call Comcast, but get yourself to a supervisor quickly, the underlings, as nice as they are,  don’t have a clue.

Posted in Uncategorized.

The Responsibility of a Business

August 7, 2012 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

There is a movement afoot for businesses to become more conscious. That is, instead of the single objective of profiting the shareholders, a conscious business has the responsibility to other stakeholders. Stakeholders include the customer, the community, the employees, the environment, and the quality of life.

Sprouting up around us all are grass roots organizations that are working to change the way businesses conduct themselves as part of our society. Some call it conscious business or conscious capitalism. If you google these terms, you will find many web sites and many books on the subject.

A question you will see asked is why do businesses have the rights of a citizen when they do not hold the same responsibilities? Why are they not held to the same standards? Why do they not operate on the same moral principals that we hold so dear to our hearts as citizens in our community, our country and our world?

In Massachusetts, you will find the Conscious Business Roundtable, a group started by Lisa Hamaker of Kaliday Marketing which meets regularly to discuss how businesses can prosper by conducting themselves for the benefit of all those around them, not just their shareholders. You will find the Conscious Capitalism Institute, founded by Dr. Raj Sisodia and supported by the likes of Whole Foods, The Container Store and others.

Internationally, you will see other organizations cropping up that seek the same objectives. This is not a fleeting concept. It has been around us for many years and is growing. Keep your eye out for it. Be open to it. Support it. It may just change the way people do business and change the world as a result.

Posted in America, business climate, International.

Why Birds Sing

June 27, 2012 by Robert McKay Jones · Leave a comment

Waking up before dawn and light, you can often hear the morning announcements from the birds. Somehow it is louder before the sun rises. The distinct calls, “I am Great!”, “I am Great”, “Look at me”, “Look at me”! There is no fear, no embarrassment. No resistance at all to the marketing of one’s own prowess. It is what you have to do if you expect to move forward and get what you want — get what you know you deserve.

We can all take a lesson from nature (again) not to be afraid of broadcasting your own praise especially if you are sincere about what you do that is special and unique. If you have something special to offer, sing out! Tell everyone.

If you don’t, find your passion and become special so you too can sing out. We all need to be the best birds we can be.

Posted in Marketing. Tagged with , , .
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