As I get older, I resist getting old. Then when I do accept me getting old, I have to update my photo. That is what I have done.

PS. Look for KIDARadio.com. There are great things coming!!!

Camera Recon – Olympus E-620

Now if we just step back. Think about what would make us more efficient. Then look through Windows XP or Vista, depending on which computer we are using. The program and/or tool needed may be already on our computer. How??

When you get a computer with an operating system installed, there is other smaller application that are already installed. So buying any other program would be just a waste of money.

This week Life Hacker post great tools that already come with Microsoft’s Windows operating system. I would recommend that you go to Life Hacker and see if you can save some money.

I spend 12 plus hours a day n front of a computer, between my day job and other projects. My wife spent over 6 hours playing WOW (World of Warcraft) on her computer. I don’t know how long our daughter was on her computer, on a Sunday afternoon.

Internet content has evolved to the stat that all we don’t really need television. Each family member just needs to have their own computer, or cell phone. Yes, I wrote cell phone. I am not in a sleepy haze from the early morning hours.

Have you taken a close look at what you cell phone can do lately. Besides telephone calls, there is text messaging, picture messaging, recorded voice, and even surfing the internet. The cell phone is evolving into a mobile computer, that may in the near future take the place of the laptop.

I thought at one time that the laptop computer would take the place of the desktop computer. I am starting to think that I was wrong. Everybody will have a powerful desktop at home and their mobile computer will be a cell phone/computer.

Enough about the progression of technology. What about our dependence on technology? What is the price we pay? Lost time together as a family? Lost time doing those things around the house, to make it look nice. Dare I write, an increase in the use of electric energy to power our computers and monitors.

I am interested in what you think. Post your ideas.

I have been encouraged by the amazing increase in the downloads. Over 500 for this month. and still two days to go. That is why I was prompted me to start the second podcast.

I start Money Life Attitude because there is no good news coming from television news programs. People are upgrading their existing computer rather than buying new. How are we going to manage our money? How is our lifestyles going to change? What is our attitude going to be? Money, Life, Attitude is going to be the title and subject of my next group of podcasts. There is an accompanying website will be up. The domain name is MoneyLifeAttitude.com

Vista Is Here To Stay will still be produced every Tuesday.

I am even looking at getting guest with report and/or interviews for both podcasts.

Big Money is being paid out to get websites and blogs noticed. Where there can be 1000’s of websites that are trying for the very same spot. The competition those top spots in Google can be on the level of the Super Bowl. So what is the answer?

Bottom-line: Don’t believe all the hype. When it comes to getting your website notice, nothing beats good old fashion hard work. It is not any magic pill. I have found that works the best. It can all be boiled down into three practices.

1. Get other websites to link to yours. Go out talk to people who have other website have them link to your.
2. Tell everyone you can about your website and its address. The best example I see is John C. Dvorak. Every time I hear him on a podcast he is plugging his blog (JohnCDvorak/blog).
3. Print your websites address on piece of literature you publish. This is all part of branding your website. Every time person thinks of dog collars they will see you domain name in their minds.

I have listed below, my favorite five Windows programs.

1. Photofiltre – No I did not miss spell this program. I don’t need Photo Shop. I need something that is simple and relatively easy to use. Thus Photofiltre is my image editing program.
2. Firefox – This is the web browser of choice. Like many other geeks I understand why people who use their computer extensively like Firefox.
3. iTunes – I know there is Windows Media Player and several other, but I like my podcast. The access to the internet radio stations along with the way iTunes handles my audio files, I do like.
4. Audacity – Since I started doing podcasts. This is a great simple program to edit audio files and put them in whatever format I want.
5. Any Password – This is where I store all my passwords. Considering all the passwords that I have to use. This is how I keep them organized.

Sure there can be other factor that will break a business. Poor financial management will run a business into the ground quickly. I have seen a business just starting to turn a profit, where the owner decided to take their entire family for a week’s vacation in Hawaii. The money they used was from the business’s bank account. When the owners returned they employees walk out. Why did they walk out? They had to face all creditors with bounced checks.

A product or service that no body wants is another reason why a business will fail.

At one point I saw a lot of business the opened up to sell stuff on ebay. I suppose in some sections of the country it was a good profitable business. However in Boise ID, it was a marginal success. They all closed due to lack of people using the service.

Advertising in the wrong media will make or break a business.

A three line ad in one local paper in one region of the country a home based business works great, where in another region. Unless there is a store front you are not considered a reputable person.

Customer Service is more important than anything else.

After listening and reading all the comments and analytics of CompUSA closing, I have come to one basic conclusion. They had the store front, the corporate finical management. They even had the products and services that people wanted. It was the lack of good customer service that drove people away from the store.

From the big box stores of Wal Mart and Best Buy to the little mom and pop computer store that has been around for years, great prices, or a large inventory will not make or break the store. It is the kind of service they offer. The focus on customer service will keep the business adapting and changing to keep the customers coming back. Customers will see it and keep going back to these places.

Hardware drivers and older programs are still a major issues. However, what I see as the main hindrance to adopting Windows Vista is computer techs. Their biggest objection to Vista is nothing more than when Window 2000 and XP were installed on computers.

If you want more detail about the Good, The Bad and The Troublesome go to Vista366.com and my podcast Vista Is Here To Stay. You can always email me a efc@efcussins.com.