Rochester Institute of Technology is once again at the forefront of innovationThe new University Services Center has earned the highest sustainability rating from the U.S Green Building Council its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating is platinum.

The first thing you will notice about the Student Innovation Center is a lot of glass. It is part of the $15 million University Services Center.

New technology means the glass does more than just allow a nice view.

“We’re really able now to open up the brick walls and put in more glass because we could now block the ultraviolet light and reduce the heat gain to a manageable amount and bring all the day light in,” said Dirk Schneider, Chaintreuil Jensen Stark Architects.

The new center is user-friendly, energy-efficient and among only about 59 buildings worldwide with LEED Platinum certification, but the high rating was not in the original plans.

“The goal was LEED Silver, but as we talked and collaborated we all looked at each other and said we can achieve platinum,” Schneider said.

For a building to achieve LEED Platinum status, it must meet the following requirements:

* 48.6 percent energy cost reduction over industry standards for heating and cooling efficiency
* 43 percent reduction in water usage over national requirements
* 35 percent of the buildings electricity is supplied from renewable sources, including on-site solar panels
* 33 percent recycled content of materials
* Materials and products necessary for the project must be from within a 500-mile radius.

It didn’t cost RIT any more money to build the building this way.

“It’s getting easier for architects and engineers to select products that are more sustainable in nature,” said Tammy Schickler, Sustainable Performance Consulting. “Ten years ago, it was hard… I think it’s penetrated the industry and whether you’re getting a certification or not, building sustainable helps the environment and helps future generations so it’s the right thing to do. It does take more effort, but it’s not a drag to do it because you know in the long run the college will really gain from it.”

RIT intends to remain in the lead when it comes to sustainability. Another LEED Platinum building is in the works.

Duration : 0:2:48

Technorati Tags: RIT

Duration : 0:2:3

Technorati Tags: ''download'', all, any web lock, any weblock, anyweblock, application, Blacklist, block, browser, chrome, connect, domain, easy, error, firefox, free, freeware, Import, internet, internet explorer, list, opera, prevent, program, url, webpage, website

Duration : 0:3:50

Technorati Tags: JunkEmail, MSOUTLOOK

-Some security products slow down your PC; AVG Internet Security 2012 speeds it up, by accelerating the download of content-rich files. Faster system start-up and support for Flash and HD video means you can enjoy online video like YouTube faster than ever before.

-More than just Antivirus, AVG Internet Security protects you when shopping and banking, keeping your identity safe. The AVG Firewall prevents inbound and outbound attacks, while Identity Protection secures personal content you enter online.

-Keep your inbox clear of spam and also protect it from phishing scams along with the hidden viruses that they contain. AVG will also protect you when exchanging files through popular instant messaging like MSN and Yahoo.

**Minimum System Requirements**
Processor – Intel Pentium 1.5 GHz or faster
Memory – 512 MB of RAM
Hard disk free space (for installation) -1000 MB

Recommended System Requirements
Processor – Intel Pentium 1.8 GHz or faster
Memory – 512 MB RAM
Hard disk free space (for installation) – 1550 MB

Duration : 0:3:59

Technorati Tags: ''antivirus'', ''AVG'', ''avginternetsecurity2012'', ''best'', ''bestantivirus'', ''crack'', ''download'', ''freedownload'', ''freesoftware'', ''full'', ''fullversion'', ''internetsecurity2012'', ''serial'', free, new, software

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Certified visions facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/pages/CertifiedVisions/187821847941279

Duration : 0:6:4

Technorati Tags: CERTIFIED, CERTIFIEDVISIONS, JAYEYE, RIKRIK, VISIONS

RSS or Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary is the latest information management tool that is gradually earning popularity among web users and website owners. With RSS technology, it is possible to get the latest postings from your favorite websites. But clicking on the RSS or XML button in a homepage is not enough to give you the service you need. An RSS feed or code displayed in the pop-up screen if not on the main page is composed of symbols and words that would only make sense to advanced RSS users and computer programmers and software enthusiasts. Another software tool called an RSS aggregator or reader is needed.

An aggregator works by scanning the worldwide web with latest postings based on the RSS code provided or added by the user. When it finds a new posting, news, or update, it will publish the RSS feed on your home page containing the title of the posting, which also serves as a clickable link to the website source. This RSS feed may or may not contain the whole article, a summary, and photos, depending on what RSS aggregator you are using.

Aggregators come in two types: the downloadable program or desktop-type and the online or web-based type. The desktop aggregator usually charges a certain amount for its services; this would include regular updating in the form of upgrades or patches to the original version. This type of RSS reader allows more customization of RSS feeds as well as page format or design over its on-line counterparts. But of course, price can be a drawback.

On-line or web-based aggregators are free of charge. All you need to do is register an account with them then you can start enjoying their services. Depending on the of the aggregator, customization is more limited. Some even do not allow you to customize at all.
Product and service advertisers are realizing the potential of RSS aggregators in internet marketing. In fact, several submit RSS codes to several popular web-based aggregators to reach the growing technophile and internet-based market. My Yahoo has been instrumental in popularizing RSS technology to both users and website owners and advertisers.

At present, there are many aggregators to choose from and newer versions of the same aggregator are constantly developed by its programmers.

Below are some of these desktop and online aggregators:
Desktop Aggregators
1. AmphetaDesk
free supports Linux, Mac, and Windows easy addition of RSS feeds
Disadvantages:
- not maximized use of screen display
- few options for customizing

2. FeedDemon
Advantages:
- user friendly
- free trial version
- contains prepared popular feeds
- allows filtering of RSS feeds
- configurable watch list to manage junk RSS feeds
- search channel feature that incorporates other RSS services e.g. Feedster
- allows feed storage for future use
- tabbed browsers for channel navigation
- built-in podcast receiver

Disadvantages:
- supports only Internet Explorer (embedded)
- paid software ($29.95)

Online Aggregators
1. Bloglines
Advantages:
- all major browsers supported (e.g. Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, Firefox)
- user-friendly especially for beginners
- free, web-based aggregator
- easy registration
- no advertisements
- contains its own directory of RSS feeds of thousands of websites
- personal email account for subscribing to newsletter emails (optional)
- allows privacy adjustments for personal blogs
- allows saved searches
- mobile version available
- 10 languages supported
- Additional add-on tools for automated blogrolls and subscription buttons

2. NewsGator
Advantages:
- free (consumer-standard version)
- provides personalized news channel
- allows translation of RSS articles into email format
- synchronization of feeds in several devices possible
- browse and search feed capabilities save time on surfing
- allows keyword filtering
- blog headlines
- button-click automatic subscription to news feeds

Disadvantage:
- Outlook-based thus limited to Windows

3. My Yahoo
Advantages:
- Free web-based aggregator
- user-friendly
- customizable home page design
- button-click subscription to RSS feeds
- built-in directory and search tool for feeds
- wide variety of feeds e.g. news (science, technology, local), weather
- connects to all Yahoo features and services

Disadvantage
- banner advertisements

There are also lightweight RSS aggregator extensions which are actually plug-ins to existing internet browsers. An example of which is Sage aggregator.

Advantages:
- free of charge
- beginner-friendly
- reeds both RSS and Atom feeds
- allows feed discovery
- can be assimilated to Firefox bookmark (storage and live)
- allows OPML feed lists imports and exports
- customizable style sheets
- supports a wide range of locales e.g. Catalan, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Slovenian, etc.
- easy installation

Disadvantages:
- good for about 12 RSS feeds
- limited use to Mozilla-Firefox and Mozilla-Firefox supported browsers,
RSS developers promise better features in future versions of their aggregators. Microsoft is planning to include a built-in aggregator in their next Windows version. These developments are definitely something to look forward to by all internet aficionados.

Soli Kator
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/rss-feeds-with-an-rss-aggregator-93522.html

We’ve all been there. It’s the start of the day and you’re sifting through loads of Spam emails offering you all kinds of un-missable deals as well as a few topics you wouldn’t want your maiden aunt to see! All you want to do is get straight to the genuine emails.

These days this is all too common but it doesn’t have to be that way. Wouldn’t it be great if you could spend less time sifting through and deleting all that Spam? That would leave you more time to get on with your work. After all time is money!

The Spammers are continually coming up with ingenious ways to get past the filters so these solutions are never going to be 100% effective. But they do work and can mean you only need to delete a couple of Spam emails rather than hundreds.

Spam filters also have other valuable benefits. They can scan incoming email attachments to weed out potentially damaging viruses. Your outbound emails can also be scanned for Spam and viruses protecting you from sending out harmful emails. This can happen if your computer has been unknowingly infected with a virus which then emails everyone in your address book.

There are also downsides to using Spam filters. Just like we humans they can make mistakes! What this means is Spam filters can sometimes trap genuine emails. This is known as a ‘false positive’. That’s not great if it’s an important email from a client. Clearly there needs to be a balance here between risk and reward.

This is normally in the form of a sensitivity setting within the Spam filter. It is important to get this correct but initially it is worth trialling different settings and checking the results.

Some Spam filters work in a slightly different way by blocking any emails they are not sure about but then giving the recipient the option to release that email. That puts you in control of your own sensitivity settings and means that you literally ‘train’ your Spam filter. This might mean a bit of extra effort on your part at the outset but it may well save you time longer term and enable you to get the best out of your Spam filter.

One option is to use a Spam filter that is hosted on the internet with no software to install on your computer. This has several advantages:

1. The Spam emails never reach your computer. That leaves your internet connection free for valid emails and internet use.

2. Viruses never reach your computer or server.

3. It also makes your network or server more secure as you can set them to only allow connections from your hosted Spam filter rather than anybody who might be sending you emails.

My recommendation would be for a hosted Spam filtering solution for the benefits listed above. There are also additional benefits including business continuity. When your server/network is down you can still access emails through a web interface and then when your network/server is working again the emails are delivered as normal. There’s also the option of email archiving for compliance reasons along with access from any location though a web site, for example if you are away from the office.

Gen Wright
http://www.articlesbase.com/computer-forensics-articles/getting-out-of-inbox-hell-how-to-get-rid-of-spam-emails-680697.html

As companies’ learning functions gain importance and learning management systems (LMS) are implemented and integrated with other HR systems the administrative burden and support effort increases also.

The prospect of huge savings has therefore started to attract companies to outsource the learning function as a whole, or at least parts of it. And they are right. The learning function is an ideal candidate for outsourcing – it involves mainly low value administrative work and does not add any value to a company’s bottom line. Adding to this are constantly shrinking budgets and the pressure on Chief Learning Officers to do more with less.

Many companies have already freed themselves of the administrative work and handed over learning support processes to specialist providers enabling them to free up existing resources and use them in a more value adding strategic role. The idea behind it is to be as lean and efficient as possible.

The need to reduce costs, focus on core competencies, increase strategy focus and the benefit of planning costs that are normally highly unpredictable drives companies to evaluate the outsourcing option.

Companies with an in-house learning function are typically much less efficient and effective compared to companies who have made training their core competence.
According to Bersin & Associates, the leading learning industry research and advisory services company, companies who have recently implemented a Learning Management System (LMS) and who have in-house training spend an average of US$392 per learner, compared to US$328 for companies that outsource.

Through standardisation of processes, an outsourcing supplier is able to create economies of scale enabling the client to focus on strategic HR processes and other core business and to reduce technical staff significantly. Bersin research shows that companies that outsource their technology platforms only are already able to reduce their technical staff by nearly half, compared to companies with internally managed systems.

Having outsourced the technology to an external partner ensures that the company is up to date with the newest technology and reduces disruption during software upgrades.
Some software companies upgrade their products every three to six months which always involves significant effort. Usually a team of some five technical consultants are involved for four to six weeks. It’s good to pass this responsibility on to external providers. Some providers offer their LMS as Software as a Service (SaaS) which provides the benefit of faster implementation times and seamless upgrades compared to traditional LMS providers.

Apart from the technology and support related to it typical processes that can be outsourced are:

1) Development of curricula and courses on a world wide level and sharing same content between countries
2) Handling of helpdesk phone calls from inquiring learners
3) Devising certification tests
4) System support and hosting
5) Data Administration
6) Learning Facilities Managements
7) Learning Content Management Systems

BPO vendors and HR professionals caution that this type of outsourcing is not for everyone and its success depends largely on a company’s driving force, its industry, the type of training it conducts and how the process is managed.

The recent growth in this market has encouraged several outsourcing providers to increase their service portfolio and add learning as a new product.

How do companies choose the right partner and ensure a successful outcome?

Before starting the selection process is it important to determine if your company is suitable and ready to outsource the learning function. It helps to think about the costs in the short and long term to maintain this function. How will the company’s vision and strategy affect this?

Secondly it is important for a company to understand the exact business motivations – why outsource the learning function? The first question that needs to be answered is whether it is sufficient to look for a partner who specialises in learning and therefore has deep industry knowledge and best practice or is the strategic aim to bundle learning with other HR processes such as performance management? Secondly, depending on the industry you are in it might be worth looking for specialist providers who have in-depth understanding of your particular industry as well as the learning industry.

Other questions that will need to be answered are: Where exactly will the value come from? Reduce administrative costs? Reduce FTEs? Increase quality? What is the geographical scope (local, regional, global)? Languages involved? Training Delivery Strategy: Push or Pull? Answering these questions will reduce choice and help decide on the right partner.

Once you have constructed a strong business case you will have to choose the potential partners who will be invited to submit their answers during the selection process.

Many of the suppliers’ service offerings are very similar or at least sound the same. It may be good to get advice from a specialised sourcing company who understands the often subtle differences between each provider’s offerings.

Preparing for the select phase will take some effort. Try to understand exactly what you are trying to outsource and what your service expectations are. Get learners (internal or external) to help you define the services that you want to outsource. Everyone will have a different view as to what is involved depending on how they use the current processes (i.e. member of staff, contractor, administrator). Staff with little or no computer access might require a telephony service to book training, and staff in a production plant might benefits from hot-spots with touch screens and extra large buttons to be able to access the system while wearing their gloves.

Start selecting by sending a Request for Information (RFI) to no more than five possible partners. This should include an executive summary of the services you are looking to outsource.

After having evaluated the answers and downselected the suppliers to no more than two or three partners send them a more detailed Request for Proposal (RFP). This should include the detailed description of the processes, volumetrics regarding each process, a contractual framework, a pricing template, and your service and responsibility expectations. Also explain to them your current learning landscape in more detail and how whether you’d expect them to take over existing supplier services. At this stage, make sure that you know when existing contracts run out and what exit clauses are contractually agreed.

Design a systems blueprint which you can include in the RFP identifying exactly where the interface with other HR and Finance systems would be. After all the LMS will have to receive information such as new starters and leavers and back charging to appropriate cost centres will be required. Be very open with the possible partners and provide them with the opportunity to ask questions either face-to-face or at least during a phone call. After all you want them to send you their best answer.

When it comes to contracting you should start planning for this early. Find a specialist who can advise you during this phase. This should not take longer than three to six months depending on the scope of processes involved. As HR data will most probably be handled by the supplier it is important to make sure that the contact provides for the kind of care that is required to handle such data.

During implementation it is important to think about the retained organisation. Typically they will be involved with managing the relationship with the service provider. Other activities may include facilities management, aligning learning to the overall business strategy, Information Systems interfaces and data migration, tier one help desk services, etc.

The project can be considered as successful as soon as nobody realises that the process has been outsourced. Additionally, as the catalogue can be streamlined and be aligned to the business strategy this project will also have a visible positive effect on the bottom line of the company.  A successful learning outsourcing project is possibly the only situation in which the love for learning and the love for money will actually meet.

Matthias Krueger

Society’s growing concern about our eco-systems and the consumption of our natural resources has driven the demand for low-plastic and no-plastic packaging alternatives. This means the writing is on the wall for our trusted old friend the plastic jewel case because CD sleeves made from renewable resources have emerged on the scene.

As derivatives of oil, plastics are being replaced with products made from renewable resources. In the world of optical disc media, printed paper stock and board stock packaging solutions are proving to be an excellent combination of quality, versatility, durability, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness.

While forest-based products are not free from concerns over sustainability and management practices, you need to look for companies who use paper stock and board stock produced under the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC sets international standards for responsible forest management and in the past 13 years over 90 million hectares in more than 70 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC-certified wood.

CD sleeves made from printed board stock provide greater versatility in the number of styles and formats available. From a simple single pocket style to multi-paneled and multi-pocketed sleeves, sleeves combine packaging and print into a single product as opposed to traditional jewel cases which require separate printed inserts in order for you to brand your product. Sleeves are able to carry as many discs as required but you can use additional pockets for inclusion of additional printed materials in the form of folders or even stapled booklets. Additionally, if there’s a particular format or style you require which doesn’t appear to be available it’s possible to create a custom die-line to produce your sleeve for a surprisingly low cost.

You’ll want to research potential vendors to find the right style of CD sleeves for your needs and ensure they are able to provide a professional product with the environmentally-friendly standards commonly available within the industry, which include:

* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified board stock or paper stock. 15pt weight is the industry standard.
* Minimum 30% recycled content contained in the stock.
* 100% recyclable.
* Printed using waterless printing technology.
* Printed using vegetable based inks.

No matter how environmentally friendly or popular the packaging style is, an amateurish appearance gives a negative overall impression of your product. Make sure your design is equal or better than similar products on the market. Make the effort to get the design just right. Need graphic design help? Most quality suppliers should have a designer on staff or be able to refer you to a capable graphics person.

Make sure that you do your due diligence on potential suppliers and always get a written quotation from at least three different companies. Request samples of their CD sleeves to be certain they can provide you with the quality and professionalism your product needs to portray. Simply evaluating a vendor on low cost or fast delivery won’t mean anything if you are delivered a substandard product – because the quality of the product will directly affect consumers opinions of you, be that good or bad.

For more information visit http://www.predisc.com.

Jackie Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/saying-goodbye-to-jewel-cases-and-hello-to-cd-sleeves-745754.html

Duration : 0:6:56

Technorati Tags: Computer, MCSE, Microsoft, training, windows, XP