Archive: Business & Technology

New York reached its highest employment level ever of more than 9 million jobs in 2014, after adding 538,000 jobs since 2009, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The overall job growth in 2014 alone was 143,000 – the strongest growth since 2000 – and capped four years of steady gains.

Job growth was uneven across the state, with New York City gaining three out of four new statewide jobs from 2009 to 2014, while four upstate regions lost jobs, the report notes. The Mohawk Valley and the Southern Tier saw the biggest drops in employment.

Administrative staff at the Ithaca Health Alliance (IHA) has formed a union, and the union and IHA have successfully completed negotiations of their first collective bargaining agreement. Both the employer and the union signed the new agreement several weeks ago.

Rob Brown, Administrative Coordinator at IHA, said, "we are all unified in our desire to make the Ithaca Health Alliance as effective as possible." Brown, the first employee hired by IHA, has been with the agency for ten years.

When I cut the Windows cord there were a few programs I needed for work that were only available for Windows.  A few were custom built one of a kind programs specifically for my business, and the other three didn't have a Mac version.  Since then I've narrowed it down to two absolutely necessary programs that only have Windows versions (if you don't count the Windows Web browser, which I use for testing Web sites from time to time.  I've been using Parallels to run Windows 7 on my iMac, and it works fine.  So I probably don't need to upgrade to Windows 10.

But being geekily curious (which has already taken many of my nine techno-lives) I decided to upgrade anyway.  Because I suffer from a mildly masochistic techno-curiosity and, perhaps, a lack of geekly impulse control.  One real reason I did want to upgrade was that I heard that it is a leaner version of Windows.  Microsoft has also been the King of Bloatware for years and years, and the idea of a faster booting/running Windows was attractive, especially when it is on a computer that is sharing resources between Windows and Mac software at the same time.

Cyber crime and cyber terrorism are currently the fastest growing threats to individuals in the United States. Statistics show that cyber crime has now surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a way for criminals to profit. Our digital infrastructure is being compromised every day and as such, it has never been more vital to protect ourselves and our personal information from the threat of cyber attack. With several recent high profile breaches in both the public and private sectors, those in power must be held accountable and reaffirm their commitment to protecting our invaluable information. We must alter the course of the cyber security epidemic by treating it for what it really is, an imminent threat to the safety and security of ourselves, our State, and our Nation.

According to a recent study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, each data breach costs companies $3.5 million on average, at a cost of about $201 per record. The study also found that 42 percent of data breaches were caused by malicious or criminal attack, 30 percent by human error, and 29 percent by system glitch. The common thread between these causes? They are preventable.

Local sales tax collection growth across New York State slowed to 1.6 percent in the first six months of 2015 from 3 percent growth in 2014 and was considerably lower than the 4.2 percent average annual growth over the past 15 years, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

County sales tax collections, excluding all cities, increased only 0.5 percent for the first six months of 2015, with many counties seeing a decline in their collections.

There is a trend now for technical journalists to write about gadgets that don't actually exist.  Well, technically they do exist, but there is no stock to ship to customers even though it is possible to pre-order them.  The reviews help fledgeling companies raise enough money to pay for the final development and manufacturing of their great idea.  And the folks who put their money down on crowdfunding Web sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo get to be the first to own these terrific gadgets.

It is easy to get caught up in the excitement.  The funding campaigns identify a problem that we all share.  They have videos showing a prototype of their product actually working.  They have different price points for different levels of rewards.  The problem is that few crowdfunded products ship close to the promised time, and many never even make it to shipping.  And while a prototype may do all kinds of amazing things, when you have to deal with the economies of manufacturing the commercial product may or may not live up to the promises in real-world conditions.

Buffalo, NY (July 23, 2015)—Summertime brings lots of outdoor activities for children but many will spend their time indoors surfing the Internet. Do you know which sites your children visit? Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York reminds parents and caregivers that summertime is the right time for a refresher course in online safety.

"Parents protect their children from all types of real world threats, so it is important to protect them online as well," said Warren Clark, BBB of Upstate New York president. "Simple actions and family decisions can make an important difference for a child's online experience, regardless of their age."

I was driving home from Virginia when I stopped for gas.  I couldn't read the LCD display on the gas tank, and as a result I was likely not pressing the right buttons.  Whatever the reason, I got so aggravated that I stomped into my car and drove away without buying gas there.  Unfortunately my gas cap was still sitting on the trunk of the car, and I didn't realize it until I noticed cruise control wasn't working.  It turns out that on a Subaru cruise control is disabled when your Check Engine light is on.  And your Check Engine light comes on if you don't have a gas cap.

Subaru dealerships were closed on Sundays, so I went to an auto supply store and bought a third party gas cap.  As it turns out replacing the cap will turn off the Check Engine light, but only after you have gotten gas a few times.  I drove home without cruise control.  About 20 miles from home the Check Engine light blinked off and cruise control worked again.  By that time my leg was cramped, and I couldn't use cruise control anyway in downtown Ithaca.

If I had had an OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostic System) device that connects to my smart phone I could have reset the light myself.  So I became obsessed with finding an affordable, reliable OBD-II device.

Our digital infrastructure is under attack. With hackers from around the globe, and most recently reported, China, developing more sophisticated methods to infiltrate even the most advanced and secure systems, we as individuals and as a Nation have never been more vulnerable to cyber security breaches.

According to a recent poll conducted by The Rochester Business Journal, fifty-five percent of those polled were increasingly concerned that a major cyber attack could pose a serious threat to the economy or national security of the United States. Even more alarming is that forty-four percent have experienced a cyber security breach on a personal level or through their place of employment. Overwhelmingly, seventy-three percent of those polled believe a large-scale cyber attack on the United States by another country should be considered an act of war.

ASI Energy is the partner in Stage 1 NY Prize winning projects located in Syracuse, Binghamton, and Schenectady—The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced. All three projects will study the feasibility of creating highly energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) microgrids that will serve vital sectors of these communities such as water treatment plants, public safety, public transportation, libraries, and educational institutions.

According to Herb Dwyer, President of ASI Energy, "As an innovative, New York State based, veteran-owned business, ASI Energy is thrilled to be a partner in three prize winning projects. We strongly believe these projects have the potential to significantly change the way these communities generate energy in a way that's more reliable, secure, and highly efficient.  Not only will it save money for these communities but will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

July 7th, 2015 - Ithaca Coffee Company, a small batch coffee roaster/retailer located in Ithaca, NY, is introducing a completely new package and design. The new packaging coincides with the recent acquisition of a custom built, state of the art drum roaster which will allow for the extraction of an even broader range of flavors than their previous roaster. The roaster was commissioned into service 6 weeks ago and is currently housed in the Ithaca Coffee Company roasting and production facility which was purchased in July of 2013.
 
The new recyclable and biodegradable package was conceived completely in-house, and features a screen printed custom made Kraft Paper box. The box is designed to stand out on the crowded coffee retail shelf, with a sharp unique design.  The company’s local origin of Ithaca, NY is prominently featured along the side. Each box features a concise list of brewing suggestions, as well as succinct descriptions of Ithaca Coffee Company’s philosophy and practices. Color coded labels are used to easily identify specific coffee varieties and countries of origin, along with tasting notes. The provenance of each coffee can be found on the back label of each box.
 

The Rotary Club of Ithaca welcomed five new presidents for the 2015-2016 year. With a creative twist, the club is trying a new approach: five past club presidents have formed a leadership team informally called the Gang of Five. The group is comprised of Jean McPheeters, James Brown, Brian Wilbur, Janet Steiner, and Jim Johnston. Together, they will share responsibility for leading the club and its initiatives during the next year.