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** Tip Of The Day – USB Ports

** Today in History – John Wesley Hardin is pardoned

** Trivia

** Quote of the Day

** Woman in Business – Six Advantages to Virtual Trade Shows by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

** Grins – Clothing Store

** "Cooking for the Empty Nest" – Unfried rice

- 5/2

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USB Ports

USB is a way for your computer to connect to external devices. It's fast, easy to use, and allows you to use tons of devices all strung together. Most newer computers have one or more USB ports. Older computers have USB 1.0 or 1.1, while newer PCs have the faster USB 2.0

Speed issues aside, one of the big advantages with a USB device is that it can be plugged in while your computer is running. When you do, Windows automatically "sees" the device and you're all set to go. If it's a first time run, Windows simply asks for the device's setup disk.

If you’re thinking about getting a digital cameral, this is definitely the way to go. But how do you find out which type of USB port you have?

It’s not too hard to find out if your PC has Hi-Speed (USB 2.0) or not. Right click "My Computer" select "Properties" (or from Control Panel go to "System") then select the "Hardware" tab.; then Device Manager -  Locate and expand the Universal Serial Controllers section by clicking on it.

If it shows an "Enhanced" USB Host Controller, then you have USB 2.0 capability. If not, then you have the slower USB 1.0 or 1.1

John Wesley Hardin is pardoned

On this day in 1894, Infamous gunslinger John Wesley Hardin is pardoned after spending 15 years in a Texas prison for murder. Hardin, who was reputed to have shot and killed a man just for snoring, was 41 years old at the time of his release.

Hardin probably killed in excess of 40 people during a six-year stretch beginning in 1868. When he was only 15, Hardin killed an ex-slave in a fight, becoming a wanted fugitive. Two years later, he was arrested for murder in Waco, Texas. Although it was actually one of the few he had not committed, Hardin did not want to run the risk of being convicted and escaped to the town of Abilene.

At that time, Abilene was run by Wild Bill Hickok, who was friendly with Hardin. However, one night Hardin was disturbed by the snoring in an adjacent hotel room and fired two shots through the wall, killing the man. Fearing that not even Wild Bill would stand for such a senseless crime, Hardin moved on again.

On May 26, 1874, Hardin was celebrating his 21st birthday when he got into an altercation with a man who fired the first shot. Hardin fired back and killed the man. A few years later, Hardin was tracked down in Florida and brought to trial. Because it was one of the more defensible shootings on Hardin's record, he was spared the gallows and given a life sentence. After his pardon, he moved to El Paso and became an attorney. But his past caught up with him, and the following year he was shot in the back as revenge for one of his many murders
 
 

Six Advantages to Virtual Trade Shows
by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

A virtual trade show is a cross between a webcast meeting and a video game. And it's the next big trend in trade shows. Although a mere 1% of all trade shows are now held online, industry experts expect that by 2015, more than 25% of trade shows will be conducted in virtual environments. That's a market you can't afford to ignore.

Like online meetings, a virtual trade show can be simple or breathtakingly realistic. The simplest assemble a series of pages, each one a virtual booth for an exhibitor, plus instant messaging so exhibitors and attendees can talk in real time. The more complex are complete environments like high-level video games or such online worlds as Second Life.  In these, each participant controls an avatar. VOIP (voice over internet protocol) can allow you to talk to attendees, and you can easily email brochures or allow attendees to download them.

But why bother when face-to-face meetings are so much more satisfying and real? Because virtual trade shows offer some solid advantages.

1. Triumph Over Tighter Budgets

Imagine a trade show with no costs for transportation, shipping, hotels, hospitality, or booths, and just a minimal cost for exhibit space. That's a virtual trade show.

With travel costs rising and travel budgets falling, more industries are turning to virtual trade shows as a less expensive way to showcase their wares. Electronics and high tech companies are naturally comfortable with the online format, but they're not alone. Plenty of other industries, from plumbing to candy-wrapper design, have held successful virtual shows.

2. Spread Your Wings

All too often, the sheer size of trade show investment keeps the marketing department stuck in a traditional rut of "what worked last year."  The new medium will free you to experiment with innovative exhibit ideas—and rapidly change the ones that don't work. At a virtual trade show, you don't need to worry about the flow of foot traffic or many other design constraints.

Moreover, you'll have help designing your display. Set-up on virtual trade show sites takes less than an hour, and the software is supplied. Depending on the site, you will have an exciting array of multimedia tools at your service. Some offer VOIP (voice over internet protocol), so you can chat by voice with attendees. Most offer instant messaging capabilities, so you can chat in real time with attendees—and keep several conversations going at once.

3. Open a Stall in a New Market

Not only will you be able to test fresh approaches, you will also have the freedom to explore new markets without fear of blowing the annual budget. Because of the low overhead, you can dare to attend non-traditional trade shows you might not otherwise attempt.

4. The Future Is Green

Compared to traditional trade shows, virtual trade shows are "greener."  Lowering environmental impact is an increasingly important goal for many companies. Tax incentives for cutting fuel costs are also likely to increase, making virtual exhibits an even more attractive proposition.

5. Follow That Lead!

Traditional trade shows often generate exciting leads. Unfortunately, 80% of those leads are never followed up - a statistic bound to discourage the most enthusiastic marketing professional. The reasons are myriad: disconnects between marketing and sales departments, the difficulties of reading hand-scribbled names and addresses, the tedium of entering contact information by hand into databases.

However, virtual trade shows collect the data for you - and most include built-in lead management software. Suddenly tracking those leads becomes simple. In addition, many systems offer tags so you can make notes on attendees or companies, making it easy to follow up. You can also keep tabs on both staff and attendee activities.

Virtual trade show systems generally allow you to run analytics as soon as the show is over. Instead of entering all the data separately, the virtual trade show tracks and analyzes it for you. You'll be able to start following up leads immediately, which can greatly improve your return on investment.

6. Market to the Twenty-First Century Customer

Most important of all, virtual trade shows will help you reach out to the digital generation. Over time, more and more corporate decision makers will be at least as comfortable with the virtual world as they are with text on a page.

Already members of the digital generation are taking over key positions in government and business. President Obama's transition team was co-chaired by a Wharton professor distinguished not only for his scholarship but for his skill at World of Warcraft, a virtual raiding game. Plenty of people now in their thirties could use a mouse before they could clutch a pencil, and they spend their spare time on Second Life and other virtual realms. A virtual trade show will seem as natural to them as the telephone does to older people.

This demographic trend is bound to continue. Gaining experience now in the virtual world will give you an edge in marketing to this vast demographic.

The virtual trade show may never completely replace the great exhibit halls. Face-to-face contact is just too essential for many people. However, a wise marketing professional will use this exciting new technology to reach out to customers. It's one more tool in your arsenal, and you can use it effectively to improve your company's bottom line.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: "Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market" and "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies." For a free copy of "Exhibiting Success" sign up for "Tradeshow Tips Newsletter" at www.thetradeshowcoach.com

  A Little Humor to Start the Week 

Clothing Store
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

While working in a clothing store, I noticed that people had no shame about returning items that had been worn. One rainy morning I walked in and found a discolored blazer hanging on the rack with other returns. "People return the most filthy, nasty things," I commented to my supervisor who was standing nearby.

With an eyebrow raised, she said, "That's MY jacket."

-----

A priest at a parochial school, wanted to point out the proper behavior for church. He was trying to elicit from the youngsters, rules that their parents might give before taking them to a nice restaurant.

"Don't play with your food," one second grader cited.

"Don't be loud," said another, and so on...

"And what rule do your parents give you before you go out to eat?" the priest inquired of one little boy.

Without batting an eye, the child replied, "Order something cheap."

-----

Jones applied to a collection agency for a job, but he had no experience. He was so intense that the manager gave him a tough account with the promise that if he collected it, he'd get the job.

Two hours later, Jones came back with the entire amount.

"Amazing!" the manager said. "How did you do it?"

"Easy," Jones replied. "I told him if he didn't pay up, I'd tell all his other creditors that he paid us."

-----

Windsor Castle, outside of London, is directly in the flight path of Heathrow International Airport. While a group of tourists was standing outside the castle admiring the elegant structure, a plane flew overhead at a relatively low altitude, making a tremendous noise.

One particularly annoyed tourist whined, "Why did they build the castle so close to the airport?"

-----

Riddle

Many different types of my last seven letters can be found in newspapers, magazines, & journals. Physicists have built devices to get me moving very fast.

What am I?

Do you know the answer? Scroll down to find the solution.

-----

When I get to where I'm going, will somebody
please tell me where I am?

---

"Cooking for the Empty Nest"
Recipe of the Week

Vegetable cooking spray
1 egg -- beaten
3/4 cup long-grain white rice -- uncooked
3/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sliced carrot
2 green onions -- thickly sliced
1/2 cup frozen peas

Spray medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat one minute. Add egg and cook until set, stirring often. Set egg aside.

Remove pan from heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add rice and cook until browned, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and carrot. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Add onions and peas. Cook 5 minutes more or until rice is done and most of liquid is absorbed. Stir in egg and heat through.

-----

If you have a favorite recipe that you would like to share, please send it to mailto:bob@adv-marketing.com?Subject=RecipesBe sure to read back recipes of the week at:
http://adv-arketing.com/business/frtest.htm and Click on ?Recipe of the Week"

Yours in cooking - Sue

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Copyright - 2009