The Lowdown on E-Voting - Many states including Michigan still have you use those punch card ballots in some precincts to cast your vote which proved to be so problematic in the 2000 election. So why haven't most states switched over to e-voting as an alternative? Well, for starters, "Independent Testing Labs" that are supposed to test the software have been found to be not so independent, federal standards for voting systems are flawed, procedures for tracking certified software is terrible and the communication between the software vendors when bugs are found and the municipality officials that are responsible for the integrity of the polling places is nonexistent. The bottom line? Many believe that E-voting is just not ready for primetime.

Social Anthropology and Software - According to Joel Spolsky, a software's usability is important but not as important as say the "social interface." After all "an application can be the easiest thing in the world to use, but if it doesn't do anything anybody wants, it will flop." So what's an example of a successful social interface? How about the cell phone and text messaging for one? Why on earth would you risk breaking your thumbs to type in a text message on a cell phone when you could just call someone up and talk to them? Well if you are a teenage boy trying to ask a girl out on a date, it's a lot less stressful to struggle typing in "damn you're hot," on a tiny cell phone with its horrible little interface than to say "damn you're hot" using your larynx over the phone. Companies that take the time to understand such social needs will have a significant advantage over those that don't.

I Spy - Do you love Google and how fast it finds relevant information on the internet? Are you irritated that it can take you seemingly forever to find information on your own PC? Well Google has just made available a new free tool that may solve this problem. But before you install it, be aware that some say it is also the perfect spy program. Or is it? Others say it doesn't do anything that you can't already do and that the results are really slick. Decide for yourself.

What's the Password? - So you think you've clever and have come up with a password that's easy to remember and yet good enough to keep your information reasonably safe. Well, you better be sure. It's important to first understand though how a password cracker operates. Here's list of the most common passwords. Is yours on the list?

You can't hide your lying ...Face? - Lie detectors aren't admissible in court because they're not reliable. They may measure bodily functions, but they can't detect if you are lying. "At the University of Houston, a computer scientist is trying to uncover lies by measuring heat levels in the face. In South Carolina, a professor hopes she has found the key to deception in brain waves. Elsewhere, researchers are looking at everything from speech patterns to eye movements to 'brain fingerprints.'" So, is one of them on to something?

To Outsource or not to Outsource? - Two companies. Two different dilemmas. Read how each analyzed its outsourcing options and arrived at differing conclusions. In order to get at the best answer, each company really first needed to complete an analysis of where each company was headed. And only then was the question asked: "What's the best and fastest way to get there?"

Anthropology and Software Development - Find out how the concept of Anthropology, yes, Anthropology is so important in software development. Come to our next free 90 minute "Taste of Success" seminar focused on High-Tech Anthropology. A high-touch solution for a high-tech world.  Bring your toughest software project stories to share.  See you on November 18!

Users Guide - Ben Shneiderman, a professor in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, reviews the book, How Users Matter: The Co–Construction of Users and Technology. Edited by Nelly Oudshoorn and Trevor Pinch. Shneiderman says, "I liked the way ... these authors celebrate users for coming up with innovative applications for technology and for their cleverness in repurposing the technology to make it more effective or more fun. I happily wrestled with ... the ways technology defines, enables and constrains the user and the ways users affect technology.

Is it Real or is it Photoshopped? - "Back when 'photography' meant film and negatives, few people could convincingly retouch a shot of President Bush giving his State of the Union address or craft a realistic photo of John Kerry at a war-protest rally next to Jane Fonda." Now with software programs like Photoshop, it's nearly impossible to tell the real from the fake. But now Computer Scientist, Hany Farid, of Dartmouth College may indeed have found a way to tell the difference.

Great Classes at Affordable Prices.  - The Menlo Fall class schedule is out.  Fall is a great time to buckle down and learn the real secrets of software success. 

Need a Speaker for an Upcoming Event? - We love public speaking (yes, we really do!) and are happy to deliver inspiring messages focused on business success with information technology. Call us at (734) 665-1847 to schedule your next event. Look here for a list of some of the topics that we've spoken about in the past.