The Great Lakes Geek Show

The Global Broadband Economy - Part 1

Sun, 04 May 2008 18:06:26 GMT

It can be difficult to grasp some of the concepts we hear about all the time. Like broadband – what exactly does that mean? Should we use US standards or Europe or Japan’s measurements? And the global, broadband economy – what is that? And how does our region measure up? This interview with Robert Bell, the Executive Director of the Intelligent Community Forum, answers those questions and more about the concepts, politics, challenges and opportunities of the broadband economy.

Israel at 60 - Maltz Museum Exhibition

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:53:20 GMT

What’s the only country that entered the 21st century with more tress than in the 20th century? Where was Instant Messaging Developed? Where are the most biotech startups per capita? How do you turn a desert into the proverbial land of milk and honey? These are just some of the interesting bits you will learn from the exhibition Israel: Yesterday Today and Tomorrow at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Business Continuity Planning - Dark Web Sites and more

Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:09:55 GMT

You can do everything right with your business but still have problems crop up. Who could predict a massive power outage (remember a few years ago?) or a storm on the East Coast causing your supplier to be shut down. That’s why you need to do some Business Continuity Planning. Part of that planning is to be prepared for Crisis Communications and that’s where expert Bruce Hennes comes in.

In this podcast with Bruce, we’ll learn a little about Business Continuity Planning and a term that was new to me – dark web site. Bruce gives his opinion on anonymous blogging and offers some advice when a word slips out that you wish hadn’t.

Cleveland Indians 2008 Season at Progressive Field

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 17:08:42 GMT

Not only the name has changed, from Jacob’s Field to Progressive Field, for the Cleveland Indian’s ballpark. Business people will be interested in the new Champions Suite which offers a terrific mid-field view and accommodates up to 60 people. It’s also the 60th anniversary of the World Championship 1948 team. Cleveland Indian’s Bob DiBiasio gives us a preview of the 2008 baseball season.

Microsoft Visual Studio 20087

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:09:56 GMT

Developers Developers Developers. You don’t have to be a programmer to know how much Microsoft values developers. Developers will be pleased with the new release of Visual Studio 2008. It adds a lot to make developers more efficient and productive and provides tools to make every app “connected.”
Listen in as Microsoft Developer Evangelist Bill Steele tells us what all the excitement is about with Visual Studio 2008. And for those of you who aren’t programmers, he’ll define some terms you may have wondered about – like Ajax and Silverlight.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Launch

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:01:18 GMT

To many people, Microsoft means Windows and Office. But to IT professionals, developers and larger companies, Microsoft means back office products and developer tools for the enterprise. That’s why the launch of updates to 3 of the main back office products is such a big deal. The three products launched were Microsoft Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. In this podcast, you’ll learn more about the new releases and how they assist with BI – Business Intelligence.

Crisis Communications in a Web 2.0 World

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:20:50 GMT

It seems that everyone has a camera in their cell phone. If something funny or strange happens, it will be recorded by someone. Crisis Communications expert Bruce Hennes tells his clients to assume that everything is or will be out there for the public to view. And he explains how people can spend $21 million dollars on a state issue and get blown away 3-1 at the polls because they didn’t understand the basics.

Green and Sustainable – from a chemical company?

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:38:28 GMT

As always, there are a lot of buzzwords in the business world. 2 of the most popular now are green and sustainability. You might not think of a chemical company as part of the green movement but the Lubrizol Corporation is working hard to be green. The green movement also ties into sustainability, meeting the needs of the stakeholders in a company (shareholders, employees, customers, community and so on) both now and in the future. In this podcast we’ll hear some sustainability strategies and learn some new terms from Lubrizol’s Dave Cowen.

Communications Management Tips for a Business Crisis

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 18:00:30 GMT

You think you have a crisis at work? How would you like to have been a new employee at Arthur Andersen when the proverbial stuff hit the fan? Suzanne Drake started at Andersen working on marketing and communications 1 week before the firm was indicted. You probably don’t have to face crises like indictments, Enron and WorldCcom but that doesn’t make your company’s problems any less important to you. Suzanne Drake learned a lot from her time at Andersen and with other companies and in this podcast she shares some of her crisis communications management tips.

Fox News Anchor Tim Taylor - Reporting in the 60's & 70's

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:27:50 GMT

You know the face and the voice. But if you think that Tim Taylor is one of those pretty-boy talking heads that just read from a teleprompter, think again. When Tim Taylor was a young reporter he was suddenly faced with world-changing stories: Sam Sheppard, Kent State, Apollo 13, Carl Stokes, the Hough Riots, the assassination of Martin Luther King and more. This was before satellites and the behemoth news industry we know of now. Listen to how a young man from Buckeye reported through amazing times – and how the news industry has changed.

Olympic Gold Medalist Madeline Manning-Mims honored by the Cleveland Cavs

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:22:55 GMT

Madeline Manning-Mims was one of the first female American middle distance stars of world-class caliber. From 1967 to 1980, she won 10 national indoor and outdoor titles, four Olympic trial championships and set numerous American records. The first American female to win Olympic gold in the 800 meter sprint; also member of the Olympic teams in 1972, 1976 and 1980. She was recently honored by the Cleveland Cavaliers and told how she was inspired by Jesse Owens and Wilma Rudolph and how she was ‘tricked’ into running the 800. She also talks about politics in the Olympics.

Sling your content anywhere with SlingBox and SlingCatcher

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:44:50 GMT

If you really like your sports, movies, TV shows and other items from the content cloud, Sling has a product for you. The classic SlingBox, the new SlingCatcher and the next release called the SlingBox Pro HD all allow you to easily watch your content when and where you want to. Hear more in this podcast from the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show.

Working with Bill Gates - Tales from the Microsoft COO

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:13:49 GMT

We’ve all heard many tales about Bill Gates – the fast cars, how he supposedly didn’t practice the best personal hygiene habits, how his temper would flare up to intimidating levels and so on. But is all that urban myth or a reality? Bob Herbold worked closely with Bill Gates as Microsoft COO and offers his own perspective on working with the man and the Microsoft culture.

New Role for the Tech Czar

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:47:11 GMT

The last that many people heard from Michael DeAloia was that he left the position of Tech Czar of the City of Cleveland. In this podcast we learn why he left, what he’s doing now and about his new venture with GreatLakesGeek.Com. Oh yes. You can still call him the Tech Czar.

Microsoft COO Robert Herbold - Seduced by Success

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:59:54 GMT

After 26 successful years at Procter & Gamble and, more recently, 8 years as COO of Microsoft, you would think that Robert Herbold would be a likely candidate to be Seduced by Success, the title of his latest book. In this podcast, Bob Herbold explains how strategy can surpass timing and luck in business. He also questions the proprietary nature of Steve Jobs’ Apple and their iPod.

Arun Gandhi - More from grandfather Mahatma Gandhi

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:28:53 GMT

Arun Gandhi recounts a favorite story of his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi. A king was searching for the true meaning of peace and invited numerous intellectuals to explain it to them. But they could not. The king was finally steered to a wise old man who gave him a grain of wheat. Listen to how this grain of wheat explains peace.

Arun Gandhi - Stories from grandfather Mahatma Gandhi

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:26:11 GMT

Arun Gandhi is a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence in Memphis, Tennessee. He lived with his grandfather for 18 months starting in 1946 and learned many valuable lessons. He even learned a life-changing lesson after a John Wayne double feature. Listen to his stories.

Excel Tips, Tricks and Resources

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:16:59 GMT

Tips and Tricks. We all want to learn the secrets to save us time and effort. In this podcast, Mr. Excel Bill Jelen offers up 2 of his favorite Excel tips and tells about a free resource with an archive of almost a quarter million Excel questions and answers.

Microsoft Windows Home Server

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 16:36:12 GMT

Does this scenario sound familiar? You have high-speed Internet access at your house. You also have 2 or more PCs at the house and you’d like to share music, movies, pictures and other files. You also wish you didn’t have to worry about backing up the PCs and wish there was some way you could access your important files securely over the Internet from anywhere in the world.
There are millions of homes that fir this scenario. Microsoft has a new product developed just for this case. It’s called Windows Home Server and as our guest Brian Gorbett says you don’t need to be a techie to install or run it.

Congressman Louis Stokes - His Life and Legacy

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 02:30:44 GMT

From his landmark Supreme Court legal case to his long and distinguished career as a US Congressman, many know about Louis Stokes and his brother Carl Stokes, the first black mayor of a major city in the US. You may not know how a pair of brothers from the projects of Cleveland could attain such success. In this interview, we tap into the decades of experience and wisdom from Congressman Stokes.

Minister of Culture Michael Heaton - Collected Reporting

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:25:01 GMT

You may know him as the Minister of Culture in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Or as TV star Patricia Heaton’s brother. But once you read Michael Heaton’s new book, Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit, you will know Michael Heaton in a new way. In this interview, Heaton discusses some of the wide and wild variety of characters he wrote about and some of the riveting stories that he covered. And how some very expensive beers led to his friendship with Joe Eszterhas who wrote the forward to the book.

Ask Cathy - What should we know about mentors?

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:53:17 GMT

Mentors can be extremely valuable to a business person. Getting a chance to talk to and learn from someone who has already done it – and done it well – can be gold. There are more men available to be mentors than women. Should a woman look for a male mentor? Should a man look for a woman mentor? Cathy Horton tells us.

Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit 2007

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:27:13 GMT

Each year, Cleveland Clinic hosts a Medical Innovation Summit and the 2007 summit was special. Not because talk show host Larry King and a slew of other media bigwigs participated. But because the focus was on Cardiovascular Technology - the State of the Heart. Cleveland Clinic just received its 13th consecutive # 1 ranking from US News & Word Report for heart care. In this interview the director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, Chris Coburn, speaks about some of the highlights of the summit, the amazing medical breakthroughs that are being developed and a new $250 million Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center.

Ten Years in Technology with Aztek

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 23:58:09 GMT

Ten years can be an eternity in the Internet age. Consider how much has changed since then. Google didn’t even exist yet! So for a technology firm to last and grow through all the changes that 10 years can bring, it’s a real achievement. John Hill started Aztek 10 years ago and has learned a lot in this past decade. In this podcast, John tells us how Aztek started and how they have been able to grow and thrive.

Pivot Tables and VBA with Mr. Excel

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:34:12 GMT

Ask an experienced Excel user for a list of the most powerful and valuable features of Excel and the Pivot Table will undoubtedly be on the list. Power Users have come to rely on the tool that can turn 50,000 rows of data into a comprehensive one-page summary with just 6 mouse clicks. Hear more about Pivot Tables and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) from the ultimate Excel Power User, Bill Jelen – Mr. Excel

Ask Cathy Horton: Business Ethics - An Oxymoron?

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:43:19 GMT

Business ethics. Some would say that term is an oxymoron. The recent public exposure of business malpractice – from the unethical to the criminal – has drawn attention to the some of the cut-throat practices in the business world. How does someone balance their own personal sense of ethics with such behavior at work? Let’s Ask Cathy.

Kirk Neiswander and the Entrepreneurs Edge

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 21:09:22 GMT

The Great Lakes Region has a plethora of organizations to help businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s hard to keep track of them all. The ones that are most valuable focus on a particular business segment. The Entrepreneurs EDGE specializes in middle market companies. Their focus is on starting or growing companies that have the potential to sell outside the region and bring dollars in. Kirk Nieswander, Edge founder and president, explains what makes Edge different and the programs they have in place to build those businesses.

Excel 2007 and Office 2007 with Mr. Excel

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:45:13 GMT

Office 2007 is the latest release of Microsoft’s productivity suite that includes Word, PowerPoint and, of course Excel, among other apps. The main change to the product is the new ribbon interface that replaces the familiar classic Office menu structure. This ribbon will definitely take some time to adjust to so plan accordingly. And listed to what Mr. Excel has to say about the new file formats for Excel as well.

Excel Functions and Spreadsheet vs Database

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 16:01:27 GMT

Remember the first time you saw a spreadsheet program work? You changed a number and watched the changes ripple through the entire spreadsheet. That was computing power – even if it was done on a Z80 or 8086 CPU. Spreadsheets and CPUs have come a long way and Mr. Excel Bill Jelen tells us about the numerous features in Excel and how many people actually use them. He’ll also tell us some unique uses for Excel and when to move from a spreadsheet to a database.

Mr Excel Bill Jelen and the history of the spreadsheet

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 01:36:58 GMT

If you ask people today what is the killer app for the PC you would hear responses such as e-mail or a web browser. But there was no debate on the first killer app. The spreadsheet is the program that convinced companies to invest in personal computers. Bill Jelen has earned his reputation as Mr. Excel through his extensive knowledge of the spreadsheet. In this first in a series of podcasts with Mr. Excel, Bill and Dan Hanson reminisce about the history of the spreadsheet.

Ask Cathy - Leadership Traits for Men & Women

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 01:10:35 GMT

We’ve all heard the characteristics that make up a good business leader – a dominant personality, forceful and swift decision making, powerful, almost aggressive, behavior and so on. But does that hold true for women as well as men? Cathy Horton Panzica tells us in this edition of Ask Cathy

Ask Cathy - Leadership with Cathy Horton Panzica

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:27:05 GMT

Are leaders born or made? What can you do if you weren’t born with the tradiditonal skills of a natural leader? And maybe it’s a moot point - how much can 1 person do anyway? There are so many books on leaders and leadership – yet we still have questions. In this edition of Ask Cathy, Cathy Horton Panzica answers our questions on leadership.

Len Pagon and current business opportunities

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:57:59 GMT

In Part 2 of this podcast with Len Pagon of Brulant we hear some good news for those of us in the Internet business. Consumers are spending a much larger part of their time online at the expense of newspapers, TV, reading and so on. Yet the dollars spent on Internet advertising have not nearly caught up with this surge in consumer demand. In Part 2, Len talks about some of the current opportunities for Brulant and the rest of us.

What makes a Great Boss?

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:21:52 GMT

Can you imagine what would happen if you told your employees that they had to start coming in early Saturday morning? Or tried to get them to cheer on the company and each other with rah-rah school spirit stuff? It worked for Sam Walton. And it worked for Jack Kahl. In fact, Jack was twice voted the Best Boss in Cleveland. In this Conversation with Kahl, Jack tells us what makes a good boss and what it takes to get your people to buy into the company plan. As you will hear, it’s just like mama told you.

Councilman Joe Cimperman and Arts in the City

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:37:29 GMT

As business people, we sometimes dismiss the arts community as fluff – not the hard asset that it really is. Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman has been ahead of the curve in understanding that art and culture should be intertwined in the business districts. In this interview, Joe tells us why arts and culture are important to business in the city.

Gene Longo and the Cisco Networking Academy

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 23:59:32 GMT

If you’ve been around the technology world for awhile you may view Cisco as the plumbing of the Internet. And their routers and switches still make up a lot of that vital infrastructure. But Cisco, like the Internet, has evolved over the years. One thing that seems constant is the increasing demand for skilled talent and an insufficient supply - especially in the Great Lakes Region. In this interview, Gene Longo of Cisco Networking Academy tells us what they are doing to populate that pipeline with skilled talent.

Len Pagon and the begginings of Brulant Inc.

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 16:18:23 GMT

It’s been a rollercoaster ride over the last 20 years or so for technology firms. Nobody knows that as well as Len Pagon, CEO and President of Brulant Inc. The rise of Brulant is a lesson for us all. From the classic entrepreneurial startup in the home bedroom to its current position as one of the Top 20 Interactive firms in North America with 320 employees and $60 million in revenues, Len and Brulant have come a long way. Hear how.

SharePoint 101 Primer with Paul Stork

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 22:09:29 GMT

Collaboration, workgroups and other terms referring to people working together effectively and efficiently in groups are very hot now. But this is more than a flavor of the month. We need to be able to work with others on projects and intelligently and easily share documents, schedules, ToDo lists, images, plans and so on. Microsoft SharePoint is a tool, as our guest Paul Stork will tell us, that serves as the glue for all your business processes. In this interview, Paul explains SharePoint and some scenarios for its use for the business owner or manager, leaving the techie stuff out.

Jeff Heinen, CEO of Heinens, discusses competition

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:55:24 GMT

You can compete in business in one of 3 ways: Operational Efficiency, Product Leadership and Customer Service. In a competitive market such as grocery stores, you need more than low prices to compete and succeed. Jeff Heinen, CEO of Heinen’s Fine Foods tells us how any business can compete and in what areas.

Coming from the Wrong Side of the Tracks

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 02:07:37 GMT

In this Conversation with Kahl, Jack Kahl, former CEO of Manco, tells how it is not necessary to come from a rich, connected family to succeed in business in the world today. In fact, he says it can be an advantage to come from "the wrong side of the tracks."

The NEOSA Best of Tech Awards and other news

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:40:48 GMT

NEOSA has undergone some changes in the last few years as it has become the technology arm of COSE. It's good to see some of the best NEOSA efforts coming back - such as the Best of Tech Awards. Brad Nellis Director of NEOSA and talks about the Awards, the new web site and other NEOSA news.

NEOSA Best of Tech Awards and Future Plans

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:38:33 GMT

Louis Licata is an attorney with Licata & Toerek and is also serving as Chairman of COSE, the small business division of the Greater Cleveland Partnership – one of the nation’s largest metropolitan chambers of commerce. In this interview, Lou talks about the COSE Best of Tech Awards and admits that he is a closet geek.

EMail Marketing Tips with Kristy Amy

Sat, 19 May 2007 23:29:20 GMT

There’s an old marketing adage - If you haven’t communicated with your customer in the last 90 days then they are not your customer anymore. There’s really no excuse in the Internet age to not have an effective communication strategy with your customers and prospects. In this interview, Kristy Amy of OnMark Solutions offers us some advice with our e-mail marketing.

Online Marketing Tips with Dan Rose

Sat, 12 May 2007 16:33:56 GMT

Online Marketing is an extremely powerful and cost-effective way to build and retain business. If you know how to do it right. Dan Rose’s vision at Precision Dialogue is to “do online marketing right.” In this interview, Dan shares some strategies on this important business function. He talks about segmentation, niches, what to do with all the data you collect and more. And he offers a link for visitors to download free educational whitepapers and register for a free trip to Las Vegas

eMarketing for Entrepreneurs

Sat, 05 May 2007 23:15:35 GMT

Marketing is a vital component of business and learning about and using the numerous powerful and cutting edge Internet tools that are available, makes the resulting combination - e-marketing - a must have for your business tool kit. eMarketing for Entrepreneurs founder Brad Kleinman shares his thoughts after the successful event.

Speed up your database queries

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 19:01:15 GMT

Teksouth has a tool called Entellicache that sits between your Data Warehouse and your Business Intelligence (BI) applications. In a nutshell, it speeds up queries (maybe 8-15 times faster!) by analyzing your queries and then building a series of caches. Hear what they did for the Air Force.

Easy Migration to Windows Vista with Altiris

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:19:47 GMT

How would you like to leave your office tonight and when you came in tomorrow morning hundreds of your Windows XP or 2000 or 98 PCs were migrated to Windows Vista? And all your familiar icons, favorites, applications, printers set up – are still there
Sound like a dream? Altiris provides just that service. They will do a premigration readiness assessment and turn a potentially huge migration headache into a smooth process. If you have a lot of Windows PCs and are dreading a lengthy, costly migration, here’s a solution for you.

Art in the City with Steven Hartman

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:27:42 GMT

The owner of an Art Gallery doesn't seem like the typical guest for a podcast about business. But A) Steve Hartman is not typical and B) art is not only a very large business but it also has a large impact on the community. In this interview, Steven talks about art, the Contessa Gallery, the Spiders and what art means to a city. And his passion is evident as he tells about their current Art in the Garden series featuring works by such greats as Sophie Ryder.

Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller opens Heritage Park at Jacobs Field

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:46:26 GMT

Hall of Famer Bob Feller is arguably the greatest right handed pitcher in the history of major league baseball. He holds a ton of records and what is more impressive, he gave up several prime years of his career to serve in the military during World War II. In this quick Opening Day preview we'll hear from Rapid Robert about Heritage Park and the city of Cleveland and why baseball is so important.

Senator Birch Bayh, women's sports and Title IX

Sat, 31 Mar 2007 15:01:38 GMT

Is it fair to have high school girl’s teams play at 4PM while the boys play at 7PM? Should the sports programs that bring in the most money get new uniforms more often? These and other issues fall under Title IX of the Education Act of 1972. With the NCAA Women’s’ Final Four being held in Cleveland, legal scholars and policy makers gathered to discuss the 35 years of Title IX.
Senator Birch Bayh was a co-author of the legislation and a driving force behind it. The Great Lakes Geek caught up with him at the Billie Jean King speech at the Wolstein and the Senator explains why Title IX was and is important to him.

Great salespeople are made, not born.

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 00:21:48 GMT

Contrary to popular opinion, great salespeople are made, not born. In fact, the maverick actions of a superstar salesperson can be harmful to your company’s efforts. Jill Mason-Miller tells us why the sales process is so important and what key steps to begin with to make that big sale.

Convert & Clean up those old LPs and audio cassettes

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 20:14:02 GMT

Many of us accumulated stacks of vinyl LPs over the years, not to mention audio cassettes and even 8-track tapes. But we may not even have a turntable hooked up to our stereo anymore. Now we listen to our music in digital format - CD or mp3 or Internet stream - but something digital. Acoustica has a great product that lets you import all that old vinyl and tape into digital format for CDs or mp3 players. It removes those annoying pops, clicks and hiss so you can listen to your old favorites again.

Google@Work - Google for Business

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 21:48:08 GMT

Everybody knows Google. The word has become part of our culture's vocabulary. Most people know it as the giant Internet search engine. But Google also has a slew of technology that can be ported to businesses, large and small, for in-house intranet searching, collaboration and visualization technology. Kevin Gough is part of the Google team that is, as he said, "barnstorming" the country to let people know that while Google has great consumer benefits, they offer business solutions as well.

Business Inspiration from a Horse - Conversation with Jack Kahl

Sat, 03 Mar 2007 01:17:40 GMT

Who are your Business heroes and inspirations? Jack Welch? Bill Gates? Andrew Carnegie? Jack Kahl? How about an animal? Is it possible for an animal to inspire you to greatness? It did for Jack Kahl In this Conversation with Kahl, Jack Kahl tells how his life changed watching a horse race in August 1973.

CMS Products shown at CES 2007

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 22:05:23 GMT

Backing up your data is a boring but necessary function. A good backup plan will include off-site storage, rotation of media and periodic testing of the restore process. CMS Products has several products to make the process easy and reliable. As a longtime user of their products, I was happy to see some of the new products and features unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. Like support for SATA drives and an easy data transfer kit to copy stuff from an old laptop to a new one.

New D-Link products for home and small office networks

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:15:01 GMT

As networks become more essential in the small office and in the home, you need fast, secure and easy-to-use hardware. I’ve used D-LINK products for years for exactly those reasons. Three of the new products I like were being show at the Consumer Electronics Show. In this interview, D-Link’s Mike Scott tells us about these components that will enhance your home/small office network without requiring you to take classes and read manuals.

Don't use List Prices says pricing expert Elliot Ross

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 21:15:37 GMT

If you are in business - you have to be concerned with pricing. Whether you sell a product or a service, whether you are brick & mortar or virtual or a combination, pricing is a crucial component of your success or failure. Nobody wants to leave money on the table but you don’t want to lose a sale by being too high. Elliott Ross knows pricing. The Great Lakes Geek caught up with him at a JCU EA event as Mr. Ross explains the pitfalls of list prices.

Scott Shutter, Division Brand Manager of AMD's Mobile Division

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 22:26:51 GMT

AMD and Intel have been competing for years on CPUs and other technology - all to the benefit of the industry and consumers. In this interview Scott Shutter, Division Brand Manager of AMD's Mobile Division, tells Dan Hanson (at the Riviera Hotel) about the ATI acquisition, Vista and about a combination CPU/GPU in the works.You will also hear about the mobile world - how mobile PCs compare to desktops and what users are looking for and how AMD is meeting those needs.

Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Women's Athletics

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:55:53 GMT

Good Morning America Anchor Robin Roberts emceed the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards and spoke of her long career in sports. She told Dan Hanson her thoughts about the state of women’s athletics and what it will take to get equality with the men and why it’s not fair to compare the NBA and WNBA.

Windows Vista - Top Three Secret Favorite Features

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 02:24:14 GMT

Microsoft Windows Vista is being launched around the country and world. There are numerous new and improved features. Matt Hester from the Microsoft America Team and Dan Hanson, the Great Lakes Geek, each share their Top 3 favorite new features in the new OS - Bitlocker, Sideshow and Ready Boost for Dan and User Account Control, Search and Speech Recgonition for Matt.

Playaway - Books on Tape for the iPod age

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:25:49 GMT

Playaway is a digital audio book that you can buy or get at the library. It is absolutely the easiest way to listen to content. You don’t need anything else - no MP3 player, no earphones, no content. Just plug in the included earphones, press a button and the book you selected will start playing. Lots of great titles and the absolute easiest way to listen to content.

Jitterbug - the cell phone for the Jitterbug Generation

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:40:25 GMT

There is a large group of people who don’t care about camera phones or ringtones. They want to make emergency calls and be able to see the buttons and hear the conversation. The Great Lakes Geek learned about a cell phone that does just that called Jitterbug when he was at CES in Las Vegas.

Bend it Like Beckham with the Lensbaby

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:15:23 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek hears about a new product for photographers at CES 2007. If you have a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera and want to ‘Bend it like Beckham’, check out the Lensbaby flexible camera lens.

Not just for Judy Jetson anymore - the Ojo VideoPhone

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:56:45 GMT

Ever since the New York World's Fair in 1964, helped along by the Jetsons, we have expected a useable, economical video phone. The Great Lakes Geek learns about the new Ojo video phone live from the show floor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

Cleveland's Tech Czar look back at 2006 and forward to 2007

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:52:56 GMT

From tech companies moving in to dollars being invested and tech hubs being formed, 2006 was a successful year for tech in Cleveland. Hear about some of the successes and what we can expect in 2007 – including the Best Damn Tech Show Period, directly from the Tech Czar, Mike DeAloia.

Jack Kahl - Succeeding in a Commodity Business - Duck Tape

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:44:36 GMT

In this Conversation with Kahl, Jack Kahl tells how to differentiate and succeed in what most of the world would consider a commodity business - selling duct tape (or in his case, Duck Tape). He tells about a promise he made to Sam Walton and how keeping that promise made Duct Tape stand out from the other 160,000 SKUs at Wal-Mart.

Jack Kahl, Manco CEO, on Entrepreneurs

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:48:33 GMT

Entrepreneur Jack Kahl took a commodity tape business and turned it into a multi-million dollar, best-of-breed company. Along the way he learned valuable lessons about business - and people. In this series of Conversations with Kahl, Jack tells some of the lessons he learned in his rise to the top, recalls stories with business legend Sam Walton and others and gives advice to current and future entrepreneurs.

Cleveland Clinic Innovations with Chris Coburn

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 00:45:35 GMT

CCF Innovations is the Cleveland Clinic's technology commercialization arm with a mission to "benefit the sick through the broad and rapid deployment of Cleveland Clinic technology." Chris Coburn leads CCF Innovations and has overseen the creation of hundreds of new inventions and about 20 new companies in the last 4 and ½ years. In this interview, Chris talks about the Clinic and about that ubiquitous buzzword “innovation” from the CCFI perspective. He gives us a look inside this years Medical Summit and speakers, including the Top Ten Innovations of 2006, and a preview of the 2007 Summit which will feature a strong suit of the Cleveland Clinic - Cardiovascular.

What are you wearing? Business fashion advice for guys

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:06:26 GMT

What you wear can drastically influence how people perceive you and how far you go in the business world. It may not be fair but appearance does matter and all those cliches like never having a 2nd chance to make a first impression or dress for the job you want, not the job you have - are actually true.
In this interview, our expert answers some nagging questions about men's business fashion and gives us some much needed pointers.

On-line Health Care - Pros and Cons from an early adopter

Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:39:49 GMT

Health Care is a huge industry. When you combine our increased demand for health care with the efficiencies of the Internet, you can see how On-line Health Care is going to be a large part of it. Increased privacy, timeliness, lower costs and convenience are just a few of the benefits. But is it safe? Is it private? The Great Lakes Geek spoke to an early adopter of online health care at the Cleveland Clinic 2006 Medical Innovation Summit.

Important Numbers in Effective Web Site Design

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 22:57:48 GMT

There are certain numbers - like 404 and 301 - that are important to your website design, especially for B2C sites. In this show, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert Jan Limpach explains these numbers and how to use them to improve your site.

Sharepoint Primer

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:17:49 GMT

Collaboration is one of the big buzzwords in the industry. Teams working on documents and projects together. There’s a lot of buzz about Microsoft Sharepoint - a tool for working collaboratively. There’s also a lot of confusion about the product. In this primer, Paul Stork answers some of the basic questions about Sharepoint.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) 101

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 22:27:47 GMT

Since you are paying for a fast Internet connection already, why not leverage that and use it for your phones too? Voice over Internet Protocol offers many advantages - more features, mobility and expandability and 30-45% cost savings but there are also concerns regarding reliability, 911 service and quality. Today we’ll get the basics on Voice over Internet Protocol - VOIP 101.

Security with an industry expert

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 23:03:01 GMT

The Internet has opened up many doors but along with all this access come privacy and security concerns. In this show, security expert Debbie Christofferson tells the Great Lakes Geek what’s changed and what hasn’t in the exploding world of security careers.

Risk Takers and Change Agents with Gary Baney

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:36:02 GMT

In this interview, risk taker Gary Baney talks about business, academia, Cleveland, China and more. And he’ll tell you about a new technology concerning the tokenization of thoughts as opposed to using words that would make business independent of language.

PC Magazine Editor and Alpha Geek Jim Louderback

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:49:39 GMT

PC Magazine Editor and Alpha Geek Jim Louderback tells Dan Hanson, the Great Lakes Geek, about the redesign of PC Mag, a virtual trade show and some cool new items. Plus why the PC is no longer the center of tech in our everyday life.

Crisis Communications

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:33:43 GMT

Crises in business are inevitable. Do you know what to do when things go wrong and the media is waiting for you? If you don't have a crisis communications plan ready for this media-frenzied age, you and your company may face that unfortunate scenario one day of scurrying to hide from a camera crew.

Windows Desktop Search

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 22:10:10 GMT

In this show, Microsoft's Matt Hester tells the Great Lakes Geek about the free Windows Desktop Search that lets you search your drive(s) as easily as you search the Internet.

Geeks Love Databases - From Access to SQL Server

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 00:48:12 GMT

Access and similar desktop apps are great tools but as your needs grow you may need an enterprise server-based solution. Bob Coppedge tells the Great Lakes Geek about SQL Server and gives tips for upgrading.

Teaching Tech Skills to Inner City Students

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 00:44:40 GMT

A lot of people would think it’s a hopeless task to try and teach technical skills, even server level stuff, to inner city high school students. But Dan McMillan from Glenville High School and other dedicated people like him have proven those doubters to be wrong.

Cool Cleveland with Thomas Mulready

Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:34:45 GMT

Can a city be cool? Is Cleveland cool? Thomas Mulready, founder of CoolCleveland, has 30,000 weekly subscribers who think so. Thomas tells the Great Lakes Geek about Ingenuity Fest, how he defines cool and talks about Regionalism

Higher Education is Big Business

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 15:13:35 GMT

Higher Education is a $2.2 billion industry in Northeast Ohio. Dumont Owen explains organizations and resources exist to help you tap into this market - using interns or selling your products and services to the students who spend over 300 million each year.

Doing Business in Ohio

Sat, 24 Jun 2006 23:09:42 GMT

If you are an Ohio Business or want to do business with an Ohio Business, the 50,000+ businesses in the OhioBiz database are a great way to start your online search

Paul Stork live from Tech-Ed in Boston

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 19:07:15 GMT

Paul Stork reports live from the largest Microsoft partner and developer event of the year - Tech-Ed in Boston. Learn what the next big thing might be.

David Perry of Trend Micro speaks about Malware

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 16:03:22 GMT

International virus expert David Perry has been involved in malware since the first PC viruses were created. In this interview, David tells the Great Lakes Geek how most malware is the product of organized crime – and what can be done about it.

Manufacturing's Future in the Rust Belt

Sat, 03 Jun 2006 21:06:31 GMT

From all the bad news you hear, you would think that manufacturing – in Cleveland, NEOhio, Ohio and even the US has been pretty much lost to China or other foreign economies. Becky Morgan, an expert in the manufacturing business, tells the Geek that the Rust Belt can rise again.

The Great Lakes Geek meets World Music

Sun, 28 May 2006 00:07:02 GMT

Chris Koch of Num Num World Music suggests that we broaden our horizons and try listening to some different kinds of music. Chris gives the geek suggestions for music in the office, while exercising and even some music for kids that may not drive adults crazy.

The Great Lakes Geek gets Tivo for the website

Sun, 21 May 2006 18:09:36 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek learns how to look over your web visitor’s shoulders to see why things go wrong using TeaLeaf Technology.

The Great Lakes Geek shifts into OverDrive

Sat, 13 May 2006 00:23:04 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek speaks with Steve Potash, CEO of OverDrive, the leading eBook company. Steve talks about eBooks, audio and video content and DRM – Digital Rights Management.

The Great Lakes Geek gets KO'd

Mon, 08 May 2006 19:49:24 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek speaks with Connie Atkins, the Executive Director of the Consortium of African American Organizations (CAAO).

The Great Lakes Geek and Bill Priemer, COO of Hyland Software

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 22:27:21 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek speaks with Bill Priemer, the COO of Hyland Software, about OnBase Software and how a tech company thrives in a non-traditional locale – Cleveland, Ohio not Silicon Valley.

Microsoft Office 12 Preview

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:46:19 GMT

The next version of Mircosoft Office will be out in early 2007. In this show you will learn about the new ribbon interface, upgrade issues, XML and file formats and open source alternatives.

Shooting at Case Western Reserve University

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:43:49 GMT

Paul Stork was trapped in his office when a gunman entered the Peter B. Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve University and opened fire. Paul tells the Great Lakes Geek how technology helped him get through the night.

Talking Baseball with Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan

Sat, 15 Apr 2006 23:56:23 GMT

In this fan-to-fan episode, Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan tells Dan Hanson about Chief Wahoo, small-market teams, the greatest Indian ever and how past stars would do against modern players.

Cathy Panzica and the Great Lakes Geek

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 23:57:40 GMT

When attorney Cathy Panzica returned to Cleveland after 15 years in London she was dismayed at the state of the City. While many would have merely complained – after all, you can’t fight City Hall – Cathy decided to make some changes, revolutionary changes, in town.

Jennifer Thomas from the Civic Innovation Lab

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 23:39:47 GMT

Have an innovative idea? The Civic Innovation Lab will give you guidance from expert mentors and up to $30,000 to turn the idea you are passionate about into a reality that positively impacts the economy of Cleveland. Learn more as the Great Lakes Geek interviews Lab Director Jennifer Thomas.

The Geek and Plain Dealer Technology Reporter Henry Gomez

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 18:12:11 GMT

How does a self-proclaimed “pop culture Renaissance Man” from Boardman Ohio become the Technology Reporter at Ohio’s largest newspaper? In this episode, the Great Lakes Geek turns the microphone around and interviews Plain Dealer Technology Reporter Henry Gomez.

The Software Patent Istitute - what it means to you

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 23:03:14 GMT

Rollie Cole, Executive Director of the SPI, tells the Great Lakes Geek that when you consider the number of patent applications filed and the number of examiners available, the examiners have about 7 hours to look at a patent application. That's not very much time for complicated technology.

Can you hear me now? Advice from an expert Audiologist on MP3 players

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 20:52:24 GMT

Cleveland Clinic Audiologist Dr Craig Newman tells the Great Lakes Geek about the possible hearing damage from overloud and overlong listening to iPods and other MP3 players and offers a rule of thumb to prevent such damage.

Windows Vista Preview with the Great Lakes Geek

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 16:38:10 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek speaks with Microsoft Technology Specialist Brian Gorbett to get a preview of the next release of Windows – called Vista.
Vista should be on the shelves by the end of 2006 so learn and plan now.

The Great lakes Geek meets Hard Hatted Women

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 17:04:38 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek wonders why boys and girls have the same interest and aptitude in math and science till about age 13 and why so few women are in the lucrative IT world. Is there a Silicon Ceiling?

Then the Geek speaks to 4 Hard-Hatted Women and learns how their organization helps women in and into non-traditional careers including training for A+ certification for the IT world and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
(MEMS)

The Great Lakes Geek and Virtual Machines

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 01:27:03 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek discusses Virtual Machines with Paul Stork. They explain what a Virtual Machine is, why you and/or your company would want one and the two main players in the market - Microsoft and VMware.

He'll always have Cleveland

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 15:35:51 GMT

The Great Lakes Geek speaks with award-winning writer Les Roberts, famous for the Milan Jacovich detective novels. In this interview, Les tells us why he chose Cleveland, details about Milan and how writing is the ultimate entrepreneurial venture.

Wham with the rigth hand!

Sat, 11 Feb 2006 00:43:12 GMT

Joe Tait's booming voice is well-known to fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

His tenure as "Voice of the Cavs" goes back to the first year of the team and includes the Miracle of Richfield, The Shot and now the LeBron James era.

In this interview, Joe talks about the Miracle of Richfield, why he prefers Radio to TV, the early days with coach Bill Fitch and his signature lines like "Wham with the right hand!"

The Great Lakes Geek talks to the Director of NEOSA, Brad Nellis

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 16:10:02 GMT

Dan Hanson, the Great Lakes Geek, talks about a national organization of regional IT groups – CRITA – and then interviews the new director of Neosa, Brad Nellis. Brad talks about his vision for Neosa and how it is evolving from its creation in 1998 by Jim Cookinham.

The Great Lakes Geek does Search Engine Optimization - Part 3

Wed, 01 Feb 2006 19:57:54 GMT

In this episode, the Great Lakes Geek tells how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a lot like Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand theory from his 1776 classic The Wealth of Nations. He then concludes the 3-part series of interviews with heavy hitters in the SEO world with Jan Limpach. Jan was also named the greatest slot car champion of the 20th Century

The Great Lakes Geek Show - SEO2

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 01:11:20 GMT

In this episode, the Great Lakes Geek continues the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) primer and tells why you just can’t count on Google or any other search directory. He then interviews another heavy hitter in the SEO world – Jeff Rohrs of Optiem.

The Great Lakes Geek does Search Engine Optimization

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:45:44 GMT

In this episode, the Great Lakes Geek defines Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and tells why this process is so important in driving traffic to your web site. He then interviews one of the heavy hitters in the SEO world – Sage Lewis of Sagerock.com