Episodes

The Force Field Podcast Episodes.

Episode 31 – The State of the IT Industry Part 3

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This week we are going to talk with a VAR in California, discuss how he entered another area of IT to keep his business profitable during the current economic situation and ask him where he thinks the industry is headed. Part 3 of a 4 part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard :25

News and Comment segment 5:21
Circuit City announced that it would clear out all remaining inventory and close its stores by the end of March.

Enter the Technibble contest and Win! We are giving away The Computer Business Kit from Technibble (a $49 value) FREE. Listen to this episode of The Force Field for your chance to win!

Microsoft released Windows 7 beta to the public January 9. Early reports say the beta is more stable than Vista SP1. Industry experts believe Microsoft could release Windows 7 to the market sooner than expected.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 2:01
In episode 29 we talked with Pat Palmer, heard how his business is doing well in spite of the economy and how he expects this trend to continue in the months and years to come. In episode 30 we talked with Kris Crispell and he told us the same thing. This week we wil talk with Crisantos Hajibrahim of Virus Woman . He will tell us why he entered a new and growing area of the IT market to keep his business profitable, hear how he did it and find out how he is riding out the economic storm – in the cloud. You can view the video of his Google I/O 2008 Presentation – Becoming a Google App Solution Provider mentioned in the show. Part 3 of a four part series.

Crisantos Hajibrahim Interview 16:26

Part 4 Teaser :15

Wrap up and Close :46

Comments, questions or suggestions? Send them in to comments@theforcefield.net. Feedback on this topic will be read by the host and included in future episodes of the show.

©2009 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 30 – The State of the IT Industry Part 2

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This week we are going to talk with a computer consultant in Oregon, discuss how the current economic situation has affected his company and ask him where he thinks his business is headed. Part 2 of a 4 part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard :34

News and Comment segment 5:19
IBM announced production of a new ThinkPad notebook by Lenovo with dual LCD displays.

Enter the Technibble contest and Win! We are giving away The Computer Business Kit from Technibble (a $49 value) FREE. Listen to this episode of The Force Field for your chance to win!

Microsoft announced December 22 that it would extend sales of Windows XP until May 30 2009. This is good news for system builders. It is bad news for Vista.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 1:39
In our last episode we talked with Pat Palmer, heard how his business is doing well in spite of the economy and how he expects this trend to continue in the months and years to come. This week we will talk with Kris Crispell, a computer consultant in Oregon and ask him where he thinks his business is headed. Will he agree with Pat or will he have in a different story with a different point of view? Part 2 of a four part series.

Kris Crispell Interview 18:28

Part 3 Teaser :19

Wrap up and Close :46

Comments, questions or suggestions? Send them in to comments@theforcefield.net. Feedback on this topic will be read by the host and included in future episodes of the show.

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 29 – The State of the IT Industry Part 1

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This week we are going to talk with an IT professional and discuss how the current state of the economy will effect his business and the industry in the year ahead. Part 1 of a 4 part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:15
Billboard 2:15

News and Comment segment 5:40
The Force Field was part of the second annual 24 hour Podcast Marathon hosted by Geek News Central December 20 to raise money for charity.

Enter the Technibble contest and Win! We are giving away The Computer Business Kit from Technibble (a $49 value) FREE. Listen to this episode of The Force Field for your chance to win!

Microsoft released another emergency security patch for Internet Explorer December 17. The patch, considered by Microsoft as “critical”, resolves a known security vulnerability that allows allows remote code execution if a user views on a web page with malicious code.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 2:08
In the next few episodes we will talk with resellers, service providers and other professionals in the industry and find out how their business are doing now, where they think the IT marketplace will be in the next year and what, if anything we can do to prepare ourselves for the difficult times ahead. This week we will talk with Pat Palmer and find out what he thinks. Part 1 of a four part series.

Pat Palmer Interview 22:40

Part 2 Teaser :23

Wrap up and Close :46

Comments, questions or suggestions? Send them in to comments@theforcefield.net. Feedback on this topic will be read by the host and included in future episodes of the show.

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 28 – Merchant 911: Accepting Credit Cards Part 2

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This week we are going to continue our talk with an IT professional and merchant who launched a website called Merchant 911 to help small businesses learn the pros and cons of accepting credit cards and provide them with the resources to fight credit card fraud.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard :40

News and Comment segment 4:33
According to the OnForce Services Marketplace Index report for Q3 released November 17, The company projects its total volume of service work to be $60 million by the end of 2008.

The Force Field Podcast Store. It is the first, only and official store for The Force Field Swag! We have T-shirts, golf shirts, The Force Field Official Mug, ball caps, other great gear. To order, simply go to www.theforcefield.net and click “Store” on the menu bar. Tell the world you dare to listen to The Force Field! Visit The Force Field Podcast Store and order your Official Force Field gear today!

Microsoft has thrown in the towel on Windows Live OneCare. A post in the Windows Live OneCare Team blog Windows Live OneCare Team blog November 18 announced that Redmond will end subscriptions to the service July 30, 2009.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 1:50
This week we’re going continue our discussion with Tom Mahoney from Merchant 911 and learn more about credit card merchant accounts. He will tell us how to shop around when setting up a credit card merchant account, what you can do to minimize the risk of a chargeback on a credit card transaction and how you can use the tools on his web site to protect yourself and your business from credit card fraud. Part 2 of a two part series.

Tom Mahoney Interview 22:22

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 27 – Merchant 911: Accepting Credit Cards Part 1

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This week we are going to talk with an IT professional and merchant who launched a website called Merchant 911 to help small businesses learn the pros and cons of accepting credit cards and provide them with the resources to fight credit card fraud.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard 1:55

News and Comment segment 5:15
The OpenOffice.org Community officially announced the release of OpenOffice.org 3.0 OpenOffice.org 3.0 this month. The open source office suite reached 3 million downloads in its the first week of release.

To keep you informed of all the latest on theforcefield.net we just launched Force Field Insider, a weekly newsletter with news headlines, commentary and other updates from The Force Field podcast and portal. To subscribe, simply go to http://www.theforcefield.net, fill out the short form on the left sidebar and click “Subscribe”. It’s that easy. Best of all, it’s free, and you can’t beat free. Subscribe to The Force Field Insider Newsletter today and get the latest from inside The Force Field.

Windows 7, the code name for the next next version of Microsoft Windows, has now been given an official name. Microsoft is also preparing to release another service pack for Windows Vista.

Commercial Break 1:00
Get Great Web Hosting at GoDaddy.com and save 10%! Listen for the discount code in the show. GoDaddy.com 1:00

Intro to Interview 2:00
This week we’re going to talk to Tom Mahoney from Merchant 911, learn how his own experiences with fraudulent credit card transactions prompted him to create his web site, discuss the benefits and risks of accepting credit cards in your business and find out which credit cards are the best and worst to accept. Part 1 of a two part series.

Tom Mahoney Interview 20:03

Part 2 Teaser :28

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 26 – Reimage

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This week we are going to talk with an IT professional who developed a new way to automatically repair computers running Microsoft Windows called Reimage and now offers his service to PC technicians everywhere.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard 3:08

News and Comment segment 5:51
Cray has partnered with Intel and Microsoft to produce a supercomputer for the desktop.

System Management News reports that a team of researchers at the University of Michigan created a cloud computing anti-virus service.

You can read the article in the September issue of System Management News. A subscription is free to professionals who qualify. Subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns.

The Everything Channel hosted a virtual trade show for IT consultants, resellers and service providers September 18 to promote IT solutions using “Green Technology”.

One Green Technology product available now is GoToMyPC. You can try GoToMyPC FREE for 30 days! Just visit http://www.gotomypc.com/podcast for your free trial. Try it out and let me know what you think. Go Green with GoToMyPC!

Microsoft cancelled its series ads featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld and launched phase two of its reimaging campaign with a new commercial that takes aim at Apple’s PC vs. Mac ads.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 1:57
This week we’re going to talk to Zak Dechovich, CEO of Reimage, Inc.Reimage, Inc. We will learn about his process, talk about its potential uses as a Windows repair tool and find out how we can partner with his company to solve Windows problems cleanly, quickly and automatically. Mention The Force Field for a FREE 7 day trial.

Zak Dechovich Interview 24:01

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 25 – The Story of OnForce Part 2

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This week we will continue our discussion with Jeffrey Leventhal, an entrepreneur who founded the OnForce platform and learn how he started the company. Part 2 of a two part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard :43

News and Comment segment 4:51
Mozilla announced the winners of the Extend Firefox 3 contest. The competition, held between March and July, was intended to encourage developers to create add-ons for the new Firefox 3 web browser released June 17. You can find the details of the contest and list of winners at http://blog.mozilla.com/extendfirefox.

System Management News reports that recent outages in Amazon’s S3 online data storage services and Apple’s MobileMe, have raised concerns about the stability of cloud computing.

You can read the article in the August 15 issue of System Management News. A single issue of System Management News is $9.95 but a subscription is free to professionals who qualify. if you are an IT professional and would like a free subscription to System Management News you can subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns or simply click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Microsoft has signed on comedian Jerry Seinfeld to star in a series of commercials beginning September 4. Redmond reportedly signed Seinfeld to a contract worth $10 million to appear with Bill Gates in a campaign to sell Windows Vista.

Commercial Break 1:00
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Intro to Interview 1:48
This week we’re going to continue our discussion with Jeff and hear more about the early days of OnForce, Inc. We’ll discuss the OnForce forums and how they helped influence the direction of platform after it was launched, learn why he decided to step down as CEO and find out where he thinks OnForce ranks among his accomplishments as an entrepreneur. Part two of a two part story.

Jeff Leventhal Interview 19:05

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 24 – The Story of OnForce Part 1

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This week we’re going to talk to Jeffrey Leventhal, an entrepreneur who founded the OnForce platform and learn how he started the company. Part 1 of a two part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard 1:52

News and Comment segment 4:51
Microsoft has announced the release of SQL Server 2008. The RTM is now available for download at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/default.aspx.

System Management News reports that IT jobs are alive, well and growing strong, according to a new survey by the American Electronics Association.

You can read the article in the August 1 issue of System Management News. A single issue of System Management News is $9.95 but a subscription is free to professionals who qualify. if you are an IT professional and would like a free subscription to System Management News you can subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns or simply click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Late last month a Superior Court Judge in Alameda County ruled that cell phone carriers that charged customers early termination fees for canceling their contracts did so in violation of state law.

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

CS Techcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 2:53
This week we’re going to talk with entrepreneur Jeffrey Leventhal, founder and first CEO of OnForce, Inc. We will learn how he came up with the idea for OnForce, find out how long it took him and his team to develop the platform and hear how it first went live. Part one of a two part story.

Jeff Leventhal Interview 15:40

Wrap up and Close 1:14

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 23 – The Business of Malware Part 3

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This week we’re going to talk to John Eddy, Senior Vice President of Sales at Kaspersky Lab and find out just how serious the malware problem is. Part 3 of a three part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:18
Billboard 1:10

News and Comment segment 6:46
The OpenOffice.org Community announced a second beta release of OpenOffice.org 3 to the public July 15. The Office suite is released under the GNU/GPL and is freely available. OpenOffice.org v3.0 beta 2 is currently available for download in English for Windows, Linux, OS X and OpenSolaris at http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta.

AMD announced that its Board of Directors elected President and COO Dirk Meyer as the new CEO of the company July 17. Meyer replaces Hector Ruiz, who led the company during the last six years. You can read the article at http://www.theforcefield.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1.

A debate is brewing over the necessity of defragging solid state drives. According to an article posted in the July 15 issue of System Management News, the debate centers on whether performing a defrag on a flash drive helps performance or provides no real benefits while actually hurts the drive.

You can read the article in the July 15 issue of System Management News. A single issue of System Management News is $9.95 but a subscription is free to professionals who qualify. if you are an IT professional and would like a free subscription to System Management News you can subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns or simply click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

The Microsoft-Yahoo deal is the talk of the media. There are many who think Microsoft Yahoo would be a great combination and would prevent a monopoly that Google is threatening to become. However, Microsoft Yahoo could actually be bad for competition – and consumers.

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

CS Techcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 1:45
This week we are going to talk to John Eddy, Senior Vice President of Sales at Kaspersky Lab. We’ll find out just how serious the malware problem is, learn about the Kaspersky Partner Program and find out how we can use it as resellers to market and sell solid security solutions to our customers. Part 3 of a three part series.

John Eddy Interview 18:35

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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Episode 22 – The Business of Malware Part 2

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This week we’re going to continue our discussion with Chris Bequeath and learn more about the malware removal business. Part 2 of a three part series.

TechPodcasts Promo Tag :10
Intro 1:17
Billboard :39

News and Comment segment 3:23
Mozilla reported 8.3 million downloads of Firefox 3 on Firefox Download Day 2008, held June 17. The Force Field held a launch party of its own. A page and forum was created at TheForceField.net to download and discuss the new browser at the time of launch.

System Management News, a publication for IT System Administrators and Data Center Managers, predicts a cloudy future for computing, as in cloud computing. Can IT service providers incorporate it in their businesses? If so, what are the possibilities? Good questions. At any rate, this is something to consider or at least to watch.

You can read the feature in the June 15 issue of System Management News. A single issue of System Management News is $9.95 but a subscription is free to professionals who qualify. if you are an IT professional and would like a free subscription to System Management News you can subscribe at http://theforcefield.tradepub.com/free/smns or simply click on the link in the show notes in the RSS feed for this episode.

Bill Gates is finally leaving Microsoft. Or is he? Gates initially announced his retirement in 2006 and has since spent much of it telling everyone he’s officially gone. But will he really be gone?

Commercial Break 1:00
Alternageek Podcast Promo :30

Totally Cool Tech Podcast promo :30

Intro to Interview 1:44
This week we are going to continue our discussion with Chris Bequeath, owner of Business Network Solutions learn more about the malware removal business. We will learn about some of the organizations involved in the detection and removal of badware, the tools and techniques he uses to remove it and find out where he thinks the malware problem is heading in the next few years – not only as a nuisance but a possibly a national security issue as well. Part 2 of a three part series.

Chris Bequeath Interview 19:00

Wrap up and Close :46

©2008 Savoia Computer. All rights reserved.

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