How to be a great sales person: the famous 13 golden rules

By admin, January 11, 2010
Guinness World Records
Image via Wikipedia

I ran across a website today publicizing a book written by Joe Girard, acclaimed to be the world’s greatest seller, even by the Guinness Book of Records.

I won’t make propaganda for free to this book, leaving you with only the link:

http://www.joegirard.com/index.html

The site does list his 13 great rules, though, so for your pleasure (and mine), I will report them here, hoping he does not get mad :) Read more »

Snow… Snow everywhere…

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By admin, January 4, 2010

It has been snowing for days, and today is the first day I am able to see a little bit of sun.

Here some pics I made this morning.

With temperatures around -6°C, I am expecting another snowfall soon…

Happy New Year 2010!

George Clarkson

2010 is here… what is it going to bring us?

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By admin, January 3, 2010

A lot of technology websites have already written hundreds of predictions for this 2010, most of which, as usual, won’t become true. I will spare you the same list of false predictions and unattended hopes, writing something different: what I would like to see happening in 2010.

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…upon all the living and the dead…

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By admin, December 20, 2009
Snowfall on trees, Germany
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The title is a quote of J.Joyce’s “The Dubliners”, one of the masterpieces of this great author, and personally, one of my favourites.

For those who never had the chance to read this masterpiece, here is the extract where I took the quote from. Marvelous.

“A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”
James Joyce (Dubliners)

The snow, that is what falls upon those who are living and those who are not anymore walking on this land, is the argument of this post. I admit this post is not one full of joy and irony, like the ones you readers are used to find in my blog, but this is the way I feel today, so bear with me.

I chose Joyce’s quote since it’s 2 days that is snowing here in Hanover, where I live. All is white, even if the level of the snow at the ground is not higher than 5cm.

Temperatures are freaking cold, touching a record -20°C during nightly hours. When you go out in the street, the wind feels like a sharp knife that cuts through your throat as you breathe.

Eyes start watering, and the tears turn to icy salty popsicles as soon as the hit your cheeks.

It is incredible that here in Hanover I still see someone riding a bicycle in the streets, let alone with a short-sleeved t-shirt. I did see one the other day, and he was feeling quote comfortable with his summer outfit. Crazy people…

Anyway, snow will keep on falling for another couple of days, making probably this Christmas one of the coldest I’ve been through.

I wish all of you, my dear Readers,  a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

g.c.

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iPhone accessories, this unknown world (only to me…)

By admin, December 1, 2009
iPhone, iPhone 3G and 3GS
Image via Wikipedia

A small premise: I do not own an iPhone. Even if I like the style, the looks and the feel (I’ve tried a friend’s of mine some time ago) I just don’t feel the need to buy it.

Not being an Apple fan, that could be comprehensible. But I must admit that there are some things Apple has created, alongside their mobile phone, willing or not: a flourish aftermarket for accessories and the like.

Nowadays, you can find practically everything you need for your beloved mobile, from “movie stands” (I don’t know why one would ever watch an entire movie on a mobile phone…) to headphones, to covers…

This last accessory has attracted my attention, lately. Being a reseller for home automation products and accessories, I sport in my online shop some remote controls. Every TV store out there has some remote protection covers, to avoid damages to your remote if dropped.

iPhone covers do the same. But while simple remote control covers do the job, and that’s basically all, could accessories companies targeting the jewel of the Bitten Fruit manufacturer from Cupertino do something simple – and boring – as that?

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Home Automation: what you can really do with it

By admin, November 27, 2009

Many people ask me what can they do with home automation: is it just a matter of turning lights on and off?

Actually, that is the general misconception of it, since home automation is so much more to only being an automated switch for your lights. A clear example of a pretty well planned and organized home automation system is given by friends over at Smart Home HDL, a Saudi Arabian company specialized in fully home automation products and solutions.

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Home Automation: remote controlled light switch/dimmer module

By admin, November 23, 2009

As I promised in a preceding post, here I am to describe my personal experience with a home automation product I bought some time ago in a home appliances general store.

the product is pretty easy and straight forward in its use and application, and really can be defined as the very first step towards a complete automation of someone’s house. Once you start, you can’t stop, believe me ;)

Well, enough chattering, let me present you my very own remote controlled light switch/dimmer module from Intertechno.at:

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Home automation: Start Trek lives…

By admin, November 22, 2009

I found another interesting video on youtube, showing a home automation system with a touchscreen interface, with the looks that comes directly from a Start Trek movie!

Here below the movie:

Interesting concept, developed by a German Software developer who paid incredible attention to details.

The result is pretty astonishing, and big kudos to the developer!

Home automation, though, does not to be that “complicated”, since even with small plig-in modules, or even in-wall switches you can obtain the same results, spending way less than what it was spent for this house.

Next post, as promised, will cover such devices, hoping to shed light on some of the ways these components can be used to make your home environment more comfortable.

home automation: controlling a x10 from the web

By admin, November 20, 2009

An interesting youtube video I came across today showed how it was easy to operate a x10 controller via a browser interface using an ioBridge and a simple plug-in.

Here below the video:

While this is a very simple implementation of home automation and it’s use, it shows how technology can really help people to do simple tasks like turning on appliances while not even being right in front of them.

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The adventure began… Technodomus.de is up and running!

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By admin, November 7, 2009

Some weeks and posts ago I announced the grand opening of my online shop, www.technodomus.de. After some time, I managed to finally insert the products that the project was born for: home automation!

Technodomus

I decided to put in the catalog only the best products available in Europe, using the most reliable, simple and cost effective technology to power a complete DIY home automation system. Choice was hard, since there are not so many contenders in Europe, and the ones that are present, usually are either too expensive, or pretend too much in terms of minimum order quantity. Read more »

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