Anyone can Google anyone by name and find information about that person, or at least, people who have some online presence. Unfortunately, as I painfully found out, you can't always control those results.
Searching by my nickname and last name, "Cliff Cada", returns the results I want. The top result is my LinkedIn profile. The second is my Salesforce Trailblazer profile. The problem with the second result is that is my work profile. I have a separate Trailblazer profile that doesn't even come up.
If the searcher is more savvy, that person can search specific sites like Facebook or YouTube. If I search for my name with quotes in Google, which tells Google to find the entire string together, I stumble upon this YouTube page with my name on it. This isn't my page. I attempted to contact YouTube, provided them my information, even a copy of my passport. And they said that wasn't enough for them to shut down that account. If that other person posts offensive videos or negative videos, that may affect my future employment prospects, or even put my current employment in jeopardy.
I suppose if you are famous or rich or both, you can employ a PR team and a legal team to control your brand both online and off. But for regular folks like me, I can only do so much before hitting a wall like what I assume to be a YouTube bot that automatically rejected my request.
It is always a good idea to periodically Google yourself, and ensure the top results are reflective of the online presence you want to project.
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
Where to put an Emergency Fund
Most financial planning advice will tell you to have three to six months of living expenses in cash or some other liquid asset. The last 9 years, interest rates were so low that parking your cash in a savings account yielded next to nothing.
The recent interest rate increases allowed some banks and financial institutions to offer Money Market accounts with 10 to 15 times higher interest rate than a regular savings account. CDs of course offer a bit higher interest rates, but then you will tie up your money for 11 or 12 months at a minimum, which defeats the purpose of an emergency fund. You need it to be relatively liquid.
As noted in many websites such as NerdWallet and The Ascent, Money Market accounts have limits on the number of withdrawals per month. But hopefully, you only need to withdraw money in emergencies - A/C needs replacing, major car repair, roof replacement, job loss, and such. This is not for frivolous purchases, or even running out of grocery money for the month.
Anyway, a quick Google search returns the top two as of this writing are Marcus by Goldman Sachs and CapitalOne 360 Money Market. They are able to give high interest rates because these are online only offerings. I hesitated at first, because I wondered how I would withdraw the money. It turns out, you can transfer it to your existing checking account, even if it was at another bank. I'm pretty sure there is some delay here, like two business days, so I would not recommend to put everything in such an account.
Sold on the idea of higher interest rates, I decided to give both a try. While both are relatively easy to set up, I would recommend Marcus for ease of setup. Marcus allowed me to add a joint account holder right in the application process, while CapitalOne required that I go to Account Management AFTER the account was set up. Also, CapitalOne threw a few errors saying that "details cannot be displayed" or "cannot perform action at this time", something about the account being new. With Marcus, I was able to change the account nickname for example. Both took less than 10 minutes, as long as you have all the information you need, like SSN.
CapitalOne has a lower interest rate, but has a bonus if you maintain a specific balance in the first 90 days. So if that's what you're after, go for CapitalOne.
You will also find that in the fine print, the APR rate quoted is only for $10,000 and above. Anything below would drop the APR down to something like 0.87%. So keep that in mind.
All in all, I would still go with Marcus just for the ease of use. Note that interest rates are variable, so it is worth checking every six months whether you can get a better rate elsewhere.
The recent interest rate increases allowed some banks and financial institutions to offer Money Market accounts with 10 to 15 times higher interest rate than a regular savings account. CDs of course offer a bit higher interest rates, but then you will tie up your money for 11 or 12 months at a minimum, which defeats the purpose of an emergency fund. You need it to be relatively liquid.
As noted in many websites such as NerdWallet and The Ascent, Money Market accounts have limits on the number of withdrawals per month. But hopefully, you only need to withdraw money in emergencies - A/C needs replacing, major car repair, roof replacement, job loss, and such. This is not for frivolous purchases, or even running out of grocery money for the month.
Anyway, a quick Google search returns the top two as of this writing are Marcus by Goldman Sachs and CapitalOne 360 Money Market. They are able to give high interest rates because these are online only offerings. I hesitated at first, because I wondered how I would withdraw the money. It turns out, you can transfer it to your existing checking account, even if it was at another bank. I'm pretty sure there is some delay here, like two business days, so I would not recommend to put everything in such an account.
Sold on the idea of higher interest rates, I decided to give both a try. While both are relatively easy to set up, I would recommend Marcus for ease of setup. Marcus allowed me to add a joint account holder right in the application process, while CapitalOne required that I go to Account Management AFTER the account was set up. Also, CapitalOne threw a few errors saying that "details cannot be displayed" or "cannot perform action at this time", something about the account being new. With Marcus, I was able to change the account nickname for example. Both took less than 10 minutes, as long as you have all the information you need, like SSN.
CapitalOne has a lower interest rate, but has a bonus if you maintain a specific balance in the first 90 days. So if that's what you're after, go for CapitalOne.
You will also find that in the fine print, the APR rate quoted is only for $10,000 and above. Anything below would drop the APR down to something like 0.87%. So keep that in mind.
All in all, I would still go with Marcus just for the ease of use. Note that interest rates are variable, so it is worth checking every six months whether you can get a better rate elsewhere.
Monday, September 24, 2018
An Alternative to Away Travel Luggage...
...or any of its competitors.
Away Travel offers first class luggage at a coach price, according to their website. They have been advertising in podcasts that I listen to, and so I checked it out. The cheapest luggage they have is priced at $225. With a promo code, you could get it for $200.
An additional feature they tout is the built in charging ports and battery. Recently, airlines have published new rules around batteries in luggage, and have caused at least one competitor to close shop. You may have heard of Raden and Bluesmart, outlined The Wirecutter.
Checking in luggage is always a bad idea for business travel, but if you are low in the totem pole in terms of boarding priority, you may have to check in your luggage at the last minute, so a removable battery is always a must.
At $200 dollars, these luggage aren't cheap, and considering all the YouTube videos out there showing how baggage handlers throw around your luggage no matter how expensive they are, I can't bring myself to spend $200 on luggage.
Here is a cheaper alternative:
First, buy AmazonBasics luggage. This one starts at $50 dollars.
Second, buy a battery pack. It's not integrated into the luggage, but it can be inside the bag, and can be removed quite easily without any tools. And you can move it to any other bag, or even hold it in your hand. If you search for Anker or RavPower on Amazon, you will find one from $20 to $60 depending on capacity and size.
With all that same functionality for under $100, you can still buy a $10 Anker charging cable.
An additional feature they tout is the built in charging ports and battery. Recently, airlines have published new rules around batteries in luggage, and have caused at least one competitor to close shop. You may have heard of Raden and Bluesmart, outlined The Wirecutter.
Checking in luggage is always a bad idea for business travel, but if you are low in the totem pole in terms of boarding priority, you may have to check in your luggage at the last minute, so a removable battery is always a must.
At $200 dollars, these luggage aren't cheap, and considering all the YouTube videos out there showing how baggage handlers throw around your luggage no matter how expensive they are, I can't bring myself to spend $200 on luggage.
Here is a cheaper alternative:
First, buy AmazonBasics luggage. This one starts at $50 dollars.
Second, buy a battery pack. It's not integrated into the luggage, but it can be inside the bag, and can be removed quite easily without any tools. And you can move it to any other bag, or even hold it in your hand. If you search for Anker or RavPower on Amazon, you will find one from $20 to $60 depending on capacity and size.
With all that same functionality for under $100, you can still buy a $10 Anker charging cable.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
What If Apple Buys Disney?
Note: this isn't a unique idea. A few other folks, I am sure, have thought about this.
Apple has over $250 billion in cash and cash equivalents, most of it overseas. The most recent changes to the tax laws will allow them to repatriate this. Companies generally have three choices with their cash: reinvest in the business, acquire another company, or return it to shareholders.
Apple has been buying back shares with debt, and certainly they can continue to do so. They have certainly bought other companies in the past. But with $250 billion dollars, they can actually buy Disney outright and still have $100 billion left over. Or they can buy Netflix. Either one of these companies will get their foot into the video streaming service.
Personally, I'd like to see them buy Disney. I would like to think this was part of Steve Jobs' grand vision to own great content, which is why he wanted Pixar to succeed so badly.
Apple will own all the current and future Disney content, and expand their recurring revenue beyond Apple Music. I am not an Apple Music subscriber, but once Disney starts their own subscription service, I will certainly consider signing up because of their great content.
And as an Apple shareholder, I would welcome this venture beyond iPhone sales.
Apple has over $250 billion in cash and cash equivalents, most of it overseas. The most recent changes to the tax laws will allow them to repatriate this. Companies generally have three choices with their cash: reinvest in the business, acquire another company, or return it to shareholders.
Apple has been buying back shares with debt, and certainly they can continue to do so. They have certainly bought other companies in the past. But with $250 billion dollars, they can actually buy Disney outright and still have $100 billion left over. Or they can buy Netflix. Either one of these companies will get their foot into the video streaming service.
Personally, I'd like to see them buy Disney. I would like to think this was part of Steve Jobs' grand vision to own great content, which is why he wanted Pixar to succeed so badly.
Apple will own all the current and future Disney content, and expand their recurring revenue beyond Apple Music. I am not an Apple Music subscriber, but once Disney starts their own subscription service, I will certainly consider signing up because of their great content.
And as an Apple shareholder, I would welcome this venture beyond iPhone sales.
Monday, December 11, 2017
When should you create an opportunity?
Someone
asked me this question a week ago. I may have answered it several
times over the years. The answer is a bit more complicated, and it
starts with understanding how your customer buys.
In most
cases, you would create an opportunity when you speak to your customer
and establish that he has a need that you may possibly be able to
fulfill at a specific time. Speaking to your customer allows you to ask
probing or qualifying questions, like the classic BANT: Budget,
Authority, Need, and Time.
In last
week’s scenario, a customer does have a specific need: to renew his
maintenance contract; and it is at a specific time, which is before the
end of his current contract. However, the customer can do this
completely online without even interacting with someone representing the
company. So, does that mean there is no need for an opportunity?
From a
transactional standpoint, the answer is you do not need an opportunity.
The purpose of recording an opportunity is to manage it through a sales
cycle, whether it is a long cycle with seven stages or a short cycle
with three, someone is managing it and taking action on the
opportunity. The human interaction is recorded on an opportunity.
Now,
most companies that use Salesforce Automation use opportunities to drive
pipeline management and forecasting. The next question is, without an
opportunity, how does a company forecast this type of business? This
becomes a problem when these transactions drive a significant part of
your business. The standard Salesforce.com Collaborative Forecasts
requires opportunities to feed the forecast. So what should you do?
This is one topic to explore further, maybe in the next blog post.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
NextSpace Santa Cruz by Pacific Workspaces
I usually work from an office, and occasionally at home. I needed to work in Santa Cruz, California, today, which is not my usual remote location. A quick Google search revealed a co-working space I could rent for $25 for the day (9AM to 5PM at least). The facility is in downtown Santa Cruz and called NextSpace. I dropped in, settled into a desk and paid the fee.
It was a less-than-busy day according to the community manager. There were two other people in the open area that morning. More people came in during the day, but it didn’t really get crowded.
The office space has a little bit of Silicon Valley startup vibe. People are generally quietly working. I can get on the internet, go on VPN, receive email and generally be online to work. However, a quick speed test, while disconnected from VPN of course, revealed a relatively slow connection. My home connection is at least 10x faster than this. Wired connection is a bit better.
Still, for $25, you get free coffee, desks, power, toilets, a first-come-first-serve phone room, and the aforementioned internet connection.
I did not try the coffee as I had coffee before coming in. The men’s room did not have paper towels nor automatic hand dryers, which is a letdown. They did fill the dispensers up in the afternoon.
The phone room (or booth to describe it more accurately), is very warm. It appears there are no A/C vents, as it really does look like a phone booth with no pay phone and is 50% wider. You can prop open the door slightly, but then if you are talking about confidential matters, that doesn’t really help.
I suppose I could have hung out at Starbucks for a while, bounced over to Peet’s, have lunch, and do the same thing in the afternoon. But Starbucks and Peet’s, I would guess, is a bit noisier especially during peak hours. You can’t really get on calls and talk without a lot of background noise.
If you do need to be on phone calls most of the day, this might not be a good place. There are only two phone rooms and hogging one all day is bad form. This would be good for working on your computer most of the time and getting work done.
Headphones would be good if you don’t like the noise level. A few folks were wearing them, and I did too later in the day to stream some music.
Is it a good deal? I think for $25, it is.
IoT: Security Cameras
Just a few years ago, if you wanted security cameras for your home, you had to buy a separate surveillance system, with its own recording device, similar to a DVR, wire your house for the cameras, and then set it to record. These days, you can buy a single camera, or multiple cameras, possibly a base station, and use your existing internet connection for 24x7 surveillance, near real-time alerts, and cloud-based storage.
I already subscribe to a third party security company with their own alarm and door sensors. So to complement that, I purchased a Foscam FI9821W from Groupon a few years ago. Admittedly, the setup wasn't very intuitive. However, for $70 dollars, it allowed me to see inside my house while I am away. It had night vision, and with an SD card, can record the video. For a monthly fee, it can also store video on the cloud.
Netgear's Arlo camera series have been getting a lot of good reviews lately, so I decided to try an Arlo Q to add to network, and maybe monitor my garage. The Arlo Q is a single camera that you connect directly via Wi-Fi to your router. At $150, it is more than twice the price of the Foscam. So what do you get for $150?
This was a big issue for me, as the whole point was to get the motion and audio detection notification from the garage. I suppose I could buy a range extender, but my computers and tablets work fine in the same location. I switched the Foscam to the garage, and so far have found no issues. The Foscam does have an external antenna which I suppose helps. The problem is that it doesn't have motion detection alerts.
The other solution I found in the community was to buy the whole kit which had a base station. They said the base station broadcasts the signal 10% stronger than the router. I'm not sure I will spend much more for such a system, since I only need one camera, and the base kit comes with 4 cameras.
In the end, I did find that my device had a factory defect. Amazon replaced it free of charge, and now the new device connects correctly and consistently to my router even if it is in the garage.
We are in the early innings of the truly smart and connected home. A camera is just one piece of a complete smart security solution. I recommend buying one to complement your existing security system, but I would wait until the technology and integration matures so that you have one system that connects your door locks, window sensors, garage door openers, and cameras together into one single security system, that then integrates into your smart home controller, which could be Alexa or Google.
I already subscribe to a third party security company with their own alarm and door sensors. So to complement that, I purchased a Foscam FI9821W from Groupon a few years ago. Admittedly, the setup wasn't very intuitive. However, for $70 dollars, it allowed me to see inside my house while I am away. It had night vision, and with an SD card, can record the video. For a monthly fee, it can also store video on the cloud.
Netgear's Arlo camera series have been getting a lot of good reviews lately, so I decided to try an Arlo Q to add to network, and maybe monitor my garage. The Arlo Q is a single camera that you connect directly via Wi-Fi to your router. At $150, it is more than twice the price of the Foscam. So what do you get for $150?
- It comes in a really nice package.
- Setup is a breeze. It took me all of 5 minutes to get it up and running. With the Foscam, you had to fiddle with your router to put a static IP address on your camera, and then open up a port to allow access from the internet.
- Basic cloud storage is free. You just need to give your credit card. (This part, I don't like as much. If it's free, why do you need my credit card?)
This was a big issue for me, as the whole point was to get the motion and audio detection notification from the garage. I suppose I could buy a range extender, but my computers and tablets work fine in the same location. I switched the Foscam to the garage, and so far have found no issues. The Foscam does have an external antenna which I suppose helps. The problem is that it doesn't have motion detection alerts.
The other solution I found in the community was to buy the whole kit which had a base station. They said the base station broadcasts the signal 10% stronger than the router. I'm not sure I will spend much more for such a system, since I only need one camera, and the base kit comes with 4 cameras.
In the end, I did find that my device had a factory defect. Amazon replaced it free of charge, and now the new device connects correctly and consistently to my router even if it is in the garage.
We are in the early innings of the truly smart and connected home. A camera is just one piece of a complete smart security solution. I recommend buying one to complement your existing security system, but I would wait until the technology and integration matures so that you have one system that connects your door locks, window sensors, garage door openers, and cameras together into one single security system, that then integrates into your smart home controller, which could be Alexa or Google.
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