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February 2013
Is it spring or are we doomed to 6 more weeks of winter?According to the world’s most reliable meteorologist it’s a close call. Both Punxsutawney Phil and Canada’s leading weatherman, Wiarton Willie, did not see their shadows on Feb. 2ndpredicting that spring will come early. Great news! But wait, Shubenacadie Sam and Quebec’s La Marmotte Fred did see their shadows and promptly scurried inside to settle down for a long winter. Who to believe? It seemed that our fate then rested on the tiny furry shoulders of Winnipeg Willow, who broke the tie in favour of an early spring. Though looking out the window now I feel that it may be foolish to rely on the eyesight and timidness of a large rodent to predict the weather.
What’s in February’s Newsletter:
- New Tech Toy: BlackBerry Z10
- Deal of the Month
- Tech Tip of Month by Alandale Training
- Penny Pincher: Retirement of Canada’s Penny
- February Events Around Vancouver
- This Month in Tech History
New Tech Toy
BlackBerry Z10: Sink or Swim
RIM (now BlackBerry) has a lot riding on their new phone and whether or not it will be able to be a contender against the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III.
Deal of the Month
Each month we will supply you with a product that we believe is a great deal and may suit your business or personal needs. This is an opportunity for you to save time and energy shopping around for what’s best at the best price, because we have done it for you!
Logitech MK320 Wireless Desktop USB Keyboard and Mouse Combo
Price: $49.99 *Tax not included
If you are interested please contact the sales team at 
Tech Tip of the Month
Brought to you by Alandale Training a great resource online for tips and on-site computer training courses in Vancouver, BC. Visit their site at www.alandaletraining.com.
Make it easy for people to call you
E-mail systems typically include the option to create a signature block which is automatically added to all new messages you create. Some systems, like Outlook, also have the option to use a different signature block when replying to or forwarding a message. If we are emailing back and forward, do I really need to include my full signature block or would something shorter do.
On occasion when I am discussing an upcoming course with a client, I decide it’ll be quicker to have a short conversation rather than exchange numerous emails. You know, do something old fashioned like actually pick up the phone. But what’s their phone number?
Few people seem to include their phone number in their Reply signature. If I initiated the e-mail exchange their phone number will not be anywhere in the e-mail so I need to go find an e-mail they initiated. Not a huge deal but it does take precious seconds. (And yes, this is a pet peeve of mine!)
Why not make it easy for the people you deal with to contact you. If you use a shorter signature when replying to messages then include your phone number.
And while you are at it, why not do the same for your smartphone.
If you liked this tip click here to join the Alandale Training Mailing List to receive more great tech tips.
Penny Pincher
Distribution of the Canadian penny ends February 4th, 2013. Last May the Royal Canadian Mint stopped it’s production of the penny due to the fact that every penny costs about 1.6 cents to produce and estimated that getting rid of the coin will save the government $11 million a year.
Canada’s first penny was produced by the British Royal Mint in 1858 and it’s last was made on May 4th, 2012.
Canada’s not alone in ditching the penny. Australia, Brazil, Finland, Israel, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland have all removed their one cent coins from legal tender. Norway and Sweden have gone even further by removing their .1, .2, .5, .10, and .25 coins.
For information on how retiring the penny will affect you can go to the Mint’s website.
Events Around Vanocuver
Grouse Mountain 24 Hours of Winter: February 9
BC Family Day: February 11
Valentine’s Day: February 14
BC Home + Garden Show: February 20 – 24
Chutzpah Festival: February 7 – March 3
This Month in Tech History
February 14th, 1989 – The First GPS satellite enters orbit.
February 15th, 2005 – YouTube makes it’s debut.
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