$100 Million Online Contest
The headline on the press release was catchy: “It’s Where The Internet Starts! Use GNET.COM at http://www.Gnet.com/ and you could win $100 Million!!!” GNET.COM claims that it is shaking up the Internet by launching a $100 million prize giveaway.
“The prize gets people’s attention and people (start) talking,” says Masud Osman, CEO of GNET.COM Corporation. “Along with a great Internet home page, the public gets a chance to win $100 million.” How to win? Visitors register once using only their e-mail address at www.Gnet.com. Each time they return to GNET.COM, the user automatically accumulates GNET.COM points which serve as virtual raffle tickets toward the $100 million prize drawing. GNET.COM members can watch their GNET.COM points accumulate on a rolling ticker.
Sounds exciting but after reading the contest rules it would seem to be a fraud. First of all the prize isn’t going to be awarded until Oct. 10, 2010. Also, the rules state that the winner only gets the “chance” to win. To really win the money, your birth date must match the exact day, month, and year of a “Pre-Selected” date from a totally undisclosed date range!
The “contest” isn’t a contest at all — its just a publicity stunt and it’s hard to believe that this company won’t mine your data for information and then sell it. Online contests are popular but people need to be more cautious about the sites they visit on the Net.
Could Your Company Survive?
Could your company survive a database disaster? It might if corporate management follows the advice in a new book by Jeffrey Test. Published by VDM Publishing, the 100-page book is Test’s first, and is based largely on the doctoral dissertation he wrote for Capella University. Test graduated in March 2006 from the online university with a Ph.D in organization and management with a specialization in IT management.
Test explained that “Surviving the Next Database Disaster” is for anyone looking to build a survivable architecture for small to medium-sized databases. For those who do planning on the continuation of operations, the book explains how to continue operations after losing your primary data center, illustrating the point through case studies in which it was handled poorly.
“Access to database information is critical to the survival of any business. The loss of regional power, political and public unrest, natural disasters, or even an unfortunate mistake by a construction worker digging through a phone cable can drive modern data-reliant businesses and their business partners into bankruptcy,” Test said. “Any organization that uses information stored in databases or has relationships with businesses that use databases is at risk. What I’ve done with this book is to clearly and methodically outline how to diminish that risk.”
Taking Security Cameras to the Next Level
Axis Communications has strengthened its network video camera portfolio by introducing Active Tampering Alarm. The alarm is an intelligent feature in network cameras that automatically alerts the operator when a camera’s operation is disrupted. Without Active Tampering Alarm, it can take a long time before tampering is noticed. This is especially true for applications where one operator monitors multiple cameras. Active Tampering Alarm in network cameras is especially useful in applications where there is the potential for vandalism — such as in schools, prisons, public transportation and in harsh environments where weather, vibrations or dirt can disturb the camera’s performance. Active Tampering Alarm detects incidents such as accidental redirection, blocking or de-focusing of cameras, and reacts when the camera is attacked, spray-painted, or intentionally covered.