News and Commentary

Here you’ll find our latest articles relating to technology, business management, and anything else we think you’ll find interesting.

Computer Security 101 – Section 1 – Passwords 06/06/17 - We all hear the news, cyber threats and identity theft are on the rise. What can be done? The best defense starts with your own behavior. One key factor of any security policy is how you handle passwords. The first rule of a good password is, it should never be shared with anyone. This may seem obvious, but at the [...]

Postal Reform May Finally Happen 02/17/17 - USPS Postal Reform May Finally Happen It’s early yet, but according to a report in the Washington Post, there is strong bi-partisan support for a new round of Postal Reform. As one would expect from a compromise, there are good and bad points from whatever viewpoint you may hold. Some key items, Saturday delivery would continue (which is a major [...]

USPS Rates Increase. Are you ready? 01/11/17 - New Rates Effective January 22, 2017 The 2017 rate increase is almost upon us. Any mailings presented after January 22, 2017 will use the new rates and fee. While the rates are tied to inflation, and First Class stamps are going up from 47 to 49 cents, they have adjusted the rates differently in various categories. For example Non-Profit postage [...]

The Scary Side of The Internet of Things 10/28/16 - The IOT Gets Scary You may have heard some buzz about the Internet of Things or IOT. This is the idea that our appliances should all get smarter and be connected to the internet. While there are useful things (smart TVs with built in Internet browsers), and things that sound like they would be handy (a DVR that can download [...]

Analysis of USPS 2017 Bound Printed Matter Postage Rates 10/21/16 - Bound Printed Matter increases average of 1% Details of the 2017 proposed rate increase have been filed by USPS with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). While preliminary, the filing usually reflects the rates we’ll see. We’re in the process of performing our analysis of these new rates and rules. Rather than simply comparing the old rates to the new, our [...]

USPS Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpB) 10/18/16 - USPS Intelligent Mail Package Barcode Are you ready? If not, we can help. There’s a lot to know about the Intelligent Mail Package Barcode, and the stakes are pretty high. For example, an average 2.5 pound book, shipping Bound Printed Matter, would cost 79 cents more without the IMpb. If you do drop shipping, it’s even worse, because you lose [...]

Ready or Not, Here it Comes! Windows 10 Update That is. 06/06/16 - We’ve been hearing rumors it was going to happen, now we’ve seen it. This morning, one of our customers experienced a forced update to Windows 10. While the PC was running a large print job, they walked away from it. When they returned, the Windows 10 upgrade was already in process, with no prompting or way to cancel. Thank God [...]

USPS – Postal Reform Taking Shape 05/12/16 - As you’ve probably heard, the USPS is in deep financial trouble. They’re losing billions of dollars every year. This report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) – Testimony Before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the House of Representatives on May 11, 2016 outlines many of the challenges they face. In many cases, it may be worse than you [...]

National Postal Forum 2016 03/08/16 - NPF 2016 Coming to Nashville, TN March 20-23 The National Postal Forum will meet in Nashville, TN March 20-23, with the exhibit floor being open on March 21 – 23. The NPF is the premier show to demonstrate and learn about the latest in mailing technology and techniques. There are educational sessions discussing USPS, postal news, Direct Mail, and general [...]

GABBS Atlanta Coming March 2-4 02/26/16 - GABBS 2016, The Great American Bargain Book Show, is coming March 2 through 4 in Atlanta Georgia. GABBS is trade show focused on small and independent book stores. There are general business education and industry news based seminars, and a show floor to purchase reduced cost books, and explore other products and services. For the first time, we’ll be there [...]