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This is my favorite subject. I personally have bought maybe a couple of books in the past 5 years and yet I read on average one book per week. Where do I get them? - Online. How do I read them? - on my handheld device. Since I started using my handheld as a small portable library, I got all members of my immediate family hooked on the idea. There is lots of benefits to reading books of your handheld device rather than the actual paper book. You can carry tens if not hundreds of books in your pocket, you never need an external source of light, placing bookmarks is as easy as clicking a button. All of the above mentioned benefits pale in comparison to the main one: you can get lots of electronic books for FREE. It is especially true about books in other languages. For example if you are interested in Russian literature, you will find thousands of books on such sites as: www.kniga.ru, www.lib.ru, and www.aldebaran.ru many of these sites have books encoded into a format compatible with a specific reading program or a specific handheld operating system (Palm or PocketPC), other are simple in text file form and can be converted with one of the programs that can with you device to be viewable on it. Here is a list of sites where you may find some free English books:

http://www.gutenberg.org

http://lib.aldebaran.ru - simply use the English alphabet at the top to find the author you are interested in.

http://digital.library.upenn.edu

http://etext.virginia.edu

So what TV is best for you? Here is a breakdown of most common TV types with cons and pros.

• Direct view (tube) TV - these are all TV’s that do not use projection technology. These are typically very heavy and deep. They go up to 36′’ in size and require very strong TV stands to support the weight (often 200 lb and more). These TV’s produce a very good depth of black color and allow great view from any angle. A good tube can last 10 years and more without loosing picture quality. Most current models will have a flat rather than curved face which does not always solve the problem of curved lines. You may find HDTV models as well as analog models in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio available at most electronics stores. Some companies started making TV with shallower tubes. This allows for less weight at the same quality level.
• Flat-panel Plasma - as little as 3′’ deep, wide viewing angle and great picture quality in high-end models. Plasma TV’s offer large sizes at very reasonable prices. There has been much talk of burn-in and life span of plasma TV’s. Most of these problems have been handled by the manufacturers in recent models. Make sure to follow instructions to avoid problems with your TV. At current levels plasma TV should last you close to 10 years before loosing lamp intensity.
• Flat-panel LCD - this technology is superior to Plasma, because it offers higher resolution at the same size levels and no burn-in danger. but at the same time it has narrower viewing angle and its home theater performance is not as good as plasma. Keep in mind that smallest plasma TV’s are 37′’ while LCD can be as small as 5′’. They do get more expensive than plasma at larger sizes though. It is impossible to achieve a true black in LCD TV’s but due to their high resolution they may produce excellent HD and computer generated images.
• Rear-projection TV - these are lower cost alternative to large size plasma. There are several types of RPTV’s available in the market.
  1. CRT - inexpensive with best picture quality under right conditions. Cabinets can be very deep and viewing angles are not that great.
  2. Microdisplays - there three main technologies in this group - DLP, LCD, and LCoS.
     • DLP - Good black level, good pixel fill. Bad - rainbow effect and low level noise.
     • LCD - Good - no rainbow effect. Bad - black level, screen door effect.
     • LCoS - Good - pixel fill, no rainbow effect. Bad - black level.

For more info on TV’s check out following sites:

www.cnet.com

www.consumerreports.org

www.msn.com

Cell phone technology has been doing wonders in the last few years. We are all amazed at how thin and cool the phones can get. I decided to list here some cell phone technologies that may or may not be available in US, but are currently used around the world.

• Korean students used text messaging to cheat on exams. A teacher now strikes by inventing a cell phone detector - a device which can detect use of a cell phone in range of 5 meters.
• Cell phones will soon include a Breathalyzer. Some LG phones with this feature will be available in US in near future.
• Pay with cell phone? - Yes this technology is available. Simple point your phone at a special device and it will work as a credit card. Perfect choice for cab rides and more.
• Cab rides? - yes. You can fetch a cab by simply pressing a button on the phone and a dispatcher will send a cab to your location determined by the GPS system.
• PayPal Mobile - you can now send an receive money via your phone.
• Special software allows you to convert your cell phone into a personal massager.
• Car diagnostics and tuning.
• Weather prediction

Read on to the sites bellow for more interesting info on cell phone technology…

www.wired.com

www.abcnews.com

www.howstuffworks.com

www.cnn.com

It used to be that surveillance cameras were tools of trade for spies and private detectives. These days anyone with a $100 can have his own surveillance camera. Surveillance cameras became as common as a telephone. Every family that uses baby sitters or has valuable assets at home has considered getting surveillance equipment as a measure of safety and security. I am often asked about the best choice of cameras and software. The answer always depends on individual circumstances. Bellow I summarize setups available to an individual.There are several classes of cameras. I consider 4 major classes - remotely viewable, recording only, wireless, and wired.

Setup in which video is simply recorded to a device like VCR or DVR is the simplest and provides least convenience. You would have to spend hours looking through the recording each night to find the episode of interest. This kind of setup is useful as part of security system where your hope is to be able to identify the thief based on the video after the crime. For such a setup, you will need one or more cameras and a viewing/recording device. You can often find a package which includes a monitor with built in VCR or DVR and a split screen. This allows you to see feeds from several cameras at the same time. Most common systems include are 1, 4, 8, and 16 cameras. These systems can be wired or wireless. In the wireless scenario, each camera has a transmitter and the recording device accepts the signal (sometime with the help of an external receiver) and records it. This same setup can be configured using a PC but since this is too simple of a task for a PC I will talk about PC option in the next section.

A much more popular setup is one where you as owner of the camera can see and sometime hear the feed from the camera remotely via internet. This setup is possible in homes and offices where high speed internet connection is available. For this kind of setup, it is desired but not required that you have a static IP address assigned to you by your internet service provider. Static IP costs more, but saves you some headaches when connecting to your cameras remotely. There are many variations of packages that allow you to monitor your place of interest remotely. Some require a PC with special hardware and software on it, others require only high speed internet connection. Several things need to be considered when choosing your configuration.

1. Do you need wired or wireless cameras?
2. Do you have free use of internet at your work place? This can be a big problem as your employer may be blocking certain functionality of the internet browser required to view your video feed. You should carefully check all system requirements and make sure that the PC which you will use for remote access adheres to the requirements.
3. Budget - some wireless cameras that do not require Pc connectivity may cost as much as $500 - $700.
4. Do you want it to be clear that you are using video surveillance or do you want the cameras to be hidden? There are many hidden cameras that look like motion sensors, clocks, VCR, toys, and pretty much anything else.

Once you identify the key requirements, you should think about you technical level. If you feel comfortable with audio, video and computer equipment, you may want to do the work your self. In that case you should shop on the internet for all the items you need for you package and then follow instructions to make sure you connect them the right way. Always pay attention to system requirements and connector compatibility between devices.

If you feel that you would rather pay somebody to do the setup, you may want to search your local yellow pages for a security company or visit www.craigslist.com for your area to find individuals who may help you with the task.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are many different technologies available. So do your research. Companies like D-Link make cameras which have web servers built in and simply connect to your router to make the video and audio feed available to you. Others like X10 cameras can be part of your entire home automation.

Some useful sites are listed here…

www.123cctv.com

www.spycameras.com

www.ebay.com

So here we have it. Economy is picking up. Job market is booming again. Housing prices are falling. Well, where does that leave a programmer, network engineer or a tech support specialist? Where are the jobs and how to find them? Are you getting a fare compensation for what you are doing? I will try to answer some of these questions and will leave it to you to add ideas and information.

Q: Where to find a job?

A: We all know the answer - NETWORKING. Keep in touch with people from your prior jobs, go to conferences and seminars, even bars in areas like Wall Street can prove to be excellent networking strategies. Use a site like www.LINKEDIn.com to create virtual networks. Second best suggestion, is to BE CREATIVE. Think of all possible work environments where you might be able to add value with your skills. Don’t limit yourself to your current industry. Don’t forget the INTERNET. Use internet to find companies in the industries of interest and go to their sites to apply for their openings directly. Also make use of job searching sites. I will list just a few sites you can use to search for jobs, but there are many more.

www.craigslist.com

www.dice.com

www.monster.com

www.careerbuilder.com

www.vault.com

www.glocap.com

Always be careful when posting at these sites, your profile is often visible to your current employer and may result some undesirable consequences. Also, many of these sites have recruiters rather than actual employers posting ads. This brings us to the fourth source of jobs - RECRUITERS. Recruiters will often give you the most exposure. The problem with recruiters is that you almost never get exclusive info on a job. There are always others who know about it and are trying to get it. However, you should not neglect this source of jobs as it will most likely produce highest volume of interviews for you. Never let recruiters force you into decisions, do what you feel is best for you. However, take their advice about your resume. They see so many of them that they really know how it should be structured to get managers’ attention.

Q: Now that I have an interview, how do I make sure I get a job.

A: Congrats! You are half way there. Getting an interview is one of the two hardest parts of finding a job. Second is succeeding on the interview. Here are some tricks…

• Dress well. You have to look respectable, but also respectful. You are not on a date. You want to look good but not better than the guy interviewing you. Don’t be too flashy unless your industry calls for it.
• Know your stuff! Be prepared. You must know exactly what the job is all about and once you do, give yourself time to prepare for the interview. If you need a week, take a week and study your ass off. Tell them you are going on vacation or have some important project at work. On interviews they will ask things that often have nothing to do with real work environment so be ready for theoretical as well as applied questions. Go to forums and newsgroups to find out things that you can’t get from books.
• Ask questions. Always have some prepared. Also, if you are caught on something you don’t know, don’t try to come up with a made up answer. Just say you don’t know it and try to get the answer from your interviewer. At the least you will know the answer for the next interview, at the best, you will show that you are willing to learn.
• Smile. Not the idiotic smile of a sales person. Real genuine smile. Try to show that having you around will improve their mood.
• Try not to joke too much. It is generally not a good idea.

Once you finish the interview, always ask what is the next step and ask for a business card or the contact info. You need to know how to contact that person to send them a “Thank You” letter and possibly reminders about yourself. If you use a recruiter, let them guide you on the follow up steps, otherwise, send a “Thank You” letter the next day. Don’t push them too hard, but if you have an offer from another place, always inform every company you are waiting for an answer from. This may push them into giving you an offer. Once you have several offers, you can start a bidding war between the employers which can only benefit you.

Q: How much should I be paid?

A: This is always the hardest question. Corporations never want you to know how much others in your group are making. So how do you find out? Try to ask recruiters what the pay levels are for a particular position. Ask your friends. Try the internet. Keep in mind that different parts of US will have different comp levels. There are websites which will show a median salary in your area of expertise. These are usually very general and should not be used as a main guideline. Compensation of people with the same exact skill set and experience can differ depending on industry and even group you work for. You always want to be as close to money production area of any given company as you can get. Closer you are to the source of income for the firm, the higher is your compensation. Keep in mind that bonuses are mostly not guaranteed. Try to get as high of a base as you can. Although at majority of financial firms much of your comp will be in the bonus. Pay close attention to benefits. 401K, medical insurance and vacation days all have a monetary equivalent. See what they work out to for you and include them into your consideration. Many technical experts prefer to work as consultants. If you are going to work on a contract basis, consider the terms. You are always better off being paid per hour rather than on “professional day” basis. Try to be a direct vendor to the company rather than going through another consulting firm. This will maximize your portions of the paycheck.

So now that you found a job or just got a bonus, why not post a comment here with your expertise, industry, and base + bonus info. We don’t need names of companies or even your name. Just numbers for others like you to be able to make smarter decisions. If all employees are better educated on their compensation levels, we will all be making more money long term.

Feel free to post your question or comments.

Two large hedge funds in Connecticut and New York are looking for front office developers.

Requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of Excel object model and formula usage.
• Strong VBA programming.
• Strong SQL - ability to build databases from scratch and write optimized T-SQL code.
• Good C# a big plus.
• Knowledge of Market Data software from Bloomberg and similar is a big plus.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Prior experience in banking or alternative investments is preferred.

Compensation will depend on experience.

To apply, please, send resume to jobs@techinsideout.com