Corrections or additions?
These articles by Kathleen McGinn Spring were prepared for the
February 14,
2001 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Easy Video: Useful and Fun
Streaming media is a good news, bad news story, says
Douglas Dixon, technology leader at Sarnoff. “The good
news,”
he says, “is that for under $100, you can do video for the
Internet.”
As in nearly everything technological, it is possible to spend more
— much more. But, Dixon says, “there are horrible, horrible
constraints to sending data over the Internet.” Translation: Your
promotional video won’t necessarily look better if you spend big bucks
on equipment.
Dixon, a graduate of Brown University (Class of 1977), speaks on
“Streaming
Media: Fact or Fantasy?” on Thursday, February 15, at 8 p.m. at
Sarnoff, when he addresses the Princeton ACM/IEEE-CS Chapters’
free joint monthly meeting. Call 609-924-8704.
Businesses can now easily incorporate video into both their internal
communications and their promotional efforts, Dixon says. Not only
are prices way down, but installation has become a snap. “You
don’t even have to open the computer case anymore,” he says.
Internal Communication. You shot an hour-long video ofthe sales meeting or the CEO’s forecast talk. But how do you getemployeesto watch it? Gathering the troops in the cafeteria for 60 minutesis going to produce little more than surreptitious napping. Edit thatsame material down to a snappy little presentation and make itavailableon the company intranet and it becomes a lot more interesting, Dixonsuggests. “You can add titles, background music,” he says.It’s fun, and now it’s easy.Promotion. Some products just look better in 3D. Now it’seasy to showcase them with video brochures. A car restorer, suggestsDixon, could get mileage out of a video brochure. Company backgroundinformation, and officers’ biographies, too, can move from paper tothe immediacy of video.Stepping Up. Small businesses can do a lot with a $100video setup. The reason it is not imperative to upgrade is that,generallyspeaking, images are only as good as the connection through whichthey are downloaded. Wide bandwidth, delivered through T-1 lines,perhaps, or cable, is still far from universal. Users accessing theInternet through dial-up connections will not see a great pictureno matter what. Businesses that do want to upgrade their videoequipmentfor the benefit of their bandwidth-rich clients can do so with aninvestment of under $2,000, Dixon says. The iMac DV system coupledwith a DV camcorder is an easy-to-use system, he says. For PCs,”thereare lots of options, as usual,” Dixon says. Sony, he says, isa good choice for video-friendly computers.Get Ready for Wireless. Video is fun now — and usefultoo — but just watch out, Dixon says, wireless will bring a wholenew dimension. “Desktop video conferencing never took off,”he says. “It’s boring. Do you want to see someone sitting at adesk?” With a video-enabled cell phone or PDA, however, thingsget interesting. “It’s a little camera in your phone,” hesays. “The salesman on the road can share his experience. `Lookwhat I’m seeing here!’”Top Of PageFaith-based OutreachPresident Bush’s White House Office of Faith-Based andCommunity Initiatives is new, but the concept of funneling socialprograms through churches has been around for a long time.Hazel Russell, director of Interfaith and Community Partnershipsof the New Jersey Department of Labor, says she learned from hergrandparentsthat churches are important in reaching, and helping, those in need.The Interfaith and Community Partnership office opened last September,preceding the controversial announcement of the federal initiativeto channel government social programs through the nation’s”faith-based”institutions. Russell, who worked in corporate America before joiningstate government as Governor Whitman’s deputy director of constituentrelations, was recruited to head the office. Prior to September,Russell,who holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Kean College anda master’s in corporate and public communication from Seton Hall,had been working on community education and outreach for the stateDivision of Youth and Family Services.Russell is on a panel that speaks on “Faith-Based InitiativeProject— Learn How It Can Assist Your Program” at the Central JerseyJob Developers Association on Thursday, February 15, at 9 a.m. atthe Elks Club on Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick. Call732-985-9384.Answering a question that has figured prominently in the nationaldebate on separation of church and state that surrounds PresidentBush’s faith-based initiative, Russell says that churches “arevery aware that prayer is not part of the program. They deliver theservice; there is no religious component. We reinforce with them,but they are aware.” On another issue, whether churches willdiscriminatein administering state-funded social programs, Russell says they willnot. “When you speak with churches,” she says,”they tell youthey take everyone who comes to them.”Russell, a congregant at the Second Baptist Church in Perth Amboy,says faith is important in her life. An active volunteer at herchurch,she says she has seen how churches are valuable in reachingpopulationsin need of social services. It is smart for the government to partnerwith churches, because “ministers have a certain rapport withtheir congregants,” she says. “They feel information isconfidential.They feel free to discuss issues they might not feel right aboutdiscussingin a state office.”Russell’s office does not dispense state funds, but rather works withchurches to help them partner with organizations or agencies withwhich they can put together programs to help job seekers andindividualsmoving from welfare to work. These are some of the ways in which theInterfaith and Community Partnership helps churches help theunemployed:Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. This,Russell says, is the centerpiece of the Department of Labor’s effortto match employees with employers. “There are always more jobsthan employees,” Russell says of the current employment landscapein New Jersey. The trick is bringing qualified candidates to hungryemployers. Russell is most enthusiastic about the potential ofWorkforceNew Jersey Public Information Network (WNJPIN) to do just that.Residingat URL www.wnjpin.net, WNJPIN contains reams of information for jobseekers — and for students and employers too. While this is afine resource, it is no help to those without computer access. Thisis where Russell comes in, working with churches to bring inDepartmentof Labor computer trainers or to find ways to purchase computers orcome up with the space for a computer lab.Job fairs. Russell works with churches on job fairs wherejob seekers can meet with employers. At one recent job fair at achurch,”there were over 200 people hired,” she says. Over two days,700 people showed up at the job fair. “The first day, there were400 people, mostly adults in need of jobs,” she recounts. “Thenext day, a Saturday, young adults came. They were professionals whoneeded better jobs.”Training. Churches can take a role in preparing theunemployedfor specific jobs, and the Interfaith and Community Partnership willhelp. “A church is providing training to fill jobs in two NewJersey malls,” Russell says of one such program. She emphasizesthat her office, now with just two employees, does not fund projectslike this one, but rather helps the church identify possible partnersand sources of financial help.Transportation and mentoring. In another program, a churchis providing young people with prison records with help in enteringthe workplace. These young adults need transportation and guidancefrom successful adults, and the church is providing these serviceswith help from Russell’s office.Getting in the game. “In other instances,” Russellsays, “we provide information on becoming a non-profit andstrengtheningtheir structure so they can carry out projects and link withorganizations.”All faith-based groups are eligible for these services, Russellsays. Early response to the Interfaith and Community Partnership wasoverwhelming. “I was inundated,” she says. Many of thecongregationswith whom she has worked are Protestant churches, but Catholicchurchesare showing interest too. On the road talking about deliveringemploymentservices through faith-based organizations much of the time, Russellis planning outreaches to synagogues and mosques next.Top Of PageWalk Tall, Be SafeSelf esteem won’t just help you progress at work, itcould make the difference in whether you make it home from worksafely.This according to Detective Sergeant Ralph Terracciano, aveteranof nearly 20 years on the Princeton Borough police force, who speakson personal safety to the Princeton Business and Professional Womenon Monday, February 19, at 6 p.m. at Tre Piani in Forrestal Village.Cost: $31. Call Carolyn Hingher at 609-921-8324.”Attackers look for people with poor posture, people who looklike they have poor self esteem,” Terracciano says. Interviewswith criminals indicate, he says, that they tend to shy away fromthose who “look like they know where they’re going and whatthey’redoing.”Terracciano, who has been a detective for 15 years, is a graduateof Mercer County Community College and received his bachelor’s degreein criminal justice from Thomas Edison College in 1996. Among thesafety strategies he addresses in his talk:Park in a lighted area. If you know you will be workinglate, move your car to a lighted area near the building before dark,Terracciano says. Have your keys in your hand, and if you noticeanyonelurking around your car, turn around and walk back to your office.If someone is approaching from behind, “turn and look him in theeye,” Terracciano says. “Don’t stare at him, but let him knowyou are aware he is there.”Be careful at ATMs. Muggers know why people go to ATMs,Terracciano says, and it’s generally not to make deposits. “Usethe ATM during the day,” he says. Choose one that is notobstructedby bushes, and be aware of who is around. After withdrawing money,”put it away,” he says. “You can’t argue with a machineanyway,” Terracciano points out, so there is no reason to countthe bills right away.Carry a cell phone. “We encourage everyone to carrya cell phone,” Terracciano says. Not only will a cell phone enableyou to summon help if your car breaks down, but it also allows youto call for help when you see other disabled cars. It’s not safe tostop to help stranded motorists, Terracciano says, and calling intheir position frees you from being torn between concern for yourown safety and concern for your fellow man.Separate keys and ID. Terracciano says it’s not a greatidea to carry a purse. It’s just too easy to put the thing down andwalk away from it. For those who insist, however, he stresses theimportance of carrying keys elsewhere. Otherwise, a thief has afistfulof documents bearing your address, and the keys that will get himin your door. For the same reason, Terracciano says it’s a mistaketo give a full key chain to a car service technician or a parkingattendant. “He looks into your glove box, sees your registration,and he has your address,” he says. Copying the key to open yourdoor is quick and easy.Stow your stuff. Don’t leave your leather jacket, laptop,or CD player on your car seat. “I’ve interviewed hundreds ofpeoplewhose cars have been burglarized,” Terracciano says. “Ifthere’snothing there, the burglar keeps walking.”Carry pepper spray — maybe. Terracciano recentlyremovedthe pepper spray from his wife’s purse. “I have a two-year-oldson,” he says. “We don’t need him spraying himself, orus.”For those who do not have young children, the spray could be a goodidea, he says, “but only if it’s in your hand.” Canistersshould be kept on key rings, he says, not buried in pockets. “Letme tell you,” the police professional says of predators,”thesepeople plan their attacks.”Next StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
