Security Warning for TD Customers

Today I 925 am I got a call from TD claiming that my card was lost or stolen or possibly compromised.  They told me to stay on the line and they would ask some security questions.  I immediately hung up thinking it was a phishing scam.  I called the TD Customer service number and waited on the line for 18 minutes.  In the meantime I googled the phone number 1-866-975-0925 and found it was in fact TD.

I call them back and sat on the queue, once a rep answered I explained to him what happened and told him that if he could not find anything then possibly there was an internal phishing scam within TD as which he responded that possibly it was not TD that called me.  I iterated the phone # that called me and he continued looking.  After a few  minutes he came back on the line and said he had not found anything.  I told him if he could still not find anything that I needed his employee number and then needed to be transferred to a manager.  After a few minutes he transferred me to a manager so assuming he still found nothing.  When I reached the manager I then asked for the previous employees reference # 507644.  He then told me that he found that they mis-dialed the number and it was for another customer.  His employee reference # is 507 699.  I asked him what was going to be done to resolve this situation in future and he said he could not tell me that.  Thus I am writing this article to tell others to be aware of these calls and dont provide security information.  Rather hang up and dial the number that called you.  Ask to speak immediately to a manager and confirm they were calling you before providing any information.

I am looking forward to hearing from TD regarding this situation and how they are going to resolve it in future.  I am not currently a TD customer but if I was and I answered the security questions on the phone, it would have given that person access to my account to do whatever. This is an extreme privacy and security breach to customers.  If I hear a response from TD I will keep you posted.  If you dont see and additional comments then you know that there was not resolution and should be very careful when dealing with TD.

Our Dept To Planet Earth

If we made our business decisions by thinking if it is good for Planet Earth we would make very different decisions.  That is the premise of this blog.

If we hold businesses accountable for their decisions that are good or bad for planet earth then they will continue to make good ones.

Check out the Dept To Planet Earth blog.

Entrepreneurs should be Kind not Nice :)

As I am starting up my new venture TechGuilds.com, I have heard this from quite a few people but this article explains it really well.  Susan Fischer sent it over to me today.  Happy Birthday Susan and thanks.

Hey, Entrepreneurs: How To Stop Being Too Nice & Start Making Money

My first reaction to the title was a little upsetting until I took a closer look.  Being nice is not the same as being kind.

Kindness, however, allows for human interaction without the loss of integrity. We don’t have to give up anything to be kind. Instead we can remain direct yet empathetic.

This article is a must read for anyone starting up a new venture.  Please pass on the link to anyone and everyone regardless of whether they are just starting or have been at it for years.  You never know who can be helped.

If you have any tips, tricks or resources for starting a new venture please pass them on.  My email is chrisw_88@hotmail.com I am open to any advice you are willing to share.

Canadian Fashionistas

Are you a Fashionista?  Do you want to be one?  The Canadian Fashionistas want to help.  They have started up a Pinterest, Canadian Fashionistas blog, Twitter and Facebook Page to help you where you are.

Look forward to lots of posts on the latest fashion, tips, tricks and resources, places to  find amazing items at good prices too.

If you have any applications you would like reviewed please email me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and we will review them here.

Legal Places to Watch Tv Shows

Had enough of cable telling you when to watch, or insisting you schedule to save shows?
Well why be tied to cable or satellite and pay hundreds of dollars a month when you can watch all your shows when you want for free.  There are probably less commercials too.

Check out myonlineshows.com. It will filter the shows based on your Geo-location and if you have netflix will even recommend things to watch on Netflix.

Be patient as the myonlineshowssite is in its infancy and the mobile phone version is pretty rough but on a desktop this site is quite easy to navigate and more functionality is coming all the time.

If you have a site you would like reviewed please email it to chrisw_88@hotmail.com and we will post a review.

Places To Rent in Your City

Came across this website that helps people find apartments to rent.  This site looks like a good source to find places across canada.  It also gives it a walkscores based on what it is walking distance from.

Check it out at rentseeker.ca

If you have a Social Media Site you would like to feature please email me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and we will review it here.

matching students with scholarships

The kids are starting school and for a lot of youth it is their final year.

What are they going to do next? For some its College or University others Apprenticeships or careers.

College and/or University life can be expensive. There is tuition, food, entertainment, books.

This website shares tips as well as matches high school graduates with scholarships and other awards that they may be eligible for to assist them with the expenses of school.

Be sure to check out http://www.studentawardsinc.com/ and register. Pass it on to your friends as well they will love you for it.

If you have any social media sites or social networks you would like to share please email me at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and I will review the site and post information on it here.

LinkedIn Enhanced Security Measures?

I logged into linkedin this morning and saw the security banner:

To change your password and take advantage of our enhanced security measures, click here.

I clicked on the link and it prompts for the email address. I enter email address click on the button.

It then tells me it emailed me and prompts to click the button to check my email. This takes me to hotmail but no email arrived. Even checked my Junk Mail. Is this enhanced security measure working? Are too many people clicking it that the email server is not keeping up?

I hope its the latter that would show the amount of people concerned about their security. I look forward to comments.

Did LinkedIn Get Hacked? Either way I recommend you change your password

Regardless of whether they got hacked or not. It is always a best practice to change

your password often on sites where you are sharing information.

Business Insider - LinkedIn Hacked

So either way, whether there was a hack or not I suggest you change your password for LinkedIn like I did.

Update: LinkedIn Did get hacked and they are suggesting steps to protect yourself.

Checkout the LinkedIn Blog for details.

Is the next big wave at the door? From the recent buying spree I am thinking it is.

Here is a list of some buys or rumors of buys over the past couple days:

Salesforce buys Buddy Media

Google Buys QuickOffice

Google is buying Meebo

Oracle buys Collective Intellect

Oracle recently also purchased Virtue

Not long ago LinkedIn bought slideshare

Facebook bought Instagram

Something major is happening in Social/Digital Media and the major players are preparing. What is going on? If anyone has any insight into the next big thing please comment on this post.

Talk about paying it forward. Look what Reid Hoffman is doing now.

Reid you are amazing.  This is the ultimate in pay it forward.  Helping out those who may never get a loan from
a financial institution even though its a small loan in some cases as little as $25.

The amount gained from the investment may not be seen as big in financial eyes but the idea that you helped someone and paid it forward, the benefits are amazing.  Please check out his new venture and take part.
I am sure you will be amazed with the results.

Kiva

Reid again you are an amazing person.  This is a much needed project.

History in the Making: Airing on Netflix first

Today is a day we will remember in history as the second time a show (Lilyhammer) has aired on the web before airing on tv.  The first being How to Make Love To My Wife on Slice.ca before Slice TV.

Let's keep this coming and force the new era of not being tied to cable but remember it was David Cockton, Pary Bell and the entire Digital Media team at Alliance Atlantis that were the pioneers of proper implementation of web based video programming and the 10 second pre-roll (Rob Fullerton).  Take a look at the original ground breaker: How to Make Love To My Wife on Slice.ca there is a lot of interactive content available to go with it.

I look forward to watching the complete series of Lilyhammer tonight (8 episodes) on Netflix as well, I look forward to feedback on your watching experience.

SOPA, PIPA, Megavideo and Exhuming McCarthy

REM were definitly ahead of their time. The looked at the history and
saw the future. They see the future coming its all about the Pharisees.
To the letter of the law provided the law suits them.

You're beautiful more beautiful than me
You're honorable more honorable than me
Loyal to the Bank of America

Take a look at why Megavideo got shut down and not one of the other similar sites.
The difference, money,  Megavideo had paid membership and the 72 minute limit.

Its all about money, internet providers complained about YouTube being a drain on the internet
but then governement found it could use it for law enforcement and agreed to scan content and gave special sections to the large players in the movie and tv industry.  Free marketing spaces and voila no more complaints about bandwidth. 

Vested interest united ties, landed gentry rationalize
Look who bought the myth, by jingo, buy America

Its all about what is best for the CIA and FBI.  If you don't do what they say you are a Pirate and they
can shut you down.  Does ebay or amazon scan its site for knock off goods?  How many knock off UGGS can you find?  Maybe they will be next, but ebay makes a lot of money and pays a lot of taxes.  Guess that is why they are allowed.

Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)
Exhuming McCarthy
(Meet me at the book burning)

Please leave your comments and we will post them.

unthink? Who is using it?

I heard today about unthink so I thought I would check it out from my Android Phone.

Firstly, it complained my safari on Android was out of date. Following that I tried to register with susan@clinchportal.com and it claimed invalid email address. I got my colleague to register with his hotmail account and it finally finished registration only to tell me I would get emailed a code which never arrived.

Is this site really legitimate? If so I would love an invitation so I could to a proper review of your site. It sound very interesting but interesting is only good if you can use it.

I would love to use it and look forward to an invitation please send one to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal or Chris Williams at chrisw_88@hotmail.com and we will write a review on this blog for your site.

Congratulations to LinkedIn on reaching 100 million members

In less than a decade LinkedIn has finally reached 100 million members.
Looking back over the 10 years, I see the many contracts I have gained,
the many friends I have met and got back in touch with, the business leads
I have obtained, and more importantly the many people I have had the opportunity
to help fulfill their goals.

Here is LinkedIn's official announcement:
http://blog.linkedin.com/2011/03/22/linkedin-100-million/

I am sure there are many stories on how LinkedIn has helped us all over the years.
There have been good and bad decisions made but we all have to admin that it has been
a useful tool for all of us.

The question now remains: Will LinkedIn push forward into the next decade or will tools s
such as Branch Out and others carry on the torch?

I look forward to hear some of your stories and where you would like to see LinkedIn go in the future.

My Deal Board

You have heard the word Deal thrown around a lot lately. Its been growing for a little while

with the likes of WagJag, Groupon, TeamBuy (Featured on Dragons Den) and a whole batch of copy cats. Well imitation is the

best form of flattery but there is always someone to go beyond and I feel this project is going to be it.

A tip for my fellow network. From what I have heard so far this is will blow your mind.

It would be in your best interest to keep an eye on this link My Deal Board
it's actually a Daily Deal Aggregator

I will keep you posted here as well on when the site will launch and any details I can drag out of the guys.

If you have any tips tricks or resources you would like to share please email them to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com

Teachers and Facebook

Facebook is everywhere and it is what the students are using to communicate.

For this reason, teachers have started to join Facebook and connect with their students.

However, there is great risk involved when choosing to go online especially connecting with

students. The wrong thing could cost your job. A friend of mine suggested that I share this link with all of you. Even if you are not a teacher, these tips are really good.

I really like the advice of not connecting students to your personal account. A better idea is to create a teacher account. This account can provide information on events, assignments coming up etc. It is a little more work to have two Facebook accounts but better the extra work than the risk. The alternative is don't connect to students.

Here is the link. Hope it helps you build your network safely.

http://www.onlinedegree.net/50-useful-facebook-tips-for-teachers/

If you have a tip, trick or resource you would like shared with everyone please email them to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com and we will post them here.

ViaSoc Media Review

I got invited by a friend to check out ViaSoc. I registered and logged in and got verified.

Next I invited a couple people I knew.

As any user, I like to test drive before wanting to upgrade but any time I click on a member I get the "Sorry, you don't have the appropriate credentials to access this page. To access this page please change your Member Level credentials".

My first response to this page was to edit my account details. I saw the different levels but could not find a description on what each level gives me. What is the killer functionality that will make me upgrade. If its only access to member details then why don't I just use Facebook or Linked In?

I look forward to hearing what other members think about these limitations. I would also love to hear from ViaSoc itself on what the differences are between the Member Levels.

If you wish to contact us please email Chris Williams at chrisw_88@hotmail.com or Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com

Gist Workarounds

I have been playing with the beta version and as I found issues I will list them here and the workarounds if I find one.

1) If you have a contact with a very long name and you click on it to get to detail view. You will not be able to edit the contact name as the jquery edit icon will disappear on hover.

WORK AROUND: Look up the contact in the list view and the edit icon works well there to let you rename them.

2) Since Chris Williams is popular, I am running into the issue that Gist automatically took the other chris williams and merged them to me. If it is a contact that has the same name it will ask but not for your account.

WORK AROUND: You will have to create separate contact yourself and vary the name slightly maybe Christopher Williams or put in an initial or a number after it.

If you have any tips regarding Gist please insert them here.

Gist - Contact Consolidator and Manager

I came across this application on a fluke. I was looking at a way of consolidating my contacts into one place. I had contact in gmail, Google Contacts, Plaxo, hotmail, you name it.

I was looking for a tool that would let me tag contacts and help me merge duplicates. Luckily I stumbled upon this tool. It will do all this and more. Since it connects directly to gmail, facebook, twitter and linked in directly, it can tell me which contacts I have contacted most recently and give me an importance level. I can adjust this level myself as well.

It is a beta application but even so, I have only found some minor issues so far. I look forward to see where this application is headed once it comes out of beta.

If you would like to check it out go to http://www.gist.com

If you have any tips tricks, resources or articles you would like to share with the group please email them to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com and we will post them.