INFORMATION UPDATE February 2008 Number 91 Welcome to INFORMATION UPDATE, the monthly resource for information seekers and users. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ IN THIS ISSUE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ => DO IT YOURSELF - Business Podcasts => DID YOU KNOW - International Private Company Research => Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information ************************************************************* DO IT YOURSELF - Business Podcasts ************************************************************* You don't have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast. Now that we dispelled that notion, what is a podcast and why should I care? Podcasts are audio files easily shared using the Internet. They can be interesting, informative, and sometimes even entertaining. Podcasts are usually MP3 audio files and you *can* download them to an MP3 player like an iPod or other digital audio player. Happily, you can also play these files right on you computer using something like Windows Media Player or RealPlayer. Thus, with a computer and an Internet connection you need no other equipment to listen to a podcast. Try these free podcasts for current business information - BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/search/podcasting.htm BusinessWeek offers podcasts in almost 23 categories including Entrepreneurs Notebook, BusinessWeek Market Report, Savvy Selling, Tech 101, CEO Guide to Technology, and International Story of the Week. Harvard Business Review's IdeaCast http://www.harvardbusinessonline.com In the bottom right hand corner of the HBR home page, look for the box with the HBR IdeaCast logo. HBR offers almost 80 podcasts, listed chronologically beginning in May 2006. Sample topics are "How to Manage the Alpha Male" (Episode 2), "Science Business" (Episode 17), "Why PR Matters" (Bonus Episode between 41 and 42), "The Marketing Mavens (Episode 55), and "Managing Generation Y" (Episode 79). Kiplinger's Personal Finance http://www.kiplinger.com/podcasts Kiplinger has about 38 podcasts in its archives. These audio files derive from top stories appearing in the print magazine. The print article is offered for free along with the podcast. Sample topics include "21 Stocks to Make You Rich", "Opportunities in the Housing Slowdown", and "How to Pick a Good Stock". Consider checking the web site from your favorite print publications to find out if they have podcasts you can access to enhance your information options. ************************************************************* DID YOU KNOW - International Private Company Research ************************************************************* Rumor had it that Company XYZ had been acquired by another company. Our mission was to find out what company did the acquisition and what happened to XYZ's patents and intellectual property. The company was privately owned and headquartered in England. Google did not have the answer. In fact, the company was in administration (UK's equivalent to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing) and a British restructur- ing and recovery company had been retained to manage the remaining assets. The company was being sold off in bits and pieces. How do we know this? We searched proprietary business databases, British and local news sources, the UK business registry, and the blog-o-sphere to reconstruct what happened. While retaining client confidentiality we contacted the recovery company to confirm the details. None of this information had been announced publicly by XYZ, but with creative and knowledgeable research the decision makers who commissioned this research obtained the informa- tion they needed to plan their strategy for going forward. For decisions informed, contact Shamel Information Services. ************************************************************* Notes, News, and Announcements ************************************************************* Readers who are in San Diego on February 20 might like to take advantage of the local SLA-San Diego Chapter Meeting featuring Marcy Phelps. Her topic "Power Networking for Introverts" should be of interest to anyone wishing to build their business through networking. Read more about it and register at the Chapter Blog site: http://sla-sd.typepad.com/blog/feb08-program.html ************************************************************** Shamel Information Services Web Site ************************************************************** The Shamel Information Services Web site at http://shamelinfo.com contains Information Update archives. Just click on "Newsletters" and check for any issues you might have missed. Cynthia L. Shamel, editor Shamel Information Services Decisions-Informed Telephone: +1 858-673-4673 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Subscriptions to INFORMATION UPDATE are free. To subscribe use the form at http://shamelinfo.com. To unsubscribe, please send your request to cshamel@shamelinfo.com. All requests are handled promptly. Copyright 2008 Shamel Information Services Please feel free to forward this issue to colleagues, in its entirety. Other uses without permission may violate copyright. Online archives at http://shamelinfo.com/newsletter.htm ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^