Monday, August 22, 2011

Fisher Capital Management News: Steve Jobs pitches new Apple 'spaceship' campus to Cupertino City Council

http://www.1888pressrelease.com/fisher-capital-management-news-steve-jobs-pitches-new-apple-pr-317226.html



(1888PressRelease) July 09, 2011 - Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed plans for a new headquarters for the company that "looks a little like a spaceship" at a City Council meeting in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday.

In his trademark black turtleneck, jeans and gray New Balance running shoes, Jobs said at the meeting the new building would hold 12,000 employees, and even house its own green-energy power plant.
Apple's current headquarters can only hold about 2,800 people, Jobs said, according to a YouTube video of his presentation posted by the council.

"We've got almost 12,000 people in the area," he said of Cupertino. "So we're renting buildings - not very good buildings, either - at an ever-greater radius from our campus and we're putting people in those. And it's clear that we need to build a new campus."

The new facility, as Apple envisions it, would be built on about 150 acres of land that the tech giant owns down the street from its current headquarters.

Jobs said Apple's plan would involve demolishing buildings now on the site and constructing a new ring-shaped building that would be four stories tall, with four floors of parking underneath.

In the process, the project would increase landscaping to make up about 80% of the site, which is only about 20% trees, plants and grass now, he said.

On Monday, Jobs was on stage in San Francisco, revealing Apple's new iCloud service at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference. Public appearances such as the two Jobs has made this week have been rare this year as the Apple co-founder has been on a leave of absence for medical concerns since January. He also announced the iPad 2 in March at an Apple event.

"It's a little like a spaceship landed," Jobs said of the planned facility. "It's a circle, and so it's curved all the way around. As you know if you build things, this is not the cheapest way to build something. There's not a straight piece of glass on this building, it's all curved.

"And we've used our experience in making retail buildings all over the world now, and we know how to make the biggest pieces of glass in the world for architectural use."

The proposed campus wouldn't rely on Cupertino's power grid for energy. Instead, it would run from an on-site power facility.

"I think what we're going to end up doing is making the energy center our primary source of power, because we can generate power with natural gas and other ways that can be cleaner and cheaper, and use the grid as our backup," Jobs said. "We think that makes more sense."

Mayor Gilbert Wong said in a statement that Cupertino is excited that Apple is moving forward with a new campus, an idea first mentioned to the city in 2006.

"When Apple submits their building plans later this year, we know that we will be looking at a state-of-the-art facility and all the challenges and opportunities that go along with that," Wong said.

The review process for the new Apple campus will be the same as any other construction project, with evaluations of environmental impacts, air quality, traffic and other matters, he said.

"The project will come to the City Council for approval in the fall of 2012," Wong said. "Following approval, Apple can submit building permits. Construction will follow, and Apple and the city expect the new campus to be completed by 2015."

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Fisher Capital Management Strategies: FBI Scam Alert: Online Car Sales

http://strategies.fishercapitalmanagementstrategies.com/2011/08/17/fisher-capital-management-strategies-fbi-scam-alert-online-car-sales/

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/autos/fbi-scam-alert-online-car-sales
NEW YORK (MainStreet) — The FBI issued a national scam alert Monday, warning consumers to beware of online fraudsters trying to sell them used vehicles or enrollment in a vehicle protection program.
According to the alert, the fraudsters advertise that they have a vehicle for sale on a popular website like Craigslist or eBay Motors, well below its book value. They say they are selling the vehicle for such a low price because they are in the process of moving for work or are being deployed by the military. The impending move is not only meant to justify the low price, but also the seller’s inability to meet the buyer in person and/or to refuse a vehicle inspection. Instead, they ask that the buyer wire full or partial payment to a third-party agent using Western Union or MoneyGram and to fax the payment receipt to the seller as proof of payment. However, as with other scams that involve a wire transfer, the seller pockets the money and never delivers the vehicle.
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To make the scam appear more legitimate, fraudsters will also say that the sale is covered by a vehicle protection program offered by a legitimate company, most commonly referencing eBay Motors.
In a new twist, criminals use a live-chat feature in e-mail correspondence and electronic invoices to answer a target victim’s questions and assure them the deals are safe. They falsely assert that their sales are protected by liability insurance coverage up to $50,000.
The FBI said that while eBay Motors does offer a legitimate vehicle protection program, it does not, as cited by the scammers, cover an auto transaction conducted outside that company’s site.
The agency also said that people shopping for vehicles online should be wary of sellers who try to move the transaction from one platform to another (for example, from Craigslist to eBay Motors), transactions in which the seller and vehicle are in different locations and those where vehicles are advertised at well below their market value.
“Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” the FBI said in a press release.
Old school scams with a twist seems to be a trend amongst modern-day scammers. Earlier this month, the BBB warned consumers to beware new variations on the grandparents scam and mystery shopper scam.
The FBI has asked anyone who believes they have encountered or fallen victim to this latest scam to file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Fisher Capital News Update on Highway Equipment Company Achieves NTEA’s MVP Status


CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – October 6, 2010 – Highway Equipment Company (HECO), the manufacturer of Hi-Way® road maintenance equipment and New Leader® crop nutrient applicators is pleased to announce the achievement of the National Truck Equipment Association’s (NTEA) Member Verification Program (MVP) status. MVP participants distinguish themselves by embracing the knowledge that is necessary to provide a high level of quality while meeting certain regulatory requirements.

Fisher Capital News Update: Keep updated on recent events, press releases and latest machineries to avoid scam. FISHER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - Construction Machineries, Suppliers Directory and Others.

The NTEA MVP recognizes distributors, manufacturers and up-fitters for implementing quality business practices and for complying with specific government safety regulations. Criteria to meet the MVP standards can involve liability insurance, warranty programs, vehicle and employee certification, safety policies and quality assurance. By qualifying for the MVP, members can gain an even higher industry designation by verifying their commitment to excellence. MVP companies attest that their firm operates at a defined level of professionalism through the use of quality-minded business practices. “HECO’s status as an NTEA MVP demonstrates our on-going commitment to safety and professional excellence in the work place,” said Ingrid Livingston, executive director – marketing. “It is our dedication to these factors that allow us to manufacture high-quality products that increase our end-user’s return-on investment."

Since NTEA launched the MVP in 2005, a total of 416 distributor and manufacturer members have qualified for MVP status.

Highway Equipment Company is the leading manufacturer of New Leader crop nutrient applicators and Hi-Way deicing spreaders and road maintenance equipment. The company is committed to building innovative equipment and delivering superior customer service to ensure consistent and reliable experiences for our customers and business partners. 

Highway Equipment Company is the leading manufacturer of Hi-Way deicing spreaders and road maintenance equipment, New Leader agricultural spreaders and Flow Boy processed road building material transportation equipment. Our customer base ranges from municipalities and contractors to agricultural custom applicators and growers. We also produce products for many original equipment manufacturers.

For nearly 70 years, our goal has been to build the highest quality equipment to the most exacting specifications and expectations. Every component of every product we offer is carefully designed to last. By using heavier gauge steel, high end components, a superior paint system and consistent manufacturing processes, our quality shines through in everything we produce. And, most of the products are designed and modified by our in-house engineering department.

Our philosophy of "building the best" also extends to our large network of dealers. Each authorized dealer has been fully trained to provide a total sales and service experience for the customer. An on-site training center is dedicated specifically to sales and service training.
For more information, please contact your local dealer or company representative.

Established in 1939, Highway Equipment Company is a leading manufacturer of New Leader® crop nutrient applicators for the agricultural industry, and Hi-Way® deicing spreaders and road maintenance equipment for state, federal, and municipal entities, as well as for private contractors. New Leader and Hi-Way products are distributed through more than 200 dealers throughout North America and around the world. Highway Equipment Company is a privately owned business located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For more information please visit our web site at www.highwayequipment.com.

Fisher Capital: Save with eLease Construction Equipment Leasing


Leasing construction equipment for your company is a superb choice. Recent industry statistics tell us that well over $3 billion worth of construction equipment are leased each year by companies in the United States alone. Business managers choose to lease construction equipment or get commercial truck leasing because of the inherent advantages offered by leasing, such as superb flexibility, custom payment structures, better asset management, stable cash flow, easy upgrades and flexible end of term options. Not to mention the short processing times, which are generally much faster than that of bank loans? At eLease Equipment Leasing, we have helped thousands of construction companies and contractors lease the necessary equipment for their businesses to succeed. We also offer various forms of business auto leasing as well. Contact us immediately to get experienced advice on financing. Avoid possible scams on equipment lease applications, learn from us.  
Construction Equipment Lease Types


We lease a variety of heavy and construction equipment to our clients. These items have included products as diverse as: Backhoes/Bulldozers; Cranes; Cement Trucks; Compactors; Excavators; Jackhammers; Lighting; Surveying Equipment; Trucks and Tractors

Construction Equipment Leasing Facts

Leasing enables you to customize a financing program to address your business' cash flow issues, including budgeting, transaction and cyclical fluctuations. Many of our construction company clients require seasonal leases, as an example, which help them to slot payments into their busiest months, and avoid payments during the off-season.
Equipment leasing is an excellent way to grow your business without significant out of pocket expenses. Leasing offers real advantages including better value, more convenience and greater control. In most cases, the full amount of the equipment, as well as the service, shipping, installation costs and maintenance can be included in the lease. This spreads the cost out evenly over the term of the lease freeing up your money to work harder for you. Currently, 35% of all equipment is leased. Learn more about equipment leasing and how it can help your business.
Founded in 1995, Paragon Capital began as a traditional leasing company focused on the high tech industry. Born of a desire to provide a faster, more comprehensive cost effective solution for businesses equipment leasing needs, eLease is a combination of the most powerful leasing brand, the best-of-breed leasing technology of Lease Exchange, and the industry experience of Paragon Capital. eLease's web interface empowers corporations of all sizes to increase the efficiency of their business with instant approvals, documentation and administration using a common Internet browser interface. eLease's application suite provides unprecedented sharing of information and services between leasing parties increasing the time to funding.
eLease's online application enables customers and vendors to dynamically enter an application, receive an instant approval and manage documents online completing the leasing process in minutes instead of weeks. Created on a commitment to speed and service, eLease's technology constantly innovates the leasing process using technology to evolve and improve the services available to businesses in need of equipment finance.


Rockland Equipment for Crawler Tractors


Fisher Capital News Update: Keep updated on recent events, press releases and latest machineries to avoid scam.
FISHER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - Construction Machineries, Suppliers Directory and Others.

Rockland equipment for crawler tractors is specifically designed for special applications. This enables you to get more work done and add more value to the bottom line every day. Rockland Manufacturing Company offers more equipment for crawler tractors than any other attachment manufacturer. There are special dozer blades to increase machine efficiency for such diverse applications as pushing coal, land reclamation, dozing woodchips, and landfill dozing. In addition, special size Angle Blades and Semi U-blades are also available when OEM blades are not the right size for your application.
A Rockland wheel tractor attachment is the Rockland Scoop Dozer. The scoop dozer is ideal for continuous dozing applications such as coal and woodchips. Both Rockland Coal Scoops and Rockland Woodchip Scoops have increased dozer productivity on job sites around the world.
Rockland land clearing equipment for dozers is famous for both productivity and years of trouble free operation. Whether it would be land clearing blades or land clearing rakes, Rockland land clearing equipment gets the job done and has proven itself on every continent. If you are clearing land with a Rockland Dozer Blade, a Rockland land clearing rake, Rockland Shear Blade, or a Rockland V-Blade, we will turn your crawler tractor into a true land clearing machine.
Fisher Capital News Update: Keep updated on recent events, press releases and latest machineries to avoid scam.

FISHER CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT - Construction Machineries, Suppliers Directory and Others.
In the early 60's, Rockland designed and built the world's largest dozer blade. This was a joint venture between Gulf Oil Company, Fiatallis, and Rockland. This sixty foot monster was designed for a reclamation project and was pushed by two powerful HD41 Fiatallis crawler tractors! Click here to see a photo of it leaving our factory.
For over sixty years, we have designed and manufactured construction equipment for dozers, loaders, excavators, and motor graders. Every Rockland product is designed for a specific application and is guaranteed to improve machine productivity.
During those sixty years, Rockland made several unique contributions to the construction equipment industry. We helped prove that wheel loaders could handle shot rock by designing and manufacturing the first spade nose rock bucket ever put in a quarry.
The unique Rockland RF-3 Rake was proven and patented in the late 50's. This was the first land clearing rake to have both reversible and adjustable teeth. We then amazed the construction equipment industry by offering the first lifetime guarantee. We guaranteed the RF-3 for life against any failure from defective design, materials, or workmanship and that even included bent teeth! Click here for a picture of one of our first rakes!
Soon after introducing the RF-3, we introduced lifetime warranties for both HDS and HDV rock buckets with the same powerful lifetime coverage against defective design, material, or workmanship.
In the early 60's, we designed and built the world's largest dozer blade. This was a joint venture between Gulf Oil Company, Fiatallis, and Rockland. This sixty foot monster was designed for a reclamation project and was pushed by two powerful HD41 Fiatallis crawler tractors. Click here to see a picture of it leaving the factory.
We were the very first allied equipment manufacturer to provide a toll free 800 number for our customers. Today, it's accepted practice.
In an industry plagued by broken promises and late deliveries, Rockland was the first, and is still, the only construction equipment manufacturer that puts cash on the line and guarantees ship dates!
During the past decade, Rockland set the standard for excavator thumb design. We were the first to offer narrow thumbs for common sense 3-point pickup. We were the first to offer thumbs ready to install - all that is needed is to weld the mounting plate to the bottom of the stick. We were the first to offer lubricated and sealed pivot points. Then, we were the first to offer a hydraulic thumb with a cylinder rod guard. These were followed by the patented Rockland Thumb Lock that eliminates down drift.
As thumbs for backhoes became more popular, we introduced the Smart Thumb - the world's only rigid strut thumb with hydraulic clamping action that is easily removed or installed in less than a minute.
We also proved to the world that stump splitters don't need to be expensive - we proved that you can split stumps without an expensive auxiliary cylinder, and that all it takes is to use the tremendous force of the curl cylinder to split wood.
This all adds up to the fact that we are a can-do company that has been "doing" for over sixty years. We built our business with an old fashioned commitment to quality and customer service. These comments sum it up:
"We have over forty years experience with Rockland. Their pricing is fair. We've always been amazed at their consistency and dependability. Their after sales support and warranty policies are excellent." - Alabama Dealer
"We insist on Rockland log grapples. We've been using them for over twenty-five years. We tried a few others and found out real quick that low price is really a caution light. We know that Rockland grapples work and if something goes wrong, we can depend on Rockland to give us the support we deserve." - Tennessee Logger
"We've sold Rockland rock buckets for the past several years. We've never had a weld fail or a bucket problem because of poor fit or misalignment. Rockland buckets prove themselves, our customers are well satisfied." - Pennsylvania Dealer
"If a Rockland product doesn't fit, there is something wrong with the machine! - South Carolina Distributor

Monday, August 15, 2011

FISHER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT NEWS DIRECTORY

http://fishercapitalmanagementnews.com/

Fisher Capital Management News Directory: Internet Explorer IQ study was a hoax

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/08/internet-explorer-iq-study-hoax.html

August 3, 2011 |  2:43 pm
Microsoft

study that suggested Internet Explorer users were not as smart as those using other Web browsers is apparently a fake, according to the person that initially distributed it.
In a statement on its website, Aptiquant said it “was set up in late July 2011 by comparison shopping website AtCheap.com in order to launch a fake ‘study’…. The main purpose behind this hoax was to create awareness about the incompatibilities of IE6, and not to insult or hurt anyone.”
The company, Aptiquant, doesn’t exist, according to a separate statement on its website.
A man identifying himself as the owner of Atcheap.com said he was behind the hoax. “It was just a joke, and I didn’t really mean to insult anybody,” he said.
On Wednesday, BBC reported that images of the company’s staff were copied from another website: “Thumbnail images of the firm’s staff on the website also matched those on the site of French research company Central Test, although many of the names had been changed,” the BBC said.
The BBC said readers raised questions regarding the study, and the news organization had a security consultant inspect source material after questions arose. “It’s obviously very easy to create a bogus site like this — as all phishers know it’s easy to rip off someone else’s web pages and pictures,” Graham Cluley, a senior security consultant at Sophos, told BBC.
The study was widely reported by numerous media outlets, including this one.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Fisher Capital Management News: Hackers Broaden Their Attacks

http://fishercapitalmanagementnews.com/2011/05/fisher-capital-management-news-hackers-broaden-their-attacks/


Hacking incidents at defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. and broadcaster PBS that surfaced over the past few days show how widespread corporate breaches have become and underline how any organization can become a victim.
Over the weekend, the website for the PBS show “NewsHour” was altered by hackers to include a fake article claiming that rapper Tupac Shakur, who was murdered 15 years ago, was alive in New Zealand. The hackers also posted login information that stations and other entities use to access PBS sites.
The incident followed a recent breach at Lockheed, which said Saturday evening that it had detected a “significant and tenacious attack” against its computer networks on May 21. The company said it stopped the attack before data could be stolen.
The attacks are the latest in a mushrooming of breaches world-wide. While hackers once generally had targeted companies that stored financial data or had classified government information, culprits today are expanding their sights to other corporate secrets or seeking information that can lead to valuable data down the line. Amateur hackers also are becoming increasingly brazen.
In recent months, hackers stole data from EMC Corp.’s RSA security unit, email marketer Epsilon Data Management LLC, two of South Korea’s largest banks and Sony Corp., where the breach temporarily hobbled its online PlayStation Network.
“Almost anyone is a target,” said Alex Stamos, chief technology officer at security firm iSEC Partners. Professional hackers now “have good tools and good technique and know how to string them together,” he said. Hackers also are getting better at identifying the soft spots in corporate defenses, he said.
So-called hactivists, who take revenge on companies for perceived slights, also have moved from simply knocking websites offline to stealing data. “There are enough people out there who aren’t worried about the consequences that they are willing to wage a sustained campaign against a global company,” Mr. Stamos said.
Corporate executives said they no longer can take a passive approach to cybersecurity. Ted Chung chief executive of Hyundai Card/Hyundai Capital Co., an auto finance provider in South Korea that was hacked in April, blamed himself for not paying enough attention to the importance of information-technology security.
“When it comes to big companies or big banks, no CEO is that stupid not to pay attention. But maybe they pay the same attention I did, which is giving encouragement and budget to IT but then saying ‘What do I know about programming?’ ” he said in an interview Monday. “That is the wrong support.”
The latest attacks demonstrate a diversity of motives. Those who attacked Hyundai Capital tried to extract ransom for a database they stole. With Epsilon, the hackers made off with email addresses that could be used to send “phishing” emails that trick recipients into disclosing personal information.
At RSA, the perpetrators stole data about security systems that the company sells to its clients. Alone, the data are worthless, security experts said, but they could be used to crack defenses used by other companies.
With PBS, a group identifying itself as LulzSec claimed credit for the fake article on Tupac Shakur, which the group said was retaliation for a documentary, “WikiSecrets,” about the publication of classified documents on the WikiLeaks website and the Army intelligence analyst who has been charged with leaking them. “By the way, #WikiSecrets s—,” a message to PBS said. While the attack was more akin to graffiti than burglary, it underscored the threats companies now face.
PBS on Monday said it had corrected the false information on its website and was “notifying stations and affected parties to advise them of the situation.”
The fake article first appeared late Sunday night on the PBS “NewsHour” news blog, “The Rundown.” The group then posted a string of Twitter messages in which it took credit for the breach, beginning with a post that read, “Oh s—, what happened to @PBS?” followed shortly after by the post, “What’s wrong with @PBS…? How come their database is seized? Why are passwords cracked? :( .” The group then posted links to pages with the login information for the PBS sites.
Shortly after the story was published, PBS “NewsHour” posted several messages on Twitter stating that the article wasn’t produced by PBS and that the site had been hacked.
Separately, Lockheed said Saturday evening that the company’s information-security team detected its attack “almost immediately and took aggressive actions to protect all systems and data.”
“Our systems remain secure; no customer, program or employee personal data has been compromised,” the company said. Lockheed said it was conducting an investigation and that it “has continued to keep the appropriate U.S. government agencies informed of our actions.”
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Sunday that President Barack Obama had been briefed on Lockheed attack and that the damage was understood as “fairly minimal.”
Still, that attack is likely to ripple throughout the defense industry. Lockheed supplies some of the most sophisticated weaponry to the U.S. military and is a major provider of information technology to the federal government. The company, based in Bethesda, Md., also is a top international supplier of military and security hardware, employing around 126,000 people world-wide.
Speculation around the Lockheed attack centered on whether hackers may have breached the system by exploiting a vulnerability in SecurID electronic keys made by RSA. In a memo to employees on Sunday, Lockheed Chief Information Officer Sondra Barbour said the company “took swift and deliberate actions” to step up security, including shutting down a virtual private network, resetting user passwords and upgrading SecurID tokens, among other measures.
In South Korea, prosecutors believe North Korea was behind an attack on a large farm cooperative, which couldn’t provide ATM, credit-card and online services for nearly a week after a system at its Seoul headquarters was accessed remotely. How law enforcement tracked the attack to North Korea wasn’t disclosed. But authorities said a link was made to the same Internet servers North Korea used in a 2010 denial-of-service attack against South Korean government websites. North Korea called the South’s accusation in the latest case “absurd” and “unreasonable.”
At Hyundai Capital, a pair of hackers in South Korea gained access to the company’s databases and downloaded personal information on 1.7 million customers. After the company contacted police, it agreed to pay part of what hackers sought. Police arrested the hackers after one was recorded by an ATM video camera as the hacker tried to withdraw some of the ransom. The company has since revamped its IT operation and begun an overhaul of its cybersecurity.
—Ian Sherr
contributed to this article.