Bravo to Amazon.com

Today I had the pleasure of a nice discussion with a representative of the Executive Offices of Amazon.com. I very much appreciate the time they took to call, to listen, and to provide valuable information and solutions to every concern that I'd voiced to them and on the web.

To that end as a courtesy I have pulled my postings from Posterous, facebook, my blog, and am working on twitter right now. It's not often I'll do such things and it was not at their request. It's out of respect for an organization that's constantly working to improve their customer experience and protection of customers. Sometimes you need to speak loudly to be noticed, but when you are noticed it's amazing how quickly and correctly the results are delivered.

Amazon has assured me that they're working to remedy some things which I addressed in my postings about them and that they appreciated my taking time to bring them to their attention.

I'd like to thank Jeff Bezos for reading his email and knowing he does so is a credit to him and his organization. Also thanks to the executive offices for your handling of this situation and addressing things promptly.

Your help is greatly appreciated and I look forward to using the services offered by Amazon as well as recommending them going forward.

Best regards,

Michael Murdock, CEO
DocMurdock.com

Untitled

That's a big thing. To hear her voice today was the only thing that made my day better. And to hear she's signed up for a walk-a-thon is amazing. I've known her for 7 years and she's been under some stress. Now she's beaten what was keeping her there and the Doctor's said "If only we'd prevented this instead of feeding it", hello??? It's called PREVENTIVE MEDICINE! Oh wait! The medical profession would rather keep you down. Not these guys!!! http://www.uspreventive.com they're all about Preventive Medicine. So much so that it's their brand! Check them out, they're bringing some serious changes to the game.

Even the animals are humbling

This is video from youtube from the tsunami of one dog watching over another as it lays there injured. Heart breaking and warming at the same time. One can only hope these fur people were both rescued and will find good homes to care for them.

Am hopeful that those in a position of being able to give have contributed something to help. Every little bit does help all.

Bless your taking time to watch this. If you're not moved by it, I'll be surprised.

Best,

Michael

And along comes...RASKIN

For the longest time I was seeking a new way to view everything and I mean everything on my computer. No matter how much one organizes things there's always something that slips away to never be found. Icons vanish, folders hide folders, etc.

And then along comes "RASKIN". A namesake to Jef Raskin, the one who started the Macintosh Project at Apple Computer long ago, Jef was a human-computer interface expert and this app shows a bit of him within it.

Always seeking to find or discover more within your machine, you can spend hours sometimes searching for various things without finding them. Viewing documents can involve launching an app and waiting for it to open, then viewing a document, and if you quit the app, then you have to do it all over again.

Wouldn't it be great to view the docs in a window...well you could use quicklook for, but what if you had 100 docs and wanted to look at them all at the same time? What then!

RASKIN!!

(image from http://raskinformac.com All Rights Reserved.)

Raskin for Mac gives you a new way to look at everything on your computer at once.

Launch the app, and using your mouse navigate to where you wish to go, then hold a key down and ZOOM IN. Scroll to see your information, when you find that which you want to open...

Just a snap of part of the interface. Directions always close by to allow you to navigate without digging for a PDF or other document to read. Just scroll over and see what commands you need.

Want information about a specific item in your window? Simply zoom in on it and there it is. Size, type, extension, date created, date modified, name, etc.

Focus attention on an item by clicking on it. Its color will change to reflect focus. You can duplicate it, move it to a new location, change the color of the borders, etc., easily using either mouse or menu commands. Right clicking in the main window of an area allows you to sort that area by different criteria similar to folders. Bring focus to a folder area by double clicking in the name area of the folder item. The only reason am using folder here is it's something we all identify with. Getting used to viewing all of your documents which are normally buried in a folder, in a new way...will take a little getting used to.

It took me about 20 minutes to get into using this and now I can't get away from it. I've stopped using my search functions pretty much all together. I simply launch Raskin and say ok...where is that picture or music or doc I was searching for and BAM! I find it fast.

Granted there are some that will not find this app useful, but for those who are visual, this is a god-send to us who need to look at things to connect with them. Stop wondering what to search for by typing in a name of something, merely sort your areas by name and browse through them as if you would look for something on your desk.

Fast, effective, and definitely worth the price of purchase. In fact I would think they'd make this more expensive once they add some additional features into it. I can't wait till Apple creates a Kinect like interface to the Mac and this gets hooked to a projector!!! Imagine the sweeping motions running through areas to find docs, open them up, zoom into images, etc.

Only one thing got me when using this app. It's a bit of a grabber when it comes to memory. Not a bad thing, it's just one that eats a big chunk of it and holds it. On my 23" HD Display it grabbed just short of 1GB of RAM. That was a bit much, even when the app was hidden it still held that memory so nothing else could touch it. This was something that caught my eye, but the casual user might not even notice it.

Special thanks to the team who produced the app for answering questions and making the software available to me to use and review. Nice work folks.

RASKIN - A great way to look at your data...once again. See and find what you've been missing.

RASKIN For Mac - DOCMURDOCK APPROVED!!

Enjoy! And when you speak with them, let them know that DocMurdock sent you.

Michael Murdock, CEO, DocMurdock

What's in a move...

So...perhaps it's time to post something about the move and how we ended up where we did after being where we were for the past 4 years....breathe...yes that was a long sentence.

Sherman set the way back machine (rights reserved by the original inventor of that saying) to around 2006 where a discussion took place between me and Maria (my wife) about where we wanted to be living. We were in a town called Larkspur in the San Francisco North Bay region of California.

My response to the where would you like to be living prompted to me to say "Scottsdale!" as we'd visited there a few times and Maria had been there previously. We went around and around about why we should not live there and basically 24 hours later an opportunity opened up for us to move there, so we did.

Now Marty let's take the Delorean forward in time to now, and the climate has changed, things are going well in Scottsdale, but then a message is received and for those who know me you know where it came from that simply said "You're needed in California, move now, a wave of change is coming and you need to be there to lead the shift in the tide".

Take that any way you want to, but what was most interesting was the guidance surrounding where we were to be landing once we got here. We're out looking everywhere along the coast south of LA and Orange County, but guidance kept pulling us North when we came upon a community called Huntington Beach. After looking in places like Laguna Beach, Newport, San Diego, North County San Diego, always being pulled more north.

We came to Huntington and found a place. In the process of doing the application it was snatched up by someone else. Okay, not a problem there are many places in Huntington let's look in the same area and see what we can find. So we did and came upon an interesting home that for some reason we were drawn to in the advertisements, etc. So we applied to be considered for it.

In the midst of consideration I had my brother who is a realtor come out and take pictures as those in the original ad did not seem to do the property justice and that's when we found out why were were supposed to be in the home we are now.

This tree:

Now to some it may not look like much, but if you're a believer, this appears to be our Lord in a moment of gazing towards heaven and asking for support. In the instant I saw this image I knew we needed to be here and now we are.

Manifestation now comes in many forms. Simply asking is a great way to get the ball rolling. Taking the task on of pushing aside the judgement of self and knowing you're deserving of something is another way to help things along. And so is the simple acceptance that because you chose to come here from source and be part of the playground that is Earth, to be a part of the separation and disconnect that is humanity, but also to be here to teach others the benefits of sharing, connection, and loving of many to help others see the truth within and appreciate the glory that we're all connected through...well that's another of many reasons to be present to that which is coming forth.

There's a tide of change coming. We're here to help share with many the guidance of how to achieve in life that which you desire by simple inspired actions. Not a ton of work or required steps. All is a choice and by simply being present to make those choices the work or perceived work is nearly completed. The hard part is the BEing present which is why we're here to guide you and show you the way.

We love you. We're sharing much with many and we'll speak through the ways we can to get the message out to many who are listening and waiting to receive.

The sun has set on another day, but it dawns once again and calls to you to step into the light which you are and help to heal and show many that much can be achieved in this time of joy and celebration known as life. It's much easier to be a part of the solution than it is to be part of the problem. After all it takes more muscles to frown that it does to smile. Think about that the next time you choose (and you do) to be unhappy.

We wish you much love, joy, and peace beyond all understanding, this moment, this now and always.

We love you.

Michael & The Many.

Default CASE - DocMurdock APPROVED

So you've got your new iPhone 4 and you're looking around to find a case to protect it with. There are a ton of these out on the market, but there is only 1 that struck me enough to ask to review it; Default Case.

To find them on the web simply go to www.defaultcase.com

The price is what will shock you. $0.01 is what the case costs. Just a penny for now. Now why in the heck would anyone spend a penny for a case when they'll pay more for shipping, etc. Because simply put this case ROCKS! They've discounted these babies by 99.9%! What an amazing marketing campaign.

Below is the package outside. Most people shipping cases through the mail don't go through this trouble. They simply put them into an envelope and hope they arrive in one piece. Default Case goes out of its way to ensure you're getting their product without issues.

Impressive outside packaging followed by...

Impressive protection inside, and finally...

The case wrapped in an envelope that says "LET ME OUT!" on it. I love when a company has fun in marketing their product. This is so important in business as it carries through to the clients as well. They like your product, your message and they share that with others. It's a win-win-win situation.

So what else can I say about this gem of a case that will sway you to look at it. Unlike those other 2 piece cases, it does not fall apart. You can't lose any piece of this case. It slides around the phone and keeps it snug. When you need to remove the phone from the case it easily comes out. Unlike other cases that are one piece that need a screwdriver to remove the phone from, this one releases it quickly.

Lightweight construction, soft, smooth feel, makes holding the phone a true pleasure and no loss of reception while using this case.

Default CASE is the CASE for your iPhone 4, or 3GS. Inexpensive, sturdy and DocMurdock™-APPROVED.

Get yours today. Better still, get 5 or 6 of them at this awesome price before they take the sale away!

Thanks for taking time to read.

Michael

CoPilot Live $2.99 Thanksgiving Week Sale!

CoPilot® Live™ GPS Navigation Apps on Sale for Thanksgiving Holiday

Award-winning app for smartphones and iPad provides holiday travelers easy-to-use, reliable navigation at a Black Friday bargain price

Princeton, NJ - November 22, 2010--CoPilot Live, the full-featured, voice-guided GPS navigation application for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Mobile smartphones is slashing the price of its award-wining apps during the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel week ahead. 

CoPilot Live USA for iPhone and Android-powered smartphones is on sale for the bargain price of $2.99.  CoPilot Live North America, which includes maps of the U.S. and Canada, is on sale for iPhone, Android and Windows Mobile smartphones for $9.99.   The hi-resolution, large screen optimized CoPilot Live HD North America app for iPad is on sale for $19.99.  As with all CoPilot Live apps, this is a one-time purchase, there are no ongoing monthly subscription fees. 

CoPilot Live provides easy to follow, powerful turn-by-turn guidance with clear 3D guidance views and voice directions.  Destination entry is made easy with predictive address matching that finds addresses as you type.  The apps feature millions of useful Points of Interest (POIs) and sophisticated guidance features such as ClearTurn™ realistic display with lane indicator arrows and real sign post information for clear guidance at major highway exits and complex intersections.

CoPilot Live’s apps feature the additional crucial benefit of allowing drivers to navigate without a data connection.  Detailed street-level maps are stored directly on the device, not downloaded each trip, so drivers don’t need to rely on a cellular connection for navigation. 

The CoPilot Live iPhone and iPad apps are available for purchase via iTunes; the Android apps in Android Market and Windows Mobile in the Windows Marketplace or at www.copilotlive.com/store.  For more information, visit www.copilotlive.com.

A video of CoPilot Live is available at: 

A gallery of images is available at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/copilotlive/collections/72157625164520360/

###

Contacts:

Mary Kelly, Media Relations                                David Reich/ Jeanne Byington
609-252-8160                                                         212-573-6000
E-mail:
kelly@alk.com
                                          david@reichcommunications.com
Fax: 609-252-8166                                                 jeanne@jmbyington.com

Copilot Live from Alk.com and opinions...

So I posted a tweet today for my favorite navigation app on the iphone. I got some people asking me back privately how can I recommend a specific app and say "it's the only app to rate DocMurdock-Approved".

Here's the tweet - "Love @copilotlive for my iPhone 4. The ONLY Navigation app to rate DOCMURDOCK - APPROVED. http://bit.ly/8fWVXH Get it today!"

And now for the reasons why:

A. I'm DocMurdock. If I like something and give it my stamp of approval...well there you go. It's my stamp :)

B. I've tested and reviewed the app and did so against one of the more popular apps on the iPhone, the infamous AT&T Navigator app from AT&T. I've also taken a look at others such as GPS Drive which is cute, but I don't know that I'd trust it on a long distance trip. Would I use it to skedaddle around town? Maybe, but I'd trust Copilot to get me to my destination and if it got me to the wrong place I know that when I submit a map error that it will get fixed.

If you're shopping for the holidays and you're not sure what to get someone and they have an iPhone, at some point they'll need a way to get from point a to point b and ways to avoid weather, traffic and other issues, CopilotLive is the single app that we recommend because it just works. Don't waste money on others and be dissuaded and disappointed. Get the one which proves time and time again it's a great tool and a worthwhile investment.

It's also DocMurdock - APPROVED!! (which means something to some people and more all the time)

Now, on the opinions part of things. From time to time people will ask my opinion of something, or they'll ask me to write a recommendation for something. I will do that and give a testimonial for the product or service if I've tried it or believe in it. Someone approached me for one of these in the past 24 hours and I resisted because the guidance to me from beyond was not to do it. As the emails to me got more and more needy I resisted and finally the last email came that was a shocker: (Don't ask me the name of this person, they will remain nameless)

"I know Maria really well" it said. I had to sit back and take that in. You say you know my wife really well and you want me to watch a video, read a couple of paragraphs and then render an opinion that will cause people to buy your product or service and I have no idea who you are? But you want me to do that because you know my wife???

Oh no, that's not gonna fly with me. If you want and can handle an unbiased opinion of your product or service and then have it touted to many people, then let's see the product or service and you will get an unbiased review as well as full disclosure about anything else surrounding the product or service.

That's another reason I recommend CoPilotLive. They got the review, they stepped up showed their moxie and their product rates HIGHLY.

But don't toss out the "I know your wife" card and expect me to jump up and write a review of your product or service that would be seen on a less than equal footing. Not my style and not the way I roll.

Have an amazing day.

Michael

Emails...to watch OUT for.

In our computer world of today there are many wonderful things out there that can be done with the machines we use.

We can go through our lives and accomplish much work, we can do our jobs, we can run our companies or we can sit back write code and make people's lives miserable.

In the case of the email shown below it's designed to make lives miserable. It's sent out to more than 40 people with a line that's pretty much a dead-giveaway that it's got a virus attached to whatever is on the other end of the link in it. How do I know? Because I've been a victim of one of these. It's no fun.

Here's how it happens. You get an email from a friend it looks perfectly normal, you're in a rush and you click the link, you get sent to a website, a bunch of stuff lands on your screen and at the same time on your computer and it infects the whole computer like a plague.

It goes into your addressbook, pulls all of your addresses and then composes an email to send out to all of those people and those that are too busy will proceed to do the same thing and bit by bit everyones addressbook is cleaned out, their friends are emailed and eventually the addresses end up on a server being sent out to other companies to use in their mailings or worse.

If you receive anything like this, check the address where it came from. If it ends in yahoo.com call the person who sent it to you and let them know. Otherwise post something on facebook or twitter or both to let others know as someone out there may know your friend and they may be a victim as well.

Thanks for taking time to read and if you have questions, email me back

Mike