Locksmiths Live Life on Call 24 Hours a Day
from The Desert Sun
The locksmith business is a 24-hour gig. Just ask the employees of ALOA member Cathedral City Lock & Safe in California, who are on call all the time. Employees are required to get out of bed to help out with a key emergency even when the phone rings at 1 a.m., owner Kris Leondes said. Leondes recently talked with the Cathedral City Sun about the key elements of operating a locksmith business. More

Picking Your Pocket, Not the Locks
from Marblehead Reporter
Attention, residents: Many locksmiths listed in your local phonebook are not who you think they are. The lesson, “be sure you know with whom you are dealing,” is one Marblehead, Mass., based locksmith Carlo Fratini hopes local residents will learn now, before they find themselves in a panicked emergency and need someone to assist them. More

Google Believes It Has Ended Hijacked Listings In Google Maps
from Search Engine Land
Recent statements suggest that Google believes it has eliminated the hijacking of claimed business listings in Google Maps, and that hijackings overall (of both claimed and unclaimed listings) are now a rarity. Most hijackings on Google Maps involve unclaimed business listings, as Danny Sullivan showed previously when he took over Yahoo’s listing, put it in Microsoft’s name, and turned them into an escort service. The problem here is that Google takes a wiki-like approach to unclaimed business listings, allowing anyone to change them. The more specific issue surrounds the hijacking of claimed business listings, something that should, in theory, never happen. But in practice, it does. Mike Blumenthal wrote last week that Google now says they’ve fixed a vulnerability that allowed spammers to take over claimed listings. This was a particular problem in the locksmith industry. More

The Intelligent Key: Open Sesame!
from Auto123.com
It's a relatively simple saying that's been around throughout history in stories, songs and movies. Now, the concept behind it is available at your local car dealership in the form of the latest 'Intelligent Key' systems. Years ago, remote keyless access negated the need to use ones key for locking and unlocking. It made things easier-- so it wasn't long before remote access became something of a standard feature. Now, the 'intelligent key' system is becoming popular, and it may one day replace the remote in the same way. More

Asia: Bad Times = Good Time to Install Intruder Alarm
from AsiaOne.com
Investing in your dream home is something many have done, but not many will think about investing in the protection of the property. Given that the worsening economic climate may encourage more crime, it may be a good time to give this topic some thought. The number of homes broken into fell to a 60-year low last year. At 829 cases, it was below the 866 cases registered in 2007, according to police data. The low number of burglary cases was reportedly partly due to efforts to get home owners to lock up and fit alarms. More

Phone Security Not Only a Presidential Issue
from MSNBC
It isn't only the president who needs extra security for his BlackBerry. All of us with smartphones that have Internet access, e-mail and the ability to handle sensitive written or financial documents should consider paying closer attention to where and how we're using the devices, experts say. Most of all, they say, know where your phone is at all times and don't leave it in the care of strangers or by itself on a desk at work. The latter is something a lot of us certainly do. More

Small Business: Be Sure to Take All Deductions
from Newsday
It's tax season again. And while there's no way of avoiding it, there are ways to minimize a small business' tax burden by taking advantage of all the deductions it is legally entitled to, say experts. "Many small businesses are cheating themselves out of at least $2,000 to $3,000 worth of tax benefits a year by not knowing the deductions and credits available to them," says Eva Rosenberg, author of "Small Business Taxes Made Easy.” This is particularly true for businesses that may be doing their own taxes, she says. While it's always prudent to consult with a tax professional, here are some deductions businesses shouldn't miss out on. More

Marketing Your Small Business on a Tattered Shoe String Budget
from Portland Small Business Examiner
In the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to market your business. But, like the rest of us, you probably don’t have a lot of extra cash to devote to your marketing budget. Here are some tips and tricks that you can use to get your business more exposure without breaking the bank. More