Steve Woda's blog

links for 2009-07-28

• Update your software and your's owned by the bad guys?
  Hundreds of applications that use software updates are making computers more vulnerable to attack. Automatic updating, if done right, can help eliminate the threat of known security vulnerabilities before attackers start exploiting the flaws. Done wrong, however, the updating process itself becomes an efficient way for attackers to install their code on the victim's system. One security researcher has found that at least a hundred programs use an update process that puts their users at risk. How? A computer on the same network as the target machine--think public wireless network--intercepts a message requesting the most recent software update, replies that there is a more recent version available, and then provides malicious code that will be installed through the update process, explains Itzik Kotler, security-operations-center team leader for security firm Radware.
  (tags: security)
• Apple's Tablet Ready for Christmas?
  Rumors about a new Apple tablet computer are nothing new, but the venerable Financial Times has kicked the blogosphere into a spin with a story sharing details of the much-discussed device and suggesting it'll be ready by September (free registration required). The FT's sources say that the device will have a screen measuring 10 inches diagonally and will come with Wi-Fi but no cellular transceiver. Weirdly, the story also suggests that the effort is aimed at reviving sales of full-length albums. To be honest, I suspect it has more to do with tapping into the growing demand for netbook-sized computers. What's more, despite Steve Jobs's previous claims that "people don't read anymore," an Apple tablet could be a killer for the Kindle. With the iTunes App Store already established, a full-color, fully functional tablet computer would surely be much more attractive as a portable reading device.
  (tags: apple tablet)

links for 2009-07-27

• The SBA's Karen Mills on Thawing Credit - BusinessWeek
  Getting credit to small business owners is Job One for former venture capitalist Karen G. Mills, who was confirmed as Administrator of the Small Business Administration in April. BusinessWeek SmallBiz Staff Writer Jeremy Quittner spoke with Mills recently about her agency's efforts to help small companies during the recession, how the federal stimulus package is affecting entrepreneurs, and ways to boost innovative small businesses.
  (tags: Entrepreneurship sba)
• Twitter Launches Tools For Businesses
  In its ongoing effort to figure out how to make money, Twitter has launched a new search tool and an online manual for businesses. The idea is that businesses will learn to use Twitter to market themselves and possibly pay for services that Twitter could roll out later.
  (tags: Twitter)

links for 2009-07-25

• Zappos Not Exactly Another Dot-Com Triumph For Sequoia
  Sequoia Capital, the venture capital firm that grew to prominence with early investments in Internet wonders Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., can mark down another successful dot-com deal with the sale of Zappos.com Inc. to Amazon.com Inc. zappos_E_20090723132555.jpg But the $885 million blockbuster deal, which is one of the largest acquisitions of a venture-backed company this year, will likely net Sequoia modest returns compared to its other big Internet victories, which include YouTube.com Inc. and PayPal Inc.
  (tags: Zappos amazon sequoia vc)
• LogRhythm Expands Asia Pacific Efforts
  Boulder, Colorado-based LogRhythm, a developer of enterprise log and event management software, is expanding its Asia Pacific efforts, saying Thursday that it has hired on David Cheng as the firm's General Manager for Asia Pacific. The firm said the Cheng joins from ArcSight, and has also served at SafeNet, Resilience, and Tumbleweed Communications. The company said the hire comes as it sees a significant and growing market opportunity for the firm in the region. LogRhythm is venture backed by Grotech Ventures, Access Venture Partners, and the Colorado Fund.
  (tags: logrhythm grotech vc)

links for 2009-07-24

• Where's Google GDrive?
  GDrive, Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s long-rumored online storage service, remains unannounced and unacknowledged by the company. Yet sightings of the service, which seems destined to become the foundation of the company's Chrome OS, not to mention Google Docs and Google App Engine, continue. Originally called "Platypus," GDrive has become the tech industry's Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, a rare bird whose existence is suspected but not unassailably proven.
  (tags: Google gdrive)
• Venture Capitalists Putting More Money Into Startups
  Investments rose 15 percent in the second quarter of 2009, with IT earning the most VC dollars. But funding remains significantly low compared to previous years. Venture investments in technology went up 15 percent in the second quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter, rising to $3.7 billion from $3.2 billion. IT garnered the most investment, with a total of $1.7 billion. Software led within the IT category, taking just over $644 million. IT services was a distant second at $295.1 million. Life sciences attracted $1.5 billion in investments, with biotech and medical equipment the leading sectors in the category.
  (tags: vc Entrepreneurship)

links for 2009-07-23

• Twitter Generates $48 Million of Media Coverage in a Month
  Twitter's been the toast of TV news programs, daytime talk shows, magazine editors and newspaper reporters. But what's all that chatter worth?

  According to news-monitoring service VMS, a cool $48 million over the past 30 days. (That's half of what Microsoft plans to spend marketing its biggest product launch of the year, Bing.)

  Twitter received almost 3 billion impressions -- 2.73 billion, to be exact -- in the past month, a time period that doesn't even include the frenzied weeks in April in which Oprah and Ellen weighed in on the micro-blogging service. TV contributed to 57% of the PR value, newspapers 37% and magazines 5%. Incidentally, Fox News bested CNN in terms of total PR value delivered by its Twitter mentions, although CNN dropped the name more often.

  
  
  (tags: PR Twitter marketing)
  
  

links for 2009-07-22

• Palm's webOS SDK Seen As Weak On Games
  With the recent release of the Mojo software development kit, Palm is hoping to open the floodgates of application for its Palm Pre smartphone. But early impressions suggest webOS SDK won't be as strong as Apple's iPhone platform for high-end mobile gaming.
  (tags: palm webos apple iphone Mobile apps gaming)
• AOL tries to recapture that startup feeling
  It might seem an odd move for a company that relies on money from advertising. Yet AOL is reducing the number of ads it shows on its home page and some other Web sites it runs. The maneuver is one of the changes new CEO Tim Armstrong, 38, has brought to the long-struggling Internet company since he took over AOL in April. The former Google Inc. executive was hired to recharge AOL and lead its spinoff from Time Warner Inc., undoing a legendarily disastrous deal. To prepare for AOL's rebirth as an independent company later in the year, Armstrong and other executives say they are trying to recapture elements of the culture AOL had when it was a startup -- back when it was America Online and on its way to becoming the dominant provider of dial-up Internet access.
  (tags: aol)

links for 2009-07-21

• In Maryland, a New Leader Hopes to Unite Tech Firms
  After nearly eight months without a leader, the Tech Council of Maryland plans to announce Monday that it has tapped Renée M. Winsky, a current board member, as its new executive director.

  Winsky, 46, spent the past nine years at the Maryland Technology Development Corp. -- she has been president and executive director since 2007 -- and has long been involved in the state's technology community. She previously worked at the Information Technology Association of America and the National League of Cities.

  "I'm looking forward to getting back to my true association roots," she said last week. Winsky will start her new gig in September.

  
  
  (tags: technology)
  
  
• 
  
  AOL tries to recapture that startup feeling
  
  
  It might seem an odd move for a company that relies on money from advertising. Yet AOL is reducing the number of ads it shows on its home page and some other Web sites it runs.

  The maneuver is one of the changes new CEO Tim Armstrong, 38, has brought to the long-struggling Internet company since he took over AOL in April. The former Google Inc. executive was hired to recharge AOL and lead its spinoff from Time Warner Inc., undoing a legendarily disastrous deal.

  
  
  (tags: aol Innovation)
  
  

The Problem: Sexting and Predators

It is hard for me to believe, but today is the nine year anniversary of buySAFE's birthdate.  Time sure does fly by when you are having a good time. 

When I left buySAFE a few months ago, I promised to keep you up to date on my next entrepreneurial adventure.  In the spirit of start-up birthdays, I thought I would share with you a few interesting details about my next venture.

Obviously, buySAFE was founded to make the Internet safer for online shoppers, and we did that for tens of millions of consumers.  This time around, we want to make technology safer for our kids (Fatherhood has a way of inspiring you to do such things).  Our new start-up is tackling two serious, prevalent and complex problems: Sexting and Predators.  The market simply hasn't provided any effective solutions for parents yet, and we intend to fill that gap.

The business was inspired by my brother, Tim Woda, who as the parent of older children, has had to confront these difficult issues directly.  It seems like every time I speak with a parent of tweens or teens, they express the same frustrations and fear about allowing their kids to use digital technologies.  Since there are more than 37 million kids in the U.S. and more than 1.2 billion kids globally between the ages of 9 and 17, I believe there is an interesting business opportunity here.

The following is a short video overview of the Sexting and Predator problems that parents face today.  If you have any feedback or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment.  I welcome your assistance.  Also, please share this video with your friends and family.  I believe it is important that we educate parents to make sure they are fully aware of the digital dangers they must manage on behalf of their kids. 

I recognize that I haven't told you how we are going to attack these scary problems, but I will over the coming months.  I wanted to tease you first!  :)  Before telling you everything, we have to finish building out our product and raise a bit of capital to finance our public launch.  Both of these activities are ongoing (and going well), and I will share more as we make additional progress.

I will continue to provide you with regular updates here on this blog, but if you want to get more frequent updates, feel free to become a fan on my Facebook Fan Page.  I am using it to share my daily thoughts on this start-up adventure.  Thanks, and stay tuned!

links for 2009-07-20

• Accenture Buys Symbian Services Unit From Nokia
  Nokia (NYSE: NOK) sold its Symbian Professional Services unit to Accenture for an undisclosed amount, the companies said Friday. The unit handles product development and engineering consulting services for the Symbian operating system and its clients include cellular carriers, chip manufacturers, and handset makers. The 165 employees of the division will transfer to Accenture, and the deal is expected to close in September.
  (tags: symbian accenture Mobile)
• Google: Yo, Docs Is Under Construction. Deal With It
  On the Official Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Docs blog, Google posted an entry with the headline "Pardon our Dust." This is Google's way of saying that change is on the way, with a brand new interface due to appear on Google Docs in short order. Anything interesting? You betcha. According to Google, the changes will take place over time, and not all at once. Google says that the small changes will be implemented over the coming weeks, with the final result being "a brand new shiny interface." Oh, the rapture.
  (tags: Google)

links for 2009-07-19

• Domain Acquisition - How Much is Too Much?
  A company that's redesigning its Web site recently called me to discuss the possibility of my firm assisting them with their SEO efforts. First, I congratulated them on being one of the few companies to consider SEO prior to re-launching their site (that's the way it's done, people!). Then we talked about their domain name. This company was planning to move their site to a new domain because the old domain (and by "old," I mean 10 years old) no longer represented the company. As many of us do, they typed in about 100 different domain names into GoDaddy's search and eventually found an available domain name that was more in line with their core business. One problem: their domain name choice was absolutely horrible. It had five keywords crammed together. It was confusing, hard to recall, and terrible for branding, SEO purposes, and any other measurement that you wanted to put to it. But, the domain name only cost $9.99 per year. What a deal, right?
  (tags: domains marketing)
• Office 2010: Plenty Of Bells And Whistles
  Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) on Monday outlined a host of new features that will be included in its forthcoming Office 2010 home and business productivity suite. Not surprisingly, many are geared toward users steeped in Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and other popular Web 2.0 tools. For starters, Microsoft revealed that the Office 2010 release, slated for the first half of next year, will include free Web versions of Excel, PowerPoint, Office, and Notepad. The move is in keeping with the "Work anywhere" theme the company has attached to its new offering.
  (tags: microsoft office)

links for 2009-07-17

• Harnessing Networks to Create Value and Identify New Opportunities - Knowledge@Wharton
  As the recent financial crisis has showed so dramatically, networks exist everywhere. Global inter-linkage of loans and mortgages -- which were intended to distribute risk -- actually ended up spreading it far and wide. Similar network-based impacts are at work in fields as diverse as information security and supply chain management. But while networks create new risks, they also generate new opportunities, write Paul R. Kleindorfer, Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Robert E. Gunther in their new book, The Network Challenge: Strategy, Profit and Risk in an Interlinked World (Wharton School Publishing). In an interview with Knowledge@Wharton, Kleindorfer and Wind discuss the themes of many of the 28 essays in their book.
  (tags: Innovation)
• The Mindset of a Problem-Finder - Knowledge@Wharton
  In What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen (Wharton School Publishing), author Michael A. Roberto aims to help leaders identify problems before they become major disasters. He discusses why problems go undetected for so long, how to spot patterns across an organization and how to avoid the "isolation trap" that prevents senior executives from seeing problems that are festering beyond their control, among other topics. Roberto, a management professor at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., wrote an earlier book entitled, Why Great Leaders Don't Take Yes for an Answer. Below is an excerpt from a chapter in his current book. "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." -- Shunryu Suzuki, Japanese Zen priest
  (tags: Innovation)

links for 2009-07-16

• Cisco, UnitedHealth Group Launch Telehealth Network
  UnitedHealth Group and Cisco (NSDQ: CSCO) Wednesday announced they're launching a multi-million dollar initiative to build a national telehealth network. Although the initial focus is on patients in rural and inner city communities, the companies envision providing a platform for delivering health services wherever distance or shortages of clinicians present obstacles to affordable care.
  (tags: health cisco unitedhealth)
• GetJar's App Store Hits Half Billion Downloads
  While Apple's App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch is drawing a lot of attention in the application space, GetJar said Wednesday its mobile store has surpassed over a half billion downloads. The company offers an independent over-the-air app store that enables users to browse, buy, download, and install programs onto a variety of handsets including smartphones and feature phones. The company offers more than 50,000 apps in over 200 countries, and GetJar has been chosen to handle the backend for Sony (NYSE: SNE) Ericsson's upcoming app store.
  (tags: getjar Mobile apps sony)

links for 2009-07-15

• How Features Graduate from Gmail Labs
  Google just announced that Tasks will be the first feature to graduate from Gmail Labs to become a default feature for all Gmail users. Gmail Labs, which launched about a year ago, holds a collection of experimental additions to Gmail that users can try out by enabling them within their Gmail's settings. It also provides an interesting window into Google's application development philosophy. Tasks provides a to-do list within Gmail optimized for mobile access and integration with Google Calendar. Senior product manager Keith Coleman says the decision to add it to the main product was partly based on how many users had signed up to try it, and how many have continued to use it. Coleman adds that a handful of other Labs experiments will likely graduate in the near future.
  (tags: Google gmail labs)
• Google Calendar Gets Labs Of Its Own
  Gmail has had Gmail Labs for a while now. Gmail Labs are a great place to try out experimental Gmail features if you are so inclined. The mad scientists who are Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s engineers have cooked up an entirely new set of Labs, this time for the Google Calendar. Google says it has been pleased with the response its Labs has seen in Gmail. There are tons of features in Gmail Labs for users to test out. I have quite a handful activated that have become essential to my Gmail experience.
  (tags: Google calendar labs)

links for 2009-07-14

• Use caution at work on Internet, cell phone
  A few tips for employees regarding Internet and cell phone use: -- Remember that anything you do on a company-issued computer or cell phone -- in or out of the office -- could be tracked by a boss, the courts or a regulator. Many employers monitor Web site use, keystrokes, instant messages and e-mail. Some even archive text messages on work cell phones.
  (tags: career)
• How to Position Yourself as a Financial Asset
  Even in this dismal job market, opportunities do exist for talented individuals, as companies look to upgrade their human capital and benefit from the fluctuating talent pool. Part of my job involves regularly talking to business leaders about their hiring needs. And in recent conversations with executives in the technology and marketing spheres, I've found that most everyone agrees on certain key points that help resumes stand out. Whether you're unemployed, underemployed, or simply looking for an opportunity to grow and prove your professional worth, this is a climate you can and should take advantage of.
  (tags: career)

Poor customer service goes viral

It should be obvious in a day and age with the Internet, YouTube, HD and video cameras, that poor customer service can be very costly to a company.  However, some of the old dinosaurs are a bit slow on the take.  This entertaining music video, "United Breaks Guitars", was produced by a country singer who had a terrible experience on United Airlines.

As I watched the video, I couldn't help but do a bit of math on the implications of such a viral production.  At the time of this blog post, more than 2.5 million people had viewed this music video on YouTube, and the bottom-line is that these 2.5 million people invested more than 11 million total minutes watching a negative message about United Airlines.  That is the same as 22 million 30 second commercials.  That is some serious negative PR!

I enjoyed the song and the video, and I can honestly say I will have a hard time getting the tune (and the message) out of my mind next time I have to consider United Airlines for a flight.  I am sure that at least half of the people that watched the viral video will have the same image stuck in their heads when they have to make a choice between United and other airlines.

Companies clearly have to get serious about treating their customers like gold, and this needs to start at the top of the organization and filter down to each and every employee.  In the video, Ms. Irlweg, a normal United employee, is singled out as the person that made the final decision on whether to solve this customer's problem.  Today, she is infamous because of this video, and her decision turns out to have been pretty costly for United Airlines.

I recently purchased an Apple computer, and after a month or two, I had a tech problem.  I brought it into the Apple Store, and within 10 minutes, I walked out with a brand new laptop (with my old hard drive swapped into it).  The problem Apple fixed, for free and in minutes with a brand new laptop, was the type of problem that would have taken me a week to get fixed with Dell.  I was floored!  I could not believe the awesome customer experience from Apple, and at that moment, I officially converted to an Apple fan.  I have literally told everyone about the experience since that amazing customer service experience.

Although it was initially expensive for Apple to solve my customer service problem, I am 100% sure that their investment in me will pay off many times over in the coming months and years because of the positive word of mouth it created.

I am betting that this singer's negative video on United Airlines will ultimately cost the company hundreds of times what it would have cost to simply solve this customer's problem.  Can you imagine if United had solved this singer's problem quickly, without hassle, and with a smile?  What if they had surprised or shocked him with their amazing customer service?  Perhaps he would have written a different song. "United Loves Guitars" has a much better ring to it.

links for 2009-07-13

• 10 boring phrases you should cut from your resume
  Cliched forms of speech are crutches for the uncreative. And the frequency of their usage make them absolutely meaningless. So do you want your resume to say, above everything else, that you are incapable of forming a new thought? No, you don’t. You also don’t want the people reviewing your resume to gloss over these trite phrases and not give you a chance. That’s why you should strike every occurrence of the following from your resume:
  (tags: resume career)
• Hints of How Google's OS Will Work
  Soon after Google announced plans for its own operating system (OS), called Google Chrome OS, on Tuesday night, the Web giant clammed up about technical details, saying that the project is still at too early a stage. The first netbook devices running Chrome OS won't be released until the second half of 2010, so most users will have to wait until then to find out precisely how the software will work. But that doesn't mean there aren't hints out there already, and the biggest clues can be found in Google's Chrome browser, which the company says will be a key part of the new OS.
  (tags: Google Chrome os)

links for 2009-07-11

• Administration Considers Bailout Funds for Small Businesses
  The Obama administration is developing an initiative to take money from the $700 billion program for the banking system and make it available to millions of small businesses, which officials say are essential to any economic recovery because they employ so many people, according to sources familiar with the plan. The new effort -- which would represent a striking shift from the rescue program's original mandate -- would direct billions of bailout dollars toward a program that aims more at saving jobs than righting the financial system.
  (tags: Politics Economics)
• VC in DC: The 5 Things People Pitching VC's Don't Usually Know
  Here they are: 1. We see a lot of ideas, all the time, week in and week out. Most say, if you make an investment in our company, we'll really be able to make progress on all fronts. Some say, we haven't had much money to date, but look at what we have been able to achieve with little money in a small amount of time. People that can make progress without money tend to be the ones who make the most progress when they have money.
  (tags: vc Entrepreneurship grotech)

links for 2009-07-10

• The history of venture capital
  Some time ago I listened to this lecture by Spencer Ante, on his book Creative Capital, and have been meaning to blog about it.

  Q: When did the business model for VC take shape? In other words, when did people become convinced that money should be pooled specifically to invest in small companies developing products based on new technology? What were the first VC funds?

  A: Ante claims the first VC fund was Georges Doriot's ARDC founded in 1946. Judging from the size of funds raised even 40 years later, it took a long time for investors controlling large pools of money (i.e., pension funds, endowments) to become convinced about the model.

  
  
  (tags: vc)
  
  

links for 2009-07-09

• 33 Tips & Tactics for Generating Names
  Over the last decade we have generated new names for hundreds of companies, products and services. Here are some of the shortcuts, thought-starters and mental prods we've observed along the way.
  (tags: Brands naming)
• Court: IP Addresses Are Not 'Personally Identifiable' Information
  In a ruling that could fuel debate about online privacy, a federal judge in Seattle has held that IP addresses are not personal information. "In order for 'personally identifiable information' to be personally identifiable, it must identify a person. But an IP address identifies a computer," U.S. District Court Judge Richard Jones said in a written decision.
  (tags: security)

links for 2009-07-07

• Start-Ups Say Innovation Doesn't Grow on Trees
  Biotechnology start-ups have long relied on grants from the National Institutes of Health to fund the research-and-development process for new drugs, medical devices and disease treatments. Every year, the agency is required by law to set aside 2.8 percent of its research budget -- $650 million in 2009 -- for small businesses and the commercialization of technologies developed at universities. But when nearly $10 billion in stimulus funds went to the NIH, a last-minute change in the legislation exempted the agency from the requirement. That means the NIH does not have an obligation to reserve a portion of the money to small businesses.
  (tags: vc)
• If the Internet was a nation, who would be its president?
  Since this is the time of year when we celebrate the founding of the United States as a nation on July 4, 1776 and since the Internet has become an ad-hoc nation of its own with over a billion citizens, it’s the perfect time to have a little fun and speculate about who the people of the Internet would choose if they could elect a leader. Others have joked about this idea in the past. Now it’s time to get serious — or at least as serious as you can for a mock election. I’d like to nominate four candidates for the fictional office of President of the Internet. All four are very talented individuals that have a vision of where the Internet needs to go and each would lead the Internet into an even brighter future.
  (tags: internet)

links for 2009-07-06

• TheFind Displays VeriSign in Search Results
  t Internet Retailer 2009 in Boston, TheFind announced that it is integrating the VeriSign Secured Seal into their search results. TheFind - who delivers a comprehensive shopping search engine with over 350 million products from more than 500,000 stores - is the first search engine to address online shoppers' need to trust merchants by incorporating the VeriSign seal directly into its search results.
  (tags: security buysafe verisign thefind ecommerce)
• Judge to acquit mom in MySpace suicide
  A federal judge on Thursday tentatively threw out the convictions of a Missouri mother for her role in a MySpace hoax directed at a 13-year-old neighbor girl who ended up committing suicide. U.S. District Judge George Wu said he was tentatively acquitting Lori Drew of misdemeanor counts of accessing computers without authorization. Drew was convicted in November, but the judge said that if she is to be found guilty of illegally accessing computers, anyone who has ever violated the social networking site's terms of service would be guilty of a misdemeanor.
  (tags: security MySpace crime)

links for 2009-07-04

• Teacher Gives Sex Tape To 5th Graders On DVD
  A local teacher accidentally put pornography into a DVD that was meant to be filled with school memories from the past year, and nobody caught the error until after it was sent home, shocking parents and students alike. Parents of students who attend Isabelle Jackson Elementary said that the woman is a good teacher, but just made a mistake that may become the most embarrassing moment of their life.
  (tags: stupid)

links for 2009-07-02

• Mozilla Pushes the Web Forward With Firefox 3DOT5
  Mozilla Firefox 3.5 is the culmination of nearly a year-long quest to build a browser for the next version of the web. And while it’s not perfect, it comes very, very close. The open-source browser is now available for download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Originally envisioned as a quick follow-up to 2008’s release of Firefox 3.0, Mozilla ended up packing in quite a few extra features into its flagship browser and spent months making sure that Firefox 3.5 was the fastest, most powerful Firefox yet.
  (tags: mozilla Firefox browser)
• Best Marketing, Customer-Service Tool Is the Product Review
  Last fall, executives from Oriental Trading Co. read a product review from a woman planning her autumn wedding complaining that her order of fall leaves didn't look anything like the picture on the website. The execs went straight to the warehouse, pulled the product and compared for themselves. She was right -- it didn't look the same. The explanation: The company had recently switched vendors for that particular product, and the new vendor's version wasn't up to snuff. So the company pulled it.
  (tags: reviews ecommerce)

links for 2009-07-01

• 10 Great Places for Entrepreneurs to Retire
  Entrepreneurs never really retire. They move on to their next project. Just ask Linda Remeschatis, 60, a former prosecutor in Madison, Wis., who turned her passion for local food and art into a second career. In 1998, at age 50, she left the public sector to launch her own E-commerce business, Wisconsinmade.com, an online food and gift store selling products made in her home state by local artisans. She now manages five employees and three regular consultants. Since the business doesn't have a physical storefront, most of the employees work remotely or on the ground floor of Remeschatis's home, overlooking the deer and birds in her backyard. It took Remeschatis six years to turn a profit selling cheese, chocolate, and art online, and she still makes less money than she did as an attorney, but she enjoys the work. "You don't mind it as much because you are doing it for yourself and for your family and to grow business for our artisans," she says. "And we get to taste-test."
• Sentence Puts Madoff into 100-Year-Plus Group
  When Judge Denny Chin sentenced Bernard Madoff to 150 years in prison, he catapulted him into a small class of white collar criminals facing more than a century behind bars..

  The sentence far exceeded those in some massive corporate fraud cases. WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years, Enron Chief Executive Jeff Skilling got 24 years, and Adelphia Chief Financial Officer Timothy Rigas got 20 years, but that was later reduced to 17.

  Other 100-year-plus sentences include:

  
  
  (tags: crime)