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NORAD TRACKS SANTA SINCE 1955
Source: K Adamson/Norad web site
For more than 50 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa. The tradition began on Christmas Eve in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special "hotline" included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup had his staff check radar data for any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa's location. Thus, the tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for the North American continent called the North American Air Defense Command, known as NORAD. NORAD inherited the tradition of tracking Santa.
Since that time, Canadian and American men and women who work at NORAD have responded to phone calls from children personally. Additionally, media from all over the world call NORAD on Christmas Eve for updates on Santa's location. Last year this Website was visited by millions of people who wanted to know Santa's whereabouts.
NORAD relies on many volunteers to help make Santa tracking possible. Hundreds of volunteers spend part of their Christmas Eve at the Santa Tracking Operations Center answering phones and emails to provide Santa updates to thousands of inquiring children worldwide.
HOW DO THEY DO IT?
NORAD uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft.
Detecting Santa all starts with the NORAD radar system called the North Warning System. This powerful radar system has 47 installations strung across the northern border of North America. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
To track Santa this Christmas and to learn more about the Norad Tracks Santa program visit NoradTracksSanta.org
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Kerr Adamson is Internet Services Developer for Innovation Networks
Information taken from Norad Tracks Santa web site. |
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A Special announcement from our President & CEO
Welcome to Innovation Networks monthly newsletter. Many exciting things have been happening over the past few months and I wanted to take this opportunity to pass along the news.
As some of you know I have been an owner of Innovation Networks for the last two years. As of October 25th, 2007, I am now the sole share holder of Innovation Networks and will continue on to run the company with great emphasis on investing in the betterment of service delivery and greater overall company health. My previous partners Dan and Norma Stratton have decided to move on and pursue other business opportunities; having established Innovation Networks 11 years ago they gave excellent customer service and support and will be greatly missed by all our staff and clients. We wish them the best of luck on their new ventures.
We have also moved to a larger office space here in Richmond, incorporating our two previous offices. Our new office allows room for our expanding staff as well as providing better access to our clients. Our new address is 230- 3771 Jacombs Road in Richmond, please feel free to call and schedule a tour anytime if interested.
Innovation Networks has been refocused for the last couple of years on our current trend of retooling our company to a Managed Service provider. We have strived to provide our small and medium sized clients with the technologies and expertise only previously available to enterprise clients. Our current product offering provides management solutions for almost all aspects of your Information Technology requirements and we are committed to continuing to improve these offerings.
Current product improvements include, a more extensive and powerful ticketing system, better asset tracking system, as well as a client relations manager. We expect to have these features tested and launched within the next quarter. The launch of our Global Management System for SonicWALL firewalls allows us to better manage client SonicWALL’s and provide our clients with better reporting services on demand. Also improved is our Corporate backup solution which has recently been officially relaunched, doing away with the 30GB offsite backup limitations. Combined with our incremental forever and fast bit technology, backups have become more reliable, efficient and cost effective. Along with these new products we are continuing to research and test various other products.
If we have never had the opportunity to speak or meet, please feel free to contact me through the office and I will happily introduce myself as well as answer any questions you might have.
President and CEO
Andreas Karakas |
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From the Tech Bench - Some Different Gift Suggestions
With Christmas fast approaching and many of us still having no idea what to buy our loved ones we thought we would do a bit of digging and see if we could come up with some unique and different present suggestions so you can look good on Christmas day.
FOR THE KID IN ALL OF US - HORIZON HYDROGEN GENERATING CAR
Want a unique toy for the kids this Christmas. Check out Hydrocar! This neat hydrogen powered car uses an on-board reversible Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell to conduct the entire hydrogen-generating and electrolytic process. You can watch as oxygen and hydrogen gases are formed in two transparent containers in the back of the hydrogen vehicle. The car's fuel cell unit combines water electrolysis and fuel cell functions into one device. For more information visit the distributors website
FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING - LARGEST SWISS ARMY KNIFE IN THE WORLD
The largest Swiss Army knife in the world, holder of the Guinness World Record is on sale! This unique Swiss Army Knife has 87 precision-engineered tools with 112 functions. The price is $1,199.95 and inventory is limited. So you should hurry, if you want to own this over the top pocket knife (you need a large pocket). For more information visit the distributors website.
FOR THE WIRELESS FANATIC IN YOUR HOUSE - WI-FI DETECTOR T-SHIRT
For the wireless fanatic in your house, a cool new black t-shirt with a useful functionality. The Wi-Fi Detector T-shirt as the name already implies shows the signal strength of available Wi-Fi hotspots near you. The Wi-Fi Detector T-Shirt can detect 802.11b and 802.11g networks. The rings around the tower on the T-shirt logo light-up depending on the signal strength. For more information visit the distributors website.
The above suggestions are just a hint of some of the unusual gift ideas that are out there. Looking for more gift suggestions, check out our Recommends section this month. Please note: Innovation Networks is in no way affiliated with or responsible for any of the producs listed below. |
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10 TIPS FOR ENJOYING A MERRY & GREEN CHRISTMAS
Christmas is an enjoyable time of year for most of us and thinking about the garbage we generate is probably not on the top of our "Must Do" lists. But with a little effort and creative thinking, we can all enjoy the season and be happy that we didn't contribute to the world's trash heaps, locally or not.
01: Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year. Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for holiday gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don't need a bag for small or oversized purchases.
02: Send recycled-content greeting cards to reduce the amount of virgin paper used during the holidays. Remember to recycle any paper cards you receive. You can also try sending electronic greeting cards to reduce paper waste.
03: Approximately 33 million live Christmas trees are sold in North America every year. After the holidays, look for ways to recycle your tree instead of sending it to a landfill. Check with your community solid waste department and find out if they collect and mulch trees. Your town might be able to use chippings from mulched trees for hiking trails and beachfront erosion barriers.
04: About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run.
05: Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will not only save energy, but will also help your lights last longer.
06: More than 80,000 tons of old clothes are thrown away over Christmas - if you get a whole new wardrobe, donate your unwanted clothes to charity shops.
07: To help prevent waste from cutting down and disposing of live trees, you can buy a potted tree and plant it after the holidays.
08: Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less durable items often wear out quickly, creating waste and costing you money.
09: Use your own camera instead of a disposable one to reduce waste while capturing holiday memories. Consider buying a digital camera so that you don't have to use film and only print the pictures you want to keep.
10: Have a create-your-own-decorations party! Invite family and friends to create and use holiday decorations such as ornaments made from old greeting cards or cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcorn or cranberries, wreaths made from artificial greens and flowers, and potpourri made from kitchen spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
B.C.'s Waste-o-Meter is Ticking!
The Waste-O-Meter is a gauge that shows how much waste goes into BC’s landfills through the Municipal Solid Waste System. You can check out the Waste-o-Meter at the Recycling Council of British Columbia web site and watch how fast it grows. |
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THIS MONTH'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
 HP PHOTOSMART D7460 PHOTO PRINTER
The HP Photosmart D7460 Printer series is designed for busy users wanting the flexibility to be able to print wirelessly, via Bluetooth, from memory card and using interactive touchscreen – with blazing speeds and the economy of six individual inks.
OUR PRICE:
 HP PHOTOSMART R967 DIGITAL CAMERA
The HP Photosmart R967 Digital Camera is designed for families who want a stylish metal camera with high 10 MP resolution, a clear large display and the ability to get creative with photos.
OUR PRICE:
HP has been an innovator in Printing and imaging for years, Innovation Networks Highly recommends their Photo Printers and Cameras for their ease of use and incredible compatibility across many Operating System and Computer Platforms.
Daryl Seed - V.P. of Operations
*Installation and Setup are not included. Innovation Networks can provide you with an estimate depending on the platform and options you choose to implement. Call us today for more details. |
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POWER TIP - WINDOWS XP - CHANGE YOUR START MENU STYLE :
Note: This tip is for both Windows XP Home and Professional.
Does the new Windows XP Start menu take up too much space on your desktop? You can easily change the look back to the Windows Classic Start menu by following these steps:
Here’s how:
1: Right–click the Start button, and then click Properties.
2: Click Classic Start menu.
3: Click the Customize button to select items to display on the Start menu.
By default, selecting the Classic Start menu also adds the My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer icons to your desktop.
POWER TIP - MS WORD - EFFORTLESS AUTOTEXT:
Effortless AutoText – Save time by inserting AutoText automatically. Type an entry name and press [F3]. Or take advantage of Word's AutoComplete feature. Just open the Tools menu, select AutoCorrect, click the AutoText tab, and turn on the Show AutoComplete Tip For AutoText And Dates option. With this feature active, Word will show a ScreenTip after you begin typing an AutoText item. Just press [Enter] and Word will insert the item for you. (This feature works the same way with dates and days of the week.).
GO BACK TO LAST EDITED LOCATION - MS WORD
One of the confounding things about Word is that when you reopen a document you've been working on, it puts you back at the top of the document. Unlike Excel, which takes you to the spot where you left off last time, Word's short-term memory always wants to start you off at the beginning again. You can work around this if you press [Shift][F5] as soon as the document opens. [Shift][F5] is the Go Back shortcut, which cycles you between your four most recent edits during a Word session. But if you can remember to hit it immediately after opening a document, Word will jump to the last thing you changed before saving and closing that doc.
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47TH ANNUAL CAROL SHIPS PARADE OF LIGHTS
Boat owners from around Greater Vancouver decorate their vessels and cruise around the waters of Vancouver Harbour. On peak evenings, this holiday tradition has grown to more than 80 decorated boats, with in excess of 150,000 lights, and carries over 45,000 people during the 23 night festival. Don't miss this lively and colourful event.
When: December 1st to 23rd, 2007.
Where: Vancouver Harbour
For more information call 604-878-8999 or go to the web site for more information.
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Where can you be mesmerized by more than a million glittering lights, serenaded by choirs singing seasonal favourites, meet merry old Saint Nick & pander to tempting treats? The Festival of Lights creates an enchanted wonderland illuminated by more than a million lights spread over 12 acres of VanDusen Garden.
When: 4:30 to 9 p.m. every night, December 7th, 2007 through January 1st, 2008 except December 25th when the Garden is closed.
Where: VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Vancouver.
For more information call 604.878.9274 or visit the web site for more information.
BRIGHT NIGHTS IN STANLEY PARK
More than a million twinkling lights transform the forest, train and Children's Farmyard. Explore the woodland paths leading to enchanting, animated displays and holiday sounds. A Christmas family tradition for over 20 years, the train wends its way through the forest past Santa's workshop, an international village and the much loved Moose in the middle of the glistening waterway. The Vancouver Park Board and the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund have together created nights of magic and illumination in the middle of wondrous Stanley Park.
When: 3:00 to 10 p.m. daily, November 30th, 2007 through January 3rd, 2008 except December 25th.
Where: Stanley Park, Vancouver.
For more information call 604-280-4444 or visit the web site for more information.
RICHMOND CHORUS PRESENTS “CHRISTMAS TREASURES”
Richmond Chorus presents “Christmas Treasures”, their traditional Christmas-tide concerts of carols old and new, with seasonal readings and audience singing on Saturday, December 15 at 7:30pm, & Sunday December 16 at 2:30pm at Gilmore Park United Church in Richmond. The program includes the “Musicological Journey Through the 12 Days of Christmas”, a charming exploration of music starting from 6th Century France, through the baroque period, to modern America with a rousing Sousa march! Come and share the spirit of the season with us!
When: December 15th at 7:30pm, and Sunday December 16th.
Where: Gilmore Park United Church, 8060 No. 1 Road, Richmond.
For information visit the website.
LOCAL FARMERS MARKET SOCIETY 12TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY MARKET
(formerly known as the Winter Market)
Your local Farmers Market Society invites you to the 12th annual Holiday Market.Join nearly 100 vendors over 2 days offering only the best in locally made quality crafts and delicious food items for your holiday table and gift giving. Each day is different! Shop at your favourite vendors from the 4 Summer Markets around Vancouver
When: December 15th & 16th, 2007. 10am - 5pm both days
Where: Heritage Hall, (Main Street and 15th Avenue) Vancouver. Admission: $2 each day Children under 13 FREE!
For more information visit: web site.
VOC SOUL GOSPEL CHOIR - SOUL GOSPEL CHRISTMAS 2007
The 130-member choir featuring men and women of all ages, ethnicities and religions, will perform high-energy, six-part harmony and merge the melodies of soul, gospel, R&B, jazz, Hawaiian, calypso and reggae into a soulful performance of seasonal favorites. The vibrant delivery results in an audience that can’t resist joining in by toe tapping, foot stomping, jumping, singing, dancing and hand clapping!
When: December 22nd, 2007
Where: Glad Tidings Church, 3456 Fraser Street, Vancouver.
Call 604-876-3363 or visit the web site.
WINTER HARP IN CONCERT
Join this world-class ensemble for a concert of heartwarming carols, songs and stories in celebration of the Christmas and winter season. The musicians, in medieval attire, perform a hauntingly beautiful collection of music from well-known carols to Celtic, medieval and even flamenco. Dozens of candles light the stage, providing a backdrop for the golden Celtic and classical harps, drums, tambourines, temple bells, violin and an assortment of rare 12th century instruments.
When: 7:30 pm December 22nd, 2007
Where: St. Andrews Wesley Church, 1022 Nelson at Burrard, Vancouver.
Call 604-231-7535 or for more information visit the web site.
BALLET BC & MOSCOW CLASSICAL BALLET: NUTCRACKER
The world-renowned Moscow Ballet will celebrate its 15th anniversary this holiday season. With its all-Russian cast, known for exquisite dancing and choreography by Artistic Director Anatoli Emelianov, spectacular scenic design by Valentin Fedorov, the Great Russian Nutcracker is the must-see production of 2007. This is pure classical ballet, with its roots firmly planted in the rich tradition of grand Russian ballet. The hand-painted sets are nothing less than magnificent, the choreography brings the athleticism of dance to a whole new level, and the music is beyond moving -- but it's the larger-than-life puppets, measuring some 12-feet high, that will keep even the youngest audience members riveted.
When: December 23rd to December 30th, 2007. Various times
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre. 649 Cambie Street, Vancouver
For more information visit the web site.
ELLIE KING'S CINDERELLA - TRADITIONAL BRITISH PANTO
Fabulous singing, sparkling costumes, magical special effects and fairy-tale sets surround the talented cast of "Cinderella - the British Pantomime" this Christmas. The stage of the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey will be filled to overflowing with fun and merriment as The Ugly Sisters bandy words with Buttons; the Wicked Stepmother Grimelda bullies poor, beautiful Cinderella and the forces of Good and Evil do battle over the fate of the world's favourite heroine.
When: December 23rd, 2007 to January 5th, 2008. Various times
Where: Bell Performing Arts Centre, 6250 - 144th Street, Surrey.
Tickets include complimentary "Red Carpet Reception" and are on sale at the Bell Box Office Call 604-507-6355 for more information or visit the web site.
LIST YOUR EVENT OR CONCERT: Would you like to see your special event or concert listed here? Contact us via email ( leave the subject intact please) with the details in the format above and we will be happy to try and accommodate you. All entries must be submitted by the 24th day or earlier of each month to be considered for inclusion in the following month's newsletter. Innovation Networks reserves the right to publish/not publish any third party content within our newsletter. Submission of an event or concert is no guarantee that your event will be listed. |
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Innovation Networks is here to help you, we are focused on providing an industry leading Service and Support program for all your company´s computer needs.
 Innovation Networks has been the recipient of the Consumers´ Choice Award for Business Excellence for 6 years in a row: 2001–2007.
Providing full service computer support for companies across Canada for the past 11 years, we are a full technology solution offering quality service and experience in corporate environments.
Here is a list of services we offer:
• Onsite on Demand Computer and Networks Services
• Real-time UpTime Network Monitoring and Management
• UpTime Onsite/Off-site Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
• Urban Mail - Email Marketing, Antispam and Antivirus Email Management
• Hardware, Software, and Accessory Sales, Cabling, Printer Maintenance
• Perl/PHP/Other Software Development and Customization Services
• Dual Platform Web Hosting, Domain Services, Security Certificates
• Web, Graphic, Ezine Marketing, Web Design and Management Services
• Online Forms, Image Verification, Form Validation Search Engine Optimization
For more details call us at 604 - 275 - 5100 and visit us at: www.innovationnetworks.com |
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