Premier Airport with Premier Services
The General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport (PIA) has had quite a run. Travelers are thrilled with the state-of-the-art facility’s single-level concourse, modern décor and spacious passenger areas. And with service to 10 destinations on four airlines, the airport has enjoyed back-to-back record-breaking years. But now, when you Fly PIA, you can upgrade your experience even further… with premier services.
A Quiet Time Out
Make the most of your time in the airport by joining the PIA Premier Lounge. Read the paper and enjoy complimentary water or coffee while relaxing in comfortable leather seats. Catch up on emails in one of the semi-private work stations, or decompress with a few minutes of TV. No matter how you spend your quiet time, the in-room monitors will keep you appraised of your flight status. A keycard, which may be shared with colleagues or family, provides access to this oasis.
We’ve Got Your Spot
Parking at PIA is always free—no matter how long you’re away—but you can make travel one step simpler by joining PIA’s Premier Parking Club. Leave your vehicle in this well-lit, secure lot just a short walk from the terminal and ticket counters, and enjoy peace of mind, knowing you can grab your luggage and easily get to your car. Your parking card is transferrable and may be shared by coworkers, family and associates, and also allows entrance into the Premier Lounge.
Convenient Meeting Space
Whether you’re looking for a unique location for an off-site meeting, or need a close and convenient meeting place for out-of-town clients, the PIA Premier Conference Suite fits the bill. This 830-square-foot room has modular-style seating/tables for up to 24 guests and includes computer data ports and coffee service. Using the suite for the entire day? Bring in a caterer of your choice, or coordinate food and beverage services with the airport restaurant. Remember that anyone can book the Premiere Conference Suite—you don’t need to be traveling. Whether you’re flying for business or pleasure… PIA’s premier amenities are upgrades anyone can enjoy.
Pricing and other information on Premier Services is available by calling (309) 697-8272.
A Cryptographic Ransom Note
The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers of a malware program that can access your personal computer and hold it hostage. A release by the Federal Trade Commission explains that “Cryptolocker” encrypts all your personal documents, photos and files so you can no longer open them. Con artists then demand money in order to give you access again.
The FTC reports that Cryptolocker is spread mostly through downloads by way of email. The email might look like a normal message from an authentic company, similar to a tracking notice from a shipping company. However, when you click the hyperlink in the email, Cryptolocker encrypts everything on your hard drive and in your shared folders. Once the software has accessed all your files, a “ransom note” appears asking for payment via Bitcoin or another anonymous payment method—and there is no other way to unlock the files other than to pay. The scammer uses an encryption key as a bargaining tool, but there is no guarantee the con artist will honor their word and return access.
The best way to avoid getting dangerous malware on your computer is to:
- Back up your files through “cold storage.” If you have a clean backup the malware can’t reach, you can get your files back. Back up your files with an external hard drive and keep it unplugged from your main hard drive when you’re not using it.
- Research before you click. Before clicking on an unknown link or popup, take the time to research the company sending you the message by going to bbb.org.
- Don’t believe the message. To persuade you to click a virus-laden link, con artists must earn your trust. They try to accomplish this by composing convincing-looking messages that entice people to click the advertisement.
- Protect your personal information. Don’t provide personal or credit card information to an unknown company or website. If you’re thinking of purchasing something from a website, there are various browser features indicating that security software is in place, such as “https” instead of “http,” and a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Protect your computer. Updates to your operating system can be automatically installed by enabling the option in your computer’s security center. Keep all antivirus software up-to-date and make sure all security patches and updates are installed for programs that access the Internet.
Celebrate Our Cultures Combined!
Ever since Columbus set sail on a Passage to India—a journey which led to the discovery of the Americas—this country has been a great melting pot of cultures from around the world. People of all races, colors, religions and ethnicities have brought their talents and rich cultural heritage, with a dream to build their lives and legacies in this great nation. Passage to India is a celebration of our cultures combined—a celebration of freedom, democracy, discovery, expression, and the strength of diversity.
Passage to India began in 2007 and remains true to its original purpose: to raise funds for children with disabilities while maintaining a tradition of Indian culture and cuisine. Today, it has become a destination cultural event, attracting participants from throughout the region, across the country and around the world. Hosted in the nation’s heartland, this iconic event is led by the Asian-Indian community in central Illinois, while engaging a sizeable, dedicated and diverse team of volunteers.
The eighth annual Passage to India will be held in Peoria on Friday, May 2, 2014. The day will begin with a Leadership Summit that will include global leaders from business, government, science and the arts. The theme of this year’s Summit, to be held at the world-class Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center, is “Innovation and Collaboration.” It will be headlined by a diverse group of local, national and international leaders, including Steve Wunning, group president, Caterpillar Inc; Bharat Balasubramanian, retired vice president, Mercedes-Benz; Paul Nunes, global managing director, Accenture Institute for High Performance; and Dr. John Vozenilek, chief medical director, Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center.
The featured speaker is Vijay Govindarajan, best-selling co-author of Reverse Innovation and one of the world’s leading experts on strategy and innovation, who was ranked the top Indian management thinker in the latest Thinkers 50 rankings. Govindarajan, professor of international business in the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, will also receive the 2014 Passage to India – Banyan Tree Award to recognize his lifetime accomplishments and exemplary contributions in innovative and sustainable strategies for growth in global business. The Banyan Tree Award is named for the national tree of India, a symbol of wisdom with intricately linked roots and branches that symbolize unity.
Passage to India will culminate that evening with a reception at the Peoria Civic Center, followed by authentic Indian cuisine, culture and entertainment as more than 1,000 guests are treated to a glimpse into India’s spectacular wedding traditions. Central Illinois is proud to host this premier event celebrating Indian-American culture and promoting greater appreciation of our rich cultural diversity, all while helping to advance the important work of Easter Seals in the lives of children with disabilities and their families.
For more information, call (309) 686-7755, x2287, or visit
es-passagetoindia.com.
Healthy Alternatives to Everyday Foods and Additives
As I have learned about the benefits of eating healthier and making small changes in my diet to promote better immunity, fight against cancer, lower cholesterol and keep blood pressure within normal ranges… I have learned all it takes is simple changes in everyday foods. Here is a list of five things you can do to add additional nutrients to you and your child’s diet:
- Switch to organic salted or unsalted butter. Organic butter is free from hormones and chemicals; regular butter stores many of the chemicals that animals were exposed to. Organic butter has nutrients rich in Vitamins A, E and K, which are vital for adrenal and thyroid function. Organic butter contains linoleic acid—vital for bone growth, immunity and good bacteria.
- Replace table salt with unrefined sea salt. Table salt is bleached, refined and stripped of all nutrients. Sea Salt has alkaline agents for cancer prevention; helps with asthma and eczema; is healthier for the heart (in moderation); and builds immunity.
- Raw organic cheese. It’s great for homemade macaroni and cheese; free of antibiotics and growth hormones; enriched with Vitamins A, E and D; five times higher in linoleic acid; and contains Omega 3 for healthy hearts and immunity.
- Go gluten-free. Replace wheat-enriched breads, pastas and cereals with certified gluten-free products, which are readily available at many grocery stores. Eliminating gluten improves concentration levels and will help with stomachaches, diarrhea, eczema, skin issues, inflammation, bloating, headache and fatigue. There are many reasons to go gluten-free, and many resources out there that explains why. One great read is the Yeast Connection Book.
- Replace refined sugars with stevia, raw sugar, agave nectar, honey, organic maple syrup or (especially) molasses. The first thing they tell cancer patients is to eliminate sugar—cancer feeds off of sugars. Begin the switch to healthier alternatives to help with immunity. Raw cane sugar contains calcium, magnesium and riboflavin. Molasses contains Vitamin B6 and 20 percent of the recommended DV of iron; use it to help with kidney function, help reduce fevers and boost protein levels.
Source: therealhousewifeoftazewellcounty.blogspot.com
Manufacturing Makeover
The U.S. Department of Defense recently awarded $70 million to UI Labs of Chicago to form the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute. The $320-million, Chicago-based DMDI will be a digital hub—the first of its kind—working to reimagine American manufacturing by helping businesses make use of new industry innovations. With an emphasis on defense manufacturers, the DMDI will focus on digital manufacturing and design, allowing U.S. companies to generate better products at higher production rates and lower costs. For more information, visit uilabs.org.
The Patent Hierarchy
IFI CLAIMS Patent Services has released its annual tally of the top U.S. patent recipients. IFI reports the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a record-breaking 277,835 utility patents in 2013, the most issued in a single year and a 10 percent increase over 2012. U.S. companies in the Top 50 include IBM (#1 for the 21st year in a row, with 6,809 patents), Microsoft (#5), Qualcomm (#9), Google (#11) and Apple (#13). To see what other companies topped the chart, visit ificlaims.com.
High-Tech Predictions
While the next big tech trends can’t always be predicted with great accuracy, JP Gownder of Forrester Research recently offered some interesting thoughts. Among them, Gownder suggests consumer loyalty to specific tech players (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft) will end as consumers “trade off between multiple devices and find ways to thrive across operating systems.” Computerized assistants like Siri will become more useful—across lots of apps in many different ways. Gesture computing will hit the enterprise, following the success of Leap Motion and the Microsoft Kinect, and finally, retail stores will start to get personal: “2014 will be the year in which you walk into a store and it ‘knows you’ and customizes your visit,” says Gownder. iBi
