We're reflecting on #VARTECH2024 one last time! Was it our biggest show ever? What was the theme, and how did William Shatner, Florida Man memes, and TED Conversations fit in? What were the hot technologies on the exhibit floor, in education sessions, and during the ISV and Solution presentations? Did BlueStar engineer a rocket launch just for their attendees? It's the episode that wonders why we do this to ourselves every year!

#VARValue - For VARs that didn’t attend, what did you learn that anyone can use?

Follow BlueStar on YouTube to see VARTECH videos and much more! https://www.youtube.com/@BlueStarinc

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - Pocket-sized nuclear battery

John - The continued down-spiral of X/Twitter

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo IDS 04/54 Series

Once again, we took our show on the road to VARTECH in Orlando, Florida, to discuss websites and social media and how they can impact your business. James Korte gives us a breakdown of what "good" websites should contain and what they should do. What are some common pitfalls and mistakes? Is there a right way to do social media? Finally, we wrap up by gently critiquing some sites submitted by our audience.

#VARValue - Check out the sites we reviewed!

• https://www.digi-trax.com/
• https://www.posperpanama.com/
• https://technicalservicesgd.com/

Check out the YouTube video to follow along with our website reviews: https://youtu.be/xDtuNQXAvTA

TEConnecting with us:

James - Runway AI video

Dean - Bark Air

John - Are restaurant kiosks leading to smaller orders?

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo Quick Ship Program

**We're off this week, recovering from #VARTECH2024, but as a prelude to the episode we recorded there on website design and social media, here's a flashback to one of our most popular episodes with Barcoding's Krystal Cotriss! See you next week with a new ep!** Originally released July 21, 2022

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Having smart content, a strong message, and an understanding of your audience is a great place to start marketing, but without great design, it’s just so many words. We turned to an expert, Krystal Cotriss, Lead Designer & Content Strategist with Barcoding, Inc., who stresses the importance of design to attracting customers, making a good impression, and driving engagement. She’ll help us explore free or low-cost tools anyone with little to no experience could use, from photos to fonts and beyond. We’re also talking website design (one of John’s pet peeves) and some design aesthetics and clichés that Krystal is “over.” Check out her post and bookmark all of the handy links!

#VARValue – Let’s say someone is looking to hire a designer or employ some freelancers. What should they be looking for, asking about, or expecting?

Krystal's blog with a plethora of free resources: https://krystalcarpintieri.medium.com/free-design-resources-for-designers-marketers-more-e6b8bb3dbf0e

Kel Lauren's Best Free Design Resources: https://youtu.be/myYwUoXfxt4

TEConnecting with us:

Krystal - Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus

Dean - Cancer Genome Scanner & Companies Making the Most Money Per Second

John - Alexa speaking as the voice of a deceased loved one

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

As POS evolves, so does the need for receipt printers to keep up with modern hardware, software, unique use cases, new types of commerce, and myriad connectivity options. That presents many potential problems, which Star Micronics' Kate Orara & Bill Shuff are here to tackle! What's happening with interfaces? How do tablets change printing needs? What happens to device management across multiple locations? What about peripherals? It's the episode that's getting hangry.

#VARValue - How does Star's mC-Print3 series solve these problems?

TEConnecting with us:

Bill - Sustainability, bioplastics & seaweed

Kate - Gen Z leading the use of sick days

Dean - $16K humanoid robot

John - Farmers need reliable connectivity, too

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Star Micronics mC-Print3 Thermal Receipt Printer

Elo I-Series 3

Mobile devices are as standard in the workplace as in our personal lives, so we turned to an expert—Zebra's Eric Hilton—to investigate the market, potential opportunities, and the results of a recent BlueStar Nation survey of Field Service Companies. How have consumer devices affected the enterprise market? What challenges and problems do field technicians say they encounter more from rugged devices? When and how should VARs position CBRS-enabled devices?

#VARValue - How does Zebra's Mobility DNA platform help VARs win business and keep it?

TEConnecting with us:

Eric - How AI makes us more efficient

Dean - North Korean trash balloons

John - Scientists creating real-life Dune "stillsuits"

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Zebra-Sponsored Field Service Survey

Elo Pay 7"

John & Dean have more hot topics and deep dives to get you through the holiday weekend and break the ice at your next team meeting.

• What’s going on with Amazon drones?
• What US cities have the highest rent?
• What cities are most polluted?
• Who are the world’s most sustainable companies?
• What bands put together the best single-show setlist?
• What are the best US states to retire to?
• Starter homes that cost how much?

It’s the episode that’s perfectly happy right where it is.

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - Reasons to love America

John - Record-setting Chinese bridge/tunnel system

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Elo Outdoor Solutions

Intel has been increasingly investing in our channel, but what does their interest in VARs and solution integrators mean? This week, Intel’s VP of Global Distribution & Partner Sales, David Guzzi, shares his insights as someone with experience in the channel. What’s changed, and how is it impacting Intel’s market strategy? What has surprised him about working with VARs? Why partner with Intel, and what do they bring to VARs to help them find and win business?

#VARValue - How is Intel helping drive solutions & outcome-based selling to VARs and integrators with their education programs?

Join Intel's Partner Alliance! https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/partner-alliance/overview.html

TEConnecting with us:

David - How AI is impacting soccer

Dean - Joby Aviation - hydrogen-electric air taxis

John - Using chatbots to combat phone scammers

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Intel/Toshiba TCx-900

7” Elo Pay

The robots are here and moving into the reseller channel, but what does that mean for you? Intel’s Robotics Specialist, Milt Walker, joins the show to share his insights into the market and where there may already be opportunities for VARs willing to add robots to your offerings. What industries and use cases are easy fits for robots? What are some common objections to buying/selling robots? How can VARs turn robotics into recurring revenue and demonstrate ROI for their customers?

#VARValue—Entering the robotics market might not be right for every VAR. What recommendations or checkpoints should they consider to determine if robotics are the right fit for their tech stack, and how does Intel support them?

TEConnecting with us:

Milt - James Webb telescope

Dean - Robots w/living tissue faces?

John - Lego moon bricks

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe

Sponsored by:

Intel/Toshiba TCx-900

Elo Quick Ship