These 5 Smartphone Apps Will Save You Time

April 13th, 2012

You juggle many projects at once, every second of your day is booked, and you feel like you are on the road more then you are at home. You don’t have time for smartphone apps that waste time, and you don’t have the time to waste to dig through thousands to discover the few that will save you time. Fortunately, we’ve found some apps for you. Listed below are 5 apps bound to simplify your life.

Top 5 Business Apps

  1. WhosHere: If a deadline is quickly approaching and you are needing a freelancer, WhosHere enables you to find freelancers for hire in your area quickly. You can send out a search, and text or call any of the professionals that reply.
  2. Locale: It is embarrassing when your phone goes off in the middle of a movie, but what about in the middle of a board meeting? This never has to happen again if you use Locale. It enables you to select specific phone settings determined by location. So when you walk into your office or the library your phone automatically goes to vibrate.
  3. WaveSecure: One of the risks of traveling frequently is the chance of loosing your phone. This app allows you to lock your phone and backup the information stored on it remotely, as well as monitor its location through the SIM card. Talk about reassurance.
  4. Bump: It’s all about connections right? Well, Bump enables you to exchange contact information with someone by simply bumping both phones together. Say goodbye to post-tradeshow data entry.
  5. Scan2PDF Mobile: This app will let you scan reports, receipts, or any other documents on the go using your smartphone’s camera. You can then turn them into color PDFs and email them to your computer’s desktop.

I hope you find these apps useful!  If you’ve found an app that you don’t think you could live without, or at least have no desire to try living without, please share that with us.  We’d love to hear about it.

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The Life Impacts of Constant Connectivity

April 11th, 2012

Do you remember a time when you took your dog for a walk without texting, or watched a game with your friends without checking your email? It was called downtime and it was healthy for you. In this age of connectivity it appears as though that may be a thing of the past. Today having our devices with us at all times is not unusual, but is it healthy?

It’s extremely hard to argue that our gadgets—our smartphones, tablets and laptops—haven’t made our everyday life simpler. We can make dining reservations as we drive down the highway. If we’re lost, we can find directions on our smartphones. If we need recommendations on how to deal with our child’s fever, we can find medical advice by tapping the screen on our iPad.

But are we paying for this connectivity more then just monetarily? As we are always connected, we rarely, if ever, are alone with our ideas. Lots of people have wondered if this is negatively affecting the philosophical, pensive, aspect of humanity.

That is not a question we’ll explore here, but it’s something to think about. A more pressing question is, what is being continually plugged in doing to our health?

Always being connected takes its toll, whether it’s for work or for play. The human body needs time to rest, and not just when it’s asleep. If you find that you have trouble with being away from your phone, or have anxiety about not checking your mail, it may be time to shut off your devices.

While being connected helps grow relationships online it can harm ones offline. When you’re out with your friends and family members it may be good practice to unplug. It’s just too easy to text and check your email, forgetting to give the ones around you the attention they deserve.

If you are one that always has their gadget in their hand, think about how your life may being impacted by it. Try leaving it at home one day, or turning it off on the weekends. You may find that you are considerably more laid back because your brain is not focusing on more then just being present.

I know that some of this my be quite controversial and even difficult to swallow, but I would encourage you to try to “unplug” every once in an while.  What are your thoughts on the subject?

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5 Tips to Use Excel More Efficiently

April 6th, 2012

Are you gunning for a raise or a promotion? Perhaps you only want to stand out for job security. Regardless, this can be accomplished by impressing your supervisor, but how?

Well, you could use Excel. Excel is an extremely powerful program; there is a lot to master. We are not going to discuss everything you can do with Excel here, but you will learn a few ways to boost your efficiency and maybe get some acknowledgement as well.

  • Hiding Information: You may wonder why you would want to hide particular information in a spreadsheet. Well, imagine the spreadsheet which includes all your data about the company also has everyone’s salary. That is private information that you don’t want to reveal at the meeting. Simple hide the column or row by clicking the related number or letter to highlight it, then right-click on that highlighted row or column and select the Hide option from the popup menu. You may then Unhide the row or column in the same way once the meeting has ended.
  • Timestamping: If you wish to attach a date to your spreadsheet, you can use the Timestamp function. Just hold Ctrl as you press the semicolon key. If you want the current date and time hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys while pressing the semicolon.
  • A Better-Looking Spreadsheet: Perk up your spreadsheet with the use of Excel’s Themes option. This is found at the top on the Excel Ribbon. This feature provides you with a large variety of color schemes and fonts, or you could create your own and apply it to your spreadsheet.
  • Tracking Trends: This is only applicable for those who have a more current version of Excel. The feature is called Sparklines and with it you can create charts that show trends in the information in your spreadsheet. One way you can use this is to easily and quickly figure out how many software bundles your company’s salespeople sold in the first quarter of 2011.
  • Conditional Formatting: With conditional formatting, you can instantly customize the look of spreadsheet cells that meet certain conditions. For instance, a cell showing that product sales rose by more than 100 % in a given month could take on a different hue so that it quickly sticks out.

There are LOTS of additional ways to make Excel work for you.  I’d love for you to post your examples of what it can do.

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Protect Your Data by Being Aware of Security Challenges

April 4th, 2012

Technology is ever changing, and cyber-criminals will be ever adjusting to it. Recently, MIT’s Technology Review published an article concerning technology security threats that we should be aware of in 2012. As many of us devote a significant amount of time online, being familiar with these threats can help protect valuable data.

Stolen, Spoofed Certificates

One problem that the article mentioned is stolen or faked certificates. When you log into a website, your bank for instance, the traffic is encrypted with a “certificate”. This proves that the site can be trusted. The faking and stealing of these certificates was a popular strategy used by cyber-criminals in 2011. This can give them access to confidential information.

A Common Security Mechanism in Trouble?

Sites use certificates as a security measure more than any other means. If these are no longer viewed as trustworthy it could affect everyone, from the consumer, to the large company that is charged with protecting your information.

Another crucial security challenge that we should be aware of is “hacktivism”. “Hacktivism” is the combination of the words activism and hack. Groups like Anonymous and LulzSec target businesses that they feel are either guilty of wrongdoings or just wish to prove the companies have lax security. Whatever the reason, Technology Review says we should expect groups like these to continue their “hacktivism” well into the future.

Home Automation

The growing popularity of home automation also presents security risks in 2012. As Technology Review writes, a growing amount of automation systems connect alarm systems, thermostats, lights, and even the locks to homes’ front doors to the web. Consider the damage that hackers can do if they break into these systems.

All-in-all, the expansion of technological capabilities and our greater consumption of these technologies are creating additional opportunities for others to exploit them.  I make my living, and truly enjoy, using technology and I’m not trying to scare anyone.  But I do want make sure that you are aware of the vulnerabilities and do what you can to protect yourself.  If you need help, call the number above and we’ll see what we can do.

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The Development of the Computer

March 30th, 2012

What would life be like without a computer? It’s tough to imagine but it wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t have them. Now most people carry multiple computers, i.e. laptops, e-readers, and smartphones.

How did our culture go from no computers to having so much access to them in such a short period of time? George Dyson, a science historian, asks this question in his book, Turing’s Cathedral.

The son of scientist Freeman Dyson, George Dyson spent much of his life at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. The first digital computers were built here with the assistance of scientist Josh von Neumann.

If you read Turing’s Cathedral it will surprise you at just how much chance was involved in the production of the machines that led to computers. The book not only highlights the creation of the computer but also the personalities involved at the Princeton Institute. They weren’t always on the same page but managed to create the first digital computer regardless.

When great minds work on a project there are sure to be rivalries and heated arguments, the creation of the computer was no different. This book reveals that the individuals that worked on this project were geniuses, certainly not saints. Additionally there were some moral problems that the creators of the computer faced while working on this project, because the work they were doing had a close association with the U.S. nuclear weapons project.

You might have the notion that a history book about computers won’t just be dry but also full of technical jargon. This is not the case with Turing’s Cathedral; nearly everybody who use computers will find this book fascinating. And that is a lot of people today.  All-in-all, it’s an interesting read.  Let me know if you decide to tackle this book and I’d love to hear your reading recommendations as well.

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The Connected Car: Good or Bad

March 28th, 2012

As the world becomes more connected so do our cars. Cars such as the Audi A6, Ford Edge, and the Lincoln MKX allow people to surf the web when in their front seat. People may now, stream music, get up-to-date traffic information, but is all this access the best thing while driving? Generally it’s exciting to see technological advancements, however, when it comes to our safety on the highway can there be such a thing as too much connectivity?

Challenges of the Connected Car

The connected car is a bit worrisome. It’s well known that drivers become distracted when they text or chat on cell phones while driving. This leads to accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 80 percent of all traffic accidents involve some variety of driver inattention within three seconds of a crash. If texting and cell phones are distracting to drivers, think of how distracted motorists will be when either they or a passenger is watching streaming video of a cat slipping off a counter top.

Does Tech Distract Drivers?

Obviously drivers ought to concentrate on driving, and several things like eating, talking on their phone, even talking to a companion within the car can be a distraction. These distractions may bring about serious accidents. This reason is in part why the idea of having more connected cars doesn’t automatically make people jump for joy.

Browsing the Web Inside Your Car

Personally, I’m not a big fan of additional regulations but this might be an area in which some regulation is in order.  Left unchecked, individuals will soon have the capacity to stream YouTube videos, Google an answer to a question, and correspond via social media sites in their cars. Maybe the next step should be to increase the self-driving aspects to cars; but perhaps that would detach us even more to the world around us.

As we said before, we usually consider advancements in technology as a great thing, however, the potential negative impacts that connected cars could have make us stop and think. While having these tech features in our cars improves enjoyment on the road it’s important that they don’t become a disruption to the driver.

What are your thoughts?  I’d love to hear them!

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Nanotechnology in Our World

March 23rd, 2012

You have likely heard about nanotechnology, but may have very little idea as to what it’s all about and how it pertains to you. Nanotechnology makes life easier for all of us; it’s not simply the stuff of science fiction. Fundamentally, nanotechnology is the science of working with matter on an atomic scale.

The practical side of nanotechnology

To give you an example of how nanotechnology can effect your lifestyle here is an article that Science Daily ran a few weeks ago. The article states that scientists are developing a way to use nanotechnology to reduce the level of friction in car engines and machines. This technology could make machines operate more effectively; prolonging their lives. According to the article, tiny polymer particles were created and distributed in oils used in automobile engines. These were then tested in conditions akin to car engines and found to minimize friction substantially.

More efficient motors

Even when dispersed at low concentrations they decreased friction significantly, much more so then the friction additives currently being used in many industries today. How much more do they reduce friction? By about 55 percent more! Nanotechnology is a growing industry so expect more discoveries like this. In fact it is growing so quickly that the United States recently released a national strategy to be certain that environmental, health, and safety research needs are addressed in the field.

The emerging world of nanotechnology

If you feel, then, that nanotechnology is only good for Hollywood special effects blockbusters; simply take a close look at your car’s engine. Eventually, nanotechnology may leave you with an engine that consumes less gas. That, of course, can give you a fatter wallet, and you will be able to thank nanotechnology for this. I’d love to hear your thoughts, or read any additional articles that you may have found!

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Learn about Google: Solve for X

March 21st, 2012

We all know there are big problems in the world today; debt crises, illiteracy, global warming, are just a few. Google has assembled a team to come up with radical ideas to find answers to the world’s biggest problems, and they call the project “Solve for X“.

Tackling the biggest global issues

You may question, how can a group of people at “Solve for X” find answers to problems that have baffled world leaders for years? The brain trust at “Solve for X” is composed of forty-six scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators from all over the world. And these people are eager. Google describes it as: “This combination of things—a huge problem to solve, a radical solution for solving it and the breakthrough technology to make it happen—is the essence of a moonshot.”

Tackling water scarcity

The Mashable.com recently ran an intriguing feature story on the “Solve for X” project. Mashable cited the account of a participant in a “Solve for X” retreat who asserted that the minds gathered with him were working on the huge issue of global water scarcity. What type of solutions are “Solve for X” members creating to manage this concern? One involved forward osmosis with recycled ammonium salts. If you have no clue what that means, don’t fret—the individuals at “Solve for X” do.

The need for technology brain trusts

Whether or not “Solve for X” results in real remedies for the world’s problems, the idea definitely has value. Technologies are typically developed with a single function in mind, usually for entertainment. That being said, it’s likely that there are many ways we’re able to use current technologies of which we haven’t thought. Hopefully, “Solve for X” will help us utilize that potential.  So, what would you like to see “Solve for X” tackle next.  :)

 

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The Benefits of Encouraging Creativity in the Workplace

March 16th, 2012

Do your employees communicate their ideas and thoughts? Do they come to you with ways to increase efficiency or new innovative marketing ideas?

If this does not sound familiar, your company may be mistakenly stifling employee creativity. A lack of creativity among your employees, in today’s business environment, can spell the doom for your company and may keep you one step behind the competition.

Despite the industry, creativity is required to generate new ideas and rethink processes. Getting your employees to think creatively can mean that you have a whole team of people trying to enhance your business. Not always, but generally employees will not apply their creative minds to your company unless you motivate them to do so.

One of the best ways to inspire fresh thinking is to simply listen to your employees when they share new ideas. Most employees are nervous when approaching their superiors with new ideas, particularly when it’s a notion that falls “outside of the box.” So make sure you give them an open forum to discuss their ideas and give them the respect to listen closely to them. One more way is to ask your employees, if you are trying to think of a way to improve the company’s blog, or products, send out an email asking for ideas. Not all of your employee’s ideas will wow you, but, so as not to single anyone out, listen to them all.

If you dismiss employee suggestions or disregard them without listening to them, you’ll only encourage your employees to do their jobs as rapidly as possible. Rather then thinking about ways to boost the company’s performance, these workers will worry only about carrying out their work and getting paid.

To truly inspire creativity, reward those employees who do come up with strong ideas. This could mean having to pay a small bonus to those employees whose ideas you use. It could mean praising employees in company newsletters or memos. It could even mean an in-person “thank you.”

Many people want a job that allows them to be creative. It stimulates their minds and prevents boring redundancy. Many employees also have ideas on how to improve their place of business; they just haven’t voiced them to you. So encourage them to let you know what they think. It doesn’t mean that the way you have been doing things is bad; it just means that they may have ideas that you many not have thought of. Regardless, you and your business will reap the benefits of their creativity and your employees will be happier for it.

Your comments are encouraged and appreciated.  I’d love to hear your ideas about how to encourage employee creativity in the workplace, or even examples of things that you’ve done.

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An Example of Malware that Looks Legitimate!

March 16th, 2012

It seems that there are more and more people each day that have nothing better to do that to try to figure out new and creative ways to screw with us.  And with each passing day, someone new decides to try a new and creative way to trick us into clicking on, opening or otherwise inflicting whatever pain they have chosen for that day.  Malware is a general term describes a wide variety of malicious software that is designed to, as I said, screw with us (disrupt computer operations, gather sensitive information or gain unauthorized access to our computer systems).

Fake Message from Intuit

One of the more recent varieties is one that appears to be from Intuit, the makers of Quickbooks and TurboTax, to name just a couple.  I would imagine this has come back into vogue since were right in the middle of tax season.  This particular attack is coming in the form of a SPAM email, but it’s a VERY good one and is making its way though many SPAM filters and even looks like an extremely legit. So, if you see anything similar to this, delete it immediately!  Do NOT click any links in the message.

If you have any similar, or simply have a comment, please post them here.

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