Computer Tablets: Pros and Cons

Though still a young technology, computer tablets have become one of the most popular items in the tech world since the introduction of the iPad. As the industry has grown, so have the alternatives, with tablets being offered by Microsoft, Android and Motorola.  However, popularity doesn’t always equal practicality. The iPad may one day be viewed as an antiquated technology, much in the same way we now see the Atari 2600. When making the decision to purchase a tablet, make sure to first consider the pros and cons. 


Pros: 


  • Tablets are incredibly portable devices. Being able to remotely connect with your work is becoming a necessity as businesses grows more integrated with cloud computing. As a rule of thumb, the more accessible you are, the better. 
  • Tablets are very practical tools. As developers continue to design new business apps that improve over time, there will be a growing amount of potential work uses for tablets. 
  • Tablets are a sign of professionalism. Having a tablet computer in a meeting with a client or partner rather than a legal pad will let them know that you mean business. In turn, this could increase their confidence in your ability to perform. 

Cons: 


  • Tablets aren’t a necessity. There are currently few functions a tablet can complete that a desktop or laptop cannot. Before you decide on a tablet, consider if it is a needed business tool or a wanted luxury. 
  • Tablets can be very distracting. Because tablets are crossover devices between business and consumer, they have the potential to become overpriced toys. Presently, there are much more leisure-related apps than there are work-related apps.  
  • Tablets are a new technology. Though this makes them exciting and cutting edge, it also makes them expensive and sometimes faulty. Developers often release these products before they are perfected, and it might be a few years down the road until a fully reliable tablet is released at a fair price. 

Computer tablets can be extremely useful tools, though at the same time they can operate as nothing more than very expensive toys. Depending on your needs, a tablet may be the perfect fit, but make sure to weigh the pros and cons prior to making a final decision. If you are interested in reading further, please read over this article.

A deeper look into NFC mobile chips

The payment systems we use are not very complicated, but what if they could be even more straightforward? NFC (Near Field Communication) technology is hoping to achieve that. NFC mobile chips hope to change our current payment systems by letting us transmit data from one device to another, at close range.


How will we use it?

NFC mobile chips will be incorporated into smartphones to make it easier than ever to pay for your groceries. Most of us have our phones with us at all times anyway, so using them to pay for everything seems like the next logical step.


By integrating NFC chips into smartphones, users should be able to store their credit card information on their phones. Then, when they are at a business that utilizes the technology, they can simply scan their phones to purchase at the register.


Google Wallet


Google is the first technology giant to release a mobile payment system. Google Wallet is currently available on the Android Nexus S and may possibly work with other smartphones through an NFC-enabled sticker. Various retailers have signed on to work with Google Wallet.


Since the mobile payments industry is going to be such a game-changer, it is unlikely that Apple, RIM, and other smartphone makers will be willing to open their platforms up to Google Wallet. These companies, instead, will most likely be coming out with their own mobile payment systems in the near future.

Other potential uses

NFC mobile chips will likely soon be doing much more than just helping you pay for your coffee. Some of those possible uses include:

  • Replace passports and boarding passes
  • Products may have RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags on them that you can scan as a way to gather information.
  • Pet tags may soon have RFID tags attached that you can scan if you find a lost puppy.
  • Replace keys – no more clunky key chains!

NFC technology is one of the most significant advancements in payments we have seen in a long time.


For more information on NFC mobile chips and how they work, take a look at this article.

Why you should use a workflow chart

You might not realize how many processes you have memorized for your everyday routine and there are probably a lot. Those processes usually include a ton of intricate steps, which can make explaining or recreating that process challenging at times. Fortunately, workflow charts are here to make it easier.


What are they?

A flowchart is basically a diagram that outlines processes with differently shaped boxes (steps in the process are usually square while decisions are usually indicated with a diamond) and arrows that link those boxes. They are great tools when it comes to managing or outlining processes. For an example of a flowchart, click here.

Pros

  • Very straightforward way of conveying a process as the symbols are generally universally understood
  • Once it has been made, the process will often take less time than before
  • Helps users understand how each step impacts an entire process

Cons

  • Can be difficult to create, especially when the processes are more complicated
  • If you don’t have the proper software, this can be a very long process

How to create one


Creating a workflow chart is not as complex as it looks. Thanks to computer software that guides you through the process, it can really be much less painful that you may think.


Start by thinking about the starting point of a process and the ending point, and all of the different steps it takes to get there. Some steps will allow for alternative courses of action. In those cases, you should demonstrate the different choices by using multiple arrows. To see what different flowchart icons mean, take a look at this eHow article.

Workflow charts are a great way to help break down a process and better understand all of the steps that go into it.


If you’d like more information on how to create a workflow chart, take a look at this article.

4 tech terms you should know

For nearly all of us, technology is an integral part of our everyday lives. Many of us, however, still are hazy on a number of common technology terms. Fortunately, for those that are unclear, we have created a mini glossary of common tech terms you should be familiar with.


Cookies

Cookies are fundamentally what allow websites to identify you when you revisit them. By allowing cookies, you are allowing your web browser to give the website information such as your username, password and preferences. They can save you a substantial amount of time by preventing you from reentering your information over and over again.


Cookies are also seen by some as a privacy issue. Since they store your information and track your activity, somebody could easily obtain your data. You can protect yourself, however, by using cookies sparingly.


URL

A URL, which is short for uniform resource letter, is basically the web address of a website. It is what you type into the address bar of a browser when you want to be directed to a web page.

Cloud

Cloud is one of the tech terms that is most common right now. Everybody is talking about the cloud. The cloud refers to services that are based over the Internet and don’t require additional hardware or software, like Facebook or Google Apps.


Flash

Flash is a platform owned by Adobe that enables you to view animation and dynamic displays on the Internet. Installing a Flash plug-in on your browser means that you can view certain videos and other displays that can’t otherwise be seen. Although Flash has been the leader for a long time, HTML5 is quickly emerging as a competitor.

Although tech terms can get rather complicated at times, knowing the basics can help you to better understand the technology we’re using every day.


If you’d like to see a more in-depth description of tech terms, take a look at this glossary.

5 social media terms you should know

The majority of us are using social media these days to communicate, some of us more reluctantly than others. As the fastest growing medium in history, social media is nearly impossible to ignore. Social media terms and trends can be complicated, however, so we have a simple guide to help you navigate the murky waters.


1. Tag

Tag can refer to several different things, depending on how it is used. Often, in blogs or other content you can attach a keyword to a blog. Those keywords are known as tags. This makes it easier for search engines to register the content you post as being related to a certain topic.

Tag can also refer to the action of tagging people in pictures or posts. When Facebook photo tagging first launched, it let you tag your friends in pictures. Now it includes facial recognition, and you can even tag Brand/Product Pages in your photos.


The newest form of tagging on Facebook refers to tagging friends in posts or status updates. You can now refer to people in a post and tag them, which will alert them to your post. This will also cause the post to show up on their wall for all of their other friends to see.


2. Troll

A troll is a person who contributes to social networks with the intention of provoking others.  They are the people that become fans of pages or join groups and then make comments that they know will upset other group members.

3. Friend

We all know what a friend is in the conventional sense, but in social media it can be used as a verb. When you add a person as a friend over a social network, many users refer to this as “friending” someone.

4. Stream

This is another double-meaning word. Streaming something pertains to receiving a constant flow of information, such as a webcast. A stream is what many people call their Twitter or Facebook home pages, where all of the recent information and updates are posted.


5. At mention

At mentions, or @ mentions, are used on Twitter and they are very similar to Facebook’s new tagging system for status updates. This allows you to mention someone in your Tweet and notify him or her of your post.


Although social media terms can often be confusing, this guide can certainly help clear up some of the confusion. If you’d like even more social media definitions, take a look at this article.

Prevent employee burnout with these suggestions

Employee burnout is something that many of us have seen in others or experienced ourselves. Repetitive tasks and overwhelming workloads can easily get the best of us. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to both combat and stop employee burnout before anybody reaches his or her breaking point.


Preventing burnout

  • Have fun – Making room for fun can alleviate some stress and help to keep employees inspired when they are on the brink of burnout.

  • Switch it up – Let employees work on new projects or teams when they’ve been focusing on one thing for a long time, like Facebook is doing with Hackamonth.

  • Encourage breaks – It’s excellent to have employees that don’t want to stop working until they get things finished. Unfortunately, those are the people that are certain to burn out fastest. If you have employees like this, encourage them to take walks or go on a coffee run – anything to keep them from going stir crazy.

When burnout simply can’t be prevented, these ideas can help minimize its ripple effects.

How to cope with burnout

  • Accept it – Burnout isn’t always avoidable so it’s important to be conscious of the signs such as lethargy, decreased socializing or irritability.

  • Communicate – Growing businesses often experience transformations that leave employees frustrated. Making sure your employees know that they can talk to you is a terrific way to stop burnout before it gets out of control.

Employee burnout can’t always be avoided but there are a number of ways to cope with it when it happens. Implementing these suggestions can help keep burnout at bay and help your employees cope with it.


If you’d like more ideas on fighting employee burnout, take a look at this article.

Strategies for better online searches

Each and every one of us knows what it’s like to perform an online search and find results that are not even close to what we were looking for. This can be quite aggravating. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple steps you can take that can ensure more relevant search results.


Keep it simple

Simplicity is essential when it comes to online searches. It’s usually in your best interest to use only a few words or phrases if the search is not too complex. If you’re looking for a type of business in your area, you can type in that business type along with the name of your town or your zip code. That should garner results that are both accurate and relevant to you.


Learn about Boolean

Boolean searches are something many of us are familiar with, whether we realize it or not. Essentially, Boolean searches revolve around using the terms “and,” “not” and “or” in your searches. It allows you to include or exclude several words and phrases from your search results.


You can also have the same effect by using simple pluses and minuses in your searches. If you would like to include a term in your query simply put a “ ” right before it in the search box. If you want to guarantee that a certain term does not pop up in your results, place a “-“ before that word or phrase.

Be precise

Preciseness can immediately eliminate a great deal of the unrelated and confusing search results. If the search terms you use are too broad, you are often left with thousands of results that have nothing to do with what you’re looking for.


Quotation marks are typically the international search engine symbol to search for an exact phrase. If you are looking for something specific, using quotation marks can help ensure that your results are more relevant.


These three tips can make quite the difference when it comes to relevance of search results. Applying them can almost guarantee that you will spend much less time sifting through results you don’t want.


If you’d like even more tips on performing online searches, take a look at this article.

3 office tweaks that will boost productivity

No matter where you work or what you do, you know how easy it is to get off task every once in a while. Although there is no way to totally eliminate distractions, there are several small things you can do to improve productivity overall.


Keep a clean office

Clutter can quickly lead to increased stress and decreased productivity. Keeping a neat office and encouraging your employees to clean their workspaces are excellent ways to instantly boost productivity. Removing the distraction of a messy office is a simple way to help your employees focus.

Increase the temperature

In one study, a colder office was shown to have quite a negative effect on employee productivity. In a slightly warmer office, employees made 44% less typing errors and their typing output improved by an incredible 150%. Based on those figures, a bigger heating bill may be well worth it.


Lighten up

Another study demonstrated that a brighter, better-lit office can help employees stay on task. Employees who worked in offices with windows spent 15% more time concentrated on their work than those in windowless offices.


Because this simple fix can make such a big difference it makes sense to open blinds and move as many employees as possible into windowed spaces. Not only does this increase productivity, it can also save you money by lighting up the office without using electricity.


These office adjustments are all quite basic and can make quite a significant difference when it comes to employee productivity. There is truly no reason not to try them out, as they each require minimal effort on your part.


For a few more simple tips on boosting productivity, take a look at this article.

Prezi - the premier online presentation tool

Prezi is a name you might have heard a few times if you’re into presentations. It’s an online presentation tool that’s different than most and, for that reason, has a great deal of fans. What, exactly, makes Prezi so wonderful?

Flash-based

Prezi is a flash-based tool, which makes it easier to create non-linear presentations. Most presentation tools require you to go slide-by-slide and don’t leave much room for creativity aside from clipart. With Prezi, your presentation is more like a thought map than anything else, which makes it flow much more naturally.


You are able to zoom in and out of that map to view various parts of the presentation, and can move between areas. This eliminates the need to have identical slides throughout the presentation. It also prevents you from having to revisit a previous slide if you must reference it again.

Intuitive

Although Prezi’s interface takes some adjusting, it is extremely intuitive once you’ve figured it out. Many people tend to be non-linear thinkers, which makes standard slide-by-slide presentations seem awkward. Prezi gets rid of that problem.


If you are having any difficulty getting used to the user interface, simply take a look at one of the many tutorials on Prezi’s website.

Prezi is web-based but it lets you download your presentations once they have been created so you don’t need Internet access to actually present. There is a free model available, but for $59/year you can purchase Prezi for more storage and better privacy.


Although Prezi may not be for everyone, it is a great alternative for those who are looking to create a different kind of presentation.

Stay safe online with these suggestions

The recent Playstation security breach has opened many Internet users’ eyes to the seriousness of online security. If the wrong person gets their hands on your information, there is a chance that the result could be harmful. Luckily, there are a number of simple steps you can take to better protect your online identity.


Use an encrypted connection

Encrypted connections are pretty easy to get on many of the most popular sites including Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes, you need to change the privacy settings in order to gain encrypted access. Once that is done, however, it can make your information much more secure.


You can tell whether or not you have an encrypted connection just by checking the URL. If it begins with “https” instead of “http” you have an encrypted connection. If it does not, you can try to change the settings, although it is possible that that particular site does not allow for encrypted connections.


Use strong passwords

Strong passwords are incredibly easy to create and can make a tremendous difference in online security. Using a combination of numbers, symbols, spaces and upper- and lowercase letters can help to create a strong password. If you can’t see yourself using a lot of different characters, at least be sure to use a password that can’t easily be guessed.


It’s also incredibly important to use a unique password for each of your accounts. Using the same password on multiple accounts makes them all vulnerable if just one of them is hacked.

Look out for phishing

Phishing is essentially when a hacker poses as a trusted company in order to gain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and account numbers. It is a rather common practice due to its relative ease – after all, hackers simply need your name and email address to pull this off.


The recent breach of Epsilon was a perfect example. Thousands of names and email addresses were exposed and the companies affected quickly sent out emails telling their clients not to trust any emails that claimed to be from them. Some browsers, but not all, will alert you if a website looks fraudulent, but you still need to be smart to avoid the scams.


These three tips are incredibly easy to follow and do not take much work on your part. If you are interested in a few more tips, check out this article.