5 Must Have Programs for any Company

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

For every company, using the appropriate software will help them to run a more efficient business. There is a lot of research that goes into what is best suited for the individual needs of any particular company. 

With this, software and hardware are consistently being updated to keep current with the times. What worked for a company 2 years ago may end up keeping them one step behind their competitors now. If you are in the market to start a business, here are some must haves for every company, small or large:

1. Contract Management Software 

Contracts may very well be the most important documents that pass through the hands of employees. Or should I say through the systems of the company? Either way, there was a time that a huge file cabinet with endless amounts of folders was the way to keep important documents safe. These are the days where a physical lock and key were what kept your documents safe. Now, many would argue that method might have been easier, but downloading software from ContractLogix.com is a much better approach in keeping a business current with the times.

2. Email Blast software 

This is necessary for companies that want to constantly update their consumers via email. Have you ever received emails from a company in which you ordered a shirt from years ago? You haven’t purchased from that company since, yet once a month you get an email reminding you that they are still there. Well, you are receiving an email because they have software that allows them to email every person who has ever entered an address. All of this is done essentially with the click of a button at someone's desk. Someone in the marketing department types up an email and hits send, the email goes out to thousands, or millions of past customers.

3. Accounting Software 

Easily one of the most oft-overlooked areas of importance. Accounting software is one of the original places where we started to see advanced accounting measures packed into easy to use systems that didn't require any real accounting knowledge. Simply put, financials need to be well organized in order to maintain a business. Finding software that caters to multiple business entities is ideal for a larger company but smaller packages - such as Quickbooks - are often sufficient for the masses.

4. Skype

In more recent times, programs like Skype have made an impact on the business world. Using features similar to "Face Time" on iOS devices, users can chat face to face, transfer files, or share a computer screen with other users. This has created the ability to stay in constant communication from pretty much any location. Many employers require their staff to have this program, not only on their desktops but on their laptops or iPads as well. In fast-paced times, nobody has time to wait for others to return a phone call, email or arrive to a scheduled face-to-face meeting.

5. Program Converting Software 

PDF files, word documents and Excel spreadsheets have been helping business run smoothly for years. However, it isn't enough to have these programs. In order to lighten the work load, or at least cut out on unnecessary repetition, companies should have the ability to convert documents from one form to another with a simple click. I don't know how many times I have sent a document only to get a response saying they could not open the file. What a stress if you don't have the appropriate programs installed.

Conclusion

Technology is constantly advancing. Well run businesses rely on technology to stay in constant contact, and solve simple problems on a day-to-day basis. There are different types of downloads or purchase options available on most online software, so they're sure to have a solution that fits the needs of your business.

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 3 Tech Tools for Managers That Mean Business 

Know what it is your company needs and make sure you and your employees have the software to cater to those needs. It's how business in the 21st century is done.

*by andreascy*

David C. Brock: The Chemical History of Electronics

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The rise of semiconductor electronics is one of the most important developments in recent history. The manufacture of semiconductor devices relies fundamentally on chemical processes, equipment, and specially produced materials. 

David C. Brock is a senior research fellow with CHF's Center for Contemporary History and Policy. As a historian of science and technology, he specializes in the history of semiconductor science, technology, and industry; the history of instrumentation; and oral history. He is the author of Understanding Moore's Law: Four Decades of Innovation and, with Christophe Lécuyer, Makers of the Microchip: A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor (Acquired by Onsemi).

In this history of chemistry webisode, David Brock talks about the history of how the microprocessors that power iPads, iPhones and other digital devices came about. An excellent presentation! 

RELATED TOPIC: From Sand to Silicon : The making of Intel microprocessors
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Introducing PanaCast : Can Six Little Cameras and An App Fix Video Conferencing?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

We Live In A Distributed, Mobile World 

Today we are more mobile than ever. We work in different locations and this places new requirements on our collaboration tools. Video chats have become quite popular whether you are using Skype or Google Hangouts but in the work setting this can be a real pain. 

One problem with those platforms is that they do not give you the full view and immersive experience of actually being there. Multi-screen telepresence systems only work if you are in a dedicated telepresence room and cost a lot! 

Now imagine a low cost solution that solves that problem and lets you remotely see everything in the meeting room on the devices you already own, from anywhere.

Meet Altia Systems - Experience PanaCast

Altia Systems is a venture-backed company based in Cupertino, California that has created the PanaCast solution. 

PanaCast is a unique experience that enables anyone on desktop or mobile (currently the app is iOS only, but it was written in Ubuntu Linux, and Android, OS X and Windows 7 and 8 versions are in the works) to receive an interactive, real-time panoramic HD 200 degree Field Of View (FOV) video stream that replicates the human panoramic perspective.

It's a crowdfunded brand new technology that combines unique, patented hardware and state-of-the-art algorithms and software, all the way from optics, video capture and transport through rendering on client devices. It gives you the same control and human visual perspective of actually being in the meeting.

PanaCast - Lets You Be There From Anywhere

The PanaCast Experience helps connect friends and co-workers anywhere in our tele-connected world, giving everybody a panoramic human visual perspective in real time.

Unique hardware and software - integrated in this new ultra-low latency, multi-imager, panoramic-HD real-time video camera and integrated streaming server - create an immersive HD live video stream with a 200° field of view at an unprecedented price point. It's camera has six imagers, an SoC with dual ARM11 cores and a custom-built Multi-Imaging Video Processor (MIVP) along with an Ethernet port and a USB 2.0 port.

Mobile (Android, iOS) and PC (Windows, Mac) apps enable you to select your own individual perspective from the camera with the swipe of a finger, over Wi-Fi or cellular. Easily carried in one hand, PanaCast cameras can be taken or moved anywhere.

•  Unique interactive video experience "to be there"

•  Amazing ease of use on your device from anywhere

•  Disruptive price points allowing BYOD

You can zoom in on the speaker, or zoom in on the whiteboard, all without affecting the views of other remote participants. You control what you see, just as if you were there. 

PanaCast is priced below $700 and comes with free apps that give meeting participants the full immersive experience on the devices they already own : mobile as well as PCs. While it's compatible with existing video chat services, it'll cost $19.99/mo per concurrent user if you want access to Panacast's cloud platform. Altia Systems founders explain below the video conferencing system at DEMO Mobile 2013.

Check out the PanaCast app live to your iOS device or register your interest in ordering PanaCast Systems. To join a video conference, download the app. Once you have it opened and a cellular or Wi-Fi connection, scan the barcode or tap your phone on the NFC-enabled camera to join. 

If you do not have a PanaCast camera, the app allows you to watch a short demonstration video of the PanaCast interactive experience. 

*by andreascy*

DDoS Protection - Threats, Targets, Solutions

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

It is slightly alarming to note but is an unfortunate truth that cyber-attacks have taken on many forms and have become pretty cost-effective as well, at least for the attackers.

Nowhere this is more evident than in the field of distributed denial of service attacks. These, so called DDoS attacks have come to the fore lately because of their availability and potential for destruction. Today they are being unleashed against all kinds of targets including: 

•  Government organizations 

•  Financial sector 

•  Individuals 

•  Banks of national importance 

•  Defense websites and so on 

As a result, more and more organizations are looking at the various ways in which they can deploy the best in class DDoS protection services. Before looking for the ideal service provider when it comes to such protection services, there are a few things that you can keep in mind. 

The price of DDoS attack 

Last year, the Ponemon Institute brought out a report that revealed that around 65% of the respondents had dealt with some form of a DDoS attack. Earlier this year, yet another document called Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report stated that 94% of the respondents need to deal with such attacks on a regular basis. This is an alarmingly large percentage. And this fact alone should be reason enough for you to seek DDoS protection. 

If you fail to deploy such protection for your network then you are likely to face consequences such as:

•  Going off the grid for a prolonged period of time 

•  Loss of customers, revenue productivity 

•  Loss of reputation in the business domain 

•  Disruption of communications and networking 

The price of DDoS protection 

Ideally, DDoS protection should be able to take care of your application layer protection (also known as Layer 7) and or your network layer (Layer 3). Considering that DDoS attacks can take place at mammoth scales and can target both the network and application layers, it is important to deploy protection for the same as well. Ideally, the mitigation also needs to take place outside of your core network, as the cure can be almost as bad as the disease itself. 

Important Factors: Speed and Scalability 

There are different types of DDoS attacks but they all have one common goal – depletion of resources, CPU, memory and bandwidth. Traditionally, to mitigate such attacks, an organization would invest in an upkeep of additional resources – specifically more servers or stronger machines. However, DDoS attacks are getting bigger all the time and when they go beyond the resource limit, the website or network are still brought down. This is why it’s so important to invest in flexible DDoS protection that can scale up to meet and deflect attacks that can “morph” on-call to go beyond the pre-acquired bandwidth. 

Obviously, on-premises and hardware based solutions will not offer such flexibility, as they require more setup time and may depend upon physical delivery. This is why many modern day providers are gravitating towards cloud based anti DDoS solutions that can be easily implemented and can scale up on demand, providing a cost-effective mitigation option even against the largest attacks. 

Who should seek DDoS protection? 

If you have an online presence of any kind then you should seek DDoS protection. This becomes even more important if you are dealing with confidential data, personal information of a large number of clients, e-commerce operations and even if you use cloud computing for your applications. 

Simply put, whether you are a small business or an enterprise, it is important to consider employing DDoS protection. 

*by andreascy*

How To Be An Ideal Parent

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

A parent plays a pivotal role in a child’s life. The child derives emotional and physical strength along with social and intellectual support from them. The whole process of child rearing is very important in both the parent and child’s life. 

Image author owned

Parents can be biological or otherwise, there are many cases of adoptions that have helped both parent and child begin a new phase in their lives. It is a proven fact that irrespective of the background of adopted child, the right kind of parenting can make a whole world of difference. This holds good even for biological children too. So here comes the question of how to be an ideal parent.

Choose your parenting style 

The parenting styles are to a large extent dependant on socio-economic factors and also the cultural background of the adults involved. On a general scale, as per research conducted by different people, parenting can be broadly classified into three categories.

One set of parenting style involves rather strict and rigid methods where the parent is quiet literally the dictator. There is no room for conversation or explanation and bad behavior attracts punishment without reason and rewarding amounts to over indulgence. The second set can be deemed moderate, authoritative parents who are strict with the rules but give some room for explanations and reasoning. They believe in punishing bad behavior and rewarding good ones as well. The third set of rules can be classified as rather liberal and soft parenting. Parents who choose this path give a lot of thought and hear out their child. They spend time with their children and treat them as individuals and give them time to learn well from bad.

The first two categories of parents may not approve of this kind of parenting and may classify as spoiling the child by sparing the rod, but it finally rests on the parent to choose a style that incorporates the best of all possible. 

Change with the situation and adopt different parenting skills 

Any parent with multiple children will be able to give an insight into the various skills they need to use on their different children. No two children can be dealt with the same way and juggling between the different set of rules can be a task for a parent. What works for their elder child or children may not work for the last-born and during the process parents learn about their own strengths and weaknesses.

Sailing through the process of parenting as a couple is a true joy though, a child has a different relationship with each parent and this cannot be compared on level ground. This is one of the main reasons that families play an important role in character building and children of broken marriages of single parents need to deal with different set of emotional problems. Parents in such situations also need to tread the line carefully to support and care for their child going through a difficult phase in life. Such situations can test parenting skills to the hilt. 

Even though there are no set rules to follow, changing according to the situation to get the best results is the key to successful parenting. There is plenty of information available for refreshing ones skills like blogs and websites. Friends and family offer great support too.

Discover other interesting posts here.

*by andreascy*

Water Softener System - How Does It Work?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

One of the major nutrients that the human body needs on a regular basis is water. And not only is water one of the elements of nature but, as Leonardo da Vinci puts it, “Water is the driving force in nature.”

Every individual, whether it is in his office or in his home, needs access to safe and clean drinking water and yet water could have many problems such as: 

•  Various viruses and bacteria 

•  Hidden impurities 

•  Chemicals that have been added for purification 

•  Soluble and insoluble particulate matter 

•  Different tastes because of something known as hard water 

This is where the importance of water softener can be felt. So what is a water softener and how does it work? What is the process behind it? 

What is a Water Softener? 

A water softener is a device that helps to remove various kinds of components in the water, especially when it is hard water. By going through water softening process, such hard water gets converted into soft water that is good at many levels including: 

•  prolonging the life of pipes and tubes used in plumbing 

•  making water more safe because the metallic content has been removed and 

•  improving the lathering ability of soaps and detergents 

Why use Water Softening Process? 

Water is termed as hard water if it has minerals, metals and even particulate matter contained within it. Each country or region has a certain definition of what can constitute hard water. One of the universal measures that is used to denote hard water is something known as grains per gallon. If a sample of water has anywhere above 3.5 GPG or grains per gallon then it is denoted as hard water. The degree of hardness increases with a higher GPG count. 

Depending on your location, you will then need to go in for a water softener in order to enjoy healthier and softer water. 

How does a Water Softener Work? 

There may be several methods of water softening. But one of the most prevalent ones is something known as cation exchange. What this means is that when hard water is put through a water softener, then the device exchanges cations of calcium and magnesium which are commonly found in hot water; with cations from dissolved sodium chloride salt. 

The exchange process is conducted by either resin or plastic beads or something known as zeolites. The sodium ions are coated on this medium of exchange and when the hard water passes through this exchange it also triggers off a chemical reaction. As a result of this chemical reaction, the magnesium and calcium ions remain on the medium of exchange and the sodium ions take their place in the water. The resultant water that comes out of the water softener is soft. 

Most water softeners also use something known as flush back or recharge which allows the sodium solution to remain all charged up and ready for the next process of water softening. Other variations of water softeners include those that deliver descaling capabilities as well. So depending on how hard the water is in your location, you could go in for an appropriate water softener like WaterBoss.

(DISCLOSURE: This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!) 

*by andreascy*

EyeTribe Wants To Put An Eye Tracker In Every Mobile Device

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

The future of interaction is smarter devices. The EyeTribe software enables eye control on mobile devices, allowing hands­free navigation of websites and apps; incl. eye activated login, enhanced gaming experiences and cloud­based user engagement analytics. 

The EyeTribe intends to become the leading provider of eye control technology for mass market consumer devices by licensing the technology to manufacturers.

Be the first to experience the next generation of natural interaction of mobile devices. With just a few lines of code you can get eye control in your application. Sign up to become the first to get your eyes on the software development kit. 

*by andreascy*

CNETTV : Wi-Fi Routers Susceptible to Hacking

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

A wireless router is a device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point. 

It is commonly used to provide access to the Internet or a computer network and it does not require a wired link, as the connection is made wirelessly, via radio waves.

On today's video CNET's Kara Tsuboi and Seth Rosenblatt discuss the vulnerability of wireless routers. To the shock and dismay of many, they're far more hackable than initially thought which can leave personal and financial information exposed. 

Find out why router manufacturers are slow to make security changes and what you can do to protect yourself.

Learn more on CNET's full review.

*by andreascy*

How Google Killed the Longtail of Search

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

A Look at How Longtail Content Lost Its Edge 

SEOBook has a very nice set of infographics which they publish regularly. This one is all about how Google killed the long-tail with stuff like Google Instant, localization, updates like Mayday and Panda, verticals, scrapers and the ‘not provided’ keywords.

Over the years Google has moved to consolidate search volume against fewer keywords (which are easier to match ads against) and they have inserted their own vertical listings in their search results. The result is that the longtail has become far less profitable for many publishers.

Source : SEOBook

What do you think? Is Google really killing the long-tail? Interestingly, this is an opposing view  to that covered in another infographic where it is claimed up to 70% of all searches are from such keywords. Are they right?

*by andreascy*

Energize Your Business With The Power Of Information

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

The HP Information Optimization workshop guides your business and IT leaders in exploring how information can help transform your business. 

Discover how you can unite business executives and IT leaders and identify ways to leverage the changing information landscape to generate value for your business. Prioritize plans and collaborate on a roadmap to drive investment, collaboration and detailed planning.

Get a preview of the workshop that set clients on the course for their IT Transformation and a Glance of the Information Optimization Transformation Experience Workshop.
Discover also other HP related topics and let us know what you think. 
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*by andreascy*

Microsoft Office 365 - Access Your Work As You Want And From Almost Anywhere

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Whether you are a Team Leader or a University Student, now you can work the way you need to with one complete solution. All the power of Office is here with access to cloud services, handy tools and a lot of wonderful extras. 

Microsoft Office 365 offers HD multiparty videoconferencing, Anywhere access to documents, Business-class email, Enterprise Social, Simplified IT management, and Full Office across most devices.

Your business can stay productive all day, whether your teams are en route or in the office - and innovators like Tom can stay on track toward the perfect presentation. 

Products for students that offer the same standard that Microsoft is known for - but at a student- friendly price. Office 365: Your complete office in the cloud.

Compare Office Suites and find what best fits your needs. 

Need more advice? We'd love to help. Learn more about the Office 365 or contact us and one of our Customer Service Representatives will respond. In most cases we can sort things out for you straight away. 

*by andreascy*

Chemistry World : 3D Printing of a Soft Network

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

3D Printing has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything. Designers and engineers in the aerospace and automotive sectors have been using the process for decades to build prototypes. Many complex parts manufactured by 3D Printing are now present on aircraft, satellites, medical industry etc. etc.

3D Printing technology is advancing rapidly and its cost is falling dramatically. And this means something that was once restricted to a few elite industries is quickly becoming  more widely available and affordable. It's going to open up so many new possibilities for new businesses, new business models, start-up companies, new products and much more!

Now lets learn about a synthetic material capable of performing some of the functions of living cells : Oxford University scientists have used a specially modified 3D prototype printer to lay down a network of interconnected, electrically conductive droplets. 

This technology could find it's way into tissue engineering applications, helping to support cells that are being grown into healthy new organs - replace damaged human tissue or deliver drugs to specific locations.

"We aren't trying to make materials that faithfully resemble tissues, but rather structures that can carry out the functions of tissues," says Professor Hagan Bayley, who led the research reported in the journal Science.

3D Printing lets you build an object as complex as an organ, layer by layer or droplet by droplet, explains Cameron Ferris a research associate from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at the University of Wollongong.

Read the full story at Chemistry World.
Related topics : 3D Printing Technology - Make things by printing them : How it works
Science Nation - Printable Robots Designed to be Consumer friendly, Inexpensive
Hi-Tech & Custom Designed 3D Printed Prosthetics
The Tomorrow Project : Conversations about Synthetic Biology
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Boston Dynamics : PETMAN Robot Tests the Performance of Protective Clothing

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Hello everyone. Hope you're enjoying your weekend! :) 

Any of you still remember PETMAN? The creepily lifelike robot was developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from the DoD CBD program and it’s pretty obvious where the road map for something like this is heading. 

Today we'll show you how it is used to test the performance of protective clothing designed for hazardous environments in ways similar to a human but that a human couldn’t do. The video below shows initial testing in a chemical protection suit and gas mask.

PETMAN has sensors embedded in its skin that detect any chemicals leaking through the suit. The skin also maintains a micro-climate inside the clothing by sweating and regulating temperature. 

Partners in developing PETMAN were MRIGlobal, Measurement technology Northwest, Smith Carter, CUH2A, and HHI.

*by andreascy*

Yammer Social Network : Change the Way You Work

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Sometimes, making an impact at work can seem difficult. You have great ideas, but it's hard to find the right people to share them with. Working openly in an open and connected workplace can change that. 

Yammer is a secure, private social network for your company. Yammer empowers employees to be more productive and successful by enabling them to collaborate easily, make smarter decisions faster, and self-organize into teams to take on any business challenge. 

It is a new way of working that naturally drives business alignment and agility, reduces cycle times, engages employees and improves relationships with customers and partners.

Watch how Yammer makes it easier to get work done, and helps you go beyond your job description. 

As you know i'm an active networker on a regular basis and i like to share my social media presence with you. This is probably the easiest way to connect with my Yammer profile and networks. Let's connect and don't forget to like also our Facebook page!

*by andreascy*

April Fools' Day : Google introduces Google Nose

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

While still in Beta, this promises to change the way we search. 

Google promises a true "Sensation" through their new tool "Nose" that allows you to search with the support of your sense of smell.

What do wet dogs smell like? Google Nose! How about victory? Google Nose! 

Try searching on Google for "wet dog" and explore other smells that people sniffed for, or visit google.com/nose to learn more. Happy smelling! :)

Related topic : April Fools' Day : Google introduces Google Fiber Bar
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*by andreascy*