Tech Trends

Sudden computer crashes can mean the loss of data and software that is integral to your work or business. Taking the time to protect your data from crashes gives you peace of mind against system failures. Here are six simple ways you can protect your data from a computer crash.

External Back Up
A hardware failure can mean the loss of important data that you will need in the future. Backing up your files is crucial to getting back on track after a crash. Store important data on an external hard drive, jump drive or disks. Backing up data may be tedious, but it is the best method of protection.

Cloud Storage
Investing in a good offsite backup gives you the ability to store your data online and access it from any web-connected computer. You can work on your files anywhere and stay connected. There are several trusted cloud storage services available, and there is virtually no risk that your data will be lost in a major computer crash.

Know Your Software
Protecting valuable software from a crash is a bit harder than protecting data. Software will need to be installed on a new device, so keep track of program disks and downloaded programs with a hand-written list. Crashes won’t be able to destroy that, and you’ll have a handy checklist to go by should your machine ever crash.

Use a Surge Protector
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from a computer crash is to plug your machine into a surge protector. Surge protectors work by defending any equipment plugged into it from sudden electrical surges which can occur during thunderstorms or any other major power failure. Power surges can severely damage unprotected equipment, leading to crashes.

Maintain Your Machine
No amount of protection will keep your data safe without proper maintenance. Backing up every file may be time consuming, but if you’re ever faced with a crash it’s worth it. Perform periodic disk defragmentation, use a trusted anti-virus and spyware program, and delete temporary files and cookies. This will protect against crashes due to file contamination.

Protecting your machine and data from a computer crash is well worth the effort. Whether you store your data on the cloud or keep an external hard drive handy, any of these simple tips will help you stay ahead of potential crash threats, and keep your data and safety intact.

We’ve come a long way in reading emotional cues over the internet. All of us have read enough emails, messages and articles to have an idea – at least 50 percent of the time – about what tone the writer has set. Many more of us can catch on to dry wit and sarcasm when it’s fairly obvious, and know when others are being facetious.

Don’t pat yourself on the back just yet. Even though we may have a lot of experience with online communication, we’re still a long ways off from accurately pinpointing the nuances found in face-to-face interaction. When we speak to someone in person, we give off many verbal and non verbal cues. The excitement or apathy in our voice set the mood, while inflections and emphasis on certain words reveal the important details. Visually, you can read a lot from both the speaker and listener just by looking at his or her face, and how they are standing. Do they seem receptive, or are they standing with their arms folded, just waiting for the conversation to end?

Online, such cues don’t exist without the use of audio communication. How many times have you read a comment, and you couldn’t figure out if was sincere or sarcastic? What about reading a comment that was quick and to the point? Did you think the author was being efficient, or curt? When we communicate online, we have a tendency to accentuate the negative – even if the perceived negativity was never there! At the neural level, we put a negative slant on the way we read messages online. Messages that are perfectly neutral can be pointed and offensive to some. Most people don’t expect to start a flame war, but a message that only states the facts – usually within an otherwise informal conversation – can be misjudged as flippant, and may cause negative emotions and responses to escalate.

No matter how well intended your message may be, you don’t want to strike a nerve with someone. The simplest solution to this problem is to include emoticons in your message. Emoticons are used as a visual cue for how the writer was feeling at the moment the message was written. A simple smile or a wink is guaranteed to alleviate a potential misunderstanding. Informally, emoticons should be put to use when you want to be sure your message is read in a certain tone, and you should not be afraid (or too proud) to use them. Having said that, there are limits to when and where you should use an emoticon.

You should never use an emoticon when writing to company officers or superiors, complaints to a government official, job applications, cover letters, resumes or in any context where you want to be taken seriously. You can be excited about your career- oriented accomplishments, but leave the smilies at the door. Avoid emoticon abuse whenever possible. You only need one per message, and even that might be too often. A message or comment loaded with emoticons will make you look immature, and unless you’re a child or a teenager (and even if you are), that’s not the kind of image you want others to see. Finally, try to keep your emoticons simple and universal. Refrain from using eastern or anime inspired emoticons when emailing your co-workers (barring some sort of mutual interest), and don’t use anything so obscure or complex that it requires the reader to look it up. Getting fancy with ASCII art will give the perception that you use your time unproductively.

With the current boom in today’s technology, it seems like more people are beginning to see just how important social media is becoming. There are several sites that really makes life so much easier for people and it definitely seems like technology is evolving with the internet. Now that people are beginning to “live on the internet,” it shows that people are slowly growing with the internet. Android developers create all types of apps for websites like YouTube, Facebook, and also Twitter, people are now able to really change how they live because of these sites.

YouTube & Videomaking:

Making videos and sharing it to the world is now easier than ever. Business owners can also take advantage of the free marketing that they can get from simply making a viral video. Most people who make videos on YouTube will admit that it has truly changed today’s technology as it is now possible for anyone to venture into videography. YouTube has opened up a lot of people’s minds on videos and how they can really change the world.

Facebook & Communication:

When it comes to communication, people are slowly using their phones for more than just a phone call. Since most phones are now able to connect to the internet, it is now easier than ever to connect with someone without having to pay. This social networking site has over 800 million users and so basically everyone that you know is on the website. What this means is that it is now easier than ever to communicate with people and you don’t have to settle for just a telephone.

Twitter & Marketing:

If you are a business owner, then you know how important it is to market your brand. This is why Twitter has become so popular because it is truly every company’s new form of customer service. All you need is to have someone who is ready to answer Tweets on a daily basis and communicate with the customers. Instead of having someone stand by at a call center to help customers out, people are now being helped with Twitter.

Technology is slowly changing as social media sites improve. People will rarely see the change but technology has changed so much in just the past decade. Though the changed may not seem too obvious, it is best to just go with the flow and realize that the world will constantly change, whether it is for good or bad.

The quality standards of both manufactured goods and provided services are of the utmost importance to a company’s success. Reputation is a make or break factor for any business endeavour. A negative response to the performance of your company’s goods or services can spread quickly by word of mouth alone. Assuring your product lives up to its portrayal and expectations is as crucial as it is challenging.

The importance of quality assurance testing is profound in any business. The methods of testing you incorporate however, will likely differ according to the particular product. A manufacturing company for instance, should have its products tested on site by its own employees or contracted testers. The inspection and findings should be monitored and recorded based on production blocks. This will make certain that equipment or staff caused defects are quickly identified and put to a halt. Manufacturing quantities of sub par goods is bad for both public response and projected profit margins. If the product is mistakenly released, it will generate bad publicity. Even if problems are identified before they are released, the cost of damaged materials can be equally damaging.

Service industries of all kinds will initially do self testing, but can benefit more from software testing. When providing any kind of services, knowing the opinion of your consumers is very beneficial. Although you can test any service internally, the public response may differ more than expected. This makes external testing especially important to businesses that provide services of any kind. Be sure your target audience has a positive response before providing a new service to the public. This can avoid the bad word of mouth reputation that is synonymous with poor quality testing.

A reputation tarnished by poor quality standards can eventually be the demise of any company. Although poor quality standards are damaging, reversing the consumer response by putting stricter testing procedures to action can be a solution. High quality standards combined with a good marketing strategy can change the reputation of any business for the better. This type of turn around exhibits the great importance of quality assurance testing to the success of any industry. The quality of your product speaks louder than any gimmick, slogan or advertising plan you could use. Goods and services that perform specifically as they are advertised are well respected by consumers. Strict standards kept in production and testing will provide your company with the consumer reputation that you need.

Technology is a fast moving business, and awards and accolades can make a big difference for companies looking to secure funding for a prototype or to find a financial backer so they can expand on their product or service. But prestigious awards in the field of technology aren’t just for the little guys. Big companies like Nokia often receive these awards, which help to boost their market share and make their products even more well-known to customers.

The Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards:

Awarded every year by prestigious judges chosen to make up the panel, the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards is one of the highest honors a company can receive, and winning will surely garner them some extra attention. Awards are given in a number of categories that change from year to year in fields ranging from home computing, to wireless and mobile service and devices. Recent winners include Nokia, Active Water Sciences LLC and ClimateWell AB from Sweden, who was given their award in the ‘Environment’ category for their work on a solar-powered air-conditioning unit.

The MITX Technology Awards:

The MITX Technology Awards are given by the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange, an organization with over 7,500 members working in the tech sector in fields from internet communication to digital marketing and advertising. The MITX Technology Awards presently include 10 categories, though new ones are added when the organization deems it necessary to cover new and exciting technology. Recent winners of the MIXT Technology awards include LogMeIn, Swaptree, Vitality and Crimson Hexagon.

Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Award:

As the biggest technology related award in Australia, the Western Australian Information Technology and Telecommunications Award (WAiTTA) is a big deal for Australian technology companies, and winning it is sure to guarantee major funding for startup companies and overseas interest for the small Australian market. Past winners of the WAiTTA award include iiNet, which became a mega-power in the tech sector after winning the award. At the 21st annual WAiTTA awards in 2012, mid-size company SEQTA Software took home the title for its innovative software designed to help teachers become more efficient in the classroom.

There are many technology-based awards all over the globe, some of which focus on specific regions like the WAiTTA award, while others like the MITX Technology Awards and the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards focus on technological innovations throughout the world. Whichever ones you choose to pay attention to, awards can provide valuable insight regarding where the tech sector is headed and what the innovations of the next few years will be.

The ability to stay connected at all times to a web of human knowledge and research, has only been around for the past decade or so, but many countries seem to focus the majority of their economic efforts towards constant progression of this field. Technology is quickly becoming the next big thing in economic terms. When you measure the technological prowess of a country the most abundant signifier is the average calculated internet speed of the entire country. This is what will be used here.

Lithuania a Surprising Advantage:

Known as the largest Baltic country in the Eastern European region, they recently have become one of the largest economic powerhouses as well. The increasing investment into infrastructure, technology, and also economic prowess, has allowed them to now boast one of the fastest average internet connection speeds in the world. The baseline is hovering somewhere around 13.12 megabytes per second, this is the calculated country wide average. Costing $10-40 USD per month it is more than affordable to the majority in this ever growing region.

Japan an Internet Entrepreneur:

Being a staple in the arms race that is internet speed and connectivity, Japan has already founded a well-established foothold in tech. For the past few decades, much like in most of the Asian economic region, considerable advances in speed and delivery methods of internet connectivity has progressed Japan well ahead of many of the other countries in the world. They can boast the second highest internet connectivity speeds in the world. Resting around 15.78 Mb/s this speed is definitely well above the average allowing the Japanese population to transmit close to a terabyte per second of information across their network. Not only do they provide a high average, they also yield the highest single connection in the world at 1 terabyte per second. With a modest cost of $51 USD per month, this connection is astonishingly fast.

South Korea Surging Progression:

In South Korea the home internet average connection speed is 200 times the average in the United States. After the Korean War, this country surged ahead of North Korea by a constant belief in economic progression by investing in technology. The average speeds throughout the country are 22.43 MB/s, which are a healthy 7 MB/s above the next highest speed of Japan. The amount these citizens pay is extremely low as well, only $27 USD per month on average. Just like Japan they plan on having a connection of 1 terabyte by the end of 2012.

Do you know someone whose obsessed with gadgets? There a thousands of great gadget gifts out there for those who love them! Here are the top gifts for gadget freaks that you can purchases for a birthday, holiday or any other occasion:

1.SCOTTEVEST SeV Fleece 4.0 Jacket:
Most of the time the people who are gadget freaks have no space to carry them! The SCOTTEVEST SeV Fleece 4.0 Jacket is a unique present for gadget lovers to store all of their technology. Not only does the jacket, covered in fleece, keep you warm, but it also has 12 hidden pockets on the inside and outside that can be used to carry any devices such as cameras, cellphones, iPods and more. There is also a build in routing system so you can thread your ear-bud cords and listen to music easily! These are available in a variety of men’s sizes.

2.Love taking pictures? This new underwater camera allows you take pictures underwater, offering great quality and easy use. Its 5 megapixel, self timer, zoom function and many more cool features allows you to take awesome photos underwater. Best of all, this device is great for both kids and adults and is affordable for all. Capture memories underwater with this camera!

3.VIZIO 26-inch Razor LED HDTV:
Wanting to surprise someone with a big but affordable gift? This TV is full HD and has awesome color quality. This is the latest and cheapest TV out on the market and has all of the features anyone will ever want. This gift is simple yet perfect for everyone!

Check out these gadget gifts for those who are gadget freaks. Not only are they cheap, but they’re one of a kind and are the hottest ones out right now. Purchase these gadget gifts for someone else today!

Technology has done a lot for our lives. Air travel, car travel, and the internet just to name a few. Technology has also helped make the standard of living better for most of the world, including longer life spans and decreased mortality rate.

One of the most important things about technology, is the flow of communication. In first world countries, if their is an accident or medical problem, medical professionals will arrive to help someone in a matter of minutes. Even if a call is made on a cell phone, the authorities can track you via GPS, to assist someone in distress.

Travel has become much safer in automobiles and planes. With improved technology in cars crumple zones, to cars having multiple air bags, cars are safer than they have ever been. Not to mention better designed and engineered roads.

If you go over to HealthITJobs.com, You’ll see that the medical advances are incredible, even in the last 20 years or so. Not only in the healing of injuries and illnesses, but also in the prevention of medical problems. Things like polio have all but been eradicated, and many other illnesses that used to kill people simply do not exist or are much easier to control. With artificial hearts, blood and bone marrow transfusions, and of course the many medicines invented, hospitals save more lives than ever. With stem cell research on the forefront, their are many exciting possibilities ahead. Including things like growing organs to replace failing ones.

Their are some downsides though. Many injuries or diseases are harder to fight now. This is because, in the past, the person would have not survived the injury or the disease. So medical professionals may be in uncharted territories right now. Things like dementia and Alzheimer’s are becoming more prevalent, as it is something that usually comes with advanced age.

Every facet of our lives has completely changed because of technology. But certainly in health and lifespan. From safe food, to safer automobiles and cars. To the ability to have organs grown and be brought back from the brink of death.

Although there are many different types of office jobs, they all share something in common. Whether you’re in data entry, accounting or in a professional IT field, long hours of sitting are likely required. Cardiovascular specialists have long stated that remaining sedentary for prolonged periods of time can be bad for your circulation. Additionally, those who don’t stay active outside of their career can suffer muscular atrophy and other health concerns.

It is very important to know how to take of your body for sedentary tech employees. Although remaining stationary for long periods can contribute to health risks, a few preventative measures can reduce or even eliminate the cause for concern. There are obvious benefits to anyone who maintains a healthy lifestyle. If you’re daily routine offers little opportunity for activity, then you should find creative ways to stay active.

Workers who spend long hours on their feet find relief in sitting during break periods. Sedentary employees should do the exact opposite. Spend your break periods on your feet. If your office has stairs, make use of them. Try eating more mobile foods during lunch to provide an easy way to walk while you eat. By reversing the use of your break and meal periods you can get much needed activity in your daily routine.

Long hours of sitting may cause back pain in some people. This is caused by tendons being in one position for abnormal durations of time. You’re body is made to be moved. Frequent sit-ups can prevent back pain from occurring and eliminate existing pain as well. Strengthening your stomach and providing stretching for your back’s tendons is a benefit of doing sit-ups or crunches on a daily basis. While this may not be practical during work hours, it’s a great activity for before and after your shift.

Any activity you add to your day will be of great benefit to your health. A good exercise routine that combines cardio and muscle building is the best course of action. Getting regular exercise may be harder for some than others. If you just can’t find the time for a daily workout in your schedule, then try occasional activities at your workstation. Lifting your knees to your chest, stretching and other movements can be done while sitting. Regular physical activity is important to every healthy body. Whether you can maintain a strict workout plan or just practice occasional desk exercises, any daily activity will make a difference over time.