You use your smartphone to buy movie tickets, download your favorite songs, and make online reservations at the new French restaurant. But, if your smartphone battery dies, you can not do any of this. And to be honest, charging your smartphone the old-fashioned way is a drag. You must plug your charger into an outlet and leave it connected long enough to give it sufficient power.

Now using a smartphone charge pad, charging your phone is simpler.

Charge your phone wirelessly

Charge pads are mats that allow devices to be charged wirelessly. By merely putting your device on the mat it will begin to charge, this virtually eradicates cord mess and searching for an outlet. You can also charge multiple devices, such as iPods and tablets, simultaneously using these mats.

Have you ever wondered how these work? They use electro-magnetic induction charging to generate a magnetic field that delivers power to the batteries of your smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices.

Charge pads a technology in progress

You would imagine that these would be more popular then they are. But, there are a couple of reasons why they are not. To start with, they’re a bit costly, often costing as much as the gadgets you wish to charge.

One more reason is that they take up space. Consumers who wish to clear away the mess of cords don’t mind this, but this doesn’t help people looking to create more space on their desk. 

An improving wireless world

As technology improves we are bound to see smaller, more efficient, and cheaper charging pads on the market. Eventually, my guess is that these will be must-have items.

Windows 7 represents a major improvement over prior Windows operating systems. However, if you don’t understand how to use this latest version of Windows correctly, you will miss out on a number of goodies that’ll allow you to work more proficiently.

By mastering a few simple tricks, you can get the most out of Windows 7.

• If you want to move images to outside disks, you can now do so effortlessly with Windows 7. The operating system allows you to burn ISO images onto CDs or DVDs. To accomplish this, you just have to double-click on the ISO image, tell Windows 7 the drive that holds your blank disc, and then click the “burn” option. Windows 7 will do the rest.

• Finding and fixing problems is quite simple with Windows 7. If you feel as if your OS is operating oddly select the “troubleshooting” option from the “Control Panel”. This gives you access to several wizards that can help you reduce clutter and clean up your system.

• Do younger people in your household install cumbersome software that slows down your computer? This is easily avoided using the Windows 7 AppLocker feature. This feature only allows your computer to run and install programs that have your pre-approval. You are able to tell AppLocker to only run programs from respectable companies, so if someone is attempting to run a program from an unknown publisher AppLocker will prevent it.

• Another fantastic aspect is its power efficiency service. This enables you to monitor just how much power your laptop is using. This can be very helpful if you are working remotely and have no access to a power source.

WordPress was once viewed mainly as a blogging platform. But it has developed into one of the most popular website publishing tools on the Internet. Tech Crunch recently reported that about one fifth of new domains in the U.S. run on WordPress. And it also might amaze you to learn that one of the most popular publishers in the world uses WordPress.

Here are 7 things you should know about WordPress:

1. Updating your content is easier than ever using WordPress. With its dynamic page creation you can update your site effortlessly without using a large amount of storage
2. You can get a subdomain for free! After you register with WordPress to obtain a free site, you can easily name your free subdomain like this: www.yourname.wordpress.org.
3. WordPress also offers what they call their ‘famous 5-minute install’, which makes it simple to install WordPress if you already have a domain and a hosting service. What’s more, no coding skills required.
4. If you do own your own domain there are some minimum requirements to run WordPress. You’ll want to ensure you have the correct and compliant versions of PHP and MySQL. This will ensure you can receive accurate WordPress support as required.
5. To make your site look nice, there is an vast selection of templates, called “themes”, available on the internet. Some are free, while others are not. Nevertheless, using these you are able to easily and quickly tailor your site the way you like.
6. WordPress offers centralized management for all of your pages, posts, multimedia assets, and reader comments. It’s also really simple to manage users and user profiles.
7. WordPress encourages e-commerce. There’s an abundance of plugins that have already been developed that enable you to accept payments, advertise, and more on your website. The easy plugin search keeps all of these options at your fingertips.

We always hear about the most popular gadgets on the market. But for every technology that changes our lives there’s something that flops. It’s difficult to judge what the public will take a fancy too, so companies take a risk when they release something. Below we explore a couple of technologies that fall outside of the “took flight” category.

Famous tech failures

• Apple TV: It seems like a good idea—a device that lets users buy TV series and movies from iTunes and then stream them on their TVs, computers, and mobile devices. The drawback? Besides YouTube, the unit doesn’t permit many non-iTunes alternatives.

• Sony Mylo: The Mylo came and went very quickly so you may not remember it. It was geared toward the 18 to 20 something crowd and was a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device. It allowed people to play games, connect to the Internet, and even had Skype preinstalled on it. Unfortunately, the presence of the iPhone and its substantial app store overshadowed it.

The Segway peters out

• Segway PT: It was thought that the Segway PT would replace cars in cities. It made it simple for people to just zip to the market or make the short commute downtown. But it never quite caught on. Unfortunately for the manufacturers, people thought balancing on two wheels made them look a little silly.

The CueCat doesn’t purr

• CueCat: The CueCat was a portable barcode reader shaped like a cat. Consumers could use it to scan any barcode and it would navigate them to the company’s website. This did not catch on but did it pave the way for QR codes?

We are inclined to take Microsoft Outlook for granted. After all, we’ve been using this program to read email messages and manage our schedules for years now. Nonetheless, Microsoft Outlook is a surprisingly powerful program. If you want to make the most out of it, it’s time to explore some of its hidden functions. Here are three key tips that can help you save time and work more efficiently when linked to Microsoft Outlook.

Eliminate the Clutter

You possibly have “Conversation View” switched on in Outlook presently.  This view helps keep conversations neatly sorted into one thread. You can find the needed email without having to hunt through days of backlogged emails. There is a potential pitfall to this view however. Newer conversations can become very chaotic with repetitive quoted text. Turning off this quoted text is very simply with Outlook.  Right-click the conversation thread and choose “Clean Up Conversation.” All the unnecessary duplicate copies will now be eliminated from the individual emails in the conversation thread.

Say it in a Picture

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much time you’ll save by including screenshots in your emails.  Including screenshots can be very valuable particularly when sending a support ticket.  Outlook makes including a screenshot incredibly simple. Click the “Insert” tab and then select “Screenshot.” A series of images of all open windows on your desktop will be displayed.  Pick the window that is appropriate and Outlook will place the screenshot directly into your email – simple as that!

Take Out the Trash

At times it is tough to let go of those old emails.  We are inclined to keep them in the trash folder for weeks or even years.  The truth is that those messages take up a lot of precious space. Luckily, setting up automatic trash emptying is easy with Outlook.  Outlook will automatically empty your trash upon exiting the program if you click the  “File” tab and then select “Options.” From here, choose “Advanced” and look for the Outlook “Start” and “Exit” options. Check the box next to “Empty Deleted Items” when exiting Outlook. Now your trash will be empty every time you exit the program clearing up lots of precious space!

When looking at data security, you may feel you have enough safeguards set up to defend your small business. After all, you probably routinely update your antivirus software and other security protocols too. And it’s not as if you are a large company that has to worry about having their systems breached by advanced hacking techniques. With tens of thousands of delicate customer records on file, these big firms are the ones who must worry about cyber attacks, right? In fact, digital thieves have drastically escalated their efforts in relation to stealing from small businesses. To help you learn more about your level of danger, let’s look at this important topic in greater detail below.

Small firms: low-hanging fruit

The facts are, hackers have found that small businesses are easier targets, and are increasingly preying upon them. They are able to infiltrate their systems at a considerably faster rate, and with a better percentage of success as well. This means a cyber criminal can assault multiple targets in the time it would take them to lay siege to a better-guarded system with a higher level of data security. How can it be worth their while to steal from a mom and pop business? In today’s modern world, virtually every business makes use of digital payment processing methods. When your customers pay using a credit card, this data must run through your system to be verified. This represents a goldmine of data for hackers, as they can lift this information without being discovered. With your customers’ credit card numbers, addresses and names, they can make bogus charges on their accounts.

How hackers gain access to your data

Even though you most likely have systems in place to defend your data, hackers will make use of multiple points of entry, so firewalls alone is probably not enough. Malicious email attachments are probably the biggest offenders. These attachments can leave your system wide open for data mining. This year alone in the first quarter, 6 million malware programs were detected. Apart from these more high-tech tactics, cyber criminals also use low-tech means to steal information. Phone calls as well as personal visits by someone posing as a network administrator or security firm can be detrimental. We all hope our workers are smart enough not to be seduced by an apparent phishing scam, but it only takes one slip up to open yourself up for attack.

The buck stops with you

Many people assume that since credit card companies are usually liable for any counterfeit charges that occur from a hacking event, that data security isn’t crucial. While this may be true for a consumer, for a business owner the outcome may be very different. Consumers will hold you responsible personally should their information be stolen. Damage control after an attack can cost an organization thousands of dollars and in some cases a single attack can spell the end of business in general.

An ounce of prevention…

So, in relation to your data security, taking extra precautions is a wise move. Not only should you upgrade your programs whenever you can, look at strengthening your passwords as well. Avoid using obvious phrases, and never leave the default password in place. Also, advise your employees not to give out their login information or open attachments from unfamiliar senders when checking their email. You can even hire an outside consultant to guarantee the security of your customers’ data. Taking these types of measures can provide you with piece of mind, knowing that your systems are safe from attack.

Our previous blog centered around company culture and the effect it could have on your brand. Your company’s culture, good or bad, shows up in your brands reputation. We discussed how to assess the cultural health of your business, but just how do you give your company a cultural facelift?

The first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions to get a sense of the “feel” you’d like your organization to have:

• How do you want your company to feel? Fun, creative, open, accepting, respectful, etc?
• How can you mirror you company values in its culture?
• How is information shared with employees? Are they left in the dark frequently?
• How do you reward or motivate employees now, and how would you like to in the future?
• Does everyone in the company feel listened to? If not, how can you improve this?

These can result in more questions. To get answers try brainstorming with your peers. Here are some ideas to get the ball rolling:

Suggestion/Thought box – Providing people with a means to share their thoughts, anonymously or not, helps make the culture of a company feel more open. You could learn some important things that need tweaking and may want to bring them up in companywide meetings.

Empower employees – Let your staff make decisions. Treat your staff as peers; let them have a say and listen to their ideas. Also be a transparent leader. Don’t just notify your employees when things are great, but also tell them tactfully when things aren’t going very well.

Flexible hours – Providing people with some flexibility to get their work done demonstrates confidence. Trusting them to manage themselves will lead them to respect you more.

Dress code – Today it is uncommon that people have to wear suits and ties on a regular basis.  Giving workers freedom to express themselves using their wardrobe is an easy technique to make them feel accepted for who they are. To take this one step further, think about themed days: silly hat day, bright clothing day, 80’s day, etc. It’s amazing how important self-expression can be.

Celebrate – Your organization is the sum of everyone in it. Celebrate your team with group activities.  For instance, cater lunch for everyone, have a movie or game day, or simply throw a party. This can produce more cohesion within your team and encourage collaboration.

Below is a number of things that real companies do to add some fun to their culture:

• Spontaneous Nerf gun wars
• Painting inspirational quotes on the walls
• Hitting a loud gong when there is a success to let the whole company know
• Foosball tournaments
• Lunchtime Yoga
• Lunchtime Crafting Club
• Monday Mad Libs, whoever wishes to contribute, does, and then the completed Mad Lib is emailed to the company

Often, in business, concentrating on the strategy of the company is the main focus.
Is that because it’s the most important aspect to focus on? Many businesses think so, but solely focusing on strategy can lead a company into stagnation. People make up a company and they collectively make the culture of the company. Culture does not just impact the employees in your office, it affects your brand, marketing, and how the public in general views your company. Without a healthy prospering culture a brand has little possibility of long-term success.  When we examine brands like Apple, Google, or Starbucks we not only recognize the brand, but we correlate a variety of feelings and thoughts about these businesses. This is mostly due to the culture of these companies.

Why Culture is so Important

Giving your employees a sense of ownership over their jobs ensures that they feel empowered, and empowerment encourages innovative thinking. This all starts with a healthy workplace culture. If people feel invisible or stifled in their work place, they will do the minimum expected of them. It’s human nature to want to feel like we are part of something and that we have some control over our lives. Don’t forget that your brand is comprised of the individuals in your company. So nurturing a good company culture isn’t just the responsibility of the HR department, but of everyone, from the CEO to the janitor.

Below are just a few of the benefits of fostering a healthy culture.

• Focus – The old adage holds true; two heads are better then one. When all the people in a company are focused on the same goal, everything runs more efficiently. This type of focus comes with a healthy culture; the workers will care about the collective goal because they feel like they are a part of it. When individuals do not feel like they are part of the team, they don’t value the goal, and this can lead to cynicism.

• Cohesion – Healthy culture can bring about strong communication in good and bad times. In a place where there is unhealthy culture people may often resent being told what to do because they don’t feel their opinions are listened to or appreciated. Whenever a problem occurs they may avoid pointing it out as they fear backlash.

• Motivation – A enthusiastic workforce gets things done. That may seem apparent, but companies that don’t pay attention to the health of their culture could be suffering when it comes to efficiency. Being motivated to work hard is a trait that ought to be present in every individual in the company if the culture is healthy.

Measuring the Cultural Health of Your Company

This can be a challenging step but ought to be assessed a few times a year. One of the primary steps is to examine how people are managed, how jobs are given out, and do people have some say in what they are doing? Obviously you might find a few people who will never be happy, but if the general consensus is negative, start considering making a few changes for the healthy of your organization. Check back soon for a few tips on transforming your company’s culture for the better.

Chances are you started your business because you love what you do. You opened your doors because you have a solid product that you believe in.  You probably did not start a business because your paperwork abilities were unmatched.  Paperwork is an essential and necessary evil for any business owner and proper invoicing cannot be ignored. We all need cash flow to keep our businesses adrift, so employing a good invoicing system can help us keep cash in the bank and our customers happy!

Invoicing help online

Fortunately, there are lots of online invoicing services created to make life simpler for the small business owner. By utilizing one of these services, you can quickly — and depending on your clients, automatically — distribute your invoices each month. It’s one less task for you to handle. What follows is a glance at some of the better online invoicing services:

A free but powerful invoicing service

First, let’s look at a free system: BillingBoss. Of course its biggest advantage is that it is 100% free, but that doesn’t mean it’s not robust. Most small businesses will be happy with BillingBoss’s capacity to automatically invoice customers on a monthly basis and send once-off invoices for more abnormal clients.

A power tool

Next let’s look at AcceptPay. Developed and run by American Express, AcceptPay is a very impressive service that connects with QuickBooks, enables online payments, and has a wider range of invoicing options. At the reasonably low monthly price of $30, this is a great choice for those companies that desire a more robust service.

Invoicing for the tech-savvy

If you are tech-savvy and understand how to use open source software, BambooInvoice is a good option. This free service is very customizable and lives on your in-house servers as opposed to in the cloud.  This makes it simple for you to make the program fit your company’s exact needs.

These are only a few of the available options online. Most services are free or extremely cost-effective. If you wish to take the reigns on your invoicing process, consider using an online solution.

It looks as if Microsoft is ready to do its part to discourage cyber crimes. Microsoft intends to offer real-time feeds that partners can use to study potential cyber threats and take the appropriate steps to boost their defenses against these attacks.

Microsoft has already had success in taking down botnets. By doing this, the company collects a great deal of useful data about the threats these botnets pose. The procedure works like this: Microsoft basically swallows the botnets. This, in turn, sends botnet-infected hosts to addresses that are under Microsoft’s control. This captures the contaminated hosts and takes them offline.

Microsoft can now gather threat information and share it with ISPs, government agencies, private organizations, and CERTs. The impact of such a move by Microsoft can be dramatic. Analysts say that while a real-time threat feed won’t lower the volume of attacks, it will help information security specialists react to these threats faster. This might limit the level of damage caused by these attacks.

Even more importantly than a decline in damage, a live threat feed could mean that the IT security industry overall will begin to share more information.  It has been a long-standing belief that sharing verified threat data may lead to copycat attacks. However, this isn’t a sound concern. Cyber criminals are already sharing secrets and ways to get around security systems. It only makes sense for the IT security industry to be sharing their information about how to combat these cyber criminals.

Let’s hope that security professionals soon discover that sharing information is more valuable than secrecy. And let’s hope that Microsoft’s move is a first step in this change of attitude.