Many of us get our entertainment, news, and pay our bills via the Internet. So, it’s not a shock that we access our music over the Internet as well. Many individuals subscribe to on-line music-streaming services that are either free or cost money. The advantages are many. People don’t have to transfer their music files onto different devices plus they can listen to it anywhere they have access to the Internet.

If you are curious as to the differences in these services, we have highlighted several below.

Pandora: Pandora has been around awhile, and it is very widely used. It’s clear to see why: it’s easy. After navigating to the website, enter the name of a song or artist you enjoy and Pandora will create a radio station based upon that information. It chooses songs by artists with a comparable sound. As you tune in to your station you can click the thumbs up or thumbs down symbol on the songs and Pandora will customize your station based on this new information. Additionally, you can “seed” you station with different artists to even further customize it. You can listen to Pandora without setting up an account but in order to save your stations, you have to create an account.

Grooveshark: Grooveshark is similar to Pandora. But you can also create your own playlists manually, all without creating an account. However, those that want to save their play lists will have to sign up for a free account. Like Pandora, Grooveshark also provides recommendations for songs that you might like determined by your past musical selections. Grooveshark also has an interesting feature: You can help build the service’s database of music by adding your own favorite songs and artists if you can’t find them in Grooveshark’s current collection.

Rhapsody: Rhapsody’s appeal is based on its huge database of music: more the 14 million songs. Unfortunately, this service is not free, it is $10 a month for unlimited music.

Spotify: Spotify is one of the most widely known music-streaming services out there. After its introduction in 2008, it expanded rapidly. Spotify has a simple to use interface. You can enjoy entire albums, decide to create a “radio” station based on your tastes, or create playlists that you can share with other Spotify users. This is appealing to people who enjoy the nostalgia of making mix tapes. A lot of people love Spotify’s integration with Facebook. By using the Facebook app, Spotify generates a running list of what you are enjoying day by day. You can also see what your Facebook friends are listening too, in real-time.

Remember when Windows was considered cool? It’s been a long time. Nevertheless, the Kinect – a motion and voice-sensing device initially meant as a clever feature for the Xbox gaming console – may help Windows regain its long-lost coolness quotient.

Microsoft in February released Kinect for Windows. This version of the device works with, of course, Windows-operated pcs. Now a number of users are putting the device to work in surprising ways.

Innovative Uses for the Kinect

Earlier this year the Chief Marketing Manager for Nissan North America created a virtual tour of the Pathfinder’s interior at the Chicago Auto Show. The only thing that was physically presented was the outer shell of the Pathfinder, but individuals could see the up-graded interior on a large screen by using the Kinect.

Microsoft is working with companies to create applications for the Kinect. This not only supports creativity but it puts the Kinect at the center of some of the most recent innovations. An example of a company that is working closely with Microsoft in this way is Boeing. Boeing used the Kinect to create virtual tours of its jets. Another example is a healthcare facility in Canada. They are using the Kinect’s gesture-recognition capability to swipe through CT scans. This removes the danger of getting germs on their hands from a keyboard or mouse.

Kinect: A Solid Hit

The Kinect has been a hit for Microsoft. Last year the device helped turn the Xbox 360 into the year’s best-selling computer game console. The fact is, Microsoft has sold over 18 million Kinect devices since November of 2010. It makes sense then, that a version created especially for Windows would be a hit, too.

The excitement surrounding the Kinect and its many uses can only boost Microsoft’s reputation. They may be on their way to entering into the “cool” tech company category.

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There are many people seeking jobs today. However, as an employer, you are not trying to find just anyone. You want to hire the best, most creative employees to work at your business. You recognize that your company is only as strong as your workers. How do you hire the best people? It all begins with the interview.

If you hold the conventional job interview, asking the same tedious questions, chances are you won’t be able to tell the top applicants from the so-so ones. That’s why it’s important to craft a unique job interview strategy.

Ask the Right Questions

Rather then asking people what their former positions were, ask them the way they positively impacted their positions at their previous employers. Did they create any processes that improved efficiency? Did they help their employers save money, if so, how?

One of the most popular questions to ask a candidate concerns their strengths and weaknesses. Try to avoid asking them to list these; almost everyone has predetermined answers. Instead ask them what they bring to the culture of a company, or ask them what they do to make their job more satisfying. The answers you get to these sorts of questions will help you to gauge the actual ingenuity of the person you are interviewing.

If you truly are interested in which of your candidates are the most creative, give them a simple task to perform. It doesn’t have to be complex; you can ask them to write an essay describing how they would approach their job if hired. You could ask them to jot down their ideas on what their ideal workspace would look like. Ask them to come up with new names for company services or products. Basically, ask them anything that will get their creative juices flowing.

In today’s marketplace, employers have the advantage of choosing amongst many accomplished people. So to be able to choose the very best, they need to alter the types of questions they ask in job interviews.

Traveling for business is not fun. We’re generally rushed, we don’t eat correctly, and we have to deal with the hassle of airports and long-term parking. It’s not surprising that many companies opt toward videoconferencing rather then traveling. As videoconferencing technology advances, many people wonder if business traveling may become a thing of the past.

The End of Business Travel?

But is this really what business people and their employers should want? Maybe not. Videoconferencing may never replace face-to-face meetings in the business world as the best ideas normally pop up during these in-person meetings. Think about the difference between how videoconferencing and in-person meetings tend to work.

When people across the globe sign on to a videoconference, they generally introduce themselves quickly, if required, and then dive into the goal at hand. Brainstorming does not often play a big role in videoconferencing; this is partially due to the worry that the connection may fail. Also, there are lots of distractions within the individual’s office that can make fluid conversationtough.

The Benefits of Face-to-Face Time

Face-to-face interactions tend to be more meaningful and allow conversation to evolve easily. Meetings may last longer should this happen, but the benefits of it can be excellent. New ideas come from the creative evolution of conversation. While it’s true that every meeting may not become a positive brainstorming session, it can be a great opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships in the office.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

Humans are a social species. Due to this, it’s improbable that business travel will disappearaltogether. However, in today’s economy, many small business owners just can’t afford to send their sales people away every time the need to meet a client. For this reason, improvements in videoconferencing are necessary but the benefits of in-person meetings are so great that the savvy business owner will not abandon them for videoconferencing all together.

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Doesn’t it feel like we should already have jetpacks? Teleporters? Or meals in tablet form? We already have some incredible technology, like tablets, which are small computers that we can carry around. We can use the GPS in our cars to find the way around town. We can post an update to our social media sites and reach thousands of people at once.

So, why don’t we have teleporters and hovercrafts? What is preventing us from taking these leaps in technology?

Building a Better Battery

First, there is battery power. To put it simply, the batteries running our smartphones and tablets have to be recharged too often. A more powerful battery would allow us to run our gadgets for weeks at a time and then charge them again in mere minutes. This battery does not exist yet. However, it might be coming: researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University are developing a far more powerful lithium-ion battery. If their prototype becomes commercially viable, it will probably be a game-changer.

Improving Internet Access

Another obstacle to conquer is that not enough people have access to the Internet. In reality, most of the globe doesn’t have access to it. This is naturally restricting developments in technology. It goes back to the essential idea of the more minds we have working on a problem, the faster we will solve it.

The Business of New Tech

Finally, there’s the business end of things. Technological progress is slowed by arcane things such as patent law. Businesses take their time launching new gadgets and services because they must first navigate a minefield of laws and government regulations. These laws are essential. However, they should be clear and easy to understand so new technology isn’t bottled up needlessly.

Even though there are several things that are holding technology back, it is still evolving at a rapid pace. Maybe we’ll finally get hover boards when battery technology catches up to our imaginations.

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Adobe Photoshop is an incredible tool. It lets organizations edit the images they need to produce professional-looking brochures, pamphlets, and marketing materials. The problem is that Photoshop is far from inexpensive. A quick online scan will show that newer versions of this image-editing program can run higher then $600. For small business owners on a budget, this program isn’t feasible. This doesn’t mean, however, that these small business owners don’t have photo-editing options. In fact, businesses can choose from a number of alternatives that are not only cheaper but are actually free.

These alternatives are not quite as dynamic as Photoshop but they provide enough of the elements to be useful to the small business owner. Here is a list of three that make photo-manipulation easy, without straining the wallet.

GIMP

GIMP, which stands for GNU image manipulation program, is the choice of many a cost-conscious designer. That is because this free program contains many of the most important features of Photoshop. The GIMP website even offers a version of the program—cleverly named GIMPShop—that features a screen layout that is a virtual twin of Photoshop’s.

Paint.NET

Remember that old MSPaint program that came with your Windows program? Paint.NET is the successor to this, and it’s a unexpectedly powerful—and free—photo editor. Paint.NET comes with its own special effects, an unlimited undo (a nice feature for those designers who are far from perfect), and an online forum full of users who aren’t shy about sharing their favorite tips and strategies for using this program. The only negative of Paint.NET? It only works with Windows-based systems.

Picnik

Picnik is a free program that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. This program has some really fun effects such as blurring, darkening, and lightening images. It’s probably the most popular free editing programs, as you don’t have to download files to use it.

Business owners needn’t let Photoshop’s high price keep them from inserting professionally edited photos into their marketing materials. With only a little bit of online hunting, even the most frugal of business owners will find the perfect alternative.

Have you ever needed your smartphone only to find that the battery has died and you’re nowhere near an outlet? It’s frustrating, but in a couple of years, it could be a thing of the past.

A Better Battery on the Way?

Engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University have been working on advancements in battery technology and may have discovered a way to make batteries charge in minutes and last considerably longer.

Northwestern’s researchers have found a way to increase the charge of lithium-ion batteries by more then 10 times the present lithium-ion battery life. They are even boasting that after 150 charges, which they believe represents about a year of operation, the new lithium-ion battery will be 5 times more effective than batteries today.

A Charged Battery for a Week

In the end, this new cell phone battery could stay charged for a full week, even with all the apps we use daily. And the charging time? Less than 15 minutes. That will sure make our lives easier, but more than that, this new battery technology could lead to smaller and more efficient batteries for electric cars.  This could therefore, have a dramatic impact on our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology will have a huge impact on many aspects of our life, it will not be available to the general public for three to five years, says Northwestern researchers. Batteries are often over looked when we think of advanced technologies, but the more we depend upon mobile devices the more imperative they become.  Advancements in battery technology may in fact hold the key to an even greater technological movement.

Google is the household name with regards to searching the Web. However, it may not be the best search engine out there. Microsoft introduced Bing, a competitor, in 2009 and it should not be dismissed. Although many Internet users still use Google as their primary search engine, Bing has numerous features that make for a robust searching experience.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing you can get more information about your search results then you do from Google. There’s a navigation panel on the left that features related searches; this can help you refine your search if you didn’t get the information you were in need of. There’s also a “search history” navigation panel to help you easily navigate to past pages if needed. This feature can be toggled on and off.

Bing Goes Beyond Search Results

When you search in Bing, you get more then just search results. Bing pulls up images, and videos that are associated with your search. While Google has this function, Bing makes the navigation somewhat more user friendly. Another useful feature is what they call Farecast Technology. This is part of the Bing Travel site and it allows users to find the cheapest airfare easily.

Bing Video Search Shines

Bing stands out from Google when it comes to searching for videos as well. Bing allows users to specify how long they would like videos to be, what resolution they want, and what screen size they’d prefer. Moreover, to get a preview of the video, users only need to hover their cursor over the video to play a portion of it without clicking on it.

These are a few reasons why Bing should not be overlooked. Google might be the current king of search engines, but Bing has a lot to deliver surfers of the Web.

Cloud computing has certainly caught on. People can access data that is stored in the cloud—databases located far from their own computer drives. They are able to store their favorite songs, access powerful word-processing software, and send their business proposals to the cloud. This saves lots of computer memory, as everything that’s kept in the cloud isn’t stored on a personal computer. The outcome is a faster computing experience, as fewer programs gum up the running speed of home computers.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However; there are various kinds of clouds. There is the public cloud, the private cloud, and the hybrid cloud. The majority of us use the public cloud, businesses that wish to use cloud services to store very sensitive data can opt to use a private cloud, and the hybrid cloud is a combination of both.

The hybrid cloud generally works like this: A company provides some resources in-house. For instance, it may store current consumer data on its private in-house cloud. It might also store employee files, new marketing campaigns, and current proposals to new clients on its in-house storage. That same business, however, might store older, archived data on a public cloud service. This frees up space on the business’ servers, and allows its in-house computers to perform more efficiently.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

This frees up space on the in-house servers while ensuring that certain data is highly safeguarded. The hybrid cloud is a fantastic strategy to provide businesses with high security cloud services while decreasing costs and saving space.

It’s not surprising that lots of businesses use the hybrid cloud. There is too much data storage needed these days for a business to store it all and not bog down their systems. Furthermore, in this competitive climate, companies need to make sure their sensitive information is protected. The hybrid cloud is often the best way businesses can accomplish both of these things.

Thanks to improved technology, an increasing number of employees have the ability to complete most or all of their work from home. Smartphones, tablets, teleconferencing, and WiFi-equipped bookstores and coffee shops have made this possible. This presents a big advantage for employers: the more employees that work from home, the less money companies must spend. Many companies, for instance, do not have assigned computers and desks for each of their workers as so much of their workforce is working remotely. In addition, employees working remotely tend to be more productive; they’re not wasting time and energy driving to work every day. And they’re not exchanging office gossip in front of the water cooler when in the office.

Remote Worker Challenges

One worry that lots of employers have when deciding to hire remote workers is, how can they monitor the amount of work they do? How do they know they are really working and not simply playing games on their computer all day?

By setting reasonable deadlines employers can monitor their remote workers successfully. This is a change in managerial strategy; it puts the focus on the goal rather then the amount of time that the employee works. In the end, employees are the only ones who know when they work most effectively, even if it is from midnight to 4am.

Setting Remote Worker Deadlines

Setting deadlines is the simplest way to monitor the work being done by remote workers. Managers can set short-term and long-term goals or make something due every Friday. Additionally, a manger could have a weekly or biweekly meeting via cellphone or video chat to catch up on the development of projects. This can put the manager and employee at ease.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

Working remotely requires personal discipline and good time-management skills. Individuals who are chronic procrastinators may not work best remotely. If employees aren’t hitting deadlines, or are delivering sub-par work then off-site working doesn’t have to be a permanent privilege. For remote working to be successful there need to be trust between the employee and the employer. To preserve this trust the employee must hit their deadlines and the employer needs to be focused on the results.