Good news for those who have given up their landlines or for your college students heading off to dorms that don’t have traditional phone service–you can save your cell phone minutes and use your Gmail account on your computer to access free phone calls to any US or Canadian phone.
All you need is a free Gmail account and a headset (headphones and microphone). I like this as a good inexpensive option.
Remember, this service does not provide 911, 611 or 311 functionality.
(Also posted at MarioArmstrong.com)
Do you communicate with clients from foreign countries? Do you do business in non-US dollar currencies? Do some of your employees have names with non-English characters such as ç or ñ?
Each of the major operating systems have character maps that correlate to Unicode. Unicode is a system that assigns a uniform hexadecimal value for each text and numeric character so that systems can communicate clearly across platforms. While you may not understand what I just wrote, here is the takeaway. There are shortcuts available to all computer users that will create characters that other computers will understand.
For Windows Users:
You can use your ‘Character Map’ available to Windows users (All programs, Accessories, System Tools, Character Map) or use a handy chart of Alt codes. I use this one all of the time, it is from the Foreign Language Department of Washington State University. You simply hold down your ALT key and then enter the code from the list.
For Mac OS users:
- Go to Apple menu > System Preferences and select International.
- Select Input Menu, then select Keyboard Viewer.
- Select “on“ next to language’s keyboard layout you want to use.
- Select Show Keyboard Viewer from the Input menu on the right side of the menu bar.
A flag will be in the menu bar. When you want to type a special character, click the flag and select “Show Keyboard Viewer“. When you press Shift and Option buttons, the on-screen keyboard will show up.
In no time, you will comfortably communicating with the rest of the world and not struggling to find a way of avoiding typing something unfamiliar!
Oftentimes we overlook the importance of comfort when we type on our computers. Processing power and the speed of your internet connection pale in importance to keeping your body comfortable when creating on a keyboard.
If you have a laptop, you should get a laptop cooler. This particular model offers both comfort and cooling and will be well worth the $40 invested. Not only does portable computing become more comfortable, it can also prevent overheating that slays many a powerful new laptop.
This next suggestion is possibly even less sexy than anything else we’ve suggested but despite my two years of typing class where we were taught to hover above the keyboard, my lazy method involve sore wrists from resting my wrists on the keyboard or shelf below. You will be amazed how much of a difference can be made by adding an ergonomic gell-filled wrist pad and a mouse pad. I use this one at work and at home and each has given me years of service.
As soon as the 4th of July sales are over, stores begin to trumpet back to school. While you may be relieved not to have to sit through a semester of Chemistry or endure the high school drama, don’t miss the opportunity to stock up on new supplies to go into fall with a fresh outlook on your workspace. Today we look at mice.
Try a new mouse on for size. You have it in your hand all day, why not get one with style and great ergonomics. I use this one at work and the wireless version at home. It takes a bit to adapt too, but it really made a difference in preventing hand cramping and gives a really accurate response. One thing to keep in mind with the wireless mouse (or any wireless mouse) is that a day will come when your mouse will start doing all sorts of strange things, relax and replace the AA battery and you will be right back into business.
Going mobile? I love this little laptop mouse, and it is available in lots of great colors. Great performance and if you are like me and can’t compute with ease on the trackpad of my netbook, it makes all the difference.
(This post also appeared on MarioArmstrong.com)
Social media has changed the way that small businesses connect with customers. Whether on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare or any of the other social media platforms businesses can share news about their products and promotions, seek feedback on their service or product, raise their visibility, address complaints and share compliments. It has allowed small businesses to compete on a level playing field with the largest of organizations–something that would previously be unheard of. But before you jump in some basics on finding your business’s voice:
1. Know your voice. As part of your business’s start-up you probably had a mission statement: a clear statement of your company’s aim and your approach in meeting that goal. Having a confident grasp of your company’s ‘personality’ will help you form your voice on your communication strategy whether through paid advertising or with social media. Really take the time to think about how humorous/ serious you want to be; how formal or casual; how chatty/reserved you want to be. Why did you start this company? Your communication strategy should get that message across with all of the messages you send out.
2. Keep your professional / personal on-line lives separate. While your business should reflect your talents, your values and your personality–remember to keep some separation between your business and your personal lives. Both your customers and your friends/ family will appreciate it!
3. Social media isn’t just marketing. It is about opening up a new line of communication: one that is fast, reactive and informative. Share news and insights but also listen to your customers.
4. Be persistent. Don’t jump in and out of the fast lane of social media. Schedule it into your daily routine. Don’t get discouraged and keep on connecting.
5. Let your old school methods of communicating help you connect in the new school world of social media. Add the magic words “Follow us on Twitter” and “Find us on Facebook” to all of your print advertising, on your website and in your emails.
Be willing to do more of what works and less of what falls flat. Think of what intrigues you when you follow others and learn as you go. Your voice will evolve as you get more confident, and your customers will be glad you spoke up!
Ever get lost trying to read a business story about tech topics? Even the most sophisticated readers can feel digitally daunted. This is true for jargon in any profession but as fast changing as the tech sphere is; it is easy to fall behind fast.
We wrote Digitally Daunted to bring everyone up to speed. If you really want to let loose the reins, this post on Poynter Online will either give you the tools you need or make you want to crawl back under the covers (and wow, I realize that is a lot of mixed metaphors)!
Short and sweet post with a friendly reminder! If you haven’t done it already when setting up your computer, you should make sure that you have enabled auto-updates and schedule tasks such as disk cleanup and defragmentation. If not, your computer’s performance could suffer or in some cases be vulnerable to viruses.
Both Windows and Mac have auto-updates available. We strongly recommend setting up automatic updating so that keeping your computer up-to-date doesn’t rely on your remembering to keep up a maintenance schedule. So take a second and click on your control panel in windows or software updates in Mac OS and make sure you have an update schedule in place.
The big three of console games all made announcements at the annual E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)conference. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo’s keynotes highlighted the evolution in gaming–moving out of our basement’s and into our living rooms. From being the province of hard-core gamers staring at individual screens to a full family and friends experience. This is of course, an evolution that has been going on for some years now, with music games and the Wii, but some of this upcoming holiday season’s offerings are going from early adoption territory to mass market.
Microsoft struck first with its take on physical gaming–its Kinect add-on to the Xbox360 brings Wii style off-the-couch gaming without the use of a remote. At launch, there will be 15 games that take advantage of what was previously discussed under the code-name Natal. The expected sports games are joined by dance games and some more innovative interactions such as Kinectimals. The truly transformative announcement, we believe, is the announcement of its partnership with ESPN bringing truly interactive entertainment, enhancing sporting events with trivia, community and other elements.
Next up, Sony takes a more gamer-centric approach to active gaming with its Move. It uses a controller (much like the Wii–but with buttons) that may not be your grandmother’s gaming choice but it earns its place in the living room by also including a Blu-Ray player.
The potential of the Nintendo Wii as an entertainment hub keeps evolving, moving beyond its role as the ambassador for console-based gaming. As people discover Netflix streaming, web-browsing and photo-sharing (in addition to lots of family-friendly entertainment), the initial cost of the console is more and more justifiable. Nintendo’s E3 announcements were more focused on its new portable device, the Nintendo 3DS, but once you enter the world of Nintendo’s games, even the most Digitally Daunted consumers out there may find themselves wanting to take their entertainment out in the world.
(Note, this post has also been published on MarioArmstrong.com)
Everyone is talking about ‘The Cloud’ or ‘Cloud Computing’. Basically, Cloud Computing is the movement from site-specific data storage to storage that is held in the Cloud of the internet. Instead of your personal or business data being stored on your computer or computer network, it is moved to a shared resource accessible via the internet and not tied to your own resources.
The old model of sending your information back and forth from your computer server to another is replaced by centralized storage by a provider such as Google, Apple or Microsoft (or the many smaller or more specialized service providers) which is accessible by you or your partners wherever you have internet access.
The obvious benefits are:
1. Savings on the cost of owning and maintaining computer servers
2. Reduced risk of data loss due to local emergencies
3. The ability to use a wider range of devices such as smartphones that don’t have large memory resources
4. Access to your data no longer requires you to have access to your company’s network or personal computer
5. Shared programs will save on software purchases with more and more applications being designed for a cloud-based future
There are other factors to keep in mind, however:
1. Be sure you are working with a trusted provider. In all cases, your reputation, your business and your financial well-being is tied up with your company’s information. Make sure that there are controls to allow for only secure access to your data; protecting it from all unauthorized access.
2. Make sure there is redundant storage so that if there is a catastrophic data loss at one location that there is a backup of all files.
3. Ensure that if the company you choose to work with has a continuity of operations plan if they decide to no longer provide the services you have contracted for.
4. Don’t neglect backup routines for the data not stored in the cloud. You will still need to budget for maintenance of your IT resources.
5. Cloud-based software may not be as robust as the full-blown software suites.
Many of us already have been living in the clouds with our internet based email accounts or photo sharing sites for years. The Cloud is no longer science fiction—it is rapidly becoming the new model.
This morning book industry newsletter Shelf Awareness sent along a tidbit from Teleread discussing a Publishers Marketplace (subscription only) article. Regarding the last volume in the Milennium trilogy of The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, ” Knopf Doubleday spokesman Paul Bogaards says their internal figures show an approximate first week sell-through of 425,000 units–which includes 125,000 ebook editions.” That is more than 25% of first week sales.
Also in ebook news, Shelf Awareness references a Telegraph article which leads with further ebook confidence. “Within five years there will be more digital content sold than physical content,” Steve Haber, president of Sony’s digital reading business division, told the Telegraph. “Three years ago, I said within ten years but I realised that was wrong–it’s within five.”
This all points to the rapid adoption of ebooks as a viable format that is being accepted by consumers (at least higher end consumers who purchase fiction at new release prices). So, is it time to consider an e-reader? Our previous advice stands: give ebooks a try before committing to an e-reader. With summer travel on everyone’s minds, it might just be time to jump in. Need some advice on suggested e-readers? Here is a roundup that Fast Company just ran covering your options.
But remember, the consequences of getting your ebook wet versus your paper book are much more severe! Avoid the splash zone and watch out for high tide.
