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10 Android Apps to Increase Productivity

January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Smartphones let a person work while on route to their next destination or while waiting somewhere for a scheduled appointment. A mini office exists in your Android smartphone that is every bit as productive as being at your desk.

Here are 10 Android apps for productivity when you need to get some work done:

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Quick Office Pro

A functional app, Quick Office Pro puts Microsoft Office products on your phone. It is the most comprehensive and connected suite available for Android. You can get access to MS Word or Excel documents remotely or create new ones. The connected file manager lets you share files with Google Docs or Huddle to name a few.

Droid Edit

A functional app for those who are into programming source code. Droid Edit offers a free text editor feature. It comes with syntax highlighting for Python, Ruby, Javascript and many more. It can create network sockets. Best of all, it has infinite undo and redo.

TripIt

It offers survival from the avalanche of details you have to deal with during a business trip. It puts all your trip information—flights, reservations, maps, tickets and schedules of meeting—in a quick access, linear fashion that briefs you on what will transpire on your busy day.

Documents to Go

This practical app lets you work from your smartphone with Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe pdf supported files. Documents to Go lets you edit documents or create new ones. Once finished, you can open and send attachments by email or Gmail.

Key Ring

A reliable app, Key Ring lets you scan all those company cards for discounts or coupons. Scan the bar code and your phone becomes a digital card which retailers can scan with their devices. Other features include a special-offer notification and a note program for making lists.

Talk to Me

This app makes international communication a bit easier. Its speech recognition software in 15 languages lets you translate a phrase from your native language to a foreign one. It then outputs a voice in that language.

Google Voice

A practical app, Google Voice creates a phone number and lets you make cheap international calls which are then transcribed for later viewing. This app has text messaging and voice mail as well.

Seesmic

For the social bees, Seesmic lets you manage your social networks. You can see updates or notifications of your trusted social networks at once, since Seesmic stacks the messages and puts the latest message on top.

Sprite Droid Back Up

An app that keeps you organized, Sprite Droid Back Up keeps your phone data safe. It gives you the choice of device, storage card, box.net or Dropbox back up.

Instagram

Finally, Instagram for Android!—though Android-users-slash-photography-hobbyists still have to wait a little longer as this app is still on it’s way to the Android market.

Aside from sharing photos in a stream, Instagram also has custom-designed filters and borders to creatively change the user’s images any way he wished. With the instant sharing feature, one can upload his professional-looking upshots to any social media sites.

Try out these 10 Android Apps for productivity and make your life a little easier, anytime and anywhere you want it.

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How to Become Tech Savvy

June 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Cut-away cell phone 

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We live in a technological age that threatens to leave those who hesitate behind. Professions are now taking advantage of any technology available that will give businesses an edge over competition. This means that employees and managers are going to be forced to use and understand technology that they otherwise would never have known about.

Become tech savvy by staying in the loop

Stay on top of technological advances and the latest buzz by subscribing to the best blogs on the subject. The more you read, the more language, culture and understanding you may absorb. This small step will at least help you feel like less of an outsider and more like someone “in the know.”

Get hands on

Instead of passing your computer on to someone else when issues arise, do as much as you can yourself. Have technicians walk you through simple procedures or go online to find the answers you need. Use your manual and read through items on the help desk, explore unknown desktop icons and try your hand at figuring things out. Confidence will be built as you successfully find your way around the computer.

Take courses

there are actually courses you can take to use your new cell phone. It maybe counterintuitive but actually take the course. Learning to use the technological devices you already own will make it easier to discuss technology and even assist others. Before you know it friends and family will begin to come to you with all their tech questions.

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How Much Technology is Good for Your Teen?

June 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
BERLIN - SEPTEMBER 04: Visitors look at the l... 

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There is no doubt that technology makes positive contributions to our world but is there such thing as too much technology, especially for teens? In the animated flick Wall-E humans destroy the planet and spend time on a never ending cruise around the galaxy where everything is done for them including dressing and eating. As a consequence the people are lazy and overweight. We are not there but in light of rapid advances such a fate is not far fetched..

Balance is the key to living with technology. Yes, it is to be used but we should also maintain the ability to pull back and engage the world. Far too often technology seems like a buffer between us and the world. The fact that there is a whole generation who doesn’t realize we once had to get up to turn the t.v. on and off on a regular basis is sad. Perhaps parents can re-engage their kids by

Having tech free time each day.

Teenagers and some adults will scream “bloody murder” at the idea but after awhile they may get used to it and even look forward to peace and quiet. This gives the family time for games, excercise, catching up on sleep or homework and may even add to family relationships by encouraging communication.

Limit the number of devices on at one time

Using devices for long periods can cause poor concentration, eye strain and headaches. Kids today are bombarded with things vying for their attention. Teach them to be moderators of their own tech time by having a one device rule. This will aid in appreciation and help them make better choices later.

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What will the OLED market look like in 2015?

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) is one of the principal new technologies in the display technology world but it has not gained market share as quickly as predicted by many expert analysts.

In mid 2005 several wall street analysts had predicted that OLED technology would become really widespread over a period of 5 years and would become the dominant technology by 2013 at the latest but LED technology has continued to evolve so that bright high contrast displays are still dominating the market share in laptops, televisions and other electronic items.

One of the major reasons why OLED did not catch up in the consumers eyes is because its brightness level was not as high as anticipated and consumers are always worried that the brightness will fade over a period time even though manufacturers have given long term warranties against such deterioration. OLED screens have a great potential since they are much more power efficient than the LEDs and their contrast ratio is more than a 1000 times better.

OLEDs are becoming ubiquitous in smaller screens on the smartphones and tablets, but have not been seen yet on laptops, desktop computer monitors and large Televisions screens. Although colors come across as much richer and blacks as well as whites are more authentic, that is not a good enough reason as a deal clincher for most shoppers.

In addition the electricity costs in America are not so crushing so that the difference between an OLED television and a LED television might not be readily visible on the bills. As OLED displays become widely accepted on smartphones and tablets, it will generate demand and capacity for manufacturers to expand their facilities to churn out larger more affordable displays which could grace the larger laptops and TVs but only after making substantial design improvements to increase the lifespan and include enough technology guarantees against fading.

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Can Robots Help Japan Cope with its Aging Population?

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Japan has one of the oldest societies in the world and the highest number of Robots. By some estimates, Japan alone accounts for 90% of all the Robots in the world and Japanese electronics manufacturers have made spectacular advances in Humanoid Robotic technology which can assist people in a variety of different functions such as communicating simple things with humans, performing simple tasks like adjusting the thermostat, bringing water and food, doing laundry and helping old or incapacitated patients walk with assistance.

Japanese society is very isolated and insular, a product of more than 16 centuries of secluded development with very little contact with the outside world except China and Korea for most of their history. This prevents them from accepting large number of immigrants who might find it difficult to assimilate into the Japanese culture.

As a result Japanese people have invested a lot of time and resources in robotic technology to help assist their aging population in functioning satisfactorily in day to day life. One can read and watch reports almost on a weekly basis on the advances in Japanese robotic technology and how it helps members of its aging population.

Apart from Humanoid robots, older people who are restricted to wheel chairs can now use a robotic washing room which can drench them with pre-warmed water to their liking, lather them with their favorite soap and even help them dry themselves as they come out of the machine. This human washing machine is not very different from the automatic car wash one sees and uses daily in US and other developed countries.

Humanoid and non Humanoid robots are playing an increasing role in Japanese society and helping them cope with an aging and shrinking population thereby reducing the need and clamor for more and more immigrants.  It remains to be seen to what extent robotic technology evolves in Japan and how far it can help Japan’s older generations cope with their final years in a respectable, caring and alert manner.

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Technology and Education: A Perfect Match

January 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is a direct relationship and a natural correlation between the world of technology and the world of education, and one cannot exist without the other for this very reason. Technology is capable of improving education, as new technologies create new ways to find and use information, making education easier to obtain. As education improves, so does the ability for technology to be improved as brighter minds can develop new, better technologies. The two depend on each other in order to thrive.

Without education, modern day technology would not be nearly as advanced as it currently is, if it even existed at all. Technology has been developed to its current state because of education, and creating the brightest minds in the world has allowed technology to truly thrive in the manner that it has. Good education systems, as such, are vitally important in helping to advance modern day technology. A good education system is absolutely required to create the bright minds that develop newer, greater, faster and better technologies in all walks of life including medical technology, computer technology, aerospace technology, communications technology, circuitry, and more.

In turn, technology is capable of improving education just as education works to improve technology. Advancements in technology are turning the world of education on its head, completely revolutionizing how students all over the world are learning. Online degrees allow students to learn on their own time and at their own pace.

Video technology, Smart Boards, and similar advancements are turning the classroom into a collaborative learning environment that inspires students to learn and grow, greatly improving their chances of being successful in the future as well. As technologies improve, the ability for students to learn and grow also improves, and this is creating more inspired students that want to further the capabilities of technology in the future.

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To Kindle or Not to Kindle

December 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
NEW YORK - MAY 06: Members of the media are g...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Electronics have changed the way we do so many things. From cooking to communicating to shopping for birdseed, everything that we do these days is touched, affected, or influenced by technology. The same goes for reading. Some people purchase most of their books online these days. Others actually download all of their books onto an electronic reader such as Amazon’s popular Kindle. Although the Kindle is not the only e-book reader on the market — in fact, there are dozens — it is one of the few that is known by name alone and is well-recognized in the market.

Many book lovers will tell you that there is no way that an electronic device can deliver the same experience as reading a physical book. A Kindle or a similar device does not have the heft of a book, the scent of either freshly printed or antique pages. When you are done reading an e-book you can’t slide it onto your bookshelf among all of the other titles that you have read and enjoyed over the years with a sense of satisfaction or, years later, slide it back off of the shelf and find a passage that your underlined during a previous reading of the text.

However, there are a number of benefits to e-books. First of all, they are far less bulky than physical books and they are also often less expensive. (Less expensive, that is, after a long period of time during which the cost of the electronic reader must be offset.) Many travelers find electronic readers to be very useful. Instead of lugging two big novels on an international flight or a tote bag full of books on vacation, a slim e-book reader can be slipped into a small handbag, backpack, or briefcase. Furthermore, books can be quickly downloaded as needed without a trip to the bookstore, a convenience that is important to some readers.

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Using the Latest Technology News to Find the Top Affiliate Programs

October 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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If you discover that you have been missing out on new or improved ways to locate and utilize top affiliate programs, you may want to look at your current technology. With so many changes occurring on what seems to be a daily basis, you may find out that your technology is a little bit behind the times.

One way to determine if your current technology is to blame for your lack of information is to find a good technology news source. Doing so will give you access to the latest news in the technological field.

While it is important to receive up-to-date news, it’s more important to make sure that news is accurate. It’s okay if your technology news source reports on the latest rumors in the technology field, as long as they specify that they are just that—rumors.

You also want to be able to count on your news technology source to tell you the truth about whether or not the latest technology performs in the way it’s been told it does. After all, what’s the use of spending money and allotting time to purchasing and implementing the latest technology if it isn’t going to help you find the information you need any faster?

Once you find a good technology news source, schedule regular times in your work week to check it. While it is true that things are happening fast, checking your technology news source two or three times a week should be sufficient to keep you current on the latest way to search for top affiliate programs.

If you’d like, on the occasional “off day,” you can look at other technology news sources to see how they compare with your regular one. Don’t be too quick to change, however, if it looks as if another site is more current. Remember that fast doesn’t always mean accurate.

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Computers no longer for the rich and famous

October 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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It seems everyone has a computer these days. Little old ladies in South Dakota are firing E-mails to their relatives in Wisconsin, and eight year old girls in Alabama are Facebooking with their friend in Florida.
As the world shrinks with improvements in technology, the usage of computers continues to grow. Ranchers in Nebraska keep track of their calf-growth-rates via the internet, and 90 year old family members that stopped writing letters years ago, have mastered that E-mail thing.
One of the reasons more people are using computers in their everyday lives is their affordability. For someone that uses their computer to send and receive Emails, a common laptop may cost less than 500 dollars. It wasn’t long ago that laptop computers were a device that only the affluent could afford. As technology moves into the year 2011, more and more people are able to afford these portable computers.
Even your household desktop computer, so bulky and costing several thousand dollars ten years ago, has dropped in price and size. Improvements in computer technology have decreased the size of your desktop computer and dropped the price to something most families can afford.
Even the cell-phone has adapted to computer technology. People can now easily access their bank information or check scores from their favorite sports teams via these incredibly small computer devices.
So what’s next in the world of computer technology? Improvements in size and operating speed are sure to come as we move towards 2020. As the technology improves, the price of a standard laptop or desktop computer might continue to drop to something most people can afford. In addition to affordability, performance of computers continues to improve. A cumbersome desktop computer can now be revved up with the improvements in plug-ins, and the addition of high-speed internet.
All so those little old ladies in South Dakota can keep on firing those E-mails!

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Tech-Savvy Gifts for College Freshman

August 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Every August parents clamor to Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, IKEA, and similar retailers to outfit their kids with everything and anything they could possibly need for their dorm rooms. While bedding, extra bookshelves, miniature refrigerators, and economy sized tubs of peanut butter may all be crucial to a successful first year of college, there are also lots of electronic and tech items that are equally as useful. If you are thinking of putting together a tech-savvy care package to your favorite college freshman or freshman-to-be, think about making a trip to your local Best Buy or similar technology retailer.

On the top of your shopping list should be an extension cord. As technology goes, this item is pretty basic but can also be incredibly important. Another great item is a thumb drive. Thumb drives are great for students to use when transporting their papers and research documents between their personal computer and the computer in the campus library. Consider purchasing a thumb drive that is encased in a neon color. This will help even disorganized freshman keep track of their important documents.

Another great gift is a remote backup program. These kinds of programs allow for periodic backups of everything on one’s computer. This can be a way to make sure that all of the data, papers, and research on a student’s computer are safely stored even if catastrophe were to strike in the form of a computer crash, a lost or stolen computer, or a computer accidentally bathed in Mountain Dew. Mozy, for example, is a program that allows for backups no matter where the student goes as long as he has an Internet connection. While a family-sized pack of microwave popcorn or mac and cheese might be useful to a college freshman, some of these gifts can literally save an academic life. After all, there are few professors that are willing to accept the excuse “My roommate’s iguana ate my research project”.

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