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Business cards are an integral part of capable networking. The standard is simple, a small piece of rectangular paper with essenti contact information printed somewhere on it. However, more and more businesses are getting creative with they way they use their business cards. These new creative designs are increasing memorability and therefore producing more positive networking results. If you’re looking to create a business card that won’t be easy to forget, consider a few of these great tips.

Add Texture

This is one of the most common ways businesses create a more memorable business card. The effect is simple; creating a unique texture for the card gives the brain one more thing to remember due to the extra sense that is being engaged. Take a look at this great example of adding a simple texture to any business card.

Make Them Share-worthy

If your card is worth sharing, the results from networking will be multiplied. Adding a common and creative design to your card will make the receiver want to show his or her friends or hang it up in his or her office. Consider the hilarious mustache-design included on this creative business card. The idea is that the card can double as a quirky mustache disguise. The receiver places the card in front of their face and shows it to their friends, which is genius, because then their friends see the card as well. It’s inventive marketing. Here is an example.

Make Them Digital

There is no rule that demands business cards be actual cards. Creating a digital business card that your audience can access remotely is a great way to engage your audience. The easiest way to do this is by generating a QR code that leads to a digital copy of your card. QR codes are great ways to engage your audience with any information you want, combining them with your business cards will help increase your networking efforts. Check out these tips on using QR codes.

The way companies are organized has changed as technology has grown. We frequently see companies reorganizing their teams into virtual teams, also known as geographically dispersed teams (GDT). This enables people in different countries to collaborate on a single project. Like most things in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to this style of team and it is not for every business. Is it right for yours?

In the past, it was thought that productivity had a direct correlation with proximity. The thought was held that the more face-time a manager was able to give their team the more productive they would be. Managers are realizing that this may not be true, and that building a team out of people that work well together and have very targeted skill sets can generate a much more significant result. Another strong factor impacting productivity can be the mindset of the individuals the group consists of. Some individuals are encouraged by their personal desire to learn more so as to further their careers; this self-motivation is a trait that works well in a virtual team environment. Individuals who are motivated by social interactions or by the desire to avoid negative feedback may not be a good fit for a virtual team.

For some businesses, it is practical to utilize virtual teams.  Many companies, large and small, have embraced this innovative organizational technique. Obviously businesses that require people to physically interact to perform a task, such as construction, are not candidates for virtual teams. If you think implementing virtual teams as an enterprise wide strategy or smaller capacity is a good fit for your company, here are a few things to think about.
 
Advantages

• Recruitment based on competence not proximity
• Team members are able to work during the times when they function most efficiently
• Teams consist of members who are self-motivated and self-driven
• More accommodation for team members’ personal and professional lives
• No commuting time or cost
• Reduced overhead, as there is no physical location
• IT expenses are lowered as most teams use web-based tools for collaboration
• Managers can better assess the team’s performance as there are less social pressures

Disadvantages

• Less social interaction, which may be a demotivator for some people
• Loss of trust between team members if there is not assurance that everyone is pulling their own weight
• Creativity could possibly be stifled, because the physical dynamics are lost
• Team members may overwork themselves as managers can not physically see the amount of time each task takes
• Managers may lose track of the team’s progress, i.e. out of site out of mind

Virtual teams use a selection of technology to interface. Such as email, audio and video conferencing, and file sharing programs. Below is a list of a few programs that can be beneficial to virtual teams.

• Go to meetings – a relatively inexpensive method to have remote meetings
• Yammer – a private social network for companies that makes it possible for quick communication and interaction
• Drop Box – a free way to share files
• Second Life – allows for interactive meetings with the use of avatars

If you would like more information on virtual teams in action, consider the articles below: 

http://www.theanywhereoffice.com/mobile-work/telework-viritual-teams-midmarket-companies.htm


http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/19/virtual-teams-meetings-leadership-managing-cooperation.html


http://www.openforum.com/articles/7-effective-tools-for-managing-a-virtual-team

If you visit Google News and enter a search for ‘tech bubble,’ you’ll obtain a dozen fresh articles debating this question: Are technology stocks, particularly social media companies, overvalued?

The mother of all tech bubbles occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when half-baked business ventures got oodles of cash just for attaching a .com to their name.

When the marketplace regained its senses, in 2000, the bubble burst and investors wound up with dot nothing. The question du jour: Does today’s market have any of the attributes of the dot-com-era market?

The answer:  Yes and no.

In the yes column, you have businesses with huge stock prices without much in the way of, say, profits. Consider some recent and anticipated IPOs: LinkedIn.com, Pandora.com, and Groupon.com. Two of these have yet to turn a profit. (LinkedIn logged its first profitable year in 2010.) Twitter is expected to fetch a huge share price when it goes public this year, but the company has yet to iron out its moneymaking strategy. (Minor detail, right?)

The no column, there’s a huge quantitative and qualitative difference between 1999 and 2011. As Mashable columnist Jolie O’Dell notes, in 1999 308 tech companies filed for IPO. So far, there have been 25 in 2011. What’s more, it’s easier to see the worth of an Internet company today, when nearly 80 percent of adults and above 90 percent of young adults are online. In the late 1990s, less than 40 percent of adults used the Internet, according research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

In other words, the market has matured significantly in the last decade or so. And the players are more mature too. LinkedIn is no Webvan.

In spite of the differences between 2011 and 1999, there’s still cause for concern. Stock market bubbles are like extremophiles — they find a way to grow in even the most hostile environments. (Which is why you see such huge stock values in an otherwise dismal economy.)

If we’re heading for market correction, I suspect it won’t be as severe as the one in 2000. But if Facebook starts running Superbowl ads featuring sockpuppet, it’s time to panic. 

We’ve all seen the strange black squares that are continuously being photographed by smartphone users. They’re called QR codes, an innovative re-imagining of barcode technology. Originally used for tracking components in vehicle manufacturing, these codes are now used in a much broader context. The application of QR codes is even finding new life in creative business ventures and interactive advertising.

What is a QR Code?

    A QR, or Quick Response code, is a unique matrix barcode which is readable by specialized scanners and, more popularly, smartphones. Because QR codes are two-dimensional constructs, they can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information much like the traditional barcode found on most purchased products. They are useful tools for business because of their ability to hold considerable amounts of easily translatable information.

    When you scan or read a QR code with your smartphone, the code links you to web-enabled digital content. Much like when a barcode is scanned to generate the price of a given item in a grocery store, in a much more complicated way, when a QR code is scanned, increased numbers of information can then be generated.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Creating a QR code is easy. It’s an easy process of entering the appropriate data into a QR generator. There are several free versions of this code online, if you’d like to check one out try using the Kaywa generator.

    After you’ve created your QR code, you are able to print it on business cards, posters, billboards, or publish it on the web. Once the code is accessible, potential customers are able to scan the code using their phone and then access whatever information you would like them to see.

Why it works

    Creating a QR code is a unique way of creating an interactive ad campaign. You give the mysterious code to the audience; the audience deciphers the code and is then rewarded with the information you’ve coded. It adds value to that information by making it a fun activity. Though QR codes are still new to America, they have been a popular method of creating brand loyalty in Japan for over a decade. If you’re looking to create a conversation with your prospects, consider using this innovative device.

We’ve all seen the strange black squares that are continuously being photographed by smartphone users. They’re called QR codes, an innovative re-imagining of barcode technology. Originally used for tracking components in vehicle manufacturing, these codes are now used in a much broader context. The application of QR codes is even finding new life in creative business ventures and interactive advertising.

What is a QR Code?

    A QR, or Quick Response code, is a unique matrix barcode which is readable by specialized scanners and, more popularly, smartphones. Because QR codes are two-dimensional constructs, they can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information much like the traditional barcode found on most purchased products. They are useful tools for business because of their ability to hold considerable amounts of easily translatable information.

    When you scan or read a QR code with your smartphone, the code links you to web-enabled digital content. Much like when a barcode is scanned to generate the price of a given item in a grocery store, in a much more complicated way, when a QR code is scanned, increased numbers of information can then be generated.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Creating a QR code is easy. It’s an easy process of entering the appropriate data into a QR generator. There are several free versions of this code online, if you’d like to check one out try using the Kaywa generator.

    After you’ve created your QR code, you are able to print it on business cards, posters, billboards, or publish it on the web. Once the code is accessible, potential customers are able to scan the code using their phone and then access whatever information you would like them to see.

Why it works

    Creating a QR code is a unique way of creating an interactive ad campaign. You give the mysterious code to the audience; the audience deciphers the code and is then rewarded with the information you’ve coded. It adds value to that information by making it a fun activity. Though QR codes are still new to America, they have been a popular method of creating brand loyalty in Japan for over a decade. If you’re looking to create a conversation with your prospects, consider using this innovative device.

Technology has advanced to a place that allows for constant connectivity. Getting a hold of someone is as easy (and as impersonal) as sending a simple text message.   No matter where we go, as long as we have a smartphone in our pocket, we are within reach. This has been a beneficial change in many respects, but what are the negative effects of growing up in the age of connectivity? Communication is growing digitally; aspects of this will be positive where others will be negative. In this blog we will take a look at a few of the pros and cons of staying connected digitally.

The Pros

• Being connected means increased safety. No mater what emergency you face; contacting the appropriate help is no longer a serious concern. Through increased technology, cell phone range is greater than ever. Car accidents and unforeseen accidents and illnesses even in remote locations can be quickly relayed to emergency help services.
• Staying in touch is now as easy as clicking a button. Ask any soldier deployed over seas and they’ll tell you that staying in touch with their families is now easier than ever. Sending a message takes only a second thanks to highly advanced Internet connections and international bandwidth.
• Technology has made telecommuting an accessible reality. Thanks to cloud computing, working at home is easy and practical. This allows workers on maternity or sick leave to maintain a valuable level of productivity.

The Cons

• Turning your phone off is challenging. Being constantly connected migh result in a decrease of personal space. With communication barriers being redefined, finding time alone is now more challenging than ever. Remember, it’s important to disconnect and relax.
• The ability to take your office with you also means you are always at the office. While redefining the workday and enabling more flexible hours can increase productivity, it can also make workers over-work. It’s important to keep your private and professional lives independent, which is increasingly difficult thanks to increased connectivity.
• Being connected can cause us to disconnect from those around us. Staying in touch with people who are miles away can cause us to neglect those close to us. We may be communicating with our associates overseas, but we might also be negelecting our friends in the very same room.

Digital communication is simply a new way for us to communicate. However, it’s important to remember moderation when deciding how connected we allow our lives to become. Connectivity is not fundamentally good or bad; instead its merit is dependent on how you utilize it.

For more information on connectivity, as well as an interesting look at unplugging yourself from technology, take a look at this article. 

When I think of tablets — the iPad in particular — I think of watching videos, browsing the web, and enjoying games. Wasting time, in other words. But what if there’s a legitimate place for tablet computers at the office?

Infoworld recently ran an article about a New York law firm named Proskauer that equipped its sizable team of lawyers with iPads. This wasn’t simply a generous bonus for a job well done. Proskauer’s attorneys are now expected to use their tablets for their primary computing hardware: “Today, more than 500 Proskauer lawyers use iPads to build superslick PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets packed with sky-high figures, and verbose Word documents. Lawyers pass this electronic paperwork back and forth among clients. They even present details on their iPads to judges.”

The utility of tablet computing is particularly evident in the health care setting. As more medical practices change to electronic health records systems (EHRs), doctors and nurses are finding that using portable hardware is a natural (and necessary) shift.

And tablets are spreading far beyond the clinic and courtroom. CIO.com recently published a slideshow of tablets in action (hat tip to Infoworld). You can see these slim instruments at archaeological sites, on the battlefield, and even in the cockpits of planes.

For Proskauer, the switch to a tablet-centric office had its hiccups. “Rolling out the iPad actually turned out to be quite a significant investment in time, much more than I would have thought,” said Steven Kayman, chair of the technology committee at Proskauer, in an interview with Infoworld. “There’s just a hundred decisions that have to be made along the way.”

Call it the early adopter tax: technology trailblazers must solve hitherto unknown problems on the fly, with no template to follow. The law firm had to address these questions: Would lawyers pay for apps they needed or would the tablets come with a preset menu of apps? Would personal use be allowed? How would tablets impact the network — specifically security?

Though these questions weren’t simple, they were undeterred. And the firm isn’t looking back. “You’ve got to be forward-thinking,” Proskauer COO Gurwitz told Infoweek. “It’s clear the world is evolving.”

Have you noticed the steady decline of regular spamming in the past few years? The lowered levels have come about because the Internet has developed along with current technologies to make the z a safer place, one that is significantly difficult for spammers to navigate. However, spammers are notorious for creatively adapting to change. First, we’ll look at why traditional mass spamming has declined. Secondly, we’ll consider how spamming might change to keep in front of recent Internet security updates.

Profitability

    The amount of money that could be made in 1997 with traditional mass spamming is nowhere near the amount that can be made today. Because of current Internet security updates, spammers have to pay for more hardware and work for a greater amount of time to accomplish the same amount of spamming that could easily be done with one machine on one server a little over a decade ago. Someone looking to make money would do better getting a minimum wage job than they would with common spamming.

    Even though the current shape of the Internet has made spamming more expensive than it is worth, spammers are known for creatively adapting to change. How will spammers evolve to survive a more secure Internet?

Smart Spam

    Spammers are getting creative. In 1997, traditional spamming was sending out mass emails to millions of accounts. With the improvement of spam filters, this method is no longer viable. Instead, spammers are mixing their skills with hacking techniques. Spammers now hack legitimate email accounts and send their message from them in lower volume. This form of spamming is also adapting to new connectivity outlets, such as social media. Recently, the twitter account of actor Simon Pegg was hacked, and 1 million of his followers were sent a link to a Trojan virus.

    While new technologies will de developed to help protect honest Internet users, the best protection is awareness. Use caution when following a link from an email, even if it comes from a trusted account. Being aware of suspicious messages and unusual links can help keep you safe from crafty spammers. To learn more and more detailed tips, take a look at this article.

A couple of years ago, we all laughed at then-U.S. senator Ted Stevens when he described the Internet as “a series of tubes.”

In the same speech, Stevens also seemed to confuse the Internet with email, recalling how one of his staffers “sent an Internet” on Friday that didn’t arrive in his inbox until the following Tuesday.

We all hate it when that happens.

But in the midst of our laughter at Stevens’ expense, we secretly hoped that no one would ask us to come up with our own definition, because, well, what the heck IS the Internet?

It’s that thing we can’t imagine living without. It’s the way we work, buy stuff, watch videos, communicate, share memories, conduct research, tell jokes, catch up with friends, etc.

But what is it?

Lucky for us, the guys and gals at Business Insider (BI) have assembled a slideshow that walks through the basics. Give it a look here.

Here are the salient points:

Internet = interconnected network; it’s a network of networks. The Internet is a collection of computers (servers, desktops, laptops, etc.) that share information via telephone wires and satellite links; these computers are all connected by a common software standard called Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). Most us go to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as AT&T, Comcast, or Road Runner (the three largest ISPs). BI: “When you connect to an ISP, your computer becomes a part of its network. That network is already connected to another larger network, and that network is connected to yet another network, and so on and so forth across the globe.” The Internet is composed of servers and clients. Servers are machines that provide services to other machines. Clients (desktops, laptops, smartphones, etc.) use these services. BI: “So when you sign online at work, your computer becomes a client that’s accessing a Web server. Every device connected to the Internet has a unique numerical IP address The web ≠ the Internet. Invented in the late 1980s by Tim Berners-Lee, the web “is actually a subset of the Internet; it is all the pages that can be accessed using Web browsers [e.g. Explorer, Firefox].” All domain names have a corresponding numerical IP address. Example (courtesy of Wikipedia): the domain name www.example.com translates to the IP address 192.0.32.10. The Domain Name System was created to make the Internet more user-friendly (domain names are easier to remember than long strings of numbers)  
The physical infrastructure that supports the Internet
As it happens, Stevens’ conception of the Internet as a series of tubes wasn’t far from the mark. There exists a physical dimension to the Internet. A 2009 Wired magazine photo essay, Andrew Blum followed the path of a single bit of information as it traveled from the UK to the California coast, photographing the physical infrastructure that makes such a long (and blisteringly fast) journey potential. Here’s a look at one leg of its journey.

When our bit hits the Big Apple, it passes through the beating heart of the American Internet: 60 Hudson Street (right), in the downtown area of Manhattan. More transatlantic and transcontinental lines come together in New York than anywhere else in the country. Western Union opened the building in 1930 as the telegraph junction between Wall Street and Main Street. The ducts that once carried high-gauge copper wire are now filled with thousands of strands of glass fiber owned by hundreds of networks. Techs physically connect them to one another in a “meet-me-room,” neutral territory run by a company called Telx.

Is there a meaningful difference between ‘tubes’ and ‘ducts filled with glass fiber’?

If Stevens were alive today, I might be inclined to send him an ‘Internet’ apologizing for laughing at his tube-based definition of the world wide web.

Creating consumer-based technology has been a popular trend in recent years; developers have noticed success with their products by tailoring them to fit with consumer needs and trends. A perfect example of this is the Google search engine, known for its usability. The reason Google has been so successful is because the engineers who design the functionality behind the search engine do so in response to consumer needs. It is evident that technological innovation is being motivated by consumer trends, but what does this mean for technology on a higher level? Here are some thoughts:

User-Generated Content

Consumer trends have shown a high profit in allowing more integrated content to be developed by a greater number of third party institutions. Effectively, this means that more independent developers can make programs that run well on advanced devices, like the iPhone. Apple has designed the iPhone with this level of customization in mind and in doing so, expanded the use and practicality of their devices. User-generated content is a direct byproduct of consumer-based technology.

User-Friendly Applications

In order for any piece of technology to be successful, it must now be user-friendly. Products that are known for ease of use are dominating the market.  More and more companies are developing products and services that make life easier for the end user. Look at Google, one of the most advanced search engines available. Each new development adds a new layer of user interface that makes Google easy to use. For example, Google will fulfill your search query before you’ve finished typing it. How’s that for ease of use?

User Involvement

Consumers have gotten tired of sitting around all day interacting with their technology by typing or pointing or clicking. Devices have now become more diverse in how users can interact with them. Voice search, motion capture and capacitive touch technologies are all examples of how the consumer’s need to interact has affected the development of technology. Nintendo first implemented interactive gaming via movement with its Wii console, but Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect took this idea further. True, you can now control a video game by moving your hand in front of a screen, but you can also select a movie on Netflix, send an email or browse the Internet all without ever touching a device.

Many of these consumer-based technological advancements may seem to only consider the pleasure of the user and have little sensible implications.  It’s important to consider how these new technologies will affect the future.  User-generated and friendly content could one day allow hospitals the ability to develop personalized monitoring programs for each patient; code writing and development could be accessible to everyone. User involvement has endless implications for the development of new devices. Though consumer-based technology is motivated by profit, the possibilities for future technologies are still valuable to society as a whole.

To see some specific ways consumer technology is being implemented practically, take a look at this article.