Top performers:

• Know their stuff. They put regular effort into ensuring they excel at their jobs. If you want to be a top performer, you cannot be the person who checks out at 4:55 PM every day. You must exercise extra effort with your career, building the right reputation of commitment and passion.
• Focus on the right stuff. Top performers contribute to tasks essential to the organization’s success. Top performers make themselves valuable by exceling at tasks given to them and by focusing on how they can extend their role within their company.
• Build a reputation for being helpful. Top performers are widely known and respected by others not because of their frequent contact, charm or likability, but because they help others solve problems. They regularly recognize and commit to doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

Are you a top performer? If you’re not at the top, focus on the 3 points above in your daily tasks and become the top performer you want to be.

We are all familiar with finding annoying spam messages in our e-mail inbox, labeled by subject lines offering cheap Rolex watches or urgent cries for help from friends mysteriously trapped in Europe. But what do you do when the tables are turned and it’s your friends who are receiving spam messages from your personal e-mail account? When this happens, it means your e-mail has been hacked. If you ever find yourself the victim of a spamming crime, remember to follow these 3 steps in order to regain control.

Notify Webmail Provider

    The first step you should take is notifying your webmail provider. Make sure to contact them through their helpdesk or contact service and notify them of your hacked account. Reporting any hacking problems will allow the webmail provider to rectify the situation and then fortify their security to ensure that this situation will not be repeated.

Change Password

    Perhaps the most important step to take after discovering your e-mail has been hacked is changing your password. This will ensure that whomever has compromised your account won’t be able to do so again. It’s also a great time to create a more complex password, one that won’t be easily guessed by a traditional hacker. It’s not surprising that randomized password guessing jeopardises most emails. After all, the most common password is “password.”

Notify your contact list

    Let everyone on your contact list know that any messages received from your account over the past several days may have been spam. Doing this will help guarantee that no scams are successful and no viruses are transmitted. Sending out an email to all your contacts is the responsible thing to do in this situation. Make sure to convey the message clearly in the subject line, as some members of your comment list have already opened a spam message and are currently avoiding your e-mails.

    No one likes having his or her personal information compromised. It’s important to remember that, if your email has been hacked, your online banking and other Internet managed services may also be compromised. If you’d like more information on what you should with a hacked email, please take a look at this article.

Most of us set goals in our personal lives. It keeps us motivated and each accomplishment gives us the drive to keep reaching further. We do this in our home life so why not do this in our work life too?

Approximately 30% of our lives are spent at work. Some people are unfulfilled by this time. Many people do not feel that they are an active part of the company and let whatever comes into their inbox dictate how their time is spent. Setting goals gives people a sense of control and allows them to choose how they spend their day. They feel like an active member of the team as they have a say in creating  goals and the part they will play in their completion.

More than ever people work autonomously; people who work like this must be proactive about setting goals. Regardless of whether you work in a group or autonomously, here are a few tips that will help you start the process of goal setting.

1. Set or Assess Goals Every 3-6 Months – Motivate employees and keep goals fresh by scheduling a meeting exclusively dedicated to setting goals.
2. Write Down Your Goals – Physical documentation of your goals will help the group keep the focused on those goals.
3. Aim High – A challenging goal once completed is sure to provide a great sense of accomplishment.
4. Find a System to Measure Performance – Set a timeframe for the steps to be completed or skills that need to be learned for the goal to be reached.
5. Celebrate Each Achievement –Acknowledging achievements boosts pride and motivation to tackle the next step. This is important if you work independently as well as in a team environment.  Remember to always reward yourself.
6. Schedule the Next Goal Setting Meeting – Keep goals fresh, new, and on the top of everyone’s agendas by thinking in advance and scheduling the next meeting.

Feeling pride in our work and feeling like we contribute is valuable to everyone. Setting and reaching goals reminds us of the important part we play in the larger goal.

A good app is one that provides value. But what determines that value? A large consideration for that answer is the functionality of the app itself, be it practical or entertaining. However, it’s important to consider the design and development put into the app. If Angry Birds crashes unexpectedly in your favorite level, then does that app still contain value? No matter what the case, if you’re debating purchasing a hot new app, here are a few key factors to consider when determining any app’s inherit value.

Stability and Reliability

    A good app is one that has been rigorously tested. There are several outlying factors that can determine how an app will function and, if not tested all possible situations, you might find yourself using an app with limited functionality. Some things to consider when looking at the stability and reliability of an app: does it work without WIFI? Does it work when on airplane mode? Does it work if the service of the phone is interrupted? Depending on what the app is made to do, these factors can be paramount. Make sure to research the testing that went into any app you are considering.

Consumer Consideration

    App developers need to consider how their app will affect the user. Even a cheap app can be costly if it consumes too much data. Most Smartphones come with a limited data plan. A good app will consider the consumer and be developed in a way that will not infer further charges with their monthly cellphone plan.  When deciding on which app to download, make sure to research the data transfer rate needed to use the app as well as any other factors that might create be supplementary charges.

A Well Built API

    API stands for application programing interface. In layman’s terms, an API is the part of an app’s programing that controls how it communicates with other apps and programs. This is an important part of any app’s development because it directly affects functionality. If you download an app that connects your smartphone to your Twitter account and the API is dysfunctional and doesn’t connect well, the functionality of that app is rendered useless. Basically, if the API is broken, your Twitter postings will not work. Make sure to research the reliability of an app’s API before downloading.

While an app’s worth can be of objective determination, there will always be several key elements to look for when searching for that perfect new download. For more tips on finding great apps, take a look a this article.

Remember DOS, with its black screen and blinking cursor eagerly waiting for your command. The Disk Operation System (DOS) celebrated its 30th anniversary last week. DOS has arguably been the most significant OS of all time and in honor of it turning thirty, I would like to reflect on where it has come from and where it is going.

In 1981 IBM released the PC and the following options for operating systems (OS).

• IBM Personal Computer Disk Operating System – cost at the time: $40
• Digital Research CP/M-86 – cost at the time: $240
• SofTech USCD p-System w/Pascal – cost at the time: $695

DOS was the only one of these three that was on the market right away and was the most economical and therefore became the most popular and commonly used. For a few years the public willingly used the no frills interface of DOS. Then in 1985 Microsoft released Windows, which at that time, was a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that needed DOS as an operating system but allowed for easier access to programs. The first versions of Windows were not very popular but as newer and improved upon versions were released, each one still needed DOS, until 1995.

When MS-Windows 95 was released it do not required DOS but could run completely independent as it had its own built-in OS. However, it did include some portions of the 16-bit DOS code to function. Like a baby bird, Windows hadn’t quite learned to fly without a little bit of help from DOS.

But all things must change and a year later in 1996, Windows-NT was released. It was the first version of Windows that was fully 32-bit with no 16-bit DOS code in it all.  However, DOS did not disappear from our lives.

Many people still use DOS believing its simplicity to be reliable and efficient. They don’t want all the bells and whistles that come with “user friendly” interfaces. For this reason, newer versions of DOS are still being developed and sold. Many computer manufactures still sell computers with DOS as the main operating system. Today we see FreeDOS, ROM-DOS, DR-DOS, and many more on the market. It appears DOS will live on as long as the die-hard fans still demand the straightforward elegance of cmd enter.

It would seem that there are endless electronic gadgets designed to make our lives easier, especially in the summer time. We are all familiar with air conditioners and ice machines, technological standards that make high summer temperatures bearable while we wait for the more pleasant seasons of spring and autumn. What else does technology offer to help us stay cool? Here is a quick look at a few innovative devices designed to help beat the heat. 

The Bedfan

Waking up sweaty is never ideal. However, many of us sleep best while under covers. The Bedfan is aimed to help bridge that gap, making sleeping under a blanket bearable even if the temperature is high. The Bedfan hooks to the end of your bed and a thin vent is inserted just at the foot of your covers gently blowing cool air in between the sheets. This increased ventilation under a heavy coverlet adds a cool breeze to your favorite blanket. To read more about the Bedfan, check out this link.

The BEX Runner

Keeping your body cool during exercise is important. The BEX Runner, filled with a proprietary gel that claims to stay cool for up to an hour of use, is made to draw heat from different parts of your body. It’s essentially a wearable core-cooling device that conducts and holds heat. For a closer look, check this review.

The iPocket Fan

Want to stay cool with a hip pocket fan? Well of course there’s an app for that. The iPocket fan is a small pocket fan that is controlled by your iPhone. The fan itself is connected to a charging dock for your iPhone and, when in use, an animated display of a desk fan appears on your screen. You can then make the blades spin faster or slower with a flick of your finger. True, this may not give you the gusty breeze of a full sized fan, but it sure is a cool way to cool off. For a look at what the iPocket Fan actually looks like, check out the website.

Keeping cool is easy with the right gadgets. Make sure and beat the heat this summer by moderating your temperature. If you’d like to read up on some more cooling gadgets, take a look at this article.

Millions of people watched as the space shuttle Atlantis concluded its final voyage last week. This moment concluded the American space shuttle program however the program leaves a legacy behind that will not soon die out. Thousands of technologies that improve our way of life owe their creation to the space program. We see it in our homes, hospitals, cars, as well as on vacation.

Most people think of rockets, spacesuits, and Dippin Dots, the ice cream of the future, when they think of space shuttle technology. You may be surprised to learn just how many things would not exist if it weren’t for NASA’s drive to improve the space shuttle program. Check out NASA’s annual publication, Spinoff, its goal is to inform the general public about technologies designed or commissioned for the space shuttle program that have been commercialized.

It may shock you to know that if it weren’t for the development of space shuttle technologies, these items might not exist:

Athletic Shoes – Some are made using a procedure called blow rubber molding which was designed to produce space helmets. This enables companies to make soles hollow and fill them with a shock absorbing substance. Nike Air is probably one of the most commonly known shoe utilizing this technology.

DustBusters – NASA commissioned engineers at Black and Decker to formulate a cordless power drill to use for moon landings. The technology is actually a software program that allows motors to perform well even when using very little power. Black and Decker then expanded this and gave us the DustBuster.

Smoke Detectors – These were originally developed in 1970 for America’s first space station, Skylab. They are now so crucial in households that it is against the law to construct a house without installing a functioning smoke detector.

Human beings have forever been moved by the notion of exploring space. The drive to do this has inspired incredible technologies. Though the space shuttle will be greatly missed, NASA will not stop creating new technologies that people will find a way to implement in a more terrestrial fashion. As we think about all the ways everyday life has benefited from the space shuttle program, we see that it will live forever in our homes as well as our hearts.

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