Thanks to the Internet, most people pay their bills, seek out entertainment, and get their news on-line. So it is not shocking that music streaming is as popular as it is. Many people stream their music and there are a variety of music-streaming services to choose from. This is very advantageous as people always have access to their music, as long as they have access to the Internet.

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

Pandora: Pandora is hardly a surprise choice, but there is a reason this music-streaming service remains popular: It is not difficult to use and it can quickly expose users to new music that they might not experience otherwise. The idea behind Pandora is simple: After logging onto the service, type in the name of a favorite artist, say “David Bowie.” Pandora will then play songs by Bowie and it will play songs from similar artists. Thus giving you a taste of other tunes that you could also like.

Grooveshark: Grooveshark is a lot like Pandora in that it generates a “radio” station based upon your musical tastes. However, you can also enjoy entire albums on Grooveshark and make playlists. One distinctive feature of Grooveshark is the ability to upload your own music to the Grooveshark database if you can’t find what you are looking for. This is a smart and simple opportunity for Grooveshark to grow its library.

Rhapsody: Rhapsody has remained fairly popular because of its huge database of music. It has more then 14 million songs. Unfortunately, while many of the services we have talked about offer a free version, Rhapsody does not. It is $10 a month for unlimited music.

Spotify: Spotify was introduced in 2008, and since then it has expanded into one of the most widely known and used music-streaming services. Spotify is very simple to use and, like Grooveshark, users can listen to entire albums or choose to use the radio function.  One thing that people love about Spotify is its integration with Facebook. By using the Spotify app, it keeps a running list of the songs you have heard on Facebook. Additionally, users can see what their Facebook friends are presently listening to on a real-time feed. This is great for those who are in search of new music if one of their friends has similar tastes.

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

A version of the device also works with Windows-operated PCs, and almost immediately after its release in February, people started devising innovative ways to use it.

Innovative Uses for the Kinect

At the Chicago Auto Show the Chief Marketing Manager for Nissan North America used the Kinect in an interesting way, by creating a virtual tour of the upgraded interior of the Pathfinder. This worked out well as they only had the outer shell of the Pathfinder to actually display. Using the Kinect, participants could actually “see” what the interior looked liked.

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

Kinect: A Solid Hit

Microsoft hit a home run when they created the Kinect. The Xbox 360 was last year’s best-selling gaming console, and they have the Kinect to thank for that. Since November of 2010 Microsoft has sold in excess of 18 million Kinect devices.

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

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There are lots of people seeking jobs today. However, as an employer, you are not trying to find just anyone. You want to hire the best, most inventive 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 starts with the job interview.

It’s important to create a job interview strategy that pin points what you are trying to find in an employee. If you ask the same cookie cutter questions that everyone else does, you will get cookie cutter answers.

Ask the Right Questions

Start by asking the right questions. Don’t ask candidates what their job titles were at past positions. Don’t ask them what their duties were. Rather, ask them to list any revolutionary ideas that they created for their previous employers. Ask them if these ideas helped their employers earn more money, perform more efficiently, or reduce expenses.

Don’t ask candidates about their strengths and weaknesses. Too many people have memorized stock answers to these questions. Instead, ask them how they bring their unique individuality to their jobs. Ask them what they do to make their jobs more interesting and fulfilling. Truly creative workers are able to tell you of new innovations they developed and new programs that they created, all in the effort of adding that imaginative spark to their positions.

If you truly want to see which of your candidates are the most creative, give them a simple task to complete. 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 perfect workspace would look like. Ask them to come up with new names for company services or products. Essentially, ask them anything that will get their creative juices flowing.

Today’s job market is such that it’s probable that many competent people will apply to your open position. So, in order to sift through these applicants and find the most creative and inventive individuals, change your interview tactics to hone in on these traits.

No one likes traveling for business. Airports are a headache, with all that business of removing your shoes, having to pay extra to stow bags, plus the frequent delays and cancellations. We have a tendency to overeat on bad fast food or at hotel buffets, also, when we’re traveling for business. Then there’s the lack of sleep. It’s no surprise that so many business people are longing for developments in videoconferencing technology. After all, if this technology improves sufficiently – the reasoning goes – maybe off-site business meetings, and the business travel that goes with this, might be a thing of the past.

The End of Business Travel?

But is this really what business people and their employers should want? Perhaps not. Videoconferencing may never take the place of face-to-face meetings in the business world since the best ideas normally pop up during these in-person meetings. Evaluate the difference between how videoconferencing and in-person meetings usually work.

When people around the world sign on to a videoconference, they typically introduce themselves quickly, if needed, and then dive into the goal at hand. Brainstorming does not often play a big part in videoconferencing; this is partially because of the worry that the connection may fail. Also, there are lots of distractions within the individual’s office that can make fluid conversation difficult.

The Benefits of Face-to-Face Time

Face-to-face interactions tend to be more personal and allow conversation to evolve easily. Meetings may go longer should this happen, but the advantages of it can be excellent. New ideas come from the creative progression 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 doubtful that business travel will disappear altogether. However, in today’s economy, many businesses just can’t afford to send their sales people away every time the need to meet a client. For this reason, developments in videoconferencing are essential but the advantages of in-person meetings are so great that the savvy business owner will not abandon them for videoconferencing all together.

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Remember watching sci-fi movies as a child and thinking we would have jetpacks at some point? Or teleporters? We don’t have these technologies yet but we do have lots of remarkable technologies that seem straight out of a sci-fi movie. Our cars can guide us around a city, via GPS. We can carry tablet computers around with us that hold all of our data. And we can speak with associates all over the world at the push of a button.

So, with all of this technology, why don’t we have jet packs yet? What issues are preventing us from making these technological leaps?

Building a Better Battery

Batteries power nearly all of our technology, particularly as we move into a more mobile world. For that reason, the more limited our batteries are, the more limitations we have technologically. They are a fundamental part of our technology, so we need to concentrate on improving them before we can really make leaps in technology. Fortunately, researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University are developing a more powerful lithium-ion battery, which we discussed in a blog post last week. This could solve this constraint in the next few years.

Improving Internet Access

It may seem like everyone is connected to the Internet, but this is a fallacy. The majority of the world doesn’t have access to the Internet. Although this may not seem like it could hold back technological advancements, it does. The idea is that by limiting the number of people who can contribute to the interconnectedness the Internet provides, we are restricting the amount of people who can collaborate. Until the vast majority of people are connected, technological breakthroughs will not happen as quickly as they could.

The Business of New Tech

Finally, there is 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 as they must first navigate a minefield of laws and government regulations. These laws are necessary. However, they must be clear and easy to understand so new technology isn’t bottled up unnecessarily.

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

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

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

GIMP

GIMP is very easy to use and possesses most of the features from Photoshop that a business owner might need to create marketing material. The best thing about GIMP is that it’s absolutely free!

Paint.NET

Did you ever use MSPiant? It came with your Windows operating system and was very basic. Paint.NET is its successor and is far more powerful then its forerunner. One great feature for designers is an unlimited undo button. Paint.NET is a free program; the only negative regarding it is that it only works on Windows machines.

Picnik

Picnik is fast, free, and easy to use. It works on the Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems and you don’t have to download files to use it. It has some exciting special effects as well, making it a well liked photo-editing program.

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

Your smartphone is amazing. It can guide you to that trendy new fusion restaurant if you’re lost. It can play your favorite sitcom as you head to work on the train. It can play your favorite song at the touch of a button. But it can’t do any of this if its battery is dead.

A Better Battery on the Way?

A team of engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University may have found a way to make a battery that lasts longer and charges itself within minutes, rather then overnight. This story reports on these research efforts. This is fantastic news for smartphone users worldwide.

According to the article, Northwestern’s researchers have found a means to extend the charge-life of a new lithium-ion battery by a factor of 10. Even after 150 charges—which researchers say represents a year or more of operation—this new battery would still be five times more efficient than the today’s lithium-ion batteries.

A Charged Battery for a Week

Here’s the bottom line: The new cell phone battery could stay charged for over a week and then recharge itself in just 15 minutes. This is excellent news for you: It could mean that your iPod won’t run out of juice while you’re working the treadmill at the gym. But the new, better battery may have a far greater impact: According to the Northwestern story, this new battery technology could result in smaller and more efficient batteries for electric cars. This could help the United States—and other countries—cut its reliance upon fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology may 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 tend to be over looked when we think of advanced technologies, but the more we rely on mobile devices the more imperative they become.  Improvements in battery technology may in reality hold the key to an even greater technological movement.

Google is the household name when it comes to searching the Web. However, it may not be the best search engine out there. Microsoft unveiled 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 many features that make for a robust searching experience.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing, you get more information about your search results then you do with Google. Bing has a navigation panel on the left that enables users to focus their search effortlessly. It also organizes search results into logical categories, making it easier to get quick answers.

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 relevant to your search. While Google has this feature, 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 locate the cheapest airfare easily.

Bing Video Search Shines

When you are looking for videos, Bing is ahead of the game. Users can specify their desired length, size, and resolution. One other notable feature is that by simply hovering over a video, you can view a preview of it.

These are some reasons why computer users shouldn’t overlook Bing. While Google is a household name, it’s not the only search engine out there.

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly more common. A very basic definition of the cloud is: a group of remote servers where people can store and access their data. One advantage of utilizing the cloud is that powerful programs and files can be stored at a remote location so they don’t burn up memory on personal computers and bog down operating systems.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However, not all clouds are the same. There’s the public cloud, the one with which we’re most familiar. But then there’s the hybrid cloud as well. As its name suggests, the hybrid cloud is a combination of two different types of clouds, the public cloud and a private cloud.

To offer a hybrid cloud, an organization may store some of their client’s more critical or current data in-house and store older, archived, and less important files in the public cloud. They might also use the public cloud to store very large software programs and keep confidential information in-house.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

Taking a hybrid cloud approach to data storage enables businesses to take advantage of the space-saving benefits of the public cloud without also exposing their sensitive current data to third-party providers. Put simply, the hybrid cloud provides businesses with protection, cost-savings, and efficiency.

It’s little wonder, then, that so many businesses today are moving toward a hybrid cloud approach. There is simply too much data floating around today for small enterprises to effectively store. At the same time, businesses in the present competitive environment don’t want to expose company secrets and sensitive consumer data to either their rivals or hackers. The hybrid cloud could allow businesses to accomplish both feats.

Thanks to improved technology, a growing number of employees be capable of accomplish most or all of their work from home. Smartphones, tablet computers, 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, don’t have assigned computers and desks for each of their workers because a lot of their workforce is working remotely. Additionally, employees working remotely are frequently more productive; they’re not wasting time and energy commuting to work every day. And they’re not exchanging office gossip in front of the water cooler when in the office.

Remote Worker Challenges

A major concern for a lot of managers when choosing to have remote workers is, how can you monitor their work? How do you know that they’re actually working and not just watching movies all day?

Employers can take care of this challenge by setting realistic deadlines for their remote employees and expecting these workers to meet them. What really should matter for employers is that work is done in timely manner. It shouldn’t matter if workers finish their tasks from midnight to four in the morning.

Setting Remote Worker Deadlines

Employers might tell their remote workers that they have to turn in a specified amount of work every Wednesday and Friday. This will make sure that remote employees are doing their work. Employers might also schedule regular updates by phone, video chat, or through instant messaging, during which workers can explain how far along they are with specific tasks. Some employers may opt to require that their remote workers spend at least one day a week, or two days a month, on site. This gives these workers face time with their managers, something that helps everyone stay focused on upcoming deadlines and goals.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

Working remotely requires personal discipline and good time-management skills. Individuals who are chronic procrastinators may not perform 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 a success there must be trust between the employee and the employer. To maintain this trust the employee must hit their deadlines and the employer needs to be focused on the results.