How Far DOS Has Come

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Remember DOS, with its black screen and blinking cursor eagerly waiting for your command. The Disk Operation System (DOS) celebrated its 30th anniversary a week ago. DOS has arguably been the most crucial 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

It’s easy to see why DOS quickly became the OS of choice. It was the most affordable and it was also the only one of the three that was immediately available. DOS dominated the world of OS until the release of Windows in 1985. Windows, a Graphical User Interface (GUI), required DOS as a platform to run on but people quickly fell in love with its graphics and flash. Each version of Windows which was released thereafter needed DOS as a platform less and less.

When MS-Windows 95 came out it was released as a standalone system containing its own OS. It still included a small amount of 16-bit DOS code; I guess it still needed a little help from its friend.

But all good things must end. In 1996, Windows-NT was released and it was 100% 32-bit code. Though DOS and Windows parted ways it did not leave our lives.

There are many who are faithful to DOS.  They think that its simplicity is both efficient and less problematic. Many feel that GUI’s have too many graphics that can muck up their systems. This is one reason why we see some computer manufactures installing DOS as the main OS in their computers. Current versions of DOS include: FreeDOS, ROM-DOS, and DR-DOS. Just like many people will forever love and collect records, people will always love DOS and I see it celebrating birthdays for years to come.

How technology can cool you down

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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

Getting 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.

The Influence of Space Technology in Our Everyday Lives

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People all over the globe watched as the space shuttle Atlantis took its last trip into space last week. This marked the conclusion of NASA’s space shuttle program but the thousands of technologies which were born from the program will stay with us far into the future. We use technologies from the space program at home, work, and when driving.

What comes to mind when you consider technologies developed by NASA? Probably rockets, spacesuits, and freeze-dried foods. It will surprise you to discover just how many common uses they have found for technologies originally produced for the space program. NASA releases an annual periodical, called Spinoff, which is dedicated to educating the public about the variety of technologies with origins at NASA that have become commercialized worldwide.

Here are a few common items that may surprise you to know wouldn’t exist without NASA’s technology.

Athletic Shoes – A process called blow rubber molding was developed to produce space helmets and is now utilized in many jogging shoes. This technique allows companies to make hollow soles in order to fill them with a shock absorbing substance. Nike Air is one common shoe that uses this process.

DustBusters – Engineers at Black and Decker created a computer program that enables motors to perform well even when using very little power. Thus the cordless power drill and DustBuster was created.

Smoke Detectors – These were first created for Skylab, America’s first space station, in 1970. They are now so prevalent that you cannot legally build a house without installing them.

The desire to explore space has inspired humans throughout time. The space shuttle program pushed these inspirations into the development of incredible technologies. We’ll miss the space shuttle but the desire to build bigger and better technology for space travel will not fade. We’ll probably see a lot more technologies developed by NASA turning up in our homes, hospitals, and lives for years to come.

The Most Effective Business Cards

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What do you think of when you imagine a business card? In general, you most likely think of a small stock-paper rectangle that has essential contact information printed on it and, probably, a logo. While this standard method has traditionally been an effective way to exchange business information, it’s not entirely memorable. Thinking outside the box when formatting business cards is a great way to increase your networking efforts. If you’d like to make your business cards more creative, here are a few tips to get you started.

Add Texture

This is probably the easiest way to make your business cards more memorable without getting too crazy. A card with texture engages the sense of touch, which adds another layer of memory to the experience. Sure, it sounds silly, but if the brain can remember what the card felt like, it will likely also remember what the card represents. Check out this great example of a textured business card.

Make Them Share-worthy

If your card is worth sharing, it will become a practical social experience. Essentially, this means adding some creative element to the card that the receiver will want to share with his or her friends. Contemplate this hilarious mustache card, designed to be held in front of the face as an on-the-go disguise. It is exactly the kind of creative design that is sharable. Making a card share-worthy will have a multiplying effect on your networking efforts. Here is a great example.

Make Them Digital

Going green is a great technique when making your business cards. Instead of printing out hundreds of little cards that will eventually end up in the garbage, consider making your business cards digital. The very best way to do this is by utilizing QR codes, a rising trend among smartphone users. Not only will a digital card reduce printing costs, using a QR code will create a level of interactivity between you and your audience (an important facet of generating brand loyalty). Here are some tips on using QR codes.

The Ins and Outs of Virtual Teams

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The way companies are organized has changed as technology has grown. We often see companies reorganizing their teams into virtual teams, often known as geographically dispersed teams (GDT). This permits 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 believed that productivity had a direct connection with proximity. The concept was held that the more face-time a manager was able to provide 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 yield a much more significant result. Another strong factor impacting productivity can be the mindset of the individuals the group consists of. Many people 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. People 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 organisations, large and small, have embraced this innovative organizational technique. Certainly businesses that require people to physically interact to perform a task, such as construction, are not candidates for virtual teams. If you feel implementing virtual teams as an enterprise wide strategy or smaller capacity is a good fit for your company, here are a few items to think about.
 
Advantages

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

Disadvantages

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

Virtual teams interact through a variety of technology including email, audio and video conferencing, and file sharing programs including Google Docs. Below are a few programs that can assist teams who work together remotely.

  • Go to meetings – an economical option to have remote meetings
  • Yammer – a private social network for businesses that allows 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, look at 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

Will another tech bubble pop

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Are we in the midst of a 1990s-style tech bubble? Some experts think so.

Try this: Check out Google News and enter a search for ‘tech bubble.’ You’ll get a large amount of results. Fresh results.

But let’s pause for second. What, exactly, is a tech bubble? Here’s Investopedia’s definition:

“Tech Bubble – a pronounced and unsustainable market rise related to increased speculation in technology stocks. A tech bubble is highlighted by rapid share price growth and high valuations determined by standard metrics like price/earnings ratio or price/sales.”

Hmmm. Are we able to find proof of speculation and inflated valuations?

Scanning the current headlines, we now have stories of acquisitions and IPOs (and impending IPOs) for a variety of hot domains, including LinkedIn.com, Pandora.com, Groupon.com, Zynga.com, and Twitter.com. And there are at least eleven billion reports and blog posts about Facebook’s eventual IPO.

If we’re in a tech bubble, it certainly has a social-media flavor!

So. Of these hot companies, how many are profitable? (This helps us gauge whether their valuations are inflated.)

  • LinkedIn – Earned $12 million in 2010 (its first year of profitability).
  • Pandora – Not profitable.
  • Groupon – Same story.
  • Twitter – A little!
  • Zynga – Way profitable! With a 35% profit margin in 2010.
  • Facebook – Quite profitable. With a respectable 25% profit margin in 2010.

Of course, just because a number of of these businesses aren’t very profitable doesn’t mean they’re not brimming with profit potential. Look at Amazon.com. Launched in 1995, the organization didn’t make money until 2004! But this past year the company’s net gain was well over $1 billion and it is now threatening Walmart’s retail dominance.

In other words, a lack of profits today does not a bubble make (necessarily).

And as Mashable columnist Jolie O’Dell notes, today’s tech climate is much different than those heady days in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when you had hundreds of startups with half-baked ideas and flimsy business plans getting insane opening day valuations. In 1999, the peak of dot-com mania, there were 308 IPOs. This year, by contrast, there have been 25, and many of which have been mature businesses with healthy revenue (e.g. LinkedIn).

O’Dell notes another major distinction between now and then: Internet usage. Back in the 1990s, relatively few people were online. According to the Pew Internet and American Life project, Internet adoption has almost doubled among adults since 1999. Today 77 percent of American adults are online. Among teens, the figure is over 90 percent.

In the dot-com era, investors swooned for companies that didn’t have any users. The users weren’t even there. Today is different. Examine Twitter. Sure, it has struggled to turn a profit, but at least it has a large, influential and increasing customer base. You couldn’t say the same for Pets.com, one of the biggest flops of the dot-com era.

But it’s still hard to say with certainty whether today’s enthusiasm is rational or irrational. Again, return to Google News. You’ll see good arguments on both sides…

What is a QR Code

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Have you noticed those strange black, square-shaped symbols popping up all over the place lately? They’re called QR codes, and they’re an extremely advanced version of the common grocery store barcode. Originally created in Japan to help keep track of car parts, the QR code is quickly becoming a globally recognized interactive advertising tool.

What is a QR code?

    QR (short for quick response) codes are complex matrices that are readable by scanners and, more specifically, smartphone cameras. Since these codes are so intricate, they can hold an extremely large amount of information.  This makes them practical tools for business since they can transmit so much information at once.

    When you scan a QR code with your smartphone, for instance, the information transferred to your phone activates the web-enabled data kept in the code. Think of it as a step up from the common barcode. A barcode works by scanning the code and accessing a computer network to collect product data. QR codes work in the same way, except by using the Internet as their database rather than a simple computer networks. This makes QR codes multidimensional and capable of holding much larger amounts of information.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Making a QR code couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is enter the data you wish to make accessible and click “generate.” There are several great QR generators online; most of them are free to make use of. If you’d like to use a QR generator, consider the Kaywa generator.

    Once the QR code is generated, make sure to use it effectively. Putting the code on resumes, business cards, posters, flyers and even billboards is a great way to get information out there.

Why it works

    A QR code is a fun and interesting way to get information to an audience. Because using a QR code is enjoyable, it gives added value to the information transmitted. Understanding this makes using QR codes for interactive advertising easy. Though these codes are new to America, they have been successful tools for more than a decade in Japan.  If you are looking for a innovative way to get information out there, consider using a QR code.

Stay Connected, Stay Sane

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We are living in an age of connectivity. Regardless of where we go or what we do, being connected is only the press of a button away. If someone needs to transfer information to us, they only have to choose by which device to do so. We can be called, chatted, emailed, texted and even Skyped. This change in communication has proven beneficial in many respects, though in lots of ways too much communication can be negative. What does it mean to live in a world of almost constant connectivity? Read on for a number of of the pros and cons of always being available.

The Pros

  • Being connected means being safe. Roadside disasters, unpredictable heart attacks or sudden illness are all situations that can benefit from early notification. Increased connectivity makes contacting help easier and more reliable.
  • Connectivity makes staying in touch easier. A recent example of this benefit is international communication.  With the help of an Internet connection and a web cam, soldiers deployed overseas can communicate with their families, face–to-face.
  • Technology has made telecommuting an accessible reality. Thanks to cloud computing, working from home is easy and practical. This allows workers on maternity or sick leave to maintain a valuable level of productivity.

The Cons

  • Being connected means being always available. True, it is nice to be in touch with those you love, but we all need some privacy. We all have days when we need a little time alone and being constantly connected makes that time more and more difficult to find.
  • 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 separate, which is increasingly difficult thanks to increased connectivity.
  • Constant connectivity may make us seem faraway to those close to us. Keeping in contact with a far-away friend is easy to do through text messages, but that communication can be a hindrance to personal face-to-face conversations. Increased connectivity can, ironically, make it more difficult to connect.

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. 

The Rise of the Tablet

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Hold on a second — are tablets productivity boosters?

You’re not alone if you thought tablets were merely shiny toys for consuming media. Most of the television spots promoting these gadgets show game playing, video watching, and web surfing — and not much in the way of work.

But that hasn’t stopped businesses from adopting these devices for their own gain. Infoworld recently reported on a New York law firm that deployed iPads to its team of attorneys. The firm, Proskauer, has had some hiccups with the rollout, but they’re not looking back:

“Today, more than 500 Proskauer lawyers use iPads to create superslick PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets filled with sky-high figures, and verbose Word documents. Lawyers pass this electronic paperwork back and forth among clients. They even present information on their iPads to judges.”

Businesses that are ready to hop on the tablet bandwagon should prepare for the occasional bump. Early adopters must work through issues on the fly, without the benefit of others’ experience. Proskauer faced a bunch of tough questions as it prepared for its iPad rollout.

“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 Proskauer’s technology committee, in an interview with Infoworld. “There’s just a hundred decisions that have to be made along the way.”

Such as: Do we give our team members a blank check when it comes to downloading apps? Or should we install a preset app menu before distributing the devices? Who are the best vendors for document management and remote desktop apps? How will all of these new endpoints influence our network security?

The tablet/app industry is still quite young and unruly, and that poses challenges to businesses that don’t want to spend a lot of time and money testing new systems and tinkering with half-baked apps that were rushed to market. (Even big software makers like Citrix, Google, and Microsoft have debuted some real clunkers.)

But these drawbacks are likely temporary, and companies are undauntedly rushing into the tablet realm regardless. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 3 out of 4 of the Fortune 500 have intentions to deploy iPads to their workers. Health care organizations have similar ambitions, specifically those who have deployed EHR software to manage patient health records. According to a May 2011 survey from Quantia Communications, 32 percent of physicians currently have an Apple or Android tablet, and another 34 percent plan to purchase one within the year.  

Small businesses are expected to get in on the action too: a March 2011 analysis from AMI-Partners predicts that tablet adoption will grow 1000 percent by 2015, with 1 in 3 SMBs eventually using tablets on a daily basis.

Spam, the world wide web, and the future

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Traditional spamming consists of sending out an extremely high frequency of emails from a spam-hosted account. In the early days of the Internet, the was an extremely profitable, though illegal, enterprize model. However, the Internet has developed to a point where this practice is no longer viable. This doesn’t mean the Internet will soon be saved from spammers, but rather that spamming will soon take on a different form. The fundamental question is, why has traditional spamming declined? The second is, how will spam change to adapt to the new Internet.

Profitability

    In 1997, spamming was an extremely profitable business. However, in the past 14 years, the Internet has become an increasingly difficult place for spammers to navigate. The amount of hardware and time needed to run an active spamming business outweighs the profit. This means that spamming is more expensive than it’s worth and, with all things considered, a business model that loses money. Currently, traditional spamming would pay less money per hour than a minimum wage job.

    While traditional spamming is no longer worth the money, spammers are a crafty bunch, known for adapting to new environments. In what ways will spammers change in order to once again make money?

Smart Spam

    Standard spamming was known for mass emails. This is a kind of blunt force approach. Now, these messages are sent subversively. Spammers are beginning to utilize classic hacking techniques. Legitimate email accounts are being hacked, and lower frequencies of spam messages are being sent from them. This technique was recently used on actor Simon Pegg, causing over 1 million recipients to receive a spam link from one of his accounts.

    While there will always be a security answer to new spamming techniques, the best way to protect yourself is through personal diligence. Always be wary of a suspicious link, even if it is sent from a trusted account. Be mindful of any suspicious Internet activity that you encounter and do your best to stay ahead of spammers’ tricks. For more information on how spamming is evolving, make sure to read this article.