Many of us get our entertainment, news, and pay our bills online. So, it’s not a shock that we access our music over the Internet as well. Many individuals subscribe to on-line music-streaming services that are either free or cost money. The benefits are many. People don’t have to copy their music files onto different devices and they can listen to it anywhere they have internet access.

But which music-streaming services are the best? Here are several suggestions:

Pandora: Pandora has been around awhile, and it is very popular. It’s clear to see why: it is simple. After navigating to the website, enter the name of a song or artist you want and Pandora will create a radio station based upon that information. It chooses songs by artists with a similar sound. As you tune in to your station you can click the thumbs up or thumbs down symbol on the songs and Pandora will modify your station based on this new information. In addition, you can “seed” you station with different artists to even further personalize it. You can listen to Pandora without creating an account but in order to save your stations, you will need to create an account.

Grooveshark: Grooveshark is similar to Pandora. But you can also make your own playlists manually, all without creating an account. However, those who want to save their play lists will have to sign up for a free account. Like Pandora, Grooveshark also offers recommendations for songs that you might like based upon your past musical choices. Grooveshark also has an intriguing feature: You can improve the service’s database of music by adding your own favorite songs and artists if you cannot find them in Grooveshark’s existing collection.

Rhapsody: Rhapsody has rapidly made a name for itself due to its huge database of more than 14 million songs. Users be required to pay for the service – $10 a month – but by doing this, they’ll be able to stream any song from the service’s enormous collection.

Spotify: Spotify was introduced in 2008, and since then it has exploded into one of the most widely known and used music-streaming services. Spotify is very user friendly and, like Grooveshark, users can listen to entire albums or decide 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. Furthermore, users can see what their Facebook friends are presently listening to on a real-time feed. This is great for people 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. Nevertheless, the Kinect – a motion and voice-sensing device initially meant as a nifty feature for the Xbox gaming system – could help Windows regain its long-lost coolness quotient.

Not surprisingly, a version of the Kinect is compatible with Windows-operated PCs. So shortly after this new version was launched in February, companies started devising creative, out-of-the-box uses for 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 enhanced interior of the Pathfinder. This worked out well as they only had the outer shell of the Pathfinder to actually display. By using the Kinect, participants could actually “see” what the interior looked liked.

Microsoft is encouraging companies to find different uses for the Kinect and even cooperating with them to create applications for it. This is an excellent move on their part, as it not only promotes inventiveness but it also puts a Microsoft product at the heart of the creative development. One company that has worked with Microsoft in this way is Boeing. They’ve used the Kinect to build virtual tours of their jets. Another unique use of the Kinect was discovered by a medical facility in Canada. They are utilizing the Kinect’s gesture-recognition to swipe through CT scans. This greatly reduces, if not eliminates, the chance of spreading germs because you don’t have to touch the computer.

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 Kinect has many uses outside of what it was initially developed for. Microsoft actually designed something that is not only useful, but viewed as cool. This transformation in attitude toward Microsoft could help the company in several ways.

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When you sift through the potential candidates for the position you’re hiring for, you wish to find the super stars. You want to find the most imaginative, enthusiastic, and motivated people you can. But you can only find out who fits the bill through an interview. And if you don’t ask the correct questions you may misjudge your candidates.

If you hold the traditional job interview, asking the same tedious questions, the odds are you won’t be able to tell the top applicants from the so-so ones. That’s why it is critical to craft a unique job interview strategy.

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 responsibilities were. Instead, ask them to list any imaginative ideas that they developed for their previous employers. Ask them if these ideas helped their employers earn more money, run more effectively, or reduce expenses.

Another prevalent interview question is to ask about the individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Almost everyone has a canned response to this, as they know it will likely be asked in an interview. Instead have them tell you what they add to the culture of a company, what do they do in tense situations, or what are some ways they keep themselves satisfied at their jobs. These answers will clue you in to the disposition of the person you are interviewing, and if they will fit in with your company and the position.

Another method you could use to gauge creativity is to give them a task to execute. Something simple, for instance have them write their ideas about what their ideal workplace would be like. Or they could brainstorm products and services for a company of your choosing. You could keep it light and fun; the goal is to get a snapshot of their brainstorming abilities, and creativity.

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.

Traveling for business is not fun. We’re generally rushed, we don’t eat well, and we have to deal with the hassle of airports and long-term parking. It is not surprising that many companies opt toward videoconferencing rather then traveling. As videoconferencing technology improves, many people wonder if business traveling could become a thing of the past.

The End of Business Travel?

But is this something that we should strive for in business? Is it a good thing if videoconferencing replaces face-to-face meetings completely? Possibly not, think about the differences between meetings that are face-to-face versus videoconferencing.

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

The Benefits of Face-to-Face Time

At in-person meetings, though, agendas have a way of falling by the wayside, and that’s a good thing. Meetings may start only after a few minutes of personal chit chat and they may end with attendees trading office stories. Again, this can be good. Often, the most effective business ideas arise from these moments of off-topic conversation.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

Yes, business travel is an inconvenience and videoconferencing is convenient. However, there are occassions when meeting face-to-face is the best option for generating the most innovative business solutions. For this reason, don’t expect savvy business executives to ever entirely replace business travel with videoconferencing.

Doesn’t it seem like we should currently have jetpacks? Teleporters? Or meals in tablet form? We already have some amazing technology, like tablets, which are small computers that people can carry around. We can take advantage of the GPS in our cars to find the way around town. We can post an update to our social media sites and reach thousands of people at once.

So, why don’t we have teleporters and hovercrafts? What exactly is preventing us from taking these leaps in technology?

Building a Better Battery

First, there is battery power. To put it simply, the batteries running our smartphones and tablets need to be recharged too often. A more powerful battery will permit us to run our gadgets for weeks at a time and then charge them again within minutes. This battery does not exist yet. However, it may be coming: researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University are designing a far more powerful lithium-ion battery. If their prototype becomes commercially viable, it will likely be a game-changer.

Improving Internet Access

It may seem like everyone is connected to the Internet, but this is a misconception. The majority of the world doesn’t have access to the Internet. While this may not seem like it could suppress technological advancements, it does. The thought is that by limiting the number of people who can contribute to the interconnectedness the Internet provides, we are reducing the amount of individuals who can collaborate. Until the vast majority of individuals are connected, technological advancements will not happen as quickly as they could.

The Business of New Tech

Last but not least there is the bureaucracy. Business matters, like patent laws, can impede technological progress. Individuals and businesses that develop innovative things have to first navigate these waters. But if government regulations are clear and simple to comprehend, it could reduce some of this.

Even though there are a few things that are holding technology back, it is still advancing 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 organizations edit the images they need to build professional-looking brochures, pamphlets, and marketing materials. However, Photoshop is far from inexpensive. A quick online scan will show that newer versions of this image-editing program can run higher then $600. For small business owners on a budget, this program simply isn’t practical. This doesn’t mean, though, that these small business owners don’t have photo-editing options. In fact, businesses can choose from a host of alternatives which are not only cheaper but are actually free.

Needless to say, these programs are not as powerful as Photoshop. But they have adequate photo-editing features for small business owners to effortlessly create professional looking material. Below is a list of the best free photo-manipulation programs currently available.

GIMP

GIMP, which stands for GNU image manipulation program, is the choice of many a cost-conscious designer. That is because this free program contains the most important attributes of Photoshop. The GIMP website even offers a version of the program—cleverly named GIMPShop—that features a screen layout that is a virtual twin of Photoshop’s.

Paint.NET

Do you remember MSPaint? It came standard with the Windows operating system. Paint.NET is its successor and is a really powerful and free photo editor. It includes its own special effects and an limitless undo; this is great for people who want to play around with the effects. The one negative of this program is that it only works with Windows.

Picnik

Picnik is a free program that works on Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. This program has some really fun effects such as blurring, darkening, and lightening images. It’s probably the most popular free editing programs, as you don’t have to download files to utilize it.

In the end, if you are searching for a program that lets you create professional marketing material, it is not necessary to spend a lot. These programs will let you accomplish this task at no cost.

Your smartphone is incredible. It can steer you to that trendy new fusion restaurant if you are lost. It can play your favorite sitcom as you go to work on the train. It will play your favorite song at the touch of a button. However 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 in minutes, instead of overnight. This story reports on these research efforts. This is fantastic news for smartphone users around the world.

What they are concentrating on is a new lithium-ion battery that has more then 10 times the life of present-day batteries. Additionally, after a year of operation, which the researchers estimate to be about 150 charges, these new lithium-ion batteries would remain 5 times more effective then today’s lithium-ion batteries.

A Charged Battery for a Week

Here’s the bottom line: The new cell phone battery could remain charged for more than a week and then recharge itself in just 15 minutes. This is good news for you: It could mean that your iPod won’t run out of juice while you are working the treadmill at the gym. But the new, better battery might have a far greater impact: Based on 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 on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology may have a massive impact on many aspects of our life, it will not be offered to the general public for three to five years, says Northwestern researchers. Batteries are often over looked when we think of innovative technologies, but the more we rely on mobile devices the more important they become.  Advancements in battery technology may in fact hold the key to an even greater technological movement.

When it comes to online search engines, Google is still king. Microsoft isn’t pleased with this. That is why the company launched Bing in 2009, its own search engine and a direct competitor with Google. Since then, Bing has gone the way of most Google-search competitors: It’s mostly an afterthought when computer users need to search the web. Most searchers still use Google for this task. Nevertheless, that does not mean that Bing offers nothing for computer users. In fact, Microsoft did a lot right with Bing, and the search engine offers plenty of interesting features that users shouldn’t ignore.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When you search on Bing, you’ll get more information about your search results than you will get from Google. Bing’s results include a left-hand navigation panel filled with Quick Tabs that enable users to concentrate their searches. Additionally there is a center row of search results which are grouped into logical categories. This makes it simpler for users to find multimedia files or 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 related to your search. While Google has this function, Bing makes the navigation a bit more user friendly. Another valuable feature is what they call Farecast Technology. This is part of the Bing Travel site and it allows users to locate the cheapest airfare quickly.

Bing Video Search Shines

Bing shines, too, when it comes to searching for videos. Before searching, users can tell Bing how long they’d like their videos to be, what screen size they’d like them to be, and what resolution they’d prefer. Users can start their videos by simply hovering their cursors over a screen capture.

These are a few reasons why Bing should not be overlooked. Google may be the current king of search engines, but Bing has a lot to offer surfers of the Web.

Cloud computing has definitely caught on. People can access data that is stored in the cloud—databases located far away from their own computer drives. They can store their favorite songs, access powerful word-processing software, and send their business proposals to the cloud. This saves a lot of computer memory, as everything that’s kept in the cloud isn’t stored on a personal computer. The outcome is a faster computing experience, as less programs gum up the running speed of home computers.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However; there are various kinds of clouds. You have the public cloud, the private cloud, and the hybrid cloud. Most of us use the public cloud, businesses that wish to use cloud services to store very sensitive data can opt to use a private cloud, and the hybrid cloud is a combination of the two.

For a business to provide a hybrid cloud, they store a client’s most confidential data on their in-house private cloud, and data that needs less security on a public cloud. For instance, archived files and big programs.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

This frees up space on the in-house servers while guaranteeing certain data is highly protected. The hybrid cloud is an excellent method to provide businesses with high security cloud services while cutting costs and saving space.

It’s not surprising that lots of businesses use the hybrid cloud. There’s too much data storage needed these days for a business to store it all and not bog down their systems. Furthermore, in this competitive climate, companies need to make sure their sensitive information is protected. The hybrid cloud is often the best way businesses can accomplish these two things.

Thanks to improved technology, more and more employees be capable of carry out most or all of their work from home. Smartphones, tablets, teleconferencing, and WiFi-equipped bookstores and coffee shops have made this feasible. This presents a huge advantage for employers: the more employees that work at home, the less money companies have to spend. Many companies, for example, don’t have assigned computers and desks for all of their workers because a lot of their workforce is working remotely. In addition, employees working remotely are frequently more productive; they are not wasting time and energy driving to work every day. And they are not exchanging office gossip in front of the water cooler when in the office.

Remote Worker Challenges

One worry that lots of employers have when deciding to hire remote workers is, how can they monitor the amount of work they do? How do they know they are truly working and not simply playing games on their computer all day?

One good way to keep track of the amount of work being completed by remote workers is to set sensible goals that they must hit. This puts the emphasis on the end result and keeps the manager from worrying about it, provided that the goals are being met. This also gives the employee freedom to work within the hours they are most effective.

Setting Remote Worker Deadlines

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

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

Employers should remember, as well, that remote workers don’t have to stay that way. If employers find that their off-site workers are not meeting deadlines or are turning in sub-par work, they can require that these workers return to the office on a full-time basis. Trust continues to be the key component of a remote working relationship. Companies must place some trust in their workers that they will complete their jobs on time. Workers must show that they are deserving of this trust by hitting their deadlines, turning in quality work, and responding quickly to phone calls or email messages.