Microsoft is a household name. And Bill Gates is arguably one of the most important names in the technology field. But has Microsoft ever been “cool”? Not really, in the eyes of consumers it’s always fell a little short of hip, but Microsoft’s new software for smartphones may alter the way the company is viewed.

Microsoft has long battled an industry reputation as a sort of stodgy dullard. There is a decent list of unsuccessful Microsoft products. Remember the Zune music player? Maybe not. What about the Kin phone? That flop has long vanished from the minds of most consumers.

That being said, Microsoft’s Windows Phone software has caught some attention. The Windows Phone has been well received by both critics and consumers.

Windows Phone draws praise for its striking on-screen typography and its mosaic of animated tiles on its home screen. This presents a visual contrast with the home screen of the iPhone. The operating system receives points, too, for making it easy for users to gain access to social networks. When friends or family members post pictures, messages, or updates to Twitter or Facebook, the tiles representing these services pop into life on Windows Phone-equipped devices.

It is intriguing that even with all of these functions, Windows Phone has not been a big seller. This could be, in part, due to the phones that use Windows Phone as an operating system, many people think they are bland. Another contributing factor is that most wireless providers push iPhone and Android devices.

The Windows Phone, though, provides some hope for Microsoft’s attempts to capture some cool. Sure, big sales and ubiquitous products are important, but a bit of hipness never hurt a company, either.

We have already had a taste of mouse-free computing. Touchscreens on our smartphones and tablets let us search the Internet, compose e-mail messages, send texts, and stream movies, all without using a mouse. So what on earth do you think this will lead us to in the future? How will we interact with our computers in the coming decades? If we ditch the mouse, what comes next?

Gesture sensing

Consumers who own Wii or PlayStation video game systems have already got a sense of this. These two game systems offer users the chance to play games and explore the web through wireless remotes that synch with body movements. Wii players can smack a tennis ball by swinging their hands when they hold a wireless remote. They are able to jog in place, climb a virtual mountain, or shoot menacing robots in a similar manner. This is called gesture sensing. The tech isn’t quite ready for standard computing yet. However, it isn’t really difficult to imagine a future in which gesture sensing becomes one of the primary modes of interacting with our computers.

Multi-touch technology

Multi-touch technology is yet another interactive innovation that is being used in some common devices, namely, tablets, e-readers, and smartphones. This technology allows users to tap icons to open program, pinch or extend their fingers to zoom or minimize the pictures on their screens. Since this is a relatively new technology it’s still being refined. How do you think this will be used in the foreseeable future to allow us easier navigation around our computers?

Voice recognition

Another possible technological advancement that could replace the mouse involves voice recognition. Rather than clicking on a mouse button to open up a program, users can simply tell their computers to open a particular word file or close iTunes. Some of this already exists, most notable is Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which allows users to dictate reports and stories to their word-processing programs. Again, the tech still needs refinement, but a future where we speak to our computers isn’t all that far-fetched.

No matter what happens, though, the odds are that we’ll still rely, at least somewhat, on the humble mouse. After all, it has served us well for several years.

You use your smartphone to buy movie tickets, download your favorite songs, and make online reservations at the new French restaurant. But, if your smartphone battery dies, it’s not possible to do any of this. And let’s be honest, charging your smartphone the old-fashioned way is a drag. You have to plug your charger into an outlet and leave it connected long enough to give it sufficient power.

But now there is a less difficult way to charge your phone: a smartphone charge pad.

Charge your phone wirelessly

Charge pads are mats that allow devices to be charged wirelessly. Just by laying your device on the mat it will start to charge, this nearly eradicates cord mess and searching for an outlet. You may also charge multiple devices, such as iPods and tablets, simultaneously using these mats.

But just how do these devices work? Fundamentally, a charge pad utilizes electro-magnetic induction charging. They create a magnetic field atop the mat that provides power to the batteries of your devices.

Charge pads a technology in progress

Smartphone charge pads, though, haven’t exactly seized the imaginations of shoppers. There are some reasons for this: To start with, today’s charge pads aren’t cheap. In some cases, they cost nearly as much as the gadgets that consumers wish to charge.

Secondly, charge pads are big and bulky. They take up a lot of desk or shelf space. This limits their use; after all, many consumers depend upon charge pads to get rid of the mess that comes with multiple cords. If charge pads are too large, eliminating these cords doesn’t reduce clutter.

An improving wireless world

As technology improves we are likely to see smaller, more efficient, and cheaper charging pads that can be purchased. Sooner or later, my guess is that these will be must-have items.

Windows 7 has numerous features which makes it a great improvement over prior systems. However, like most things, if you are unaware of all these features you could be missing out.

By mastering a few simple tricks, you can get the most out of Windows 7.

• If you would like to copy images from your computer to a CD or DVD it is now much easier with Windows 7. Double-click the ISO image you want to burn and select the drive that has your blank disc in it. After choosing the “burn” option all you have to do is wait!

• Quickly find and repair problems. If your operating system is acting strangely, simply click the “Control Panel” option. From there, you can click on “troubleshooting” to access a number of wizards which will solve commonplace operating problems. Including cleaning up systems that are slowed by an excessive amount of adware and other clutter.

• Installing a large amount of cumbersome software will slow your system down. You are able to prevent this by utilizing the AppLocker feature. This allows you to pre-approve specified programs for installation. Which prevents any non-preapproved software from being downloaded.

• Windows 7 includes its own power efficiency service. This enables you to access reams of information regarding how much energy your laptop is consuming. This may be important if you are working from a remote location and are not in the vicinity of a charging source.
]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/be-more-productive-with-windows-7/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/7-things-to-learn-about-wordpress/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/7-things-to-learn-about-wordpress/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:03:09 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/7-things-to-learn-about-wordpress/

WordPress was once viewed primarily as a blogging platform. But it has developed into one of the most popular website publishing tools on the Internet. Tech Crunch recently reported that about one fifth of new domains in the U.S. are powered by WordPress. And it may amaze you to learn that one of the most popular publishers in the world uses WordPress.

Here are 7 things you should know about WordPress:

1. WordPress offers dynamic page generation. This means no more reconstructing all your pages every time you update your website! Updating your site’s content and design is easy and quick, and the necessary server storage space usage is marginal.
2. You can obtain a free website at WordPress.com with subdomains. This is a good way to reduce costs if you don’t mind .wordpress.org at the end of your domain.
3. If you have your own domain and hosting account, WordPress can be installed in minutes (WordPress calls it their ‘famous 5-minute install’).  No coding skills necessary.
4. For those with their own domain and hosting account, WordPress has some minimum requirements. Essentially you’ll want to ensure you have a complying version of PHP and MySQL on your server. The benefits of meeting minimum requirements are that you’ll receive precise WordPress support should there be a problem.
5. There are countless great looking templates (known as “themes”) available from different sources on the Internet. Many are free, some are not. Either way, finding the right design for your website is easy and quick.
6. WordPress offers centralized management for all of your pages, posts, multimedia assets, and reader comments. It’s also very simple to manage users and user profiles.
7. WordPress encourages e-commerce. There is an plethora of plugins that have already been created that enable you to accept payments, promote, and more on your website. The easy plugin search keeps all of these options at your fingertips.
]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/7-things-to-learn-about-wordpress/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/some-tech-was-not-meant-to-fly/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/some-tech-was-not-meant-to-fly/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:52:07 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/some-tech-was-not-meant-to-fly/

In the last few years iPads, smartphones, and Kindles have been a few of the most desired gadgets on the market. But not all tech is created equal. Companies can’t predict what’s going to become popular, no matter how much they love it. Here are a few that never quite caught on.

Famous tech failures

• Apple TV: Apple TV lets users buy their entertainment directly from iTunes and stream it on their computers, handheld devices, or TVs. The unfortunate part of this, that could be the reason for its less then popular ranking, is that it is somewhat limited to iTunes.
• Sony Mylo: Mylo came in under the radar that’s the reason you may not remember it. It was a Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device from Sony that allowed individuals to connect to the Internet, send e-mail and it came with Skype! It didn’t get much attention as the iPhone and its app store overwhelmed it.

The Segway peters out

• Segway PT: The Segway PT scooter hasn’t fully been a flop. However, it never caught on in the way its manufacturers predicted. This two-wheeled transportation machine was supposed to be a must-have for commuters traveling to work and for family members taking short trips to their local grocery store. Unfortunately, the scooter makes people look kind of silly when they are riding it. Maybe this is why the device hasn’t become a mainstream replacement for cars.

The CueCat doesn’t purr

• CueCat: Shaped like a cat, the CueCat was a barcode reader introduced to the public in 1999. It permitted consumers to open a link to an Internet address by scanning a barcode on a product. The concept was that consumers would appreciate surfing to a website without having to enter in that site’s address. This idea proved flawed, and it wasn’t long before the CueCat’s maker, Digital Convergence Corporation, was out of business.
]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/some-tech-was-not-meant-to-fly/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-data-security/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-data-security/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:31:29 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-data-security/

When looking at data security, many people think they have a good amount of systems and precautions in place to keep their information safe. Sure, you may have antivirus software and you might even update it regularly. You may even feel that you’re too small of a company to be a target of a hacking attempt. Only big firms that have tens of thousands of clients need to be concerned about cyber criminals, right? Wrong. Hackers and cyber criminals have in fact escalated their focus on small businesses. We would like to help you understand the dangers your small business could be facing.

Small firms: low-hanging fruit

The facts are, hackers have realized that small enterprises are easier targets, and therefore are increasingly preying upon them. They can infiltrate their systems at a considerably faster rate, and with a better percentage of success as well. This means a cyber criminal can assault multiple targets in the time it would take them to lay siege to a better-guarded system with a higher level of data security. How can it be worth their while to steal from a mom and pop operation? In the current modern world, practically every business makes use of digital payment processing methods. Whenever your customers pay using a credit card, this data must run through your system to be validated. This represents a goldmine of information for hackers, as they can lift this information without being discovered. With your customers’ credit card numbers, addresses and names, they are able to make fraudulent charges on their accounts.

How hackers gain access to your data

Hackers usually take a multiple-point-of-entry approach when trying to breach your company. Don’t be fooled that email is the sole method a hacker will try to infiltrate you. While harmful email attachments are the most widely used tactics that hackers use to mine data from a company, additionally they use low-tech methods as well. Direct phone calls to lower level employees or possibly a in-office visit posing as system administrator are some of the low-tech ways criminals may target your organization. You might believe your workers are impervious to these seemingly evident ploys, but it only takes one mistake to open your company up to an attack.

The buck stops with you

You may believe that maintaining your data security isn’t that vital, as the credit card companies are accountable for any bogus charges that occur. While this is true for the consumer, as a business owner you may experience a very different outcome. Often if your systems have been compromised, they’ll hold you accountable for finding the breach. This can cost thousands of dollars and can ruin your profit margin for the whole year. In fact, some small businesses have been bankrupted by cyber attacks, closing their doors due to only one incident.

An ounce of prevention…

Data security is extremely important and any additional precautions you can take will be sensible. Use strong passwords and update your existing security systems regularly. Educate your staff on safety measures they can take, such as creating strong passwords and never giving out login information. Hiring an outside consultant to help you ensure you and your client’s information is safe is another good idea. Simple measures can give you peace of mind that your systems are safe, and your clients will know you have their best interests at heart.

]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-data-security/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-company-culture-part-2/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-company-culture-part-2/#comments Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:08:07 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-company-culture-part-2/

Earlier this week we explained the reasons why your company’s culture affects your brand. A balanced company culture can have a very positive effect on your daily operations and the way the public views your company. Gauging the cultural health of your company is one thing, but where do you go from there. Below we’ll have a look at some ideas to improve or give your business a cultural facelift.

The first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions to get an idea of the “feel” you want your business to have:

• How do you want your company to feel? Fun, creative, open, accepting, respectful, etc?
• What are the primary values or focus of your company? How can you make that prominent in the culture?
• Who controls the flow of information? How and what’s distributed to the employees?
• How do you reward or encourage employees now, and how would you like to in the future?
• Does the organization give everyone a “voice?” Are employees encouraged to express their ideas and thoughts?

More questions than solutions may come up, so brainstorming with your co-workers is a wonderful strategy for finding creative answers. Below are a few suggestions to start with:

Suggestion/Thought box – Permitting individuals to anonymously share their thoughts or opinions concerning the day to day in the office can lead to a more open feeling in the company. These concerns can be mentioned in company meetings if they pertain to everyone.

Empower employees – Treat employees like peers; let them have ownership over their jobs. Don’t micromanage! Transparency can help with empowerment as well. Don’t just inform your employees when there are successes, let them know when things aren’t going so well too. Their support may help you overcome the hard times.

Flexible hours – Giving people some flexibility to get their work done shows confidence. Trusting them to regulate themselves will lead them to respect you more.

Dress code – Gone are the days of the suit and tie everyday (at least for most fields), so let personnel express themselves in relation to their clothing. This can help make them feel free and accepted. Another thought is to have themed clothing days. Examples of this are: wig day, silly t-shirt day, hat day, etc. Let employees make recommendations for themes. A little silly goes a long way.

Celebrate – A company is made up of the people in it, so celebrate together. A monthly movie day, a catered lunch, or lunchtime board game days are only a few ways you can get your employees together to celebrate.

Here are some things companies do to give their culture a playful edge:

• Spontaneous Nerf gun wars
• Painting inspirational quotes on the walls
• Hitting a loud gong when there is a success to let the whole company know
• Foosball tournaments
• Lunchtime Yoga
• Lunchtime Crafting Club
• Monday Mad Libs, whoever wishes to contribute, does, and then the completed Mad Lib is emailed to the company
]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/the-importance-of-company-culture-part-2/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/improve-your-company-culture-part-1/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/improve-your-company-culture-part-1/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:13:04 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/improve-your-company-culture-part-1/

Often, in business, concentrating on the strategy of the company is the main focus.
Is that because it is the most crucial aspect to concentrate on? Many organisations think so, but exclusively concentrating on strategy can lead a company into stagnation. People make up a company and they collectively make the culture of the company. Culture does not just impact the employees in your office, it influences your brand, marketing, and how the public in general views your company. Without a healthy prospering culture a brand has little chance of long-term success.  When we examine brands like Apple, Google, or Starbucks we not only recognize the brand, but we associate a variety of feelings and thoughts about these companies. This is largely due to the culture of these companies.

Why Culture is so Important

A healthy workplace culture fosters creative thinking. When employees like the place they work and feel like they’re part of the team it can make them challenge themselves in innovative ways. In a workplace in which people feel invisible or stifled they’ll often do the minimum amount required. It is part of human nature to want to feel appreciated and important. A business is made of its people so whatever attitude prevails will show up in your brand and the merchandise and service you provide. In the end, nurturing the culture of your workplace is everyone’s duty from the CEO to HR.

A healthy culture has several benefits. Take a look at a few and the reasons why they could have such a significant effect.

• Focus – When individuals are focused on the same goal, that goal is much more easily achieved. Companies that have a healthy culture, have employees that care about the collective goal and genuinely strive to reach it. Unhealthy cultures can result in cynicism because individuals do not feel connected to the goal. Their goal is to merely make it through the day.
• Cohesion – The basis of cohesion is strong communication between associates, whether they are dealing with successes or roadblocks. Strong communication fortifies teamwork and makes operations run more smoothly. In a workplace with an unhealthy culture, people might be nervous to provide feedback about problems that arise or might not care enough to act quickly when issues do arise.
• Motivation – It’s simple; motivated people accomplish more. This may seem obvious, but in companies where the culture is suffering, productivity may also suffer.

Measuring the Cultural Health of Your Company

This can be a challenging step but ought to be assessed several times a year. One of the primary steps is to look at how people are managed, how tasks are given out, and do individuals have some say in what they’re doing? Of course you may find a few people who will never be happy, but if the general opinion is unfavorable, start thinking about making a few changes for the healthy of your organization. Check back soon for a few tips on transforming your company’s culture for the better.

]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/improve-your-company-culture-part-1/feed/ 0 http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/simple-invoicing-using-online-services/ http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/simple-invoicing-using-online-services/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:05:29 +0000 admin http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/simple-invoicing-using-online-services/

Chances are you started your business because you love what you do. You opened your doors because you have a strong product that you believe in.  You probably did not start a business because your paperwork abilities were unparalleled.  Paperwork is a vital and necessary evil for any business owner and proper invoicing can’t be ignored. We all need cash flow to keep our businesses afloat, so employing a good invoicing system can help us keep cash in the bank and our clients happy!

Invoicing help online

Using a web-based invoicing service is a possible option for business owners who want a quicker, more dependable way, and often-automatic means to invoice their customers. There are a large number of available online options to choose from that can take that monotonous task of paperwork off your plate. Below we’ll evaluate just 3 of the possibilities out there:

A free but powerful invoicing service

Sometimes the word “free” is synonymous with “not very good.” Happily, that isn’t the case with the free system, BillingBoss. Ideal for most small businesses that want to automatically invoice customers monthly and periodic once-off invoicing, BillingBoss packs a huge punch without cost!

A power tool

Next let’s look at AcceptPay. Developed and run by American Express, AcceptPay is a very powerful service that connects with QuickBooks, allows online payments, and has a wider array of invoicing options. At the fairly low monthly price of $30, this is a great choice for those companies that require a more robust service.

Invoicing for the tech-savvy

If you are tech-savvy and understand how to use open source software, BambooInvoice is a great option. This free service is extremely customizable and lives on your in-house servers as opposed to in the cloud.  This makes it simple for you to make the program fit your company’s exact needs.

The best news for business owners is that these services are merely a small sample of the many online invoicing services available, most of them free or low-cost. Those business owners who want to quickly gain control over their invoicing process should check them out.

]]> http://blog.ablcomputers.com/2012/simple-invoicing-using-online-services/feed/ 0