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 many music-streaming services to choose from. This can be very advantageous as people always have access to their music, as long as they have access to the Internet.

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

Pandora: Pandora is very widely used because of its simple interface. After navigating to the website, you can input a song or artist you want to hear and Pandora will create a “radio” station based on that information. This is an excellent way to learn about new artists with similar sounds. The stations that Pandora creates are easily customizable as well. If Pandora chooses an artist that you don’t like, you can click the thumbs down symbol on the song. Pandora allows for further customization by allowing you to “seed” your station with different artists. While you can listen to Pandora without creating an account, it is crucial if you want to save your personalized stations.

Grooveshark: Grooveshark is similar to Pandora in that it generates a “radio” station based on your musical tastes. However, you can also listen to entire albums on Grooveshark and build playlists. One unique feature of Grooveshark is the capability to upload your own music to the Grooveshark database if you cannot find what you are looking for. This is a smart and simple way for Grooveshark to grow its library.

Rhapsody: Rhapsody’s appeal is based on its huge database of music: more the 14 million songs. Sadly, this service is not free, it is $10 a month for unlimited music.

Spotify: Spotify is one of the most widely known music-streaming services out there. After its introduction in 2008, it expanded rapidly. Spotify has a user friendly interface. You can listen to entire albums, choose to create a “radio” station based on your tastes, or create playlists that you can share with other Spotify users. This is attractive to people who enjoy the nostalgia of making mix tapes. Many people love Spotify’s integration with Facebook. By using the Facebook app, Spotify generates a running list of what you are playing day by day. You can also see what your Facebook friends are listening too, in real-time.

When was the last time we saw a Windows product which captured the essence of “cool”? Before recently it had been a while, but when Microsoft made the Kinect for Windows that all changed. The Kinect is a gesture and voice-sensing device that was originally developed for the Xbox gaming console.

Microsoft in February unveiled Kinect for Windows. This version of the device works with, not surprisingly, Windows-operated pcs. Now a number of users are putting the device to work in unexpected ways.

Innovative Uses for the Kinect

Earlier this year the Chief Marketing Manager for Nissan North America created a virtual tour of the Pathfinder’s interior at the Chicago Auto Show. The only thing that was actually on display was the outer shell of the Pathfinder, but individuals could see the upgraded interior on a large screen by using the Kinect.

Microsoft is also encouraging companies to utilize the Kinect creatively by working with them to create custom Kinect applications. Nearly 350 companies today are working with Microsoft in this way. For example, Boeing uses the device to create virtual tours of its 737 jets. Medical providers at a hospital in Canada are also using the device’s gesture-recognition to swipe through CT scans, removing the risk of touching germs on a keyboard or mouse.

Kinect: A Solid Hit

When Microsoft came up with the Kinect for Windows they hit a home run. Last year the Xbox 360 was the best selling video game console. In fact, since November 2010, more then 18 million Kinect devices have been sold. This is definitely transforming the way that the consumer views Microsoft products.

It may seem hard to believe, but Windows and its creator might have actually found something that is not only useful, but cool, which can do nothing but good for their reputation.

There are many people searching for jobs today. However, as an employer, you’re not trying to find just anyone. You want to hire the best, most innovative 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 begins with the job interview.

It’s crucial that you create a job interview strategy that pin points what you’re looking for 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

Rather then asking people what their past positions were, ask them how they positively impacted their positions at their previous employers. Did they create any processes that increased efficiency? Did they help their employers cut costs, if so, how?

Don’t ask candidates about their strengths and weaknesses. A lot of 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 enjoyable. Truly creative workers can tell you of new innovations they developed and new programs that they created, all in the effort of adding that creative spark to their positions.

Another method you could use to gauge creativity is to give them a task to perform. 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 skilled 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.

There aren’t many people who look forward to going on business trips. They are a hassle and expensive for the company. Business travelers often feel rushed, which results in insufficient sleep and poor dietary habits, which exacerbates stress. Not to mention dealing with Airports and long-term parking. As a result, many businesses decide to use videoconferencing whenever possible. But do you think that business travel is on its way out? Will Videoconferencing replace it altogether?

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 altogether? Maybe not, consider the differences between meetings that are face-to-face versus videoconferencing.

When people around the world 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 part in videoconferencing; this is partially due to the worry that the connection may fail. As well, there are lots of distractions within the individual’s office that can make fluid conversation difficult.

The Benefits of Face-to-Face Time

Conversation evolves a lot more easily with in-person interactions. This is healthy, and as far as business is concerned, can be very beneficial. Having an impromptu brainstorming session can result in ideas that can lead the organization down a path that wasn’t previously anticipated. This is not to say that every face-to-face meeting becomes a game-changing brainstorming session. But if a meeting degenerates into story telling, this is an opportunity for co-workers to bolster their interpersonal relationships and improve moral.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

While many companies turn toward videoconferencing due to the cost and ease of it, it is unlikely that business travel will disappear totally. When we develop business relationships, just like any relationships, we want to meet face-to-face because we are a social species. The advantages of face-to-face meetings are enough that savvy business owners will not get rid of business travel altogether.

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How many kids grew up waiting for the day when humans would travel the planet with individual jet packs strapped to their backs? How many imagined full meals that come in tablet form or teleporters? Those technologies haven’t happened. Even so, in the last two decades alone, we’ve seen enough new tech to fill an early 1990s science-fiction flick. With tablet computers we can carry all the computing power of a bulky desktop computer in our hands. With smartphones we can instantly send text messages to our friends and due to GPS, we never have to get lost while driving again.

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

Building a Better Battery

Batteries power the vast majority 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 focus on improving them before we can really make leaps in technology. Luckily, researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University are designing a more efficient lithium-ion battery, which we discussed in a blog post last week. This could solve this constraint in the coming years.

Improving Internet Access

The second limiting factor is related to access. Simply put, not enough of the world’s population has access to high-speed Internet access. It may well seem as if every public library, bookstore, and cafe’ provides its clientele with use of high-speed wireless Internet, but this is largely a mirage. The majority of humans don’t have quick access to the web. Until this occurs, we’ll be unnecessarily limiting the development of technology. The more minds that are connected on the Web, the higher the possibilities are of reaching the next tech breakthrough.

The Business of New Tech

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

While these are a few of the issues that prevent technology from advancing, it still is progressing at a rapid pace. So who knows what is in store for us in the next year or two.

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Businesses can use Adobe Photoshop to generate professional marketing material easily. It is a very robust program with many features so it’s no wonder that it can cost over $600, depending on the version. Many small business owners don’t want to invest this much, and they don’t require all the features that come with it. However, there are some alternatives to Photoshop that are economical or free.

Not surprisingly, these programs are not as robust as Photoshop. But they have enough photo-editing features for small business owners to effortlessly create professional looking material. Below is a list of the best free photo-manipulation programs now available.

GIMP

GIMP is very user friendly and contains most of the features from Photoshop that a business owner would need to create marketing material. The beauty of GIMP is that it’s completely free!

Paint.NET

Do you recall MSPaint? It came standard with the Windows operating system. Paint.NET is its successor and is a very powerful and free photo editor. It comes with its own special effects and an limitless undo; this is great for people who want to experiment with the effects. The one negative of this program is 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 one of the most popular free editing programs, as you don’t have to download files to use it.

In the end, if you are looking for a program that allows you to create professional marketing material, you don’t have to spend a lot. These programs will let you accomplish this task at no cost.

Your smartphone is amazing. It can guide you to that trendy new fusion restaurant if you are lost. It can play your favorite sitcom as you head 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?

Thankfully, a better battery might soon be on the way, due to the work of a team of engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University. A recent story reports that researchers at this Big 10 university are attempting to produce a battery that lasts longer and can recharge itself in just minutes. Smartphone users around the world ought to be grateful.

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

A Charged Battery for a Week

In the end, this new cell phone battery could stay charged for a full week, even with all the apps we use daily. And the charging time? Below 15 minutes. Which will sure make our lives easier, but more than this, this new battery technology could lead to smaller and more efficient batteries for electric cars.  This could consequently, have a dramatic effect on our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

The new battery technology isn’t available yet for consumers, however the Northwestern researchers say that it could hit the market in three to five years. This is a big step. When we look at developments in technology, we often ignore the batteries that power our latest gadgets. Battery constraints are one of the factors holding back an even greater technology revolution. The hope is that the research done at Northwestern University changes this.

When searching for something on the Internet, most people automatically go to Google. We even use it as a verb when we “Google” something. Nevertheless, a lesser-used yet powerful search engine is Microsoft’s Bing. While Bing may be often overlooked, it actually has a lot to offer surfers of the Web.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing you can get more information about your search results then you do from Google. There is a navigation panel on the left that includes related searches; this can help you refine your search if you didn’t get the information you were seeking. There’s also a “search history” navigation panel so that you can easily navigate to past pages if needed. This feature can be toggled off and on.

Bing Goes Beyond Search Results

Bing also brings more than just search results. Say users search for websites about pop star Lady Gaga. Bing will also bring up Lady Gaga’s most current videos. For users searching for a flight out of town, Bing beats Google easily. The search engine employs something it calls Farecast Technology in its Bing Travel site. This lets users quickly locate the most affordable airfare to specific destinations.

Bing Video Search Shines

Bing shines, too, when it comes to searching for videos. Before searching, users can tell Bing how long they would 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 simply by hovering their cursors over a screen capture.

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

Cloud computing has become 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 distant 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 is the public cloud, the one with which we are most familiarized. But then there’s the hybrid cloud too. As its name suggests, the hybrid cloud is a combination of two different types of clouds, the public cloud and a private cloud.

The hybrid cloud usually works like this: A business provides some resources in-house. For example, it may store latest consumer data on its private in-house cloud. It might also store employee information, new marketing campaigns, and current proposals to new clients on its in-house storage. That same business, however, might store older, archived data on a public cloud service. This frees up space on the business’ servers, and permits its in-house computers to perform more efficiently.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

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

Because of this it’s not surprising that the hybrid cloud is so popular. Businesses these days have too much data to store on their own servers but they don’t want the security risk that can come with the public cloud. Utilizing the hybrid cloud they are able to keep space in their systems free while safeguarding their data.

A growing number of employees nowadays work remotely. This is possible as a result of advancements in technology. The benefits are many for both employee and employer. Employers can spend less money as they have less people that need space in the workplace. Employees that work remotely are often more productive; they spend less time commuting, and they have the flexibility to adjust their work around their life instead of working 9 hours straight, which can cause burnout.

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 actually working and not just playing games on their computer all day long?

Employers can solve this dilemma by setting realistic deadlines for their remote employees and expecting these workers to fulfill 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

Setting deadlines is the easiest method to monitor the work being carried out by remote workers. Managers can set short-term and long-term goals or make something due every Friday. Additionally, a manger could have a weekly or biweekly meeting via cellphone or video chat to catch up on the growth of projects. This can put the supervisor and employee at ease.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

Working remotely demands personal discipline and good time-management skills. People who are chronic procrastinators may not perform best remotely. If employees aren’t hitting deadlines, or are turning in sub-par work then off-site working doesn’t have to be a permanent privilege. For remote working to be successful there need to 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.