posted by admin on Dec 16

So, here we are again – looking at the thoughts of the future in our Carnival.

It’s that time of year again where the newest gadgets and the latest gifts are all anyone is thinking about! You barely have time to fit everything in before the whole country seems to come to a standstill for those 2 magic days.

Have you missed the last post – have you brought that last gift and managed to find that last selection box in the store?

Oh, well – there is always next year to get it right!

But for now – lets take a look at some of the gadget reviews and other technological info that others want to share…….

So lets begin with 2 short review articles; the first is from Steve Faber on the New Yamaha RX-A2000 and RX-A3000 the First With HQV Vida Video Processing. And second up is the amazing news of when 3D Camcorders Hit the Streets written by Jamil Karim.

Add to this a very thorough laptop review by Mitch Archuleta where he covers all the stats for those thinking that the New Year should mean a new laptop! Read up on the Lenovo ThinkPad T410 Review.

Kids love the unknown and outer space – so why not fuel their interest (and expand on your own) with a selection of great books on Space! Bridget Nicholson has put together a great selection ranging from one side of the universe to the other! Take a peek at her 100 All-Time Greatest Popular Science Books!

Then we have a Kindle dilemma! Where salientknight looks at the pro’s and cons of his shiny new Kindle when he takes it on the road with him: Will you sign my Kindle?!

Stepping into the future now with a field or science that is still developing – Nano foods. This very nicely displayed and comprehensive article titled The Future of Food: 10 Scary Facts About “Nano Foods” compiled by Edward Phillips should certainly open your eyes to what the food industry are working on for your Thanksgiving Dinner 2011!

And of course: Apps for dessert! Nice pair here with Android versus Blackberry. Tyra Ronan is up first with the 25 Blackberry apps: Top 25 BlackBerry Apps for Public Health Professionalsand AndrosenDsouza gives us the 25 Android apps: Top 25 Google Android Apps for Public Health Professionals!

So, there is is – the end of another year – and the promise of more great inventions for 2011…..

posted by admin on Oct 16

Hello again, and welcome to this months Latest Inventions Blog Carnival about the newest Apple technology and the latest iProduct reviews!

It’s turned cold and the leaves are falling off the trees – but this can only mean more time spent indoors watching new movies and playing the latest games – as well as buying and receiving those great festive gifts!

So, lets get straight on with the articles so that you can hopefully find out a few things you didn’t know before!

Not the longest article about the iPod I’ve ever seen, but Ipod Blogger offers us links to plenty of their other articles which do: Ipod Touch 4th Generation Review | Ipod Touch 4. However, if you are ‘anti-Apple’ then maybe you will like Kimberly Crawley personal, extensive and very purple article: kimcrawley.com- Bright Ideas: Why I will never spend a dime on Apple products…

I’m not sure every teacher will have access to these gadgets for their classes, but Michael Erins offers up an idea of what scholl could be like with these 12 iPad Apps to Help You Become a More Effective Teacher, and along the same lines, george.janet866 follows with some apps for those learning at home: Top 50 iPad Apps for e-Learners.

However – the ultimate resource seems to be summed up in this great article by Victoria Kennedy: Open Courseware & Public Domain Books on the iPad ? The Ultimate Guide. Imagine all your coursework, articles, magazines and textbooks in one place: on your iPad – perfect wouldn’t you say?

Benjamin Kubelsky is next with a short and sweet article highlighting the difference between the Top 20 Health and Fitness Mobile Apps: iPhone vs. Android, then let’s hop to Francis Thomas’ article where you can find a list of Apple Apps for the engineer in you: 25 iPad Apps Every Engineer Needs – or the web designer in you: 50 iPad Apps for Web Designers from Bailey Digger.

Well, how about the traveler in you? Use your iPad to learn about the places you are visiting – like restaurants, hotels, education, jobs and even the language with 15 iPad Apps for the Study Abroad Student with some great screen shots from Casey Markee.

And finally – 1 for those gift-seeking shoppers: 12 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Serious Bargain Shoppers from Omar Adams should help you out! I mean – the more you save – the more you can buy!

Happy Halloween!

posted by admin on Sep 27

There is no such thing as a permanent office for small businesses these days – it’s all change!

Rather than renting an office for your small business or working from your spare bedroom – things just go huge for the little guy!

No longer do you have to schedule that important meeting in a pub, or rent that PO BOX to hide you home address – you can rent a great office on a ‘need only’ basis. 

Great Address:
Buying in to a flexible office agreement like this allows for some great things to happen that could actually improve your business image and your sales too.

Firstly, you can always get a professional office in the city when you need one.  Even in another city if you pick the right set up.  And there may well be a receptionist on site to welcome and direct your associates when they arrive.

Your ‘office’ address could well be in a great part of town or in the building that means ‘stylish’ or ‘contemporary’ - or whatever you want it to mean – as basically you get to choose your office space!

And on top of this – you don’t have to rent a set space for your own office and meeting room that is static.  This way you don’t have to make it fit your needs for the next year or so.  Basically the flexibility of these new office agreements means that rather than holding a meeting for 8 in your rented tiny office space, or interviewing a single person in an oversized space – you can tailor your workplace to your exact needs every time.  You can request a large room in the morning for a great meeting, then get yourself a small personal space in the afternoon for an informal chat!

Great Services:
With these deals, you can also expect a few service extras on top as well!  These will usually help out with growing your business and working towards expanding your business and saving you some valuable time.

A typical set up will include an answering service or you where you can have a ‘company helpline’ so to speak.  Your number is inputted into a phone system so that when your customers call your business number, the call is diverted to a central switchboard which registers it as your company call. 

This way the ‘virtual’ receptionist knows to answer with your company name and company details – and can answer basic queries and take details and book appointments (depending on your individual needs) – meaning you don’t have to miss any customer calls when you are elsewhere or out of reception on your cell.

They even sort your mail too and few other little things that can really make your day more constructive!

The Conclusion:
You can really start to make an impact with your small business by using these services.  Yes, you may not have a permanent office from day 1 – but the extra services offered will more than make up for that.

With your phone calls and mail being handled externally – but all in your business name – you are free to meet your customers and actually get some work done!

Not only could it save you the cost of employing extra staff or a permanent (but maybe not perfect) office – you can have access to the best business lounges, meeting rooms and office space – as well as a team of assistants to help you out as well!

It may not be the best solution for everyone – but it is certainly a great solution for whoever can take advantage of this unique and expanding service sector!

posted by admin on Sep 16

Another month has passed and another million pages and articles have appeared online!  So lets get a look at some of them right here……..

So, let’s get straight to business with a light look at the new Google search engine – and what it has to offer both the business and the searcher! Follow Hudson Horizons with their ‘explain all’ article: Keeping Up with Google Caffeine and How the New Platform Affects SEO.

Then lets jump to the short but strange GPS Underwear from Good News Weekly presents – I mean; why underwear and not pets, car keys or something more important?

Leslie Yoelson offers up a new branch of science with this brief article with 7 Ways to Learn About Informatics.

And this starts us of with the whole ‘numbers game again’. Science people love lists of resources! So furst up is Adam Park with Top 20 Tech Blogs, closely followed by Zach Macias’ concise list of only 5 Excellent iPad Apps to Learn About the Human Body.

Up next is Natalie Thomas with a plentiful Top 50 Twitter Feeds to Follow Tech News and finishing with Olivia Davis and her helping hand for teachers of all ilks: 20 Amazing iPad Apps for Educators.

Saved by the bell!

posted by admin on Aug 10

Why cram your office full of old-fashioned phone technology – when the solution is to get rid of it all!

You don’t need a separate scanner and fax machine anymore (the 2 are combined), a whole room for your computers (laptops are shrinking) or even a computer to update your emails or write documents (a smart phone or iPad will do!).

So why are you still struggling to maintain and house your hired phone system in your office?

If you are thinking of improving your business – and the perception of your business - then VoIP for business could be just what you are looking for – so let’s learn more about what it can offer the small and large business – whatever your business!

VoIP Today:
This Internet-based communication system was first hyped up to get ‘free’ phone calls over the Internet by plugging a headset into your computer – but it has certainly come a long way now.

Your office phone system could be completely off-site – with no hiring, storage and maintenance of hefty or bulky equipment – basically you just have your own phones and your existing phone line – everything else is off-site and so there is nothing to worry about.

Basically, you can have all the services you currently have with your ground-based phone system with the constantly improving Internet-based VoIP.  Whether it’s conference calls, call divert or ansa-phone systems – it will all be exactly the same as before – only better!

Not only will it be better – but it will be quicker, easier and cheaper than your existing system – virtually guaranteed!

Business Benefits:
Well, the most obvious benefit will be the financial savings involved!  Not only are VoIP calls cheaper in the first place – you won’t be having to pay to hire any equipment to get started.

There will be no maintenance costs at all – as all the equipment is off-site, except your own phones and computers.  Any upgrades can be quickly and easily added to your account overnight via your IP rather than having to change software or hardware yourself (no doubt at an extra cost as well!).

There is also no need to sign a long term contract as these services are usually charged for monthly usage only rather than the huge investment you make by taking on a whole hardware system. 

And most businesses can save between 50-85% on existing calls – as you simply pay for each user, not the number of calls they make!  So no more paying extra to call during working hours – or waiting to the weekend to save a few pence a minute.  And think of that ‘free’ time on the phone to spend on talking to your new clients, or calling to update your existing clients and answer any of their questions.

You can be online with your new VoIP system in minutes rather than having to waste days fitting and wiring a contract system throughout your office – and of course there is no need to stay in the same office for the length of your contract to save moving it all and rewiring everything at your new office.  This system is totally phone-line based and is only fixed to a phone number – not a building or postcode!

And you don’t even need to give up your existing business numbers to sign up – they are totally transferable onto your business VoIP account!

I don’t know what you are waiting for!