Matt not gloss

Many of the cheaper screen protectors have a glossy finish so the reflection from it means you’ll be looking at a mirror of yourself all the time. You may like that idea,  or perhaps you’re prefer to focus on the screen.  If so,  ensure you get a Matt screen protector.   You’ll also find the screen protector shows less sticky paw-prints, and make some improvement to viewing in day-light.

Get Steamy

It may sound trivial but many swear by this.  It’s important to fit the screen protector in a location free of dust and air pollution.   The best place you have available for this is your bathroom.   By leaving on a hot shower for 10-15 minutes and letting the room fill of steam,  you can be sure all those airborne dust particles are trapped on the floor as the water condenses. Wait for the steam to clear and then fit your screen protector making sure not to drop the gadget down the toilet!

Use Water

Use a small amount of water to clean the screen with the supplied cloths.   This will usually help remove the dust particles more readily and help stop them creeping back onto the screen.

Use Scotch tape

Using a high quality tape to remove dust particles from under the screen protector ensures no sticky marks or gooey finger prints are left on the screen. Some have suggested wrapping the tape around the end of a pen to fashion a sticky-stylus for removing dust particles.

Use a hair dryer

The suggestion is to use a hair dryer on a low setting to remove some of the more stubborn bubbles. Softening the plastic slightly makes the bubbles move under the screen protector more readily so they can be encouraged towards the sides.

Peel from the top

Alignment is very important for a screen the size of an iPad because the slightest misalignment at the top, results in a large gap at the bottom.  Peal the top edge of the screen protector first and set it onto the screen in the correct place.  Then check that the rest of the screen protector is aligned before removing the rest of the screen protector backing.

Speed is of the essence

Applying the screen protector slowly and carefully is the sure way to end up with bubbles and dust. Have confidence and apply the protector quickly and in one go! The longer you take, the more likely you are to have bubbles trapped under the screen protector.

Later this year, Microsoft will be hoping to strike back at the already mammoth lead Apple has established in the tablet world, and one of the USPs for a Windows tablets has to be Microsoft Office.  This of course works both ways: if (and quite possible) Microsoft don’t quickly release a tablet version of Office for the Windows 8 tablet, I strongly suspect that Windows 8 tablets will go the way of all of Microsoft’s previous attempts to crack the tablet market. If Microsoft gets Office right on the Windows 8 tablet (and we really, really hope they do),  we could see a serious trend towards Windows 8 tablets, and almost certainly reverse the trend in the enterprise market where the iPad has already made significant gains.  If Microsoft gets this wrong,  it may have to slump for second best and provide Office for the iPad to retain it’s market share in productivity suites. But we’re not at that time – yet.  Either way,  it’s going to be a very, very interesting contest.

The question is also how well will Microsoft Office port onto a 9.7-inch display?  Microsoft is plagued with a history of microscopic icons, tiny menus, and cramped tool-bars. It’s a very tall order indeed to shrink these down to an area of real-estate equivalent to a bedsit. However, it has to be done and it has to be done well. 

Right now,  if you want to use Office on the iPad,  you have several options.   My office provides a VMWare-cloud which allows me to access my remote desktop on the iPad via Citrix.  It’s ok.   A little slow,  but the same problem exists with the size of the GUI. Unfortunately,  I don’t have stylus-pointy fingers so it’s incredibly difficult to use. Other options are available including the OnLive desktop (yes, the Cloud gaming service),  but it’s only currently available in the US.

So, will we ever see Microsoft Office for the iPad – certainly not in the near future as Microsoft has far too much resting on the Windows 8 tablets

If you’ve ever wanted to browse through friends’ photos on Twitter and Facebook,  you may have found it less than a speedy exercise.  You have to find the friend in your stream, search for the album,  and then hunt down that elusive piccy.  Pixable is a beautiful app that finds the top photos and videos shared by your friends on Facebook and Twitter.   This is what Facebook should have been like from the beginning.

By using Pixable you’ll have your very own photo inbox. Pixable gathers all your friends’ photos and videos shared on Facebook and Twitter, and brings them to one handy location. See your friends’ top photos and videos shared on Facebook so you never miss an important moment. You can get friends’ latest photo updates at your fingertips. Simply swipe through the top photos of the day or check in on the most recently uploaded and tagged photos of friends

Pixable also ranks and sorts your friends’ photos and videos based on popularity and your connections. Chill out as you view your friends’ photos in all their glory on the beautiful iPad app. Zoom in, Zoom out. Click "Play" to instantly turn them into a slideshow.

Pixable is accessible via the web and can be downloaded from the iTunes store for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.  And best of all, it’s free.

It can be a full time job keeping all your social media channels synchronised and up to date. If you’re a frequent blogger you’ll no doubt be frustrated by the time it takes to cross post from one channel to another.  We’ve just come across this great new tool which is still at the early stages of development but looks very promising indeed.

If only there was a way of setting up some Workflow so a post to one site is automatically published to another. Wouldn’t it be great if this was centralised also so you don’t need to remember all those forwarding rules you’ve set up?   This great tool called IFTTT, which stands for If This Then That (stupid name and we hate it also) provides a really simply way of configuring workflow between many social media channels so if you post to one channel,  the content automatically appears on the other.  In addition,  you can also setup IFTTT to forward you an email if an RSS feed is updated, or cross post photos from Flickr to Facebook.  It’s very embryonic right now,  but already a very powerful class of tool I’m sure we’ll see springing up across the Interweb soon.

IFTTT works using the programming concept of “If Something Happens,  Then Do Something Else”.  It’s a bit geeky but you’ll get the idea.  It works by creating Tasks which are small bits of logic that are run when a specific event occurs. For example, If I post a photo to Flickr,  then also send it to Tumblr.  If I update Twitter,  then also update Facebook.

Start by selecting the Trigger Channel which is the event channel or source which initiates the event   You’ll see below a wide range of channels provided already.  For example, you can set a trigger to fire if a file appears on DropBox or an email arrives in your inbox,  or you create an Instagram photo.

Once you’ve selected the Channel,  you need to pick the event that Channel should trigger.  For example, if you select the Flickr channel then you’ll have the following triggers available.  Clearly, if you select a different media channel,  there will be a different selection of triggers to chose on IFTTTT.

At this point you’ve configured WHEN you want the task to fire,  but not what you want to do when that event fires.   In the next step,  you simply select the Action Channel to set which media channel you want to update.  There is an ever growing selection available including send a message to BufferApp, update Tumblr, send an email, and send a posting to Instapaper. 

Having selected the action channel, then select the actual task you want to perform from the list of actions.  For example, you can have IFTTT download a file to DropBox,  but the actions vary hugely depending on the target channel you select.

That’s it!  Your workflow is now configured, and you’ll save precious seconds cross-posting to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and the like.   Let me know what you think.

There are certain Windows 7 games that can be played using the touch screen feature of your laptop or tablet. You can find that the Internet is a rich source of Windows 7 touch screen games as well as regular games. This article has discovered four downloadable Windows 7 games that are easy, fun, yet challenging to play.

BallDroppings

BallDroppings is a small game program (1MB) that can be played in Windows 7, Mac and mobile phones. In this game, balls continuously drop from the top left side of the screen. You manage these balls by drawing lines by touching the screen. Once a ball hits a line, it will grow in size. As it bounces away from a line, it will gradually return to its normal size. Music becomes more melodious the wider the distance is between the lines and when the number of balls gets to around 8-10. You can challenge yourself or compete with friends by trying to get as many balls as possible within a prescribed period of time.

Raindrop Melody Maker

Raindrop Melody Maker is a Lullatone program that allows you to create soothing music by combining simple tones and melodies. To create tones and music you just touch the raindrops. Each raindrop touch produces a specific tone. There are two other buttons at the bottom of the game page. The green one keeps track of the time while the red one stops the tune loops so that they you can start the game over.

Chat Noir

In Chat Noir, your goal is to trap a cat and prevent it from leaving the board. In this game, the board (where the cat is also at) is composed of green circles. Every time you touch a circle its color will darken and the cat will not be able to move to it. The cat is entitled to move to an untouched green circle every time you touch a spot. You have to create a ring of dark circles in order to contain the cat.

Windosill

Windosill is a game that is made by Vectorpark. In this game, you play the role of a car that has to go through a series of rooms. Your goal here is to get a small cube in each room so that you can enter another room and progress in the game. Getting the cubes is the tricky part since you have to accurately identify what particular action is needed to secure a cube in a room.

Prey is an anti-theft security program that can be used with any Android mobile-phone, Wi-Fi ready laptop, desktop or tablet computer. You can choose to get a free basic version or a paid plan ($5/month, $15/month, $39/month, $99/month, and $399/month).

Prey Pro-Plans can be hooked up to multiple devices. If your computer or phone gets stolen, Prey will accurately track down its location. It would then send you a report as to the geographical location of your device. In addition it would send you information about the status of your phone or PC, the applications that are running, active connections and even a snapshot of the thief (if your PC has a working webcam!).

The first thing that Prey will do once your PC gets stolen is check if there is an internet connection within its immediate surroundings. If none are found, the application will then look for available Internet access points and then attempt to establish a connection. Once connection has been established, Prey will identify the coordinates of the location of your device and then send you a report. It can even provide you with information on what floor of a building your computer is at because it comes with an altitude locating feature.

You can even set-up Prey to lock your device once it has been stolen, which would prevent the thief from using your PC or phone. Once your computer or phone has been locked it can only be accessed after the correct password information has been supplied. Another cause of concern for you if someone stole your PC is that your passwords to sensitive accounts or applications might get accessed by unauthorized parties. With Prey, you can kiss this worry away as you can set up this application to remove important information such as passwords from your PC. You can also configure Prey to hide your Outlook and Thunderbird data.

If your PC has a working webcam, Prey can take a snapshot of the thief while they are fiddling with your computer. You can then pass these images to the authorities and also save them as evidence. You would also be informed as to what applications in your device are being used without consent. What’s more once you have the Prey installed in your device you need not have to periodically check for updates as the application will automatically update itself. Installation is very easy as you can just download a copy of Prey from the Internet.

[Image from CloudComputingWorld]

Cloud applications are the wave of the future. Cloud technology opens doors to possibilities that would be hard to accomplish in typical desktop environments. You can do amazing things even if you are using an entry level PC with cloud. Below are examples of up and coming cloud apps that have tremendous potential.

Jaycut

One of the better cloud applications that you can use to produce great looking videos or movies with is Jaycut. After an initial 60 day free trial period you can continue to use the application by enrolling in any one of Jaycut’s subscription plans (quite pricey starting at $225/month). What’s good about Jaycut is it is powered by massive servers, rendering the possibility of your PC crashing to almost nil. What this implies is that you can go about with your editing work without interruption. With Jaycut, you can create awesome videos by adding effects or audio tracks to them. After editing, you can choose to upload your work directly to online video sites such as YouTube or you can opt to have Jaycut send it directly to your PC.

Photoshop.com

Photoshop.com is a flash-powered photo editor that lets you modify images online. Its basic plan is free while its Plus version sells for $49.99. With Photoshop you can choose to edit image files from your desktop or even from email and social media site accounts such as Gmail and Facebook. There are different things that you can do with photos in Photoshop.com. This program has capabilities that would allow you to alter or change the color of photos. You can also convert pictures to 3-D images. In addition, you can add music to photos, albums or slideshows. Once you are done editing, you can upload files to your desktop, email or Facebook account.

Picnik.com

Picnik.com is another example of Web software that you can use to edit photos. Basic sign-up is free though you can choose to get an upgraded version for a fee ($2.08/month for the most basic package). Photos for editing can be downloaded from your desktop or online accounts such as Flicker. You can do many things with Picnik. You can enhance colors, add text, change frames, remove red-eyes, and include images in photos. It is very easy to use and command tabs are big enough for quick recognition.

 Gliffy

One of the cloud apps that you can use to create diagrams and flowcharts is Gliffy. Gliffy is great for making floor plans, presentations, UML,  web sites, organization charts, and reports, among others. Selecting shapes is easy. All you need to do is to click and drag the shape that you like from a list. Connecting shapes is a breeze as well and there are many types of lines that you can choose from. The Basic Gliffy plan is free while the Premium plan can be had for a fee ($5/month for the most basic).

[Image from articulate.com]

Twitter was launched in 2006 by Jack Dorsey. For the first three years of its operations, Twitter did not earn a single cent. Now, however it is regarded as a serious money making machine and by 2013 is expected to make US $1.54 billion in profits. Twitter has over a billion followers and gets around 65 million tweets each day at a rate of 750 tweets per second.

Twitter was not originally created to be used by the public and was intended only for private use. For the uninitiated, you may ask, “What is Twitter?” or say, “Tell me about Twitter.” Twitter basically is a site where you can send out short messages or blogs of no more than 140 characters to friends, colleagues, family or to the Web community in general.  You can also choose to follow posts or tweets of other Twitter members by going directly to their site, subscribing to an account’s RSS feed, or have Tweets sent directly to your mobile device.

Not only is this platform being used by individuals but by companies and businesses as well. Sending tweets “humanizes” a company and makes it more accessible to people.

One of the twitter trends emerging right now is the use of the platform by corporate members to advertise products and services. Dell, much like Target and other major retail establishments, announces sale events in its twitter account.

Celebrities and famous personalities are also getting in on the Twitter bandwagon with many setting up accounts so that they could update their fans on their career and personal life.

Tweet Consistently

One of the most effective ways to get more followers to your account is to post quality tweets consistently. Write descriptive, useful and interesting tweets.  You need to Tweet 2-3 times a day to maintain a following.

Educational Tweeting

People like to read posts that they can learn something from or that could teach them something useful. Tweet about things that are unique and if possible educational as well.

Interesting Tweets

Think out of the box and do not settle for ordinary or mediocre topics. Bad and uninteresting tweets on the other hand are sure-fire ways to drive away followers from your account.

Tweet Links Sparingly

Ensure you Tweet about web sites which you think followers will be genuinely interested in. One sure way to stunt your Followers is to publish an endless stream of irrelevant links to obscure web sites.  

Fish for Followers

For one, do not post tweets that are at their core just ploys for followers to buy something. People would know if they are being taken for a ride.

Tweet Politely

Rude and hurtful posts will also not generate a lot of interest from people for obvious reasons.

Screenr

Screenr is a free web application program that lets you create and share screenshots. You don’t need to download or install anything so you can make screenshots the minute you open the Screenr site. This screen recorder software is compatible with any computer, be it Mac, Windows or Linux-based. Screenr is designed for both business and personal use. Make awesome presentations, interesting slideshows and tutorials then share it with colleagues, friends, and family. Screenshots can be directly linked and uploaded to your Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo Mail, and Gmail accounts.

Jing

Jing is a web-based software application that allows users to make screencasts and screenshots easily. This program works with any Mac or Windows-based computer. You can choose to get the free basic version or the upgraded plan for a fee ($14.95/year). Jing is a highly useful when you have to explain things or give out instructions to someone. This is a great tool for teachers, students, and businessmen. Jing makes sharing information on the Internet fun and engaging. In addition, screenshots and screencasts made from this application can be uploaded directly to your social media site and email accounts.

CamStudio

CamStudio is an open source application that is designed to let you record and capture content that is being flashed on your computer screen. It is completely free and can be used with computers that run on Windows XP or Vista. Use this for both your personal and commercial projects. With Camstudio, you can easily create great looking presentations, tutorials, and demonstration videos. This application is very user friendly and can be mastered in minutes.

Debut Video Capture

Debut Video Capture is a screen capture product of NCH Software. For now, this application only works with Windows-based computers. As well as recording from the screen, you can use both internal (webcam) and external (camcorder) video capturing devices when recording videos with this application. You can also use this program to record streaming video on your computer. Virtually any video file that can be shown in your PC screen can be recorded and captured by Debut Video Capture. This program also allows you to enhance and edit video clips. You can choose to save your work on your computer or burn it directly to a DVD. The basic version is free and is intended for personal use. For video professionals, you can choose to purchase their commercial version ($39.95).

Tab Pinning

A feature of IE 9 that will benefit Windows 7 enabled computers is tab pinning wherein tabs can be pinned into the taskbar for convenience. Web sites are assigned an icon just like any program or application. What’s more, if a particular site supports the browser, you can use IE 9’s Jump List feature to directly open a particular section or page in the site.

Native Hardware Acceleration

IE 9 is also much faster than any of its predecessors. This is because the web browser does not only utilize the underlying graphics power but also makes use of a revamped JavaScript engine. The difference in speed can be most felt where it is most important which is when loading sites. IE9 can definitely give other well known high speed web browsers such as Firefox and Chrome a run for their money.

Tab (Process) Isolation

Tab isolation is one feature that comes with the IE 9. With tab isolation — which is also a standard in Chrome but not in Firefox — you need not worry about your entire browsing session stopping when one process is not responding. In addition, IE can also restore the non-responding site once it has resolved the problems affecting it, saving you precious time.

A proper download manager

With IE 9, you can see your recent downloads through its download manager. This neat tool can also let you pause downloads for resumption at a later date. You would also be appraised by the download manager if a particular file has malware.

Track Protection

Track protection list is a privacy tool in IE9 that will prevent website companies from tracking your browsing habits or tendencies. Some online sites use content — which may at the first glance look harmless — to track your browsing behaviour. With track protection, you can select which sites can follow you online. This feature works on every page of a site, which gives you ample protection from highly sophisticated tracking systems.

SmartScreen Filter

Another security feature that you can get from IE 9 is its SmartScreen Filter, which blocks and repels malicious sites.

Amazon has just entered the streaming music business with the launch of Cloud Player.  Amazon Cloud Player is a music player that lets anyone upload their music to Amazon’s servers and play them via the web or Android. 

Cloud Player comes in two types, an app for the web and an Android app counterpart. No app for the iPhone as yet.  Both players allow users to upload their music, create playlists and organize their music. And because it’s a cloud-based platform, users can access their music and settings from any compatible computer or Android device.  At the moment,  you can only purchase music directly for Amazon Cloud Player from the American Amazon.com site.  UK site isn’t supported so far. .

Users are given 5 GB of free storage, but can get 20 GB if they purchase an album through Amazon. It’s $1 per GB after that. The new Amazon Cloud Player service adds a new “Save to Amazon Cloud Drive” button for saving MP3s to the cloud, as well as an option to upload music from a hard drive to a user’s Cloud Drive.

The short screen-cam below gives a quick demonstration of Amazon Cloud Player.

Step 1. Add music to Cloud Drive

Purchase a song or album from the Amazon MP3 Store and click the Save to Amazon Cloud Drive button when your purchase is complete. Your purchase will be saved for free.

Step 2. Play your music in Cloud Player for Web

Click the Launch Amazon Cloud Player button to start listening to your purchase. Add more music from your library by clicking the Upload to Cloud Drive button from the Cloud Player screen.  Use Cloud Player to browse and search your library, create playlists, and download to your computer.

Step 3. Enjoy your music on the go with Cloud Player for Android

Install the Amazon MP3 for Android app to use Cloud Player on your Android device. Shop the full Amazon MP3 store, save your purchases to Cloud Drive, stream your Cloud Player library, and download to your device right from your Android phone or tablet.

Will Amazon Cloud Player succeed?

Is Amazon Cloud Player direct competition to subscription based services such as Spotify?  Most definitely.  But I’ll tell you the reason Amazon Cloud Player will fail.  The success of Spotify and other cloud based subscription services is because people don’t want to own music any more.  Why spend $8 on a Album you’ll only listen to for a month?  Most Web 2.0 people are perfectly happy “renting” their music when they want it.  I’m surprised that Amazon haven’t gone in this direction. Only time will tell.

[via Mashable]

Nearly everyone at some time has to manage other people. This can be either through formal appraisal, as is customary at this time or year, or through day-to-day management. For any manager having to appraise staff, we’ve taken a leaf out of the Google book to develop better managers.

In 2009, Googleplex geeks started Project Oxygen. Google analysed performance reports, feedback reviews, and appraisals and came up with the definitive list of actions to develop betters managers.  Here’s the edited list of the key principles to develop better managers, as well as a few no-nos.  Many of them are fairly obviously, but it’s the ranking which is important. We can’t do everything right? So here they are listed from the most to least critical.

1. Be a good coach

Provide specific, constructive feedback, balancing the negative and the positive.  Have regular one-on-ones, presenting solutions to problems tailored to your employees’ specific strengths.  Coaching should be about encouraging the other person to think for themselves.  Ask open questions and don’t be frightened of awkward silences.

2. Empower your team and don’t micro-manage

Balance giving Freedom to your employees, while still being available for advice. Make stretch assignments to help the team tackle big problems. Avoid creating dependency chains where your employees feel they have to ask permission for everything.

3. Express interest in team members’ success and personal well-being

Get to know your employees as people. with lives outside of work.  Make new members of your team feel welcome and help their transition.  Interact with your employees as equal peers.

4. Don’t be a sissy: Be productive and results-oriented

Focus on what employees want the team to achieve and how they can help achieve it.  Help the team prioritise work and use seniority to remove roadblocks.  Tell your employees what is expected of them on a weekly basis.

5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team

Communication is two-way: you both listen and share information.  Hold all-hands meetings and be straightforward about the messages and goals of the team.  Help the team connect the dots.  Encourage open dialogue and listen to the issues and concerns of your employees.

6. Help your employees with career development

Develop career plans for your employees and ensure they are regularly reviewed.  Balance on the job training with focussed eLearning sessions.

7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team

Even in the midst or turmoil, keep the team focused on goals and strategy.
Involve the team in setting and evolving the team’s vision and making progress toward it.

8. Have key technical skills so you can help advise the team

Roll up your sleeves and conduct work side by side with the team, when needed. Understand the specific challenges of the work.

Three Pitfalls of Managers

1. Have trouble making a transition to the team

Sometimes, fantastic individual contributors are promoted to managers without the  necessary skills to lead people.

People hired from outside the organization don’t always understand the unique aspects of  managing at Google.

2. Lack a consistent approach to performance management and career development

Don’t help employees understand how these work at Google and doesn’t coach them on their options to develop and stretch.

Not proactive, waits for the employee to come to them.

3. Spend too little time managing and communicating