The Internet has evolved the way we get our news, watch movies, and pay our bills. It’s no wonder, then, that it has also changed the way we listen to music. Today, the web is home to quite a few top music-streaming services – online services that permit users to listen to their favorite music on their laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.

If you are curious as to the differences in these services, we have highlighted several below.

Pandora: Pandora is very popular because of its simple user interface. After navigating to the website, you are able to input a song or artist you wish to hear and Pandora will create a “radio” station determined by 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 select the thumbs down symbol on the song. Pandora permits further customization by allowing you to “seed” your station with different artists. While you can listen to Pandora without creating an account, it is necessary if you want to save your customized stations.

Grooveshark: This streaming service is very similar to Pandora, in that it creates a personalized “radio” station according to your musical tastes. You do not have to create an account to enjoy Grooveshark, or to build your own playlists. However, should you wish to save your information, you need to create one. One benefit to Grooveshark is basically that you are able to listen to whole albums rather than a station you created. One of the more exciting features of Grooveshark is that users can add their own music if the Grooveshark database doesn’t have what they are searching for.

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

Spotify: Spotify was introduced in 2008, and since then it has expanded into one of the most widely known and used music-streaming services. Spotify is very simple to use 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. Additionally, users can see what their Facebook friends are presently listening to on a real-time feed. This is great for individuals who are in search of new music if one of their friends has similar tastes.

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

A version of the device also works with Windows-operated PCs, and shortly after its launch in February, people started discovering innovative ways to use it.

Innovative Uses for the Kinect

For instance, at the Chicago Auto Show a few months ago, the chief marketing manager for Nissan North America used Kinect for Windows to generate a virtual tour of the Pathfinder’s upgraded interior. This proved particularly beneficial because the marketing manager only had the Pathfinder’s empty shell to show off at the Auto Show. A large screen powered by Kinect showed visitors exactly what they’d be viewing if they were actually sitting within the finished body of the new Pathfinder. The screen, for example, displayed the car’s dual moon roofs and several other features.

Microsoft is cooperating with companies to create applications for the Kinect. This not only encourages ingenuity but it puts the Kinect at the center of many of the most recent innovations. One example of a company that is working closely with Microsoft in this way is Boeing. Boeing used the Kinect to develop virtual tours of its jets. Another example is a medical facility in Canada. They’re using the Kinect’s gesture-recognition capability to swipe through CT scans. This eradicates the possibility of getting germs on their hands from a keyboard or mouse.

Kinect: A Solid Hit

Microsoft hit a home run when they invented the Kinect. The Xbox 360 was last year’s best-selling video gaming console, and they have the Kinect to thank for that. Since November of 2010 Microsoft has sold more than 18 million Kinect devices.

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

Prior to being added to our e-mail newsletter there are several funand informative topics about our business we like to share.  Over the next few weeks you will see 7 e-mails that explain what makes us unique and why you might care.  Please let us know what you think!  Thanks, Ben

Client Promises

The very first thing we love to let friends, prospects and clients know about is our list of Client Promises.  While we have a vision and mission, we feel that this list best exemplifies who we are and we include it with every proposal and training document that we produce.  We adopted these from Jeffrey Gitomer (http://gitomer.com ) who believes that Customer Service is a failing art in business and that it is the most important aspect to your business.

Why Do You Care?

Each of our 7 topics addresses the “Why do you care” factor.  With respect to Client Promises, do you have these for your clients?  How do you inform clients of the expectations they should have of your business?  Do you use an approach like this where you educate each contact at a client using e-mail or do you have a better approach (let us know if so!  We’ll)?  Do your clients think you have excellent customer service and do you know how to use http://surveymonkey.com or similar tools to find out for free? 

Thanks,

Ben

These days, whenever you post an open position on the Internet, countless people reply. Many of these people are eligible candidates for the position, so you call them in for an interview. But how do you dig through them to find the truly impressive and passionate people? Since the interview is fundamentally all you can go on, your interview questions are very important.

Make certain that your interview questions solicit the data that will help you select the individual with the characteristics you want. If you use a cookie cutter approach to the interview, you are likely to get uninspired, cookie cutter answers.

Ask the Right Questions

Start by asking the right questions. Don’t ask applicants what their job titles were at past positions. Don’t ask them what their responsibilities were. Rather, ask them to list any revolutionary ideas that they came up with for their previous employers. Ask them if these ideas helped their employers earn more money, run more effectively, or lower expenses.

Another typical interview question is to ask about the individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Most of us have 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 nerve-racking situations, or what are some ways they keep themselves satisfied at their jobs. These answers will clue you in to the temperament of the person you are interviewing, and if they will fit in with your organization and the position.

Another method you could use to determine creativity is to give them a task to execute. Something simple, for example have them write their ideas about what their ideal work environment 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 correctly, and we have to endure the hassle of airports and long-term parking. It is not surprising that a great many companies opt toward videoconferencing instead of traveling. As videoconferencing technology improves, many people wonder if business traveling could become a thing of the past.

The End of Business Travel?

Do we want to strive for the termination of business travel? Maybe not, think about the differences between in-person meeting and videoconferencing.

Fluid discussion is often less common when videoconferencing. It’s tough to pin point precisely why. It may be due, in part, to office disruptions, as well as any lag that the videoconference has. These problems could be solved with technological advancements. But generally, when people are videoconferencing they have a tendency to stick to the primary task of the meeting rather then allow conversation to flow naturally, which can bring about creative ideas.

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 extremely beneficial. Having an impromptu brainstorming session can bring about ideas that can lead the company down a path that wasn’t previously anticipated. This isn’t to say that every face-to-face meeting turns into a game-changing brainstorming session. But if a meeting degenerates into story telling, this is an opportunity for co-workers to strengthen their interpersonal relationships and increase moral.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

Humans are a social species. Due to this, it’s unlikely that business travel will disappearaltogether. However, in today’s economy, many small business owners just can’t afford to send their sales people away every time the need to meet a client. For this reason, developments in videoconferencing are essential but the advantages of in-person meetings are so great that the savvy business owner will not abandon them for videoconferencing all together.

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How many kids grew up anticipating the day when humans would travel the planet with individual jet packs strapped to their backs? How many imagined full meals that come in capsule 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 thanks 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 issues are keeping us from making these technological leaps?

Building a Better Battery

Batteries power nearly all of our technology, particularly as we move into a more mobile world. Therefore, the more limited our batteries are, the more limitations we have technologically. They are an integral part of our technology, so we need to focus on improving them before we can really make leaps in technology. Thankfully, researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University are developing a more powerful lithium-ion battery, which we discussed in a blog post last week. This could solve this limitation in the next few years.

Improving Internet Access

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

The Business of New Tech

Finally, there is the business end of things. Technological progress is stunted by arcane things such as patent law. Businesses take their time releasing new gadgets and services as they must first traverse a minefield of laws and government regulations. These laws are necessary. However, they should be clear and easy to comprehend so new technology isn’t bottled up needlessly.

While these are a few of the things that hinder technology from advancing, it still is progressing at a rapid pace. So who knows what is waiting 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 surprise that it can cost over $600, depending on the version. Many small business owners don’t want to spend this much, and they don’t require all the features that come with it. However, there are a few alternatives to Photoshop that are inexpensive or free.

These programs probably won’t contain all the elements that Photoshop boasts, but they have more than enough photo-editing features for the majority of small business owners. Here are three of the highest quality free photo-editing programs available today:

GIMP

GIMP, which stands for GNU image manipulation program, is the pick of many a cost-conscious designer. That’s 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’s a virtual twin of Photoshop’s.

Paint.NET

Remember that old MSPaint program that came with your Windows program? Paint.NET is the successor to this, and it’s really a surprisingly powerful—and free—photo editor. Paint.NET comes with its own special effects, a limitless undo (a nice feature for those designers who are far from perfect), and an online forum packed with users who aren’t shy about sharing their favorite tips and techniques for using this program. The only negative of Paint.NET? It only works with Windows-based systems.

Picnik

Picnik has turned into a popular free photo editor for several reasons. First, it works on the Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. Secondly, users don’t need to download any files to their computers to use the program. The program is also recognized for its speed. It’s simple and easy to learn the fundamentals of cropping, resizing, and rotating photos. It’s easy, too, to add special effects and turn blurry, dark images into clear, light ones.

Business owners needn’t let Photoshop’s high cost keep them from inserting professionally edited photos into their marketing materials. With just a little bit of online hunting, even the most frugal of business owners can get a wonderful alternative.

Have you ever needed your smartphone only to discover that the battery has died and you’re nowhere near an outlet? It’s aggravating, but in a couple of years, it may be a thing of the past.

A Better Battery on the Way?

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

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

A Charged Battery for a Week

This may be hard to believe, especially with all the apps we run on our devices, but this new battery may stay charged for a full week. And the charging time could be less then 15 minutes. Which will certainly make life easier but this technology could have a even more significant impact then that. It can be applied to the batteries used in electric cars, making them much more powerful, and drastically decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

Advancements in battery technology are not something we usually pay attention to. But this one may have a huge positive affect our lives, and not just where convenience is concerned. This new lithium-ion battery may hold the key to a greater technological shift.

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

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing you may get more information about your search results then you do from Google. There’s 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 in need of. There’s also a “search history” navigation panel to enable you to easily navigate to past pages if needed. This feature can be toggled off and on.

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 little more user friendly. Another useful feature is what they call Farecast Technology. This is part of the Bing Travel site and it allows users to locate the cheapest airfare easily.

Bing Video Search Shines

Bing stands apart from Google when it comes to searching for videos as well. Bing allows users to specify how long they would like videos to be, what resolution they would like, and what screen size they’d prefer. In addition, to get a preview of the video, users only have to hover their cursor over the video to play a portion of it without clicking on it.

These are a few of the reasons why computer users shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Bing. Yes, Google remains the go-to player with regards to search engines. But that doesn’t mean that it’s the only good option today.

This person will become integral to the manner in which business is run effectively and efficiently. S/he will maintain all financials for both the company accounts and the owner’s personal accounts. In addition to the financials, this person will assist the owner with his company and personal.

• Supports Business Manager in creating and, when necessary, investigates client’s accounts payable invoices.
• Communicates (both in verbal and written form) with clients, client suppliers, vendors, and banking contacts.
• Communicates effectively on the phone with prospective clients and business relationships in setting appointments.
• Handles client mail.
• Prepares appropriate schedules and reports as requested by management and clients; i.e. monthly financials, credit card reconciliation spreadsheet, AR client reports.
• Deposits accounts receivables into client bank accounts.
• Handles client payroll.
• Handles company and owner financials.
• Receives, reviews, and posts bank/credit card statements
• Assists accountants on tax return preparation.
• Assists specialist on quarterly and annual tax reporting and deposits.
• Support management with marketing tasks, scheduling, phone calls.
• Enter tasks and contacts on various systems used by ATA.
• Participate and initiate other marketing activities.

Education, Experience, and Skills Required:

• Minimum of two years responsible accounting or bookkeeping experience including accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, general ledger and financial reports.
• Ability to perform several tasks concurrently with ease and professionalism.
• Ability to operate calculator, computer, and other general office equipment.
• Knowledge of computerized accounting, but must be able to do a manual set of books.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements of processing payroll accounting transactions and payroll returns.
• Ability to learn new software and programs.
• Knowledge of social media outlets.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing, in English.
• Must be able to keep client matters strictly confidential.
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills and customer service skills.