The Internet has changed the way we get our news, watch movies, and pay our bills. It’s little wonder, then, that it has also changed the way we listen to music. Today, the web is home to several top music-streaming services – online services that allow 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 a number below.

Pandora: Pandora is very popular because of its simple 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 based on that information. This is a terrific way to learn about new artists with similar sounds. The stations that Pandora creates are easily personalized as well. If Pandora chooses an artist that you don’t like, you can select 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 enjoy Pandora without creating an account, it is necessary if you want to save your personalized stations.

Grooveshark: This streaming service is much like Pandora, in that it creates a personalized “radio” station based upon your musical tastes. There is no need to create an account to enjoy Grooveshark, or to create your own playlists. However, in order to save your information, you will need to create one. One benefit to Grooveshark is that you are able to enjoy whole albums rather than a station you created. One of the most exciting features of Grooveshark is that users can add their own music if the Grooveshark database doesn’t have what they’re seeking.

Rhapsody: Rhapsody has remained fairly popular due to its huge database of music. It has more then 14 million songs. Unfortunately, while many of the services we have discussed offer a free version, Rhapsody does not. It is $10 a month for unlimited music.

Spotify: Spotify was released in 2008, and since then it has grown into one of the most widely known and used music-streaming services. Spotify is very easy 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. If you use 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 people 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 came up with Kinect for Windows that all changed. The Kinect is a motion 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

At the Chicago Auto Show the Chief Marketing Manager for Nissan North America used the Kinect in an intriguing way, by creating a virtual tour of the enhanced interior of the Pathfinder. This worked out well as they only had the outer shell of the Pathfinder to physically display. Using the Kinect, participants could actually “see” what the interior looked liked.

Microsoft is cooperating with companies to create applications for the Kinect. This not only supports 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 create virtual tours of its jets. Another example is a hospital in Canada. They’re using the Kinect’s gesture-recognition capability to swipe through CT scans. This reduces the danger 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.

The excitement around the Kinect and its many uses can only boost Microsoft’s reputation. They may be on their way to moving into the “cool” tech company category.

>

When you sift through the potential candidates for the job you are hiring for, you want to find the super stars. You would like to find the most imaginative, passionate, and motivated people you can. But you are only able to find out who fits the bill through an interview. And if you don’t ask the right questions you may misjudge your candidates.

Make sure that your interview questions solicit the data that will help you find the individual with the qualities 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

A common approach to the job interview is to ask about past positions the individual held. What their duties were, etc. These are not the most beneficial questions as you only end up receiving information that may be easily read from their resume. This doesn’t help you much if you’re looking for specific qualities. Think about asking them how they improved their positions, were there any processes that they changed, or ways that they saved their company money.

Don’t ask candidates about their strengths and weaknesses. A lot of people have memorized stock answers to these questions. Rather, ask them how they bring their unique individuality to their jobs. Ask them the things they do to make their jobs more interesting and rewarding. Truly creative workers should be able to tell you of new innovations they developed and new programs they created, all in the effort of adding that imaginative spark to their positions.

Another simple way to evaluate a prospective employee’s creativity is to ask them to perform a task. For example, you could ask them to brainstorm ideas for an ad campaign, or write a short essay about their ideal work environment. Whatever it is, it is something your interviewee will not expect and it will give you a picture of their creativity.

Employers have an advantage in today’s job market. They can choose from among some of the top job seekers available, but to find the best people, employers have to first change the way they conduct their job interviews.

No one likes traveling for business. Airports are a headache, with all that business of removing your shoes, shelling out extra to stow bags, plus the constant delays and cancellations. We often overeat on bad fast food or at hotel buffets, as well, when we’re traveling for business. Then there’s the lack of sleep. It’s no wonder that so many business people are longing for developments in videoconferencing technology. After all, if this technology improves sufficiently – the reasoning goes – maybe off-site business meetings, and the business travel that accompanies this, might be a thing of the past.

The End of Business Travel?

But is this really what business people and their employers should want? Maybe not. Videoconferencing may never replace face-to-face meetings in the business world given that the best ideas tend to pop up during these in-person meetings. Look at the difference between how videoconferencing and in-person meetings usually work.

During a videoconference, participants from around the world sign on, say their hellos, and get to the business at hand. The amount of brainstorming is usually limited because people worry about the stability of their connections or give in to the distractions of the offices where they sit.

The Benefits of Face-to-Face Time

At in-person meetings, though, agendas have a way of falling by the wayside, which is a good thing. Meetings may start only after a few minutes of personal chit chat and they may end with participants swapping office stories. Again, this can be good. Often, the most effective business ideas arise from these moments of off-topic conversation.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

While many businesses turn toward videoconferencing because of the cost and ease of it, it is unlikely that business travel will disappear altogether. When we develop business relationships, just like any relationships, we want to meet face-to-face because we’re a social species. The benefits of face-to-face meetingsare enough that savvy business owners won’t get rid of business travel altogether.

>

Remember watching sci-fi movies as a child and thinking we would have jetpacks someday? Or teleporters? We don’t have these technologies yet but we do have many remarkable technologies that seem straight out of a science fiction movie. Our cars can direct us around a city, via GPS. We can carry tablet computers around with us that hold all of our data. And we can communicate with associates worldwide at the push of a button.

So, why don’t we have teleporters and hovercrafts? What is preventing us from taking these leaps in technology?

Building a Better Battery

As we move into a more mobile world, batteries grow in importance. They are a foundation of our technological world these days. Consequently, if we are restricted by their power, and capability to hold a charge, the technology which uses them is also limited. For example, you wouldn’t want your jet pack to loose its charge in flight. Recently, researchers at Chicago’s Northwestern University discovered a way to make a much more powerful lithium-ion battery than the ones we have today. We explained this more thoroughly in a blog post last week. When these batteries eventually hit the market, we will likely notice a boom in technological advancements.

Improving Internet Access

The second limiting factor has to do with access. Basically, 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 access to high-speed wireless Internet, but this is largely a mirage. The majority of humans do not have quick access to the web. Until this happens, we’ll be needlessly limiting the growth of technology. The more minds that are linked on the Web, the greater the odds are of reaching the next tech breakthrough.

The Business of New Tech

Last but not least there is the red tape. Business matters, like patent laws, can impede technological progress. Individuals and businesses that come up with revolutionary things have to first navigate 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 things that hinder technology from advancing, it still is developing at a rapid pace. So who knows what is in store for us in the next year or two.

>

Adobe Photoshop is an amazing tool. It lets business owners edit the images they need to produce professional-looking brochures, pamphlets, and marketing materials. However, Photoshop is far from inexpensive. A quick online scan will show that newer versions of this image-editing program can run higher then $600. For small business owners on a budget, this program isn’t practical. This doesn’t mean, however, that these small business owners do not have photo-editing options. In fact, businesses can pick from a number of alternatives that are not only cheaper but are actually free.

These programs might not contain all the elements that Photoshop boasts, but they have more than enough photo-editing features for most small business owners. Here are three of the highest quality free photo-editing programs now available:

GIMP

GIMP, which stands for GNU image manipulation program, is the choice of many a cost-conscious designer. That’s because this free program contains many of 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 is 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 a remarkably powerful—and free—photo editor. Paint.NET comes with its own special effects, an unlimited 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 strategies for using this program. The only negative of Paint.NET? It only works with Windows-based systems.

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.

There is no need to purchase the expensive Photoshop program to produce professional looking pamphlets. For the small business owner on a budget, any of these programs will do the trick while keeping standards high.

The more we rely on mobile devices the more we rely upon one little technology. Batteries. Have you ever reached for your smartphone to look something up or to get directions and found that it has died? Well, in a few years, that might be something you don’t need to worry about.

A Better Battery on the Way?

Engineers at Chicago’s Northwestern University have been working on advancements in battery technology and may have discovered a way to make batteries charge in minutes and last considerably longer.

Northwestern’s researchers have found a way to increase the charge of lithium-ion batteries by more then 10 times the present lithium-ion battery life. They are even boasting that after 150 charges, which they believe represents about a year of operation, the new lithium-ion battery will be 5 times more effective than batteries today.

A Charged Battery for a Week

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

Batteries Powering Technological Change

Advancements in battery technology are not something we normally 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.

Google is the household name with regards to searching the Web. However, it might not be the best search engine out there. Microsoft unveiled Bing, a competitor, in 2009 and it should not be dismissed. While most Internet users still use Google as their primary search engine, Bing has numerous features that make for a robust searching experience.

Taking Another Look at Bing

When searching on Bing, you get more information about your search results then you do with Google. Bing features a navigation panel on the left that allows users to focus their search effortlessly. In addition, it organizes search results into logical categories, making it easier to find quick answers.

Bing Goes Beyond Search Results

Another great advantage of Bing is that it doesn’t just bring up search results. It also brings up relevant videos, music, and images. While this is an element of Google as well, Bing makes it easier to use, as the categories are right below the search bar. Bing beats Google for travel searches as well. They use something called Farecast Technology in the Bing Travel site; it lets users locate the most affordable flights quickly and easily.

Bing Video Search Shines

Bing shines, too, when it comes to searching for videos. Before searching, users can tell Bing how long they’d like their videos to be, what screen size they’d like them to be, and what image 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 overlook 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 benefit of using the cloud is that powerful programs and files may be stored at a remote location so they don’t burn up memory on personal computers and slow down operating systems.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However; there are various kinds of clouds. You have the public cloud, the private cloud, and the hybrid cloud. The majority of us use the public cloud, businesses that want to use cloud services to store very sensitive data can choose to use a private cloud, and the hybrid cloud is a combination of the two.

To offer a hybrid cloud, a company may store some of their client’s more important or current data in-house and store older, archived, and less important files in the public cloud. They can also use the public cloud to store huge software programs while keeping confidential data in-house.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

Taking a hybrid cloud approach to data storage permits businesses to take advantage of the space-saving benefits of the public cloud without also exposing their sensitive current data to third-party providers. In other words, the hybrid cloud provides businesses with security, cost-savings, and efficiency.

Because of this it’s no surprise 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 these days work remotely. This is possible due to 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 rather than working 9 hours straight, which can lead to burnout.

Remote Worker Challenges

One worry that many employers have when deciding to hire remote workers is, how can they monitor the volume of work they do? How do they know they are actually working and not just playing games on their computer all day?

By setting reasonable deadlines employers can monitor their remote workers successfully. This is a change in managerial strategy; it puts the focus on the goal rather then the amount of time that the employee works. In the end, employees are the only ones who know when they work most effectively, even if it is from midnight to 4am.

Setting Remote Worker Deadlines

This can be the easiest way to monitor your remote workers. Employers may decide that a certain amount of work needs to be completed by Friday. Another way would be to set up weekly or bi-weekly meetings via phone or video chat. To resolve any feelings of detachment some employers may ask that a remote worker spend one day a week at the office. This can help keep everyone on course and informed.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

Working remotely requires personal discipline and good time-management skills. People who are chronic procrastinators may not work 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.