Many of us get our entertainment, news, and pay our bills via the Internet. So, it’s not a big surprise that we access our music over the Internet as well. Many individuals subscribe to on-line music-streaming services that are either free or cost money. The benefits are many. People don’t have to copy their music files onto different devices plus they can listen to it anywhere they have access to the Internet.

If you are curious about the differences in these services, we have highlighted a number below.

Pandora: Pandora has been around awhile, and it is very widely used. It’s clear to see why: it's easy. After navigating to the website, type in the name of a song or artist you want and Pandora will create a radio station based upon that information. It chooses songs by artists with a comparable sound. As you listen to your station you can select the thumbs up or thumbs down symbol on the songs and Pandora will modify your station based on this new information. In addition, you can “seed” you station with different artists to further customize it. You can listen to Pandora without making an account but in order to save your stations, you must create an account.

Grooveshark: Grooveshark is similar to Pandora in that it creates a “radio” station based on your musical tastes. However, you can also enjoy entire albums on Grooveshark and make playlists. One distinctive feature of Grooveshark is the power 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 has stayed 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 is a Swedish music-streaming service that was launched in 2008. It has quickly grown to one of the most renowned and widely used services out there. People like the flexibility of Spotify. When you search for an artist, you can listen to a complete album or decide to use the radio function and Spotify will find similar artists for you to enjoy. Another benefit of Spotify is that you may create your own playlists and share them with other users if you so choose.

It’s been a little while since Windows was regarded as cool but the Kinect may change all that. The Kinect is a voice and motion-sensing device that was originally designed as a feature for the Xbox gaming system.

A version of the device also works with Windows-operated PCs, and shortly after its launch in February, people started coming up with 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 exhibit at the Auto Show. A large screen powered by Kinect showed visitors precisely what they'd be seeing if they were actually sitting within the finished body of the new Pathfinder. The screen, for instance, displayed the car's dual moon roofs and many other features.

Microsoft is motivating companies to find different uses for the Kinect and even cooperating with them to develop applications for it. This is a good move on their part, as it not only promotes ingenuity but it also puts a Microsoft product at the heart of the creative development. One company that has worked with Microsoft in this way is Boeing. They have used the Kinect to create virtual tours of their jets. Another exciting use of the Kinect was discovered by a medical center in Canada. They are using the Kinect’s gesture-recognition to swipe through CT scans. This greatly decreases, if not removes, the possibility of spreading germs since you don’t have to touch the computer.

Kinect: A Solid Hit

Microsoft hit a home run when they developed the Kinect. The Xbox 360 was last year’s best-selling 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 may have actually found something that's not only useful, but cool, which can do nothing but good for their reputation.

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

If you hold the traditional job interview, asking the same dull questions, the odds are you won't be able to tell the top candidates from the so-so ones. That's why it's important to craft a unique job interview strategy.

Ask the Right Questions

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

Another common interview question is to ask about the individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Almost everyone has a canned answer to this, as they know it will probably be asked in an interview. Instead have them tell you the things they add to the culture of a company, what do they do in stressful 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 company and the position.

Another method you could use to gauge creativity is to give them a task to complete. 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 imagination.

In today’s marketplace, employers have the advantage of choosing amongst many accomplished people. So to be able to choose the very best, they need to alter the types of questions they ask in job interviews.

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 hurried, which results in insufficient sleep and poor dietary habits, which exacerbates stress. Not to mention dealing with Airports and long-term parking. Because of this, many businesses choose 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?

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

When people across the globe sign on to a videoconference, they typically introduce themselves quickly, if necessary, and then dive into the goal at hand. Brainstorming does not often play a large part in videoconferencing; this is partially because of the worry that the connection may fail. Also, there are lots of distractions within the individual’s office that can make fluid conversationdifficult.

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 couple of minutes of personal chit chat and they might end with participants swapping office stories. Again, this is good. Often, the most effective business ideas arise from these moments of off-topic discussion.

Business Travel is Here to Stay

While many businesses turn toward videoconferencing because of the cost and simplicity of it, it is unlikely that business travel will disappear permanently. 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 will not get rid of business travel completely.

Doesn’t it feel as if we should currently have jetpacks? Teleporters? Or meals in tablet form? We already have some incredible technology, like tablets, which are small computers that we can carry around. We can take advantage of the GPS in our cars to get around around town. We can post an update to our social media sites and reach countless people at once.

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

Building a Better Battery

Batteries power most of our technology, particularly as we move into a more mobile world. Therefore, the more limited our batteries are, the greater limitations we have technologically. They are an integral part of our technology, so we need to focus on enhancing them before we can really make jumps in technology. Fortunately, researchers at Chicago's Northwestern University are creating a more powerful lithium-ion battery, which we discussed in a blog post last week. This could solve this constraint in the coming years.

Improving Internet Access

Another hurdle to conquer is that not enough people have access to the Internet. The truth is, most of the globe doesn’t have access to it. This is naturally limiting developments in technology. It goes back to the essential concept of the more minds we have working on a problem, the faster we will solve it.

The Business of New Tech

This might not come as a shock, but business matters impede technological advancements as well. For example, patent laws, and government regulations. If these things are not clear, innovations can sit in red tape limbo for some time. To avoid this last step bottleneck of the creation process, laws must be clear and easy to understand.

Even though there are a few things that are holding technology back, it is still developing at a rapid pace. Maybe we'll finally get hover boards when battery technology catches up to our imaginations.

Adobe Photoshop is a fantastic photo manipulation tool. With it, businesses can produce professional looking marketing materials fairly easily. The largest problem with Photoshop is the price. A person looking to buy it can spend more then $600 for newer versions. This is not feasible for many small business owners, and they probably don’t require all of the features that a $600 photo-editing program comes with. Luckily, there are many alternatives to Photoshop that are affordable or free.

These programs may not contain all the components 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 pick of many a cost-conscious designer. That is 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 is a unexpectedly 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 well on Mac, Windows, and Linux operating systems. This program has some really fun effects such as blurring, darkening, and lightening images. It’s probably the most popular free editing programs, as you don’t have to download files to use it.

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

Your smartphone is incredible. 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. But 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 across the country ought to be thankful.

Northwestern's researchers have found a method to extend the charge of lithium-ion batteries by more then 10 times the current 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 efficient than batteries today.

A Charged Battery for a Week

In the end, this new cell phone battery could stay charged for an entire 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 therefore, have a dramatic impact on our reliance on fossil fuels.

Batteries Powering Technological Change

While this new battery technology may have a huge impact on many aspects of our life, it will not be offered to the general public for three to five years, says Northwestern researchers. Batteries are often over looked when we think of innovative technologies, but the more we depend upon mobile devices the more important they become.  Improvements in battery technology may in fact hold the key to an even greater technological movement.

When searching for something on the web, 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 you search on Bing, you will get more information about your search results than you'll get from Google. Bing’s results feature a left-hand navigation panel filled with Quick Tabs that allow users to concentrate their searches. Additionally there is a center row of search results that are grouped into logical categories. This makes it simpler for users to find multimedia files or quick answers.

Bing Goes Beyond Search Results

Another great thing about Bing is that it doesn’t just bring up search results. It also brings up related videos, music, and images. Although this is a feature of Google as well, Bing makes it more user friendly, as the categories are right beneath 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 find the cheapest flights quickly and easily.

Bing Video Search Shines

When you are looking for videos, Bing is ahead of the game. Users can specify their desired length, size, and resolution. One other impressive feature is that merely by hovering over a video, you can watch a preview of it.

These are a few reasons why Bing shouldn't be overlooked. Google may be the current king of search engines, but Bing has a lot to deliver surfers of the Web.

Cloud computing has definitely caught on. People can access data that's stored in the cloud—databases located far away from their own computer drives. They can store their favorite songs, access powerful word-processing software, and send their business proposals to the cloud. This saves a lot of computer memory, as everything that's stored in the cloud isn't stored on a personal computer. The result is a faster computing experience, as less programs gum up the operating speed of home computers.

Not All Clouds are the Same

However, that isn't all you need to know about the cloud. There is the public cloud, the one most of us use, the private cloud, and the hybrid cloud. The hybrid cloud, as the name implies, is a combination of using both the public and private cloud.

For an organization to provide a hybrid cloud, they store a client’s most confidential data on their in-house private cloud, and data that needs less defense on a public cloud. For example, archived files and large software programs.

The Hybrid Cloud Approach Makes Sense

Taking a hybrid cloud approach to data storage allows businesses to take advantage of the space-saving benefits of the public cloud without also exposing their sensitive current data to third-party providers. Put simply, the hybrid cloud provides businesses with protection, cost-savings, and efficiency.

It’s not surprising that lots of businesses use the hybrid cloud. There's too much data storage needed these days for a organization to store it all and not bog down their systems. Furthermore, in this competitive climate, organizations need to ensure their sensitive information is safeguarded. The hybrid cloud is often the best way businesses can accomplish both of these things.

A growing number of employees today 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 office. 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 lead to 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 really working and not just playing games on their computer all day?

Employers can resolve this challenge by setting reasonable deadlines for their remote employees and expecting these workers to meet them. What should matter for employers is that work is done on time. 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 done by remote workers. Supervisors 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 development of projects. This can put the manager and employee at ease.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

While many people may have the personal discipline and time management skills to successfully work remotely, some don’t. So, if an employee doesn’t work well remotely, and that has grown to be clear, remote working doesn’t have to stay permanent, it can easily be revoked. Ultimately, trust within the employee/employer relationship is one of the key components of a successful remote working relationship. The employee needs to maintain that trust by hitting deadlines and delivering top quality work.