Happy New Year from all of us at Total Networks! We hope you had a wonderful holiday, and we wish you happiness, health and a prosperous 2012!
Chinese New Year January 23, 2012 – The Year of the Dragon
According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon, a creature of myth and legend, is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs.
In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represented an emperor and power. Today, it is thought of as the ultimate symbol for success and happiness.
May the celestial Dragon bring good luck to you during its special year.
Artificial Intelligence Turns iPhones and Google Androids into Smart Alecs
Siri, the personal assistant on iPhone 4S, lets you use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls and more. Ask Siri to do things just by talking the way you ordinarily talk, and it understands what you say and mean. It also knows when you're pulling its leg and talks back. For all of its virtues, it has attracted more attention for its sassy answers to trick questions. One user commanded, "Beam me up." The phone responded, "Sorry, Captain, your tricorder is in Airplane Mode."Google is in the know about trick questions too. After 13 years of research, some of its super smart engineers have created algorithms able to answer such questions. Ask it the meaning of life, the universe and everything. It answers "42," a reference to the favorite geek book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."A lot of work has gone into creating the sarcasm. The Siri group at Apple, one its largest software teams, started with an artificial intelligence project from SRI...
Lesser Known iPhone Tricks
It seems like iPhones can do everything but take out the trash. Aside from the obvious phone calls, we are able to keep an eye on the latest movies and TV shows, and update our social sites. They store our music and give us directions to navigate to the nearest shopping mall. You may think you know all your iPhone can do but here are some lesser-known tricks you with thankful to learn.Saving TimeSay you have to type a quick email or report and you’d rather not depend on the fairly small on-screen keyboard that makes it very easy to type an “F” when you intended to hit the “D.” The editors at Macworld, in a recent online feature, have a suggestion: If you’re browsing in Safari—before tapping on the address bar, an action that automatically brings up your on-screen keyboard—rotate your iPhone to a horizontal position. If you tap the address bar now, your on-screen keyboard will also appear in horizontal mode. It will be larger, making it simpler for those of us w...
Protecting Against Children’s Identity Theft
One of the first and easiest things you should do to prevent your child's identity from being stolen: caution him or her about giving personal information, especially their Social Security number, to anyone over the Internet. The most likely person to steal your child's identity is a family member or frequent visitor to your home. Be sure your child's Social Security card is stored in a secure place. Shred any papers that have your child's Social Security number on them.One part of the problem: credit bureaus don't check social security numbers with the Social Security Administration in order to verify a person's name and age. That means thieves can use the number with their own name, or a fake name, to open credit accounts, get student loans, home, boat and car loans, receive government benefits, unemployment compensation, tax refunds or access to medical care and employment, all using your child's number. The crime will not be known until your child grows up and is denied credi...
Touchscreen Technology Demystified
Touchscreens are becoming an integral part of our lives. When we interact with a device that has a touchscreen, we expect it to execute the action we want without a second thought. It wasn’t too far in the past that the concept of a touchscreen was a dream. Yet, today we see it as a common feature in numerous devices.While most of us use this technology on a daily basis, most of us do not know how it works. How does a screen know what to do when we touch an icon? There are many different types of touchscreen technologies but they all operate based on a similar idea.Resistive touchscreensThis is the most common and the most inexpensive type of touchscreen technology today. With resistive technology, screens are covered with an electrically conductive layer. Your fingertip causes the electrical current to alter when you touch the screen. The device’s controller receives the data and preforms the action you requested.Surface wave touchscreenAnother popular type of...
Digital Currency: The Demise of Paper Bills?
Consumer spending heavily relies on digital currency and perhaps someday paper money will be obsolete. It may sound fantastic but consider how frequently you yourself use a credit card to purchase things, go online to shop, or receive gift cards preloaded with a specific amount of money. Most likely you pay your bills via online banking, pay-at-the-pump with a credit card, and even purchase movie tickets online. When you consider how often you actually use digital currency on a day-to-day basis, we aren’t really that far off from going entirely digital with our currency.Google WalletA new idea comes from Google. With Google Wallet, you can store your credit cards on your smartphone, along with special offers and coupons. Use your phone to pay merchants who accept Google Wallet with the tap of a button on your phone.The Bitcoin revolution?Bitcoin has been available since 2009 and is a peer-to-peer digital currency. It may be used to purchase products and service...
How do I Manage Telecommuter Employees?
Telecommuting is a fancy word for allowing employees to work from home, in remote offices, or while on the road. While this is not a new concept, advancements in remote access technology and security have made it very affordable and easy for any size firm. Telecommuting has grown at a steady 3% per year for more than 15 years. Why would a business want to do implement telecommuting as an option? Some firms are being forced to because they've run out of office space or to accommodate "road warriors." But many are doing it for these reasons...Partners and key staff working 60+ hours a week are using it as a way to continue working after hours and on weekends from the convenience of their home office. Allowing employees to work from home means firms can cut back on office space, lowering rent and utility bills. Not only is this lowering overhead, but it's making for happier employees who no longer have to fill their gas tanks. Telecommuting actually increases employee produc...
