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Technology News Today

Don’t Sabotage Your Business With Bad Data

In April 2009, the bailout was going to cost U.S. taxpayers $356 billion, according to congressional budget analysts. A year later that figure was revised down to $89 billion. When the health-care reform bill was being debated, some put the cost at more than a trillion dollars, while others indicated it would actually reduce the deficit. About a month ago, the European Commission reported that Greece’s public-sector deficit for 2009 was 13.6 percent of GDP, significantly higher than the 12.7 percent the Greek government had previously estimated. Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou was quoted as saying the revision “may spark fresh market concerns.” Kind of an understatement. Since then, stock markets have fluctuated wildly and the euro dropped to a 14-month low as European nations increased their bailout from $139 billion to nearly $1 trillion.
Imagine running your business on unreliable numbers. You’d get crushed. Most business owners can’t afford to operate that way. Like a good baseball manager, the smart ones I know frequently pore through their data. Sure, it’s boring as hell. But so was watching the finale of Lost. But in this case, it’s worth it. Every month, sometimes more, they print out a detail of their general ledger transactions and read through them. They make sure they understand who’s getting paid and what they’re getting paid for. They highlight and investigate those transactions that raise an eyebrow. By participating in this exercise, they get comfortable that the underlying data supporting their financial statements are consistent and reliable. Good data need a human review once in a while.
Daily “Flash” Reports
Smart business owners know the value of having reliable data. That’s why they analyze them frequently. They don’t wait for a crisis to occur. They don’t suddenly create numbers out of the blue a few days before a big decision needs to be made. They don’t wait until the end of the year to see how things went over the past 12 months. Many guys I know have a daily “flash” report. On this one-page report, they see key metrics that impact their business. There are common numbers like open receivables, payables, and cash. And then there are numbers that are more specific to their business, such as backlog, overtime, productivity per employee, or complaints recorded. These numbers are pulled from the same financial system with the underlying general ledger data that they’re taking the time to read every month.
And over and above this “flash” information, smart business owners I know invest in key reports. They’re putting information into databases which can then be extracted and used to focus assets. A few years ago, I hired someone to write a couple of custom reports. These reports tell me how many sales I make vs. the quotes I produce and how billable and productive my service people are. A friend of mine is more interested in gross profit per item produced-she also hired a consultant to create a custom report to give her that data. Having good data is crucial for making good decisions.
A trend I’m seeing now is alerts. Most business software applications allow users to set rules so that they can be warned when something falls above or below a certain threshold. Smart business owners are taking advantage of these features. One guy I know gets an e-mail every time a key raw material is close to being out of stock. Another guy I know gets a text when a significant customer’s receivables balance goes over 90 days. Does your software do this? If not, maybe you can hire a consultant to create “triggers” in your underlying database to do the same. (Full disclosure, I do this for a living, so it’s in my interest to tell you this.) Most common databases, like Microsoft’s (MSFT) popular SQL Server, have this feature available.
Monthly Bank Reconciliations
Another thing smart business owners do to get reliable data? They reconcile their bank accounts. Duh! Most of them can’t afford two tickets to a Major League Baseball game nowadays, let alone having those complex internal controls that big companies have. But that’s O.K. They have cable TV. And they make sure their cash is tracked accurately. Many owners I know hire an outsider, with no control over their cash, to do a monthly bank reconciliation. A separate set of eyes sometimes sees things that they don’t-questionable signatures, strange withdrawals, funny-looking transactions. Doing a bank “rec” isn’t hard. And paying someone by the hour to do it isn’t very expensive. But the consequences of not doing this could be devastating for their decision-making.
Bad decisions are often made because of bad data. Governments vote on huge legislative initiatives based on iffy information. Investors lose their shirts buying stocks in the dark. The Greeks overpay for their weddings. But …

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XBox 360 Kinect, Useful Facts You Need To Know Before Purchase

It’s November 10th 2010, and the Xbox 360 Kinect has recently been released just in time for the holiday season. A visit to the Best Buy store if you live in the US or any other electronic store in your home country and you can sample what all the fuss is about.
In recent years video gaming has moved more towards motion game control. It started off with the Nintendo Wii in 2006 with the Wii controls. Sony PlayStation joined the party with Sony PlayStation move. And now finally after all the hype, the Kinect for the XBox 360 has made it’s entrance.
In this article we will look at what makes the kinect console worth having this holiday season.
XBox 360 Kinect
One major difference between the Kinect and other competitor consoles is that it’s totally hands free. There are no hand controls, all you need to do is act out the motions in front of it’s built in camera. The new XBox console uses a small camera and an infrared sensor that tracks a players movement in front of a screen.
There are gamers, who are not necessarily enthused by getting too involved in any video play and prefer consoles where they can sit, relax and play. If this is you, the new Kinect console is certainly not for you.
The new console is aimed at getting you more involved with the game. It is more family and friends orientated where you can play with each other, and against others online. The sensor technology is pretty good. 9 out of 10 is a fair assessment. There is a very slight delay in motion, but you probably won’t even notice it.
In terms of games available, there are some good sports, dance and fitness games. I had the chance of trying out Kinectimals and I have to say it was great fun. It’s really fun for younger kids to learn about animals, movements, commands and play at the same time. Impressive.
The XBox 360 kinect comes in either the 250GB or 4GB memory. The 250GB is priced less than $400 at most stores and 4GB at less than $300. If you are going to purchase online, try getting a seller to provide free shipping.
The kinect is yet to come out with any action or war type games. If you are into those games, you will have to wait until they get released. A fighting game that is due for release is fighters uncaged if you are into such games.
Even though the kinect for xbox 360 has a limited number of games, in my opinion it will be a holiday season must have. At the time of writing there is already a huge demand. Video gaming has moved on towards motion sensor technology. Gaming is no longer just about one player vs the console. Now it’s about competing with friends, family and even online. You don’t have to be a couch potato anymore, with games like Zumba fitness, Your shape fitness evolved and Kinect sports.…

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Technology News Today

Tips On How To Spot The Best Engineering Schools

Though challenging, engineering has proved to be so enjoyable and with huge rewards. Either for rewarding or fun purposes, you can be sure that this field will perfectly meet these needs. However, the bone of contention is in coming up with the best decision on which engineering school you will attend. This is so because a number of colleges offering these trainings are as many as the courses on the same category. By having a close look at the points below, you will have the potential of selecting the best school for your study.
The most important point to reckon with will be locating the particular course you would want to take. It stands out since different schools provide different courses and by you knowing which course to pursue, you will have a vivid path way to choose the right college. You will land into a school that has a good reputation on that section of engineering, only if you understand the course perfectly. This will help your search be limited to only specific colleges offering the course and at this point in time, you ought to have made up your mind whether you will be pursuing a Bachelor engineering or a bachelor Diploma engineering.
The credibility and reputation of the college is another aspect worth considering. Giving an institution you have chosen a test on its credibility will help you ascertain whether its presence is on any basis of previous academic performance or not. You should not down play the existence of institutions that have a sole purpose of making money yet compromising their service delivery.
It is also recommendable to have an extensive probing on what the institution stands for before you make any enrollment. As a section of test on the credibility of the institution, you can check if there is any link existing between it and the outside world. This is important because in cases where you will need internships or attachments, they might refer you to potential and reliable employers. You can also find out the number of students signing up to the institution and estimate the criteria of their entry.
Another important feature to know is its verification. Knowing the body that certified their services will boost your confidence in the service your will be able to access. There are recognized bodies that you might consider to check their approval when affirming the technology accreditation. By keenly scrutinizing the legitimacy of the institution, you will avoid falling into the hands of money launderers who set institutions to get free money from unsuspecting prospective students.
The facilities and equipments used by the college to conduct their training is something to pay attention to. Ensure that their training is at par with the modern technology which is highly advanced and relevant for the expertise available in the market today. By ensuring that the channel you select has the ability of depicting the utilization of highly technical tools, and make you shift with bachelor of technology, your presence in the market will be highly esteemed.
Since many institutions provide a diversity of courses that might be a hindrance to your channel of career, it will be essential for you to know if the institution limits itself to offering only your course or not. The number of classmates you will have is also something to reckon with. This is so because when you are few in a class, you stand a higher chance of receiving much attention from your tutors.
Lastly, note that it is true that being in an engineering field you will experience enormous satisfaction. Understand that a great influence in this field will emanate from the kind of training you acquired from a reputable engineering school. By considering the above hints, you are guaranteed on achieving your anticipated career fulfillment in an engineering establishment.…

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Technology News Today

Proform 850 Elliptical With GameFit Technology Gets Competitive Juices Flowing

While looking for a new cardio machine for home, we found the Proform 850 elliptical with GameFit technology. Video games contained within the machine appealed to our competitive nature, so we decided to give it a shot. We found we liked the distraction of playing video games, while also having the option of tailoring a workout specific for the day.
Normally, you don’t think of exercising and playing video games at the same time, but the Proform 850 elliptical with GameFit technology really pares it together well. Suddenly, your workout is a ton of fun! And while you don’t have to play Fat Blocker or Calorie Destroyer, the interesting thing is the games get easier the harder you workout. To achieve the number of minutes or hours you want to workout, these distractions really help keep the motivation up.
And if you need a break from playing video games, then plug your iPod into the provided music port – the machine has a built in sound system to listen to your music.
This elliptical machine also has something for those already in the habit of working out every day. With 12 different workout options, you have the options to focus on different sections of your body, from upper body to thighs. It makes it really easy to vary your routine to achieve specific results. This is perfect if you need to lose weight and burn countless calories.
If you’re not looking for a competitive environment, the Proform 850 elliptical with GameFit technology could be seen as just another elliptical machine. On the other hand, if you want to experience the unique option of working out while playing video games, then this is the machine for you.…

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Crucial Tips to Finding Your Perfect Computer

With enough choices on the market to make the average consumer’s head spin, it can be extremely tough to figure out which computer will best fit a particular person’s needs. Even the simplest choice, like whether to get a desktop or a laptop, can seem daunting if not prepared and armed with the right questions. Employees at the local computer store or electronics retailer only help to confound the issue by throwing technical jargon around and making the process seemingly harder than necessary. These tips should get you well on your way to having the perfect computer to fit all your needs.
First, decide the primary use of the computer. This can be as simple as determining whether the computer will be used at home or if portability is a key factor. Even if the computer will be primarily used at home, there may be a chance a laptop would be the best option. For example, people who like to be on their laptop to check stats while watching sports may want a laptop. Also, thinking about whether this computer will be used primarily for work or entertainment can be important for determining the power necessary.
Next, think about computing power needed. This is where the average user starts to get slightly confused when GHz and RAM start getting thrown around. The secret is to take what you learned in the first tip to figure out what programs you will be using the most. If all you are doing is surfing the web and checking your fantasy baseball team, it may not be necessary to get the strongest and fastest computer out there. If there are particular programs being utilized, check the recommended specs for those programs and go just a little above those specs.
Thirdly, assess how much space you will need. If you plan on storing a ton of large files like movies and music on the machine, you will obviously need a lot of space. With the price of memory dropping lower each year, it is very easy to get a computer with enough space to hold whatever you may want. Also, memory is something that is expandable in the device or by an external hard drive, so don’t worry if you run out of space. The general rule of thumb these days is a 500GB hard drive to start. A 500GB hard drive will hold a lot of information including plenty of music and movie (or spreadsheets). If you know that you will be holding a lot more media, then it is advisable to get a 1TB (which stands for terabyte and is 1,000 GB).
Additionally, something that many people consider nowadays is whether to buy Apple or Windows. This can be tricky and both companies have some pros and cons when considering a new computer. Generally, an Apple computer will cost your more but people who love them are dedicated to them with a passion and fury. Windows users tend to be less passionate, but usually have no desire to switch to an Apple computer. Apple tends to be more user-friendly for the type of person who may not be the most computer-savvy individual. Windows are much more customizable and have a variety of manufacturers that can provide the computer. It is recommended to go to a computer store and just get your hands on both and play around a little bit.
With these tips, finding that perfect computer should be much easier and less of a headache. Remember to research what you need in a computer and then take a little time to research models of computers. Following this advice, the perfect computer can be found without anymore headaches.…

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A Better Understanding of Touch Screen Technology

Who would have ever thought in their wildest dreams that we would have advanced to have Touch Screen Technology. Some of you may be wondering what that exactly is? Touch Screen Technology can be defined in its simplest form as technology that can sense and feel touch within the display area. Examples of touch screen technology include; ATM’s, Kiosks, Medical Devices, Car DVD’s, and PDA’s. These are all common things that many of us use throughout our day to day lives. However, what if you’re not that familiar with it, and you or your business is in the market to take full advantage of this technology? You could and should be wondering where do you go from here in order to find the right kind of Touch Screen Technology that fits your wants and needs?
Many factors will come into play when searching for the right kind of Touch Screen Technology, such as; what do you need it for, what size screen do you need and who is going to be using it? That’s why it’s important to understand that with this Technology that you should list out the specifics of product usage to a tee. The reason being is that there are so many important and key details that can and will put you ahead of the game, when it comes to have a greater breadth and depth of product knowledge. Also, since this is generally a market where most people are unfamiliar with the technology, it’s good to stay one step ahead of the game, to avoid being scammed or being talked down to.
The main thing to remember is that Touch Screen Technology can be useful for both personal and professional use because it has a great many conveniences, features, and attributes that are extremely beneficial from an all around perspective. Although, it is important to remember to do your homework and that you can always learn something and learn more when it comes to this Technology. By understanding this technology you can truly optimize it for your businesses or for your personal usage, and that is truly worth the investment.…