New
technology bombards companies by promising to change their workflows,
productivity, and revenue every day. More times than not, however, very
few technological implements actually serve a specific need.
How can companies zone in?
How
can your company find out if the new technology being offered can help?
Buy it and test it! Don’t be afraid to invest in your business if you
really feel that something is going to help you be more productive.
Be
quick to cut and run, though. If you haven’t implemented the new tool
in thirty days, cancel or return it. Do not allow yourself to be
suckered into the mindset that “you’ll get around to it.” You need to
take action and implement your new gadget, or you need to get rid of it.
The same mentality follows if you’ve tested the software and found it
doesn’t meet your needs. Don’t force it to help you – look for a better
alternative.
The
focus, more importantly, always needs to be on your bottom line. A lot
of tools are great, but if they aren’t helping you generate more
revenue, they’re not worth it. If you don’t see results immediately,
move on. Don’t waste your time or money.
How does your business prioritize?
How
can your company decide what technology it needs when “shiny new
objects” are constantly being dangled in front of it? This is really
simple! The way you can make decisions objectively is by always
maintaining open, honest lines of communication with your employees. If
you don’t have employees, ask close friends or family for their
opinions. You need to know how you are doing and what you can do better.
There’s always room for growth and improvement.
Technology
needs to serve a specific purpose. By understanding your team’s needs
and your own weaknesses, you can help make the decision to implement a
new technology that could be extremely beneficial in the long run.
Our
team, for example, was having trouble assigning tasks without
unnecessary overlap on the same projects. We implemented an online
project management tool called Asana. In the end, it has done wonders
for our communication, productivity, and, consequently, our bottom line.
This
technology served a very specific purpose for a problem area, and we
knew about this through regular, open discussions about our collective
weak spots.
Do your company’s needs match a program?
Even
after companies have assessed what a platform or program can do, as
well as outlined their own needs, it can be tricky to determine if there
is a potential pairing. Additionally, comparing between multiple
programs can be tough. You can always read reviews from other customers,
but when push comes to shove, you know your needs better than anyone
else, and the decision is yours. Don’t let a few really positive or
negative reviews scare you away from using a new technology that may be a
perfect fit for you.
The
short answer here is trial and error. If you find something intriguing,
sleep on it for a day or two. If in two days you’re still really
interested, try it out. Some business owners are willing to spend
hundreds of dollars to buy training that will teach them to run a better
business, yet they won’t spend a dime on technology that could really
help.
Telltale signs that a technology is merely a “shiny new object”
There
are, fortunately, a few big signs that a technology is just a “new
shiny object” (our code for “useless tool everyone wants”).
Firstly,
is this new tool really groundbreaking? Is there another tool that does
essentially the same thing? More often than not, these “new” tools are
just old tools with new logos (and price tags). If there are tools that
perform essentially the same function, then look into the older version
first. You might find that the older tool wasn’t popular because it
didn’t serve a great need; therefore, why should the new version be any
better?
Secondly,
have the owners of this tool had the success they claim their tool
brings? As they say, “The proof is in the pudding.” If someone is
claiming you will have great results, then he needs to put his money
where his benefit statements are and show everyone that he has had the
same results first.
In
the long run, the right investment in technology (partnered with taking
action) can make all the difference. Be cautious about new tools, but
if something seems like it really could help your company, invest time
to learn about it. Who knows? You might make a great find that will do
wonders for your productivity, workflow, revenue and, ultimately, your
business!
BARCODE SCANNING SYSTEM
We use mobile technology and hand held computers to ensure the highest levels of quality control.
•
The master computer at our Head Office automatically notifies the hand
held computer with our service technician when you are due to be called
on and it can only be removed by doing the call.
• A global positioning system on all our vans allows us to monitor where our vans are at any time of the day.
•
All your items requiring service are bar coded. The hand held computer
tells the technician how many bait points on the premises. Each barcode
must be read to ensure that particular bait point has been checked. The
computer will not allow the technician to complete a report until all
bait points have been checked.
• This system ensures your calls are done on time and that all bait points are checked.
•
Call reports are printed on your premises and put in your service
folder • Copies of calls are held on our master computer. These can be
stored for many years and are available upon request.
This system ensures the highest levels of quality control available in the pest control industry.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
lot
of people think the be all and end all of fire suppression is water.
It’s basic, true, but it’s not the only thing there is to fire
suppression. Water, actually, isn’t the best option to suppress fire.
It’s true that water has always been the natural fire suppressant, but
there are a lot of scenarios wherein using water to fight fire ends up
making it worse. When the fire is caused by hot oils, chemicals, or
electronics, using water would be dangerous.
Water
isn’t the only fire suppressant to rely on, thankfully. There are so
many innovations available today that you can actually go for any of
these new technologies. Water isn’t the best choice, as mentioned
earlier, so it’s a good thing that there are better options. These
options are safe for electrical equipment, won’t be dangerous to health,
and easy to cleanup – unlike water.
Its
about time that a bit of discussion is accorded to these new
technologies. One reminder, though. When we say “innovations”, these are
new only to laymen who don’t know much about fire suppression. In fire
fighting circles, they already know about these, obviously. One of the
new technologies you ought to know about is dry aerosol fire
suppression. It makes use of dry powder, often times in a canister that
can easily be carried on your person. Throwing it into a burning room
will have quick results. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it isn’t harmful to
electronics and people.
Equally
interesting is compressed foam – another one of the fire fighting
industry’s latest technologies. It can be used even in small areas, and
it’s an easy alternative to us when water isn’t viable. It won’t damage
electrical equipment. Also, it’s easy to deploy even in a small car
fire.
Yet
another technology that you ought to take note of is the darling of the
fire fighting industry at the moment. Inergen isn’t new to specialists,
but ordinary people probably have never heard of it. Using Inergen is a
lot safer and really makes fire suppression much easier for everyone.
The
common problem these days is that even if fire doesn’t destroy your
equipment, your fire suppressant could. You could use chemical fire
suppression systems, but some a rather dangerous to humans and shouldn’t
be used in rooms that contain people. Carbon dioxide is one of these
examples. It can suppress fire by lowering the oxygen in the room, but
it can also suffocate human beings in the same close quarters. Inergen,
on the other hand, is safe to use and won’t be dangerous to humans.
Inergen
actually is a replacement for a previously toasted fire suppressant:
Halon. It was a favourite up until research discovered how disastrous it
was for the environment. As it turns out, Halon was detrimental to the
ozone layer, and therefore contributed to global warming. Given what is
now known about Halon, firefighters were keen to look for a safer
option.
In
the end, it all boils down to accepting the fact that you can’t be
complacent when it comes to fire suppression. New technologies appear
regularly, and pretty soon even better options will be made available.
Just make sure that you try to keep up with these advancements and see
if you can find better means to protect your family, your employees, and
your possessions.
Apple will announce the smaller-sized iPad later this month, according to All Things D. The site’s sources claim Apple will hold an invitation-only event on October 23 for the iPad mini. All Things D couldn’t zero down on the location of the event but expects it to be at Apple’s Town Hall Auditorium.
The
previous rumor claimed Apple to send across press invites for a new
product event on October 10 but as it turned out, that didn’t happen.
Let’s hope this one’s the real deal since the site have been spot on
with the dates for iPad 2 and the new iPad.
The iPad mini is expected to have a 7.85-inch display with a resolution similar to the iPad 2.
Think
Galaxy S III is big for your hands? Well, Samsung has come up with a
smaller device dubbed as the Galaxy S III mini. But unlike the flagship
device, the new mini variant is small in size and low on features. The
Galaxy S III mini runs Android 4.1 out of the box and comes with a
dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 4-inch Super AMOLED WVGA display, HSPA
14.4Mbps, 5MP camera, front-facing VGA camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0,
NFC, S Beam, Kies Air, DLNA, 8/16GB internal memory, microSD card slot,
GPS and 1500mAh battery.
The phone is expected to sell for around 400 euros from next month.
Consumers
looking for a cheap portable media player can take a look at Zebronics’
latest offering – the Zebmate Cinema 1.8. Priced at just Rs. 1,600, the
player features a 1.8-inch touchscreen display and supports variety of
multimedia formats. The device features 8GB of internal memory and can
expanded further with the addition of a microSD card. Zebronics claims
the player can give up to 12 hours of music on a single charge.
2013
Food prices are triggering riots around the world
World grain reserves are now at historically low levels, due to record droughts and heatwaves experienced in 2012. Failing harvests were particularly bad in the United States, Russia and Eastern Europe. As the world consumes more than it can produce, the resulting increase in food costs is sparking riots and bringing down a number of governments in Africa and the Middle East. In the poorest countries, between 60-80% of household budgets are spent on food. Though less of a problem in the developed world, consumers are nevertheless feeling the impact. Restaurants are taking some foods off the menu, while in supermarkets, the cost of meat in particular is becoming noticeably higher. This worrying trend continues in the years ahead, as many millions face hunger. By 2030, it has become a major global crisis, with a doubling of prices for key staples including wheat and rice.
The European Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) is operational
The Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) is a new system which gives the European Central Bank (ECB) the power to intervene in any bank within the eurozone. Its aim is to reduce financial risk and prevent cross-border contagion. A legislative framework is in place by 1 January 2013, with full operation beginning later in the year. A new permanent rescue fund – the European Stability Mechanism – allows failing banks to be recapitalised directly without adding to a country's sovereign debt. The biggest contributors are Germany (27%), France (20%) and Italy (18%).
The SSM receives a mixed reaction. On the one hand, there are those who welcome the increased regulation, something which was largely absent for years and played a major role in the crisis of 2007-2008. On the other hand, fears are raised over the centralised supervision of so many banks, viewed by many as another step towards a federal European superstate.
This banking union is of particular concern to the UK, which until now has dominated financial services with over half of all investment banking in Europe. With its own separate currency – pound sterling – it lies outside the group of eurozone members and their circle of influence, but within the European Union (EU). It therefore stands to be marginalised when decisions are taken on regulation in the EU as a whole. This triggers a major debate in the UK over the country's role in policymaking, leading to further calls for a referendum on its EU membership.
China overtakes the USA in scientific research
In terms of scientific output, China had been closing the gap between it and the developed world for several years. Thousands of new research papers were being published each year at an accelerating rate, while millions more students were entering universities as the country became more developed. At the same time, the United States had seen a steep drop in its own scientific and technological research. In 2004, China passed the United Kingdom, becoming second in terms of academic studies. The gap finally closes in 2013, as even the USA falls behind China.
Solar flares are disrupting the Earth's magnetosphere
The Sun reaches its solar maximum this year - the period of greatest activity in its 11-year solar cycle. Because of the unusually low level of activity in recent years, this has caused a sudden build up of energy now, with large "solar storms" hitting Earth's magnetosphere. These are strong enough to disrupt electronic systems on the ground. Satellites, air travel, car navigations, the banking system, hospital equipment, computers and many other machines are affected during this period.
The Gaia mission is launched
While the naked human eye can see only a few thousand stars on a clear night, Gaia will map over a billion - approximately 1 percent of all stars within our own Milky Way galaxy - over the course of its five-year mission beginning in 2013. It will chart their brightness and spectral characteristics, as well as their positions and motions, forming a highly detailed three-dimensional map.*
3D technologies are widespread
3D technology is now widespread across a range of communication and entertainment platforms. It has become a mainstream element of cinema, TV, Internet, video games and even mobile. This technology provides users with a whole new level of immersion, interaction and realism.
James Cameron's Avatar, released in 2009, was a major breakthrough in terms of developing this format and raising awareness of its potential.
In 2010, new 3D TV channels were introduced and these could even be viewed without 3D glasses.This effect was achieved via multiple projectors behind the screen, combined with a lens array creating parallax effects from any direction. Among the TV events during this time was the first ever FIFA World Cup to be screened in 3D.
Compatibility was soon incorporated into a range of consumer products including Blu-ray recorders, games consoles and personal computers. By 2013, the technology has become widespread in homes in developed countries
Highly flexible, film-based touch sensors are entering the smartphone and tablet markets. They are also extending touch capabilities into a range of new consumer and industrial products. Using roll-to-roll metal mesh technology, they provide a high-performance alternative to existing touch sensors. Larger, lighter, sleeker, curved and edgeless designs can now be developed for handheld devices. Thinner sensor stacks with flawless touch performance, excellent optical clarity, low sheet resistance and low power consumption are enabling designers to turn unique, futuristic concepts into functional designs at lower total system costs compared to previous market alternatives.
Launch of the PS4 and Xbox 720
2012 saw the launch of Nintendo's Wii U - the first of the eighth generation games consoles. By late 2013, it is joined by the PS4 and Xbox 720. These new machines offer substantial improvements in graphical power. The PS4, codenamed "Orbis", is built around an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU, handling screen resolutions of up to 4000 x 2000 pixels, as well as 3D gaming in full 1080p. The Xbox 720, codenamed "Durango", is powered by a state-of-the-art IBM Power PC CPU, featuring 16 cores, alongside a Radeon HD 7000-series graphics card.
Full-body scanners are mandatory in US airports
In the US, a bill called the S.A.F.E.R. A.I.R. Act has been passed, making full-body scanners mandatory in airports. These devices create a nude image of a person's body through their clothes, in order to look for hidden objects without physically removing their clothes or making physical contact. The use of these machines is controversial, raising privacy issues, as well as concerns over the use of backscatter X-rays.
Amsterdam
Two of Europe's biggest financial centres - London and Frankfurt - are now connected by a high-speed rail link. Trains running at 320 kph (200 mph) provide a journey time of under five hours. Combined with cheaper fares and better onboard web access, this offers a genuine alternative to air travel. The service also runs to Brussels, Cologne, Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
Expansion of the Port of Rotterdam is completed, tripling its capacity
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the busiest in the world. Completed this year is the ambitious Maasvlakte 2, the largest land reclamation project in Europe and one of the single largest earth-moving projects in history. Approximately 2000 hectares are reclaimed. With its completion, container capacity is tripled - providing a significant boost to the Dutch economy.
14 nanometre chips enter mass production
The next generation of microprocessor technology is released by Intel, with transistors now based on a 14nm manufacturing process. For comparison, a carbon atom is 0.34nm wide. The 4GHz barrier in stock CPU is finally being passed, thanks to the performance and energy efficiency of these new chips.
The first test launch of the Falcon Heavy
The Falcon Heavy - the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V - has its first demonstration flight this year. It is designed to lift satellites or spacecraft into orbit weighing more than 53 tons, or 117,000 pounds - over twice the capacity of the Space Shuttle and Delta IV Heavy launcher. At full power, it has thrust equivalent to fifteen 747's.
The rocket is being developed by SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation), one of two private companies that NASA has contracted to transport cargo to the International Space Station.
SpaceX's goals include simultaneously lowering the price of orbital spaceflight and improving reliability, both by a factor of ten, whilst creating the first fully reusable orbital launch vehicle. Longer term, the company intends to design an even more powerful rocket, known as a "super heavy-lift" vehicle. This would have about three times the power of a Falcon Heavy, or about 50 percent more than the Saturn V - enough to carry people to Mars.
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