The emerging trend of BYOD has taken the corporate world by surprise and there are many business owners who are still not quite convinced with the BYOD (Bring your own device) model. Traditional businesses still believe in providing their employees with the desktops and workstations that can be both procured and managed by their in-house IT team. The very idea that smartphones and mobile devices (which once were for personal use only) can be used for official or business purpose sounds a little bizarre to many. But all this does not hide the fact that there are several companies that are successfully using the BYOD model where cloud telephony, thin clients and MDM are fast becoming a way of life.

The concept of BYOD is catching up fast, exciting employees with their new found freedom, and confusing employers with loss of control. IS BYOD that good? What are the issues being faced. Is BYOD inexpensive? Can you run your full office workload on a smart phone or a tablet? Well, the answers to all these questions lies in how you want to use technology with the prevailing business processes in your company.

The concept of BYOD does not sound as exciting as it used to when it entered into the IT lexicon. Companies who had immediately implemented the BYOD model have slowly found out that it has its own limitations and shortcomings, which at times provided more hindrances to business processes and hampered productivity. This does not mean that BYOD is going to fade away into the oblivion; companies will certainly try to accommodate the concept into their broader model of endpoint procurement.

BYOD is an extremely exciting concept wherein employees will be able to bring their own mobile telephony and computing devices to the office. They can easily connect these endpoint devices to the cloud telephony system at office. Cloud storage will replace the ubiquitous servers and desktops. Company executives will be able to work from anywhere by logging in to the central office network. They will be more comfortable by working on their own devices rather than coming to the office and switching on their desktop. Thus, there will be more freedom in the way the employee work which eventually will boost their productivity. A definite positive impact on the bottom line of the company should be the eventual outcome of the new BYOD induction policy.

Well, the reality is a little different from the above where there are instances of many companies that have actually found the BYOD move difficult. The most challenging part of allowing employees to bring their own device is the loss of control. Yes, the company owners do not have any control on the way their employees use their devices and they hardly have a say what is stored on not stored on these devices. Installing management apps on the tablets and smartphones owned by the employees is a big headache as majority of the employees are not comfortable with the idea of installing the apps. Thus, companies find it really difficult to manage the employees who are not ready to do away with the privacy of their devices.

The ownership of the devices also plays a very significant role in determining their use. If the companies are worried about the privately owned devices then they can try out a different model - COPE (Company owned and personally enabled). Under this, the companies can buy the mobile devices and the employees can use it for both their personal work as well official work. Thus, the employees will be equally comfortable working with the company procured devices without affecting negatively affecting the productivity levels or efficiency. BYOD can be given a completely new face by adapting the COPE model.

Image Credit: basketman

Author Bio:

Michelle Patterson has been working with telecom companies for over 20 years, and is excited with the new IP/VoIP/Cloud Telephony and other systems flooding the market. She is learning as much as she can about IP Telephony, Cloud Telephony, VoIP, Unified Communications, etc.

Excuse Me!

Managed File Transfer (MFT) ever heard of it? Well until just the other day neither had I, but apparently since the late 1990’s this little niche of an industry has been growing steadily to meet the demands of those of us who wish to exchange large amounts of data on a regular basis. And when you stop and think about it, it’s not surprising that this has happened. Nearly all of us exchange files of one kind or another every week, it’s just that some of us do it on a more industrial scale (think of those running databases and sharing info between one or more business units).

These folk are almost always going to need more than just a good FTP file storage and exchange site.

Professional Needs

What these professional guys require is a whole raft of additional features that go beyond just the ability to transfer a file form one person to another.

First and foremost they are going to want to know that the channel used to carry the transferred data is secure. For those that are really concerned about security that will mean the target file being encrypted not only whilst being transferred but also while it is at rest on whatever server it is stored.

Coming close on the heals of this requirement is the ability to have the transfer made not just person to person but also the possibility of transferring between person and process/application, or process/application to person and even process/application to process/application. This will allow the accommodation of automating the exchange, which in turn may require the integration of third party products such as content and anti-virus scanners.

Managing these exchanges is also extremely important to the corporate user, since keeping control of their data is paramount when considering the potential cost of a data loss or breach. The ability to refer to an audit trail of what was shared with whom is almost as important as preventing the unauthorised access to the data in the first place.

Should You be Interested in MFT

So now that you understand slightly better what MFT is all about should you be making use of it? Do you have a regular and on-going need to exchange data with business partners, sales teams and potential new clients? For most of us the answer is probably yes, but the good news is that there are emerging new products that can achieve this MFT without major cost or in major changes to our existing working practices.

The Future of MFT Today

A favourite of mine is a strong contender to be the next market leader in my humble opinion. It offers everything above and then some but unlike the norm it doesn’t ask you to take a leap of faith, a sort of step into the unknown. This product comes with several independent certifications and industry awards. Not necessarily the be all and end all, but offering a refreshing level of comfort in the fact that you are not the guinea-pig on this occasion.

Summary

And so it seems that although as I’ve stated earlier that this industry has matured, there appears to be always room for innovation and improvement. Oh and if you want to look at my choice go to egress.com.

The very first cell phone was created in 1946 by a truck driver who was simply running an experiment. The phone weighed around 80 pounds and consisted of a battery life which only lasted through 6 calls. By 1948, the very first hand held phone was created by Martin Cooper; the man responsible for taking mobile phones to a whole new level. This phone only weighed around 2.5 pounds. However, calls were not cellular yet and people still could not move around freely while talking on the phone. Phones were mounted into automobiles in the 80s, but it wasn’t until 1983; Joel Engel and Richard Frenkiel introduced the cellular concept to the world. They achieved this by putting towers just a few miles from one another, so people were able to make remote calls from their cell phones. People started to become more aware of this new idea and quickly jumped on board. This is considered to be one of the greatest breakthroughs in the evolution of cell phone and tablet charging.

Author Bio:

Alex Petrozza is the creative writer for Cable Wholesale providing professional cables for a wide variety of applications. You can follow their business rambling on Twitter @Cablewholesale.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are usually done by individuals calling themselves “hacktivists.” Their purpose is to crash a website server by overwhelming it with activity by “bots” and is generally an aim with a political purpose. These attacks can take up 111gbps to 179gbps, and in April of 2013, took 144 million packets-per-second. If the “hacktivists” are against a company’s stance on a specific issue or multiple issues, the “hacktivist” will attack in an attempt to show opposition and illustrate the company’s weakness. A “hacktivist” may also attack a company, such as a bank or finance company, which they believe makes money off of the downtrodden of society. Some hackers have used DDoS attacks for extortion in an attempt to make companies pay a designated amount before their servers can go back online. A DDoS attack can even be carried out by hackers who deem the company in competition with another company the hacker supports. It is also beginning to look like DDoS attacks are being used in fraud techniques and many alerts have been issued to companies to be aware of these possible attacks.

Created by the marketing team at Prolexic Technologies.

PayPal is a convenient way to pay and accept payment online. Many online merchants use the service to get payment along with credit cards or debit cards from major companies such as Visa and Mastercard. Merchants and online buyers aren't the only ones who take advantage of PayPal's services. There are so many freelance workers who rely on PayPal to get paid for rendered services. PayPal makes our life so simple when it comes to paying for goods and services online. Despite how useful it is, some have been frustrated with the quality of the service they get from PayPal. There's even a group that has created a dedicated website to gripe about PayPal.

So if you don't like Paypal, then here are a few alternatives:

1. Amazon Payments

This service lets you send money to friends and family. Amazon’s service offers a simple way to send money as you can easily pay on thousands of websites by using the information stored in your Amazon account so there’s no need to input your credit card or type in your address. Online sellers are charged 2.9% +$.3 per-transaction for transactions greater than $10.

2. Google Wallet

With this service from Google, you can send money to your friend in the U.S. as well as spend the money on your account on stores. It also has an added service that it lets you leave your loyalty programs and cards behind as it can store it for you.

3. Merchant Inc.

This service bills itself as “Hassle-Free Payment Processing.” Like PayPal, their service is compatible with Ebay. Merchants can use the service to accept credit cards on their website and even send invoices to their customers. Merchant Inc.’s standard rate for transactions is 1.99%. Merchant Inc. also promises sellers that they can receive payments in as little as two days.

4. Square

Merchants can get a device from Square that they can use to swipe the credit card of their customer. The device can be used on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. While the device can be used by brick-and-mortar businesses, Square also has a service that allows online merchants to accept payment. Square’s rate is 2.75% for every transaction.

5. Serve

Want to pay bills online just like you do with PayPal? American Express’ Serve service lets you get a temporary card at retailers such as Office Depot, Walgreens, and CVS/pharmacy. You can add funds to the card for free at participating CVS/Pharmacy and 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. With Serve, you can also send and receive money from friends and family who also have a Serve account.

6. Dwolla

This company’s mission is to allow anyone to quickly and safely move money online at the lowest cost possible. And they do have one of the lowest rates around at just $0.25 per transaction or free for transactions that are less than $10. Users can send money to an email address or phone numbers, the recipient needs to open a Dwolla account to claim the funds. Dwolla also has a mobile app.

7. ProPay

Like Square, ProPay also provides a dongle that attaches to your iOS and Android device that lets merchants accept credit card payments. ProPay also offers other devices that let merchants accept credit cards. Their rate for swiping a card is 2.6% while their keyed rate is 3.4%.

8. 2Checkout

This service is already available in 196 countries around the world and they can process 26 currencies. As for their rates, it’s a bit on the steep side as their transaction rate is 5.5% and they charge another 45 cents per transaction.

9. Xoom

Just like Paypal, Xoom can be used to send payment to friends and family. Freelance workers can also use this service to get paid by their employers. It’s geared more towards those who want to send remittances.

10. Bitcoin

This is an emerging form of currency and merchants can use Bitcoins as a form of payment and even avoid transaction fees. The challenge is that not a lot of people use this and several major exchanges have closed recently so it makes it a little hard to exchange your Bitcoins to cash.

For those who are frustrated with the service they get from PayPal or who just want another payment processor, they can check out these PayPal alternatives. Some providers offer much cheaper transaction rates compared to PayPal so that could be a reason to switch providers even if you are satisfied with PayPal’s service.
Image Credit: sscreations

Text messaging has greatly grown in popularity even within the last ten years. Today, over 90% of people who have smartphones use text messaging via SMS, or short message service. However, there is a surprising divide between male and female messengers.

Although most people believe that females always have more to say than males do, this is not necessarily the case with texts. In fact, males generally send more texts each day with an average of 17 regular contacts with whom they stay in touch. On the other hand, women tend to stay in touch with about 13 contacts. There is a difference in the style of men’s and women’s text messages though. Men usually send shorter messages that are to the point; women are more likely to send longer messages and to express feelings of love and affection via SMS. Although women realize that texts alone do not keep a relationship alive, many men believe that texts are a valid form of daily communication.

There is also a gap between age groups. Those who are younger tend to send more texts than those who are older. This infographic shows more surprising data about this texting phenomenon.

This infographic was produced by Scratch Wireless. You can find unlimited data plans from Scratch Wireless.

Cloud computing technology spread around the globe rapidly and its adoption introduced different types of innovation in business environment. However, ever since the buzz around cloud-based tech solutions has started, the world’s eyes were set upon potential problems.

Over the last few years, the top concern for companies planning to move to the cloud has been security but as the cloud develops, new issues emerge. The recent survey carried out by Internap Network Services Corporation revealed some fresh pieces of information related to public cloud infrastructure. The survey polled almost 250 Internet infrastructure decision makers worldwide to give us a new insight into the state of public cloud adoption and usage.

Security is still a top concern

Just like many other surveys did over the last several years, Internap confirmed that modern businesses (unjustifiably) fear security threats in the cloud. Even though only 15% of companies that already use cloud services regarded security as a challenge, 40% of those that still haven’t adopted the cloud find security a major concern. These digits point out that security risks may be highly overestimated, considering the fact that most organizations that actually use the cloud don’t experience major problems in this respect.

Performance issues on the rise

While security remains the top concern for organizations that are not using cloud services, performance seems to be a major problem for those that do. The survey reports that 30% of cloud-wise organizations faced performance issues, along with 59% of those that use the cloud to host big data applications. In reference to this issue, Gopala Tumuluri from Internap notes:

“The survey data clearly indicates that big data applications – such as those that enable personalization and targeting through customer insights, social analytics and location mapping – are pushing the performance limits of virtual public cloud environments at price-points that don’t make business sense”.

Public cloud and virtualization

Among other things, the survey revealed that an important number of organizations (66%) mistakenly relate virtualization to public cloud. Most respondents have cited virtualization as “a defining characteristic of the cloud” which confirms that they still have a lot to learn about these innovative technologies. Namely, public clouds don’t have much to do with virtualization, even though they may share some similar features. Therefore, it is clear that despite the buzz surrounding the cloud for years, its definition remains vague to both companies that use it and those that don’t.

Conclusions

Public cloud systems are now widely used in companies of all sizes and they certainly represent one of the most efficient forms of IT infrastructure innovation. Infant trend as it is, cloud computing may still appear confusing, which is why companies are likely to have some impossible expectations from it. Here security is obviously an important yet overestimated factor, while virtualization is obviously not well understood. The findings of the survey help general public get a better insight into predominant issues in the cloud, and it’s up to individual organizations to develop their own strategies with cloud-based systems.

Author Bio:

Leana Thorne is a devoted blogger and a regular contributor to several tech blogs. She enjoys exploring new internet technologies and sharing newly found information – currently about cloud and reseller hosting and is always happy to be of help.

A site of programming languages has made its way into the tech world in last 2 decades. And each of these trumps others riding on its glorious capabilities. While working on them is not fun by any stretch, the final product as a result of logical thinking and application of extensive skills is something web users around the world cherish.

And all these factors has lead to a huge boom in the software development sector. Students around the globe are more than willing to learn programming languages in order to stand better chances of grabbing a job when they graduate. There are various training institutes for getting trained on different programming languages. While these institutes are greatly equipped to help students grab the most important concepts an a most effective manner, trainees also need to do their bit on their own end. There are various sources on the Internet that can help them in learning different programming languages like PHP, Java, .NET, C#, etc.

These websites either offer online tutorials, or are the places where you as a learner can find answers to the most difficult and common question you often find yourself asking people.

In this article, I bring to you some such websites that have gained immense popularity in the developer community:

Stackoverflow.com

If you have been into programming from quite a while, there is a slim chance that you haven’t head of Stackoverflow.com. This is an immensely sought-after website where you can find developers from all parts of earth. You can find beginners as well as the most skilled programmers here. On this site, people often ask question for which there are elaborative answers provided in the form of full-fledged codes and program snippets. These code snippets are more often than not read to compile and help the learners to grab intricate concepts with much more ease. And if you can’t find what you are looking for, simply ask it, and you will see many hands raised there.

leetcode.com

Another websites that does not skimp on details while helping the learners get a firm grasp on different programming languages. There are dozens of programming languages being covered here, and irrespective of whether you are learning .NET or PHP, you are set to find all the answers right here. there is a huge literature on all the languages and you can refer to various pages for any confusions or doubts regarding the coding. You can go to the Q & A section to check if the question you have in mind is already asked there or not. It is a very responsive site that makes v=navigation between different pages easy and fuss-free.

asp.net/web-forms

This particular website is a haven for those looking to hone their skills in ASP.NET, and also for those who have to start from scratch. Practical PHP Programming is an extremely informative website that makes use of some insightful tools to impart incredible PHP lessons to the most untrained of minds. The time spent on this site learning .NET proves to be fruitful as you are made aware some of the most complex aspects of this language and platform. The Model View Controller is studied in detail and all the latest features are covered in this site.

Github

You can in detail learn how to use the APIs associated with different languages. Introduction to the most basic as well as the very advanced aspects of programming is done cleverly by the means of this website. Learning the programming language becomes a rewarding process as this website makes it an experience much cherished. You can even create a new project and host it without paying a penny. Now that’s a feature not every website offers.

With options aplenty, making a choice would be difficult, but worth all the fuss

Author Bio:

Peter Milar is a highly reputed writer who works as a team with the Java Web Development experts of Xicom Technologies to create informative and full of insight posts around the Java technology. Hire Java Developer from Xicom to receive premium quality Java application development.

On February 4, 2014, Microsoft announced the appointment of their new CEO, Satya Nadella. Stepping into the role with immediate effect, Nadella is tasked with guiding Microsoft in an ever-evolving marketplace, with tech savvy consumers constantly craving the 'next big thing'. If Microsoft are to stay relevant they must continue a long standing tradition of technological innovation and advancement.

This constant demand for innovation was no doubt a critical factor in Nadella's appointment, a trait he has consistently shown throughout his career. In 22 years working for Microsoft, Nadella has been a constant catalyst for change, spearheading the company's transition to the cloud, and significantly increasing the company's market share within the Server and Business tools sector.

He comes highly recommended with Bill Gates saying; “During this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than Satya Nadella.” High praise from a man responsible for founding the organisation for which Nadella now leads. Gates goes on to say; "His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth."

So as we usher in a new era, let's take a look at Microsoft's portfolio of enterprise technology, a sector that Nadella shaped and will continue to shape. The organisation is now synonymous with enterprise technology, and as you will see in this infographic from Firebrand Training, their is an extensive range of Microsoft products.

Before we dive into the graphic, let's pull out some of the highlights:

• Microsoft Exchange Server accounts for 51% of worldwide mailboxes in the business and email collaboration market.
• More than one billion people us Microsoft Office, that's roughly one in six of the world's population
• Microsoft commands 73% of market share in the server operating system space
• Visual Studio 2012 was downloaded 600,000 times in its first month following release.

Note: The graphic is quite large and can also be seen here: http://www.firebrandtraining.co.uk/images/infographics/microsoft-enterprise-technology.png

This article was written by Edward Jones, Technical Writer for Firebrand Training. Edward is tasked with servicing the information needs of the technology industry, and spends his days writing how-to guides, news and opinion articles.

Taking a look at the history of astronomy will allow us to understand the many advances made and give us the knowledge we need to further explore the universe. The Babylonians were amongst the earliest astronomers in the 17th century B.C. and recorded the motion of the planets in the sky. Their discoveries paved the way for future generations to learn more about the universe. Galileo (1564-1642) invented telescopes that allowed him to get a better picture of what makes up the night sky. Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus and several moons around other gas giants. Over time, scientists have been also able to develop technology that has changed the belief of a geocentric universe to the heliocentric model it is today. The Hubble Space Telescope and the Kepler Project are two other major undertakings that continue to shape our view of space. Take a look at the following infographic to learn more about astronomy over the years.

Created by Labroots, the leading social networking website for scientists, engineers, and other technical professionals.

At the end of the year 2013, Google and Apple still remain the two prominent and strongest players in the mobile application development industry. The recent report of WSJ states that both of these mobile giants have more than 700,000 applications in their bucket and the rate is growing very fast. The report also explains that both these players have sued the technological sophistication very deliberately, as applications have gone beyond the circle of mobile only. There are now devices of Tablet PC, mobiles, gaming devices and recent television sets which these companies are eyeing on. But if we give a closer look then we cans see that the turnover rate of application from users’ download and usage point of view is very little in comparison to rate of production. The rate of iPhone apps that get some market exposure and prominence is 6% while that of Google is 9%. Therefore, if 1000 apps are produced every single month, then only 60- 90 apps are able to generate revenue while the other dies without being noticed.

One consideration for the iPhone application makers today is to analyze the market scope and also the market traffic. What is there are a number of cars available for cheap rates, but no roads to drive on? It is apparent that the sales of cars will be affected directly with the road traffic and availability, and the same applies for mobile applications. Though, the market is booming currently, the overall performance in terms of the profitability rate has decreased for both Apple and Google. It is apparent that if one thousand apps are produced and only 20 get market acceptance, the profitability rate will shrink.

For this reason, the application makers now have to put more attention to both the functioning and need of an application, along with its marketing strategies. With so many apps available in the market, consumers have a big choice pool available, and if the changed behavior of speediness, the decision is often made in the first few minutes. For this reason, it is quite apparent that if the application is not able to click in the first few minutes and is not presentable, there are high chances that it will end up being confined to the app stores only.

Jackson Richie, the CEO of a Muscovy, illustrates that there are nearly thousand, if not millions mobile applications for music and video. All applications are more or less same, as application makers cannot leave the basic parameters and requirements of a music or song application. So, what required here is extensive marketing and advertising of the application. If you are a little late in launching the app, you might be outrunned by the app that launched just before yours and offer nearly the same features. On the other hand, if you launch an application and your competitor launches a better app with more features, it will again menace the profitability and sustenance of the pap in the market. Thus, the question today is not what to produce, but how to market it!

Image Credit: kromkrathog

E-book readers and tablets have pushed book publishing into revolutionary directions. New developments include software that allows users to create end read interactive books. Do not confuse digital interactive books with eBooks. Both formats are quite different.

There is a distinction between eBooks and apps, which is not always clear to both consumers and publishers. Applications are often based on Android software or an iOS mobile operating system that was developed by Apple Inc, whereas eBooks are printed documents packaged in a specific format, like Mobipocket or the EPUB format, which is short for electronic publication. Enhanced eBooks (ePUB3) books are also competing for the attention of avid readers. What makes them different?

• eBooks first appeared on devices like the Kindle. They have few interaction capabilities. You can search for content, flip the pages, change the font size to improve readability, and highlight words to get a definition from the dictionary, but that is about it.
• Enhanced eBooks allow easy integration of audio, video, and interactivity. This format may eventually be used for textbooks and other educational material. It is quite possible that, in the future, textbooks can read themselves. It is not quite clear if this would be beneficial to children, especially those still learning to read. On the other hand, it would be great to make notes on a book without destroying it, or being able to test your knowledge before moving on to the next chapter.

Creating a Digital Book

iBooks Author is an authoring application from Apple for Mac devices. The software allows the user to create a wide range of digital books, from historical novels and textbooks, to picture books and cookbooks. The computer software company Adobe joined the bandwagon by launching Digital Publishing Suite via InDesign for devices, such as the Android, iPad, and Blackberry. Other independent publishing platforms include Moglue and Mag+.

Interactive Electronic Books

Users can interact with the storyline in sight, sound, and touch by utilizing tablet PCs, like Google Nexus, Toshiba Excite, or Kindle Fire. It is quite a step up from common eBooks, which do not allow the reader to participate. The list of interactive eBooks includes travel guides with device GPS capabilities, pop-up book apps for children, cookbooks with video recipes and built-in cooking timers, or ordinary eBooks that were enhanced with interactivity features.

Grimm's Rapunzel ~ 3D Interactive Pop-up Book

Interactivity Levels 

Interactivity should enhance reading experiences vastly. If it does not, the book should be removed from the interactive eBook category. Why is it important to be thorough? In the race to bring out the most publications and get more buyers, publishers throw books on the market with very few interactivity capabilities. Touching a button on a screen to make an animation move does not really add a lot of value of the story. Are you looking for a children’s book with a tremendous amount of interaction? Check out the example below.

“Cozmo's Day Off” is an amazing children’s interactive storybook. It was on the top-seller’s list for a long time, because of its many interactive features. This eBook contains over 100 original audio and animated interactions. There are so many of them that you have to wonder if it should be defined as a “book” or a “game.” Parents should review their options before deciding what a storybook’s purpose should be. The amount of required interaction will depend upon the child.

Creating Amazing Experiences

The sky is the limit, and interactivity can take book-reading experiences to a whole new level, one that cannot be reached through traditional publications. Interactive eBooks have evolved quite a bit since they were first introduced. They are no longer about touch interface controls. By adding different elements, parents and teachers can now encourage children to engage in the experience rather than to be a spectator.

While a lot of interactive eBooks are designed for children, adults can enjoy this development in reading practices just as much. “Martha Stewart Makes Cookies” iPad app is a great example. Aside from supplying more than 90 popular recipes, this book also lets you search recipes based on ingredients or by flavour. The book includes baking tips, instructional videos, kitchen timers, simple packaging ideas, shopping lists, sharing options, and much more.

Bakers can search to their heart’s content by employing the easy-to-use cookie wheel. It can be accessed by tapping on the navigation ribbon on the left side. This would not have been possible in a printed version of this book.

The Benefits of Interactive Learning

The mind of a child is like a dry sponge. It craves knowledge. Traditional classrooms are limited. They only deliver the educational material that is required by the school. Parents have the opportunity to save their kids from boredom by reading interactive eBooks together. The benefits are incredible, and include the following:

• Students can work at their own pace, and review the content whenever it is convenient. They can go back to review information that was not quite clear. Advanced children can move on to the next book, instead of having to wait because some classmates need more time to understand the material. The smart ones will not be slowed down by the questions of other students.
• Teachers can add material to interactive learning environments.
• Educational institutions can lower their operational costs, as electronic books can be taken home. Kids can study where it is most convenient. This is a great solution for student living in remote areas or locations often plagued by extreme weather conditions.
• Using a mouse and interacting with the characters helps children to become familiar with everyday technology.

Interactive eBooks are great educational tools. However, they were not created with the purpose of eliminating traditional, printed library books. Each type of reading material has a purpose. Combine them to get the best possible outcome.

Author Bio:

Stuart Gonsal is the co-founder and managing director of Lava Digital Agency, a boutique web design, development and digital strategy agency in Melbourne. Stuart believes in collaboration and that people and ideas are at the heart of every successful project. Follow Stuart on Linkedin, Google+ or visit at http://www.lava.com.au

It isn’t always easy for some students to finish, or even start, their higher education. After all, family obligations, work, and life can get in the way. Luckily, technology and e-Learning are now making it possible, and a little easier, to take responsibility for your own education and earn the degree you always wanted.

Taking your Education in Your Own Hands

In the past, it was only possible to take coursework in traditional classrooms. However, the demands from many students’ full-time jobs kept a lot of non-traditional students from being able to make it to class. As a result, their grades suffered and some students were even accused of being irresponsible, despite the fact that they were trying to care for their families and themselves in the only way they could at the time.

When it comes to eLearning, however, online classes offer the flexibility to learn and take courses in a different way. You can now take your education in your own hands. Students who wouldn’t have been able to regularly attend classes in a single city are now able to attend them virtually anywhere in the world-on their own schedule.

A Variety of Degrees

In addition to the flexibility that e-Learning offers its students, you’ll also find that many online learning institutions offer a variety of degrees and programs. These make it possible to find something for everyone, regardless as to what you’re interested in. This diversity is something that was seldom seen in the past.

For instance, some online program now offer as many as 20 or more online programs, including undergraduate degrees and even certificate programs which take considerably less amount of time to achieve. You can also find graduate degrees as well, which are becoming increasingly necessary in today’s world as competition is becoming fierce in the job market.

Some of the most popular e-Learning online degree programs include, but are not limited to:

• Marketing 
• Communications 
• Healthcare 
• Teaching 
• Business

More than Just a Classroom Experience

In an eLearning environment, you’re getting more than just a classroom experience. Students today require programs that fit into their professional life and relate to the work that they will eventually be doing in their prospective jobs. In online education, the programs help them learn the skills that they will need to be successful in their new roles as leaders within their jobs.

Most of the professors in the e-Learning programs have said that the flexibility of the programs allow them to adapt their classes to meet the needs of the students, too, so that they’re not creating the same cookie cutter classes over and over again.

Students enjoy being able to take a range of classes that will help them in all aspects of their career, and not just classes that are required of their majors. This can help give them a broader outlook of their professional world and give them the skills that will help them in a variety of experiences on down the road.

Taking Responsibility

Of course, it’s still up to the student to take responsibility for their education, but most students thrive in this and actually enjoy it more. They prefer being “in charge” of themselves and their actions and like it better than feeling as though someone is standing over them, watching. In the online process, coursework is organized on the internet by the instructor and the student must log in and complete the assignments and tests by a certain date. They must also take part in the classroom discussions as set up by the instructor.

Most students discover that the online learning environment isn’t that much different than being in a traditional classroom and is even fun. It’s important to be proactive. You must also give a lot of attention to your studies. As with most things, your online education eLearning experience will depend on how much you give to it. You’ll get back as much as you put into it.

For those wishing to expand their education and take responsibility for their future, eLearning offers a rich experience and the chance to broaden their horizons in an exciting frontier. Are you ready to take that next step into your future and take the responsibility for your education?

Author Bio:

David Miller is an educational researcher who has vast experience in the field of teaching, LMS Systems and online training. He is associated with prestigious universities and many leading educational research organizations. He’s also an ed-tech veteran, currently pursuing research in new eLearning developments, and is a contributing author with ProProfs.

Even though cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular solution for businesses and individuals alike, and even though a lot of people are using it in some form, quite often without even being aware of that, there are still a lot of those who are only superficially acquainted with the term. Cloud computing has been with us for a while, and during that time, several distinct types of clouds have been formulated, so this article will try and summarize the most important points regarding each of them.

Public

Public clouds are perhaps the most common type of this service out there and one that is most accessible and convenient for individual users, which is not to say that business can’t make great use of them. Any kind of cloud service that is offered from a single provider to numerous users, with hardware and software being owned by the provider can be considered a public cloud. In this kind of setup you are simply renting the services or resources, without having any kind of control over the platform itself. Public clouds can offer storage, web based applications, or a number of other services to their users, according to the one to many principle, which is to say all users are getting the same application, for instance, with the only difference being in their contract with the provider – a number of authorized users, limitations on application features and similar.

Scalability of this kind of service, combined with the fact that users don’t have to own expensive hardware, make this setup extremely cost effective for businesses, but public cloud systems are still being plagued by chinks in their armor, which is to say security issues.

Private

Private cloud setups are mostly used by large corporations that require absolute control over their cloud, as well as an increased level of security. The corporation in question can decide to purchase the necessary hardware, or simply host their cloud with an external provider, but most prefer the former solutions, as the investment in hardware is more than justified by the additional increase in control that it affords. The cloud is only used by the corporation, and is completely isolated from other clouds, making it much more secure.

Hybrid

As can be inferred from its name, hybrid clouds are a combination of a private cloud with a public one. This allows the user to have an adequate level of control and security, but also to use the resources of a public cloud. This affords for great flexibility, as you can always limit the integration of the two clouds to perfectly suit your needs. Just like private clouds, you do need expert IT staff capable of maintaining the private cloud and the link with the public one.

Community

This term describes clusters of private clouds that remain separate on one level, but have a joint hub. This kind of setup is mostly used by related organizations that need access to the same kind of resources, but that have to stay separate. One of the examples of this kind of setup are different government organizations which need to be able to function individually, but which can also use a hub for the synchronization of their data and resources.
Image Credit: hin255

Author Bio:

Olivia Still is a blogger, technivore, cloud computing enthusiast, and online marketing consultant for a number of Australian companies. Currently exploring the possibilities of virtual private server.

How much do you really know about women and the gaming industry? Most people don’t realize how much influence women have had on gaming development. Some people don’t even realize that there are many female gamers. While men are known for their achievements because they represent 97 percent of the development staff, there are still many women who have changed this industry for the better.

Major Audience

Even though females compose a large portion of the gaming market, most people don’t recognize just how many female gamers there really are. Men are known as the majority of gamers, and this is true. What many people don’t know is that the market isn’t as male dominated as you might think.

Only 55 percent of the market belongs to men. The other 45 percent of gamers are women. Not only that, but the majority of them are over 18.

Major Developments

Some of the biggest advancements in the gaming industry involved women. For example, Centipede used early artificial intelligence programming that later helped programmers develop modern intelligence coding. Only two people developed Centipede, and one of them was female.

Portal is recognized for its advanced physics and interesting mechanics. A woman helped develop this game. She and a group of friends first started work on Narbacular Drop, which was used as the basis for the Portal franchise.

Women have also influenced writing in the gaming industry. While some games are known for being childish or having thin plots, the Legacy of Kain series was set apart due to its mature story telling and intelligent writing. A woman did the vast majority of the writing.

Mobile Gaming

Another area that is experiencing a major female influence is mobile gaming. The entire Temple Run series was developed by a woman who was determined to make small games that would appeal to the majority of gamers. Some of the most popular mobile gamers were partially or exclusively made by women.

Even though only a small number of women create games, they have left a mark that few can ignore. It’s time for more women to join the gaming industry to create even more advanced games and ideas :)

It’s important to take care of yourself while you’re on the road. Whether you’re making a long haul or a short haul, there are things you can do to keep your health and your sanity. Take a few breaks on the road and get out of the truck. Go for a brisk walk to get blood moving and get some fresh air. You’ll feel rejuvenated. It’s important to keep your body fit, even if your work doesn’t require it. Try to exercise a few times per week (even lightly). By staying fit you can actually combat exhaustion and tiredness—two things you never want to suffer from while on the road. Instead of eating fast food or greasy foods, stick to healthy, energizing foods. A good diet is important for overall health but also helps keep your energy level up while on the road in your truck seat. Try to pack a few fruits and vegetables, or stop at a local grocery store on one of your stops to pick up some fresh food items for snacks and skip the potato chips.

Created by Suburban Seating.

Today's scientists and researchers are more advanced than they have ever been before thanks to the use of highly effective traditional research methods combined with the speed and efficiency afforded by modern day technology. Case in point, one recent discovery in the material science realm, spider silk, has given scientists, medical professionals, the military, and business thinkers alike a reason for excitement because it has proven to be one of the most revolutionary materials science has seen in a long time. Spider silk, which many are calling the "new super material of the future", is over five times stronger than steel, ten times stronger than kevlar, and yet more elastic than a rubber band. It's potential uses span from the automobile, medical, military and construction industry. You can find out more about this amazing new material in this infographic, "Spider Silk: The Super Material of the Future", including what ways you might see this material show up next.

This infographic was produced by Sierra Cases. Find rackmount case solutions from Sierra Cases.

Infographic on "From Tablet To Tablet"

Infographic by Needashredder

From Bricks to Brains: The Evolution of the Cell Phone

Source: Computersciencedegreehub

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