YCSI Blog

Computer tablets have become tremendously popular since the introduction of Apple’s iPad in 2010. Competitors have released their own versions and, almost overnight, a new technological commodity has become a competing force in the business world. Though that’s not to say that tablets are perfect for any business setting. We could very well look at the iPad ten years from now in the same way we currently view tape decks. When deciding on whether or not to purchase a tablet, it’s best to be educated. Consider these pros and cons before you make this expensive purchase. 

Pros: 

• Tablets are mobile. As business begins to fully utilize cloud computing, having your work remotely accessible becomes a must. A tablet can make you more accessible and, in turn, more productive. 
• Tablets are very practical tools. As developers continue to design new business apps that improve over time, there will be a growing amount of potential work uses for tablets. 
• Tablets express capability. In a business setting, having and using a tablet can communicate to your clients a sense of professionalism. If you use your tablet to enhance your work productivity, you will appear more capable. 

Cons: 

• Tablets haven’t reinvented the wheel. Almost all of the functions performed by a tablet can be performed on a laptop or desktop computer. Yes, tablets may be far more convenient, but does that make them absolutely necessary? 
• Tablets are toys. Much like smartphones, tablets are designed to function as entertainment, making it easy to become distracted with streaming video or games. 
• Tablets are a new technology. Though this makes them exciting and cutting edge, it also makes them expensive and sometimes faulty. Developers often release these items before they are perfected, and it might be a few years down the road until a fully reliable tablet is released at a reasonable cost. 

Computer tablets can be extremely useful tools, though at the same time they can operate as nothing more than very expensive toys. Depending on your needs, a tablet could be the perfect fit, but make sure to weigh the pros and cons prior to making a final decision. If you are interested in reading further, please read over this article.

How we pay for things has changed drastically over the decades. Technologies like credit cards and PayPal make payments far less complicated than in the past. NFC, or Near Field Communication, technology hopes to simplify payments even more by allowing people to transmit data from one device to another.

How will we use it?

NFC mobile chips will soon be integrated into all smartphones, making it easier than ever to pay for your coffee. Instead of searching around in your purse or pocket to find your wallet, you simply use your phone – something most of us have at hand at all times.

NFC mobile chips allow users to store their credit card information in their phones. Then, when they are at a store or retailer that is outfitted with mobile payment technology, they can simply scan their phones at the register to pay for their purchases.

Google Wallet

Google Wallet is the first debut into mobile payment technology by a major player in the tech industry. It is available on the Android Nexus S and may soon work on other smartphones, thanks to an NFC-enabled sticker. Several major retailers have already signed on to work with Google Wallet.

Because the mobile payments industry is going to be such a game-changer, it is unlikely that Apple, RIM, and other smartphone makers will be inclined to open their platforms up to Google Wallet. These companies, instead, will likely be coming out with their own mobile payment systems in the near future.

Other potential uses

NFC mobile chips will likely soon be doing much more than just helping you pay for your coffee. Some of those possible uses include:

• Replace passports and boarding passes
• Products may contain RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags on them that you can scan in order to gather information.
• Pet tags may soon have RFID tags attached that you can scan if you find a lost puppy.
• Replace keys – no more clunky key chains!

NFC technology is one of the biggest advancements in payments we have seen in a long time.

For more information on NFC mobile chips and how they work, check out this article.

You may not realize how many processes you have memorized for your day-to-day routine and there are probably a lot. Those processes typically include a ton of intricate steps, which can make explaining or recreating that process challenging at times. Luckily, workflow charts are here to make it easier.

What are they?

Flowcharts are diagrams that show certain processes and the steps and decisions within that process. Steps and decisions are represented by squares and diamonds, respectively, and are linked by arrows to show the order of the steps. For an example of a flowchart, take a look at this article.

Pros

• Very straightforward way of conveying a process as the symbols are generally universally understood
• Once it has been made, the process will often take less time than before
• Helps users understand how each step impacts an entire process

Cons

• Can be difficult to create, especially when the processes are more complicated
• If you don’t have the proper software, this can be a very long process

How to create one

Creating a workflow chart is more straightforward than it may seem. It can be rather simple when done on the computer, thanks to software designed exclusively for that purpose. If you are using computer software to build your flowchart, it is always ideal to outline it first so as to prevent the chart from getting too messy.

Begin by thinking about the starting point of a process and the ending point, and all of the different steps it takes to get there. Some steps will allow for alternative courses of action. In those cases, you should demonstrate the different choices by using multiple arrows. To see what different flowchart icons mean, take a look at this eHow article.

Since workflow charts break everything down step-by-step, they can be extremely helpful when it comes to improving productivity and speeding up everyday processes.

If you’d like more information on how to create a workflow chart, take a look at this article.

Social media is something that is present in most of our lives, whether we like it or not. Unfortunately, many of us still have no clue what most of the terms associated with social media mean. This simple guide can reduce some of that confusion by explaining some of the more common social media terms.

1. Tag

Tag can refer to a variety of different things, depending on how it is used. Often, in blogs or other content you can attach a keyword to a blog. Those keywords are known as tags. This makes it easier for search engines to register the content you post as relating to a particular topic.

Tag might also be used in reference to tagging someone in, or linking someone to, photos. Facebook photo tagging now uses facial recognition software to help you tag friends in photos.

The latest form of tagging on Facebook refers to tagging friends in posts or status updates. You can now refer to people in a post and tag them, which will alert them to your post. This will also cause the post to show up on their wall for all of their other friends to see.

2. Troll

A troll is someone who contributes to social networks with the aim of provoking others.  They are the people that become fans of pages or join groups and then make comments that they know will upset other group members.

3. Friend

While we all know what the conventional meaning of friend is, that’s often not the meaning applied to the word friend in the social media world. In social media, to friend a person simply means adding someone to your network.

4. Stream

This is another double-meaning word. Streaming something pertains to receiving a constant flow of information, such as a webcast. A stream is what most people call their Twitter or Facebook home pages, where all of the recent information and updates are posted.

5. At mention

An at mention, or @ mention, works on Twitter a lot like status tags work on Facebook. You can mention someone in your Tweet, precede his or her name with the @ symbol and they will be alerted to your post. This also allows the post to show up in his or her home page.

Although social media terms can easily become hazy, the purpose of this guide is to help clear them up. If you’d like an even more extensive guide to social media terms take a look at this article.

Employee burnout is something that most of us have seen in others or experienced ourselves. Repetitive tasks and overwhelming workloads can quickly get the best of us. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to both fight and avoid employee burnout before anybody reaches his or her breaking point.

Avoiding burnout

• Have fun – Making room for fun can reduce some stress and help to keep employees motivated when they are on the brink of burnout.
• Switch it up – Let employees work on new projects or teams when they’ve been concentrating on one thing for a long time, like Facebook is doing with Hackamonth.
• Encourage breaks – It’s excellent to have employees that don’t want to quit working until they get things done. Sadly, those are the people that are likely to burn out quickest. If you have employees like this, encourage them to take walks or go on a coffee run – anything to keep them from going stir crazy.

For those occasions when burnout can’t be avoided, there are a few things you can do to help make sure that your employees don’t become fed up.

How to deal with burnout

• Accept it – Burnout isn’t always preventable so it’s essential to pay attention to the signs such as lethargy, decreased socializing or irritability.
• Communicate – Growing businesses often go through transformations that leave employees frustrated. Making sure your employees know that they can talk to you is a great way to stop burnout before it gets out of hand.

While you may not always be able to prevent employee burnout, these ideas can help ensure that it doesn’t overwhelm anyone or negatively affect your business or employees.

If you’d like to check out more burnout prevention tips take a look at this article.

Each and every one of us knows what it’s like to perform an online search and get results that are not even close to what we were looking for. This can be quite aggravating. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple steps you can take that can ensure more relevant search results.

Keep it simple

When you’re performing online searches it is typically best to use as few words and phrases as possible, while still communicating what you’re searching for. If you’re looking for a bookstore in your area, simply type in “bookstore” and add the name of your town or your zip code. This should deliver accurate results that will likely be quite relevant.

Learn about Boolean

You probably learned about Boolean search terms in school, whether you know it or not. Boolean searches are based on using “and,” “not” and “or” in your searches. These terms allow you to include or exclude multiple terms in your search results.

This concept also is effective when you use pluses or minuses in your searches. If you want to include a word in your search results, simply type a “ ” before it in your search. If you want to exclude something, precede it with a “-“ when you search.

Be precise

When you’re performing a search, it’s best to be as specific as possible. If you know what it is that you’re looking for, use exact phrases instead of just keywords. When you use broad phrases, they can often be misinterpreted by the search engine and leave you with results you don’t need.

Using quotation marks is a good way to ensure better search results. Most search engines recognize that as a request for an exact phrase search. So, if you’re searching for a company and know the exact name, it may be in your best interest to search for it in quotes.

These three tips can make quite the difference when it comes to relevance of search results. Implementing them can almost guarantee that you will spend much less time sifting through results you don’t want.

If you’d like even more tips on performing online searches, take a look at this article.

No matter the time of year or the project you’re working on, there are constantly things that can get you off task. Although there is no way to totally eliminate those distractions, there are many ways to minimize them and increase productivity. Here are a couple of them:

Keep a clean office

Clutter and disorganization can easily distract people from the projects they should be focusing on. Cleaning the office and inspiring your employees to keep their workspaces tidy can quickly get rid of one of the biggest distractions out there.

Increase the temperature

A few degrees can make a substantial difference in productivity. In fact, in one study, increasing the temperature from 68 to 77 degrees decreased typos by 44% and improved typing output by 150% - those figures are nothing to sneeze at. Even though your heating bill will increase, it might be worth the expense.

Lighten up

In one study, a brighter office was shown to help employees be more productive. Daylight, particularly, makes the biggest difference in productivity. People who work in offices with windows are likely to spend 15% more time staying on task than those without windows.

Not only does this adjustment help to increase productivity, it also can help you save money on your electricity bill by lighting up the office naturally. Because it’s so easy to do, it’s certainly in your best interest to open blinds and move employees into offices with windows whenever possible.

These straightforward office adjustments are extremely easy to make and can make a huge difference in the amount of work that is accomplished.

For more simple tips on boosting productivity, take a look at this article.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and many of us most likely still haven’t gotten Mom a gift yet. If you fit into that category, have no fear – we have a great deal of gift ideas that are perfect for Mom.

Digital picture frame

If your mom is like most, she most likely loves reliving family memories through old photos. With a digital picture frame, your mom can relive those memories whenever she chooses. If she needs help, you can assist her by pre-loading all of her pictures onto the frame and she can start enjoying it right away.

Tech time

Your mom may love technology, but she still may not know just how to use it. With this gift, you can provide her with your expertise and show her how to do things so she can watch her DVD or program her DVR even when you’re not around to help.

Digital magazine or Netflix subscription

Does your mom have a TV show or magazine that she can’t get enough of? If so, a digital magazine or Netflix subscription could be perfect. Digital magazines provide her with all of the articles without all of the clutter.

A Netflix subscription gives your mom the opportunity to catch up on her favorite TV show. If she’s more of the movie type, she can watch that movie her friends have been discussing for months. Either way, this gift is guaranteed to be a hit.

Tablet

A tablet would be an excellent gift for Mom. Tablets are incredibly popular, instantly making your mom one of the coolest on the block, and are also very portable. Your mom can do practically anything she’d like with the iPad or PlayBook and take it with her wherever she goes.

If a standard tablet is a little out of your price range, the Nook Color may work better for you. It still offers the portability of the iPad and has a number of games and apps available.

Quality time

Many moms feel like they don’t get to see their kids enough. If this is the case in your family, try giving your mom a coupon for video chat sessions with you and your family. This will undoubtedly be a standout gift.

No matter what your mom is like, she is sure to enjoy any one of these gifts. Show her that you care by getting her something she can really use.

For more gift ideas, check out this Unplggd article.

Prezi is a presentation application that has been getting a great deal of recognition lately for its alternative approach to presentations. It has plenty of fans due to its versatility. What else makes it so great? Read on!

Flash-based

Prezi is a flash-based tool, which makes it easier to produce non-linear presentations. Most presentation tools require you to go slide-by-slide and don’t leave much room for creativity aside from clipart. With Prezi, your presentation is more like a thought map than anything else, which makes it flow much more organically.

You are able to zoom in and out of that map to access different parts of the presentation, and can move between areas. This eliminates the need to have identical slides throughout the presentation. It also prevents you from having to revisit a previous slide if you must reference it again.

Intuitive

Prezi presentations are created differently than most, which can make it difficult to get used to at first. Once you have become familiar with the program, however, it is like second nature. You can create presentations like you would a thought map, which is ideal for those non-linear thinkers.

If you are having any difficulty getting used to the user interface, simply take a look at one of the many tutorials on Prezi’s website.

While Prezi is web-based, it allows you to download your presentation once it is complete. This is particularly convenient for anyone who worries about the stability of his or her Internet connection during the presentation. The tool can be used for free or purchased for $59/year for additional storage and privacy.

Everyone may not be looking to move away from the linear model of PowerPoint and tools like it. If you are, however, Prezi is a great alternative.