Are you a "connector?"

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Are you a "connector?"  In his book, The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell defines "Connectors" as "people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances."  With 65% of adult internet users using social networks, we have to wonder at the number of new connections being made on-line every day!


Read more about how Americas are connecting on the web:

• Social networking sites and our lives
• Neighbors online
• The Social Side of the Internet
• Connect with potential employers on-line

What is the "cloud?"

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Have you been hearing the term "cloud" being tossed around over the past few years and wondered what exactly is this "cloud?!"  Here's a description from Wikipedia:

Cloud computing refers to the use and access of multiple server-based computational resources via a digital network (WAN, Internet connection using the World Wide Web, etc.). Cloud users may access the server resources using a computer, netbook, pad computer, smart phone, or other device. In cloud computing, applications are provided and managed by the cloud server and data is also stored remotely in the cloud configuration. Users do not download and install applications on their own device or computer; all processing and storage is maintained by the cloud server. The on-line services may be offered from a cloud provider or by a private organization.

See more about the "cloud" from:

• Microsoft
• Siemens
• Cisco
• Google
• HP
• Dell
• IBM
• Coming this fall - Apple's iCloud for iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Productivity tips and tools for telecommuters, freelancers and businesstravelers

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Telecommuters, freelancers and business travelers, we found some great tips from Fast Company and Work Awesome to help you maintain productivity while away from your office.

Some of the recommendations include:

• A laptop loaded with all the appropriate software for your business needs.
• Internet access using your home's internet service provider (be sure you have adequate bandwidth for up/downloading files), Wi-fi (if you are working in an airport or maybe a local Starbuck's) or an aircard/wireless modem device (some cell phones can provide this type of internet access).
• Secure your laptop and your web browser with different passwords - particularly if you are working in public places.
• A smartphone - for quick access to emails, calendars and your address book.  You can also download apps to help you track your time and productivity.
• Store documents in the "cloud" by saving to Google Docs.  Google Docs also allows for collaborative editing with co-workers/clients.
• USB drive - for sharing files directly with clients/co-workers or for those times when you don't have web access.
• For teleconferencing, you might want to consider setting up a Skype account (your company may already have a teleconferencing service provider).  You might also want to invest in a microphone and possibly a webcam.

Follow the links to read the Fast Company and Work Awesome articles in full.  Here are some other great tips we found:

• Microsoft at work - Telecommuting tools: Tips for working from home
• Microsoft Tracks Telework Trends, Ranks Top Cities for Home Workers
• 5 Productivity Tools for the Busy Freelancer
• Work from a Coworking Center for an Affordable Office Environment
• Work Smart: Must-Have Mobile Apps for the Road Warrior
• Working from Home? How to Stay Sane
• Visit the Telecommute News website for more tips, resources and suggestions on productive telecommuting.

Tech tips for a productive start to 2011

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As many of us resolve to make changes for the better in the new year, consider adding better productivity to the list!  Here are some great tips to help us maximize productivity at home and at work:

• Use a Daily Log to Keep Yourself Focused on Productivity
• Productivity All Around: Be sure to sync your tools!
• 10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Technology
• The 10 Best Productivity Apps For Business Professionals
• Create a productive home office:
  • How Much Storage Space Do You Need in Your Computer?
  • How Can I Speed Up My Aging Laptop?
  • Set up wireless internet access in your home
  • How To Expand a Wireless Network
  • How Can I Find Out If My ISP Is Limiting My Download Speed?
  • Office Design Tips to Increase Productivity
  • How to Find Your Ideal Desk Height
  • Manage Cables with an Old Coiled Phone Cord
  • Something to think about - Where Are You Most Productive When Working at Home? 
• For those who need to be productive while on the go:
  • Check out the best in mobile/portable devices - Laptop Magazine's Best of CES 2011,
  • Five Mobile Productivity Apps for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry
  • Productivity On the Go with Office Web Apps
•  See also:
  • Assign Email a 15-Minute Minimum to Avoid Unnecessary Checking
  • 15 tips to customize Gmail to increase productivity and organization at work

PRIVACY ALERT: Marketers may be tracking your online activity

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A recent Wall Street Journal investigation, part of their "What They Know" series of reports on online privacy issues reveals that marketers may be tracking your online activity.  Web users (especially children) are usually unaware that some of the websites they visit will install tracking software such as a "beacon" or "cookie" on their computers to track the other websites that they browse and sometimes even what they type on those sites in order to create a profile of the user which they can then sell to marketers.
Here are some of the findings as reported by the Journal::

• The study found that the nation's 50 top websites on average installed 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning. A dozen sites each installed more than a hundred. The nonprofit Wikipedia installed none.
• Tracking technology is getting smarter and more intrusive. Monitoring used to be limited mainly to "cookie" files that record websites people visit. But the Journal found new tools that scan in real time what people are doing on a Web page, then instantly assess location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions. Some tools surreptitiously re-spawn themselves even after users try to delete them.
• These profiles of individuals, constantly refreshed, are bought and sold on stock-market-like exchanges that have sprung up in the past 18 months.*

For more news and video from the WSJ's "What They Know" series of reports, visit their website here.  Below is a video from the series discussing how a customer is profiled on websites.


*Source:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703940904575395073512989404.html

Job seekers, make your resume searchable online with keywords

Tweet Before submitting your resume to online job boards and corporate websites or posting your social media resume on your website or blog, you will want to ensure that your resume is searchable by potential employers with job openings that match your interest and experience by including specific words or terms (keywords) in the body of your resume that are associated with your experience/credentials and the type of job you are seeking. 

Since many companies often use an electronic keyword filter to screen potential candidates your increase chances of being discovered by a hiring manager with an opening that matches your interests by including multiple keywords.  Some online job boards may also ask you to input keywords in a separate field to aid in matching you with the right jobs.

Of course, once a recruiter for your dream job finds your resume on the Web and invites you for an interview, you will need a well-formatted print resume - see MS Word templates for creating resumes here.