The role of Technology in Today’s World and in the Future

The role of Technology in Today’s World and in the Future

Technology is an essential part of our lives today and few can imagine living without. We achieved a lot with the help of technology, for example we have the possibility to travel, keep in touch with friends on the other side of the earth and cure many illnesses. It means more freedom and choices for people but at the same time we have to consider the social imbalance, weapons of mass destruction and natural resource depletion. Jane Godall asks for a reason: “We are the most intelligent species walking on earth, how it comes we destroy on what we depend?” What has achieved so far is irrevocable, but we can still determine where it goes in the future.

One of the most important things everybody has to deal with is to overcome the short-termism, which prevails in governments, companies and individuals. Additionally we know, that decisions one individual takes are not necessarily good for the society as a whole. This doesn’t make it easier.

I think it is important to bear in mind the mutual goal: to keep the planet with mankind and all its beautiful animals and plants alive. This implies to make technology as positive as possible for humanity and the environment in the long run. The technology we create now creates the future and it should be for the people and make things easier and not more complicated. So what kind of society will we be?

Technology shapes the future and it can help to make it compatible with nature. It can help us to develop clean energy, transport possibilities with less emissions and low-energy houses to save resources. Technology is not only about technology itself or more efficiency and discovering new methods and processes; we have to add the component of art which is about to make wise choices for the future of technology. We should not develop technology because of itself, but to develop it, because it adds value to society and simplifies human life. For this, it needs to be discussed with experts from many fields and we have to relate the technology to the organization and the culture in which it should operate. And remember: There are no side effects – they are part of the technology.

Understanding Google+

It seems like everyone has been talking about Google+ lately, a new social networking conglomerate developed by the giant Internet search engine Google. Although the platform is still in its field trial stage and is available by invitation only, there is already a large buzz about the product. So, what makes Google+ different from Facebook, the current most popular social networking site? 

Through its three main features – Circles, Hangouts, and Sparks, Google+ differentiates itself because it 

1) Gives the user more privacy by allowing him or her to be in full control of what is shared 

2) Has a group video chat feature 

3) Allows the user to uncover content rather than purely share content 

For the Facebook crowd at large who is unfamiliar with Google+, here is a quick glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the new site. 

The Stream 

Once you get the invite, (the word is that there are currently tens of millions of users, so ask around – chances are you probably know someone who is using it) just sign in with your Gmail, Picassa, or Youtube account. You are then prompted to create your personal profile, which consists of a profile picture, introduction, education, employment, places lived, etc. 

On the home screen, there is a GChat bar on the left side and a black bar at the top of the page that connects with Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Photo, Reader, and Web. Below this, there are four tabs that are quite similar to Facebook: Home, Photos, Profile, and Circles. The vast majority of the screen is taken up by a live news feed with comment and +1, or the “like”, capability of your Circles’s activities. But wait – what exactly is this “Circles” mechanism that keeps being referred to? 

Circles 

One of the three main features of Google+ is Circles. Circles allow you to sort your contacts into groups, including but not limited to friends, family, acquaintances, and following (like Twitter). Ever go through your 1000+ Facebook friends and not know who certain people are and how you met them? Have no fear – Google+ will keep your contacts organized. 

Additionally, Circles allows you to easily share posts and pictures with only a specific group of people. There is also the option of adding friends without a Google+ account to a circle, in which they will receive your posts via email. By giving the user control of essentially every post shared, Google+ can be as private or public as you want it to be. 

Hangouts 

The Hangout tool is a video chat function. After downloading Google’s Voice and Video Installer, you have the capability to create a Hangout and invite up to ten people in your network to chat. Rather than planning Skype sessions in advance, Google+ posts that you are “hanging out” in the live stream and gives others the chance to jump in. Another appealing feature of Hangouts is the ability for Groups to watch Youtube videos or movies together. 

An analogous application to Hangouts, the Huddle feature allows users to group chat through text. This can be useful for creating plans for the night or making decisions on a work related project. 

Sparks 

Sparks allows you to not only share content, but also to discover it. By typing your interests into the Sparks page that appears in your sidebar, you can stumble external sites that are of importance to you. Generally, these include current articles, videos, and other relevant content. Specifically, when I clicked on Recipes, which is one of the current featured interests, I was directed to “Foodmakers May Change Recipes to Cut Fat for Fare Advertised to Children,” “New Restaurant Shares a New Blueberry Pie Recipe,” and more. You can also share your favorite links from Sparks–and from anywhere on the web for that matter – onto your Wall. 

More on Google+ 

Similar to other social media sites, Google+ is available for those on the go. The native mobile app currently is available for the Android, but the web app is accessible for all smartphones, and SMS is coming soon. 

It is still undecided when Google+ will be fully available to the public, for Google+ representatives have stated, “How long the testing phase lasts, and how the product evolves, will really depend on how it goes. We don’t have a set amount of time” (Google+ Press Site). 

But, for those who have already snagged the invite, this ultimate question remains: Will you switch to Google+ or stay with Facebook?

Why Isn't My Laptop Battery Charging?

Why Isn't My Laptop Battery Charging?

Laptop batteries are batteries used to power the laptop computer devices without the use of an AC power adapter. The length of time a laptop battery lasts is linked to the size of the battery and the amount of power used by a system's resources. 

General Troubleshooting 

A non-charging laptop battery can be caused by a number of different reasons, but a general troubleshooting principle for correcting this problem is to double-check and make sure the AC adapter used to charge the battery is connected correctly to the computer and to the power outlet. Also check that the power outlet is generating electricity (by plugging a different device to ensure it works). 

Correct Voltage and Current 

A laptop battery requires a specific voltage and current delivered from the AC adapter to be charged. Using an AC adapter that does not deliver the correct voltage or current specified by the laptop battery will cause the battery to recharge incorrectly or not at all. 

Poor Connection 

Dust and particle buildup between the battery and the laptop computer itself can cause a poor connection, resulting in loss of power or inability to charge the battery. Troubleshoot a laptop battery by removing it from the laptop and checking for buildup or residue on the battery's connectors. 

Battery Memory 

If a laptop is run on the battery and then plugged into using an AC adapter, over time the battery will condition itself to run for lesser amounts of time than normally expected. This is caused by a problem with the battery memory and can be fixed by completely draining all power from the battery before fully recharging it with an AC adapter.

8 Of The Best Plugins For WordPress

WordPress is an amazing tool, I use it on so many websites, I really would be at a loss without it, but what one of the things that makes it so great is the over whelming amount of plugins that are available. If there's something you want to do in WordPress, there's normally a plugin to help you do it. 

SEO Ultimate - I think this plugin deserves more recognition than it's gotten up till now. I have never seen a plugin with such a massive array of features, this does everything that platinum SEO and All In One SEO, also throws in the functionality found within SEO Smart Links and a number of other plugins it is essentially the swiss army knife of WordPress plugins. Some examples of its additional features include; code inserter (for use with adding Google Analytics, Adsense section targeting etc) Webmaster verification assistant, Link Mask Generator, Robots.txt editor and there's even an option for exporting your SEO Ultimate settings to a file so you can import later or use on another blog if you need to, along with support for importing post meta data from All In One SEO - and there's more, well worth checking out. 

W3 Total Cache Plugin - This plugin when fully configured can give at least 10x improvement in overall site performance and give you up to 80% bandwidth savings via minify and HTTP compression of HTML. In A/B testing this great WordPress Plugin beats other optimisation plugins like WP Super Cache hands down in terms of page load time, and not only that but it has Amazon S3 integration. This plugin is so good at performance optimization that it is trusted by sites such as mashable.com, smashingmagazine.com and many others. 

Cbnet Ping Optimizer - Within your WordPress admin panel, if you click on the writing option within the settings tab, you will see at the bottom a section called Update Services, now each time you publish a post or update a post WordPress will ping the sites in this list. So if you update a post frequently, some of these services may blacklist your site, this handy plugin stops WordPress from pinging these services when you edit a post, but allows it to ping them when you first add the post, removing the possibility of being blacklisted as a spammer on those services. 

TinyMCE Advanced - WordPress uses the standard version of TinyMCE as its WYSIWYG editor, this is the advanced version that will add 17 plugins to TinyMCE. These include: Advanced HR, Advanced Image, Advanced Link, Advanced List, Context Menu, Emotions (Smilies), Date and Time, IESpell, Layer, Embed Media, Nonbreaking, Print, Search and Replace, Style, Table, Visual Characters and XHTML Extras. 

WPtouch - Once this WordPress plugin is installed and activated it will transform your blog into an iPhone application-style theme when it is viewed from an iPhone, iPod touch, Android, Palm Pre, Samsung touch and Blackberry Storm/Torch mobile devices. With web browsing via mobile devices this is an extremely important plugin to utilise, as it will provide fast and user-friendly browsing from the mobile devices mentioned and this will not affect your desktop theme in anyway. On top of that you can customise various aspects of its appearance within the admin panel and it will also display ads from Google Adsense which is very handy. 

Maintenance Mode - This nifty plugin will add a splash page to your blog to let its visitors know that your WordPress blog is down for maintenance, it will also inform the visitor when the site will be accessible. The message is completely customisable and logged in administrators will get full access to the blog including the front-end. 

Broken Link Checker - It can be quite frustrating for the reader of a page on your blog who has become engrossed in whatever article/post it is they are reading when they try clicking a link within your page and the site is broken. However this will always happen from time to time and can't be avoided, but when you've been blogging for a while and you've amounted a sizable archive of posts and articles it would be impossible to check them all. 

WP-DBManager - The worst thing that can happen for any blogger is to put your heart and soul into writing great posts and then then just lose it all, whether it's down to your webhost or something else. This great WordPress plugin makes it so easy to back up your WP database, and even optimise and repair it too. It supports backup scheduling and allows you to either download the backup file or email it to you. This plugin is a must have for anyone who is serious about using WordPress.

Blackberry as a business tool

Blackberry is a nearly an indispensable business tool for any trade. Especially for many small firms blackberry is like a boon. Blackberry software is highly responsive in a blackberry phone . you can use it both professionally and in personal life. It can do everything. From providing smart applications to helping you in your job or providing business software which connect you to business applications. Blackberry has a role to play everywhere. It can provide you with a secure access to business email,calendar,applications,contacts,tasks and much more from blackberry smartphones. 

Blackberry has a variety of business softwares which help user in gaining access to the applications and information they can rely upon. These business softwares facilitate greater IT control and connect blackberry smartphones to enterprise applications. Blackberry smartphones have many key business features. With Push Technology you can easily deliver messages and information to your smartphones. 

It helps in increasing battery life while simultaneously decreasing bandwidth usage. Your blackberry smartphone can open and edit attachment; flag email for follow up, look for email and set out of office notifications and many more, off course with conditions attached. Contact information is synchronized between the pc and blackberry phones automatically. The users can search in the company address list, enhancing productivity, while working out of office. Blackberry applications give the ever busy professional greater and performance enhancing calendar features. 

Executives can send out, accept and forward calendar appointments from their blackberry smartphones, without a worry that the changes will not synch with their pc. Blackberry greatly improves on employee’s ability to communicate quickly with colleagues. It lets employees take their instant messaging and social networking out of the office. Blackberry smart phones support blackberry messenger out of the box, also adding web-based IM and social networking solutions. 

Blackberry business solutions provide a social and highly secure platform. Blackberry Balance application secures your business information on blackberry smart phones, separate from personal applications. It prevents information accessed from business applications from being copied and pasted into personal applications. Also access to organizer data on the blackberry phone is restricted from within social networking applications. 

Blackberry Enterprise Server Express provides solutions to business to efficiently and quickly get started, and at the same time reducing costs. Advanced blackberry Smartphone get features with no software licensing charges or fees. Another feature is the Blackberry Enterprise Server. It is apt for large companies and government organizations, with their need for the high level of IT control and enhanced functionality, thereby ensuring workforce productivity and securing the sensitive data.

Fix Computer Problems through Remote Technical Support

Computer and Internet technology is a real blessing which has given direction and support to the modern world. It has so much intermingled with the profession and personal lives of people that it’s difficult to imagine a day without it. It has touched every corner of life and people from all walks of lives are using this. One should be highly grateful to the enterprising efforts of scientists and developers who are consistently involved in the business for a better tomorrow. However, problems and obstacles have never remained an exception. But certainly these are challenges which provoke towards development and invention. 

In early days computer support was catered through direct on-site visit of technicians or by repair shops. Gradually, this method was substituted by remote technical support. In fact, this is a dynamic concept and is of great help. The Internet feasibility and the advent of quality remote software have given wings to the concept. This online support has crossed all barriers and hurdles and one can expect the support anywhere anytime. Whether one has a need of PC repair at home or office, in day or night, facing small or big problems he can get instant help through the Internet or phone. 

Computer Support is used in a broad sense and it encompasses support for every computer related issues which one might face in his life. Operating system, application software, router, printer and other program or devices are widely used with computer. A problem with any of these is inevitable. Again, there are brands and their respective models or software versions as well, so the term computer support gets segregated again accordingly. Microsoft Windows NT, Apple Mac, Linux, UNIX are the commonly known operating systems. Likewise, application software and security software are too available from various brands. This software are regularly updated or revised by the developers to induce better technologies and features. 

Though, brands are offering Remote Technical Support but they restrict to their own products. As one can’t limit himself to one particular brand of software or hardware so this specific tech support would not be enough to deal with computer problems in long run, hence, there is a constant surge for independent technical support provider, who can provide all-round support. Companies indulge in the business offer support for all brands, and one just needs to call the Tech Support Phone Number and permit technicians to have the remote access of his machine. Responsible technician diagnoses the system in front of owner’s eyes and troubleshoots it to fix the related issues. Hence, this has also mitigated the chance of data theft. They can also help the consumer to clad the system with the desired software and set-up and configure important peripherals with it. In case of system crash one doesn’t need to worry too much, by making a right contact at right time he can restore his system and get back his valuable assets. Besides, they can provide driver support, antivirus support, e-mail support and more. 

Becoming A Computer Technician – Tips On How To Get Started

If you have a natural affinity for computers, and you enjoy working with machines, then one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs that you might want to look at is that of becoming a computer technician. 

Among the benefits of becoming a computer technician is that it is a very varied and interesting profession, in which you can choose from a number of different ways to progress, and also choose whether you would like to be self-employed and running your own business, or you can work for an employer and follow a more structured employment path. 

One of the routes into the work of a computer technician in recent years has been to study a course in computer building or repair that will give you a good foundation of knowledge about how computers are constructed, and how the various parts within the computer work together and complement each other. 

Another option if you have already been tinkering and upgrading your own computers for some time is to look for a local computer technician who should be fairly experienced, and is willing to take on an apprentice so that you can get plenty of practical experience, and then apply this experience under their supervision as you develop your computer knowledge. 

If you prefer to work in an environment where there is a more structured progression and development in your role as a computer technician, then you may want to consider looking at corporations which have large offices in your area, as these will often have a number of IT staff already working there. Among the benefits of following this career path is that the company will often sponsor you or at least give you some support in earning more qualifications and accreditations to help you develop. 

Once you have begun to be established as a computer technician, then it is valuable for you to think about getting more qualifications or accreditations, which will allow you to increase the breadth of your knowledge and experience, which will naturally assist you in getting more lucrative opportunities, and moving forwards in your career as a computer technician. These can be either educationally based, or be accreditations provided by manufacturers.