Question: We have a different kind of question for CyberWalker. What is the plural of computer mouse -- "mouses" or "mice"? H.K.
Answer: I've been on the trail for an answer to this question for a week and in the process I was snubbed by the very inventor of the computer mouse.
The reviews may be mixed, but for Deb Shinder, the choice is clear. See why she's throwing over her iPad in favor of her new Galaxy Tab. Read more
The United States is facing a crisis of management. Not leadership. Management.
Nearly three years after the start of “The Great Recession,” there’s still no end in sight. The Feds report that unemployment is +9.5%, but those figures are drastically understated. The real figures include people who have given up looking or are no longer on unemployment insurance — they aren’t counted. If you include those individuals, the real national level is more like 12% - 13%.
Across this country and outside it, people talk about the reasons for the slow recovery of the still-dominant U.S. economy. A lot of reasons are cited. Among the more popular are mortgage issues, fear of inflation/deflation, the growing strength of China, gridlock in the government,…and a lack of leadership.
Each of these is important. But none of them is the most critical factor. The single most important reason is that we have a management issue.
The United States (along with many other Western countries as well) has too many leaders. In fact, I believe that we’re probably “over-led.” And we no longer have enough managers; we’re under-managed.
This is seriously funny!
IT veteran Jeff Dray takes a lighthearted look at the types of IT managers and supervisors. We originally published Jeff's list back in 2004. And, I decided to pick a few photos the illustrate Jeff's great descriptions. Enjoy!
Check out Jeff's companion list of 10+ most dangerous species of help desk caller.
-- Bill Detwiler, Head Technology Editor
In my travels through the wilds of the information technology field, I have come across many different species of IT manager. All are from the genus 'Procurator' and are very dangerous in captivity. Some are now on the World Wildlife Federation's At Risk Register. However, there will certainly be no captive breeding program to preserve them as most would be overjoyed if they disappeared from the Earth.
To help classify these dangerous breeds, I've created the following list of species and character descriptions of some common types of managers. These types are loosely based on some managers I have worked for over the years. As ever, this classification should be taken with a large pinch of salt.
Caption by: Jeff Dray
Apple has released the first major software update for the iPad. The 4.2 version of iOS brings a slew of new capabilities to the iPad, including many that will be of interest to business professionals and to IT departments that have deployed or are considering a deployment of the iPad.
The update, which is available as a free download through iTunes, is the first jump to iOS 4 for the iPad. The iPhone got iOS 4 in the spring but the iPad has been stuck on iOS 3.2 until now. With iOS 4.2, the two devices are now unified on the same operating system (along with the iPod Touch as well).
Below is my list of the 10 most important iOS 4 updates for iPad business users, along with my screenshot gallery that gives you a quick peak at the new features.
http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-13416_11-486583.html
With 2011 predicted to be the year when the IT industry will reach nearly $3.5 trillion in revenue and show long-term growth for the next five years, Gartner, Inc. analysts have presented business and IT issues that warrant the greatest attention and demand the clearest strategies for the future.
“We are increasingly living, playing and working in a digital world where people will have no alternatives but to become ‘more digital’ with the assets they have available,” said Stephen Prentice, vice president and Gartner Fellow. “In 2012, the Internet will be 75 times larger than it was in 2002, and if Facebook was a country, it would be the third largest in the world (after China and India). Device and data proliferation is also a reality that cannot be escaped. Smart devices will rise from 60 billion devices in 2010 to more than 200 billion in 2020.”
“Technology is no longer the preserve of the CIO,” said Ken McGee, vice president and Gartner Fellow. “It has become everyone’s property and everyone’s issue.”
With the IT industry on track to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4 percent for the next five years, Gartner has identified seven business and IT issues that CIOs should act on during the next three years. “CIOs will need to begin implementing these technologies within three years to meet the six year predictions,” Mr. McGee said.
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1465614
When any fit of gloominess, or perversion of mind, lays hold upon you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaints. ~Samuel Johnson
Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. ~Proverb
We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't. ~Frank A. Clark
Hey Everyone,
We have great news for you!
Our new MakeUseOf manual "Using The Magic Pocket: A Dropbox Manual"
is now available for download.
It's informative, easy to read and, like all of our manuals,
completely free.
DOWNLOAD: The First Unofficial Guide to Dropbox
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=HUON_&m=1ZVsw7fxQ8UKNK&b=PZbqamVJB8wlaZRkm7ACkA
Never heard of Dropbox before? It's a hottest piece of software
around today. This program acts as a "magic pocket" which is always
with you and contains whatever you place in it. Put a file into
your Dropbox and it's on all of your computers and mobile devices,
really handy if you own multiple devices.
Moreover, you can use it for easy file sharing, backing up your data and
even remotely control your computer. And lots more.
It's a must have for everyone.
DOWNLOAD: The First Unofficial Guide to Dropbox
http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=HUON_&m=1ZVsw7fxQ8UKNK&b=PZbqamVJB8wlaZRkm7ACkA
Do us a huge favor and share the guide with friends on Facebook and
Twitter. It's important for us. Use the share buttons on the page.
Enjoy!
Aibek Esengulov
Editor-In-Chief
MakeUseOf.com
MakeUseOf Limited
1007 Argyle Street
Glasgow, G3 8LZ / UK
It’s interesting to see how demand changes for the various IT skills in the job market. In an update to a similar slideshow from March, Dice.com offers this insight into the jobs of today. Click through to see some of the most in-demand skills and their growth on the site in the past year.
http://dice.com/
Prince William and Kate Middleton announce their royal engagement - but who's that waiting in the wings? Hackers poison search engine results to spread their fake anti-virus attacks. Watch this video from SophosLabs to see the threat in action, and ensure your anti-virus protection is up-to-date.
Everything you need to know about Facebook's new message system but were too afraid to ask. It's not email as we know it, but it could still suffer from security threats like spam and malware. Make sure you are clued-up and are ready before it impacts users in your company.
Think there's nothing for an anti-virus to find on your Mac? Think again. Record-breaking numbers of people are downloading Sophos's free anti-virus for Mac home users, and now we can reveal the most commonly encountered malware that users of Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition are seeing.
From the Editors of The Daily Brainstorm:
23 Ways to Rock Your Mind
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Alan Rusbridger: Why Twitter matters for media organisations
In an extract from his Andrew Olle lecture, the Guardian editor-in-chief sets out 15 things Twitter does effectively
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/19/open-collaborative-future-journalism
Read Alan Rusbridger's lecture in full
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/19/open-collaborative-future-journalism
This snippet of wisdom is related to achieving simplicity in designs. I am storing it here as much for your convenience, as for mine.
Just saw this on Amazon: 'Simplicity' by Edward De Bono (Paperback) for $0.01 http://amzn.to/9XmwYQ
De Bono's Simplicity Principles
A long while back, I stumbled upon a snippet of wisdom. Fortunately, I wrote it down, because the website that held this info is down. I have managed to track down the source to a Mr. Edward de Bono. His book, “Simplicity“, is available at Amazon.
The snippet of wisdom is related to achieving simplicity in designs. I am storing it here as much for your convenience, as for mine.
Simplicity Principles
You need to put a high value on simplicity
To get simplicity you have to want to get it. To want to get simplicity you have to put a high value on simplicity.You must be determined to seek simplicity
People quite like simplicity if it does not cost anything but are usually unwilling to invest resources in making something more simple.You need to understand the matter very well
If you do not seek to understand a situation or process, your efforts will be ‘simplistic’ rather than simple. Simplicity before understanding is worthless.You need to design alternatives
It is not a matter of designing the ‘one right way’. It is more a matter of designing alternatives and possibilities, and then selecting one of them.You need to challenge and discard existing elements
Everything needs to justify its continued existence. If you wish to retain something for the sake of tradition let that be a conscious decision.You need to be prepared to start over again
In the search for Simplicity, modify if you can – start afresh if you cannot.You need to use concepts
Concepts are the human mind’s way of simplifying the world around. Warning: If you do not use concepts, then you are working with detail.You may need to break things down into smaller unitsThe organisation of a smaller unit is obviously simpler than the organisation of a large unit. The smaller units are themselves organised to serve the larger purpose. You need to be prepared to trade off other values for simplicity
A system that seeks to be totally comprehensive may be very complex. You may need to trade off that comprehensiveness for simplicity.You need to know for whose sake the simplicity is being designed Read more at noscope.com
A shift of complexity may mean that a system is made easier for the customer but much more complicated for the operator.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. ~Albert Einstein
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ~Confucius
The pleasures of ignorance are as great, in their way, as the pleasures of knowledge. ~Aldous Huxley
A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance. ~Saul Bellow
Simple and Ignorant
About
Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR. Read more about Chris...
A lot of what I do is simple. I help people figure out simple business models. I seek out simple ways to connect buyers to products and services. I seek simple ways to explain complex things. I love simple. Simple is how I get paid, more often than not.
A lot of what I do is ignorant. I don’t know the answers. I look at the blankness of my experience in an area and I find ways to understand and learn. I love ignorance. Ignorance helps me figure things out from a whole new perspective than the “experts.”
It’s funny how often we criticize things for being simple or ignorant. I make quite a decent living from both.
Related posts:
Read more at www.chrisbrogan.com
- Simple Is Best
- Simple Calls to Action
- A Simple Blogging Formula
- Why Simple Still Wins
- The Beauty in Simple Stories
