Self-Healing Plastics

It is a rare occasion to find someone that has not experienced the utter horror of getting a new gadget and then seeing the screen broken in a million pieces within several weeks. Those people need a medal. Enter Vitrimers. These plastics are the creation of Ludwik Liebler, a materials scientist at the ESCPI Institute in Paris. The unique properties of this material is that it can reform after being broken with heat and a chemical catalyst. This plastic isn't just great for mobile devices, it will have so many more uses such as in transportation. It can also be used in the medical field for treating injuries and even accelerating healing. There is still a lot of research to be done on these materials before they can hit shelves but the field of self-healing materials is definitely growing. In the mean time, make sure you chose the right places to play the gaming applications and not around water.

Business Products of Yesterdays

Technology has come a long way and we take some of the conveniences that we have for granted. Starting with communication services such as phone services, emails, and internet. Back in the day, there was dial up internet. It was pretty amazing how patiently we waited and suffered through the beeps and tones while the computer connect to the internet. There was also no email which meant that people had to type out or write letters. Communication was a lot slower. Not to mention more expensive. International phone calls cost a pretty penny and you had to wait for the connection to be made. There was also no caller ID. You have to be brave every time you picked up that phone and asked hello because you did not know who was on the other line. Computers also do a lot of calculations for us these days. There were no spreadsheets to run calculations and even projections. It will be interesting to see what technology becomes obsolete in the next 20 years or so.

De-Stress With These Several Steps

Take 20 minutes and do some yoga. There are so many mobile applications out there that can help you in your practice so you do not even need to leave the house. You will be amazed by what just a couple minutes can do to your physical and mental state. Laughter is a lot cheaper than a therapist so dig out the old duds that you have in your closet, have a hearty laugh and be reminded not to take yourself too seriously, and that we're always capable of progressing. Come on, we have all made questionable fashion choices at one point or another. While you are in the closet, find some of your best clothes and wear them today. Research has shown that when we look our best, it acts as a great confidence booster. Work will always be there. Grab your backpack, stuff it with Scooby snacks and sunscreen, and hit the trails. When we breathe fresh air, move vigorously, and enjoy nature, we escape from the daily grind and feel less stressed. You could also go for a run, which is also much cheaper than a therapist.

Google Photos

The web application Google Photos is about to get a lot more intelligent. It will soon be able to sort photographs according to an individual's name and suggested that it could eventually understand more abstract search terms -- those pertaining to emotions. This is about supplementing the way that people remember pictures and moments. Some people are getting nervous about the service because of the way that Google might be using the pictures. In response to the concerns, Google said that it will not be using the photos without explicit asking and explicit consent. Aside from the issues of privacy, I was wondering about the issue of this sort of artificial intelligence. First of all, facial expressions that are associated with certain emotions vary from culture to culture so does the algorythn take that into account? Also, what if it gets the emotion correct? For some people facial expressions show emotions that they do not even realize they are having. It seems like the technology would have one up on us.

Making Big Impressions

You only have one chance to really make an impression. This goes whether you are interviewing in person or over internet phone services or just going to a meeting. The first think your should do is make sure that you get there on time both mentally and physically. Give yourself about ten or fifteen minutes to go over the material that is going to be discussed so that you are ready to jump right in. Another way to really impress and connect with people is to always listen first and then talk. A lot of people tend to just think about what they are going to say when the other person is talking instead of listening. After you listen, make sure to follow up with thoughtful questions. Making a great impression does not happen all the time and what works in some situations, fails miserably in others. The truth is that if you have not failed, you are not growing. Learn from those mistakes because wrong answers lead you to the right ones.

Crossing Things Off That Bucket List

Do you gave a bucket list? If not, you are lying to yourself. Everyone wants to do and achieve something. The best thing about bucket lists is that you do not have to be a certain age. The first step to take is to really stop and think about. This is about you and what you want. What is exciting and feels impossible? Being honest with yourself is the most important part of this. Find something that also scares you a bit and people say that you are crazy. Go for something that people would consider unrealistic. Next, write it down. It becomes more real that way. After you made it real for yourself, you need to tell the world your plans. This will possibly bring you to someone that would be able to help you and also hold you more accountable for accomplishing the things on your bucket list. Tell everyone and use any communication service that you can find. But you have to be enthusiastic about it because that is really what attracts people to you. Finally, on your journey, help others achieve their goals. The favor will come back around because when people see that you are not just taking but also giving, they will be more inclined to help you.

Getting Some Fun Back

When was the last time you had fun? Gaming applications do not really count. I get it, you are very busy growing your career and do the things that have to get done. You might do things that you enjoy and that are fun but never because they are fun to do. First of all, ask yourself what you would most want to do. Try daydreaming of a perfect day or evening and you can even think back to what was exciting to you in your childhood. I mean a day at the beach in the waves still sounds pretty awesome. Trying something new is definitely not a requirement but if you use some of your valuable fun time to try something you've never done before, you'll expand your horizons, activate newness-loving pleasure chemicals in your brain, and create very vivid memories. Make sure to thank the naysayers for sharing and then get on with what you were doing. You blocked out this time for pleasure, so there's nothing else for you to prioritize right now. The "should"s will still be there when you finish doing all those fun things.

Networking Tips

If just the idea of networking leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you are not alone. The first thing that people should remember is that is it not a collection of business cards that you are after, but rather relationships. When you approach a potential contact, have the mindset that it is a relationship because otherwise the other person will see right through you. Before you even start approaching people though, you need to have a clear idea of where you are headed. Write down your goals and how you are going to get there. There you are ready to connect your networking strategies with your goals. For each goal, write down three people that will help accelerate that goal and it could be a mentor, advisor, or even an investor that believes in your vision. Now the question becomes how to create that connection whether it is over video conferencing or in person. To be perfectly honest, it is rather simple. Ask insightful questions and be a good listener. Lastly, after you have made the connection, make sure to follow up on it.

The Private Cloud

When it comes to cloud services and cloud computing, the private cloud is storage where you know exactly where the data and documents are and who has access to it. The security is much greater with private cloud than public. This is the perfect option for the businesses and industries that have to go through a lot of regulations and handle sensitive information. One of the best things about private clouds is that they are specific to each business and can be customized throughout its deployment. This means that it will run efficiently and productively along with your business. There is also more control and reliability and this translates into more security and piece of mind. The disadvantages to the private cloud might be that it is too costly and requires IT expertise. As far as costs go, it might be a good idea to see the security that you are getting for the money and if it is worth it. The private cloud would require IT experts to deploy and maintain it so the business would need to have its own IT department. On the other hand, you can have it managed by a trusted third party.

Writing That Perfect Email

There is a site that will go through public data around the web about a certain person and then tell you how to best communicate with them and what communication services would be best to use. Apparently, the computer program can do it better than we can. Is this the beginning of the end the way that Ex Machina put it? It’s definitely creepy, perhaps useful, and almost certainly a look at how we’ll communicate in the future. So it seems that now was are on the brink of using technology to supplement our emotional intelligence. If technology is always used to enhance the good things about us, will it inherently also enhance the worst in us? What will happen if the good is always made better and there are less and less human errors? Sometimes it is those human errors that make us human and a place where we can connect with each other. A sort of common ground if you will. Messing up is universal and it crosses all type of boundaries. We get rid of that and the boundaries become more solid and more real.

3D Printing Reaching New Heights

3D printing is the new kid on the block at the consumer level and it is not going away. One of the new innovations in 3D printing is that the printers are getting smaller. The Micro by M3D is 4.5 inch cube that can uses PLA to print things that are nearly as big as itself. It will be available for sale this summer for $350. If you have one of these printers, you have the ability to take a concept to something that can be put on sale in less than a day. You can also experiment with materials. The type of printer is also evolving. Instead of squeezing out plastic, resin printers use light to turn a photosensitive liquid into a solid, one layer at a time, and with layers at least five times smaller than with FDM, at 0.02 mm. That’s fine enough to make tiny figurines. While we are talking about making tiny figurines, there is a company that sells a whole body scanner so that you can have your very own mini me. I am sure that eventually it will get to the level of mobile applications. Just take a picture and then print your action figure out.

Working From Home More Effectively

If you are running a business or in software development, you might be faced with working from home from time to time. Let me tell you that it is not the easiest thing in the world and distractions are plenty. In order to work effectively from home, try to find somewhere that's separate from the rest of the house. You want to look for something partitioned off, like a bedroom. On the other hand, the living room couch might not be a good idea. You want to separate your living space from your working space as much as possible. Distractions can get in the way of working and being productive so you need to make sure that separate your working hours from nonworking hours as well as space. It will help with efficiency if there is more structure with the hours. It will also help with accountability. It is also important to break up the day with some exercise to get back some of the motivation from the morning. The quick jog around the neighborhood will give you the much needed energy.

Stay Calm During That Interview

I realize that interviews can be extremely stressful. There are a couple things that you can do to stay calm so that your very best can shine through. First, you need to go there prepared. Do your research about the company and their mission. You need to be able to tell them why you want the job so much and why you would be a great asset to the company. Make sure to create a list of questions that you want to ask the interviewer. You also need to plan ahead by getting all your clothes ready and printing out your resumes a couple of days in advance. That will give you one less thing to worry about. Lastly, think positively and there is a slew of mobile applications that can help in that department. It will help you relax so that you can focus on your skills and accomplishments and why you would be an awesome fit for the job.

Listen to Music Without Hearing Loss

I know that it is cool to blast music and listen to it really loud. I mean there is a saying, "If it is too loud, you are too old." Rock bands have the decibel levels of a rocket engine. I think it might be time to rethink how we see listening to music because the loss of hearing in young people is staggering. Do you really want to be that thirty something and cannot hear a word your friends are saying? There should be mobile applications that can sense the loudness as well as the duration of music that is listened to using head phones. Fortunately, there are some things that you can try in the mean time. Get headphones that fit so that you do not have any ambient noise getting in that makes you turn up the sound. Also, if you are not listening to music, you should get earplugs if you are in a very loud environment. Lastly, get your hearing checked at least once to see where you stand and make sure you keep them healthy.

Upping Your Game This Year

Reaching your goals does not take a day of amazing luck or a great break. The real answer as to how to do it lies in everyday life and habits. Make the little changes that will matter the most. Here are a couple things that you should be doing everyday. The first thing you should be doing is getting up early. This means more than just being on time, it is also about having the time to do things in peace and quiet. You will be able to sit down and go through your internet phone messages and emails an have time left over to get the day started. Starting your days means that the schedule should already be set the night before. It will enable you to be at your most productive because you will hit the ground running. You should also be reading every single day. It will stimulate your thought process and help you keep up with current events. Lastly, it is important to go the extra mile than what is expected of you. You will start getting attention from the superiors or clients and have a great sense of motivation.

Things to Not Do This Year When In Charge of a Project

How many new years resolutions have you broken already? Maybe it is time to make a resolution about what not to do instead of what you are going to do. This idea doesn’t even require mobile applications. Maybe more like a lack thereof. One of the things that we will quit doing is checking emails first thing in the mornings. How many of you actually roll to your night stand to get the phone and start reading right then in bed before you have even gotten up and ready for the day. The emails will not go anywhere so it is important to spend time on yourself when you get up. Once you have gotten up in the morning and got yourself ready for the day, remember to never start a project without a clear plan and timeline. With that down, figure out what tools you will need  as well as never setting unrealistic deadlines or goals. When you have a team together, you should understand that they will make mistakes just like you and it is important to never call them out in public. As the leader of the team, you should also never give yourself a pass and always be accountable. You are the role model to the rest of the team. Lastly, the most important part of the project is the team, so do not take them for granted.

Overcoming Self Doubt

We all have those days when we end up wonder of web development or any other professional was the right track and career option. One of the best things that you can do in times like that is to not compare yourself to others. Worrying about what competitors are doing wastes time and can leave you anxious and exhausted. Instead, try to network and learn from the success of others. Find out what they did well and never be afraid to ask questions. People like talking about themselves and sharing stories so use that to your advantage. On the days that you feel like giving up, you need to be able to take a step back and look at your previous accomplishments. It will help you put things into perspective. If you are facing with making a decision, go about it in a timely manner. Being proactive is just as important as analyzing the problem before jumping in. Sometimes you need to jump in and make changes as you go. The changes are the result of experiencing failures. Use them as learning opportunities and continue to go boldly and confidently..

Stay Focused

Distractions come in all different shapes and sizes, and can even come from within, while you are trying to get the content management system up and running with the new client. It can wreck havoc on your nervous system and you will end up with a headache and a half. The first thing that you need to do is ask yourself, what is going on that is creating all this anxiety? Identifying the cause is already half the battle because now you can start working on a solution. Next, before you even dive into a task, no matter how big or small, you need to make a plan as to how to approach it. It might even help to write down the steps that are need to be taken. Another source of distraction might be all the communication services that you have on your phone. Turn them off and it might just help clear your mind. If you are having a hard clearing your mind, you might want to try looking at your desk. If it is cluttered, that might part of your problem. Another thing that you can try is to be an early bird and get to work before everyone else to get the day rolling.

Increasing Success

Success comes in many different shapes and sizes and it is a really subjective idea when it comes down to it. Approaching this idea from the simple view of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, your goal to to move toward the top of the pyramid in order to be your very best self. Success has been found to strongly depend on confidence as much as competence. One of the things that can make us more confident is to take action. It will actually make your confidence increase, even if there is failure. You should also consider the idea of faking it till you make. It will not mean that you are not authentic but merely a work in progress. It is also important to have a "growth mindset". Having an open mind and being open to change is one of the most important traits to have. You will be able to take failure in stride and grow more because of it. They take the chance and put themselves out there and are able to grow in return. Even content management systems are a constant work in progress for business professionals. Lastly, it is important to invest in relationships. Everyone knows that someone that is making piles but has no loving relationships is not going to be happy.

New Year, New Job

Whether you are just out of college or got a more senior position in that software development firm, getting a new job can be stressful. Even after all the interview processes and landing the job, you are still the outsider before you actually start working there. There are some things that you need to remember to be able to hit the ground running. The company hired you because of who you are so do not try to be someone that you are not. Have faith that you are there for a reason and do not be afraid to participate. While you are participating, do not be afraid to ask questions. Your employers will welcome the questions and see that you are intellectually curious and it might make management look at things from a new perspective. If you make a mistake, take the opportunity to learn from it and not shy away from making them. Mistakes lead to experience, experience leads to wisdom, wisdom leads to instinct and instinct leads to faster decision making. If you are not making mistakes, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Working Online

Are you that person that wastes too much time online looking at cats or playing on a web application instead of working? Well, you are probably going to to admit it and even go so far as to say that the internet has increased your productivity or has not diminished it. Interestingly enough, 35% of people that work online, said that they work more hours. This seems like a no brainer. I thought that being more productive meant doing more in a less amount of time. I thought that the technology should help us accomplish more but it just seems that we end up with more distractions on our hands. The real change needs to come from the human element. We need to be the ones that make changes in how we use our new technology. We also need to take better control of our time and not get lost in the digital lives that we have created. As wonderful as they are, we are still human need to live in the here and now.

Back to Basics

Ever wonder why coaches are drilling their players to practice the basics of their sport? When the basics are practiced, these skills become instinct which allows for more creativity and better playing. The same could be said for getting back to basics in communication. We have so much technology now that instead of becoming better communicators, we are in fact communicating just faster. In the age of information overload and the slew of communication services and options, it is more important that ever to be the one that can be clear and concise to be remembered and stand out from the noise. We need to be able to get back to the basic skills of writing, speaking, and listening. Some of the ways that you can practice these skills is by watching a TED talk at least once a week and really pay attention to how the speaker delivers the message. You could also read a blog from one of the top in the field and critique the writing. Lastly, have one of your peers look at an email or watch one of your presentations and let you know how you did and what things need improving.