Remember DOS, with its black screen and blinking cursor eagerly waiting for your command. The Disk Operation System (DOS) celebrated its 30th anniversary last week. DOS has arguably been the most important OS of all time and in honor of it turning thirty, I would like to reflect on where it has come from and where it is going.

In 1981 IBM released the PC and the following options for operating systems (OS).

• IBM Personal Computer Disk Operating System – cost at the time: $40
• Digital Research CP/M-86 – cost at the time: $240
• SofTech USCD p-System w/Pascal – cost at the time: $695

For the price tag, DOS was the cost-effective choice and DOS had also been the only one immediately available.  DOS dominated the market by a landslide and DOS was crowned the operating system of choice for those who were fortunate enough to have a PC.  DOS enjoyed its popularity until the launch of Windows in 1985, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that required DOS as a platform to run it on. Newer versions of Windows continued to be released and they needed DOS less and less.

Eventually, a version of Windows was developed that could run independently from DOS as it contained its own standalone OS, this was MS-Windows 95. It did, however, possess a tiny bit of the 16-bit DOS code. I guess Windows still needed a little bit of help from its trusty old friend DOS.

But all things must come to an end and in 1996 a version of Windows was released that did not need DOS. This was Windows-NT and from that point on Windows and DOS would part ways, but it has not left our lives.

There are lots of die-hard DOS users still out there that prefer its efficient and simplistic nature. They think that the more “user friendly” interfaces have too many features that can muck up the system. For this reason we are still seeing new versions of DOS being developed, a few of these are FreeDOS, ROM-DOS, and DR-DOS. Some computer manufactures still make computers with DOS as the main OS. We have seen DOS change but I do not believe it’s going to go the way of the eight-track provided that people still want the simple functionality of cmd enter.

Gadgets, for the most part, are designed to make our lives easier. We have smartphones to keep us entertained, tablets to keep us connected, and even digital blood monitors to help keep us healthy. But are there devices out there that are designed to help keep us cool? Moderating body temperature is an essential part of staying comfortable and thankfully, technology has worked to make that moderation more manageable. We are all familiar with desktop fans and air conditioners, but here are three unique personal gadgets that can also help you beat the heat.

The Bedfan

It’s natural to sleep best when nestled tightly under a heavy blanket. However, it’s difficult to do this in the hot summer months without running a high utility bill. Luckily, gadgets like the Bedfan are an efficient solution to this problem. The Bedfan attaches to the end of your bed with a thin vent that easily fits right under the covers. Then air is pumped out createing a light current. Because the current is insulated between your body and your blanket, the effects are highly noticeable. You’ll enjoy sleeping under a heavy blanket any time of the year. For more information, check out this website.

The BEX Runner

Exercising at a temperature above your internal body temperature can be dangerous. This is problematic in the summer months, especially for anyone who enjoys a nice outdoor stroll. While the BEX Runner is not necessarily a safe solution to extensive exercise in high heat conditions, it does offer a new level of comfort. The BEX rests on your palm and conducts and stores your body heat. Basically, it draws the heat away from your skin to help make you feel cooler. To learn more, read over this article.

The iPocket Fan

While this gadget doesn’t provide the most effective means of cooling you off,  it is definitely entertaining to use. This fan is linked to a charging dock for your iPhone that displays an animated fan on your phone’s screen. If you spin the blades on the screen faster, the blades on the dock spin faster. While you shouldn’t expect to replace your air-conditioner with this gadget, you can at least expect to have a fun time creating a light breeze. For a closer look, check out this link.

Keeping cool is easy with the right gadgets. Make sure and beat the heat this summer by moderating your temperature. If you’d like to read up on some more cooling gadgets, take a look at this article.

People all over the globe watched as the space shuttle Atlantis took its last trip into space last week. This marked the end of NASA’s space shuttle program however the thousands of technologies which were born from the program will remain with us far into the future. We use technologies from the space program at home, work, and while driving.

What comes to mind when you consider technologies created by NASA? Probably rockets, spacesuits, and freeze-dried foods. It may surprise you to discover just how many common uses they have found for technologies originally developed for the space program. NASA releases an annual periodical, called Spinoff, which is dedicated to educating the public about the variety of technologies with origins at NASA that have become commercialized worldwide.

Here are a couple of common items that may surprise you to know would not exist without NASA’s technology.

Athletic Shoes – A process called blow rubber molding was created to produce space helmets and is now used in many running shoes. This method allows companies to make hollow soles in order to fill them with a shock absorbing material. Nike Air is one common shoe that utilizes this process.

DustBusters – Engineers at Black and Decker developed a computer program which allows motors to perform well even when using very little power. Thus the cordless power drill and DustBuster was born.

Smoke Detectors – These were first created for Skylab, America’s first space station, in 1970. They are now so common that you cannot legally build a house without installing them.

The desire to explore space has inspired humans throughout time. The space shuttle program pushed these inspirations into the development of incredible technologies. We will miss the space shuttle however the desire to build bigger and better technology for space travel will not fade. We’ll probably see a lot more technologies created by NASA turning up in our homes, hospitals, and lives for years to come.

Business cards are an integral part of effective networking. The standard is simple, a small piece of rectangular paper with basic contact information printed somewhere on it. However, more and more businesses are getting creative with they way they use their business cards. These new creative designs are increasing memorability and therefore producing more positive networking results. If you’re looking to create a business card that won’t be easy to forget, consider a few of these great tips.

Add Texture

This is one of the most common ways businesses create a more memorable business card. The effect is simple; creating a unique texture for the card gives the brain one more thing to remember due to the extra sense that is being engaged. Take a look at this great example of adding a simple texture to any business card.

Make Them Share-worthy

If your card is worth sharing, the results from networking will be multiplied. Adding a basic and creative design to your card will make the receiver want to show his or her friends or hang it up in his or her office. Consider the hilarious mustache-design included on this creative business card. The idea is that the card can double as a quirky mustache disguise. The receiver places the card in front of their face and shows it to their friends, which is genius, because then their friends see the card as well. It’s inventive marketing. Here is an example.

Make Them Digital

There is no rule that demands business cards be actual cards. Creating a digital business card that your audience can access remotely is a great way to engage your audience. The easiest way to do this is by generating a QR code that leads to a digital copy of your card. QR codes are great ways to engage your audience with any information you want, combining them with your business cards will help increase your networking efforts. Check out these tips on using QR codes.

The way companies are organized has changed as technology has grown. We often see companies reorganizing their teams into virtual teams, also referred to as geographically dispersed teams (GDT). This permits people in different countries to collaborate on a single project. Like most things in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to this style of team and it is not for every business. Is it right for yours?

In the past, it was believed that efficiency had a direct connection with proximity. The thought was held that the more face-time a manager was able to provide their team the more productive they would be. Managers are realizing that this may not be true, and that building a team out of people that work well together and have very targeted skill sets can generate a far more significant result. Another strong factor impacting productivity can be the mindset of the individuals the group is made up of. Many people are encouraged by their personal desire to learn more so as to further their careers; this self-motivation is a trait that works well in a virtual team environment. People who are motivated by social interactions or by the desire to avoid negative feedback may not be a good fit for a virtual team.

For some businesses, it can be practical to use virtual teams.  Many companies, large and small, have embraced this innovative organizational technique. Certainly businesses that require people to physically interact to perform a task, such as construction, are not candidates for virtual teams. If you think implementing virtual teams as an enterprise wide strategy or smaller capacity is a good fit for your company, here are a few things to think about.
 
Advantages

• Recruitment based on competence not proximity
• Team members are able to work during the times when they operate most effectively
• Teams consist of members that are self-motivated and self-driven
• More accommodation for team members’ personal and professional lives
• No commuting time or cost
• Reduced overhead, because there is no physical location
• IT expenses are reduced as most teams use web-based tools for collaboration
• Managers can better examine the team’s efficiency because there are less social pressures

Disadvantages

• Less social interaction, which may be a demotivator for some people
• Loss of trust among team members if there is not guarantee that everyone is pulling their own weight
• Creativity could possibly be stifled, as the physical dynamics are lost
• Team members may overwork themselves as managers can not physically see the length of time each task takes
• Managers may lose track of the team’s progress, i.e. out of site out of mind

Virtual teams make use of a selection of technology to interface. Included in this are email, audio and video conferencing, and file sharing programs. Below is a list of a few programs that can be beneficial to virtual teams.

• Go to meetings – a relatively inexpensive option to have remote conferences
• Yammer – a exclusive social network for businesses that enables quick communication and interaction
• Drop Box – a free way to share files
• Second Life – allows for interactive meetings with the use of avatars

If you want more information on virtual teams in action, look at the articles below: 
http://www.theanywhereoffice.com/mobile-work/telework-viritual-teams-midmarket-companies.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/19/virtual-teams-meetings-leadership-managing-cooperation.html
http://www.openforum.com/articles/7-effective-tools-for-managing-a-virtual-team

It’s easy to get a feeling of deja vu nowadays.

Every week brings big news of another tech IPO. We hear about super-sized valuations for businesses that haven’t turned a profit. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? It has a certain late 1990s flavor.  Are we experiencing another tech bubble? A reprise of dot-com mania?

If you’re foggy on the meaning of tech bubble, here’s Investopedia’s definition:

“Tech Bubble – a pronounced and unsustainable market rise related to increased conjecture in technology stocks. A tech bubble is highlighted by rapid share price growth and high valuations based on standard metrics like price/earnings ratio or price/sales.”

So should we be anxious? Is history doing it’s thing again — repeating itself?

You might think so when you scan headlines. Let’s go through the list of recent and impending IPOs that have made news lately: LinkedIn.com, Pandora.com, Groupon.com, Zynga.com, Twitter.com, and Facebook.com.

Are investors irrationally exuberant about these companies? Perhaps. Consider that Pandora and Groupon are not profitable. LinkedIn posted its first profit ($12 million) last year. Twitter has managed to generate a little net income, but the social network is still trying to find a long-term moneymaking technique. On the plus side, Zynga and Facebook, which are anticipated to go public soon, are pocketing big profits.

(But is the maker of Farmville really worth several billion dollars?)

What about the companies that aren’t making much or any money? Are investors crazy to pour money into them? Maybe, maybe not. Remember, profitability today is not the same as profitability next week. Amazon.com didn’t post profits until 2004 — practically 10 years after launch. But now the company takes in money by the truckload. Last year the Amazon’s net income exceeded $1 billion.

So who knows, maybe Twitter will discover a way to parlay its big user base into a moneymaking machine, a la Google and Facebook.

If you’re concerned, you might find comfort in Jolie O’Dell’s recent Mashable column, which points to some important distinctions between the today’s tech climate and the dot-com era. To begin with, the amount of tech IPOs in 2011 (25 so far) pales in comparison to 1999 (308), the height of the dot-com bubble.

Another difference is quality. In 1999, you could take a vague idea, write a half-baked business plan (or not), and somehow convince investors to throw money at you. This year’s crop of IPOs are very buttoned up by comparison.

But there’s still reason to fear a bubble, even if things have changed since 1999.

If Limp Bizkit stages a comeback, I suggest hitting the panic button.

We’ve all seen the strange black squares that are continuously being photographed by smartphone users. They’re called QR codes, an innovative re-imagining of barcode technology. Originally used for tracking components in vehicle manufacturing, these codes are now used in a much broader context. The use of QR codes is even finding new life in creative business ventures and interactive advertising.

What is a QR Code?

    A QR, or Quick Response code, is a specific matrix barcode that is readable by specialized scanners and, more popularly, smartphones. Because QR codes are two-dimensional constructs, they can hold thousands of alphanumeric characters of information much like the traditional barcode found on most purchased products. They are practical tools for business because of their ability to hold huge amounts of easily translatable information.

    When you scan or read a QR code with your smartphone, the code links you to web-enabled digital content. Much like when a barcode is scanned to generate the price of a given item in a food store, in a much more complicated way, when a QR code is scanned, even greater numbers of information can then be generated.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Building a QR code is easy. It’s a simple process of entering the appropriate data into a QR generator. There are several free versions of this code online, if you’d like to check one out try using the Kaywa generator.

    After you’ve created your QR code, you can print it on business cards, posters, billboards, or distribute it on the web. After the code is available, potential customers are able to scan the code with their phone and then access whatever information you would like them to see.

Why it works

    Creating a QR code is a unique way of creating an interactive ad campaign. You give the mysterious code to the audience; the audience deciphers the code and is then rewarded with the information you’ve coded. It adds value to that information by making it a fun activity. Though QR codes remain new to America, they have been a popular way of creating brand loyalty in Japan for more than a decade. If you’re trying to generate a conversation with your prospects, consider using this innovative device.