After seeing a video where a screen protector company cuts veggies and saws through loaves of bread on top of an iPad, we decided to compile a list of things you can but maybe shouldn’t do with your iPad. Here are the results of our scouring. Enjoy.
iSlice iDice
Here’s our inspiration for this whole thing. BodyGuardz, yes with a ‘z’, put their product to the test as a cutting board. The normal iPad glass holds up alright on its own, but this is of an anti-scratch surface.
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Image courtesy of Deloitte Access Economics
Foosball, flex-time, coffee, snacks, parties. All really cool work perks. But you know the one your people really want?
Kick-ass IT.
The #1 perk for people in the workplace is being able to get their job done with the least friction possible. And we’ve written about how how IT support keeps people productive, and why companies should view IT as an investment, but new research from Google and Deloitte Access Economics discovered another benefit of having kick-ass IT support:
Employees who are happy with their workplace IT are one third less likely to leave the company than those who are unhappy.
The rest of the research is interesting and all but if there is only one nugget to takeaway, it’s that you can have employees who are happier, more productive, and way less likely to leave if you make kick-ass IT a perk.
Oh, I’ll definitely shill here: Ripple can help you do that.
The net is a great resource for useful tools to help with everything from email management to finding a pet sitter. Ripplers are discovering new sites, apps and software on a near-constant basis in an effort to keep up with the latest innovations and IT solutions. So, we’re sharing a couple of our favorite websites each month. Here’s our picks for the month of June:
1. Flvto Converter
With Flvto, you can easily convert YouTube videos to MP3 audio files. Just enter the URL of the Youtube video you want to convert and click the “Convert to” button. In a few seconds, or minutes depending on the file size, you’ll get a ready mp3 file. Helpful for when you want to snag a viral video song to add to your workout mix. Ta-da! continue reading
Still using the XP operating system on your PC? You’re certainly not alone. Something like 37% of Windows users worldwide are running the now 12-year old OS. But that’s gonna be a big problem by next year.
Microsoft has announced that they’ll be ending extended support for Windows XP on April 8th, 2014. Mainstream support for XP ended way back in 2009, but the failure of Vista and Windows 7 to gain popularity led Microsoft to continue patching up it’s trusty workhorse.
So, what does the end of extended support mean exactly? Well, for one, Windows XP will be seeing the last of service updates, patches, etc. And that means it will become a lot more vulnerable to security threats like new malware and viruses. Third-party companies will be a lot less concerned that their software won’t make XP act funny or just plain crash it. And there’s a pretty decent chance that certain software updates won’t jive with an outdated OS. You don’t have to be an IT pro to understand that all of this adds up to bad news for persistent XP users who don’t make the switch. continue reading
National Day of Civic Hacking is an event taking place June 1st and 2nd in cities across the US. NDCH will bring together citizens, software developers, and entrepreneurs from all over to collaboratively create, build, and invent new solutions using publicly-released data, code and technology to solve challenges relevant to our neighborhoods, our cities, our states and our country. The event hopes to demonstrate what’s possible when people work together to strengthen our society and our individual lives.
National Day of Civic Hacking will be unique to each city depending on that area’s specific needs. It might take the form of a block party, hackathon, brigade meetup - or something completely different. The goal of this year’s National Day of Civic Hacking is to get at least one city in all 50 states and territories to participate. Even the White House has pledged to get in on the action.
Read more about the whole event on the Hack for Change website. And if you don’t see your hometown on the list of participating cities, then get involved and sign up. Here’s a list of the events occurring in Ripple-supported cities: continue reading
We talk a lot (I hope not too much) about how Ripplers love working in a results-only work environment. We really do. But there’s still a number of people I know who just can’t wrap their heads around the concept; let alone understand why I’d choose to write a blog post at 9PM on a Saturday night. Truth is, the ROWE experience is different for every individual. That’s the point. Focussing solely on results and not a timecard allows people the freedom to have a real, satisfying work/life balance.
As a content creator working for a b2b IT service provider, my schedule is a bit more flexible than say one of the guys on the Support Team. It’s their job to solve problems for our clients, most of which maintain a 9-5 schedule. So, Support tends to work those hours, though they’re certainly able to do the things they need to anytime with some simple communication. And, like myself, they can do most of what they do from anywhere including the office, their home or a park bench (provided they have a long enough extension cord). continue reading
The net is a great resource for useful tools to help with everything from email management to finding a pet sitter. Ripplers are discovering new sites and software on a near-constant basis in an effort to keep up with the latest innovations and IT solutions. So, we’re sharing a couple of our favorite websites each month. Here’s our picks for May:
1. World Time BuddyWho couldn’t use another buddy, right? Well, how about one that let’s you know what time it is, no matter where your other buddies are located? That’s what the World Time Buddy does. So, you’ll know exactly how late it is in South Asia before inviting your friends in Bangladesh to a Google Hangout. Oh, and this is one buddy that won’t ask you to help them move into a new place or pick them up from the airport. How’s that for a selfless friend? Thanks, WTB. continue reading
Coders, creatives and entrepreneurs in Atlanta should be interested to know that Freeside hosts a free open house every Tuesday beginning around 7:30 PM.
Located in The Metropolitan warehouses, Freeside is the largest markerspace in the the southeast. We’re talking 6,000 sq/ft, featuring 3D printers, an electronics lab, a classroom, workshop, media lab, two auto bays, a ton of co-working areas and Ripple Free WiFi throughout the building.
Stop by on a Tuesday night to see what it’s all about, and consider becoming a member. The monthly rate is just 80 bucks ($40 for starving tech students), which includes a bunch of benefits like 24/7 access to the building, dedicated storage space, members-only wifi access points, etc. Even if you’re not sure you wanna join up, the open house nights are a great way to meet collaborators, creatives, and some really smart people doing some really cool things.
It’s an exciting and historic month for us Ripplers, and for Ripple as a company. As of last Monday, we are officially tentants of Atlanta Tech Village. We passed out some shirts during Free Lunch Friday to celebrate, and will be doing the same this week. Our buddies at DANGER printed these up super fast and they turned out great.
We’ll be sporting ‘Start IT Up’ shirts most Fridays, and handing them out to fellow members as we run into them. So, yeah. We’re stoked to be part of it all. If you’re an ATV’er and won’t be able to attend this week’s Free Lunch Friday, then come say “Hey” to the Ripple team in Suite 310 and grab a shirt. Don’t cost nothin’.
Many companies are beginning to see the benefits of enacting a results-only policy, but there are still some that are either confused about the concept, or simply afraid of what ROWE might reveal about their employees and how they manage them.
The most important aspect of a Results-Only Work Environment is the emphasis on personal responsibility. In traditional workplaces, the focus might be on how often someone’s in the office, or how many billable hours they submit to their clients. But being in the office and sending out statements doesn’t have anything to do with the actual work being done. The focus should be on the results of their work.
Managers in traditional workplaces assume that if they don’t physically see their employees planted in their seats for a solid 8 hours, then they’re probably not doing their jobs. In a ROWE company, everyone is trusted to get their work done wherever, however, and whenever they need to. They’re judged solely on the work they do and the results they get, nothing more. continue reading
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