Saturday, October 31, 2015

What Will Halloween Be Like in 2025?

I think we can all agree that things will be very different in the future. Of course, we don’t really see the future in the same way as Back to the Future, but we can all accept that 10 years down the line, the world will be a very different place than it is right now. As we move more and more towards the Internet of Things, it’s clear that that will keep pushing its way into more parts of our lives.
With Halloween upon us, what better time is there to look at the future than right now? What will Halloween look like in 2025? Have a look at the fun infographic below for a trip through time.
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The-Future-of-Halloween1

The Biggest Business Rivalries Ever!

Battle of the Brands: The Biggest Business Rivalries

When it comes to the business world, there are certain companies that always seem to be at war with each other. This is, of course, because these companies exist in the same space. Each firm is battling for the same customers, and as such, for the same money.
So what business rivalries are the biggest? Who wins each of these battles? Check out the fascinating infographic below for a look at the battles and winners.
Do you agree with the choices in each of the battles, or do your prefer the loser? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Click to Enlarge
glotech_business_07102015

Friday, October 30, 2015

How to Drive More Conversions from Your Email Newsletter

4 Ways to Drive More Conversions from Your Email Newsletter

Curious Facts About Your Keyboard

5 Curious Facts You Didn’t Know About Your Keyboard

It’s funny to think about, but modern technology wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for the keyboard. We use it every single day, yet we take it for granted. That’s a bit sad, isn’t it?
Here are some facts that you may not have known.
1. QWERTY is the least efficient keyboard layout. On average, QWERTY requires 50% more movement than Dvorak and 80% more movement than Colemak. In other words, you really should learn a different keyboard layout.
2. When typing, the fingers travel approximately 1 mile for every 10,000 words. This is assuming the QWERTY layout, proper typing skills, and this website’s methodology.
interesting-keyboard-facts-foreign-layouts
3. Non-Latin keyboards have multiple layouts, too. For example, Koreans may encounter Dubeolsik and Sebeolsik layouts while Arabic layouts may differ depending on whether the keyboard is Windows- or Mac-based.
4. Keyboards are 5x filthier than toilets, mainly because people neglect proper keyboard hygiene. This is why you should be cleaning your keyboard at least once per year, but once per month is even better.
interesting-keyboard-facts-hack-keyloggers
5. Hackers can track every keystroke you make. Keyloggers are a real threatto data security, and they can either be installed programs or plugged-in devices. If a keylogger infects you, every keystroke gets collected — which can compromise bank accounts, credit card numbers, and important passwords.
How many other interesting keyboard facts do you know? Share them with us in the comments!
Image Credits: Backlit Keyboard by Eric Norris via Flickr, Dubeolsik Hangul Keyboard by Yes0song via Wikipedia, Apple Wireless Keyboard by Microsiervos via Flickr Source: www.makeuseof.com

Sharing Mac’s Screen Over FaceTime

How to Share Your Mac’s Screen Over FaceTime (And Why You Might Want To)

You might think of the OS X Messages app as little more than an instant messaging client, but it can also serve as a handy screen-sharing app. There’s no need to sign up for another online account, or download software, or look at ads before you start your sharing session.
Interested? Here’s a quick overview of why you might want to share your screen, and how to do it with Messages.

What Is Screen Sharing?

In short, screen sharing allows another user to use your computer with you. Your desktop is displayed on both your screen and someone else’s, and if the screen sharer gives permission, you can both take actions on it. It’s just like sitting next to each other at a computer, even if you’re thousands of miles away.
screen-sharing-cafe
Showing your screen to someone else is relatively safe, but if you’re going to give someone else control, you should be sure that it’s someone you trust, as they could easily click around your computer, explore your hard drive, find passwords or financial information, and wreak all sorts of other havoc — right before your very eyes.

Why Share Your Screen?

If you’ve never done it before, you might not know why you’d want to share your screen, but there are plenty of valid reasons. One of the most useful is to show someone what’s going on when you’re trying to solve a problem. If you’re trying to open a program and you’re getting an error message, it can be a lot easier to just show someone than to try to tell them about it.
Or if you’re on the other side of the conversation, and you want to show someone how to do something, you could use screen sharing to show them rather than type out a long explanation. This allows the other person to see what you’re doing, which is a lot easier to follow than just hearing you list the steps.
Some people use screen sharing for professional collaboration — you could look at a set of slides with a coworker and make changes in real time instead of emailing back and forth about edits that should be made. Or you could run a brainstorming session and record ideas where everyone can see them, no matter where your team members are.
screen-sharing-collaboration
But there are plenty of other uses, too. You could show someone a bunch of photos from your recent vacation without having to post them online. Or share a video that you’d rather not post on Facebook. You might want to play a game that doesn’t have an online multiplayer function. The uses for screen sharing are really only limited by your imagination and friends list.
Just about anything that’s easier when someone is setting next to you can be made almost as easy through screen sharing. And now, instead of using a dedicated screen sharing app or website, you can just use Messages!

The Benefits of Using OS X Messages to Share Screens

The most obvious benefit to using Messages instead of another screen sharing service is that anyone who has a Mac can do it. Every Mac comes with Messages pre-installed, and it uses your existing Apple ID as a point of contact. Once you’ve signed in and added a person to your contacts list, you can share your screen. It’s that easy.
Messages is also flexible in that it can share your screen with people using other services: AIM, Jabber, Google Talk, and Bonjour. That covers most of the people that you’re likely to talk to, so you’ll be able to share your screen with just about everyone on your contacts list (and if it doesn’t, you can use alternatives like Skype, GoToMeeting, or Google Hangouts).

Sharing Your Screen with Messages, Step by Step

Before you get started, you’ll need to make sure that Messages is set up to use your Apple ID. You almost certainly set this up when you set up your Mac, but to double check, open up Messages and go to Preferences > Accounts.
Make sure that there’s an account in the left sidebar that says “iMessage” under your email address. (Quick note: it’s safe to assume that anyone using Messages has an iCloud account set up, so if you’re not sure, just try to share your screen and if it doesn’t work, check this.)
icloud-account
If both parties have iCloud set up, you’re ready to go. The person who wants to share their screen just needs to double-click on the other person in their contacts list to open a chat, then go to Buddies > Invite to Share My Screen.
screen-sharing-invite
Your friend will receive an invitation on their screen.
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If they accept, they’ll see your screen, just like you do, in a window on their own monitor. Messages will also automatically fire up an audio chat so you can quickly communicate about anything on your screen.
screen-sharing-messages
From here, you can show your contact anything you’d like on your desktop, and they’ll see it just like you would. You can also offer the control of your screen to your contact by clicking on the Screen Sharing icon in the menu bar (it looks like two squares overlaid).
If your contact would like to request control, all they need to do is click the mouse icon in the top-left corner of the Screen Sharing window.
screen-sharing-request-control
After they make this request, you’ll get a notification, from which you can accept or decline their control.
screen-sharing-control-request
That’s all there is to it! Now you can share anything on your screen with anyone else on a Mac without having to adjust any of your system preferences.

Messages Is Better than You Think

With each new release of OS X, the Messages app gets some updates that improve its functionality, and the addition of native screen sharing is further proof of this. With support for your Facebook account and other chat services, the ability to send texts, and even running AppleScript handlers, Messages has become a very capable communication app.
Do you use Messages for screen sharing? Or do you find that other services are better? Share your thoughts below!
Image credits: Halfpoint via Shutterstock.comLDprod via Shutterstock.com.                                    Source: www.makeuseof.com

Children And Media Devices

Should Children Be Allowed To Use Media Devices?

Nowadays, kids get their entertainment in very different ways than they did just a few years ago. It’s not uncommon to see with their own cell phones, or at the very least, an iPod touch. But is it a good idea for them to use devices like these all the time? Check out the infographic below for a look at how kids use media devices, which platforms they use, and much more. It’s really quite interesting.
Via Cryobank
Click to Enlarge
children-media-usage

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Inventions That Changed the Way We Shop

Inventions That Completely Changed the Way We Shop

Over the course of historyshopping has changed a great deal. At one point, we had a simple system of bartering and trading to get what we need, but those days are long gone.
So what led to a change in the way we shop? Inventions. People came up with ideas that would make it better. There was a time when the idea of buying productsfrom a book was unheard of. Getting discounts from clipping little pieces of paperwasn’t something that existed until the late 1800s. So what were the most important inventions in shopping? Check out the infographic below for a fascinating look.
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X-Inventions-that-changed-the-way-we-shop-v27

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