Strictly Business

In all its cheesy humor, Microsoft’s ServerQuest II is an Internet game that lets you test your inner geek. While anyone can play it, ServerQuest II was undoubtedly created for IT professionals. Users running Silverlight on their computer can download ServerQuest II and run it in their browser.

As a player, you can choose between IT professional s Matt or Alicia whose objectives are to manage the company’s network while providing solutions to a slew of technical problems. Users work through a series of games and puzzles that simulate real life IT problems along with some rather absurd tasks stereotypical of geek humor. Although ServerQuest II is a game, players can learn about and use some of Microsoft’s latest software and tools as well as pick up some useful troubleshooting techniques.

As previously stated, this game does provide a little humor as you earn geek points for providing correct solutions to the task at hand, which encapsulates one of Microsoft’s many technologies. The game includes 10 chapters along with 3 Circuit Snake rounds and a special Vista Upgrade game. So, if you’re an IT geek or aspire to become an IT professional, then this 8 bit graphic game with Mono sound is for you.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 07:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Industry experts predict the next iteration of the Web will likely take hold around the year 2015. From Web 1.0 (the “Static Web”) - where surfers browsed through static, hyperlinked Web pages with little to no interaction to Web 2.0 (the “Social Web”) - an interactive and more social experience for users who are consumed with electronically connecting to other users. Web 3.0, or the “Semantic Web,” is touted as the next generation of the Web where information will be stored and categorized in a way that will allow computers to understand the content and information similar to a human. Web 3.0 will make wide use of artificial intelligence to “teach” the computer the meaning of data, which will in turn, organize the data into an intelligent and useable format. This is expected to make search retrieval more efficient by giving users just the information they want. While we’re still a few years away from the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0, some companies are leading the way in this transformation. For a glimpse into Web 3.0, Thought Pick provides a nice review of some of the various Semantic Web applications that are already in use.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular among Internet users regardless of age. Sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook/MySpace, and Twitter are some of the most popular web-based tools that allow individuals to create online communities. Despite their similarities, these social networking sites offer unique benefits to their users. The following represents a brief synopsis on each of the four most popular networking sites.

LinkedIn is a professional, business-oriented site that allows users to build an online community with other business professionals. LinkedIn users create a profile that is similar to an online resume in that it summarizes the users’ professional experience and educational background. Soon after individuals join LinkedIn, users can create “connections” with clients, partners, and colleagues in which they can view their “connections’” profile and even make “recommendations” on their behalf.

Facebook and MySpace are online communities that are more “social” than “professional,” in that users join to primarily connect with classmates and/or reconnect with friends and family. One’s profile is of a more personal nature including basic information like hometown; political and religious views; and favorite movies, books, and shows. Facebook members can access online games tailored to the Facebook community that allow “friends” to interact in an online gaming environment. MySpace, a less secure version of Facebook, is geared toward a younger audience and provides users more flexibility in creating their own page. More common to MySpace are the web-based tools for musicians to generate/increase their fan base, to promote their upcoming performances, and to share their music tracks with other MySpace users.

Twitter, as far as social networking sites go, is more of a communication platform that helps companies connect to their customers and/or allows individuals to connect to other persons with similar interests. Companies can quickly and easily share their in-store promotions and latest news, gather business intelligence via customer feedback, and develop/strengthen customer relationships through the exchange of “tweets.” Twitter also acts as a search engine in that it provides the means to connect to people and content over the Internet based on the users’ search criteria. Rather than connecting with friends, family, and colleagues, Twitter allows users to reach beyond their circle of friends to exchange ideas in small chunks or “follow” other users in their quest to gather and share information.

The Internet is full of useful resources on how to get started with any of these social networking sites. The best online resource I have found to date was developed for Twitter called Twitter 101. With a little time and effort, I’m sure you will be able to exploit some of the opportunities found within these online communities.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The Nintendo Wii Remote, Not Just Fun and Games…

The Wii has changed the way people play videogames, but its controller is being used for some interesting new projects. This new gaming technology is beginning to show signs of becoming the next device we use to control our favorite machines. Check out these fascinating Wiimote projects:

A Wiimote Controls a 15-Ton Grapple:

A Wiimote Makes Your Display 3D:

Wiimote Projects You Can Use:

A Wiimote Creates Touchable Holograms:

Posted by Chris Tompkins at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, individuals increasingly rely on technology to become more productive. However, it seems that some of us are reluctant to expand our use of technology. The following is a list of four simple to use technologies for teachers who are looking to increase their use of technology; while at the same time, becoming more productive. These technologies were suggested in a blog created by John Orech.

Slideshare: An online resource that allows you to post your slides and/or find existing presentations that meet your needs.

Screencast-o-matic: A great website that allows you to create a screencast so your students can watch and listen to your recorded lectures at their convenience.

Rubric Gallery in RCampus: This website provides users with hundreds of rubrics organized by subject and grade level and gives the instructor space to store his/her own rubrics online. Other features include an ability to modify existing rubrics and the ability to enter students’ grades online based on a chosen rubric.

Classroom 2.0: Consider this website a “Myspace” for instructors. Individuals can create their own main page so others can follow. You can create and/or join groups comprised of educators or other like-minded individuals. Or, you can participate in free webinars conducted by colleagues.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 07:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recently, I came across an article that suggested Canadian high school students aren’t pursuing careers in IT related fields because the work is not “cool” enough for them. Regardless of the study’s validity or the reporting of the study is an accurate reflection of the decline in enrolment in IT related disciplines here in the United States, the article does make me stop and think…What’s not cool about IT? The iPhone is now on its third release since it first entered the market in June of 2007. There are programmers and web developers creating and selling web applications to users that range from games to fitness. Millions of people are connecting with friends and family via social networking sites such as facebook and twitter. Online gaming from Club Penguin to World of Warcraft is becoming a lucrative and viable industry. YouTube has become a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Google is not only the world’s leading search engine, the company now provides a multitude of services from building and maintaining applications to creating and sharing documents. Each one of these examples requires the expertise of individuals who have a good understanding of technology. Whether or not you feel IT related jobs are “cool,” the products and services created by “techies” sure do have your attention.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Middle Tennessee has not been immune to the rise and fall of IT related jobs throughout this decade. In the years 2001 to 2003, the number of advertised IT jobs hovered around 200-250 per year. However, over the past couple of years Middle Tennessee has experienced a fivefold increase in these types of jobs. The conundrum the business community and academia now face is how to fill these positions with qualified applicants when the pool of students has diminished.

In an attempt to develop a pipeline of qualified candidates from academia to business, The Nashville Technology Council (NTC) is spearheading the T3 Initiative (Turning the Tide of Technology in Middle Tennessee). The T3 Initiative is a partnership between academia and business geared toward creating and implementing solutions with respect toward developing a continuous flow of computer majors into the workforce. The key challenges the T3 Initiative actively addresses include: increasing student enrollment IT related disciplines, developing curriculum that addresses business needs, and meeting workforce demands. Click the following link Nashville Technology Council to learn more about the NTC and the T3 initiative and how you can get involved.

Posted by Gary Garrison at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With all the media hype about the loss of IT-related jobs via off-shoring, it’s a good time to be in IT. In 2008, employment for IT-related jobs reached a new milestone of over four million. Over the next 8 years, IT majors will hold 3 of the top 8 growth jobs (Bureau of Labor Statistics) and will enter careers with strong salaries (Hot IT Jobs). So in a down economy the question remains, why would IT employment remain robust while unemployment is on the rise in many other job categories?

Continue reading "It’s good to be IT!" »

Posted by Gary Garrison at 01:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are you standing in line today at the Post Office to mail your tax return to the IRS? The Internal Revenue Service is expecting your completed individual tax return (or an automatic extension request) for 2008 and today is the deadline. But paper and Post Office lines are so ... last century! The IRS wants your tax return ... but digital only please!

The number of returns filed electronically has grown dramatically over the past few years. Electronic, or e-filing, started in 1990 with 4 million returns and reached 90 million last year. Big number? Maybe, but it only represents 58% of individual returns filed and far less than the 80% goal set early this decade by the IRS.

Continue reading "Electronic Tax Return Filing" »

Posted by Del DeVries at 07:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier this week, Google announced its latest plans for promoting its online "PowerMeter" tool, a move that demonstrates the company is extending its mission from information management to managing personal energy data.

The new Google tool, which builds on last year's partnership with GE for smart grid technology, will allow consumers to monitor their home energy consumption through placement of a smart electricity meter on a user's iGoogle home page. There's even a component tie-in to President Obama's proposed stimulus program. Check out the following video clip for a brief overview of the program:

Posted by Joe Alexander at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TryXBRL is a new information resource with XBRL-tagged financial statements for over 12,000 publicly traded corporations. The purpose is to educate financial statement preparers and users on new capabilities for analyzing financial data with reduced cost, time, and complexity. So what is XBRL or eXtensible Business Reporting Language and why should you care?

XBRL is revolutionizing business reporting through electronic communication of business and financial data. The old days of accountants issuing static reports which require laborious and costly processes of manual re-entry and comparison to work with the data are coming to an end. Computers can treat XBRL data "intelligently": they can recognize the information in a XBRL document, select it, analyze it, store it, exchange it with other computers and present it automatically in a variety of ways for users. XBRL greatly increases the speed of handling of financial data, reduces the chance of error and permits automatic checking of information. (ref: http://www.xbrl.org/Home/)

Continue reading "Try XBRL? What language is XBRL?" »

Posted by Del DeVries at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ideate from ax09001h on Vimeo.In the above recent TV ad, IBM pokes fun at those businesses (and consultants) who seem to over-value planning while under-valuing the implementation side of management--sort of a "knowing instead of doing" problem. In IBM's ad, a manager opens up a quiet room and flips the light on, only to find a large group of employees all lying on the ground quietly on their kindergarten mats and staring up at the ceiling. When he questions what they are doing, one employees responds "Ideating." Others separately join in to flesh out the answer by tossing out words such as, "Structure," "Process," and "We need to innovate." When they're finished, the manager asks how they intend to do all of those things. Their answer? "We haven't ideated that yet." The manager wishes them good luck, turns out the light and closes the door.

It's all in good fun, of course, but what makes it funny is that we've all found ourselves scratching our heads at times and wondering the same thing. How come we seem to spend so much more time talking about doing than actually getting something done? At work, at church, at home, even personally. If you're interested in how to change this paradigm and didn't get around to this resource when it first came out, I urge you to take a look at Pfeffer & Sutton's The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). The book's certainly a great resource to read but also then to keep in a visible place in your office or at home where you won't be sucked back into the land of ideation. For a nice summary of Pfeffer and Sutton's work, visit this link at FastCompany There's also a nice summary of the book available in FastCompany.com.

Posted by Joe Alexander at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Presentations are a fact of life. Time and effort are not always directly correlated to results however. A comedy video on what not to do with PowerPoint illustrates a few issues we have all seen, or possibly even used! Don McMillian is an engineer turned stand up comic .... working in PowerPoint!

PowerPoint as a comedy routine!

A somewhat more serious take on PowerPoint and presentation tips in general is nicely illustrated by Garr Reynolds. His insight is to step back and

Continue reading "Presentations with PowerPoint" »

Posted by Del DeVries at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a test.

Posted by admin at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)