Making WiFi Faster

If you are using cloud services, there is really nothing more annoying than really slow internet. It is not always your service but the WiFi. Here are a couple tips to make your WiFi faster and you less stressed. Sometimes, just changing the channel on your router can make a world of difference, particularly if you live in an apartment building with lots of interference from other Wi-Fi signals. Other technologies like cordless phones and microwaves can interfere with Wi-Fi as well. Try channels 1, 6 or 11. If those don't work, go to 2 or 10 next. Hunt and peck until you feel like your speeds are improving. A tall shelf in the middle of a room is the best place for your router.Also make sure that there are no thick walls or concrete that the signal has to go through. New routers have smart technology that can send signals directly to devices (instead of beaming signals randomly around a room).

Telepathy: Sci-Fi or Not Anymore?

What if our brains could directly interact with each other, bypassing the need for language? The idea isn't quite so far fetched, according to a recent University of Washington study in which researchers successfully replicated a direct brain-to-brain communication between two people. the researchers repeatedly were able to transmit signals from one person’s brain via the Internet, and used these signals to control the hand motions of another person within a fraction of a second. The study tested three pairs of participants (each with one sender and one receiver) who were seated in separate buildings on the Washington campus, roughly half a mile apart. They were unable to interact with one another, except for the link between their brains. The researchers believe that there could one day be potential therapeutic applications for people with brain injuries or disorders.Taking it one step further, you could even put mobile applications and certain software development as the interface and the possibilities seem endless. The downside, as always is the case with anything that is connected to the internet, is someone hacking the system and being in control of the person's movements. That is a very large nest of wasps.

Improving Health By Doing What We Alredy Do

What if life could be made better just by what we already do? First of all, many of us that sit for prolonged periods of time with computers and software development projects are at huge risk for some serious health problems. The solution to this is an adjustable desk that lets you shift from sitting or standing which will decrease your total sitting time. The best thing about the desk, he says, is that you can easily transition between sitting and standing throughout the day. Not getting sleep can make you feel cranky as well as put your immune system at risk. It’s worrying, then, that by some estimates over 50 percent of the U.S. adult population is chronically sleep deprived. A concept to create a solution is to make a bed that takes into account a person's biometrics such as weight, height, and preferred sleeping position. It is a bed that can be individually customized. It will also be able to help you relax before going to sleep so that your mind can hit the off switch and really improve sleep quality.

In The Moment

I am sure that you have heard about all the wonderful benefits of meditation but never really got around to it. It is somewhere on the to-do list but there is just too much to do. Of course there are many mobile applications that aim to help with calming the mind but there are several tricks that you can do right now. One of the best things to do is to breathe. We take thousands of breathes each day but rarely pay attention to it. Pausing to focus on what it feels like to breathe in and then breathe out can instantly snap your mind back to attention. Try and take something that is normally a waste of time and be aware of it. No one likes to be stuck in traffic or in line so use that time to pay attention to the sights and smells around you. Taking in your surroundings can really help get you in the moment. The key is to recognize those small, daily moments that inherently grab and engage your senses and that generally make you feel a sense of pleasure, such as listening to music or washing your hands in warm running water. Then pay extremely close attention to them.

Tracker for Your Car

The FIXD sensor is a device that connects your car to your smartphone via Bluetooth and delivers updates on everything from when you need an oil change to when you need to replace your air filter. By connecting the FIXD device to your car's OBD-II (On Board Diagnostics-II) port, just underneath the steering wheel and then pairing it with your smartphone, you're immediately given vital diagnostic data that allows you to track your car's wellbeing. Unlike so many other tracker devices, this one doesn't need to be constantly recharged since it is charge by the car's battery. The device can also tell you when the car will need more coolant and how many miles until a certain problem might require your attention. As far as the cost of the repairs, the company wants to use data from all the customers and pool it into a cloud service and then give an average. There might be risks involved with attaching such a device that uses the internet to cars because it could be a loophole for hackers. 

Superintelligence

Computing power and software development has really taken off in the past decade. The growth of technology has been exponential but it is still hard to predict just when we will be able to development artificial intelligence. Some experts feel that it could be achieved in the next forty years. The question becomes just how we will get there. One of the idea is that we will get inspiration from biological systems. In short we would be plagiarizing nature The circuits now look strangely similar to the connections that are seen in the brain. We also have somewhat of an understanding of the way that the brain learns. Another option in this field is that there could be some sort of mash up of both biology and technology where the tech can significantly alter and add to the biological abilities. We are well on that path already. Another option is to use pure mathematics where the AI would be worked out using the basic math principles.

Big Data and Health

Here are some stats to think about:
More than 50% of doctor's offices now handle patient records electronically.
Nearly 75% of hospitals do so as well.
45% of hospitals exchange the data they gather with each other on a local and regional level.

If we are putting all of the data in an information system, just imagine the possibilities. First of all it will not take too much software development to figure out a program that is able to quantify trends as well as analyze what if going on. Taking it one step further, there is the possibility of even prediction and determining probabilities. This is the age of smarter medicine and treatment. Doctors will have a much better picture of the patient and the illnesses. It will also reduce the time and effort needed to maintain records because much of it will be automated. Not to mention that it will significantly reduce costs. At first there will need to be an investment in the computerized data structure but over time, the saving will be showing up. How have your experiences been with these electronic medical records?

When You Lead, Embrace the Yogi

Mindfulness is beginning to permeate all areas and subjects. Before, yoga was only popular with the people that had too much time on their hand and now people are making time to practice yoga, meditation, and just being mindful of their surroundings. I bet you are wondering about the benefits and why in the world so many people are doing it. Meditation lets you have a relaxed state of mind where you will be able to start the day off positively and continue it that way, even if there are many video conferences or pile and piles of emails. You will continue to have a positive outlook. With that great outlook you will also be able to be more confident and ignore the negative voices in your head trying to bring you down. Since at this point you are confident and positive, you can also reduce stress and make way for creativity because you will be able to look at things from more than just one perspective.

Self Driving Cars

For now, we are doing most of the work involved in driving a car such as steering and pushing the pedals. There are already driverless cars on the road that are totally legal but the popularity is only beginning to grow. One of the main technologies will be the communication services between the vehicles which will leave the driving almost up to the car. Google even has a prototype that eliminates the driver from the equation completely because there is no steering wheel. I do not think that we are at the part yet where the control can be handed over the car so technology that require the driver to be present and take over the controls if need be. There is technology that lets the driver give the control to the car during long stretches of road or in traffic jams. By giving so much control to the cars, we are stimulating our brains less and less and that might prove to be hazardous. What are your thoughts about not driving anymore?

Protect Yourself

Software for inputting millions of username and passwords combos make cracking effortless for a good hacker and the right target, for instance. Hackers don’t even always have to break your security measures — using “social engineering,” web-raiders can use Facebook, Twitter, many different mobile applications and even the phone book to find all the information they need to score your password. It is important to be creative with passwords and not be such predictable and lazy humans that we try not to be but often fail and fall back on the one password that we use for 10 plus sites. If you are going to get hacked, this is the way that it is going to happen, I guarantee it. There are many different password programs that help with creating and remembering passwords. Think about it now, not when your account gets opened and exploited, especially when money is involved.

Better Conversations

We all want to be better communicators in life and at work, there is no doubt about it and there are some things that a communication service cannot do for us. One of the first things you should do when talking with someone is to show a real interest and give them your full attention. This means that you should probably not be pulling out your phone all the time. Also ask questions so that they elaborate. There are two words that are like magic when it comes to conversations, "tell me". It is important to avoid asking simple yes or no questions. You can even ask what the other person thinks after you have explained a point. When someone speaks to you, listen with your whole body. Nod, make eye contact, and be fully engaged in what they have to say. Always permit the other person enough time to finish their thought before you respond. Your patience and thoughtfulness will be appreciated.

Work Life Balance

It seems like it would be an unachievable feat. Utterly out of our reach. If we are of that mindset than we already made a mountain out of a hill and made the climb that much harder. We need to have that balance to be able to succeed in work and life, and be productive and efficient no matter how many mobile applications you use. There are several tricks and tips to consider when it comes to finding that beautiful middle. Employees need to have an open dialogue with their managers and managers need to understand what works and what is possible. Different jobs require different approaches, but everyone can benefit from having an open and honest conversation about what balance means. There is always another email to reply to or a problem to work, but you need to personally respect your own boundaries. If you don’t then you can't expect others to respect them. Lastly, embrace the off button. Don’t bring your cellphone to the dinner table. When you are on vacation, be on vacation. Don’t bring your tablet to the beach.

The Techy Grim Reaper

You are one day going to die. This should not come as a shock...unless you are a vampire. In that case, why would vampires concern themselves with such tiny blogs as this? Possible entertainment? Anywho, there are a lot of mobile applications and website applications that can give us reminders that we are mortal. Some of us need it more than others. A Chrome extension called Mori gives you a graphic representation of the weeks you have left, if you live to be 80 years. At Deathtimer.com, for instance, you can enter some basic personal data and receive the site’s prediction of the day you’ll die (based on life expectancy stats). What’s driving all this morbid innovation? In part, it’s merely the latest extension of a long-standing human fascination with mortality. But adding a veneer of data-driven precision to the familiar “make the most of the time you have” message indirectly links these tools to the more optimistic world of body-monitoring fitness trackers and life-quantifying productivity software.

Internet Connection

When the internet just came onto the scene, the majority of the traffic came from laptops and desktops. It is estimated that by 2018, only about half of the traffic is going to come from laptops and desktops while the other half is from smartphones, tablets, and other connected things. Part of that is due to the rise of the mobile revolution and usage of mobile applications as well as internet phones. The number of smartphones that are shipped and owned by people have already surpassed the number of simple cell phones. With the increase in the number of devices with more computing power and features we see that there is a real momentum towards increased use of internet time on portable and other non-PC devices in general, away from PCs. Not to mention that there are more things online that you would not expect such as appliances and cars. As for me, the laptop is not going anymore because nothing compares to be able to type on a regular keyboard. Even the hybrids between laptops and tablets are not really cutting it.

Internet Pitfalls

A long time ago, chat programs did not have this little signal: Back then, after you were done typing, you'd just have to stare at the screen and wait, with no clue whether your partner was typing a reply, off drinking coffee, or browsing through lolcats. People eventually got tired of this, and nowadays the majority of chat and instant-messaging mobile applications feature an ellipsis, a moving pencil, or some other sign telling you that the person you're talking to is about to complete a thought. Things get a bit awkward on both ends because of that pause. Another thing that the internet makes out of people is some serious personality changes. We are talking about people who are perfectly articulate in real life but, when online, turn into 13-year-olds who have overdosed on cough syrup. It is amazing how we can switch personalities like that and even more interesting is the reason behind it. I am guessing there is none...?

Who are you?

There are plenty of stories, books, article, you name it out there about finding out who you are and your true identity. But the thing that a lot of people fail to mention is that you do not have to do it alone. What if the person you are with brings out the person that you really are? Kind of like making your beautiful colors stand out brighter and bringing out the best of you. I have heard it said that being away from someone can help you keep your identity. Doesn't that argument seem a bit flawed? We spend our life figuring things out and there are those lucky few people that get to do it with someone that fully completes them lets them be part of something bigger. It is not something that can be kept up through internet phones or anything like that. You have to actually be able to see the person and be with them. When I look at my other half, I am still in awe that I got to be one of those lucky ones.

Phones of the Future

Enter Fluid, a device concept by Brazilian designer Dinard da Mata. This smartwatch/smartphone reminds us of a slap bracelet from the 1990s. But with a flexible touchscreen, the gadget would certainly serve as more than just a hip fashion statement. There is also Paddle.Think of Paddle as the sort of Rubik’s Cube of smartphone designs. Created by a group at Hasselt University in Belgium, the project imagines a device without a distinctive shape, a “highly deformable” smartphone that can also take the form of a tablet, a ring, or other offbeat shapes. The physical design of this iPhone 6 concept may appear familiar, but the function is pretty far out there. Developed by SET Solution, this proposed version of Apple’s smartphone would pack projectors, providing for essentially three touchscreens when the device is placed on a table surface, as well as some really cool (and slightly unbelievable) 3D interaction with the main screen. People that are invested in software development also have a stake in the new phones that are being developed because the new medium and technology on which to development the business applications and mobile applications.

Get Up From That Chair!

New research published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health reports that prolonged sitting puts people over 60 at a risk for disabilities. Elderly adults in this age group spend on average two-thirds of their days sedentary, which equates to about nine hours a day. The link between age and disability held even when researchers controlled for obesity, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and other health factors. The risks include being overweight, increased risk of heart attack, and just overall worse health. As a web developer, it might be hard to find time to get up and move. There are plenty of desks that enable you to stand and even exercise while you are working in the office or your home. With these types of studies constantly coming out, it might be time to consider all that sitting around we do either on the computer or using phone services. After you finish reading this post, please stand up.

Protect Digital Content

Walking the halls and halls of products at this year's International CES, you can find wearable technology, sensors, connected toys, connected cars, UHD TV's and so much more. But in addition to all the hardware, we're seeing many software solutions for the millions of us who regularly maintain blogs and websites: the content creators. There are some things to remember when creating digital content and it is important to know your rights.

1. You own the copyright to your photograph, recording, or written copy (including blog posts, marketing material, packaging copy, etc.) the instant it is created.

2. Register your copyrighted works to take full advantage of the legal protections offered to registered copyright owners (e.g., the ability to sue infringers).

3. "Fair Use" is not simply a general opinion of what is "fair" when it comes to using part of or the entire copyrighted work of another: It is a legally-defined exception that may or may not apply to your use of a copyrighted work, depending on multiple factors, regardless of how generously you attribute the original author.

4. Using the informal (TM) symbol is one way to assert common law rights in your trademark, even though your mark is not yet registered by the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.

5. Rather than selling all of the rights to your intellectual property outright, consider granting the other party a license to particular rights in order to create or extend the existing life of your IP's stream of income.

6. When considering a license, pay close attention to the language defining how, where and when the intellectual property can be used (e.g., is it exclusive?; can it be used on only one website or product?; is it for a renewable term?; etc.)