Ever wish you could do even more work on your phone? Then today’s your day. Google just announced third-party add-on support for its Docs and Sheets Android app, allowing the mobile version of its office suite to seamlessly integrate with other produ…
Back when the first MacBook Air was launched, many weren’t exactly thrilled by the specs and its price, but over the years consumers have warmed up to the idea of an extremely portable and fast laptop, which is why following the MacBook Air, we’ve seen other OEMs try to create their own slim and fast laptops.
Just recently Xiaomi announced the Mi Notebook Air, and now it looks like Lenovo wants to take a stab at it by launching their own version, the Lenovo Air 13 Pro, which if we have to be honest sounds like they mashed the names of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro together, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing as the Air 13 Pro does pack some pretty impressive specs.
Right off the bat, the slim nature of the laptop is probably the most obvious, but don’t let its slim exterior fool you. The laptop features a 13.3-inch IPS display and under the hood, we are looking at an Intel i5-6200U processor with 4GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 2GB NVIDIA GT940MX GPU. We would have preferred 8GB of RAM, but we suppose it’s still not too shabby.
In terms of pricing, the Air 13 Pro isn’t particularly expensive. It is priced at around $750 and is currently available for pre-registration, although the prices are expected to rise to about $825 once pre-registration ends. The laptop was announced in China so for now, we have no idea if there are plans to bring it to the US.
Lenovo Air 13 Pro Laptop Launched , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Come next week, Samsung will be officially taking the wraps off their next Galaxy Note handset, the Galaxy Note 7. So far everything we know about the phone has been based on rumors, speculation, and leaks, but it seems that Samsung has corroborated some of those claims in their new teaser video for the upcoming phone.
The video itself isn’t that long, but there are certain elements in it that are in line with the rumors, such as fingerprint unlocking, a better front-facing camera with improved low-light capabilities, and also it shows phones being dunked in water which suggests that the handset could be getting some kind of water-resistant feature.
Now at the start of the video it shows off a handset for a brief moment, and from what we can tell it looks like a flat screen handset. If the phone pictured in the video is that of the Galaxy Note 7, then there is a good chance that the rumors of it being a curved screen-only handset would be wrong.
Then again, it is possible that Samsung was using a placeholder so as not to give it all away, but either way remember to check back with us on the 2nd of August for all the official details. In the meantime you can check out the teaser video above for some of the hints about the phone.
Official Galaxy Note 7 Teaser Video Released , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
One of the biggest rumors for the upcoming iPhone 7 is Apple’s alleged plans to remove the headphone port on the phone. Instead in the future, users are expected to connect headphones to the iPhone via the Lightning port. This isn’t as absurd as you might think as other OEMs have recently ditched the headphone port in favor of USB-C as well.
That being said, there is a bit of contention going on right now as to whether Apple will bundle the iPhones with a Lightning pair of EarPod headphones, or if they will just provide users with an adapter, which in our opinion would be more useful. Now thanks to a video uploaded by Vietnamese website Tinhte.vn, it shows off the alleged official Lightning to 3.5mm adapter.
From what we can tell in the video, this accessory certainly looks official in terms of the design, but then again it’s not that hard for OEMs to copy Apple’s designs or to create something that looks almost the same, but there’s something about the way the accessory looks in terms of color and choice of materials that exudes an Apple-like vibe.
In terms of whether or not the accessory will be bundled remains to be seen. It is possible that Apple could bundle Lightning EarPods with the iPhone, or they could bundle the Lightning adapter, or maybe even both, but either way check out the video above if you’d like to see what the “official” Lightning to 3.5mm adapter could look like.
Possible Lightning To 3.5mm Adapter Shown Off In Video , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
QNAP has come out with another 2-bay NAS server, the TS-228. Designed especially for home & SOHO users, this 2-bay NAS server is built with a 1.1GHz ARM v7 dual-core processor, a 1GB DDR3 RAM, a 4GB of Flash Memory and two 3.5-inch SATA HDD bays.
Measuring W90mm x D125mm x H187.7mm and weighing 700 grams, this compact and lightweight NAS server is equipped with 1x USB 3.0 port (front), 1x USB 2.0 port (rear), 1x Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet port and a built-in cooling fan.
Backed by a 2-year warranty, the QNAP TS-228 is available now for 19,800 Yen (about $186). [Product Page]
The post QNAP TS-228 2-Bay NAS Server Released appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
AOC has just listed a new 24-inch WQHD gaming monitor ‘AG241QX’ on its product page. Adopting the Adaptive-Sync technology to eliminate tearing, stuttering and input lag, this new 23.8-inch TN LED-backlight monitor supports a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and provides 144Hz refresh rate, 1000:1 contrast ratio (50M:1 DCR), 350 cd/m2 brightness, 1ms response time and 170/160 degree viewing angles.
Utilizing the Flicker Free technology and the Low Blue Light function to reduce eyestrain and fatigue, the AG241QX comes equipped with built-in stereo speakers (3Wx2) and provides 1x D-Sub, 1x DVI, 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort and 4-port USB 3.0 hub. Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing yet. [Product Page]
The post AOC AG241QX 23.8-Inch WQHD Gaming Monitor Announced appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.
Career jail is a very real place. It’s not a physical place, but rather a mental one – created, maintained, and locked by you. You have the power to lock the door as well as unlock your cell and let yourself free.
As the spokesperson for Caring.com and as an author, I spend quite a bit of time being interviewed by radio hosts across the country. Once the interview is over, many ask me to stay on the phone. Why? It is usually some variation of, “How did you get out?”
For twenty plus years, I was on the other side of the microphone as a rock radio personality. I interviewed some of the world’s greatest rock stars and other celebrities. Leaving radio was not easy; I really didn’t think I could do anything else. Fortunately, I was kicked out of the nest and forced to discover I could do other things in this world for a living. Since that time, I’ve had several careers – ecommerce, public relations, author, keynote speaker, consultant, social media advisor, voiceover artist – the list goes on. I have learned so many lessons and met so many people along the way. I was so scared when I left radio and I could not be happier or more fulfilled now. It took hard work but it can be done.
Read: A top Google exec shares her secret for having a fabulous career
Here are nine things you can start doing now, in no particular order, to help you break out of your self-imposed career jail:
1. Focus on what it is you want to do. Have a plan or at least some sort of idea as to what it is you really want to do – create a product, consult, write, offer a service, open your own shop. What do you really want to do to make a living? Without a goal, what’s the point of this exercise?
2. Get your finances in order. It took Wonder Husband and me seven years to pay off our debt and save a bit of money so I could strike out on my own.
3. Quit worrying about what other people think. Don’t worry; no one will think you re a loser. Just the opposite. They’ll be jealous you figured out “how to escape” career jail and create an amazing life for yourself.
4. Dress for the job you want. Do you look like the person you want to be? Start dressing and carrying yourself the way you want to be seen in the future.
5. Follow the people you want to be on Twitter or on their blogs if they have one. Read their posts and read their tweets. After you get a feel for what they do – retweet, comment, and become a part of the conversations.
6. Connect with and follow companies in the industry you want to be in on LinkedIn. Sign up for company updates through their websites. Educate yourself on where you want to be.
7. Go to industry events, happy hours, and conferences. Be in the room where it happens.
8. Most industries and companies have favored charities they support. Volunteer at these charities. It will put you side-by-side with industry leaders as well as company employees and even company upper management.
9. Read everything you can get your hands on. News, current events, pop culture, sports, religion, international affairs, company reports, and industry news. You should be reading at least an hour every day to educate yourself.
Don’t wait for someone else to free you from career jail. No one else can do this for you. Start the effort. Is it a lot of work? Yes. Is it worth it? Oh yes.
Unlock your career jail. Open the door. Walk out. And breathe.
Dayna Steele is the creator of the 101 Ways to Rock Your World book series and a popular keynote speaker with her true Rockstar Stories. She is also working to bring Alzheimer’s awareness to all ages. www.daynasteele.com
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I’m a fan of the Discovery series called MythBusters. Every episode Jamie and Adam (et al.) work to prove or debunk a myth (or myths) through a series of experiments involving trial and error, advanced exploration and communication. What fascinates me is the high relatability factor of the myths they present. It may be a statement of the obvious, but this is why they became myths in the first place. With customer service being my focus, I explored the myths believed to be most prolific in a wide variety of industries for companies big and small and developed a hit list of five myths related to providing great customer service. Following each myth I provide additional insight, personal observations or explanations for common misconceptions.
MYTH – Great customer service starts with understanding the customer is always right.
BUSTED – Companies that score extremely high marks in customer service go well beyond the philosophy of ” the customer is always right.” Unfortunately, the customer may always think he is right, but in reality, that just isn’t the case. It’s the perception of being right that draws the customer back to a company’s brand to solve a problem, make a demand or request a response. Regardless of whether the customer is right or wrong it is extremely important to acknowledge the query, to be open to the dialogue exchange (face-to-face, phone, email or social), to not get defensive, and to have a clear understanding that although the customer is not always right, being human and understanding their perspective will go far with every exchange.
“The most important thing for every human is to be heard, effective customer service is letting your client know you hear them and will therefore do your best to help them.” ~Shirley Impellizzeri, Ph.D., QME
MYTH – Great customer service is about being quick to resolve problems.
BUSTED– It’s about great communication. Everything starts with communication. Do not wait until you have all of your solutions lined up, neat in a row and presenting your findings to your customer. Great customer service is about keeping your customer in the loop, staying open and being honest with your communication. Some problems take awhile to resolve, and that is the reality of problems, especially problems that are unique. I can recall a problem I had traveling with Southwest Air from Baltimore to Seattle. The Southwest gate employee explained there was a delay due to not having a complete crew. Rather than leaving it at that, she explained (over the microphone) that the crew scheduled for our flight was flying in from the midwest had a delay, but was about 30 minutes from arrival. As time drew closer, she continue to update us every 5-10 minutes. As we got closer and closer to the time for the crew’s arrival she started to tell us a bit about her experience with these specific crew members. Finally, when the team arrived, we (the waiting passengers) felt like we knew them. We actually applauded for them when they arrived, excited to meet these famed crew members. Although the problem took longer than expected to resolve, Southwest kept the communication open and honest. They took a problem and made it part of a positive experience that I will remember for years to come.
MYTH – Great customer service is about being responsive to customers.
BUSTED – Silence is the customer service killer. I’m talking about customer silence. Over 70% of clients that have a problem or question will not call, post or reach out to your company for information or resolution. Exemplary customer service is about being proactive and reaching out to your customers to find out how their experience has been with your brand. Don’t assume because you do not get a complaint or questions from your customers that all is ok. The philosophy of “don’t stir the pot,” is like putting your head in the sand. A silent customer is not always a happy customer. Routinely reach out to your customers on a variety of channels to see how their experience has been with your brand. This can be a double edged sword. Don’t try to be on every channel unless you plan on having the manpower to be visible on every channel. If you do encounter a problem while communicating in a public space like social media, don’t be so quick to take it private. People are watching your every move. Here’s your opportunity to really shine so don’t go on the defensive. Work the situation to your advantage and the public forum you used to resolve your problem will become your stage for problem resolution.
“Excellent service is putting your employees first and building a culture that has them putting the customer first.” ~Micha Mikailian
MYTH – Great customer service is about putting the customer first.
BUSTED – Great service starts with happy employees. A management team that leads from the top down, putting the customer first and having little consideration for their front line has sadly misaligned priorities. A company that puts their employees first, creating a positive work environment, encouraging a positive, happy culture and designing programs that are “employee-centric” will also be putting the customer first. Companies that place importance on employee’s feelings will create staff that are happy and take more ownership in customers’ feelings as well. If you create an environment where you say the customer always comes first, you may be establishing an adversarial relationship between the customer and the employee. If the customer wins the employee loses. More money spent on the customer is less money spent on the employee. If however, you put the employee first, making them happy, everyone wins, including the customer, the employee and your company. Winning companies, through action, that show the employee comes first (empowerment programs, better training, creative incentives, great work environment), will be rewarded with employees providing great customer service.
MYTH– Great customer service starts with having a governing set of policies and procedures specifically establishing how your company should respond to customers.
BUSTED – While having specific policies established to address customer needs is a good start, empowering your employees to make decision is crucial in providing exemplary service. Emphasize philosophy over specific tactics when engaging customers, getting to know their needs. Management that says they empower their employees yet doesn’t provide enough decision making power to them is putting on a stage show complete with ventriloquist and dummy. I regularly consult with companies, associations and organizations that claim they give their employees power to make decisions but in reality pull the plug when they have an issue with decisions made. It’s important, just like a parent raising a child, you give guidelines to your staff, but that you let them experiment and let them fail (or succeed) on their own. If you have provided proper training, they will recover, handle the issue and most importantly, they will have learned a lesson. Keeping a rigid set of policies and procedures is no better than having a robot on the other side of customer communication. There is no place for robots in customer service if your customer is a human. Human beings have feelings, emotions and needs that do not fit neatly in a policy manual.
Do you have a customer service myth you want proven or debunked, please reach out in the comments section below.
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Brand awareness is something every business needs. Unfortunately, a lot of companies believe the only way to achieve brand awareness is through wasting a lot of money. The key to brand awareness is content. With only 42% of content marketers believing they’re doing it right, there’s huge room for improvement.
A great content marketing campaign can create more brand awareness without breaking the bank. An increase in brand awareness can do a lot for your company, including generating more social media leads and driving traffic to your website.
But there’s a right way and a wrong way to do content. You’re going to learn all about it.
One of the easiest ways to make your reputation is to opt for educational content. This will establish yourself as an authority and add value to the lives of your readers. More and more companies are concentrating on how they can educate their customers.
You’re not only doing something your customers actually want. You’re educating them about why they should work with you. In many ways, you’re demonstrating why you’re one of the best places to work in your city. The value of education can’t be underestimated, even today.
So what makes a good piece of educational content?
Don’t just state the obvious. For example, defining how much you can get for a structured settlement sale is too simple. Focus on how you can get the most for that sale instead. Indulge in some long-form content. This will help you to hit a smaller niche, which is one of the keys to social media marketing.
The more relevant you can make your educational content the better.
Some industries don’t want to be bored to death by dry content about this or that. They want to be entertained and they want a good time. Your target audience could be coming to you because they want an escape from their daily lives. Entertainment can provide value to their lives, so it makes sense to start investing in it.
Entertaining someone doesn’t have to mean producing irrelevant content. You can easily benefit from entertaining your audience through telling a story. You may be communicating relatively dull content, but when done in the right way you can make it seem exciting and fun.
But every type of company should think about entertaining their audience. Companies don’t want to seem like faceless robots. They should work on showing that they’re just like everyone else. This is one killer marketing strategy that could take your company to the next level.
The final step is to wow your audience. This is where you take your unique selling point and transform it into something that will create brand awareness. You should be considering how you’re going to differ from other companies.
For example, you may decide to allow people to order something online. When they arrive at your physical store to pick it up they don’t have to stand in line to get it. Such a simple feature will make you stand out. People are going to remember you for that, so what could be better?
Wowing your audience doesn’t have to mean blowing your market plan’s budget. You can easily do something different without bringing your company to its knees.
You have to test out your various strategies and get creative with them. Not everything you try will work. Even the greatest marketers can never guess exactly how their target market is going to react. The only way to find out is to try it. Don’t be afraid to experiment and don’t be afraid to break the mold.
Just make sure you’re not doing anything to cause damage to your brand.
It takes time to accomplish brand awareness because you’re trying to compete with companies who may have relatively similar offerings. In crowded industries this can be even harder. In this case, the only option is to keep pushing and to be consistent.
Consistency is your one special advantage because the majority of companies never achieve any form of consistency. They perform their great marketing strategy for a couple of weeks and quickly give up when they don’t get the results they want.
As you can see, consistency is the key to developing brand awareness. How are you going to improve your brand awareness today?
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PHILADELPHIA ― Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) has developed a post-elected-office-life schtick for delivering barn-burner convention speeches. Her tour de force in 2012 was remarkable both for its abject passion (she screamed the number of jobs created in each state during the Obama administration, her voice straining, her face growing red as she plowed forward) and the literal fist pumps she did when it was over.
Granholm’s 2016 version lacked that pure physical exertion. But it made up for it with some lyrical flair and borrowing … from the Constitution, a classic protest song, John Kennedy and Carly Simon:
Imagine Donald Trump’s version of the Constitution: “I, the person, in order to form a more perfect union…”
Or, centuries later, “I, shall overcome.”
Or, “Ask not what I can do for my country, ask what my country can do for me!”
Donald, Donald, you’re so vain. You probably think this speech is about you.
The crowd ate it up. Granholm ate up the crowd eating up her speech. And the press corps now waits till 2020 for her to do it again.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims ― 1.6 billion members of an entire religion ― from entering the U.S.
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This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
