Hasta La Gadget!

We live in a day and age where work is becoming more and more important, and our social lives are starting to suffer. It’s not that we don’t want to go out with friends, but if we want to keep our heads above water and move on to a job we don’t hate, we have to work harder than ever. That being said, it can get pretty lonely when you’re working, keeping up with a home, and trying to make sure your body isn’t falling apart.

While we can’t hire a personal assistant, you can buy Tapia, the AI Robot Companion. This looks like a little white egg with eyes, but it can do far more than add a little protein to your day. It can remember names, birthdays, recognize voices, actions, and pick up on things like your tone and inflection to know whether you’ve had a bad day. Imagine coming home from a terrible day and having Tapia turn on your favorite tunes while making you a coffee.

This little robot is also capable of making phone calls, telling you the weather, ordering things online for you, notifying family if you’re absent for a certain period of time, manage your schedule, read stories, and more. By itself, the battery will last for about 8 hours and will need 6 hours on the charging base. It can speak English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, but be careful, because you’ll only get to pick once in the setup. This robot will cost you $1,580, but seeing that it can be just as good as Amazon Echo and also remind you of more personal things like calling your mom, it might be the better option overall, just not for your wallet.

Available for purchase on JapanTrendShop
[ Tapia – the AI Robot who makes you feel feelings copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

 When you think about it, the ability for someone to put a “lure” on a spot of their choosing and attract young Pokémon fans to their location is slightly disturbing — which is why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is trying to ban paroled sex offenders from playing Pokémon GO and other online games. Read More

Talk to any savvy or experienced marketer and they probably have battle scars from an outsourcing deal gone horribly wrong and a vow to never do it again.  Cheer up ace, here’s why your outsourcing deal failed and why you should take another shot.

You sourced to one person 

Chances are you probably sourced your tasks to one person in a remote area. That can work…people do this every day.  The problem with that is in cases when it doesn’t.  It’s never a good thing when your freelancer does their best Jimmy Hoffa impersonation while you are on a deadline.  Or, they get seduced by more attractive work that takes their time and attention away from you.  Those are just some of the problems marketing agencies and departments face when hiring a single freelancer.  There are limits on their time and desire to do your work.  When you source to one person you compete for attention against other people that person freelances for, and also all the other things that are going on in their life.  They may have to manage fitting you in with their other clients, hopscotch lessons or their busy schedule of binge watching Friends reruns.  An even more difficult scenario is when the person falls in love with your customers or vice versa. Which means you lose your customer and your talent.

Outsource to a team instead.  With a group of people doing the work you’ll benefit from a wider skill set and loyalty that comes with a partnership between two organizations – yours and your partners.  A team wants you to keep sending work to them so they are extremely motivated to service you at the drop of a hat.  Much in the same way you want to help businesses with their marketing work.  As you grow you need to be able to deliver on your promises to new and old customers.  If you’re sourcing tasks to multiple individuals it becomes hard to manage and maintain reliability.  Since you’re an outsourced team’s customer it’s their responsibility to meet your demand or lose the account.  Put the burden of training, hiring, motivating and retaining on them so you can focus on what you do best. Marketing!

You lacked control of the process

When you outsource you give up some degree of control.  Your freelancer/contractor works on their own schedule and whenever they please so as long as they meet their deadlines to you. You, like most modern marketing leaders, don’t want to micro manage and believe in empowering people to get the job done. But that lack of direction doesn’t work for everyone and your freelancer isn’t cutting it. Since you have no control over their processes you have no idea what your freelancer is working on at any given point.

Even though your freelancers aren’t in the office you need to integrate them with your company practices and policies.  You may not want to micro manage your own internal people because you have an intimate knowledge of who they are and what they’re working on. Obviously they don’t need micro-managing…you talk to them more! Your outsourced help isn’t getting that same attention from you and it hurts your chances of the relationship being successful.  Make sure your outsourcing partner learns how you operate and collaborate. Give them a corporate email ID and bring them into whatever ticketing system or collaboration tool you use internally. That way they can easily follow your internal discussions, chime in or get a pulse for how things work.  They’ll also feel like they’re part of the team as opposed to an outsider.

Another thing to consider is where you’re outsourcing to and where these people are physically located.  I’m not just talking different countries, because even people in different domestic cities wherever you are have different styles for how they approach work.  Not everyone works well in a casual work environment…or a 9-5 environment either.  New Yorkers should probably get a visa before working in San Francisco.  Do people working in startups work the same way as bankers on Wall St.? The work styles are totally different.

When you decide to outsource tasks to a person that’s not living near you, or even of the same culture/ethnicity as you, try to get a feel for their work style.  Ask them about their previous jobs, talk to their references and derive what their ideal work environment is. For example, everyone has a time of the day when they’re more productive than others and if you know this you can set mental expectations of when they’ll get your stuff done.  Who knows?  Let’s say they’re huge Marilyn Manson fans and Christmas isn’t a big deal to them.  Maybe they can work 11 hrs straight on Christmas day, but then are off the grid on Halloween. Everyone’s different and there may be ways to use those differences to your advantage.

You sourced too remote

This is a touchy area, but you’re outsourcing is likely to fail if you’re sourcing with too many contrasts. How is an outsourcing marriage going to last if the person you’re outsourcing to isn’t able to communicate with you or available when you are?  This is particularly an issue when outsourcing to people in different countries. Sometimes there are issues you may never foresee like political unrest, power outages that last several hours or time zone gaps.  Also if things go south it’s very hard to be protected by the laws of your country in case of litigation.  How can an American marketing agency really enforce a non- compete with a freelance graphic designer based in Australia?

The best outsourcing relationship for you probably involves a partner that could be in your office for meetings on 24-48 hours’ notice without the need for a lot of paperwork or visas.  Nothing more than a drive or short flight. Ideally, you want to be in a situation where if you had to make a multi- million dollar presentation you could with all of your staff and important contractors on site.

Legally working with a company in your neck of the woods or a neighboring country with similar laws and regulations helps in case you need to exercise certain clauses in your contracts.  Also, if you’re outsourcing to a local/nearshore company that may have offshore resources you benefit from having enforceable contracts and partnership terms with them…while they deal with all the baggage and irritants that come from managing people offshore. They will also most likely have people you can collaborate with throughout your work day and have a better idea of what you and your clients need. It’s a lot easier for an account manager or operations person from the outsourced team that’s in your area to scope and understand the big picture of what needs to be done and then discuss those requirements to the rest of their outsourced remote team.

You outsourced the wrong thing

There are tons of freelancers and outsourced help willing to give you a hand.  Give you a hand….not a vacation.  That’s the important thing to remember.  They are there to help, but you still need to remain in control and captain the ship.  If you outsource too much of your core business functions there is a good chance your marketing ‘output’ won’t resemble anything you envisioned.

Generally speaking, things that can be done cheaper, better and faster by your partners/third-parties are what you should task them with.  Maybe they can code, design, type or tie shoe-laces better than you can.  So let them do it.  But make sure your secret sauce stays with you.  If you’re a marketing agency or marketing department then that usually means you have an ability to come up with great marketing strategies to get results and ensure their successful implementation.    Ultimately that is what is going to drive leads and sales as well as prove your chops as a marketer.  Make sure the main thing you are paid to do stays with you.  The semantics of how you get it done is what you should consider outsourcing.

Outsourcing is a necessity for marketing organizations.  Done right, it can help you add skilled support and allow you to focus on marketing.  Done wrong and all you’ll have is war stories and animosity towards any future outsiders that volunteer to give you a hand.  Unsure whether you should outsource a marketing task or do it in-house? This calculator should help.

About The Author:

Sajeel Qureshi is the Vice President of Operations at Computan. Computan helps short-handed marketing departments and marketing agencies get more agile by providing them affordable and reliable back-end support. He has a degree in business administration from St. Bonaventure University, and an MBA from Eastern Illinois University

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Throughout summer, kids can lose anywhere from 2 to 3 months of classroom learning. Researchers call this “summer slump,” and it’s especially prevalent among low-income households.  But kids don’t need to sit at a desk to keep the learning going, and it doesn’t have to cost parents a penny!

In our new book, BECOMING BRILLIANT: What Science Tells us About Raising Successful Children (APA Lifetools; June 2016) recently featured on NPR — we use the latest findings in cognitive and developmental psychology to propose new ways to help children learn the skills they really need to grow for the 21st century.  These skills are known as “the 6C’s”: Collaboration, Communication, Content, Critical Thinking, Creative Innovation and Confidence.

The summer offers parents countless ways to playfully interact with their kids while building these skills. Parents just need to “reframe the lens” and see that there are learning opportunities in everyday moments and everywhere you go. For example, did you know that Simon Says is really about teaching executive function?  And that Red Rover reinforces collaboration and communication? Or that you can have your kids make up a scrapbook about the vacation or even daily places you go, writing and drawing and pasting in tickets or receipts? And these are a hoot to look at when kids get older.

Here are tips to help parents Keep the Learning Going! It’s not over yet!:

1. Rap like Lin Manuel-Miranda!  Rapping with kids helps them develop story-telling skills and hones creativity and communication. Especially good for middle and high school students.

2. Put on a Play! Take clothes out of the closet and let kids dress-up and put on a show. This involves creativity, communication, collaboration, and building a narrative, which is important for writing and reading.

3. Science on the Sidewalk!   “Paint” the driveway with water. As it evaporates, “the paint” darkens.  It’s a great opportunity to talk about evaporation, heat, and where the water goes. And kids love to paint!

• Shadow puppets. Create creatures that get bigger and smaller depending on how close they are to sun.  Discuss what makes shadows change size, and why there are there shadows at all.
• Drop an egg but don’t break it! Give kids three straws, a tissue box, and cardboard and ask them to construct something that will allow them to drop the egg without smashing it. Then tie-it back to learning by discussing the science of gravitational pull.

5. Play the Cup Game (like they did in the movie, Glee).  As kids move cups to the rhythm of a song they learn patterns, math, impulse control, and executive function skills.

6. Hand and String Games. When kids play Cats in the Cradle, they use the string to make different patterns, which is great for creativity and problem solving!

7. Fun in the Car. Family vacations often start and end with endles car rides. Use that time to have some learning fun!

• Anagrams! Spot a word on a sign and see how many other words, of at least three letters, each person can make.
• Geography!  Ask them how many cities they can name that start with R.  It reinforces communication and collaboration. 
• Tell a Story. You start one line and each person adds another to build the narrative.
• The License Plate Game. Write down the states you see on license plates. Can children alphabetize them? Where are these states? Any road atlas will have a map of the U.S.

8. Make a Drum Circle.  Games like Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves incorporate collaboration, sensitivity, communication, emotion regulation, and impulse control. 

9. Legos!  They teach problem solving, spatial skills, content, and creativity.  Play with someone else and practice collaborating. Try a harder pattern and develop confidence!

10. Create New Stuff from Junk. Makers Fairs are becoming especially popular, challenging kids to create new devices or objects out of old parts.  From discarded vacuum pieces and switches to paint and feathers, kids can create tools, art, and sculpture from old stuff found around the house!

Enjoy playing with your kids!

Follow us on Twitter at @KathyandRo1

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

When President Franklin Roosevelt proposed legislation for the New Deal at the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s he needed the support of the South to pass it in congress. As a result, the vast majority of Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans were excluded from most of the benefits and protections that were given to white people. Roosevelt’s New Deal did save the country from an even worse and longer depression and laid the groundwork for prosperity for decades to come but millions were left out.

Now, in 2016 we are finally coming out of the Great Recession, yet millions of people have been left behind in poverty, low wage jobs, poor education, hunger and uncertainty about their future. The issue of economic inequality has moved from the back burner to the front of our awareness and consciences. Why do so few have so much? Why do so many have so little? How can that be healthy for a majority of our people and for our country as a whole? Where is there hope for change?

This election provides a unique opportunity for an economic sea change in America. The Republican candidate may set the stage for a major Democratic victory in November that ripples down to the Senate, House and state elections. That could then create a mandate for deep change in policies and programs on all levels. Bernie Sanders has successfully moved Hillary Clinton toward the progressive wing of the Democratic Party on many issues that are on the minds and in the hearts of a majority of Americans. A major win for the Democrats in November could transfer power in the Senate, several state governors and perhaps two or three dozen House of Representatives seats. It could set the stage for a “New Deal for A New Century” that would transform the economy and the politics of America. There are major issues that Clinton and Sanders basically agree on. She has said that she wants to work on several of the most important ones right away not just one or two. Let’s take a look in a series of articles at what a New Deal for a New Century would look like. Let’s start with work.

Justice for America’s Workers

A recent Pew Research Center survey showed some startling figures. The share of income for middle-class Americans fell from 62 percent in 1970 to 43 percent in 2014. During the same time upper-income families increased from 29 percent to 49 percent. How can we reverse those numbers and help more people to re-enter the middle class and poor people to rise to it? There are many government programs that help but the place to start is incomes.

Democrats want to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over several years and index it to inflation. How many people will this effect? Well, 42 percent of all American workers earn less than $15 an hour. Think about the billions of dollars that would put back into the economy and the millions of people who would move out of poverty. Several large American cities and New York State, California and Washington D.C. are already moving in that direction. Legislators can learn from their experiences how to build the wage hikes out nationally without substantial job or business loss.

Democrats also want to pass a Family Values Package that would include paid sick leave, paid vacations and paid family leave. This should appeal to all those who believe and preach family values which have suffered dearly because parents are working two or three jobs and are rarely home together with their children. Somehow, many politicians who say they support family values do not support a living wage for those families. They need to be held accountable.

Justice for workers must also include strict enforcement of wage theft laws especially for the 30 million low wage workers and immigrants who lose more than FIFTY BILLION DOLLARS each year to greedy employers. This would also be a boon for the majority of legitimate businesses that face unfair competition from the crooks. Let’s make sure that the Department of Labor, the Attorney General and the appropriate state officials do their jobs and prevent that money from being stolen or reclaim a majority of the money for the poorest of the poor working people in America.

During the best years for the middle class in the sixties and seventies about a third of all American workers were in unions. Now the number is 7 percent of non-government workers. As a result wages are lower and benefits are less for non-union workers. President Obama and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez have worked valiantly to balance the scales for America’s workers but the National Labor Relations Board needs more power and workers need more freedom to organize through collective bargaining. This is something that the Democrats have not moved on seriously and must to support workers.

The Paycheck Fairness Act supported by the Democrats is a long overdue bill that would end discrimination against women by mandating equal pay for equal work.

Democrats have a whole series of bills to invest in job creation targeted to folks in depressed neighborhoods and young people 16 to 24 who have double the national unemployment. This could be a good beginning for a bi-partisan jobs bill.

As long as we are in a low wage economy people still need the $67 Billion they receive from the Earned Income Tax Credit, $58 billion from the Child Tax Credit and $80 Billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) formerly called Food Stamps to make ends meet. These programs need to reach all who qualify.

Do politicians who oppose raising the Minimum Wage understand how much of the taxpayers money would be saved and business income would rise if workers earned a truly living wage and had time for living family values?

It is time for jobs, wages and benefits to be on top of the political agenda to meet the needs of all Americans.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.