People around the world watched as the space shuttle Atlantis took its last trip into space last week. This marked the end of NASA’s space shuttle program but the thousands of technologies that were born from the program will stay with us far into the future. We use technologies from the space program at home, work, and while driving.

What comes to mind whenever you think about technologies developed by NASA? Probably rockets, spacesuits, and freeze-dried foods. It may surprise you to discover just how many conventional uses they have found for technologies originally produced for the space program. NASA releases an annual periodical, called Spinoff, which is dedicated to educating the public about the variety of technologies with origins at NASA that have become commercialized worldwide.

Here are a few common items that may surprise you to know would not exist without NASA’s technology.

Athletic Shoes – A process called blow rubber molding was developed to produce space helmets and is now used in many running footwear. This technique allows companies to produce hollow soles in order to fill them with a shock absorbing substance. Nike Air is one common shoe that utilizes this process.

DustBusters – Engineers at Black and Decker developed a computer program which allows motors to perform well even when using very little power. Thus the cordless power drill and DustBuster was born.

Smoke Detectors – These were first created for Skylab, America’s first space station, in 1970. They are now so prevalent that you cannot legally build a house without installing them.

The desire to explore space has inspired humans throughout time. The space shuttle program pushed these inspirations into the creation of incredible technologies. We will miss the space shuttle however the desire to build bigger and better technology for space travel will not fade. We’ll probably see many more technologies produced by NASA turning up in our homes, hospitals, and lives for years to come.

Business cards are an integral part of effective networking. The standard is simple, a small piece of rectangular paper with fundament contact information printed somewhere on it. However, more and more businesses are getting creative with they way they use their business cards. These new creative designs are increasing memorability and therefore generating more positive networking results. If you’re looking to create a business card that won’t be easy to forget, consider a few of these great tips.

Add Texture

This is one of the most common ways businesses create a more memorable business card. The effect is simple; creating a unique texture for the card gives the brain one more thing to remember due to the extra sense that is being engaged. Take a look at this great example of adding a simple texture to any business card.

Make Them Share-worthy

If your card is worth sharing, the results from networking will be multiplied. Adding a common and creative design to your card will make the receiver want to show his or her friends or hang it up in his or her office. Consider the hilarious mustache-design included on this creative business card. The idea is that the card can double as a quirky mustache disguise. The receiver places the card in front of their face and shows it to their friends, which is genius, because then their friends see the card as well. It’s inventive marketing. Here is an example.

Make Them Digital

There is no rule that demands business cards be actual cards. Creating a digital business card that your audience can access remotely is a great way to engage your audience. The easiest way to do this is by generating a QR code that leads to a digital copy of your card. QR codes are great ways to engage your audience with any information you want, combining them with your business cards will help increase your networking efforts. Check out these tips on using QR codes.

As technology develops, the definition of team is changing. These days it is normal to see people from different time zones and different countries collaborating as a team. More and more companies are employing the organizational strategy of virtual teams, also known as geographically dispersed teams (GDT). You have probably heard the term but are not sure if it fits your business model.

A common business misconception is that efficiency is a result of being in close proximity to a manager or team. Companies are realizing that productivity is instead a result of the capabilities and compatibility of team members and that performance can be measured by the quality of the outcomes of the team. If a team consists of people who are motivated by personal career success and advancement, they are personally invested in the work they are doing. People who are inspired by the desire to avoid being reprimanded generally have very little personal investment and will probably not push themselves. Virtual teams are often made up of the former; because of this they can be powerhouses of efficiency and productivity.

In many businesses, virtual teams are not feasible, as certain tasks call for physical interaction to carry out. However, many businesses where this is practical are embracing this reorganization of teams. If you are considering virtual teams as a strategy, here are some advantages and disadvantages to ponder.

Advantages

• Recruitment based on expertise not proximity
• Team members are able to work during the times when they perform most effectively
• Teams are comprised of members that are self-motivated and self-driven
• More accommodation for team members’ personal and professional lives
• No commuting time or expense
• Reduced overhead, as there is no physical location
• IT expenses are reduced as most teams use web-based tools for collaboration
• Managers can better assess the team’s overall performance as there are less social pressures

Disadvantages

• Less social interaction, which may be a demotivator for some people
• Loss of trust among team members if there is not assurance that everyone is pulling their own weight
• Creativity might be stifled, as the physical dynamics are lost
• Team members may overwork themselves as managers can not physically see the amount of time each task takes
• Managers may lose track of the team’s progress, i.e. out of site out of mind

Virtual teams interact through a variety of technology including email, audio and video conferencing, and file sharing programs such as Google Docs. Below are a few programs that can assist teams who communicate remotely.

• Go to meetings – an economical way to have remote conferences
• Yammer – a private social network for businesses that enables quick communication and interaction
• Drop Box – a free way to share files
• Second Life – allows for interactive meetings with the use of avatars

If you want more information on virtual teams in action, look at the articles below: 
http://www.theanywhereoffice.com/mobile-work/telework-viritual-teams-midmarket-companies.htm
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/19/virtual-teams-meetings-leadership-managing-cooperation.html
http://www.openforum.com/articles/7-effective-tools-for-managing-a-virtual-team

Are we in the midst of a 1990s-style tech bubble? Some experts think so.

Try this: Check out Google News and key in a search for ‘tech bubble.’ You’ll get a lot of results. Fresh results.

But let’s pause for second. What, exactly, is a tech bubble? Here’s Investopedia’s definition:

“Tech Bubble – a pronounced and unsustainable market rise related to increased speculation in technology stocks. A tech bubble is highlighted by rapid share price growth and high valuations determined by standard metrics like price/earnings ratio or price/sales.”

Hmmm. Can we find proof of speculation and inflated valuations?

Scanning the recent headlines, we have stories of acquisitions and IPOs (and impending IPOs) for a variety of hot domains, including LinkedIn.com, Pandora.com, Groupon.com, Zynga.com, and Twitter.com. And there are at the very least eleven billion reports and blog posts about Facebook’s eventual IPO.

If we’re in a tech bubble, it certainly has a social-media flavor!

So. Of these hot companies, how many are profitable? (This helps us gauge whether their valuations are inflated.)

• LinkedIn – Earned $12 million in 2010 (its first year of profitability).
• Pandora – Not profitable.
• Groupon – Same story.
• Twitter – A little!
• Zynga – Way profitable! With a 35% profit margin in 2010.
• Facebook – Quite profitable. With a respectable 25% profit margin in 2010.

Of course, just because a few of these businesses aren’t very profitable doesn’t mean they’re not brimming with profit potential. Look at Amazon.com. Launched in 1995, the company didn’t turn a profit until 2004! But last year the company’s net gain was well over $1 billion and it is now threatening Walmart’s retail dominance.

In other words, a lack of profits today doesn’t a bubble make (necessarily).

And as Mashable columnist Jolie O’Dell notes, today’s tech climate is much different than those heady days in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when you had hundreds of startups with half-baked ideas and flimsy business plans getting insane opening day valuations. In 1999, the height of dot-com mania, there were 308 IPOs. This year, by contrast, there have been 25, and many of which have been mature businesses with healthy revenue (e.g. LinkedIn).

O’Dell notes another key distinction between now and then: Internet usage. Back in the 1990s, relatively few individuals were online. According to the Pew Internet and American Life project, Internet adoption has practically doubled among adults since 1999. Today 77 percent of American adults are online. Among teens, the figure is over 90 percent.

In the dot-com era, investors swooned for businesses that didn’t have any users. The users weren’t even there. Today is different. Examine Twitter. Sure, it has struggled to turn a profit, but at least it has a large, influential and expanding customer base. You couldn’t say the same for Pets.com, one of the biggest flops of the dot-com era.

But it’s still tough to say with certainty whether today’s eagerness is rational or irrational. Again, go back to Google News. You’ll see good arguments on both sides…

Have you noticed those unusual black, square-shaped symbols popping up all over the place lately? They’re called QR codes, and they’re a very sophisticated version of the common grocery store barcode. Originally created in Japan to help keep track of car parts, the QR code is quickly becoming a universally acknowledged interactive marketing device.

What is a QR code?

    QR (short for quick response) codes are complex matrices that are readable by scanners and, more specifically, smartphone cameras. Because these codes are so intricate, they can store an incredibly large amount of information.  This makes them practical tools for business because they can transfer so much information at once.

    When you scan a QR code with your smartphone, for instance, the information transferred to your phone activates the web-enabled data saved in the code. Think of it as a step up from the common barcode. A barcode works by scanning the code and accessing a computer network to gather product data. QR codes work in the same way, except by using the Internet as their database rather than a simple computer networks. This makes QR codes multidimensional and capable of holding much larger amounts of information.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Making a QR code couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is enter the data you wish to make accessible and click “generate.” There are several great QR generators online; most of them are free to use. If you’d like to try a QR generator, consider the Kaywa generator.

    Once the QR code is generated, make sure to use it effectively. Putting the code on resumes, business cards, posters, flyers as well as billboards is a great way to get information out there.

Why it works

    A QR code is a fun and interesting way of getting information to an audience. Because using a QR code is enjoyable, it gives added value to the information transmitted. Understanding this makes using QR codes for interactive advertising easy. Though these codes are new to America, they have been effective tools for over a decade in Japan.  If you are looking for a inventive way to get information on the market, consider using a QR code.

Have you noticed those unusual black, square-shaped symbols popping up all over the place lately? They’re called QR codes, and they’re a very sophisticated version of the common grocery store barcode. Originally created in Japan to help keep track of car parts, the QR code is quickly becoming a universally acknowledged interactive marketing device.

What is a QR code?

    QR (short for quick response) codes are complex matrices that are readable by scanners and, more specifically, smartphone cameras. Because these codes are so intricate, they can store an incredibly large amount of information.  This makes them practical tools for business because they can transfer so much information at once.

    When you scan a QR code with your smartphone, for instance, the information transferred to your phone activates the web-enabled data saved in the code. Think of it as a step up from the common barcode. A barcode works by scanning the code and accessing a computer network to gather product data. QR codes work in the same way, except by using the Internet as their database rather than a simple computer networks. This makes QR codes multidimensional and capable of holding much larger amounts of information.

How are QR codes used in Business?

    Making a QR code couldn’t be simpler. All you have to do is enter the data you wish to make accessible and click “generate.” There are several great QR generators online; most of them are free to use. If you’d like to try a QR generator, consider the Kaywa generator.

    Once the QR code is generated, make sure to use it effectively. Putting the code on resumes, business cards, posters, flyers as well as billboards is a great way to get information out there.

Why it works

    A QR code is a fun and interesting way of getting information to an audience. Because using a QR code is enjoyable, it gives added value to the information transmitted. Understanding this makes using QR codes for interactive advertising easy. Though these codes are new to America, they have been effective tools for over a decade in Japan.  If you are looking for a inventive way to get information on the market, consider using a QR code.

We are living in an age of connectivity. Regardless of where we go or what we do, being connected is only the press of a button away. If someone needs to transfer information to us, they only have to choose by which device to do so. We can be called, chatted, emailed, texted and even Skyped. This change in communication has proven beneficial in many respects, though in many ways too much communication can be negative. What does it mean to live in a world of almost constant connectivity? Read on for a number of of the pros and cons of always being available.

The Pros

• Being connected means increased safety. There was a day when breaking down on a dark highway was a life or death situation. Now, thanks to high range cell phones, help is only a phone call away. Doctor appointments can be made online, routes to emergency rooms can be Googled and there’s an app for figuring out minor ailments.
• Staying in touch is now as easy as clicking a button. Ask any soldier deployed over seas and they’ll tell you that staying in touch with their families is now easier than ever. Sending a message takes only a second thanks to highly advanced Internet connections and international bandwidth.
• Technology has made telecommuting an accessible reality. Thanks to cloud computing, working from home is easy and practical. This allows workers on maternity or sick leave to maintain a valuable level of productivity.

The Cons

• Turning your phone off is difficult. Being constantly connected can result in a decrease of personal space. With communication barriers being redefined, finding alone time is now more difficult than ever. Remember, it’s important to disconnect and relax.
• The ability to take your office with you also means you are always at the office. While redefining the workday and permitting more flexible hours can increase productivity, it can also make workers over-work. It’s important to keep your private and professional lives independent, which is increasingly difficult thanks to increased connectivity.
• Constant connectivity may make us seem distant to those close to us. Remaining in contact with a far-away friend is easy to do through text messages, but that communication can be a hindrance to personal face-to-face conversations. Increased connectivity can, ironically, make it more difficult to connect.

The age of connectivity has changed the way we communicate. The key to keeping ourselves in check is remembering to interact with these new experiences with moderation. We all have to strike the balance between inadequate and too much connectivity.

For more information on connectivity, as well as an interesting look at unplugging yourself from technology, take a look at this article. 

Hold on a second — are tablets productivity boosters?

You’re not alone if you thought tablets were merely shiny toys for consuming media. Most of the television spots marketing these gadgets show game playing, video watching, and web surfing — and not much in the way of work.

But that hasn’t stopped businesses from adopting these devices for their own gain. Infoworld recently reported on a New York law firm that deployed iPads to its team of attorneys. The firm, Proskauer, has had some hiccups with the rollout, but they’re not looking back:

“Today, more than 500 Proskauer lawyers use iPads to create superslick PowerPoint slides, Excel spreadsheets filled with sky-high figures, and verbose Word documents. Lawyers pass this electronic paperwork back and forth among clients. They even present information on their iPads to judges.”

Businesses that are ready to hop on the tablet bandwagon should prepare for the occasional bump. Early adopters must work through issues on the fly, without the benefit of others’ experience. Proskauer faced a lot of tough questions as it prepared for its iPad rollout.

“Rolling out the iPad actually turned out to be quite a significant investment in time, much more than I would have thought,” said Steven Kayman, chair of Proskauer’s technology committee, in an interview with Infoworld. “There’s just a hundred decisions that have to be made along the way.”

Such as: Do we give our team members a blank check when it comes to downloading apps? Or should we install a preset app menu before distributing the devices? Who are the best vendors for document management and remote desktop apps? How will all of these new endpoints influence our network security?

The tablet/app industry is still quite young and unruly, and that poses challenges to businesses that don’t want to spend a lot of time and money testing new systems and tinkering with half-baked apps that were rushed to market. (Even big software makers like Citrix, Google, and Microsoft have debuted some real clunkers.)

But these drawbacks are likely temporary, and businesses are undauntedly rushing into the tablet realm regardless. According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 3 out of 4 of the Fortune 500 have plans to deploy iPads to their workers. Health care organizations have similar ambitions, specifically those who have deployed EHR software to manage patient health records. According to a May 2011 survey from Quantia Communications, 32 percent of physicians currently have an Apple or Android tablet, and another 34 percent plan to purchase one within the year.  

Small businesses are expected to get in on the action too: a March 2011 analysis from AMI-Partners anticipates that tablet adoption will grow 1000 percent by 2015, with 1 in 3 SMBs eventually using tablets on a daily basis.

Traditional spamming consists of sending out an extremely high frequency of emails from a spam-hosted account. In the early days of the Internet, the was an extremely profitable, though illegal, enterprize model. However, the Internet has developed to a point where this practice is no longer viable. This doesn’t mean the Internet will soon be saved from spammers, but rather that spamming will soon take on a different form. The most important question is, why has traditional spamming declined? The second is, how will spam change to adapt to the new Internet.

Profitability

    In 1997, spamming was an extremely profitable business. However, in the past 14 years, the Internet has become an increasingly difficult place for spammers to navigate. The amount of hardware and time needed to run an active spamming operation outweighs the profit. This means that spamming is more expensive than it’s worth and, with all things considered, a business model that loses money. Currently, traditional spamming would pay less money per hour than a minimum wage job.

    While traditional spamming is no longer worth the money, spammers are a crafty bunch, known for adapting to new environments. In what ways will spammers change in order to once again make money?

Smart Spam

    Regular spamming was known for mass emails. This is a kind of blunt force approach. Now, these messages are delivered subversively. Spammers are beginning to utilize classic hacking techniques. Legitimate email accounts are being hacked, and lower frequencies of spam messages are being sent from them. This technique was recently used on actor Simon Pegg, causing over 1 million readers to receive a spam link from one of his accounts.

    While there will always be a security answer to new spamming techniques, the best way to protect yourself is through personal diligence. Always be wary of a suspicious link, even if it is sent from a trusted account. Be mindful of any suspicious Internet activity that you encounter and do your best to stay ahead of spammers’ tricks. For more information on how spamming is evolving, make sure to read this article.

A couple of years ago, we all laughed at then-U.S. senator Ted Stevens when he described the Internet as “a series of tubes.”

In the same speech, Stevens also appeared to confuse the Internet with email, recalling how one of his staffers “sent an Internet” on Friday that didn’t arrive in his inbox until the following Tuesday.

We all hate it when that happens.

But in the midst of our laughter at Stevens’ expense, we secretly hoped that no one would ask us to think of our own definition, because, well, what the heck IS the Internet?

It’s that thing we can’t imagine living without. It’s the way we work, buy stuff, watch videos, communicate, share memories, conduct research, tell jokes, catch up with friends, etc.

But what is it?

Lucky for us, the folks at Business Insider (BI) have assembled a slideshow that walks through the basics. Take a look here.

Here are the salient points:

Internet = interconnected network; it’s a network of networks. The Internet is a collection of computers (servers, desktops, laptops, etc.) that share information via telephone wires and satellite links; these computers are all connected by a common software standard called Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). Most us connect with the Internet via an Internet Service Provider (ISP), such as AT&T, Comcast, or Road Runner (the three largest ISPs). BI: “When you connect to an ISP, your computer becomes a part of its network. That network is already connected to another larger network, and that network is connected to yet another network, and so on and so forth across the globe.” The Internet is composed of servers and clients. Servers are machines that provide services to other machines. Clients (desktops, laptops, smartphones, etc.) use these services. BI: “So when you sign online at work, your computer becomes a client that’s accessing a Web server. Every device connected to the Internet has a unique numerical IP address The web ≠ the Internet. Invented in the late 1980s by Tim Berners-Lee, the web “is actually a subset of the Internet; it is all the pages that can be accessed using Web browsers [e.g. Explorer, Firefox].” All domain names have a corresponding numerical IP address. Example (courtesy of Wikipedia): the domain name www.example.com translates to the IP address 192.0.32.10. The Domain Name System was created to make the Internet more user-friendly (domain names are easier to remember than long strings of numbers)  
The physical infrastructure that supports the Internet
As it happens, Stevens’ conception of the Internet as a series of tubes wasn’t far from the mark. There’s a physical dimension to the Internet. A 2009 Wired magazine photo essay, Andrew Blum followed the path of a single bit of information as it traveled from the UK to the California coast, photographing the physical infrastructure that makes such a long (and blisteringly fast) journey doable. Here’s a look at one leg of its journey.

When our bit hits the Big Apple, it passes through the beating heart of the American Internet: 60 Hudson Street (right), in the downtown area of Manhattan. More transatlantic and transcontinental lines come together in New York than anywhere else in the country. Western Union opened the building in 1930 as the telegraph junction between Wall Street and Main Street. The ducts that once carried high-gauge copper wire are now filled with thousands of strands of glass fiber owned by hundreds of networks. Techs physically connect them to one another in a “meet-me-room,” neutral territory run by a company called Telx.

Is there a meaningful difference between ‘tubes’ and ‘ducts filled with glass fiber’?

If Stevens were alive today, I might be inclined to send him an ‘Internet’ apologizing for laughing at his tube-based definition of the Internet.