In the age of connectivity, the rules of social manners have either gotten more complicated or have been thrown out all together. In social situations these days, you are often bombarded with phone calls, texts, emails, updates from Twitter, Facebook, or other numerous other social media feeds. It may seem like good sense to turn off your cell phone or at a minimum silence it in social settings, but some people don’t realize that they aren’t giving you their full attention when they say the alert from their phone will “only take a second.” Here are several examples of connectivity faux pas and tips to avoid making them.

Phones at the Dinner Table – We were taught as children not to interrupt people when they are speaking, yet increasing numbers of people don’t consider texting or answering their phone as an interruption. Anytime your attention is diverted from the person you are with it is an interruption.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Excuse yourself from the table if you need to take an urgent call.
• If you know you will be distracted and curious if your phone alerts you of a text, take a preventive step and turn it off.
• For dinners lasting longer than an hour, you could suggest the table take a “cell phone break” for those who need or want to check their emails or messages.

Loud Phone Calls in Public Places – Talking on the phone in public areas forces those around to become a part your conversation. We have all been the victim of this and many of us have committed this faux pas.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Silence your phone and do not answer it
• If you need to answer the call, step away to a secluded area to take it and tell the caller that their call is important and you will call them back in x amount of minutes.
• If you must take the phone call and you are waiting in line, ask the person behind you to hold your spot and quickly go take your call.

Becoming Overly Dependent on Digital Communication – When email is the easiest people can connect with you, you may become dependant on your email at all times. This can lead to becoming disconnected in face-to-face social situations, as you will feel the need to check your web enabled device anytime it alerts you to an incoming message.

Tips to Avoid this:

• Make the most of face-to-face communications.
• Make your phone to be the best way to get a hold of you over email or texting.
• Resist the urge to respond to email immediately, wait to check it after you leave your social engagement.

It’s up to us to be aware and recognize when we are invading other‘s space or ignoring our companions because we are too connected. Hopefully following a few of these etiquette rules will help us make the most of face-to-face communications that are happening less often in this age of connectivity. Can you think of other social faux pas that occur due to digital communication? If so, let us know!

We all network, every day. At its base level, networking is simply communicating with someone in an effective way. Whether it’s a conversation at the water cooler or at a business event, knowing how to effectively network is an important skill for anyone growing in his or her career. Here are some key tips and tricks to keep in mind whenever you find yourself in an important conversation. Remember, these tips may be relevant in all areas of life, but are especially helpful in developing a business personality.

You’re There to Give, not Get

    Giving an arduous monologue can easily get in the way of a meaningful conversation. Don’t let your portion of the conversation overrun that of the person with whom you are speaking. Remember, you should do your best to contribute to the conversation in a constructive way. This means allowing the conversation partner ample time to speak their mind and share their thoughts. Don’t forget to respect the speaking time of the other person in the conversation. You’re there to give a platform for the other person to speak.

Don’t Appear Desperate

    In this way, networking at a professional level is the same as dating. Being too clingy is a major turn off. If you find yourself networking with someone in a higher position or someone who could offer you something professionally, do your best to avoid appearing needy. Instead, find confidence in what you’re offering them. Believe that what you have to offer is worthwhile, because it most certainly is! If you don’t have confidence in what you can bring to the table skillfully, it may be a sign that you should peruse other endeavors. Bear in mind, when networking professionally, confidence is key.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

    Keeping the conversation alive is important. Be careful to avoid “yes” or “no” questions, because they generally deny the responder the chance to elaborate. If you do have a “yes” or “no” question, try rephrasing it to make it more open ended. For example, asking, “do you play any sports” is not as effective as asking “what sports do you play?” Sure, there is a chance that the responder doesn’t play any sports, but that’s an answer that they will be able to give as well as elaborate on. Allowing the chance for elaboration makes the responder feel appreciated.

Networking is all about staying comfortable and maintaining sincere conversations. For more tips, check out this article.

Companies need to alter their service plans sometimes and the change usually comes as a surprise to  their consumers. These transitions can go smoothly or not so smoothly, depending on how the transition is handled.

A perfect example of the latter is the recent Netflix debacle. Netflix, seemingly overnight, raised their prices and changed their service offering significantly. Because of this, more than a half million people dropped the service completely, a number significantly higher than they had anticipated. Last Sunday, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, sent out emails to each customer and posted an apology on their blog for the way the company handled the announcement of the recent reorganization. For many of us his acknowledgement that he “… messed up. [And he owes] everyone an explanation,” was not enough. Within the apology he dropped another bomb that the streaming and DVD-by-mail services will be separated into separate services altogether. The DVD service will now be called Qwikster and the streaming services will stay Netflix. This triggered even more backlash. Aside from the letter and video apology, no effort was made to “make it up” to their customers.

When AT&T changed their service plan in late June, it was not happy news to some existing and potential customers. They replaced their unlimited data plan with a tiered pricing plan. However they did allow subscribers who already had unlimited data plans remain grandfathered into the plan. This placated the customers who were reaping the benefits of the service being nixing. AT&T handled the situation with skill and there wasn’t a significant impact to their customer base as a result.

When companies announce changes to their service plans it can be a tricky situation. Before doing so they should discuss how they are going to announce it and consider the possibility of an unfavorable reaction that could lose them customers. Proper planning can provide a plan of action if a negative backlash occurs. Here are a few ideas to help soften the blow.

• Notice, and Lots of It:  Give the public plenty of notice and utilize a forum where customers, particularly those directly affected, can express questions and concerns.
• Grandfathered Services:  Honor services and prices current clients have prior to the change.
• Details:  Explain the change in detail! The more transparent you are with your announcement, the more your clients will trust your decision.
• Discounts: Offer a free month of service or some other type of coupon if clients take advantage of multiple services

If you have any more ideas of ways companies could make the news of service plan changes easier, we’d love to hear from you!

Last week we talked about negative habits to avoid at work, including wasting time on the Internet. Though the Internet is one of the most useful advances in technology in the past 30 years, it’s also one of the largest sources of distraction. However, workplace distraction was a problem even before the Internet. Here are three of the most common ways workers can get distracted from their work without using the Internet.

The Water Cooler

    Creating a vibrant work culture is crucial for most companies for many reasons. Workers who get along well with each other often perform at higher standards. However, there should always be a balance between work and socializing when at the office. It’s easy to fall into the habit of spending extended breaks conversing with a coworker about your personal life. To help combat this, try planning a weekly night out with your friends at work. This will keep you up to date on each other’s lives while minimizing the need to socialize during working hours.

Minesweeper

    Check your computer. No mater what model or make, you’ll most likely be able to find some kind of preloaded game. Even without the Internet, it’s easy to be distracted by computer games like Minesweeper, Solitaire or even Chess. We’ve all tried to slip in a few minutes of gameplay into our work day, but more often than not, those few minutes can add up to a few hours. The best thing to do? Delete these games from your computer outright. Be honest with yourself, you probably don’t even enjoy playing them that much.

Daydream

    It’s easy to get lost in your own thoughts, worried about bills or troubles at home. Being distracted by a daydream is difficult because we rarely daydream on purpose. If you find yourself daydreaming often, try a few things to help increase your focus like getting more sleep or eating a healthy snack while working on a given project. Make sure that you’re getting enough vitamin B and avoid foods that are high in processed sugars. 

    Staying focused at work can be a challenge, and as we all know, we don’t need the Internet to get distracted. Bear in mind these tips throughout your workweek to help keep you on track. Don’t forget, 90% of productivity is focus!

Entertainment industries have had to evolve in the past few years as we have gained more access to music, movies and television from online sources. Physical stores are disappearing as these businesses open online stores. Examples of these are Blockbuster, Borders, and, the iconic Virgin Megastore in Times Square. Online storefronts have become a great option for consumers as well as business as there are fewer overhead costs, which give customers more options for less. Here are some examples of ways that access to entertainment has changed.

Music sites and applications like iTunes or Amazon’s MP3 Store allow people to buy single songs rather then the whole album. Some musicians allow individuals to purchase songs directly from them on their websites and many simply give their songs away. This new structure for shopping for music has caused many independent and chain stores to close and the power of record companies to shrink. The price of full albums has gone down, but the price of concert tickets and merchandise has risen to compensate for lower album sales.

Streaming music sites such as Pandora and Grooveshark allow for free customized radio with few commercials. The music is available on most Internet connected devices anywhere at any time. Many people use these services to “try out” music before purchasing and often times use them instead of purchasing new music.

The face of books has changed in the past couple years as well. Thanks to eBooks, people can buy digital books directly from sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble and have them instantly downloaded onto their handheld device. The prices of these digital books are usually significantly cheaper and the online stores never sell out.

Instead of paying for satellite or cable TV, many people choose the more cost effective route of streaming television on sites such as Netflix or Hulu. There is such competition in the TV industry lately that many network channels now upload their most recently aired episodes to their websites and make them available to Internet enabled devices like the iPad.

Gaining instant access to our entertainment through the Internet has made it easier and cheaper for both the consumer and businesses. You have probably heard that Netflix recently raised their prices and split their service offering into a streaming only offer or a physical DVD offer. Will this change help or hinder them? We will have to wait and see.  The outcome of this experiment may just entice other online business to follow Netflix’s example and we may see more prices rise.

Paying close attention to detail and keeping your workspace tidy are both examples of good habits to form in the office, proof that habits can be a very helpful working tool. Although, there are some habits that should be avoided, even if they seem helpful. Research shows that it takes a minimum of 21 days to break out of a bad habit. Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid forming those habits all together? Here are a few bad habits that are easy to fall into, as well as a few tips on how to proactively avoid them.

Working Through Lunch

    Let’s face it, sometimes work can get hectic. We’ve all wished for more hours in the day and sometimes use our lunch hour to gain that much needed extra hour. That mid-day break provides the down time you need during the day that can help you be more productive in the afternoon. Sometimes working through lunch is unavoidable, so make sure to steer clear of forming the habit. Try giving yourself strict boundaries the help protect your lunchtime.

Idealizing

    We all know how easy it is to idealize a dream job we don’t yet have. Even if that job is something likely unattainable, like working as an actor or being a professional ice cream taster, we all like to think about how it would make life better. This is a very bad habit to fall into, because it makes enjoying your current position very difficult. Instead, try thinking of all the good things your job provides for you, such as money to pay your bills or even free coffee. Taking pleasure in simple and small joys will help you find happiness all of the time.

Work Time Distractions

    Most of us spend our workdays in front of a computer. With all of the wonderful distractions on the Internet, it’s easy to waste an entire morning with YouTube videos and flash-based games. To avoid forming this bad habit, try scheduling “mini-breaks” to enjoy a small distraction, perhaps after completing a large project or working for a large chunk of time.

    Bad habits can be difficult to break; it is much easier to avoid them all together. The next time you find yourself tempted to form any of these bad habits, take a moment to consider what positive habit you could form instead.

Writing an email is a form of communication eliminated of several external influences like voice inflection and body language. This makes choosing the right words even more important. You wouldn’t want your boss getting the wrong idea by signing a vacation request email with “All my love,” for example. Here are a few tips to remember when deciding what to say.

Opening an Email

Informal

Writing an email to a close friend isn’t something that needs a lot of propriety. Much like other forms of communication, an email can be more relaxed when writing to someone you know well and are comfortable with. Using just the recipient’s name or a simple “Hi,” should be sufficient and communicate closeness to the reader.

Formal

Writing to someone you don’t know well or to an employer figure requires a bit more formality. Using “Dear” followed by the intended reader’s name or “Good afternoon” or “Good evening” Should express the proper amount of respect and formality.

Respectful

Use this tone when writing to a higher institution such as a prospective employer. Opening with “To whom it may concern” communicates a high level of respect and lets the reader know they are being approached in a highly professional tone.

Closing an Email

Informal

Again, using your name is always a good way to end an informal email. However, using “Love,” or “With love,” is also a good option in this setting, as it communicates closeness. Unlike writing in the formal and respectful tones, letting the audience know the closeness you feel in your relationship is a good thing.

Formal

Much like opening a formal email, you should end your message with respect but not too much pomp and circumstance. Using “Sincerely,” is the classic choice, however ending with “Yours truly,” or similar will communicate respect while also sounding less programmed. This is a nice bridge between an informal and a respectful tone.

Respectful

Be sure to follow through with a respective tone until the end of your message. Ending with “Sincerely,” or “Regards,” communicates respect. Depending on the nature of your message, you may also want to include “Thank you for your time,” if the email is requesting any sort of action.

    The next time you sit down to send an email consider the nature of your email, the relationship you share with the recipient and the message you want to convey. Doing so will help ensure that your friends don’t fear they’ve lost your friendship, or confuse your boss with a miscommunication of romantic advances.

Usually lawsuits are very serious news and not to be laughed at. The tech industry has had its fair share of these more serious suits. However, we sometimes hear about ones that we can’t help but be amused by. This list of unbelievable tech lawsuits from the past 10 years is sure to tickle your funny bone.

Allergic to Pentium? – In 2002, a Dutch woman tried to sue Intel and her government because she thought that her Pentium processor gave her hives. The 486-base processor did not cause her harm and her case never made it to the courts. Apparently, no court was “itching” to take her case.

A Woman Lead into Danger by Google? – In 2009, Google was sued by a woman who had been hit by a car on a dark narrow highway that did not have pedestrian paths. She blamed Google because she was just following the walking directions they gave her. A judge dismissed her case and Google “dodged” the lawsuit.

Up With Star Wars Galaxies, Down With Sony! - In 2010, distraught fans of the Star Wars Galaxies, a once highly popular MMORPG, tried to file a class-action lawsuit against Sony for shutting down the game. The case will likely never go to court. I guess the “force” was not strong with the litigious fans.

Woman sues man over a failed Mafia Wars romance – Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. After spending thousands of dollars on game credits and gifts for her boyfriend on Mafia Wars, the woman sued the man for the money spent when their romance was over. Her romance and her case are now sleeping with the fishes.

I hope these unbelievable tech lawsuits made you smile. If you have heard of any more, please share them with us by leaving a comment here or on one of our other social media accounts! 

What comes to mind when you hear the words “connected devices?” Do you think of your smartphone, laptop and/or tablet? These devices can access the Internet from almost anywhere, and because of this they are connected devices. However, most HDTVs, gaming consoles and Blue-ray players can also connect to and interact with the Internet. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any metropolitan location that is far removed from an Internet connection.

    With easy access to the Internet comes easy access to information. However, this also delivers a change in how that information is consumed. Instead of searching a library index, walking to a specifi
c book and then hand searching that book for material, we now simply have to type a query into Google. So, how does the advent of constant connectedness affect the way we consume written content?

Faster Access of Information

    The time spent researching content is lowered dramatically thanks to constant connectivity. You don’t even have to be seated in front of a plugged in computer, instead you can search boundless informational resources from most modern phones. This allows an incomprehensible amount of information to be accessed from almost anywhere at spectacular speeds. 

Faster Generation of Information

    Content can be added to the Internet by posting a photo via TwitPic, uploading a video to YouTube or even writing an article for Wikipedia. These are all things that anyone can do from almost any locale, thanks to the mobility of connected devices. Because physical proximity to a hardwired Internet connection is not a factor, there is a much larger amount of content uploaded for us to consume, and that content collection grows at exponential rates every day.

High Rate of Communication

    Twenty years ago you could tell someone face-to-face about an interesting fact you learned. Ten years ago you could tell someone via email. Five years ago you could post a status update on Facebook. Now? You can use your smartphone to respond call, email, Facebook, and tweet that fact from any location and at any time. We have the potential to communicate more because the time it takes to do so has drastically decreased. In the same way, once information goes viral, it can travel at instantaneous speeds thanks to text messaging, tweeting and blogging.
   
         If you’re asking yourself how the way we consume content has been changed thanks to connected devices, the answer is: speed. Like so many technological innovations, the benefit of fast and easy content consumption is dependent on how it is used. While this is certain to affect the rate and development of trends and fads, connected devices are just another evolution in the way we share and consume content. Howe we use it is entirely up to us.

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