If you are tired of using Windows 10 and don’t want to splurge on a Mac, here is a new operating system that can match Windows’ layout but it is not quite the same. Zorin OS Linux Distro is a Ubuntu-based operating system that provides an attractive alternative. #technology
Ever since Facebook purchased WhatsApp, it has become quite clear that this is a tool that will likely be used a lot. WhatsApp Web has been downloaded by millions of people across the world, and most have written positive reviews about it. The recent update also fixes some connection issues which the app previously had. To use WhatsApp Web, you need to have a WhatsApp account on your phone. Once you scan the QR code on your phone, you will be able to download and use WhatsApp Web on your computer. This makes it easy for you to send longer texts, documents, and other kinds of media. WhatsApp may give tough competition to Skype What we really need to understand here is that WhatsApp may soon replace Skype as the go-to-texting service. Skype is old, clunky and is losing its appeal among youngsters. It is still preferred by businesses, especially because of its teleconferencing facilities. However, sooner or later, people will begin to move to WhatsApp simply because it is more intuitive and easier to use than Skype. Let us take a look at how WhatsApp can be used in businesses. Enhance productivity Text messaging can always boost productivity. However, when employees begin to use WhatsApp in between on their cell phones, it is usually a waste of time. However, by making WhatsApp the primary mode of business communication, and by making it easier for employees to use it on their desktops, we can actually enhance productivity. Whether they send personal messages during work won’t be a big issue at all, because they will use the same tool to communicate with staff. Encouraging communication It is always good to encourage communication within an organization. Text messaging enhances that. As WhatsApp is already familiar to most people, it is easier to implement it at an enterprise level. Moreover, there are no additional costs to this. All you need is to ask the employee to start using WhatsApp on their work computer. Security WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption, which keeps all messages safe. Yes, there is a theory that WhatsApp does not delete all messages permanently. Yet, it is not something that concerns most business operations. On the other hand, it is easier to retrieve messages if they are deleted by mistake. Ease of use Most people are already familiar with WhatsApp. So, it is always easier to move them to a platform that they are familiar with. It also helps that it doesn’t cost anything to use on the desktop. The reason why most people use WhatsApp is because of its ease of use. It is intuitive, user-friendly and always synchronized. Take home message WhatsApp launched its web tool a few months ago, and it is now very popular among users. It helps to share documents, files, and text quickly on a desktop or laptop. This service can easily be integrated at an enterprise level. The benefits are security, ease of use, enhanced communication and increased productivity.
If falling asleep is not easy, getting help is at least getting easier. Brown University researchers have announced SleepCoacher, an app that helps users to fall asleep through a self-experimentation framework. This is an interactive app that helps users to manage their sleep better.
You can now easily drag and drop images on your Medium website, thanks to an update. A few other features include an inline code and changes to mobile image grids. All these changes are being announced by Medium to make it cleaner and more stylish.
Accepting changes is one of the most fundamental difficulties that we as human beings face. We resist change when we change schools, we resent change when our friends move away, and we resent our own parents if they separated or moved away from us. Change is not always pleasant and it is not always for the better. Cities change, buildings are torn down, favorite bars and cafes are closed down and everything starts to seem unfamiliar and strange. Jim Morrison of The Doors once sang “Strange days have found us, strange days have tracked us down, They’re going to destroy our casual joys, We shall go on playing or find a new town” The essence of this opening stanza is that change always brings with it the unknown. Even if the change is for the better, we unconsciously resent it. We may become accustomed to old and current ways, and when something disrupts what we already, our status quo is destroyed. Yet, like Jim so wisely says, we shall go on playing or find a new town. And we must. [php snippet=1] Accepting technological changes Think about IT companies that deal with changes on an everyday basis. While they are always open to changes, somewhere there is always a fear of being upstaged by a newer and tougher technology, fear of not playing catch-up with newer start-ups and the fear of salvaging what has been lost to changes in technology. Underlying all this fear of changes is resistance to change. The more we resist to changes when they occur, the more we are going to resent it, fear it and ultimately, lose our minds. No matter how much loss you have experienced because of all the tech buzzwords, there is always hope. There is always hoping to make peace with that which you have lost, and that which you may gain by wholeheartedly embracing changes, in spite of all your vulnerabilities. This brings us to the stage of becoming comfortable with discomfort or the state of being vulnerable. Once we accept and embrace our vulnerabilities, we tend to become more resilient, and are more open to taking proactive actions to embrace changes as they occur, instead of fearing them and mourning the losses. We become peaceful, and will no more be bothered about strange days finding us. We will not fear change and instead, we will make peace with changes, technological or otherwise. Now let us take a look at how we can effectively stop fearing change, and make peace with it so that we can embrace technology as it changes, no matter how radical. A 7-step process to overcoming resentment towards change, and embracing it Calculate your losses One of the first things that you must do in order to assess what technological change has done to your damage is to calculate your losses. If you have not upgraded from legacy systems to a cloud based computing model, you probably have already lost a lot in time and money. Objectively analyze your losses and seek help from people who are good at these kinds of jobs. Calculate your losses and quantify them, and print those charts in your office for everyone to see. Every single employee in your organization must know what are the losses incurred for not having embraced changes. Mourn your losses Begin the process of mourning your losses. Mourning is a very crucial and important step when it comes to healing. It is also important when it comes to moving towards success in a business that is not functioning very well. Be candid to your board of directors and be frank to your employees. It is perfectly OK to feel sad, angry and dejected our losses and to regret what was not done earlier. However, do not dwell on these emotions. After a while, know that there are 5 more steps for you to complete your healing journey. Accept that you are not in control The next step in healing is to admit that you are not in control of changes that take place on an everyday basis in the world of technology. Technology changes at a rapid pace and it is not easy to remain informed about everything and make all the changes necessary. You are not always in control and no one is. It is only human to be powerless against the tides of change unless one is prepared. Accept this vulnerability of yours. Accept that you are vulnerable The next step is also to realize that you are vulnerable. Vulnerable to changes, vulnerable to losses, vulnerable to stressful situation, people yelling at you, to constant taunts from competitors and vulnerable to self-criticism. All these things make you more stressed out, and far-removed from the changes that continue to happen anyway, no matter how you feel about it. By accepting that you are vulnerable, you will begin to see the light of the day as it is. It might be cloudy and rainy, and it might even be stormy. Wait for that to pass, and there will be sun shining bright sooner or later. Begin to learn about changes that are taking place Once you realize that you are not in control over things that happened to you and that you are vulnerable to things that can happen to you, start doing something about it. The first step is to equip yourself with knowledge. Knowledge may come from interacting with people from your industry, networking with influential people, reading books, listening to podcasts and just about anything, including taking classes. You need to understand and learn about the changes that have taken place in your domain, and also understand in a realistic manner what kind of changes you can expect in future. Seek help to bring those changes in your life Once you assess the changes that are taking place and are likely to take place, seek professional help. Ensure that you have a counselor or a psychologist to discuss your emotions and
We have heard this before and you’ve probably read it a number of times – that disruption is taking place and that things will never be the same again. First came the email, and finally came Uber. Everyone’s waiting for the next big disruption to happen. Yet, things seem to cool down. The reason for this is, too many start-ups have begun to consider themselves disruptors and too many investors have been investing in the wrong businesses. The bubble sooner or later had to crack. Do we always need disruption? What is real disruption anyway? It simply is not possible for everything to be disrupted through technology alone. Moreover, a few things need not be disrupted at all. At the heart of this fancy towards disruption is a need for sensation. Disruption often takes the form of sensational headlines, viral posts, and a lot of other things that people get to talk about. However, real work and efforts do not garner so much of attention, because they do not capture human attention. Yet these are the ones that will eventually disrupt, without us even realizing it. For example, Gmail has evolved to become the most used email service today. [php snippet=1] Google did not disrupt email space with Gmail. Instead, it offered something better, and continued to work on it for years and years. Even after more than a decade, Gmail remains the best option to use. It disrupted all other email services and continues to evolve. Yet, one does not call it disruption because Gmail did not arrive with a bang. There are hundreds of examples like this, where disruption takes place slowly over the years, and are not apparent until everything around has changed. Disruption can happen slowly over the years One can only remember how things used to be, and we still can’t believe things have all changed so much, so quickly. On the other hand, angel investors and start-ups which hope to lead the next big disruption often end up with sour experiences. This is because, they are trying to disrupt for the sake of disruption. Start-ups want to raise as much funding as possible, and that very race and obsession leads them to a downward spiral. If one really wants to disrupt an industry, one must usually work for years, and work really hard. Not everyone can be the next Uber, though there are of course exceptions. The reason why this needs to be said is, too many talented people often fall to the lure of angel investments and disruption. Instead, if they slowly and steadily work towards success, it shall certainly happen. Looking forward Certainly, disruption is required. However, start-ups should be encouraged to focus on real strengths and not focus on disruption for the sake of disruption. It also makes sense not to raise funds that are not required. It is in the interest of small companies and start-ups to focus on slow and steady growth and innovation, based on real R&D. And indeed, this slow and steady evolution is a more lasting form of disruption.
If you have ever hesitated to use your child’s smartphone or wondered how to operate a computer without someone giving you guidance, you may not be alone. A number of people find it difficult to deal with technology, and gadgets inspire fear in them. Some people take this fear to an extreme and may be called ‘technophobics’ by psychologists. “Many people experience technophobia, and being technophobic can make even simple gadgets feel overwhelming or intimidating.” People with technophobia often experience intense tech fear when faced with new digital devices. “Many people who fear technology gradually develop a deeper phobia of technology as digital devices become more integrated into everyday life. Despite the rise of technophobia, even many technophobes are beginning to rely on smartphones for daily tasks. To understand the technophobe meaning, we first need to ask, what is technophobia? Some individuals experience tech fear—the fear of technology, called technophobia. Tech phobia is common among people who fear tech and feel overwhelmed by rapid digital change. The phobia of computers, meaning of technophobia, is becoming more widely discussed as technology advances. Technology fear often grows into a deeper fear of technology when someone feels overwhelmed by rapid change. Her fear of laptops grew into a broader techophobia that affected her daily life. Tachnophobia can arise when computer fear becomes overwhelming and people avoid using technology altogether. Technophobia is not an officially recognized mental illness, but it is the extreme and irrational fear of technology. Usually, this fear is related to irrational fear of computers, robots, artificial intelligence, weapons, and other such things that seem advanced in scientific thought. Many people fear genetically modified organisms (GMOs) too, though research shows that they are safe to consume. In other words, fear of science and technology is a very real problem in our societies, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that one can find a technophobe around every street corner. Technology phobia is common among people who fear tech and feel overwhelmed by rapid digital changes. People with technophobia often fear tech because they worry it will be too difficult to control or understand. Fear or just aversion to technology? Yet, in this article, we are going to discuss technophobia as a general term, not as the extreme avoidance of computers as people understand it. So, for the scope of this article, technophobia is hesitation or aversion towards new technologies, especially cloud technology, mobile applications, the use of the Internet, and coding. This is a huge problem today because a number of businesses are still using computers that run on Windows XP, and refuse to bring in any sort of technological advancement to their companies. This has resulted in loss of growth, stagnation of economy and a general sense of lethargy that is simply not required. The fear of technology, often referred to as tech phobia, can prevent people from embracing modern digital tools. [php snippet=1] Most of these companies that refuse to adopt new technologies often have CEOs that are resistant to changes, directors who are technophobic in the real term, and people who just do not want to see any kind of changes made at all. All these categories of people have hampered the growth of their own companies and of society in general. In this article, let us understand what technophobia is and how we can overcome it so that newer technologies can be adopted without fearing them. Of course, this is not going to happen all of a sudden and will take time, but the effort put in is certainly worth it. A technophobe is someone whose fear of technology is called technophobia. Self-help Self-help does not get the credit it usually deserves. While books like The Secret and others are panned by certain people, there are a lot of self-help techniques that can actually work. You will need to find out what is best for you. If you believe your aversion towards technology is irrational and that it must be paid attention to, you have already reached a certain level of insight. This insight can further be developed into making positive changes in life that will help to introduce technology slowly but surely. Her technophobia, a deep fear of technology, made her avoid using smartphones and computers. Fear of technology is called technophobia, and fear of computers is called logizomechanophobia. For example, Sam was fearful of smartphones. He initially purchased a basic cellphone model and graduated to using a smartphone. He did not give his number to everyone and instead, only allowed his daughter to call him. Slowly, he started to converse with his friends on the phone and in the end, he encouraged himself to check emails, call the customer, etc. Counseling If self help techniques do not help, counseling can be the next step. Counselors do not train mental health issues nor are they trained to do that. They only help you to gain clarity about your situation and advise what could be the best thing to do. Counselors may assess your situation and tell you why you are avoiding technology though it is obviously harming you. They may teach you certain techniques and listen to you patiently when you discuss your fears. Most people may ridicule your technophobia but a counselor will validate your fears and emotions. That alone is enough to help you start making positive changes in your life. For Example: Nicole always avoided her computer and was not able to use Skype to make video calls to her son. She sought the help of a counselor who pointed out that if she avoids her fear, she will never overcome it. Nicole slowly started to make video calls to not only her son, but also to her colleagues. Support groups When just counseling will not help, you may seek the help of support groups. Support groups are great for people who wish to share their stories with others. They can also learn from others how they are dealing with a
As we all know, artificial intelligence is changing the world as we know it. With AI comes affective computing, a closely related concept. Affective computing refers to computing that is related to emotions. Emotions are very important in making decisions, and they influence a wide array of cognitive functions such as thinking, perception, memory, learning, etc. Affective computing helps in communicating or processing emotional states with others, or with a computer. With a growing focus on emotion recognition software, there are research developments in a wide range of academic fields, including neurology, psychology, software development, ethics, sociology, etc. Many tools can already recognize human emotions, and these are being used to help people with disabilities such as autism. However, emotion recognition does not stop there. It is expected to convulse computing and take it by storm. Affective computing currently focuses on facial expression databases, emotion classification, facial action coding system and changes in the skin as well. For example, it is well known that human beings’ skin becomes hot when certain emotions are experienced. This will be picked up by sensors on wearable technology, only to be processed by an app or a computer. There are a number of applications for affective computing. [php snippet=1] Where is affective computing applied? Affective computing is expected to change the way e-learning takes place. Whenever a learner is bored or frustrated, the program makes changes to the style of presentation or the content. It just needs not be about boredom. As a wide array of emotions can be recognized, e-learning programs can be made customized for students. Psychological services can make use of affective computing, especially when counseling is offered online. Another important area of application is robotics. While affective computing recognizes emotions, it goes way beyond that. Artificial intelligence can one day be taught to experience emotions, leading to sentience among robots. Already, companion devices such as digital pets make use of these emotions. A few other applications include marketing and sales, where executives can drop campaigns or sales pitches when they understand that the person on the other side of the computer or phone is not receptive to the message. The converse holds true too. It is one day possible for computers to feel emotions too, and that day may not be very far away. What the future holds? Affective computing holds a lot of promise for the future. With emotion recognition research developing at a rapid rate, computers will be able to recognize, process and even ‘have’ emotions themselves one day. It remains to be seen where affective computing will be applied. Most likely, it will change the way we conduct e-learning programs, psychological therapy, marketing and sales, robotics and a few other areas of technology. Certainly, there shall be more research and news coming from this area. For those of us in technology and marketing, emotion recognition and affective computing hold a lot of promise. This is one area to watch and observe, for things are going to change rather quickly.
Redeem your Facebook Coupons With Ease Facebook is offering its customers with online and in-store coupons that can be saved easily. This will enable them to redeem the coupons just when they need to. What’s more, it will all be delivered in a more mobile-friendly environment. #social 4G Speed Sets a New High Finnish firm Elisa claims to have achieved a hyper fast speed of 1.9 Gbps on its 4G mobile network during a test. The record-breaking speed could revolutionize mobile video viewing. #mobile Exclusive Social Media Platform for Music Fans Here is a brand new social media platform called Fans for hardcore music lovers. Music lovers can discuss and share their insights on various bands, artists and a lot more, no matter how old they are. #social Leave your Campaign Measurement to This New software service unveiled by FunnelCake will put an end to all your uncertainties attributed to marketing investment. Why, it closely measures conversion rates to help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. And yes, it integrates with leading CRM software including Salesforce. #crm Analytics to Monitor Stroke Aftermath Doctors can now continuously monitor patients recovering at home after a stroke. Analytics will keep medicos informed all the time so that they can alter therapies when required. Falling sick is slowly getting less scary. #health
The new financial year has already begun and most of us have finished filing for returns in the nick of time. In fact, studies reveal that for accountants and CAs, the weeks preceding tax filings are some of the most stressful, leading to reduced performance and quality of life. People get stressed out on tax issues simply because numbers are scary, and filing tax returns involves a lot of number crunching. A simple mistake can cost a CA his client. While chartered accountants are trained to do this, even they find it difficult to handle different clients and may inadvertently make errors. Existing tax software programs require you to install them physically on a computer, making your system slow and inefficient. Also, you may not be able to rectify or correct issues on a different computer or from a different location, requiring you to file your returns on the computer where the tool is installed. All this leads to a reduction in efficiency and a gradual loss of man hours which could be used for something else. The solution to all these problems is MakeYourTax, a unique income tax returns filing web-based application, a joint venture of Indus Net Technologies and Taxmantra. How does MakeYourTax help CAs and enterprises? MakeYourTax is a cloud and web-based app that requires no installation and is available 24×7. It is easy to use and all you need to do is log in once to start filing your returns instantly. This is the perfect tool for those who are working from multiple office set-ups. MakeYourTax supports all ITRs and you can directly upload XML files, negate the requirement for entering data manually. This web-based application is perfect for chartered accountants (CAs), accountants and enterprises. The tool is specifically useful for chartered accountants, who often go through a reduction in efficiency because of older legacy taxation tools. This cloud-based filing system helps CAs to delegate work to junior interns, and it makes filing ITR and e-TDS of different clients a breeze. If you are a CA, you will no longer have to struggle through manual installations, performance audits and regular updates of your software. All this happens in the cloud, without you ever having to do anything. In other words, chartered accountants can finally leverage the power of cloud computing. If you are a chartered accountant and were wondering how MakeYourTax will help you, this section will help you to understand its main features. A taxation solution with full features The app covers ITR 1, 4S, 2, 2A, 3, 4, 5 and 6. You can easily make revisions and rectifications. In other words, MakeYourTax is a full-suit taxation app that solves all your problems as a CA, and you can simply focus on growing your business and nurturing your clients, instead of worrying about technicalities and software issues. Cloud-based solution MakeYourTax is a cloud-based app that does not require any installations or upgrades. This means the app is always up-to-date, ready to serve you, help your crunch numbers and make your work a lot easier than you might ever imagine. It is incredibly fast and can scale up during demand seasons such as the weeks before tax-filing deadlines. If your interns are not able to come to your office, they can simply work from home. This allows you to hire more interns and employees, especially if you do not have a large office. Helps you collaborate As MakeYourTax is a cloud-based app, you can easily collaborate with your team and also your clients across the world. The application provides simultaneous access, which makes coordinating and collaborating very easy. With a single license, you gain access to a multi-user, multi-location platform that easily solves all your tax-related problems. Easy to use As a CA or an accountant, you might worry about how difficult this software might be to use. The app has been designed with non-IT professionals in mind and is thus very intuitive and easy to use. In fact, even junior interns can use the application easily. If you need support, our trained tax professionals will help you and clear your doubts. Data protection and security When it comes to sensitive data such as tax-related numbers, data security is of utmost importance. MakeYourTax has been designed with protection and security of data being high on the priority list. All data is kept private and the app features 256-bit SSL encryption. With encrypted back-ups being the norm, you never have to worry about your stored data falling into wrong hands or it getting lost. With guaranteed data backups and security, you can heave a sigh of relief and focus on your work. Future updates and features In the future, MakeYourTax is going to receive even more features as it is updated regularly and automatically over the cloud. Some of the features that will be available soon are TDS returns preparation and filing, service tax returns preparation and filing, and VAT returns preparation and filing. Moreover, we have a list of other useful features that we plan to introduce soon. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of taxation, our team consists of veterans who know what it takes to crunch numbers efficiently. Our team has filed more than 300,000 tax returns for their clients and managed more than 8000 businesses. The team’s technical expertise is sound too, with more than 18 years in the technology sector. MakeYourTax.com costs INR 9850/- per year for unlimited usage, multiple users, and multiple offices, for one firm. We also offer a white label tax filing portal which will help you acquire new clients, but this comes at an additional cost. All along, no matter what questions or doubts you have, our experienced team will be happy to assist you. If you would like to understand more about the application and how it can specifically help you, please feel free to contact one of our representatives and they will be glad to help you.
