Selfies: Let's Clear It Up

If you have not heard of selfies, you either out of touch with reality or been living under a rock or a little bit of both. Simply put, it is a photograph that you take while aiming the camera at yourself. Unfortunately, some photos are being mistaken for selfies. It is actually technology and software companies that solidify words and this particular word first made it on the scene at the turn of the century when people decided to extend their arms with the camera facing the other way. As the cameras got better and smaller, it became a lot easier to do that without dropping a very expensive piece of equipment. Not to mention all the software development and mobile applications that came along when people wanted to make those selfies even better. Is that even possible? At any rate, when the camera leaves your hand and you use a self timer, it stops being a selfie. And a selfie stick does not count by any measure.

The About Us Page of Your Business

So you have started a business, great. Now you even have your very own web page, even better. What does your About Us page look like? Is it missing some very important key elements? Always, always, always include contact information with phone numbers and hours that you are open. This should be front and center on the page. Another thing that you should remember is to write what it is that you do or the services you provide in the first two sentences, and clearly. If you take the time not to waste your customer's time, they might just thank you for it. Consider this your elevator pitch. It is the perfect place to show some of the great things that you have done and press about you.While you are doing that, please do not be boring and have fun and show some personality. This will give your business a more human aspect. It will also help set you apart from the competition. This does not take a web development genius to figure it out.

Take 10 Minutes to Do Nothing

Yes you heard that right, nothing. Most people are running at 100 thoughts a minutes all day without any breaks and that can be disastrous. There have been many studies that show that taking breaks will actually increase productivity and efficiency. Nothing really does mean nothing and no thinking about that web development project. The reason to take breaks is to avoid burnout and possibly seek new perspective on things. Though this nothing can include taking a walk which will be even better. It will get your heart rate up and counter the effects of having to sit in front of the screen all day which can be detrimental to your health. It does not even take that much to improve your health. Not to mention the great mood boost you will experience. A better mood will refresh you even more.

Productivity Hacks

I have talked about increasing productivity before and here are some more tips that might help you in your quest for doing more in less time and enjoying more life. It is important to practice emails and meeting discipline. This means that you should answer an email right away if the response will take a minute or if a task needs to be delegated. Also, if an email results in more than a total of four emails, it would be better to schedule a short meeting or a video conference call. Others have said that it is important to start the days with the things that you are grateful for and run through the to-do list for the day. This means that you might need to wake up 20 minutes earlier but it will be well worth it in the long run. You can also try actually writing down what has to get done instead of using apps and a computer. There is nothing like the pleasure of tearing up the sheet of paper once you have completed all the things on your list.

Lessons From the World Wide Web

With over three billion people online, there are some lessons to be learned. First of all the anonymity creates a certain type of environment where people are horribly honest, mostly with themselves. They are able to show a side of them that otherwise would stay hidden for one reason or another. This honesty also comes with meanness and hatred. On the other hand, you also get to see just how many good people there are in the world. With all the horrible news and current events in the world, it is great to be able to read about the goodness. These days, anyone can have a camera, especially with Google Glass and the internet phone service it comes with. It can also make you a really horrible person if you choose to hit the record button in a situation where you should be helping or just minding your own business. Lastly, we all need to realize that as honest as people can be, the internet still cannot be trusted. Most of the time, when you come across something online that seems too absurdly crazy and outlandish and inflammatory to be true, it isn't.

Monday Mornings

No one really likes them, at all. Most of the time we are somewhat sluggish and hazy. One of the first things that you need to look at is what you did over the weekend. The mind needs sometime to rest and relax without any stress which means that work is the last thing that you should be thinking about. The thinking over the weekend when you chained yourself to the computer to finish that web development project so that you can start on Monday with a clean slate and a fresh start. How well did that go for you? Some rules to be able to boost those creative juices is to set some ground rules such as setting aside time for full disengagement. That means no phone calls, no e-mails, no business reading, no conversations, no focused thinking about work. Another rule is to plan in advance and finish everything that cannot wait.

Cell Phone Privacy Rights

By a 9-0 vote, the justices said smart phones and other electronic devices were not in the same category as wallets, briefcases, and vehicles -- all currently subject to limited initial examination by law enforcement. Generally such searches are permitted if there is "probable cause" that a crime has been committed, to ensure officers' safety and prevent destruction of evidence. So if the police cannot sift through the information that is on personal cell phones, why should the federal government be able to do it. Why is there even that distinction? With the advances in technology and software development, the lines are getting blurred and nothing is nearly as black and white. With the changing technology, it is important that laws stays up to date because otherwise there will be grey areas which means that people will be finding loopholes left and right.