I think we can all learn a little something about teamwork from this group of young men and women. This is absolutely spectacular synchronization, timing, teamwork — amazing!  

   

What other things besides communication and education can technology redefine? For Polo Ralph Lauren, it’s the word “shopping”.

 

?Speaking of the “s” word, Polo Ralph Lauren plans to make it big this year, as the very first luxury retailer to revolutionize online shopping through a mobile e-commerce site. According to the retailer, the idea of buying train tickets and vending machine products for example, is not out of the ordinary in Japan. Ralph Lauren says phone shopping is not commonplace in the U.S., it’s something viewed to be only for people who are comfortable with technology, though not age-specific per se.

 

?Why phone shopping, you might ask? Being first in the U.S. to launch the technology is one thing, keeping up with the trend as a fashion mogul is another. Anyone would probably agree that in addition to feeling the need to keep up; Polo Ralph Lauren discerns that technology-savvy fashionistas would appreciate the convenience that phone shopping can offer.

 

?To counter the U.S. economy’s recession, a new-fangled inventory management system is definitely in order. The designer of the high-end apparel has thought of setting special codes in print ads, mailings, and store windows alongside the U.S. open tennis tournament beginning later this August. This means all the shoppers have to do is whip out their camera phones, download some special software, and use that to scan codes. Through this, they can access the Ralph Lauren website (which they have designed to be phone-friendly) to start shopping, read company profiles, or even watch tennis videos.

 

?The question still remains as to how much Polo Ralph Lauren invested on this technology or how this will either make or break their projected sales. This opens up a possible demand for mobile phones with built-in code readers; these phones are anticipated to be out in the market within the year, as per the apparel-maker’s heads-up.

 

?Phone shopping will definitely be groundbreaking; an event that will grace the morning papers and fashion magazines from here on. 

 

For the Kids:                                    Why are teachers so mean? They’re always cracking down on kids. Trying to ruin all the fun. What have they got against kids? Did they not realize that children would be involved when they chosen their profession?   Whatever the answers to these questions may be, the good news is that children now have 21st Century tools to fight back against the wrinkled old establishment that is always ruining the fun.   For example: A common problem for students today is missing important text messages because their phone can’t ring in class. Fortunately the ring-tones on the right provide an answer to this dilemma.   The ring-tones towards the bottom are in-audible to many of the aged ears that are instructing classes these days. Go ahead and try them out. See for yourself!   Students can now use a 24 and younger mosquito ring-tone to alert them that they have received a text message with no worries of the teacher ever hearing a thing.   So go crazy! Entertain yourself while that dry old teacher goes on and on about the “the properties of a noun” and the terribly interesting characteristics of a wavelength.   Special Thanks: We would just like to take a moment to thank the students who actually DID pay attention to things like the characteristics of a wavelength in school, so they could learn the required knowledge that made the creation of Mosquito Ring-tones possible:   The history of Mosquito Ring Tones: The history of Mosquito Ring Tone dates back to 2005 when a British inventor by the name of Howard Stapleton came up with an ingenious idea to keep teenagers from loitering outside of shops at night. The idea was meant to drive away teens through ultra high frequency sounds much like how a dog whistle would affect dogs. It was an idea to make the storefront very uncomfortable for the loitering teens while leaving the money spending adult customers unaffected. The product was marketed as an ultrasonic teenager repellent that took advantage of the already well known ultrasonic dog repellent. The product blasts a continuous ear-splitting 17.4KHz sound wave (about the same sound an actual mosquito would make) designed to disperse loitering teens from the storefront while leaving adults unaffected. “The Mosquito”, as the product was named, took advantage of a curious medical fact that most adults (and kids) are unaware of. Natural adult hearing loss is particularly acute at higher frequency ranges and most adults can not hear the ultra high frequency ranges after a certain age due to the condition known as Presbycusis.   Presbycusis The principle behind Presbycusis is a biological fact that hearing experts refer to as an ‘aging ear’. Medical scientists state that starting at around age 20, the human ear begins to lose its ability to hear tones in the highest human-range frequencies (18-20 khz), and this condition progressively gets worse the older you get. Most adults over 40 or 50 exhibit some symptoms of this condition. Young adults are usually asymptomatic since most human reproduced audio waves and communication takes place in the range of 200 and 8,000 hertz. For this reason, the deterioration of the ability to detect ultra high frequencies generally go undetected. To learn more about presbycusis, please read the indepth resource about presbycusis and the Teen Buzz Ringtone   The Mosquito Ringtone As with any inventive good idea, sooner or later someone is going to use it for something other then the original intended purpose. In this case, some equally inventive teens in the inventor’s hometown (Birmingham) caught on to what the company was doing and decided to put turn the idea into something they could use. They took the ultra sonic frequency and converted into to a cell phone ringtone which they aptly named “Teen Buzz”. As such, the “adult proof” ringtone known as the mosquito ringtone was born. The ringtone immediately caught on like wildfire in the UK, and has since quickly spread throughout the reaches of the Internet to teens everywhere. Teens learned they could hear each others phones ringing at school but their teachers couldn’t. The ringtone goes by many different names including Teen Buzz, Mozzy Tone, Mosquito Ringtone, Ultra Sonic Ringtone, and others. It has been used in several TV series here in the United States as well as in a very clever KFC TV Commercial.   About FreeMosquitoRingtones.org Free Mosquito Ringtones is the authority for “teen buzz, the mosquito ringtone”, having been making a variety of tone frequencies in several popular formats available for free since 2006. During this time, our tones have been heard by millions of people around the world. For media inquiries or to ask us a question. http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org

CAN YOU HEAR?                              – Everyone    – 60 & Younger – 50 & Younger – 49 & Younger – 39 & Younger – 30 & Younger – 24 & Younger – 24 & Younger – 24 & Younger – 24 & Younger – 18 & Younger – 18 & Younger – 18 & Younger

  What Is A Blog? A blog is used to write about anything, it’s a journal of sorts. You can include links to other sites, images, videos, news articles, news reports in video or audio format, etc. People can comment on your blog, which evokes conversation and essentially creates a community within your site. I wrote an article about a new search engine that is supposedly trying to compete with Google’s market share – cuil.com. I received 247 hits that day alone to my website –  solely because of the article. Blogs start with an existing framework (software) and can be customized to look exactly like your website.   What Is A Blog’s Purpose In your blog you would write about things that are relevant to your business or hobbies. The goal is to give search engines more to index, thus serving more to searchers. Topics could be virtually anything that interests you. If you’re interested in the topic chances are someone else is too. Your opinions and advice are good when blogging – especially if you position yourself as a professional. The benefits are tremendous, and blogging is certainly the trend of today, and tomorrow!   David Meerman Scott, ex-director of marketing for Microsoft ­ now a consultant, wrote the book The New Rule of Marketing & PR. Essentially, it says blogging, podcasting, video-podcasting and social networking are the ways to market ­ not expensive media like billboards, print advertisements, radio spots and television commercials.  

To Casual observers Google is known only as a search engine. Everyone knows exactly what you mean when you use the household phrase “Google it.” But what is the deal with Gmail? Or the even lesser known Google Docs and Calendar? Some might say these online applications are simply jabs from Google CEO Eric Schmidt towards his longtime nemesis, Microsoft. Others, including Google, claim that online applications are they wave of the future. Google Calendar

Still in it’s beta stages, Google Calendar completely online based, free, and fully sharable. You control who your calendar is shared with, and what information others can see by adding their email to an event, or your entire calendar. Other users can then have the option to see your two calendars layered together, only your calendar, or only their calendar. Sharing an entire calendar can be useful when you’re part of a group that has shared events, like a softball team. Some other features of Google Calendar are:

• Views by day, week, or month or next four days
• You can invite people to events on your calendar by adding their email addresses in the Guests section of the event.
• Guests can RSVP to your invitations by email, whether or not they use Google Calendar themselves.
• Reminders help you keep track of important events. You can choose to be notified by email, popup window or text messages sent right to your mobile phone.
• You can set up multiple calendars for different areas of your life, like one for your softball team’s practices and games.
• You can search your calendar, and events that are made public by other Google Calendar users.

Google Docs

Boasting similar sharing/networking features of Google Calendar, Google Docs consists of a word processor (which this was written with), spreadsheet, and presentation program, all online, no downloads, all free. In it’s basic form, Google Docs are similar to Microsoft in that you can create documents from scratch, or from a template, and all the standard functions are covered including:

• bulleted lists,
• sorting by columns,
• adding tables,
• images,
• comments,
• formulas

So why are Google Docs any better? Because of the sharing capabilities. You choose who can access a given document by entering their email address and sending them an invitation. Anyone you’ve invited to either edit or view your document, spreadsheet or presentation can access it as soon as they sign in. Multiple people can view and make changes to a document at the same time. There is an on-screen chat window for spreadsheets, and document revisions show you exactly who changed what, and when. As for presentations, anyone who has been invited to view a presentation can follow along with the presenter. There’s nothing to download; you can access your documents, spreadsheets and presentations from any computer with an Internet connection and a standard browser. Additional features include:

• Online storage and autosave — no worries about local hard drive failures or power outages.

• Save your documents and spreadsheets to your own computer in DOC, XLS, CSV, ODS, ODT, PDF, RTF and HTML formats.
• Organize by dragging and dropping your documents into as many folders as you want.
• You can publish your documents online, as normal-looking web pages
• Publish to the entire world, just a few people or no one. You can also un-publish at any time.

Gmail The central hub that all of this revolves around is Google’s best known side project: Gmail. A free web based email service that offers 1 gigabyte, or 500 times as much storage space as a free Microsoft Hotmail account. Gmail features a built in search engine that uses the same search technology as a standard google search, making it simple to locate emails, even by only typing in a phrase from the email such as “sailing this weekend with BillyBob.”

Other features include:

• Quick load times by using a plain layout, sparse graphics, and unobtrusive text ads.
• Messages are grouped together in a string. This conversation view continues to grow as new replies arrive, so you can always see your messages in context.
• Built in chat, reply to emails via chat. And Gmail can archive all of your chats, making them searchable.
• Gmail uses labels to help you organize with more flexibility. A conversation can have several labels, so you’re not forced to choose one particular folder for messages. You can also create filters to automatically manage incoming mail.

Google’s spam blocking technology:

If you invested heavily in Apple around 5 or 6 years ago you’re probably feeling pretty financially savvy. And with the stock up 1,474% since 2003 you very well should. On top of this huge stock gain, Apple is sitting on 20.8 billion dollars in cash and short term investments. I’d like to take a brief moment to put the number 20,800,000,000 into perspective. Around 20.8 billion seconds (659 years) ago it was the year 1349. Right about the same time marked the beginning of the Ottoman Empire, the Hundred Years War, a few serious plagues that wiped out large portions of the population, the invention of a technique called knitting, and Mel Gibson played the heroic character Braveheart, who won Scottish independence from British tyranny. If Apple decided to give you 1 dollar for every second that you are alive, and you live to be 80 years old, they will only have to pay you 2.5 billion dollars. Think that is impressive? Analysts predict the company’s hoard of cash could surge to nearly $30 billion over the next year because of strong sales of computers, iPods, and iPhones. This would put Apple well passed Microsoft’s 23.7 billion dollar bank account. Don’t remember Microsoft? They had that innovative software back in 98’. They were also noted in the 1999 definition of oxymoron: ox·y·mo·ron. Noun. – “contradictory words in conjunction.” see: Microsoft Works. Also see: Government Worker”   So what is Apple going to do with all that money? There are a number of things. For one the company could seek acquisitions (For Microsoft Corp. we will start the bidding at 1 billion dollars do I hear 1 billion dollars?). The market is down, and Apple has the marketing ability to turn emerging technologies into the next big thing. Alternately Apple could take advantage of the dire straits that the major record labels’ are in. Or Apple could simply put some money into raw materials. As prices of everything rise, it would be nice for Apple’s suppliers to stock up. And what if Apple keeps putting it all away? Where they will go only Apple knows. If Apple needs a few ideas for what to do with 20.8 billion dollars, I have some ideas here: With 20.8 billion dollar bills placed side by side Apple could make an 18 foot wide path around Earth’s equator. Or placing 20.8 billion dollar bills end on end Apple could make a path to the moon and back 4 times. Maybe Apple is feeling generous? If so they could give every person on Earth $3.15.

    A program introduced to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for new homebuyers. The Homebuyer University is brought to you by Linda Kosich of AmericaHomeKey. The intention of this program is to:  

Knowledge is power. In an effort to encourage home ownership in Lancaster County, AmericaHomeKey is pleased to offer you an opportunity to participate in a course designed to meet your individual needs as you prepare for your goal of purchasing a home. Together we will target credit, create and adhere to a budget, implement a savings plan, introduce the barter system and explore how to pay less for almost anything! The class will participate in all the exercises as a group and your support and encouragement of each other are intrinsic to your personal success. The “diploma” you will receive are the mortgage documents you will sign the day you receive the keys to your new house!

  If you are interested please visit the website for more information!

 

 

In the United States, business cards are a matter of simple design and casual distribution. They are an exchange of contact information, a forget-me-not. Most of us have quite a few random cards tucked away in our wallets. They contain mystical powers, like birthday cards– After the first few days you don’t really need (or want) them anymore, yet it’s still so hard to throw them away. There was effort and thought put into them. Keep this in mind if you will be traveling overseas, as the social gesture of handing over a business card will only be magnified in many foreign countries.

 

Here are a few examples of how foreign business card differ from American, and some etiquette on how they are exchanged:

  RUSSIA The actual exchange of cards will be casual, But the card itself indicates your status. A Russian business card should clearly state the year your company was founded and your title. “Eastern Europeans are very into hierarchy,” says Neil Payne, founder of Kwintessential, a cross-cultural communications consultant in London.   CHINA In a show of deference, give and receive cards with both hands and a slight bow. Take time to comment on the card, and don’t write on it or shove it into a pocket—put it carefully into a card case. A typical Chinese card might display lucky colors such as red and gold. If you’re traveling to China it might be a good idea to have one side of your business card translated into Chinese using simplified Chinese characters. Make sure the translation is carried out into the appropriate Chinese dialect, i.e. Cantonese or Mandarin. Like Russia, it would be a good idea to include your title, and any fascinating facts about your company.   INDIA After shaking hands, business cards are always exchanged with the right hand. How do you exchange two cards if you are both holding them in your right hands? I do not know. Education is very important in India, so the card itself is likely to display a university degree or any educational honors earned. Unlike China, English is widely spoken within the business community. So if you will be traveling to India don’t worry about having your card translated into Hindi.   JAPAN Concerning business cards, Japan is perhaps the mirrored image of America. An exchange of cards might be more aptly called a ceremony. Similar to Russia, a Japanese business card will often display status and hierarchy such as title. When you receive a card, treat it as if you are handling the giver themselves. You may give a card with one hand, but always receive one with both hands. During a meeting, place the business cards on the table in front of you in the order people are seated. When the meeting is over, thoughtfully put the business cards in a business card case or a portfolio. If you are heading to Japan, it’s a good idea to invest in quality cards,  and always keep them in pristine condition. Remember, when you are visiting another county, you are the foreigner, and everyone understands that. So don’t sweat it.   According to Payne:

“Demonstrating good business etiquette is merely a means of presenting yourself as best you can. Failure to adhere to foreign business etiquette does not always have disastrous consequences.”

  If all else fails, pay attention to what the people around you are doing, and follow their lead.   Sources: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-16-2004-60519.asp http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_66/s0806028858156.htm?chan=m