January 2014

January 2014

Who Else Wants To Win A $50 Gift Card?

My quiz question from last month: The average human does this 15 times per minute…
The correct answer was b) blink their eyes.
Now, here’s this month’s trivia question. The winner will receive a gift card to Best Buy!
The introduction of New York’s New Year’s Eve Ball in 1907 was a result of:

a) An abundance of light bulbs
b) An ironworker’s art piece on display
c) A ban on fireworks

Call us right now with your answer!

214-329-1349

*Trivia winners are eligible to win again after 90 days of previous win.


Don’t Let IT Happen Again This Year… Three New Year’s Resolutions To Make In 2014

2014 has arrived! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet?

Besides resolving to spend more time with family and friends, getting fit and getting organized, have you made any New Year’s resolutions for your business?
Looking at your current computer network and reviewing your past year’s network support and services, are you saying to yourself, “I’m not going to let this happen again in 2014!” Do any of your New Year’s resolutions include dealing with continually pesky computer network issues?

Do Your Resolutions Look Anything Like This?

  • RESOLVED, double pinkie shake, I WILL get my critical company data automatically backed up offsite daily. Whether through fire, natural disaster, tape failure or just human error, I might lose all of my company data, which will cost me plenty.
  • RESOLVED, I will take a serious look at cloud computing and all of the business benefits and potential savings the cloud offers for my business.
  • RESOLVED, I will not tolerate subpar security policies or procedures for my company that put it in a high-risk category for being subject to cyber attacks that could cripple or completely wipe out my business.

FREE Technology Business Review Gets You On The Road To Keeping Your
Resolutions And Eliminating Your Day-To-Day Computer Headaches.

To schedule a Technology Business Review today, simply call our office at 214-329-1349.
an active role in making your business profitable and successful. That requires mutual respect on both sides.


Client Spotlight: Fauxcades

If you are looking for a Creative Event Design company, then Fauxcades is your partner for any event related needs. Offering everything from full event design services to simple rentals, our broad service spectrum is designed to handle each and every need. The 65,000 square foot warehouse is full of lounge, bar, décor and more of their very own event rentals. They have onsite production studios for signage, carpentry and painting needs making Fauxcades your one stop shop. With their talented team, your event will be handled thoroughly and professionally from concept to creation. Allow their Event Specialist to guide you in planning a flawless event experience. Would you like your company highlighted here in our “Client Spotlight”? Then give us a call today at 214-329-1349.

Shiny New Gadget: The iPhone/iPad Pocket Projector

Now you can share the latest YouTube sensation, share that adorable video of kitty doing her tricks or watch a movie on the big screen, all from your phone. With the iPhone/iPad Pocket Projector, your iPhone’s screen can project an image reaching up to 85 inches diagonally and from as far as 10 feet away. It’s simple, easy to use and super quick to set up this mini-device.
The projector weighs less than 5 oz. and is smaller than a smartphone. The iPhone/iPad Pocket Projector can turn your ceiling, tent, blank wall or even the side of your house into a movie theater. The projector’s 640 x 480 pixel resolution ensures a nice picture, and a manual focus wheel enables you to “dial up” sharpness and clarity. (The sound still comes from your iPhone speaker, so for the best quality, you may want to invest in some new speakers to stream the audio.)

A free app enables you to magnify or rotate images and project everything from videos to a four-hour search for the perfect shoes. The internal battery provides two hours of projection and recharges via USB with the included cable. This device is compatible with most iPhones/iPads, except the iPhone 5, the new iPad with Retina Display and the iPad Mini. Get one today at www.amazon.com.


The Importance of Focus

There are songs about it (think “One” by U2), there are stores named after it (think Pier 1 Imports), and every sports team on the planet says it is number one after an exciting victory. It’s good to be number one.
Now think about “two.” There are few songs about number two, fewer stores, and I don’t believe any team marches around proudly cheering, “We are number two!”
We all know intuitively that being number one means you are the best. And every single entrepreneur in this world aspires to be the best at something. Yet somewhere between our entrepreneurial intuition and our business brain, we lose the focus on being number one.
Instead of excelling at one thing, we think it is “logical” to be offering more and more things to more and more people. We try to become a “one-stop shop,” and ultimately our clients just hear the “middle part” and STOP. This leads our business to become a blight of mediocrity.
It doesn’t matter what business you are in, your success lies in your ability to become number one. The formula to becoming number one is pretty simple – just do one thing better than anyone else. Not a few things, not a lot of things – just do ONE THING better than anybody else and focus on that. Here are the three things you need to get there:

  1. Stop Thinking You Can Do It All – You probably can do it all. You just can’t do it all well. Successful entrepreneurs focus in on the one thing they are best at and devote themselves to mastery of it. The rest is assigned to others through partnerships, contracts and colleagues.
  2. Be Bold – When you discover what you are great at. You need to put it out there, BIG TIME. The most important differentiator between the “number ones” and everyone else is that they don’t care what all the other people think about them. They care only about what they know to be right, and then put themselves out there unabashedly. When the minority responds feverishly and enthusiastically to your boldness, you have the most significant indicator that you are number one in your niche. Over time that minority will become the majority. Audacity is often the only thing that separates two equally talented entrepreneurs.
  3. Teach It – Masters share knowledge. The more you teach, the more you learn about what you are teaching. Others will gain knowledge from you, but also will gain respect for your expertise. As people come to appreciate your abilities, they will crown you king, and all the riches go to the king.

Build a business and be an entrepreneur who is driven to be number one. No longer worry about what the competition is doing, and no longer think about how you can bring in a few more dollars by “just doing a few more things.” Instead start worrying about what you are doing to be unique and different. Instead start thinking about the one thing you can do to bring in a king’s ransom. Just be humble, for God’s sake, and don’t brag to the world that you are number one… that won’t serve you well.


9 Ways To Kick Off Your New Year By Disconnecting From Technology (At Least A Little Bit)

The New Year brings renewal in our lives. It is a time that many people vow to make changes to correct certain behaviors in their life that are causing them pain or harm. With technology improvements, it has rapidly become difficult to disconnect from technology, which can cause harm in our health and sanity.
Here are 9 simple steps you can take this year to disconnect from your technology, even if for just a little while:

  1. Turn it off. Whether overnight or on a day each weekend, turn off technology and feel the peace of disconnecting from the connected world.
  2. “No Tech Night.” Get your family involved. Turn off the TV. No iPhones or tablets. No work to catch up. Read a book. Play a board game. Or even just talk with each other!
  3. No E-mails First Thing In The AM. Focus on YOUR biggest task first before you dive into everyone else’s agenda.
  4. Social Media 1x Per Day Only. Set a certain time each and every day to check social media and then stay off the rest of the day.
  5. Read Actual Printed Materials. Books, magazines, a real newspaper or this monthly newsletter!
  6. Don’t Sleep Next To Your Phone. Leave it in the other room. You’ll sleep easier.
  7. Get Outdoors. Simple, but effective.
  8. No Cellphones During Dinner! Enjoy your food and the company around you.
  9. Set Your “Work Hours” And Stick With Them. You’re not expected to work every hour of the day. Take your life back and just live a little.

The Lighter Side: Trivial Tech Notes – Did You Know?

  • The technology contained in a single Game Boy unit in 2000 exceeded all the computer power that was used to put the first man on the moon in 1969.
  • Hackers in 1999 discovered a flaw that allowed logging in to any Hotmail account with the password “eh.”
  • A man patented something eerily similar to an iPod in 1979!
  • The power source for NASA’s Curiosity rover barely outputs enough energy to power a ceiling fan!
  • Google has bought an average of one company per week since 2010!
  • Smoking near Apple computers voids the warranty.
  • The Recording Industry Association of America tried to outlaw MP3 players in 1998!
  • MIT has built a robot that can assemble IKEA furniture on its own!
  • There is a $300,000 watch that doesn’t tell time!
  • Scientists are working on technology that would allow the road to charge electric cars as they drive on it!
  • The Department of Defense used 1,760 PlayStation 3’s to build a supercomputer because it was the cheapest option!
  • The default Windows XP desktop is a real picture of a real location with no digital enhancements. The background is called “Bliss” – a green meadow with a blue sky above it, seen here on the right.
  • All the batteries in the world could only support 10 minutes’ worth of the world’s demand for energy.