Many seniors experience a deep sense of social isolation (this guy up here doesn’t mind though). This is due to a number of factors: they are no longer part of a workforce, family and friends have moved away, and it may be more difficult to leave the house to do the things they used to. In addition to sociological factors, seniors struggling with cognitive challenges or mobility issues find it difficult to connect with others, simply because it’s difficult to join a senior center or religious community and participate in activities.

Loneliness is a sense of grief due to lack of social connection. It creates psychological issues like depression and anxiety, as well as sedentary behaviors that increase health risks. If these are not addressed, a decline in cognitive abilities also occurs. While the ideal solution to heal loneliness would be to help seniors join a community where they feel a sense of connection, technology can help mitigate many of the risks of loneliness and the anguish of social isolation.

As seniors become more comfortable with the use of computers and Internet-connected devices and increasingly familiar with social media, they can engage in online communities and reconnect with family and friends.

Smartphones
Many seniors find smartphones bewildering. Moreover, they are continually evolving. Manufacturers make advances and add innovative features with every new model. For instance, earlier Android models of the Samsung Galaxy series did not have the need for much security because the technology was so new that hackers hadn’t figured out a way to exploit them. Since then, criminal-minded geeks have upped their game, but the latest Android devices have developed such sophisticated user authentication features that it is almost impossible for anyone else to use the phone.

A Senior-Friendly Phone
An ideal solution for technophobic seniors who are often intimidated by the vast array of icons available on smartphones is a mobile phone called the Jitterbug phone. This type of phone is designed to provide seniors with an easy and affordable way to stay connected to those around them.

Even s.eniors unfamiliar with cell phones will find this type of phone easy to use, because it has an intuitive interface. The bottom half of the screen is the command area, and it asks the user what they would like to do. If, for instance, someone is in the phone list and a contact is highlighted, he or she will see the question, “Call?” A “yes” or “no” key option is available to help them whether to make a call. Other features include a built-in tutorial and a keypad with back-lit buttons.

The phone also has features for the visually impaired or the hard of hearing. Vision is enhanced with a sharp color screen, menus, messages, and “yes” or “no” question prompts. Moreover, big numbers on back-lit keys makes it easy to see if lighting conditions in the room are poor. Hearing difficulties can be accommodated with a volume adjustment that ranges from low to very high, and the settings can be adjusted during a call. In addition, there is also a speakerphone option and a hearing aid compatibility feature.

Since seniors are often on tight budgets, the data plan is designed to be highly affordable, and it can even be as low as $15 a month. Although many affordable service plans make up for their low monthly fee with a continuity program based on signing up for a long-term contract, this type of phone has no extended contracts, and the user is completely free to cancel anytime they desire without any financial penalties.

Desktop and Laptops
Although common computing devices like desktops and laptops are initially intimidating for people who have spent most of their lives in a pre-digital age, modern computers are designed to be user-friendly. For this reason, many advocacy groups, senior centers, and retirement communities offer free courses for seniors to help them realize that their tech fears are unfounded. Once introduced to the amazing world of computers, they are amazed that they ever found it difficult to do simple things like surf the web, type a letter in Microsoft Word, or play a game of Candy Crush.

America’s Aging Population
The use of technology in relieving lonesomeness plays a much larger role in improving the lives of elderly people than many people realize. As the US population ages, many Baby Boomers, those born between 1946 and 1955, find themselves living alone. According to 2014 census numbers (the latest figures available), the older American population number over 46.2 million. Those 65 or older represent 14.5% of the population, which works out to be about 1 in every 7 Americans.

So… whatever regulars that are still around might have noticed: content is thin these days. The reasons for this are long and potentially boring, but maybe one day I’ll write my memoirs and delight you guys on the best way to run a website into the ground. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a little fight left in me, and I’ve decided it’s time to hire someone to write for OhGizmo! again.

It won’t pay much, but you’ll be read by a quarter million readers monthly. There’s a contact form right here (and up on the nav bar too, if you bother to look), where you can submit your candidacy, and I’ll be reviewing applications. You need to be able to write well and be interested in tech; I’m assuming if you’re reading this in the first place you already have part 2 nailed down. Past writers have gone on to become fully employed writers at legit professional publications, like Gizmodo and IEEE, so who knows where you might end up. Either bored or a millionaire… or somewhere in between.

We’ll discuss compensation when you apply, but don’t expect to buy a yacht with this money. But hey, if you’re finding yourself browsing the web all day and occasionally think “Geez, this OhGizmo! site sure could use some of my talent.”, then why not try it out and make a few bucks in the process?

Digital Marketing is a lucrative business and it is far more effective for larger and more competitive businesses. If it is done effectively, it has far more success than small business advertising does. This is a business that is always evolving, as more and more ideas continue to emerge; however, it takes time and effort to promote and perfect different strategies to help your business grow. There are several different keys to successful digital marketing. There are multiple channels in which a digital marketing audience can be reached; blogs, social media, e-mail, podcasts and websites. The following strategies will help kick your career into high gear.

First of all, you need to keep up with all the major digital marketing sites, such as Google, Twitter, Facebook, and also keep up with industry news. Blogs also help share information which is geared toward a specific audience. The sort of information that is expressed in a blog inspires a specific audience to not only read the original content, but also brings people back to the blog for future reading. You can also use social media sites, such as facebook, to boost your business. It is important to build trust and brand loyalty with the audience. However, do not strictly advertise. You should aim to build a relationship with the audience. Try to keep content simple, be consistent, and always respond to feedback with a positive attitude and as quickly as possible. You might find this article interesting.

Second, digital marketing messages should be quick and also grab the reader’s attention in an instant. This is because you literally only have seconds to connect with a potential customer. The message should also be direct and organized and convey a feeling that reaches the audience right away.

Third, you should always try to network. Try to surround yourself with those who are also in the digital marketing business. You can find industry meet-ups and conferences in your area, and you can enhance your abilities through in-depth workshops and presentations.

Fourth, visual aids are an awesome tool that can optimize development. Videos and graphics for your blog or social media site, can optimize communication and business development. Videos and for your blog or social media site, can really grab the audience’s attention and boost the quality of the content. Visual images are usually a great way to promote business.

Fifth, every digital marketer should have personal projects that they devise all on their own. This is a way to test out your own personal projects and is also a way to test out your own personal marketing skills and build revenue apart from industry leaders and fellow digital marketers.

Sixth, promote any positive reviews you receive concerning your business, on your website, and show the consumer why they should choose your business. Positive reviews tend to generate business.

Seventh, use different perspectives in your website development. You need to make sure that it connects with all different members of your consumer audience. Try to prioritize your site based on the need of long term customers. It is important to gain insight and feedback from the consumer audience.

Eighth, mobile relates to all types of marketing, especially digital marketing. It has influence over web development, content creation, user experience and promotion. These days, people like to use apps, features and other functions, or some other mobile feature that utilizes digital marketing in the way and in the form they feel is best for them.

Ninth, it is also important for digital marketers to construct a landing page. This is the first impression that users get of your brand and it allows for the communication of important objectives in your site. People tend to be impatient when searching for things online. Try to give them exactly what they want with clear and concise landing pages. Last, and possibly most importantly, learn basic knowledge of HTML and graphic design. This will make you look more credible, relevant and able to produce a quality product. Acquiring a certificate in a certified digital marketing course will also make you stand out from the rest.

Tenth, use content to promote your brand using a quality service like iNet Ventures or ICY Digital, both of which have the ability to strengthen a brand’s authority via influencer marketing techniques of which are effective and natural.

Basically, any sort of knowledge in digital marketing will propel you all the way to the top. In conclusion, digital marketing encompasses many forms of online promotion, ranging from social media to online advertising. It is a growing industry in which interesting concepts are embraced and technology is used as a tool to obtain a new and an ever-changing consumer audience. If you utilize the above tips, you will eventually find success in the digital marketing business.

Smartphones

The screen cracks. The signal fails. The battery dies. And woe betides you if you get it wet. The smartphone is arguably the king of unreliable gadgetry. But for all the hassle of carrying something around as delicate as a newborn baby in your pocket, us consumers can’t live without our beloved cell phones.

How to Fix It

If you can’t bring yourself to step back into the brick-phone age – like the famous Nokia 3310 (which has been revived by the company) – then be sure to invest in some top quality protection. Modern protective cases come with a range of life-proof defense mechanisms against water and brute force, such as the aptly-named ‘Survivor’ by Griffin, will ensure your smartphone stays safely intact from a drop of up to 10 feet.

The Internet

Technically not a ‘gadget’ in the traditional sense, but from its humble military file-sharing beginnings to being widely regarded in modern homes as ‘the fourth utility’ (following water, heating and electricity), we feel the web deserves an honorable mention.

We’ve all been met with a page crash, slow running script or ‘404’ in our time, and always at the most inconvenient of moments (such as during an online transaction when you’re not sure if your payment actually went through or not). But when the site is your own, a crashed server can be damaging for an independent business, in terms of lost income and the reputational hit.

How to Fix It

In terms of keeping your own site up and running, if you’ll look here, you will find that a dedicated server should avoid the peril of platform crashes that occasionally inflict shared hosting sites such as WordPress. Furthermore, to prevent malware and viruses, give your devices a quick online security health check by ensuring you have the latest software updates installed, and be sure to use a reliable VPN when using unsecured Wi-Fi networks or streaming content.

Satellite Navigation Systems

When they’re not telling you to head directly into a lake, those bothersome Sat Navs are forever driving us to distraction thanks to confusingly designed pre-loaded maps, signal black holes and outdated software. But for all their unreliability, these little on-the-road gadgets preferable to the pre-GPS days of map books in the backseat or printing out directions before setting off.

How to Fix It

Update your maps! Although older Sat Nav models may need to be plugged into the computer to update, you can visit the manufacturer’s website and sign up for notifications that will alert you when the latest updates arrive.

Credit card machines and cash tills are getting a little paranoid because they’ve heard of the introduction of the new iPad POS (Point Of Sale) System. The system itself is an innovative way of helping businesses in a variety of industries become more efficient when it comes to accepting payments.

Royalty Free Photo
But, that’s not all these systems are used for. They also come with a host of other features and benefits that are ultimately making credit card machines and cash tills quake in their boots. Why is the new development of iPad POS Systems taking off in restaurants and other businesses around the world?

The Implementation of Inventory Tracking
The days of walking into the back of the restaurant to check on food inventory are long gone. iPad POS Systems come equipped with inventory tracking software so customers know whether a specific meal is in stock there and then. This increases employee efficiency, and it also means impatient customers are no longer a problem. It’s features like these that are giving employees the chance to provide a better service regardless of the industry they work in.

A Variety of Payment Methods on One Device
What makes the iPad system so special is that it’s able to accept a variety of payment methods. It’s not a cash machine just yet, but the usual card payments and contactless features are common. iPads can now work with stripe and chip card payments which makes it even more versatile. The need to carry a bulky credit card machine is no longer needed.

The Ability to Provide Better Organization
One key element that makes the iPad POS System so interesting to business owners is that it offers them a new level of organizational ability. Staff schedules, inventory tracking, and a handy clocking in and out staff system are just a few of the features that make organization easy as pie.

A Cost-Effective Solution
The obvious benefit of having such a system is that overall, it lowers business costs. Businesses no longer need to hire more employees when it gets busy because the iPad POS System has already increased employee efficiency. Lower costs on other payment methods is also one of the common reasons the iPad POS System is on the rise in many business outlets around the world.

Training Staff Members Is Easier Than Ever
The common electronic cash tills and card payment solutions can often throw up all sorts of problems to employees – and they often make training new staff with little technical experience much harder. iPads are quicker and easier to navigate and with a decent POS System implemented it means user interfaces are providing the management with a solution to easily train their staff.

Excellent Management Features
The feature-rich product has everything for staff members to undertake their jobs easily. However, what’s even more important is that these systems also come with excellent management features. From earnings reports and taxes to inventory management and actions logs – iPad POS Systems are positively changing the world for managers and business owners. Other features include extensions and the ability to search for assistance straight from the iPad itself.

The iPad Point of Sale System for restaurants is ultimately helping owners run them with little hassle. It’s surprising how such a small device can dramatically change how a business is run and, what’s even more surprising is how these devices have so many features jam packed into a compact design. If you run a restaurant or even a shoe selling business, consider implementing an iPad POS System today and you’ll find your business is more efficient tomorrow.

With media being consumed on demand faster that ever before, with companies like Netflix making TV shows and movies available for streaming just months after their release to please users, it’s imperative that the signals used to transmit content are reliable. Cloud-based service providers that exist for social, entertainment-based, informative, or professional purposes are all expanding globally to reach a larger client base. Conversely, those who’ve already expanded internationally still require the IT equipment used to supply their service to be shipped securely, and on time. These clients require technology resellers from whom they can lease these necessary goods, it’s an opportunity to enter a global market like no other, so why do so many value-added resellers choose to stay local?

What many cloud-based service providers don’t realize is just how complex cross-border transactions can be, particularly for the reseller whose responsibility it is to have the goods cleared upon arrival. Technology is treated with high sensitivity at the customs of most countries, and because there is no conventional customer, often an Importer of Record is hired so the goods may be cleared compliantly. Before this process can take place, there is also a pre-approval process to contend with that requires the exporting entity to prepare all the correct paperwork including a commercial invoice, freight delivery waybill, and other pieces of customs support documentation like permits and further certifications.

This portion demands detailed knowledge of the receiving country’s legislature, and if a reseller has business in multiple places, it can cause a logistics nightmare. What’s more is that one minor mistake in the paperwork can cause costly delays and new media giants like Facebook or YouTube will not be impressed by insufficient service.

Thankfully, a reseller can more easily take advantage of international opportunities by partnering with a company like TecEx that can act as your Importer of Record in over 120 countries, clearing your goods within 7 days of the pre-approval process thanks to their comprehensive knowledge of and experience with imports. They also oversee the accuracy of the paperwork to ensure all forms are completed correctly, they can even apply for permits on your behalf. What makes this company one of its kind is that they can also procure a value-added tax refund for you from 40 of the above countries in less than 6 months post clearance, saving you money. Their hands-on service further sees the delivery of your assets as their personnel on the ground will liaise with your chosen forwarder or freight service to ensure the goods reach your high-profile clients swiftly.

TecEx makes global transactions simpler, and opens gateways for resellers so they may develop new and lasting client relationships outside of their local market. When prospective clients overseas require your technology to do business, partner with an expert in imports that will alleviate the pain points associated with an otherwise difficult process. It will keep your clients satisfied, and boost your reliability for the future.

Back to the Future II is an interesting case study in futurism in film, but it’s also a fun way of looking at our expectations of where technology was going to go. In 1989, we thought there was a good chance we’d be on hoverboards and flying cars powered by our waste products. Who could have predicted Nike would file a patent for self-lacing shoes?

Sci-fi drives our passion for technology and the innovations we make in real life. We jokingly talk about home surveillance like a throwback to Big Brother in the book 1984. Today, home monitoring systems are common and safe. The entire smart home is something our grandparents never saw coming, but they actually did have some equivalents back then that might surprise you.

Door Shakers and Home Security
Post World War I, theft became a major issue as folks struggled to protect property. Americans realized home security was a challenge, and that one needed to work hard to protect what one had earned. Burglar alarms were sold that would create loud noises in the event of a break in, but the door itself remained a weak point in home security.

Enter “door shakers”.

These night watchmen would patrol a neighborhood and shake the door vigorously in the middle of the night in order to test locking mechanisms and door frames against breaching.

Today, smart locks can give us reassurance from wherever we might find an internet connection. Some of these locks even come with cameras so we can see who might be coming. Smart locks can have a keypad for keyless entry, utilize wireless technology to unlock the opening mechanism or some form of smart key device. No jostling necessary.

Chicago’s World’s Fair
It’s hard to state the impact that the 1930 World’s Fair had on the United States, and on technology. The advertisements and relics that survived speak of a kind of boundless optimism for technology. That it occurred in the midst of the Great Depression only makes the entire thing seem that much more surreal.

The Fair added drama and romance to the nation’s highway systems with new kinds of cars that promised exciting ways of travel. The monotonous work of the home was reduced to simple tasks like loading the dishwasher. Even the way a room was designed implied multiple uses.

The remains of these fairs are still visible today, but their loudest echoes are in the modern pieces of tech the fairs inspired.

Star Trek’s Impact
Another show our grandparents grew up with, and probably thought would never happen, is Star Trek. We’re still not at a point where intergalactic space travel is reality, but we’ve adapted some of the technology you see on the big and small screens.
The futuristic communicators used in the show resemble cell phones. There’s no clear parallel, but the functions are very much the same: a network not requiring physical connectivity for the purposes of transmitting messages. NFC, which stands for near field communication, is another feature pulled straight from the show. Using NFC, smartphones can be used to pay for goods and services.

Final Thoughts
The science fiction we read and watch today heavily influences the technology we use tomorrow. Science fiction loves to take these existing tropes and imagine their conclusion. This is only logical, considering the role our imagination plays in engineering.

After all, we live in a world where a rock we’ve tricked into thinking (AKA, the CPU) manages most of our daily lives for us.

If you’re a top-level business executive advised by an outside computer consultant to try a cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, it’s understandable why you might be curious about the suggestion. How can this software resolve the inaccuracies, inefficiencies, low productivity, high costs, and low revenues in your organization?

ERP functionality is far different from any other enterprise software you have used in your business. Cloud ERP in particular can help your organization streamline system integration and cloud computing.

Some Basic Definitions
1. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
The best way to understand how Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) works is to think of it as a way of unifying your computer systems. You’re connecting core parts into a single, digitized experience.

2. Cloud computing
When you stand on a platform to deliver a presentation, you stand at an elevated level to facilitate communication. You can see your audience and they can see you. In computer parlance, the word “platform” is used as a metaphor to describe where an application stands so that it can deliver its services of gathering, organizing, and disseminating information. Consequently, software can be on-premise software or cloud-based software. If it’s on-premise software, it’s installed on the company’s platform, which is a local server; if it’s cloud-based software, it’s installed on a third-party platform, which is a remote server.

Cloud computing provides a wide range of benefits like improved flexibility, disaster recovery, and automatic updates. Cloud computing frees up your capital expenditure. It allows you to work from anywhere, increases collaboration between users, and enhances document control. Additionally, cloud computing offers a wider range of security measures compared to on-premise solutions.

The Benefits of Cloud ERP
With ERP, every department can access the relevant information they need with the click of a button. Your people in marketing, sales, human resources, and materials management can get the most up-to-date information. So, for example, somebody giving a sales presentation to a client can quote the same statistics that somebody in marketing back at the corporate office is using to write a report. In short, everything everyone needs to know, wherever they are and whatever they are doing, is available at their fingertips. Moreover, it’s available in real time.
When everyone can access the right information in real time:
– Revenue improves
– Processes become more efficient
– Communication becomes clearer throughout the organization
– Employee morale gets better because everyone has the power to do a good job
– Tedious manual oversight work becomes unnecessary
– Decision-making throughout the organization is based on accurate information

Any organization that deals with a large amount of constantly changing information can benefit from ERP. They can search for the information they need, access it quickly, and use it expeditiously. For instance, a manufacturing company could use ERP to get better control of workforce deployment, equipment, and materials while a high school could use ERP to track student registration, examination schedules, and student scores.

Implementing ERP
When implementing ERP, take the following five steps:
1. Strategic Planning
2. Procedure Review
3. Data Collection and Clean-Up
4. Training and Testing
5. Implementation and Evaluation

ERP organizes your most important information into a single, customized database. This information can be used to improve efficiency, efficacy, and productivity in all of your key departments. And all the while, it can simultaneously cut costs and improve revenues.

The following article is sponsored. – Ed.

Credit unions across the United States are getting ready for the 40th annual Directors and CEOs Leadership Convention in Las Vegas this year. It promises keynote speakers like Dan Rather and industry experts like Jim Blaine, Gabor George Burt, Lynn Heckler, and many more providing strategies for improving your credit union’s lending practices, increasing its profits, handling the growing trend of mergers, and improving membership recruitment as well as guidance on how to grow your credit union, lead successful boards of directors, and find out about inspiring new solutions to issues facing the credit union movement. If you’re worried about complying with new regulations on credit unions, recruiting a new generation of leaders, improving your marketing strategy in a digital era, or reaching out to Millennial members, this year won’t be a conference to miss.

Besides great speakers and workshops, there will also be no shortage of innovative and essential vendors in attendance, showing credit unions across the country new technology and services that can enormously improve their performance. If your organization hasn’t invested in a board portal yet, or if it’s time for the board to renew its service with a board meeting software, you may want to make a point of visiting vendors to learn about board portal software and what’s new in the industry.

One board meeting software company, Aprio, will be in attendance telling prospective new clients what’s new in the world of board portal solutions. They’re bringing the message that if it’s time to renew your software, you may want to look at more affordable alternatives. The industry has changed in recent years, and many credit unions are realizing that more affordable board portal vendors offer the same high-end level of security as alternatives that cost a premium. Most portals now offer very similar features in terms of convenience and functionality, allowing admin staff to easily invite directors to meetings with the click of a button and share electronic materials securely with real time email updates. Meanwhile, directors have access to board materials online and offline, with some portals now compatible with all major smartphone and tablet operating systems. High-end security and data protection is also something that you no longer necessarily need to pay top dollar for, with vendors like Aprio offering it at more affordable prices, making it a popular option with credit unions.

What differentiates most portals now is what level of customer support and training you get for your investment. Credit unions should expect real human customer support around the clock, every day of the year. Your most valuable directors with financial and legal expertise likely have busy careers and multiple responsibilities that take them around the country, if not the world. They need access to live support whenever and wherever, that’s convenient no matter what time zone they’re in.

Credit unions also rely on board meeting software providers to train directors both when the software is brought on board and anytime the board introduces a new director. Anytime a financial institution introduces new software, 100 percent competency should be expected, and one-on-one training is simply a better way to achieve it. So when you’re at the Directors and CEOs Leadership Convention this year, ask around and find out what you should be getting from your board meeting software provider.

The advancement of technology over the past two decades has been tremendous. Specifically, in the realm of mobile devices which includes smartphones, handheld gaming systems, laptop computers, tablets, eBook readers, and more. The capabilities of these devices are remarkable and what would have been considered science fiction less than a generation ago. The most important thing individuals can do to protect people, the planet, and their own personal budget is to ensure their devices remain functional for as long as possible. This can be done with iPhone 6 cases, tablet sleeves, laptop cases, briefcases, or backpacks designed to protect mobile devices.

People Helping People
Ensuring that your smartphone, laptop, tablet or other mobile device is kept in pristine condition isn’t just beneficial for you on a personal level. When you decide it is time to upgrade to a new device the old one can be repurposed to help other people. When a device has been protected, it is still a valuable communication and information asset for those in need.

Refugees are one group which is desperately in need of access to smartphones. Even older or less expensive models offer valuable tools for those who are escaping war torn countries. Mobile messaging apps make it possible for families to remain in contact with text messages, images, and video which allows for a feeling of connection and normalcy even under the harshest circumstances. GPS functionality can also make it easier for refugees to find their way in new locations even if they are unable to speak the language. Several nonprofit organizations have begun collecting these types of devices to distribute to refugees while others provide them for the homeless and victims of domestic abuse.

Protecting the Planet
Recycling is great for the planet. People know this and many consciously try to sort their paper and plastic goods to be recycled on a regular basis. They donate clothing to charitable organizations when it is outgrown or no longer part of their style but many people simply put the old model of their smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other mobile device in a closet or drawer. While this isn’t immediately contributing to the amount of trash in a local landfill, it isn’t helping the planet either.

There are several ways to recycle a phone if it is past the point of being donated to a charity organization. Most cell phone providers and electronics stores have procedures in place to take used devices and recycle or repurpose them. Some companies are even able to take phones which appear to be nonfunctioning and refurbish them so they can be resold in secondary markets. Regardless of how the components are used, it is better for the planet if they are recycled than thrown into landfills or left in storage.

Profit Margins
The profit margins of the companies which produce technology items such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and gaming consoles require aggressive marketing designed to make consumers believe they need the latest version. This is a fantastic ploy for the manufacturer but it isn’t the best thing for the budgets of the individuals or businesses who use these items.

The consumer side of the equation needs to be aware that the motivations for pushing the latest devices is the manufacturer’s profit margin so they can thoughtfully compare that need with their own need to have a reduced or balanced budget. By taking care of one’s technology items it is possible to skip device upgrades from year to year with little experiential impact. That isn’t to say you should wait several years between upgrades. Technology does advance rapidly but it probably isn’t necessary to purchase each new iteration of a device if you have been maintaining your current one properly. The savings of moving from an upgrade each year to one every other year is substantial.