Can't justify buying a $500 tablet simply for entertainment? Then take it seriously: Make an investment in these add-ons and get down to business.
All meetings are good in theory. But as every worker knows, few live up to their potential: A leader who distributes a poorly crafted agenda, a colleague who dominates the conversation, a participant who struggles with the projector for 15 minutes while everyone else checks their watches. These and countless other conference room characters can derail almost any gathering.
Taxes, health care, jobs. These are issues that are center stage in U.S. elections. But a parliamentary candidate in Switzerland has a slightly different platform: PowerPoint.
Best-selling author Jennifer Egan is having, by all accounts, a great week.
A few weeks ago Col. Lawrence Sellin, a Special Forces officer stationed in Afghanistan, fell victim to a particularly modern hazard of war: PowerPoint fatigue.
We're not used to seeing President Obama in the Oval Office, and that's for a good reason: He's never spoken to us from there. Yet Tuesday night, he chose to address the nation from behind the desk on the stage that yells a few things before a word is even spoken -- importance of topic, urgency of task and, of course, commander in chief.
A U.S. military spokesman confirmed the existence Friday of a report on detecting extremism in service members. But he disputed a claim that it was classified only after the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas.
It was 1969 and a busy year for making history: Woodstock, the Miracle Mets, men on the moon -- and something less celebrated but arguably more significant, the birth of the Internet.
Matthew and Marnie Brannon, co-owners of Midwest Fiat in Columbus, Ohio, have run their vintage Italian car parts and service shop for five years. Late last year, they were offered the chance to buy a competitor and expand their business -- but no bank would lend them the money to do it.
U.S. government Web sites -- including those of the White House and the State Department -- have been under attack since the Fourth of July, along with financial and commercial sites like Yahoo Finance and the New York Stock Exchange, cybersecurity experts said Wednesday.
After my mom died, we bought home electronics.
Let's say you work in an industry that's been hit hard by the economic downturn, and you're watching competitors downsize left and right. You're pretty sure that layoffs are headed to your place too, and fast. What's your best strategy to keep your job?
The weather outside was gray, rainy and muggy - an apt metaphor for the economic malaise that has made this the toughest time in years to start or run a business. But inside Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Management this past weekend, the lecture halls buzzed with energy from hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs gathered together for an intense three-day challenge. At stake: $800,000 in cash and prizes, and the chance to launch a new business amid the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Lectures, slide shows and notes are often boring, but people are using technology to find entertainment in these unlikely places.
If I had to guess, I would bet that at least once in years past, come January 1, you've resolved to lose weight, be more organized, spend less and save more, find a better job, or simply be a better person.
Expect to work harder for your money, but your job should be safe (unless you work in a vulnerable industry, like housing or autos).
Google Inc. has expanded its online suite of office software to include a business presentation tool similar to Microsoft Corp.'s popular PowerPoint, adding the latest twist in a high-stakes rivalry.
Turns out work isn't all about profit margins and PowerPoint presentations. A major aspect of office life is your social encounters: who you're working with, who you're sharing happy hour with and for some, who you're trying to woo the pants off of -- literally.
Students will learn about specific problems going on in their community and other parts of the world, and identify ways for young people to address some of these issues.
The RedOwl is a robotic head that looks more like a PowerPoint projector than a sharpshooter's worst enemy. But don't let its Circuit City appearance fool you.
We asked the brightest minds in business how they do what they do � and how you can cash in on their advice in the year ahead.
Dear Annie: Please settle an argument. I have to give a speech in 10 days to all the division heads in my company - the first time I have been asked to do this, so I'm pretty nervous about it - and I've spent a lot of time putting together a detailed PowerPoint presentation with charts and graphs, music, photos, some cartoons for comic relief, etc. A colleague (and friend) says I have too much visual stuff and it will just distract people. He thinks I should get rid of about half my PowerPoint presentation and focus on speaking well. Are there any rules about this? If so, what are they? -Stage Fright
I had a presentation to do. I'm sure you've gone through it. The thing is, I'm the boss. That allows me to be crazy. It started as these things do - that is, very well. I have a wonderful team. The...
They want you to laugh, to wince, to think. Just not to smoke. They're the "Truth" campaign ads - radio, television, and web spots that target kids at greatest risk for smoking.
What do these human groupings have in common? First, the sports club. A squad of unassociated talent banding together to do something senseless to the naked eye for people who will pay them to do i...
ROOM TO VIEW
Flyby Math
Is the telecom boom back? Following rumors of a deal, Level 3 has acquired ICG, an operator of Colorado and Ohio fiber networks, for $163 million. The Rocky Mountain News says one driver of the acquisition is the continuing growth of the wireless business, since wireless calls and data are carried from cell towers to wired networks. Telcos are also considering expanding international fiber links, after years with a glut of capacity on the market. After overbuilding in the 1990s led to a telecom boom and bust, says Business 2.0 senior writer Om Malik, we may be heading into a period of balance between telecom supply and demand --a situation which will be good for both telecom suppliers and consumers.
It wasn't long ago when kids used to rave about their radios and CD players.
LET'S SAY, FOR A MINUTE, that you're the boss. You have a choice: to be loved or to be feared. Which works better when the proverbial pedal hits the cold, hard metal? It took me a couple of decades...
As the frequent-flying owner of a graphic design and digital photo business, Blue-Sky Solutions, I need a notebook that's tough, capable, and light. I recently tried rugged ultralight notebooks jus...
VOIP With Benefits Ipevo Free.1 Skype USB phone; $30; www.ipevo.com
You're giving a career-making presentation to the whole company. The computer with your PowerPoint slides malfunctions.
In a big about-face since the dot.com bust, selling online "eyeballs" is back in vogue.
BUSINESS-TRIP BUDDY
During a recent layover in Phoenix, I checked my voicemail and heard a doom-laden message from one of my employees: "We've got a serious problem here!" he said. "Call me back as soon as you get thi...
The next time you go to a movie theater, you could be on the clock. Faced with declining audiences, theater operators are targeting a whole new market: corporate offsites. Companies from Bear Stear...
THE POOL CABANAS AT high-end hotels have long been rented out by lithe young stars (no paparazzi!) and reclusive moguls. But lately they've attracted a new clientele: businesspeople.
GYM DANDY
You've sounded the retreat—to an offsite, that is. Now comes the big decision: choosing the right spot. To get the most from your time away, it's not enough just to pick a lavish space. Think about...
It started decades ago as flashes of insight scribbled on loose scraps of paper. Then it morphed into a PowerPoint presentation that distilled years of business wisdom into a handful of easy-to-rem...
GUERRILLA MARKETING VIA WI-FI
Connected Camera
With the new U750P, Sony has made "portable" computing into something more than a euphemism—but just barely. Weighing in at a bit over one pound, three ounces, the U750P is about the size of a 350-...
Portable Radio Etón P7132 Satellite radio fans, rejoice: You're no longer limited to drivetime listening. This Porsche-designed handheld radio is built to go from the home office to your desk at wo...
HOTSPOT FINDER WiFi Seeker Locates a signal before you boot up your laptop. $30; www.pctel.com.
It's not just the planes you board that constantly require fuel: Without food, the levels of blood sugar needed to keep your mind humming can drop precipitously after just three hours. And where, m...
Okay, you. I can't keep this inside any longer. You and I need to have a little talk about this situation. No, not the fact that your budget got rejected and you have to go back to the drawing boar...
It seems like just about everything and everyone has gone high tech. From refrigerators with built-in computers to high-powered handheld devices, technology is touching nearly every aspect of our lives. The job search process is no exception.
The next time you find yourself sitting in a dim conference room staring at a PowerPoint presentation, forget the message about market share and focus instead on that crystal-clear, 10-foot-tall pie chart.
The next time you find yourself sitting in a dim conference room staring at a PowerPoint presentation, forget the message about market share and focus instead on that crystal-clear, 10-foot-tall pi...
That last offsite in Barbados? The beach was great, not to mention the rum punch. But add up the plane tickets and the days lost to travel and ... well, the office conference room starts looking pr...
Dear Annie: I have to give a presentation next month to the CEO and executive committee of my company, and I'm pretty nervous about it, partly because I've never addressed this group before (I'm fi...
Santa Clara, Calif. Founded 1997
This one will make you or break you. You've got three hours before that final presentation to a key client, and you're as prepped as you can possibly be. Now what? Option A--for "anxiety-inducing"-...
Picture Perfect
I
Dear Annie: I work for a company that has very few (almost no) women at or near the top ranks of management. Should I speak up about it, or just keep quiet? My concern is that anything I say will s...
The previous ten versions of Microsoft Office have forced a lot of us to develop an upgrade ritual: Install software. Learn about the hundreds of new features. Never touch a single one of them. Wit...
Bright Move Running off juice from your laptop's battery, this portable lamp lets you work on a darkened plane or in a dimly lit hotel room. Kensington FlyLight USB Notebook Light: $23; www.kensing...
After almost a century of crazes, what we still don't know about management could fill more books than Stephen Covey. Art Kleiner, author of Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Priv...
Human Joystick
In the hands of an agile expert, Microsoft's PowerPoint can be a powerful weapon. For everyone else, the world's best-selling presentation software has the impact of a squirt gun. It isn't that the...
Dial Tunes
When Regis McKenna, the noted high-tech consultant, author, and entrepreneur, gives speeches these days, he brings a devastatingly effective prop: a PowerPoint slide with four headlines--from 1980,...
VIDEOCONFERENCING
The best presentation I've recently seen lacked humor, grace, and PowerPoint. The speaker was cranky, opinionated, and perfectly willing to offend his audience. But the old guy did one thing fabulo...
There I sit, at yet another board meeting, listening to an executive drone on about sales strategy and product strategy as he points to slick overheads filled with analyses of potential markets and...
Setting up a wireless network at home allows everyone in the family--and maybe even your neighbors too!--to share your high-speed Internet connection. No longer tied to a desk, teenagers can use l...
Let's be blunt: in the hands of most executives, the Gettysburg Address would sound about as inspiring as a laundry list. But don't take it personally. Dozens of land mines await even the best-prep...
Since the introduction of the PC in the early 1980s, people have searched for "killer apps"--the software that leads to hardware sales. The first one was the spreadsheet. Then, when the Internet em...
Don't breathe deeply. Don't be a comedian. And don't try to picture your audience in the buff. That's what public-speaking coach, author (Speak from the Heart, Simon & Schuster), and four-time Emmy...
NEC LT157 Micro-Portable Projector $4,999 Projectors have come a long way since they required a squad of dorky teenagers to operate. NEC takes them a little further with the LT157, as it lets you l...
PCPinpoint.com You spilled coffee all over your PC, and now it's running slowly. How can you tell whether it's really sick? Try logging on to PCPinpoint.com, a support site that scans your system a...
Presentations
I hate traveling with a laptop. Even the lightest models are bulky and heavy, especially when you add batteries, power cords and an external Zip drive (which I like to bring along to back up my fil...
Deutsche Bank took out a big ad in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks ago. Its headline: IDEAS ARE CAPITAL. THE REST IS JUST MONEY. J.P. Morgan Chase, in its debut annual report, proclaims in bold...
AlertSite.com Imagine a loud, virtual guard dog for your Website: This service watches over and checks your dot-com's performance so you're aware of problems before they drive away visitors. It sen...
The promise of the Handspring Visor and the new Palm handhelds, with their expansion slots for snap-on modules, is "infinite expandability." Who can argue with that? Some days you might want your t...
It's harder these days for established small businesses to get a banker or investor interested in reading--never mind funding--their business plans. As rumors of recession abound and dot-coms conti...
Nearly a decade ago I met with Jack Welch in the office he keeps in Manhattan, high up in Rockefeller Center. I'd just made a swing around the company, visiting GE businesses in must-see spots like...
Engine of Creation
Less than a decade ago getting or sending mail in the Galapagos Islands meant enduring the tortoise pace of the postal service. But now a tourist sailing off the coast of Ecuador--or just about any...
Technology? Just say no.
Don't you hate it when the person sitting next to you on the train or plane reads over your shoulder? Don't you especially hate it when they are reading confidential company documents on the screen...
A bare-bones personal digital assistant is like an ice cream sundae without toppings--it's what you put on it that shows who you are. Today's burgeoning crop of software for handhelds offers more u...
Sometimes all the happy talk gets to be too much for me to take. The endless parade of perky analysts and too cheerful CEOs on CNBC. The magazines and e-mail tip sheets touting the five or 10 or 12...
Microsoft Office for the Macintosh all too often is regarded as Microsoft's purple-haired stepchild, forced to wear hand-me-down code and often overlooked in the software giant's large family of Wi...
One of the last remaining refuges from the onslaught of electronic mail is about to disappear. Beginning in late November, Singapore Airlines will test a new system to allow business- and first-cla...
Survey after survey affirms that most managers consider "meetings" to be the single biggest waste of their time. So what do most companies say they plan to do with the bandwidth bonanzas digital te...
Has your office become noisier lately? If it hasn't, you're not on the cutting edge of technology. A few years ago a PC destined for the office was likely to offer the bare minimum in sound capabil...
In the Internet's brief history, three-dimensional imagery has attained roughly the same status--a gimmick that never quite catches on--as it has in movies. The sole attempt several years ago to cr...
Back in the days before the grungy industrial neighborhood south of Market Street became the trendy South of Market (or SOMA), before the onetime sweatshops north of Wall Street became Silicon Alle...
I am the Dot.conomist, which is a fancy way of saying that, by day, I invest seed capital into Internet startups. By night, I do about the same thing, but with the TV on in the background. My goal ...
You've got to hand it to Scott McNealy--he never misses an opportunity to try to stick it to Bill Gates. A couple of years ago the Sun Microsystems CEO went so far as to try to ban the use of Power...
For once, the venture capitalists at Institutional Venture Partners decided their khakis and denim shirts wouldn't cut it. "If this isn't a suit meeting, I don't know what is," Geoff Yang told his ...
Perhaps it's not your idea of a dream vacation, but handheld digital gadgets are making it easier to keep up on your work as you climb a mountain in Colorado or stroll the Nantucket shoreline. Toda...
Peter Firestone, a senior manager in Ernst & Young's information technology consulting division, believes in getting close to his clients. So close, in fact, that he has no permanent office. Instea...
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