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How to Take an Idea and Make it Work

April 29, 2017 by admin

There is a lot of information out there on how to use crowdsource software to generate new ideas. This information is all highly valuable and really important. However, what this information often doesn’t get into, is what to do once ideas have been generated.

Why You Must Plan for Idea Selection

When you crowdsource for ideas, there is the possibility that you will get thousands of replies. This is why it is very important that you plan how ideas are selected, which happens twice. The first time is once they are presented, and the second is when they have been tested. By having a process and plan in place for this, you will be far more likely to end up with an idea that can actually be implemented and made to work. Let’s take a look at some important tips.

  1. Build and Expand on Ideas

First of all, when you crowdsource for ideas, they aren’t complete yet. They must be properly reviewed, clustered into categories, and then expanded upon. An affinity diagram can be a very useful tool for this, as it helps you to identify whether there are any underlying themes. You should also make sure that as many people as possible are involved in this stage, for instance by leaving the crowdsource or idea management software platform fully open.

  1. Meet the Objectives of Your Company

Once you have completed the first step and have various categories of ideas, you need to determine which of those categories actually meet the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of your company. Ideas can be very good, but simply not relevant. Those can be shelved rather than discarded. Other ideas will never be relevant, in which case they should be removed immediately. At this point, internal stakeholders have to be involved, as they understand the company culture and its mission and vision.

  1. Understand that Good Ideas Don’t Have to Be Great Ideas

Many of those who look through ideas only pay attention to those that could really be “the next big thing”. But a small improvement on a relatively insignificant process can have far-reaching positive benefits. In fact, really big, company-changing ideas should be reviewed completely separately (they should be in a different category at step 1, in fact).

  1. Test Whether Any Assumptions Are Right

As human beings, we make assumptions. For instance, we assume we know the customer. While this cannot be helped, what can be helped is taking those assumptions as gospel. Instead, you have to test them. This is absolutely fundamental, as directing a new idea towards a demographic that doesn’t actually exist will lead to instant failure.

  1. Be Ready for Resistance

Last but not least, you have to be ready for some resistance. People do not like change, whether they are your employees, your customers, or your board members. There will always be a nay-sayer who believes things will go completely wrong. You need to channel that into a learning process that delivers something positive.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: business, entrepreneur, idea, innovation, software, tech

Cool Innovations in Gaming Industry of 2017

April 21, 2017 by admin

The gaming industry has been moving gradually in different directions this year while there are some aspects that remain in the same position. Some of the impressive innovations include fresh approaches, latest hardware, and innovative directions.

All the innovations that are yet to occur and those that we are experiencing at the moment form the shape of the gaming industry, which is why most of us find them interesting to keep up to date with. A lot of them can be seen as the reason why casino game players find murka scatter slots irresistible. For this reason, we will take a brief look at how these three sectors affect the gaming industry and what changes they might bring along.

Changes to look out for in the gaming industry of 2017

–      Virtual Reality (VR): The year of 2016 is kind of synonymous to VR because we experienced a lot of innovative changes in this technology. These changes include multiple headsets, computer models, smartphones, and the likes of Sony PlayStation VR. Even if VR presently does not meet the hopes of many, what do we have to say about the launch of Resident Evil 7? Well, as the game industry seems to be turning away its focus from the consumer VR, there is some disappointment occurring among developers here and there. However, the experience and skills of the developers and studios working with VR seem not to be wasted as we see a lot of platforms where their skills can be applied commercially outside of video games. Look out for simulations used in different fields like medicine, training, engineering, real estate, and lots more.

–      Mobile Gaming: The steady increase in the popularity of mobile gaming could be associated with the constant spreading of the Internet among consumers. However, the development of mobile gaming has reached a particular point and now it is obviously slow. Look at the games topping the charts in 2016 – they are the same games that topped the charts during two previous years, 2015 and 2014. We can easily say that this field is experiencing a consumer burnout due to the lack of new high profile titles. This, in order words, is leading this sector to its first decline.

–      New Consoles: All of the previously made predictions about the hardware consoles did not come true. The consoles that seemed to be the hot cakes of the sector are being made irrelevant by smart devices. Examples are the Xbox One and PS4. As if it isn’t enough that consoles are no longer being paid attention to, we are now excited for the news about two major hardware – Microsoft Scorpio and Nintendo Switch.

The Switch is presumed to take the place of floundering Wii U in addition to its ability to merge the capabilities of Nintendo’s handheld console with its line of home consoles. The Scorpio is expected to present a new hardware that will continue the line of Xbox One. Let’s wait and see how these new launches will try to impress us.

These cool innovations in the gaming industry are making some interesting positive changes. Let’s just stay tuned and enjoy all that we can with the improvements and changes occurring in the gaming industry.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: computer games, consoles, gaming, innovations, tech, VR

Ways in which You Can Earn From Your Love of Photography

March 24, 2017 by admin

It’s always nice to make money doing something that you love and if photography is your passion then there are lots of ways in which you can make a little cash on the side or even a career from your photography skills. Turning your hobby into a way of earning will mean that you have to work hard and really perfect your skills, you will also need to be professional and try to get hold of the finest equipment possible. Providing you can take great photographs like Radha Singh NJ resident and friend of mine who works professionally as a photographer, then you could make some nice earnings and here is how.

Take Great Shots

The key to making money through photography will obviously rely on the fact that you have a high skill level. The better shots that you can take, the more money you are likely to earn. In order to gain a reputation then you will also need to be able to add something a little different to your photography, a calling card so to speak.

Enter Competitions

There are regular competitions held in magazines and websites which offer cash prizes for the best photographs. If you have taken  shot that you are particularly proud of and think that it could win then enter as many competitions as you can. Competitions are usually held around a particular them such as nature, action, sport etc. If you think that you have snapped a winner and it falls into the right category then you could stand to win some cash.

Work Weddings and Events

Wedding photography might not be the most fun way to take photos but it can earn you a very healthy income. Couples play an awful lot of money for photographers to capture their happy day and  as most weddings take place on a weekend, you could turn wedding photography in to a great weekend earner whilst you pass the rest of your week taking the shots that you want.  Contact event companies and offer your services, they will be able to approach whoever is putting an event on and suggest your name. Snapping events can be a lot of fun and gain you exclusive access to exciting events.

Work With Schools and Colleges

Another good side earner which you could look at is to contact schools and colleges and offer your services for professional shots. Year books and class photos are taken every year and if you can make some good contacts then you could make great money each year from working with schools and colleges, capturing the students and teachers. You will need to be able to develop a large amount of prints if you work with schools and you should ensure that you have the capability and tools to be able to do this.

The key to gaining a reputation as a photographer is to take great shots of high quality, be likable and more importantly be prompt with your prints.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: capture the moment, photography, photos, pictures

How to Spend Less Time With Tech and More Time With Your Kids

October 12, 2016 by admin

Screen Shot 2016-10-12 at 18.15.36

Your handheld technology is an every day tool that helps you engage with friends, work and connect with the rest of the world. Your smartphone is used so often that it feels like an extension of your body. However, when you’re a mom, it is important that your attention isn’t consumed by your technology. While in the presence of your kids, you must make sure that you don’t rely too heavily on your tech devices for entertainment, work projects or communication. Your kids need your attention, as it is an opportunity for them to engage with their number one role model. Here are some tips for how you can steer away from the never-ending distractions of technology and focus more on your children:

Tech Breaks

Take a look at your daily schedule and assess when you can take breaks from all of your devices. These tech-free time frames will allow you and your family uninterrupted face-to-face interaction. Rather than only having half of your attention focused on one another, you can engage in meaningful conversation or bond through a group activity. This sounds easy enough, but you must keep in mind that notifications on your phone won’t desist during these family times. You may receive emails from the school, text messages from friends or social media updates that will pull your attention away from your family. It is best that you put your phone away in a drawer or your bag while you’re on your tech break. Waiting an hour to respond to an email or text isn’t a big deal. Instead, your availability and attention should be dedicated to your kids during the time you spend together. Put up a family calendar where you can mark your tech-free time periods so everyone in the house can see.

Good Habits

Develop good habits that help you balance your interactions with your tech and your kids. Before you engage on your phone while with your child, let them know why your attention will be shortly drawn away from them. It is important they have an expectation that you will be engaged in a quick task, rather than feeling ignored. However, if you are constantly diverting your attention from them to your phone, they will feel like they aren’t as deserving of acknowledgement and interaction. If your child seems to need your attention while you’re on your phone, you should give it to them. You don’t have to completely shift gears, but at least provide acknowledgement such as, “I would love to give you my full attention in a moment. I have to finish this one task and then I can focus on you.” This will let your kid know that you care and also teach them how they can exercise patience and expectation management.

Fewer Notifications

Choose phones that offer settings allowing you to not be constantly interrupted during your time with your family. Your phone should be able to let you receive texts and updates silently, with a small vibration alert. If you have your phone volume on high for notifications and calls, the sound will be a terrible distraction. You can also arrange how you’d like to visually see your notifications. They can be a small banner that pops up then disappears, versus a list of trivial updates that will crowd your phone screen and pull your interest. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge allows you to designate notifications to the edge of the phone to decrease distractions. It also has a specific Do Not Disturb setting that will let you program which notifications can come through and which ones to silence. This customizable option is more nuanced that muting your phone and is a great tool for staying in the moment with your kids, without missing out on any important calls or messages.

Filed Under: Children, Tech

Educational Video Games/Consoles Which Include The Whole Family

January 30, 2016 by admin

Unlike when I was growing up and us kids made our own fun and games, today’s children and the fun they have is centred around technology. Most children have a console of some sort or a tablet or a phone, or all of the above and it can be a tough thing to manage for a parent. With my 3 I’ve given the usual time limits on consoles so that my kids aren’t stuck to it, I also use tech-time as a reward as opposed to a given and as many games that they play are online, I restrict their wi-fi time as well.

Now, until a couple of years ago, it was my understanding that these games were just frivolous activities for my kids to wile away the hours either playing football or shooting bad guys. I have however, since realised that there is a whole host of video games that are fun, educational and can include the whole family and now we try at least once or twice a week to have a family hour or 2 on one of our favourite games.

If you are worried about the amount of time your child spends on their console then try out one of these games and you’ll be able to not only get some much needed family time, but educate your children at the same time.

Scribblenauts

  

This game features a character called Maxwell, it is your job to guide him through a series of levels. Each of these levels is a puzzle, you may have to take him across crocodile infested waters or over uncertain terrain. The key to this game is that it is up to you and your children to use your imagination to help Maxwell out. You aren’t given options for how to help him, what you do is write down the thing that you think will help him so if you were to write stegosaurus then it would appear and you would try to complete the level, perhaps he needs a ladder, type it in and it appears. This is such fun to do with kids as their imagination can really run wild whilst at the same time teaching them problem solving.

Professor Layton

The Professor Layton series has been a favourite in our family for years now, the game centres around the professor and you must help him solve puzzles and challenges. The challenges come  in the form of maths, science, nature, space and they are not only educational but they are genuinely fun for the kids. Half the time I don’t think that the kids realise how much they are learning because they’re having so much fun. You meet plenty of interesting characters along the way who present various puzzles and challenges and the storyline that runs through the game really keeps the kids’ concentration. Only available on Nintendo but if you have one then definitely pick this gem up.

Big Brain Academy

  

I find this one better with my 2 eldest than the younger one but we all have fun playing this, us parents included. The game is similar to Professor Layton with it’s challenges but this game splits the areas of learning into 5 categories, think, memorise, compute, analyse and identify. There isn’t as much emphasis on silly characters in this game but the idea is to make your brain heavier through practice. The challenges are fun enough to entertain the kids and the real challenge comes when you take the big test and find out how much your brain weighs. We set up a little chart and wrote down who had the heaviest brain, then each time we played we we would all try and beat our previous score. The kids all bought into the competition and practiced relentlessly to try and win. All the time they were improving their knowledge and having fun too. A great game for everyone but I will offer a word of warning, us parents aren’t always as smart as we thought we were, be careful, your kids may cause you some embarrassment!

Filed Under: Tech

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We left our home in Sydney, Australia many moons ago in May 2012 and, other than a brief stint back in Perth for Christmas and a wedding in early 2014, we have been travelling the world nomadically ever since, running a business from our laptops and we’re here to show you how to do it!