Said my friend as he described why his company stopped building native apps. It’s easier to build a business on the web. How could that be? The browser-based web app ecosystem has existed for more than 20 years while the app ecosystem has existed for only 6. One thing is for sure, it’s not because there are fewer websites than apps.
Showing posts with label Download Software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Download Software. Show all posts
Monday, April 3, 2017
Mobile App Ecosystem
Said my friend as he described why his company stopped building native apps. It’s easier to build a business on the web. How could that be? The browser-based web app ecosystem has existed for more than 20 years while the app ecosystem has existed for only 6. One thing is for sure, it’s not because there are fewer websites than apps.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
This Way you Make Your Windows Computer Faster and Perform Better Now
Every so often, your computer can seem like it is from the stone age.
Simple tasks like startup or opening new programs taking forever? Here are 7 quick ways to make your computer run a little faster…
Simple tasks like startup or opening new programs taking forever? Here are 7 quick ways to make your computer run a little faster…
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
How Network Congestion Management Affects Your Internet
Managing the network helps ensure fair use of the Internet by all Comcast customers.
Comcast is committed to providing the best online experience possible for all our customers, using reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. The following is intended to help clarify what we mean by network management.
Comcast is committed to providing the best online experience possible for all our customers, using reasonable network management practices that are consistent with industry standards. The following is intended to help clarify what we mean by network management.
Are you worried for slow computer ? Top Tips for Computer Maintenance
Keep your computer running smoothly with simple, regular tasks that boost performance.
Overview:
Over time, you might notice your computer or laptop’s performance slowing down. But there are several easy steps you can take to help your computer run smoothly. By regularly performing these small tasks, you can avoid larger problems down the road and get the most from your machine.
Overview:
Over time, you might notice your computer or laptop’s performance slowing down. But there are several easy steps you can take to help your computer run smoothly. By regularly performing these small tasks, you can avoid larger problems down the road and get the most from your machine.
This way you can optimize Your Internet Speed
Learn about some key ways to understand your current XFINITY Internet speed and how to improve it.
General Speed Tips
Your XFINITY Internet equipment (wireless gateway, modem or router) and connected devices (computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) can all affect the Internet speed you experience.
General Speed Tips
Your XFINITY Internet equipment (wireless gateway, modem or router) and connected devices (computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) can all affect the Internet speed you experience.
Best Free Data Recovery Software
This artical is more useful for those whom every time worried for format and losing your all data in one mistake. We brings you a list of the best data recovery software which are completely free. These data recovery tools save a lot of hassles after we accidentally delete some important files or we do not take backups before formatting a hard drive. Using these free recovery programs, you can recover your data back on your PC.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Tips to create awesome mobile app designs
Native app UI design doesn’t give you much room to work with. When designing for smaller screens and shorter attention spans, your UI design must work at the speed of thought. Ideally, you want to design an interface that’s easy enough for novice users, without boring experienced users.
- The Rules of Interaction Design Always Apply
Just because you have less screen space doesn’t mean the rules of good interaction design don’t apply.
- The Rules of Interaction Design Always Apply
Just because you have less screen space doesn’t mean the rules of good interaction design don’t apply.
World’s Email Encryption Software
In 1997, Werner Koch attended a talk by free software evangelist Richard Stallman. Stallman urged the crowd to write their own version of existing encryption software. Inspired, Koch decided to try. "I figured I can do it," he recalled.
After this article appeared, Werner Koch informed us that last week he was awarded a one-time grant of $60,000 from Linux Foundation's Core Infrastructure Initiative.
After this article appeared, Werner Koch informed us that last week he was awarded a one-time grant of $60,000 from Linux Foundation's Core Infrastructure Initiative.
software engineer with online degree
Like many online programs, software engineering online degrees have become increasingly popular over the past several years. Ideal for working adults trying to balance a job and a family, as well as other students interested in completing courses at their own pace, online degree programs provide flexibility, convenience and cost-effectiveness. So what is the best way to get a software engineering degree online? That depends on the student.
Choosing an Online Program
When it comes to earning a software engineering online degree, students have several choices:
- An online program that delivers all software engineering courses online
- A traditional university that provides an all-online curriculum
- A college program that presents a combination of online and classroom software engineering course work
Schools like Colorado Technical University (CTU) focus on distance learning and have built a strong reputation for their wide range of degree programs available exclusively in online formats. At CTU, students can choose from a number of software engineering online degrees, including bachelor's and master's degree programs in information technology specialties and computer science.
In comparison, more traditional institutions like Texas Tech University (TTU) have created software engineering online degree programs out of their standard curriculum, including an online master's program, to meet the growing demand among today's students. Traditional universities and all online schools may require some face-to-face time now and then, such as for an introductory meeting or weekend class at the beginning of the initial term.
Online Certification Programs
By default, software engineering jobs demand that you keep your knowledge of technology up to date. A good way to show employers that you have kept your skills current is to get certified in a technical specialty. Like software engineering online degrees, many online colleges offer professional certifications in specific areas of software engineering. Some examples include database development, network security, web design, Microsoft operating systems and Oracle database administration.
Professional certification not only demonstrates your expertise in software engineering, but it can increase your job opportunities and salary potential. In the end, if you see yourself playing a leadership role in your company in the future, software engineering online certification programs can help you get a firm footing on that path.
Online Programs Make Sense for Today's Students
If you have the personality and self-discipline to thrive in an online learning environment, then best way for you to get a software engineering degree may be through an online program. Learn more about software engineering degrees and colleges. Then search our comprehensive directory of schools, and request more information from the software engineering online degree programs that interest you most.
Choosing an Online Program
When it comes to earning a software engineering online degree, students have several choices:
- An online program that delivers all software engineering courses online
- A traditional university that provides an all-online curriculum
- A college program that presents a combination of online and classroom software engineering course work
Schools like Colorado Technical University (CTU) focus on distance learning and have built a strong reputation for their wide range of degree programs available exclusively in online formats. At CTU, students can choose from a number of software engineering online degrees, including bachelor's and master's degree programs in information technology specialties and computer science.
In comparison, more traditional institutions like Texas Tech University (TTU) have created software engineering online degree programs out of their standard curriculum, including an online master's program, to meet the growing demand among today's students. Traditional universities and all online schools may require some face-to-face time now and then, such as for an introductory meeting or weekend class at the beginning of the initial term.
Online Certification Programs
By default, software engineering jobs demand that you keep your knowledge of technology up to date. A good way to show employers that you have kept your skills current is to get certified in a technical specialty. Like software engineering online degrees, many online colleges offer professional certifications in specific areas of software engineering. Some examples include database development, network security, web design, Microsoft operating systems and Oracle database administration.
Professional certification not only demonstrates your expertise in software engineering, but it can increase your job opportunities and salary potential. In the end, if you see yourself playing a leadership role in your company in the future, software engineering online certification programs can help you get a firm footing on that path.
Online Programs Make Sense for Today's Students
If you have the personality and self-discipline to thrive in an online learning environment, then best way for you to get a software engineering degree may be through an online program. Learn more about software engineering degrees and colleges. Then search our comprehensive directory of schools, and request more information from the software engineering online degree programs that interest you most.
Easy & Creative Ideas For Your Next Photo Shoot
Dina Belenko is a creative still-life photographer from Russia. Her artistic images capture magical stories behind everyday inanimate objects. In this tutorial, Dina shares 5 easy and cool ideas to help you come up with subjects for photo shoots. Get on and get inspired to try these out!
Looking for an idea for your next photo? Or maybe you want to try something new, but don’t know where to begin exactly. Here are five ideas for photography subjects which have a lot of potential. They are simple, but multi-faceted. They don’t require extra cost, but when done right, they can look pretty impressive. Perhaps one of them is exactly what you are looking for. Read on!
Smoke:
By itself, smoke is a malleable and interesting subject for shooting. It works best to create a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere. Try to make smoke the hero of your photo’s story—cryptic, mystical, creepy—and it will serve you well.
To achieve the smoke effect, I usually use aroma sticks. They are cheaper than getting a fog machine, more accessible than dry ice, and safer than working with open flames. You just have to be careful with ashes, and shoot in a well-ventilated room.
Sparklers:
It’s not just a New Year’s Eve trinket—it’s a small fireball. Or it can be a miniature comet. To achieve a comet effect out of sparklers, light the sparkler, set the slow shutter speed, and change the direction of sparks with a stream of air to create a comet’s tail. To change the direction of sparks, you can use a fan, or a sheet of cardboard.
Make the sparks bounce from objects in your still-life photo set up, or even from the body of the model. It does not hurt, but you have to be very careful around your model’s eyes. These little fiery trails—invisible to the human eye in reality—can really make a dull photo fascinating.
Chalk Drawing:
You can create a new reality for ordinary objects by simply transformating them with a couple of chalk lines. The combination of flat drawing and volumetric photos is always a good solution. You can easily turn one thing or the other, or even create a whole new space. All you need is some chalk, a drawing surface, and you’ll to do some sketching.
Text Inscriptions:
I like texts made out of various objects, like flowers, toys, ink stains, tools, pens, anything. It’s very interesting to watch how a cup of coffee turns into the letter “A”. And even more interesting is when the material for letters is related to the content of the inscription. For example, you can make the words “Happy Birthday” from cakes and candles. There are two ways to do an inscription: The first way is to use objects to create letters directly. The second way is to place objects around the empty space in the form of letters. The results will be different, but you can have fun with both.
Optical Illusions:
This is my most favorite. It’s honestly much easier than you think. The whole secret is to put the camera at the right angle or position, and then the illusion will work. Try to recreate Penrose Steps, or an M.C. Escher-inspired scene out of something ordinary. For example, take a chocolate cake and turn it into an infinite cake—what could be better than that?
Looking for an idea for your next photo? Or maybe you want to try something new, but don’t know where to begin exactly. Here are five ideas for photography subjects which have a lot of potential. They are simple, but multi-faceted. They don’t require extra cost, but when done right, they can look pretty impressive. Perhaps one of them is exactly what you are looking for. Read on!
Smoke:
By itself, smoke is a malleable and interesting subject for shooting. It works best to create a mysterious and enigmatic atmosphere. Try to make smoke the hero of your photo’s story—cryptic, mystical, creepy—and it will serve you well.
To achieve the smoke effect, I usually use aroma sticks. They are cheaper than getting a fog machine, more accessible than dry ice, and safer than working with open flames. You just have to be careful with ashes, and shoot in a well-ventilated room.
Sparklers:
It’s not just a New Year’s Eve trinket—it’s a small fireball. Or it can be a miniature comet. To achieve a comet effect out of sparklers, light the sparkler, set the slow shutter speed, and change the direction of sparks with a stream of air to create a comet’s tail. To change the direction of sparks, you can use a fan, or a sheet of cardboard.
Make the sparks bounce from objects in your still-life photo set up, or even from the body of the model. It does not hurt, but you have to be very careful around your model’s eyes. These little fiery trails—invisible to the human eye in reality—can really make a dull photo fascinating.
Chalk Drawing:
You can create a new reality for ordinary objects by simply transformating them with a couple of chalk lines. The combination of flat drawing and volumetric photos is always a good solution. You can easily turn one thing or the other, or even create a whole new space. All you need is some chalk, a drawing surface, and you’ll to do some sketching.
Text Inscriptions:
I like texts made out of various objects, like flowers, toys, ink stains, tools, pens, anything. It’s very interesting to watch how a cup of coffee turns into the letter “A”. And even more interesting is when the material for letters is related to the content of the inscription. For example, you can make the words “Happy Birthday” from cakes and candles. There are two ways to do an inscription: The first way is to use objects to create letters directly. The second way is to place objects around the empty space in the form of letters. The results will be different, but you can have fun with both.
Optical Illusions:
This is my most favorite. It’s honestly much easier than you think. The whole secret is to put the camera at the right angle or position, and then the illusion will work. Try to recreate Penrose Steps, or an M.C. Escher-inspired scene out of something ordinary. For example, take a chocolate cake and turn it into an infinite cake—what could be better than that?
Useful IT Information for New Students
At this time, IT information is most need things for everyone. For new students it is compulasary to know about IT.
Computer Accounts
Each student is given automatically two computer accounts, namely EdUHK network & Google email account. He/She can use the same login name and password for all the EdUHK network services and Google Webmail System.
All EdUHK computer accounts will be terminated when one ceases to be a student, and all associated data will be deleted. However, students could continue to use the Google account after graduation.
Student Card
The student card (EdU Card) is issued to all students for the purpose of identification and physical access to University's facilities such as the Library, sports facilities, swimming pools, hostels, and etc. The Registry (REG) is responsible for student card issuance, return and replacement while OCIO is responsible for card printing service.
Connecting Your Computer to the Campus Network
On Campus:
Users can connect to the campus network through wireless connection. The EdUHK wireless network is now available almost everywhere in the Tai Po Campus and Tseung Kwan O Study Centre.
At Home:
If users have subscribed service from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), they can connect their mobile or home computers to the campus network through VPN. It enables users to use some IT services outside campus as secure as in the office. These services include using Microsoft Outlook, using SPSS outside campus, making connecting to some central network servers using FTP/SFTP client software, etc.
eLearning
To support blended and distance learning, the University has been using Learning Management System (LMS) for eLearning since 2000. Currently we are using Moodle as our LMS. The Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC) is responsible for the front-line support and training of Moodle while OCIO is responsible for the support of the eLearning infrastructure.
Central Computing Facilities
OCIO manages a number of computer rooms in Tai Po Campus and the Tseung Kwan O Study Centre to support teaching and learning. The computer room C-LP-21 at Tai Po Campus is a 24-hour open access computer room for students to do their homework after class.
Besides, a number of network printers are installed in the central computer rooms and some Print-N-Go stations are setup in the Learning Commons and the Library to facilitate printing. To facilitate students to get started at the beginning of the school year, each student is given a free print quota of HK$120 per annum. If needed, they can purchase additional print quota using the Octopus Payment Machines on the campus. We recommend students to print only when necessary to protect the environment.
Computing Policies & Regulations
Students should use the computing, network infrastructure and voice communications services of the University in a responsible, ethical and legal manner. They are to observe all relevant regulations, guidelines and legislations on the use of such services. Please visit Policies and Guidelines for more information.
Computer Accounts
Each student is given automatically two computer accounts, namely EdUHK network & Google email account. He/She can use the same login name and password for all the EdUHK network services and Google Webmail System.
All EdUHK computer accounts will be terminated when one ceases to be a student, and all associated data will be deleted. However, students could continue to use the Google account after graduation.
Student Card
The student card (EdU Card) is issued to all students for the purpose of identification and physical access to University's facilities such as the Library, sports facilities, swimming pools, hostels, and etc. The Registry (REG) is responsible for student card issuance, return and replacement while OCIO is responsible for card printing service.
Connecting Your Computer to the Campus Network
On Campus:
Users can connect to the campus network through wireless connection. The EdUHK wireless network is now available almost everywhere in the Tai Po Campus and Tseung Kwan O Study Centre.
At Home:
If users have subscribed service from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), they can connect their mobile or home computers to the campus network through VPN. It enables users to use some IT services outside campus as secure as in the office. These services include using Microsoft Outlook, using SPSS outside campus, making connecting to some central network servers using FTP/SFTP client software, etc.
eLearning
To support blended and distance learning, the University has been using Learning Management System (LMS) for eLearning since 2000. Currently we are using Moodle as our LMS. The Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC) is responsible for the front-line support and training of Moodle while OCIO is responsible for the support of the eLearning infrastructure.
Central Computing Facilities
OCIO manages a number of computer rooms in Tai Po Campus and the Tseung Kwan O Study Centre to support teaching and learning. The computer room C-LP-21 at Tai Po Campus is a 24-hour open access computer room for students to do their homework after class.
Besides, a number of network printers are installed in the central computer rooms and some Print-N-Go stations are setup in the Learning Commons and the Library to facilitate printing. To facilitate students to get started at the beginning of the school year, each student is given a free print quota of HK$120 per annum. If needed, they can purchase additional print quota using the Octopus Payment Machines on the campus. We recommend students to print only when necessary to protect the environment.
Computing Policies & Regulations
Students should use the computing, network infrastructure and voice communications services of the University in a responsible, ethical and legal manner. They are to observe all relevant regulations, guidelines and legislations on the use of such services. Please visit Policies and Guidelines for more information.
5 Top Most Important Things to Learn About Computer Science
At the start of discuss about most important things to learn about computer science, i shared one story. Leslie Stevens-Huffman is a business and careers writer based in Southern California. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the staffing industry and has been writing blog posts, sample resumes and providing sage career advice to the IT professionals in our Dice Community since 2006. Leslie has a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from the University of Southern California.
Computer science degrees come with a common misconception, which often discourages students from pursuing a degree: They’ll turn you into an isolated code cruncher. That’s not really the case.
Graduating Computer science graduates qualify for a wide range of positions and careers. However, to ensure you have the right mix of skills and hands-on experience to get one, do your homework and decide on a career path before selecting a technical specialty or program.
What tips for success can you give to those seeking a degree in computer science? Let us know in the comments below.
“The gap between the classroom and the workplace has been a problem,” acknowledges Dr. H.E. Dunsmore, associate professor of Computer Science and chair of the College of Science Undergraduate Education Policy and Curriculum Committee at Purdue University.
Purdue’s Computer Science department has taken steps to make more students aware of the versatility of CS degrees. His undergraduates have the opportunity to explore various careers and select an educational track that suits their preferences.
“Computer science majors take a course during their freshman year that explains the various career options and what they’ll actually do all day,” explains Dunsmore. “They also have the opportunity to mix with our corporate partners, hear about different job opportunities and then select from a broad array of educational tracks in everything from graphics to security, which may require less math or programming.”
If you’re interested in CS, consider these five things:
a) Know Yourself:
Do you like working solo or on a team? Do you want to work with cutting-edge technology or support a business unit in a private sector company? The reality is you can be a DBA, business analyst, software engineer, researcher or computer systems analyst. However, you need to choose a career and curriculum that leverages your academic strengths. Currently, less than 40 percent of U.S. undergradscomplete science, technology, engineering and math programs and graduate with a degree.“If you want to pursue a career in software engineering, then you’ll have to complete rigorous coursework in math and programming,” says Dr. Larry Davis, professor at the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland.
b) Select a Sustainable Career:
Employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 percent through 2020, but some IT fields will fare better than others, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics biennial update of employment projections. Tech support and programming are still being sent offshore, so select carefully. “Don’t wait until you’re a junior or senior to attend campus job fairs,” suggests Davis. “Go when you’re a freshman so you can meet employers and hear about their future openings.
c) Acquire Marketable Skills:
It might be better to major in Business Administration and minor in Computer Science if you want to work in the private sector because the cloud is transforming IT and creating hybrid roles across the enterprise, according to Gartner. Most computer science students spend time building their own applications and systems but businesses don’t necessarily need that type of expertise. Hot skills include systems integration, business intelligence, cloud computing SQL, .Net, C, mobile languages and Java.
d) Get Hands-On Experience:
You can’t learn teamwork or business fundamentals by reading a text book. Participate in student projects, volunteer work, campus committees and internships so you can acquire hands-on technical experience, business acumen, leadership and communication skills.
e) Persevere: It takes most CS students six years to earn a degree since many initially drop out of math and programming classes, yet manage to succeed the second time around.
Computer science degrees come with a common misconception, which often discourages students from pursuing a degree: They’ll turn you into an isolated code cruncher. That’s not really the case.
Graduating Computer science graduates qualify for a wide range of positions and careers. However, to ensure you have the right mix of skills and hands-on experience to get one, do your homework and decide on a career path before selecting a technical specialty or program.
What tips for success can you give to those seeking a degree in computer science? Let us know in the comments below.
“The gap between the classroom and the workplace has been a problem,” acknowledges Dr. H.E. Dunsmore, associate professor of Computer Science and chair of the College of Science Undergraduate Education Policy and Curriculum Committee at Purdue University.
Purdue’s Computer Science department has taken steps to make more students aware of the versatility of CS degrees. His undergraduates have the opportunity to explore various careers and select an educational track that suits their preferences.
“Computer science majors take a course during their freshman year that explains the various career options and what they’ll actually do all day,” explains Dunsmore. “They also have the opportunity to mix with our corporate partners, hear about different job opportunities and then select from a broad array of educational tracks in everything from graphics to security, which may require less math or programming.”
If you’re interested in CS, consider these five things:
a) Know Yourself:
Do you like working solo or on a team? Do you want to work with cutting-edge technology or support a business unit in a private sector company? The reality is you can be a DBA, business analyst, software engineer, researcher or computer systems analyst. However, you need to choose a career and curriculum that leverages your academic strengths. Currently, less than 40 percent of U.S. undergradscomplete science, technology, engineering and math programs and graduate with a degree.“If you want to pursue a career in software engineering, then you’ll have to complete rigorous coursework in math and programming,” says Dr. Larry Davis, professor at the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland.
b) Select a Sustainable Career:
Employment in all computer occupations is expected to increase by 22 percent through 2020, but some IT fields will fare better than others, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics biennial update of employment projections. Tech support and programming are still being sent offshore, so select carefully. “Don’t wait until you’re a junior or senior to attend campus job fairs,” suggests Davis. “Go when you’re a freshman so you can meet employers and hear about their future openings.
c) Acquire Marketable Skills:
It might be better to major in Business Administration and minor in Computer Science if you want to work in the private sector because the cloud is transforming IT and creating hybrid roles across the enterprise, according to Gartner. Most computer science students spend time building their own applications and systems but businesses don’t necessarily need that type of expertise. Hot skills include systems integration, business intelligence, cloud computing SQL, .Net, C, mobile languages and Java.
d) Get Hands-On Experience:
You can’t learn teamwork or business fundamentals by reading a text book. Participate in student projects, volunteer work, campus committees and internships so you can acquire hands-on technical experience, business acumen, leadership and communication skills.
e) Persevere: It takes most CS students six years to earn a degree since many initially drop out of math and programming classes, yet manage to succeed the second time around.
Most popular DJ Software in the Market
What is the best DJ software? That's up to you! If you done your job with your passion then obviously its gone viral.
What is the best DJ software? Which DJ software is best for me? The answers to these questions rely on a few factors, one being your budget and next your level of understanding DJ software and controllers as a whole. Nowadays, the standard DJ mixer and “two turntables and a microphone” traditional setup isn’t the most popular thing you’ll see in a DJ’s booth. Having a digital-based setup is basically the norm now as you’ll notice at most festivals and shows. Although this makes us feel a bit old being that only 10 years ago or so I was playing around with some used Stanton tables and my dad’s old James Brown records, in this day and age of technology we all, especially us musicians, need to keep up to date with the latest trends. Today that trend is digital setups for DJ’s, which you need both equipment and most importantly software to get you properly rolling. We highlight the canvas of it all, as we go through the best DJ software in the market today.
If you already have an idea of what DJ software is, go ahead and continue reading on. However, for those who are looking to read more into what it specifically does, it is basically a computer program that emulates the traditional mixer, turntables and effects processing a DJ usually uses when scratching or mixing and matching songs. More specifically, for playing (aka ‘presenting’) media to an audience during performances or recording DJ mixes onto a track, whether it be a giant mix tape or merely a portion of the song dedicated to some scratching or beat matching.
The DJ software and controller diagram
The standard setup of DJ controllers and software nowadays
Sometimes all a DJ does is play a playlist on iTunes (even some popular artists have been accused of this at shows and festivals, but we won’t get into that drama right now — since you’re not doing that, obviously), so software for those may not be too demanding as far as extra features go. Although this can be justified for those DJ’s who usually play at weddings or smaller party’s and what not, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — their main job is to please the crowd and keep a steady flow going (and perhaps take requests here and there).
How to choose your DJ software
Some are free, some aren’t. We provide the trials so this helps you see if a specific software you’re looking at is worth dropping some money on. Most have gear specifically made for them, and some you don’t even need a piece of equipment for with only using your mouse. Which one you’d like is up to you really, but we’d recommend going with a more popular software that is supported with communities and gear.
The top two DJ software we list (Serato and Traktor Pro) are pretty stingy when it comes to compatible gear. That has both pros and cons, one giving you some security knowing that if you purchase the software as well as some gear that’s stated to be ‘compatible’ then you’re good to go and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. However, if you already have a DJ controller or want more of a broad-based DJ controller you should go with a different software such as VirtualDJ or Ableton. Although you are sacrificing some extra features with this option, so pick your poison.
Our picks for the best DJ software
The following is our top picks for the best DJ software (we went with 5 of them). The first few are what we recommend going with depending on your needs, but the others may pertain to you as well. We provide a link to their free trials, full versions, community, as well as some other resources helping explain what exactly they are (videos and what not). Let us know which one you go with!
Serato DJ
This is one our top picks for the best DJ software. How could we not? There was a close tie between this and Traktor Pro, but we’ll explain the few differences between each other. We’ve basically gone with Serato DJ because it is the standard among most of the top DJ’s we’ve spoken to. But we’ll be honest, it’s not easy choosing to list this first. The hottest debate nowadays is Serto vs. Traktor? Which program is better? Both have their pluses.
Serato DJ is most famous for their scratch emulation software which allows us to literally scratch any sound file we have on the computer. You can transform an mp3 file into a real record (you’ll need a controller to do it by hand). This makes traditional DJ’s mad. What happened to digging in the crates? Finding a rare record nobody has so only you can scratch it? Well, things are completely different now.
Serato also gives us numerous other features. These include vinyl and CD-J control, easy library management for switching between songs and matching beats, cues and loops to trigger and order, easy programming, add FX to songs and tracks, trigger some samples during tracks, cut, cue, loop, and more. The most impressive part of Serato is probably the interface as it is very aesthetically pleasing and organizes a lot of features into an easy package.
What’s nice is that Serato isn’t just limited to professionals only. It’s great for beginners (although it will definitely take some learning) and once you get the jist of it, you can use it pretty fresh out of the box. The more fancy features will take some familiarity, so it’ll be an investment once you’re ready to keep going.
What I found a bit disappointing was their vinyl scratching emulation software is sold separate. For more information on that you can buy Serato Scratch Live for a decent price.
There’s also a ton of compatible controllers to go along with Serato. But be careful with this; some are listed specifically to be for Serato while others are universal. The made-for-Serato gear works relatively seamlessly while other more broad DJ controllers can be a bit iffy. Some Serato controllers we’ve reviewed include the Akai AMX and Akai AFX controllers, but these are just to name a few. There are mixers, controllers, faders, and even more, so shop around for those if you plan on going big.
Native Instruments Traktor Pro
Native Instruments is a huge player in the innovation game with music equipment in general, and their Traktor Pro 2 DJ software is the other heavy hitter in the market. To us it’s like PC vs. Mac — everybody has their preference as they both work intended and offer us more features than we can count. What would separate the two is basically your budget; Traktor Pro runs a bit more expensive since it is only truly compatible with gear made specifically by Native Instruments, although some equipment will work decently. The universal gear isn’t as easy to use as it is with Serato. Native Instruments does this so you buy only their or brand’s they’ve approved. So not only will you have to spend money on the software itself, but the N.I. gear along with it to properly control it – gear you already have probably won’t work. They have quite a lot of gear available, too, so if your budget is up there you can get pretty crazy with it.
The main features of Traktor Pro 2 include 4-deck control, looping and cues, over 30 built-in effects, on-the-fly remixing and re-editing of tracks, and easy browsing of your sounds and tracks. These are pretty close to Serato so when it comes to differences there aren’t much besides a few dollars in price and ready-made controllers for each.
NI’s scratch emulation software is also sold separately, which is where they get you in terms of price. Traktor Pro 2 is around $100 retail, but their scratch software is sold separately which starts at five bills. Check their Traktor Scratch Pro 2 pricing for more details and reviews (comes with an audio interface too).
VirtualDJ Pro
Here’s another popular DJ software in the market, albeit not as widespread as Traktor or Serato. This is recommended for those who want more of a broad software that will work pretty well with most standard USB or MIDI DJ controllers. It’s not as monopoly-based when it comes to gear and software integration which is why we sometimes like this over the expensive Serato and Traktor choices.
Here are some standout features of VirtualDJ: Compatible with Mac and PC, song mixing, FX application, play two or more tracks at the same time, change speed, cross-fade, cues and more. Standard features here but it’s very solid and compatible with most DJ equipment. This is also recommended for beginners who will be doing less daunting shows and want simplicity. Here’s a short video explaining it.
Deckadance
This is made the same company as Fruity Loops as we saw their program make an appearance in our best digital audio workstation article. Image-Line is very reliable when it comes to gear and software so we’re confident when using this knowing it’s reliable and fully functional, it just isn’t a common software you’ll see talked about in the online DJ community.
Deckadance gives us some decent features here: Up to four deck control, VST compatible, MIDI control, smart knobs (link interface targets to one particular knob), FX chaining, low/mid/high band control and customize the interface. What’s most impressive is the fact that it can be either a standalone program and can be linked as a VSTi in your DAW of choice. You can also combine it with any digital vinyl software, such as Serato or VirtualDJ. It’s pretty cheap as compared to other DJ software out there as well.
Mixxx
This one is for you if you’re looking for the best free DJ software. Mixxx is open-source, so we’ve got some creative minds collaborating together to work on improvements and additional features. The lack of price gives us a “why not?” mind-state, so if you have the time, give it a go to see if it’s right for you. Here are some core features of Mixxx: Crossfading with auto DJ, most sound format compatible, waveform displays and summaries, Mac and PC compatible, BPM detection, vinyl emulation, loops and cues, adjustable EQ, and a lot more. Mixxx is something to take a look at it not only because it’s free but due to the power it holds in terms of overall features. This is definitely a sleep in the “best dj mixer” talk.
What is the best DJ software? Which DJ software is best for me? The answers to these questions rely on a few factors, one being your budget and next your level of understanding DJ software and controllers as a whole. Nowadays, the standard DJ mixer and “two turntables and a microphone” traditional setup isn’t the most popular thing you’ll see in a DJ’s booth. Having a digital-based setup is basically the norm now as you’ll notice at most festivals and shows. Although this makes us feel a bit old being that only 10 years ago or so I was playing around with some used Stanton tables and my dad’s old James Brown records, in this day and age of technology we all, especially us musicians, need to keep up to date with the latest trends. Today that trend is digital setups for DJ’s, which you need both equipment and most importantly software to get you properly rolling. We highlight the canvas of it all, as we go through the best DJ software in the market today.
If you already have an idea of what DJ software is, go ahead and continue reading on. However, for those who are looking to read more into what it specifically does, it is basically a computer program that emulates the traditional mixer, turntables and effects processing a DJ usually uses when scratching or mixing and matching songs. More specifically, for playing (aka ‘presenting’) media to an audience during performances or recording DJ mixes onto a track, whether it be a giant mix tape or merely a portion of the song dedicated to some scratching or beat matching.
The DJ software and controller diagram
The standard setup of DJ controllers and software nowadays
Sometimes all a DJ does is play a playlist on iTunes (even some popular artists have been accused of this at shows and festivals, but we won’t get into that drama right now — since you’re not doing that, obviously), so software for those may not be too demanding as far as extra features go. Although this can be justified for those DJ’s who usually play at weddings or smaller party’s and what not, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing — their main job is to please the crowd and keep a steady flow going (and perhaps take requests here and there).
How to choose your DJ software
Some are free, some aren’t. We provide the trials so this helps you see if a specific software you’re looking at is worth dropping some money on. Most have gear specifically made for them, and some you don’t even need a piece of equipment for with only using your mouse. Which one you’d like is up to you really, but we’d recommend going with a more popular software that is supported with communities and gear.
The top two DJ software we list (Serato and Traktor Pro) are pretty stingy when it comes to compatible gear. That has both pros and cons, one giving you some security knowing that if you purchase the software as well as some gear that’s stated to be ‘compatible’ then you’re good to go and feeling warm and fuzzy inside. However, if you already have a DJ controller or want more of a broad-based DJ controller you should go with a different software such as VirtualDJ or Ableton. Although you are sacrificing some extra features with this option, so pick your poison.
Our picks for the best DJ software
The following is our top picks for the best DJ software (we went with 5 of them). The first few are what we recommend going with depending on your needs, but the others may pertain to you as well. We provide a link to their free trials, full versions, community, as well as some other resources helping explain what exactly they are (videos and what not). Let us know which one you go with!
Serato DJ
This is one our top picks for the best DJ software. How could we not? There was a close tie between this and Traktor Pro, but we’ll explain the few differences between each other. We’ve basically gone with Serato DJ because it is the standard among most of the top DJ’s we’ve spoken to. But we’ll be honest, it’s not easy choosing to list this first. The hottest debate nowadays is Serto vs. Traktor? Which program is better? Both have their pluses.
Serato DJ is most famous for their scratch emulation software which allows us to literally scratch any sound file we have on the computer. You can transform an mp3 file into a real record (you’ll need a controller to do it by hand). This makes traditional DJ’s mad. What happened to digging in the crates? Finding a rare record nobody has so only you can scratch it? Well, things are completely different now.
Serato also gives us numerous other features. These include vinyl and CD-J control, easy library management for switching between songs and matching beats, cues and loops to trigger and order, easy programming, add FX to songs and tracks, trigger some samples during tracks, cut, cue, loop, and more. The most impressive part of Serato is probably the interface as it is very aesthetically pleasing and organizes a lot of features into an easy package.
What’s nice is that Serato isn’t just limited to professionals only. It’s great for beginners (although it will definitely take some learning) and once you get the jist of it, you can use it pretty fresh out of the box. The more fancy features will take some familiarity, so it’ll be an investment once you’re ready to keep going.
What I found a bit disappointing was their vinyl scratching emulation software is sold separate. For more information on that you can buy Serato Scratch Live for a decent price.
There’s also a ton of compatible controllers to go along with Serato. But be careful with this; some are listed specifically to be for Serato while others are universal. The made-for-Serato gear works relatively seamlessly while other more broad DJ controllers can be a bit iffy. Some Serato controllers we’ve reviewed include the Akai AMX and Akai AFX controllers, but these are just to name a few. There are mixers, controllers, faders, and even more, so shop around for those if you plan on going big.
Native Instruments Traktor Pro
Native Instruments is a huge player in the innovation game with music equipment in general, and their Traktor Pro 2 DJ software is the other heavy hitter in the market. To us it’s like PC vs. Mac — everybody has their preference as they both work intended and offer us more features than we can count. What would separate the two is basically your budget; Traktor Pro runs a bit more expensive since it is only truly compatible with gear made specifically by Native Instruments, although some equipment will work decently. The universal gear isn’t as easy to use as it is with Serato. Native Instruments does this so you buy only their or brand’s they’ve approved. So not only will you have to spend money on the software itself, but the N.I. gear along with it to properly control it – gear you already have probably won’t work. They have quite a lot of gear available, too, so if your budget is up there you can get pretty crazy with it.
The main features of Traktor Pro 2 include 4-deck control, looping and cues, over 30 built-in effects, on-the-fly remixing and re-editing of tracks, and easy browsing of your sounds and tracks. These are pretty close to Serato so when it comes to differences there aren’t much besides a few dollars in price and ready-made controllers for each.
NI’s scratch emulation software is also sold separately, which is where they get you in terms of price. Traktor Pro 2 is around $100 retail, but their scratch software is sold separately which starts at five bills. Check their Traktor Scratch Pro 2 pricing for more details and reviews (comes with an audio interface too).
VirtualDJ Pro
Here’s another popular DJ software in the market, albeit not as widespread as Traktor or Serato. This is recommended for those who want more of a broad software that will work pretty well with most standard USB or MIDI DJ controllers. It’s not as monopoly-based when it comes to gear and software integration which is why we sometimes like this over the expensive Serato and Traktor choices.
Here are some standout features of VirtualDJ: Compatible with Mac and PC, song mixing, FX application, play two or more tracks at the same time, change speed, cross-fade, cues and more. Standard features here but it’s very solid and compatible with most DJ equipment. This is also recommended for beginners who will be doing less daunting shows and want simplicity. Here’s a short video explaining it.
Deckadance
This is made the same company as Fruity Loops as we saw their program make an appearance in our best digital audio workstation article. Image-Line is very reliable when it comes to gear and software so we’re confident when using this knowing it’s reliable and fully functional, it just isn’t a common software you’ll see talked about in the online DJ community.
Deckadance gives us some decent features here: Up to four deck control, VST compatible, MIDI control, smart knobs (link interface targets to one particular knob), FX chaining, low/mid/high band control and customize the interface. What’s most impressive is the fact that it can be either a standalone program and can be linked as a VSTi in your DAW of choice. You can also combine it with any digital vinyl software, such as Serato or VirtualDJ. It’s pretty cheap as compared to other DJ software out there as well.
Mixxx
This one is for you if you’re looking for the best free DJ software. Mixxx is open-source, so we’ve got some creative minds collaborating together to work on improvements and additional features. The lack of price gives us a “why not?” mind-state, so if you have the time, give it a go to see if it’s right for you. Here are some core features of Mixxx: Crossfading with auto DJ, most sound format compatible, waveform displays and summaries, Mac and PC compatible, BPM detection, vinyl emulation, loops and cues, adjustable EQ, and a lot more. Mixxx is something to take a look at it not only because it’s free but due to the power it holds in terms of overall features. This is definitely a sleep in the “best dj mixer” talk.
List of Commonly Used Business Software
Types of Information Systems in an Organization
Although technology keeps advancing, businesses still have the same basic needs from their software. While the software's functionality has evolved, the delivery platform has gone through a quantum change. Applications that used to be delivered as standard applications run on on desktop and notebook computers are now frequently delivered through the web browser or run on non-traditional computing devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Try Zendesk For Free
Build Customer Relationships That Are More Meaningful & Productive.www.zendesk.com/
Web Browsers
In a business setting, Web browsers do more than just allow you to surf the Internet. More and more business applications are being delivered from cloud servers through the web browser. While these can include business-specific information and tools such as intranets, browsers can also serve as a gateway to software applications like spreadsheets and word processors.
Office Suites
Office suites like Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, WordPerfect Office, Google Docs or Apache OpenOffice combine multiple business software programs into a single package. At a minimum, most include a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation program. Some suites add additional programs such as drawing software, email clients and databases. They cover the basic productivity needs of most office workers.
Communication Software
Software to facilitate communication is also crucial. Many communication applications, such as many online meeting services and web-based email services, run through the browser. Other programs, like Qualcomm's Eudora or Microsoft's Outlook, are traditional applications that run on the computer and provide an interface allowing their users to connect to email servers.
Business Intelligence and Enterprise Software
Many businesses also use special software packages to help manage their accounting and operations. Some use entry-level programs such as Quickbooks or Sage Peachtree that perform basic accounting functions. More powerful enterprise resource planning and business intelligence packages offer a comprehensive view of your business. While buying a license can be expensive, cloud-based versions of these programs are affordable for many small businesses.
Free UML Diagram Tool
Extensive shape & connector library
to create efficient UML diagrams.
www.lucidchart.com
Edraw Diagram Software
Cross-Platform Diagram Software,
Visio Alternative, Free Download
www.edrawsoft.com
Inventory and Billing POS
Easy to use Inventory + Billing
Software. Download HDPOS trial now
www.hdpos.in/Stock.aspx
PL/SQL Developer
Download PL/SQL Developer
lots of features, plug-ins & more
www.allroundautomations.com
Although technology keeps advancing, businesses still have the same basic needs from their software. While the software's functionality has evolved, the delivery platform has gone through a quantum change. Applications that used to be delivered as standard applications run on on desktop and notebook computers are now frequently delivered through the web browser or run on non-traditional computing devices such as tablets and smartphones.
Try Zendesk For Free
Build Customer Relationships That Are More Meaningful & Productive.www.zendesk.com/
Web Browsers
In a business setting, Web browsers do more than just allow you to surf the Internet. More and more business applications are being delivered from cloud servers through the web browser. While these can include business-specific information and tools such as intranets, browsers can also serve as a gateway to software applications like spreadsheets and word processors.
Office Suites
Office suites like Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, WordPerfect Office, Google Docs or Apache OpenOffice combine multiple business software programs into a single package. At a minimum, most include a word processor, a spreadsheet and a presentation program. Some suites add additional programs such as drawing software, email clients and databases. They cover the basic productivity needs of most office workers.
Communication Software
Software to facilitate communication is also crucial. Many communication applications, such as many online meeting services and web-based email services, run through the browser. Other programs, like Qualcomm's Eudora or Microsoft's Outlook, are traditional applications that run on the computer and provide an interface allowing their users to connect to email servers.
Business Intelligence and Enterprise Software
Many businesses also use special software packages to help manage their accounting and operations. Some use entry-level programs such as Quickbooks or Sage Peachtree that perform basic accounting functions. More powerful enterprise resource planning and business intelligence packages offer a comprehensive view of your business. While buying a license can be expensive, cloud-based versions of these programs are affordable for many small businesses.
Free UML Diagram Tool
Extensive shape & connector library
to create efficient UML diagrams.
www.lucidchart.com
Edraw Diagram Software
Cross-Platform Diagram Software,
Visio Alternative, Free Download
www.edrawsoft.com
Inventory and Billing POS
Easy to use Inventory + Billing
Software. Download HDPOS trial now
www.hdpos.in/Stock.aspx
PL/SQL Developer
Download PL/SQL Developer
lots of features, plug-ins & more
www.allroundautomations.com
Monday, March 27, 2017
The Best Web Design Company in the World
What does the title "best web design company" entail? How does a company become known as the "best web design company in the world"? And what criteria is used to determine the title?
WebpageFX has the trophy case to prove that were one of the best in the business.
But before we figure out how we (or anyone else) can be considered as the best web design company, or even just one of the best web design companies out there, we had to first figure out how the "best web design company" was actually defined. Read on to learn more! First, we'll show you some companies that we believe are some of the best in the business.
10 of the Best Web Design Agencies
Here is our list of the top design companies:
1. RAZORFISH
header of Razorfish website
URL: https://www.razorfish.com/
Country: USA
Reason: With a mezmerizing homepage, Razorfish offers to "crack the creative code" with its work from 34 offices on five continenets. With clients like Mercedes-Benz, Walmart, Southwest Airlines, and Audi, this company is one of our favorites.
2. PUBLICIS. SAPIENT
header of Publicis. Sapient website
URL: http://publicis.sapient.com/en-us.html
Country: USA
Reason: A company that works with every industry from healthcare and travel, to automotive and retail banking, Sapient has you covered. They promise to reinvent key business activities and offer unmatched expertise, which is why we love them.
3. NORTH KINGDOM
header of North Kingdom website
URL: http://www.northkingdom.com
Country: Sweden
Reason: North Kingdom found a place on our best web design company list mainly due to their work on Vodafone's website and the “Got Milk” promotional website. In terms of their overall quality, we believe they have some of the top web designers in the world. North Kingdom clients have a more international flair, including Coke, Toyota, and Victoria's Secret.
4. 22SQUARED
header of 22 Squared website
URL: http://www.22squared.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Noted as the fourth largest independent advertising agency in the US, 22squared has some impressive clients, including Baskin-Robbins, GNC, HanesBrands and The Home Depot. Offering everything from creative content development to ROI analysis, this company offers it all.
5. 360I
header of 360i website
URL: https://360i.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Working with companies like Ben & Jerry's, Canon and Coca-Cola, 360i has certainly made a name for itself. It offers planning, strategy, social, technology and more--making it easy to understand why it landed a spot on the list. They've also landed a spot on other lists, boasting over ten awards.
6. GREY GLOBAL GROUP
header of Grey Global website
URL: http://grey.com/global
Country: USA
Reason: Located on Fifth Avenue in New York City, Grey Global Group serves the NFL, Soundcloud and Volvo--providing it with an impressive portfolio. Grey serves one-fifth of the Fortune 500 list which makes it one of the most successful companies on the list. They offer everything from digital technology, to media and advertising.
7. CRAMER-KRASSELT
header of Cramer-Krasselt website
URL: http://c-k.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Cramer-Krasselt believes that "the brand with the most friends wins," and insists that creativity, media, and strategy work as one. They offer digital services, analytics, public relations, and more, and works for companies like Nikon, Corona and Panera Bread.
8. TOMBRAS GROUP
header of Tombras Group website
URL: http://tombras.com
Country: USA
Reason: Tombras is a family-owned agency that was founded back in 1946. They were named the National Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age, and that doesn't even cover their extensive list of impressive clients. Serving businesses like Michelin, MoonPie, and McDonalds, this company gets a definite spot on our list.
9. AKQA
header of AKQA website
URL: https://www.akqa.com/
Country: England
Reason: Offering social media, data science, and design, AKQA has done work for Nike Football, Google, and Warner Brothers Entertainment. They have also collaboarated with Usher and won four awards at The Clios. With a resume like that, AKQA was sure to make our list.
10. CONVERSANT
header of Conversant website
URL: http://www.conversantmedia.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Conversant allows its customers to reach millions of mobile users with targeted advertising, video, and CRM. They also offer everything from engineering to marketing and human resources. Their partners are pretty impressive too--they serve companies like Green Plum, AdChoices and Double Verify.
WebpageFX has the trophy case to prove that were one of the best in the business.
But before we figure out how we (or anyone else) can be considered as the best web design company, or even just one of the best web design companies out there, we had to first figure out how the "best web design company" was actually defined. Read on to learn more! First, we'll show you some companies that we believe are some of the best in the business.
10 of the Best Web Design Agencies
Here is our list of the top design companies:
1. RAZORFISH
header of Razorfish website
URL: https://www.razorfish.com/
Country: USA
Reason: With a mezmerizing homepage, Razorfish offers to "crack the creative code" with its work from 34 offices on five continenets. With clients like Mercedes-Benz, Walmart, Southwest Airlines, and Audi, this company is one of our favorites.
2. PUBLICIS. SAPIENT
header of Publicis. Sapient website
URL: http://publicis.sapient.com/en-us.html
Country: USA
Reason: A company that works with every industry from healthcare and travel, to automotive and retail banking, Sapient has you covered. They promise to reinvent key business activities and offer unmatched expertise, which is why we love them.
3. NORTH KINGDOM
header of North Kingdom website
URL: http://www.northkingdom.com
Country: Sweden
Reason: North Kingdom found a place on our best web design company list mainly due to their work on Vodafone's website and the “Got Milk” promotional website. In terms of their overall quality, we believe they have some of the top web designers in the world. North Kingdom clients have a more international flair, including Coke, Toyota, and Victoria's Secret.
4. 22SQUARED
header of 22 Squared website
URL: http://www.22squared.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Noted as the fourth largest independent advertising agency in the US, 22squared has some impressive clients, including Baskin-Robbins, GNC, HanesBrands and The Home Depot. Offering everything from creative content development to ROI analysis, this company offers it all.
5. 360I
header of 360i website
URL: https://360i.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Working with companies like Ben & Jerry's, Canon and Coca-Cola, 360i has certainly made a name for itself. It offers planning, strategy, social, technology and more--making it easy to understand why it landed a spot on the list. They've also landed a spot on other lists, boasting over ten awards.
6. GREY GLOBAL GROUP
header of Grey Global website
URL: http://grey.com/global
Country: USA
Reason: Located on Fifth Avenue in New York City, Grey Global Group serves the NFL, Soundcloud and Volvo--providing it with an impressive portfolio. Grey serves one-fifth of the Fortune 500 list which makes it one of the most successful companies on the list. They offer everything from digital technology, to media and advertising.
7. CRAMER-KRASSELT
header of Cramer-Krasselt website
URL: http://c-k.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Cramer-Krasselt believes that "the brand with the most friends wins," and insists that creativity, media, and strategy work as one. They offer digital services, analytics, public relations, and more, and works for companies like Nikon, Corona and Panera Bread.
8. TOMBRAS GROUP
header of Tombras Group website
URL: http://tombras.com
Country: USA
Reason: Tombras is a family-owned agency that was founded back in 1946. They were named the National Small Agency of the Year by Ad Age, and that doesn't even cover their extensive list of impressive clients. Serving businesses like Michelin, MoonPie, and McDonalds, this company gets a definite spot on our list.
9. AKQA
header of AKQA website
URL: https://www.akqa.com/
Country: England
Reason: Offering social media, data science, and design, AKQA has done work for Nike Football, Google, and Warner Brothers Entertainment. They have also collaboarated with Usher and won four awards at The Clios. With a resume like that, AKQA was sure to make our list.
10. CONVERSANT
header of Conversant website
URL: http://www.conversantmedia.com/
Country: USA
Reason: Conversant allows its customers to reach millions of mobile users with targeted advertising, video, and CRM. They also offer everything from engineering to marketing and human resources. Their partners are pretty impressive too--they serve companies like Green Plum, AdChoices and Double Verify.
Maximize every asset and advantage with world-class tools and training
Team up with the Agile Management experts.
Only CA has the people, products and experience to make Agile Management truly transform your business. From consulting and coaching to cutting-edge solutions, we’ll give you the tools and techniques you need to drive innovation and maximize investment at every turn—all while creating a culture of collaboration that increases value and quality.
Agility is the new reality.
Harnessing the power of disruption requires new mindsets and methods. That’s where Agile Management comes in. Agile Management is a proven approach that shatters the barriers separating and frustrating your teams—all while transforming delivery from an end result into an ever-present part of your development lifecycle. With Agile Management solutions from CA, you’ll do more than adapt to change, you’ll make it your advantage.
Centered on your success.
CA Agile Central is everything you need to perfect your agility ability. You get an enterprise-scale agile platform, along with industry-leading training and best-of-breed software solutions. And you get it all in one comprehensive, coordinated offering. So much for “Too good to be true.”
Manage projects, maximize your portfolio.
Make sure everything’s aligned right down the line. CA Project & Portfolio Management helps you map execution to strategy, so the right people are always working on the right projects. And you can always see where every dollar is going. No wonder CA Project & Portfolio Management is the recognized market leader, trusted by more than 1,500 organizations worldwide.
Go with the Flow.
With CA Flowdock, your teams can communicate with context and plan with precision. CA Flowdock works just like any other email or corporate chat program. But it also links into all your developers’ favorite tools, so teams can work faster together—whether they’re coding new APIs, doing pre-launch Q&A, or simply planning out the next product sprints. It’s the project manager that acts like an instant messenger.
Only CA has the people, products and experience to make Agile Management truly transform your business. From consulting and coaching to cutting-edge solutions, we’ll give you the tools and techniques you need to drive innovation and maximize investment at every turn—all while creating a culture of collaboration that increases value and quality.
Agility is the new reality.
Harnessing the power of disruption requires new mindsets and methods. That’s where Agile Management comes in. Agile Management is a proven approach that shatters the barriers separating and frustrating your teams—all while transforming delivery from an end result into an ever-present part of your development lifecycle. With Agile Management solutions from CA, you’ll do more than adapt to change, you’ll make it your advantage.
Centered on your success.
CA Agile Central is everything you need to perfect your agility ability. You get an enterprise-scale agile platform, along with industry-leading training and best-of-breed software solutions. And you get it all in one comprehensive, coordinated offering. So much for “Too good to be true.”
Manage projects, maximize your portfolio.
Make sure everything’s aligned right down the line. CA Project & Portfolio Management helps you map execution to strategy, so the right people are always working on the right projects. And you can always see where every dollar is going. No wonder CA Project & Portfolio Management is the recognized market leader, trusted by more than 1,500 organizations worldwide.
Go with the Flow.
With CA Flowdock, your teams can communicate with context and plan with precision. CA Flowdock works just like any other email or corporate chat program. But it also links into all your developers’ favorite tools, so teams can work faster together—whether they’re coding new APIs, doing pre-launch Q&A, or simply planning out the next product sprints. It’s the project manager that acts like an instant messenger.
Top Live Chat Software Solutions
You already know how live chat software can increase conversion rates when used correctly.
But what you may not know is exactly which of the dozens of live chat products out there is right for your business.
Every software has its pros and cons, both for operators and customers. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at seven of the most popular live chat solutions, so you can decide which one’s best for you.
- LivePerson – A Popular, Yet Pricey Choice
LivePerson was one of the first live chat software solutions available on the web.
Since then, they’ve used their considerable name recognition and branding to become one of the most popular choices for enterprise live chat needs.
At $99.99/month, it’s one of the priciest options of the bunch. But what it lacks in affordability for smaller businesses, it more than makes up for in terms of features.
LivePerson integrates with Salesforce and Facebook and has a full suite of analytical tools (available to both admins and operators) to show you where customers may be slipping through the cracks.
The idea behind this is that it will translate into more sales and higher conversions. Of course, this will vary from business to business.
- Comm100 Live Chat – Simple and Customizable
Comm100 is live chat for the rest of us.
It’s designed to be simple and smart, without all the bells and whistles of other live chat products. It integrates with Salesforce, but not Facebook.
While the integration code itself is copy and paste, there are plugins available for content management and ecommerce systems, including Shopify, WordPress and Joomla.
Unlike many live chat programs, Comm100 can be customized to fit your unique branding and style. You can also have its “powered by” logo removed, making sure your customers get a seamless experience from start to finish.
Customers can also rate chat operators to help your own organization learn and grow in the process.
What’s more, the program can be used at a standalone desktop application or as a web-based service, giving you greater flexibility in how you deliver solutions.
- BoldChat – Numerous Options to Fit Your Needs
BoldChat has several different tiers of live chat software depending on the size and scale of your business.
Pricing is based per year and per agent and ranges from $99 to $999 and up.
Starting with BoldChat Pro (at $499/year/agent), you can use the company’s own custom rules-based proactive chat engine to measure and engage with customers who fit your specific criteria.
BoldChat Premier lets administrators distribute chats based on operator availability and expertise, helping to ensure that customers are never “transferred” to the next level of tech support or passed off to another agent to spend 30 minutes explaining their problem again.
BoldChat also has a free option.
It doesn’t track website visitors or allow you to customize the chat window, but for startups on a shoestring budget, it’s a value-priced option that lets you test the waters with live chat before you commit to a specific package.
- Kayako Fusion – A Thriving Support Community
You may know Kayako as a support desk company, but they’ve branched out to offer a full suite of services designed around the customer.
Fusion is a live chat product which, not surprisingly, also integrates a helpdesk solution. Since it is built for larger companies or international businesses, Kayako can seem daunting to beginners.
There’s a lot of information, analytics and detailed data worth going through.
One of its neatest features lets you pull up any previous chat records (if available) and client history the moment they begin a new chat.
As with many premium-level live chat programs, you can also customize the live chat window and buttons to fit in with your branding and style.
- LiveHelpNow – Ideal for Small/Medium Businesses
If you could include nearly everything you could ever want in a live chat solution into one complete package — LiveHelpNow would be it.
From customization to translation to visitor triggers (such as offering coupons to return visitors), LiveHelpNow is a virtual buffet of customer support features.
LiveHelpNow also integrates with Google Analytics, Google Adsense and Salesforce to help build on your existing platform experience.
There is also a rudimentary social extension called “Social Insights” which lets live chat operators view a customer’s Facebook or Twitter profile to determine if they’ve reached out to the company previously.
If you’re training new customer support agents, the Whisper function in LiveHelpNow will prove invaluable.
It allows beginners, seasoned operators and administrators to whisper to each other in order to get instant help and resolve customer problems on-the-fly.
Beyond this, LiveHelpNow also has a mobile chat request option that will alert you via text message or email that a customer has a question.You can then open a chat window on your mobile phone.
Overall, LiveHelpNow refuses to compromise on features and ease of use, and at under $20, it’s a well-rounded choice for small and medium businesses.
- WebsiteAlive – The One-Person Support Solution
websitealive
Small businesses have a lot of work to do if they want to project that “we’re larger than we look” impression.
For them, there’s WebsiteAlive.
Designed for the all-in-one entrepreneur who juggles countless tasks throughout the day, WebsiteAlive combines proactive chat, mobile and real-time email notifications along with full customization options without coding.
Although there’s no way to share documents between operators, you can install the code on multiple websites while tracking, monitoring and handling live chats from those sites simultaneously, making WebsiteAlive a great choice for owners of multiple websites.
At $69.95, it’s more expensive than some other options, but its mobile workspace and tools will let you create your own personal support desk anywhere you go.
- Velaro – Ideal for E-Commerce
Velaro doesn’t pigeon-hole users into a set of features per package.
Its scalable foundation works from the ground up to grow alongside your business, rather than forcing your business to fit its criteria instead.
Ideal for E-commerce websites, Velaro comes with built-in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and shopping cart tools, allowing operators to suggest product purchases or initiate a chat based on a customer’s browsing habits.
Velaro’s chat also lets you see what’s in the user’s shopping cart, their purchase history, and chat records from the previous two years, allowing savvy operators to make targeted suggestions or offer specific help for products the customer has bought.
All of this information can be distilled into professional, easy-to-read charts and reports, helping e-commerce sites forecast trends, upsells and improve conversion rates.
At $99.95, Velaro is on par with LivePerson in terms of pricing.
But it goes well beyond the typical live chat feature set to provide intelligent online shopping analytics that can make forecasting and learning from buyer behavior easy and straightforward.
But what you may not know is exactly which of the dozens of live chat products out there is right for your business.
Every software has its pros and cons, both for operators and customers. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at seven of the most popular live chat solutions, so you can decide which one’s best for you.
- LivePerson – A Popular, Yet Pricey Choice
LivePerson was one of the first live chat software solutions available on the web.
Since then, they’ve used their considerable name recognition and branding to become one of the most popular choices for enterprise live chat needs.
At $99.99/month, it’s one of the priciest options of the bunch. But what it lacks in affordability for smaller businesses, it more than makes up for in terms of features.
LivePerson integrates with Salesforce and Facebook and has a full suite of analytical tools (available to both admins and operators) to show you where customers may be slipping through the cracks.
The idea behind this is that it will translate into more sales and higher conversions. Of course, this will vary from business to business.
- Comm100 Live Chat – Simple and Customizable
Comm100 is live chat for the rest of us.
It’s designed to be simple and smart, without all the bells and whistles of other live chat products. It integrates with Salesforce, but not Facebook.
While the integration code itself is copy and paste, there are plugins available for content management and ecommerce systems, including Shopify, WordPress and Joomla.
Unlike many live chat programs, Comm100 can be customized to fit your unique branding and style. You can also have its “powered by” logo removed, making sure your customers get a seamless experience from start to finish.
Customers can also rate chat operators to help your own organization learn and grow in the process.
What’s more, the program can be used at a standalone desktop application or as a web-based service, giving you greater flexibility in how you deliver solutions.
- BoldChat – Numerous Options to Fit Your Needs
BoldChat has several different tiers of live chat software depending on the size and scale of your business.
Pricing is based per year and per agent and ranges from $99 to $999 and up.
Starting with BoldChat Pro (at $499/year/agent), you can use the company’s own custom rules-based proactive chat engine to measure and engage with customers who fit your specific criteria.
BoldChat Premier lets administrators distribute chats based on operator availability and expertise, helping to ensure that customers are never “transferred” to the next level of tech support or passed off to another agent to spend 30 minutes explaining their problem again.
BoldChat also has a free option.
It doesn’t track website visitors or allow you to customize the chat window, but for startups on a shoestring budget, it’s a value-priced option that lets you test the waters with live chat before you commit to a specific package.
- Kayako Fusion – A Thriving Support Community
You may know Kayako as a support desk company, but they’ve branched out to offer a full suite of services designed around the customer.
Fusion is a live chat product which, not surprisingly, also integrates a helpdesk solution. Since it is built for larger companies or international businesses, Kayako can seem daunting to beginners.
There’s a lot of information, analytics and detailed data worth going through.
One of its neatest features lets you pull up any previous chat records (if available) and client history the moment they begin a new chat.
As with many premium-level live chat programs, you can also customize the live chat window and buttons to fit in with your branding and style.
- LiveHelpNow – Ideal for Small/Medium Businesses
If you could include nearly everything you could ever want in a live chat solution into one complete package — LiveHelpNow would be it.
From customization to translation to visitor triggers (such as offering coupons to return visitors), LiveHelpNow is a virtual buffet of customer support features.
LiveHelpNow also integrates with Google Analytics, Google Adsense and Salesforce to help build on your existing platform experience.
There is also a rudimentary social extension called “Social Insights” which lets live chat operators view a customer’s Facebook or Twitter profile to determine if they’ve reached out to the company previously.
If you’re training new customer support agents, the Whisper function in LiveHelpNow will prove invaluable.
It allows beginners, seasoned operators and administrators to whisper to each other in order to get instant help and resolve customer problems on-the-fly.
Beyond this, LiveHelpNow also has a mobile chat request option that will alert you via text message or email that a customer has a question.You can then open a chat window on your mobile phone.
Overall, LiveHelpNow refuses to compromise on features and ease of use, and at under $20, it’s a well-rounded choice for small and medium businesses.
- WebsiteAlive – The One-Person Support Solution
websitealive
Small businesses have a lot of work to do if they want to project that “we’re larger than we look” impression.
For them, there’s WebsiteAlive.
Designed for the all-in-one entrepreneur who juggles countless tasks throughout the day, WebsiteAlive combines proactive chat, mobile and real-time email notifications along with full customization options without coding.
Although there’s no way to share documents between operators, you can install the code on multiple websites while tracking, monitoring and handling live chats from those sites simultaneously, making WebsiteAlive a great choice for owners of multiple websites.
At $69.95, it’s more expensive than some other options, but its mobile workspace and tools will let you create your own personal support desk anywhere you go.
- Velaro – Ideal for E-Commerce
Velaro doesn’t pigeon-hole users into a set of features per package.
Its scalable foundation works from the ground up to grow alongside your business, rather than forcing your business to fit its criteria instead.
Ideal for E-commerce websites, Velaro comes with built-in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and shopping cart tools, allowing operators to suggest product purchases or initiate a chat based on a customer’s browsing habits.
Velaro’s chat also lets you see what’s in the user’s shopping cart, their purchase history, and chat records from the previous two years, allowing savvy operators to make targeted suggestions or offer specific help for products the customer has bought.
All of this information can be distilled into professional, easy-to-read charts and reports, helping e-commerce sites forecast trends, upsells and improve conversion rates.
At $99.95, Velaro is on par with LivePerson in terms of pricing.
But it goes well beyond the typical live chat feature set to provide intelligent online shopping analytics that can make forecasting and learning from buyer behavior easy and straightforward.
WORLD’S TOP FINTECH COMPANIES IN 2016
Financial software development
We have prepared for you a comprehensive list of over 200 world’s top fintech companies and startups in 2016. We are extending and updating the list regulary. If your company is not yet here, please let us know!
We divided FinTech space into following categories:
Lending & Leasing
Personal Finance
Payments
Retail Investments
Institutional Investments
Crypto Currencies and Blockchain
Money Transfers
Business Tools
Crowdfunding
Retail Banking
Financial Research
Banking Infrastrucutre
Here is how we characterise different categories in FinTech space:
Lending
Lending companies on the list includes primarily peer-to-peer lending platforms as well as underwriter and lending platforms using machine learning technologies and algorithms to assess creditworthiness.
Personal Finance
Private tech companies that help individuals manage their personal bills, accounts and/or credit as well as manage their personal assets and investments.
Payments
Payments and billing tech companies span from solutions to facilitate payments processing to payment card developers to subscription billing software tools.
Retail Investments
Tech companies that help individuals manage their personal assets and investments.
Institutional Investments
Tech companies that help financial institutions, such as banks, hedge funds, mutual funds or other institutional investors, to manage their assets and investments.
Crypto Currenciesand Blockchain
Companies here span key software or technology firms in the digital currency space ranging from bitcoin wallets to security providers to sidechains.
Money Transfers
Money transfer companies include primarily peer-to-peer platforms to transfer money between individuals across countries.
Business tools
Companies either providing tools to other businesses. These range from accounting tools, CRMs to financial modeling and analysis software.
Crowdfunding
Platforms that allow a collection of individuals to provide monetary contributions for projects or companies provisioned in the form of equity.
Retail Banking
Companies providing banking services to individual consumers, rather than to companies, corporations or other banks. Services offered include savings and transactional accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and credit cards.
Financial Research
Companies providing services that help to investigate and analyse financial situation of other companies or the overall market or economy. Financial research tools and services are used by investment banks, mutual funds, security firms and other businesses who are offering financial products or investment services.
Banking Infrastructure
Banking infrastructure category refers to comapnies providing the fundamental hardware, software and services to bank for its core business to function.
Venture Capital Firms
Venture capital firms included make venture equity investments across the stage spectrum and geographies focusing on Fin Tech companies. The VC firm category spans both micro VCs and large multi-stage firms with LP commitments ranging from $25M to well over $1B+.
Corporate Investors
Corporate investors into Fin Tech include both corporations making direct investments and separately identifiable corporate venture units such as Citi Ventures or BBVA Ventures.
Angel Investors
Fin Tech angel investors listed are individual angel investors who offer early-stage capital, advice and networks to startups in exchange for equity or convertible debt.
Accelerators/Incubators
Accelerators and startup incubators typically offer some combination of equity investment, mentorship and resources around company development. Those on the Fin Tech periodic table have either funded a number of Fin Tech portfolio companies or have a specific focus on Fin Tech i.e. Boost.vc, FinTech Innovation Lab.
Fin Tech Acquirers
Key public corporations that have acquired private FinTech companies in the last five years.
We have prepared for you a comprehensive list of over 200 world’s top fintech companies and startups in 2016. We are extending and updating the list regulary. If your company is not yet here, please let us know!
We divided FinTech space into following categories:
Lending & Leasing
Personal Finance
Payments
Retail Investments
Institutional Investments
Crypto Currencies and Blockchain
Money Transfers
Business Tools
Crowdfunding
Retail Banking
Financial Research
Banking Infrastrucutre
Here is how we characterise different categories in FinTech space:
Lending
Lending companies on the list includes primarily peer-to-peer lending platforms as well as underwriter and lending platforms using machine learning technologies and algorithms to assess creditworthiness.
Personal Finance
Private tech companies that help individuals manage their personal bills, accounts and/or credit as well as manage their personal assets and investments.
Payments
Payments and billing tech companies span from solutions to facilitate payments processing to payment card developers to subscription billing software tools.
Retail Investments
Tech companies that help individuals manage their personal assets and investments.
Institutional Investments
Tech companies that help financial institutions, such as banks, hedge funds, mutual funds or other institutional investors, to manage their assets and investments.
Crypto Currenciesand Blockchain
Companies here span key software or technology firms in the digital currency space ranging from bitcoin wallets to security providers to sidechains.
Money Transfers
Money transfer companies include primarily peer-to-peer platforms to transfer money between individuals across countries.
Business tools
Companies either providing tools to other businesses. These range from accounting tools, CRMs to financial modeling and analysis software.
Crowdfunding
Platforms that allow a collection of individuals to provide monetary contributions for projects or companies provisioned in the form of equity.
Retail Banking
Companies providing banking services to individual consumers, rather than to companies, corporations or other banks. Services offered include savings and transactional accounts, mortgages, personal loans, debit cards, and credit cards.
Financial Research
Companies providing services that help to investigate and analyse financial situation of other companies or the overall market or economy. Financial research tools and services are used by investment banks, mutual funds, security firms and other businesses who are offering financial products or investment services.
Banking Infrastructure
Banking infrastructure category refers to comapnies providing the fundamental hardware, software and services to bank for its core business to function.
Venture Capital Firms
Venture capital firms included make venture equity investments across the stage spectrum and geographies focusing on Fin Tech companies. The VC firm category spans both micro VCs and large multi-stage firms with LP commitments ranging from $25M to well over $1B+.
Corporate Investors
Corporate investors into Fin Tech include both corporations making direct investments and separately identifiable corporate venture units such as Citi Ventures or BBVA Ventures.
Angel Investors
Fin Tech angel investors listed are individual angel investors who offer early-stage capital, advice and networks to startups in exchange for equity or convertible debt.
Accelerators/Incubators
Accelerators and startup incubators typically offer some combination of equity investment, mentorship and resources around company development. Those on the Fin Tech periodic table have either funded a number of Fin Tech portfolio companies or have a specific focus on Fin Tech i.e. Boost.vc, FinTech Innovation Lab.
Fin Tech Acquirers
Key public corporations that have acquired private FinTech companies in the last five years.
Do you know : which is the World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Robotics ?
1. IROBOT
For building the bots that live among us. iRobot could sit on its laurels and continue to rake in military paychecks, including a $30 million U.S. Army defense contract last year. Instead, the empire that PackBot and Roomba built is hurtling forward. From collaborating with Yale researchers on an ultradextrous robotic hand (able to grasp a pin) at a fraction of the cost of existing manipulators, to unveiling a telepresence bot that marries Cisco Systems’ videoconferencing tech with iRobot’s self-guided navigation, the Massachusetts company isn’t just meeting demand but creating it: Revenue climbed by roughly $50 million in 2013 to nearly $500 million. Read more >>
2. GOOGLE
For building and investing in robots that will truly change the world. Google’s driverless autonomous cars have logged 500,000 miles to date–without incident. Last year, it acquired Boston Dynamics, maker of the walking, running, and jumping robots, as well as Schaft, a Tokyo-based startup that uses liquid-cooled electronic motors to power five-foot-tall humanoid automatons. Add to that its recent acquisition of smart appliance maker Nest, and Google has proven it is more poised than any other company to advance the art of intelligent machines. Read more >>
3. TOUCH BIONICS
For bringing prosthetics into the mobile age. The i-limb ultra revolution isn’t the only breathtakingly complex bionic hand. It is, however, the first to be controlled with an app. Touch Bionics’ latest model can be programmed via an included iPod Touch–allowing wearers to configure their own grip patterns and activation triggers, and to recalibrate without a prosthetics expert. Advanced prosthetics are still sports-car expensive (this one runs $100,000), but they no longer require a roboticist to maintain.
4. NORTHROP GRUMMAN
For teaching drones to land–and avoid landing–on aircraft carriers. Northrop Grumman’s X-47B robot plane made history last May as the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by catapult from a carrier. Then it upped the ante, making an arrested carrier landing in July. Subsequent aborted landings were widely criticized, missing the point: Having detected technical issues, the largely autonomous prototype for a future pilotless fighter decided to land elsewhere. Avoiding a fiery carrier crash might be the best example yet of machine intelligence.
5. RETHINK ROBOTICS
For rethinking menial labor. When Rethink Robotics first unveiled Baxter in 2012, its eerily humanoid robot, it held much promise. The two-armed, touch-screen-faced bot could learn repetitive tasks quickly and work alongside humans with no risk of injuring them–a remarkably low-cost way of automating a wide range of assembly tasks. But Rethink delivered again in 2013, significantly upgrading Baxter’s software and allowing academic customers to create their own applications, turning the hundreds of models sold so far into even better unpaid workers.
6. ACCURAY
For using bots to target more forms of cancer, in more patients. Accuray’s CyberKnife System first opened fire on tumors in 2001, using robotic accuracy to hit unhealthy tissue with narrow beams of radiation, instead of bathing whole swaths of the subject’s body. More than 100,000 patients later, the new CyberKnife M6 Series, deployed last year, is an even better shot: It utilizes shaped beams that conform to the specific contours of a tumor. That means less collateral radiation for surrounding tissue–and treatments for the previously untreatable.
7. LIQUID ROBOTICS
For using the sun and the sea to power a fleet of ocean observers. Liquid Robotics had already cornered the market it essentially invented: self-steering robots that patrol the seas, monitoring everything from vessel traffic to marine life. The Wave Glider SV3, launched last year, pushes the state of the art in self-guided sensors further. It’s the first oceangoing bot to propel itself using both solar cells and wave energy, with an onboard electric motor that can fight through currents and weather conditions, and an operational range in the tens of thousands of miles.
8. BOSCH
For bringing hands-free mowing, and motoring, one step closer to reality. Bosch delivered the smartest, most-efficient robomower to date last year. As scarce as automated mowing is in the United States, it’s a $170 million (and growing) business in Europe, and Bosch’s Indego model is the most advanced. It maps the lawn, cuts in preplanned parallel lines, and picks up where it left off after recharging. The German firm also released autonomous cars onto the Autobahn in an attempt to make Google’s robocar tests in Nevada look like quaint Sunday drives.
9. QBOTIX
For streamlining solar power with robots and monorails. Instead of fully motorizing individual solar panels to constantly face the sun, the SolBot system from QBotix mounts them on a miniature monorail track, where a robot can slide along, repositioning them throughout the day. This uses fewer motors and soaks up more sun, costing as much as a single-axis tracking system while delivering as much energy as a dual-axis one. After setting up five active installations in 2013, the California startup unveiled the larger-scale SolBot R-225, each one capable of optimizing 340 kilowatts worth of panels.
10. PROX DYNAMICS
For hurling palm-launched drones into the line of fire. Is a tiny, toylike unarmed UAV that fits in your hand worth $31 million? Britain’s Ministry of Defence certainly believed so when it ordered 160 of Prox Dynamics‘ Black Hornet nanocopters and deployed the half-ounce drones to Afghanistan in 2012. Now infantry units use the Black Hornet for close-quarters scouting and automated surveillance. The Norwegian bot-maker recently scored a $2.5 million contract to develop a new Black Hornet line for the U.S. Army.
For building the bots that live among us. iRobot could sit on its laurels and continue to rake in military paychecks, including a $30 million U.S. Army defense contract last year. Instead, the empire that PackBot and Roomba built is hurtling forward. From collaborating with Yale researchers on an ultradextrous robotic hand (able to grasp a pin) at a fraction of the cost of existing manipulators, to unveiling a telepresence bot that marries Cisco Systems’ videoconferencing tech with iRobot’s self-guided navigation, the Massachusetts company isn’t just meeting demand but creating it: Revenue climbed by roughly $50 million in 2013 to nearly $500 million. Read more >>
2. GOOGLE
For building and investing in robots that will truly change the world. Google’s driverless autonomous cars have logged 500,000 miles to date–without incident. Last year, it acquired Boston Dynamics, maker of the walking, running, and jumping robots, as well as Schaft, a Tokyo-based startup that uses liquid-cooled electronic motors to power five-foot-tall humanoid automatons. Add to that its recent acquisition of smart appliance maker Nest, and Google has proven it is more poised than any other company to advance the art of intelligent machines. Read more >>
3. TOUCH BIONICS
For bringing prosthetics into the mobile age. The i-limb ultra revolution isn’t the only breathtakingly complex bionic hand. It is, however, the first to be controlled with an app. Touch Bionics’ latest model can be programmed via an included iPod Touch–allowing wearers to configure their own grip patterns and activation triggers, and to recalibrate without a prosthetics expert. Advanced prosthetics are still sports-car expensive (this one runs $100,000), but they no longer require a roboticist to maintain.
4. NORTHROP GRUMMAN
For teaching drones to land–and avoid landing–on aircraft carriers. Northrop Grumman’s X-47B robot plane made history last May as the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launched by catapult from a carrier. Then it upped the ante, making an arrested carrier landing in July. Subsequent aborted landings were widely criticized, missing the point: Having detected technical issues, the largely autonomous prototype for a future pilotless fighter decided to land elsewhere. Avoiding a fiery carrier crash might be the best example yet of machine intelligence.
5. RETHINK ROBOTICS
For rethinking menial labor. When Rethink Robotics first unveiled Baxter in 2012, its eerily humanoid robot, it held much promise. The two-armed, touch-screen-faced bot could learn repetitive tasks quickly and work alongside humans with no risk of injuring them–a remarkably low-cost way of automating a wide range of assembly tasks. But Rethink delivered again in 2013, significantly upgrading Baxter’s software and allowing academic customers to create their own applications, turning the hundreds of models sold so far into even better unpaid workers.
6. ACCURAY
For using bots to target more forms of cancer, in more patients. Accuray’s CyberKnife System first opened fire on tumors in 2001, using robotic accuracy to hit unhealthy tissue with narrow beams of radiation, instead of bathing whole swaths of the subject’s body. More than 100,000 patients later, the new CyberKnife M6 Series, deployed last year, is an even better shot: It utilizes shaped beams that conform to the specific contours of a tumor. That means less collateral radiation for surrounding tissue–and treatments for the previously untreatable.
7. LIQUID ROBOTICS
For using the sun and the sea to power a fleet of ocean observers. Liquid Robotics had already cornered the market it essentially invented: self-steering robots that patrol the seas, monitoring everything from vessel traffic to marine life. The Wave Glider SV3, launched last year, pushes the state of the art in self-guided sensors further. It’s the first oceangoing bot to propel itself using both solar cells and wave energy, with an onboard electric motor that can fight through currents and weather conditions, and an operational range in the tens of thousands of miles.
8. BOSCH
For bringing hands-free mowing, and motoring, one step closer to reality. Bosch delivered the smartest, most-efficient robomower to date last year. As scarce as automated mowing is in the United States, it’s a $170 million (and growing) business in Europe, and Bosch’s Indego model is the most advanced. It maps the lawn, cuts in preplanned parallel lines, and picks up where it left off after recharging. The German firm also released autonomous cars onto the Autobahn in an attempt to make Google’s robocar tests in Nevada look like quaint Sunday drives.
9. QBOTIX
For streamlining solar power with robots and monorails. Instead of fully motorizing individual solar panels to constantly face the sun, the SolBot system from QBotix mounts them on a miniature monorail track, where a robot can slide along, repositioning them throughout the day. This uses fewer motors and soaks up more sun, costing as much as a single-axis tracking system while delivering as much energy as a dual-axis one. After setting up five active installations in 2013, the California startup unveiled the larger-scale SolBot R-225, each one capable of optimizing 340 kilowatts worth of panels.
10. PROX DYNAMICS
For hurling palm-launched drones into the line of fire. Is a tiny, toylike unarmed UAV that fits in your hand worth $31 million? Britain’s Ministry of Defence certainly believed so when it ordered 160 of Prox Dynamics‘ Black Hornet nanocopters and deployed the half-ounce drones to Afghanistan in 2012. Now infantry units use the Black Hornet for close-quarters scouting and automated surveillance. The Norwegian bot-maker recently scored a $2.5 million contract to develop a new Black Hornet line for the U.S. Army.
Most famous Anti virus for your PC
Good antivirus software is an invaluable tool for keeping your computer, your personal information, and the security of your friends and family safe from hackers, identity thieves, and spammers. The damage a single virus can do is astounding.
Today's viruses have the capability to do everything from sending your personal information like credit card numbers and bank accounts to identity thieves to turning your computer into a slave that will send out spam e-mail messages, attack websites, or do pretty much anything else the virus maker wants it to. And on top of that, viruses are programmed to seek out your contacts and try to infect them as well. Odds are good that if your computer gets infected, everybody in your contacts is going to be receiving an e-mail message or IM that looks to be from you and contains the same virus you got.
A good antivirus program will typically cost a bit, but will be nothing compared to the cost of losing your files and your identity. Below are the top ten best antivirus software companies around.
1. Kaspersky
2. Symantec (Norton)
3. ESET
4. AVG
5. McAfee
6. Microsoft Security Essentials
7. BitDefender
8. Quick Heal
9. Avast Software
10. Avira
11. Panda Security
12. F-Secure
Today's viruses have the capability to do everything from sending your personal information like credit card numbers and bank accounts to identity thieves to turning your computer into a slave that will send out spam e-mail messages, attack websites, or do pretty much anything else the virus maker wants it to. And on top of that, viruses are programmed to seek out your contacts and try to infect them as well. Odds are good that if your computer gets infected, everybody in your contacts is going to be receiving an e-mail message or IM that looks to be from you and contains the same virus you got.
A good antivirus program will typically cost a bit, but will be nothing compared to the cost of losing your files and your identity. Below are the top ten best antivirus software companies around.
1. Kaspersky
2. Symantec (Norton)
3. ESET
4. AVG
5. McAfee
6. Microsoft Security Essentials
7. BitDefender
8. Quick Heal
9. Avast Software
10. Avira
11. Panda Security
12. F-Secure
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