December 2016

Top 5 Android Apps of 2016

Posted on December 28, 2016June 25, 2025 by ARRC Technology

TheNextWeb, well-known for its tech reviews and online know-how, recently released a list of their top 40 Android Apps of 2016. We took a few minutes to go through the list and weed out our top 5 apps. Here they are in all their glory.

Google Allo

Texting with an Android device is considerably different than texting through the iPhone’s iMessage app. You can do a whole lot more with iMessage… like add stickers, play games, markup photos, and adjust the size and impact of your font. It’s fun. And now, thanks to google, Android users have similar texting capabilities. Google Allo provides you with smart replies based on your conversation; it lets you adjust your text, and it allows you to write or draw on a picture. You can add stickers, Google within a text message, and chat in Incognito Mode.

Google Keep

Yes, it might be another app from Google, but it’s another great app. This note-taking, list-building, appointment-setting app is so ridiculously easy to use that you’d be silly not to give it a go. Add a single note, attach photos, or create a list. All items added to your Google Keep are highly reminiscent of sticky notes, and when you’re done with a note, swipe to archive or swipe to trash. Change the color of your sticky notes to keep things aesthetically pleasing and well organized.

Prisma

Prisma quickly became one of the most popular apps of the year. People everywhere were impressed with the stunning visual capabilities it possesses. Snap a photo or a selfie and apply your desired filter. But these filters aren’t the type you’ll find in Instagram or Snapchat… these filters are supposed to look more like art than anything. It’s the Van Gogh or Picasso version of your run-of-the-mill smartphone photo.

Shazam Lite

Sure, those apps that tell you the title of the song that’s currently playing are great. They save you from trying to decipher the lyrics and then searching for those lyrics in Google. But… that’s only if the app loads in time. In most cases, the app does not load in time; you get frustrated, and you’re still left wondering what the heck song you just listened to. Shazam Lite solves this problem. All it does is find the title of the song… which means there isn’t much to it. Open the app, and tap the Shazam icon to instantly identify the song playing.

Human

There are a million and one ways to track your fitness these days, but Human is an app that likes to think it’s taken a different approach to fitness-tracking. With this innovative app, your activity is tracked all day and its end goal is to get you to move for at least 30 minutes of every day. You can view your activity on a real-time map and compare yourself to other Human users in your city. Track your progress, view history, and keep tabs on how well you stack up to the competition around you.

6 tech resolutions your business should make for the New Year

Posted on December 27, 2016June 25, 2025 by ARRC Technology

As you and your coworkers move into the New Year, there are probably a million and one things on your list to-do, to-see, and to-think-about. But one thing your business should definitely shine a high beam on is technology.

Technology has the power to take your business to that next level. It can make your business look better, be better, and perform better. But where exactly should you start? It’s simple, really. Here are a few tech resolutions you should make for the New Year.

Be kind to your data.

When you lose your data, it isn’t fun. Imagine all that downtime you accumulate and all that money you have to spend trying to get it back… it’s no walk in the park, that’s for sure. So in the coming year, you should make it a top priority to back up all your data at all times. Use a professional-grade solution and partner with a quality IT company. This way, if something ever does happen to your data (like an extra-large soda from McDonalds or a fun string of Ransomware), it can all be recovered with ease in no time at all.

Keep your accounts secure.

Data breaches are happening all around us, and they aren’t going away anytime soon. So if you are going to make any tech resolutions for the New Year, then make it this one. Keep your accounts secure and private with rock-solid passwords and proper password hygiene. Never write your credentials down, change them regularly, and never get them out to anyone.

Use new technologies.

Don’t be afraid to use new technologies to help your business move ahead of the competition. Explore virtual reality, get into wearables, branch into smart gadgets, and consider a drone or two. It might sound crazy and off-the-wall to incorporate these technologies into your small to medium-sized business, but in all actuality, it’s really not. Consumers expect to see these technologies move into normal businesses. So do what you can to get there before your competition does.

Don’t forget those web apps.

Apps are here to help. They can do so much for you and your team… you just need to find the right ones to use. A good place to start is to determine what your team needs help with. Is it communication? Project management? Time management? Collaboration in general? Whatever it is, there’s this thing called Google. Google your need, and you’ll be greeted with article after review after blog on apps of all sizes and shapes. It’s basically magic.

Show your hardware some love.

The better your hardware performs, the better your business can perform. But, this will require some effort on your part. You’ll need to find a cost-efficient way to supply your hardware with routine maintenance and regular updates. Keep your hardware well-oiled and you’ll avoid downtime and preserve productivity.

Set boundaries.

While technology is great and all, it can do some damage to your productivity if you take it too far for too long. Encourage your coworkers to set boundaries with the technology they rely on to complete their everyday tasks. For example, ask them to take a 15-minute break outside every two hours or so. You could even promote the 20-20-20 rule… every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. This will help you and your coworkers protect your eyes from the damaging effects of staring at a screen all day.

3 job trends we’ll start to notice in 2017

Posted on December 15, 2016June 25, 2025 by ARRC Technology

Glassdoor is famous for providing job seekers and the actively employed with salary and company insights. Their hands-on, in-depth research makes it possible for people to negotiate pay, prep for interviews, and find new jobs.

But this company’s research doesn’t stop there. They take things a step further to uncover current and future economic trends. And very recently, they compiled a list of job trends to watch for in 2017 and the coming years.

Among these trends, technology was a reoccurring element, and as an IT company, you can probably imagine how this makes us feel. And giddy with excitement only grazes the surface.

As you head into the new year, here are a few trends we feel are important to keep in mind. And the fact that they have everything to do with technology has nothing to do with it…

Tech jobs are where it’s at.

Everyone is hiring people to fill tech roles. And this doesn’t just include actual tech companies. This covers everything from the medical field to the retail industry, as well as small- to medium-sized businesses off all shapes and colors.

Companies are beginning to realize that, to be relevant and modern, you need people who can help keep you relevant and modern. These people will need to know apps, mobile devices, software, gadgets, and data. Understanding how to integrate this level of technology into your day-to-day operations will become a crucial element of business.

Everyone will need to pair their skills with technology.

Plenty of people have been saying over the last decade or so that technology will result in massive job loss. Companies will design technology that has the ability to automate processes and this will result in the complete removal of the human element. However, this might not be entirely the case.

Glassdoor says “automation will change every job,” but not in the way you think it will. Automation won’t replace jobs on a massive scale; however, it will require people to learn new skills. Creativity, efficiency, processes, and productivity in general will only improve if people grow their skillsets and match these skills with current and future technologies.

Data science will matter to the HR world.

Everyone who’s anyone is soaking up the data. Why? Because it’s everywhere. And you literally can’t go anywhere without stepping in a pile of data. But according to Glassdoor, the HR world in particular is a little behind the data curve. But not for long.

In the coming years, we will begin to see recruiters and HR generalists employ data to help them widen the talent pool, place new hires strategically, and create a more positive workplace culture. These small changes will have large impacts on the overall flow of the business realm and lead to something bigger and better than we ever imagined.

6 ways to motivate your team to do better

Posted on December 13, 2016June 25, 2025 by ARRC Technology

How’s that team of yours looking? Not so hot? Like they all need to sit down and watch Remember the Titans together?

If that’s the case, we got you covered. Here are a few simple things you can do to easily motivate your staff.

Give them an incentive.

Not everyone is motivated by money. But then again, not everyone is motivated by a simple “please and thank you” either. However, if you want your team to be motivated to do more and to do it better, then you need to determine what would make them do this.

Your incentives might change from project to project and from department to department, but these incentives can remain relatively simple. You might be surprised to see just how much a little somethin’ somethin’ can alter your team’s collective mindset.

Offer a team lunch, half a day off, or a $20 gift card to the grocery store. These simple, inexpensive incentives can motivate your team to get things done quicker, to work together better, and to really get into what they’re doing.

Make it their project.

At the end of the day, a project is just a project. It’s a project for the company, not for the person or the team. But – and this is a big but – if you make it the team’s project, things might not be so “whatever happens happens.”

Give your team the ability to change things and alter the course of a project, and things will suddenly get personal for them. Your staff will feel like they have a real chance to make a difference in the company, and they should be motivated to do something great.

Expand their skillset.

Maybe they already have the mindset… they’re motivated and ready to go big. However, they’re lacking the proper skills to do anything with that mindset. So… give your team what it needs. Training. Knowledge. Insight.

Send your team to a conference, enroll them in an online course, or drop a few books off at their desks. Point them in the right direction, and let them go. They’ll come back with refined skills and even more motivation than they started off with.

Give a speech.

If all else fails, it’s time for a speech. Sit down, watch a few sports movies, and take detailed notes. If you decide to take this old-fashioned approach to motivating your team (and you do it in a genuine fashion), one thing will happen.

Your team will know you care.

Back off.

Very rarely does any human on this earth like to be micromanaged. It’s not fun, and it usually ends poorly. If you notice that yourself or any other managers within your company are micromanaging your staff unjustifiably, then you need to nip that in the bud. And quickly.

Back off from your team when they’re working on a project. You hired them for a reason, right? So let them do what they think is best. Handing over the reins and trusting in their abilities is enough motivation for any team.

Join in on the fun.

Whether you’re the CEO or a department manager, the average team likes to know that you aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty. If an executive or supervisor gets involved and joins in on a project (without micromanaging or taking over completely), it’s exciting.

Every now and then, take the opportunity to participate in something your team is working on. And keep in mind, you don’t have to be involved throughout the life of a project to participate. All it takes is sitting in on a group discussion or offering up your assistance for an hour or two. A little effort goes a long way.

Canva, design made simple.

Posted on December 2, 2016June 25, 2025 by ARRC Technology

What’s really neat about the rise of technology and the internet, in general, is that we’re given access to a variety of tools. These tools make it possible for people to do things they don’t necessarily have the skillset to do.

For example, there are SEO tools that help you compose effective meta descriptions and keywords. And there are social media tools that help you analyze data and manage mentions. So even if you aren’t a web developer or copywriter, you can still have an SEO strategy that’s on point. And even if you don’t have the skills to analyze all the data that comes from LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, you can still be at the top of your social media game.

And now, thanks to Canva, we have a pretty solid tool that helps you create beautiful, share-worthy designs.

Create a Canva account, login, and you’ll have the option to decide what type of design you’re looking for. Need to share something on social media? Maybe you want to build an infographic? Or perhaps an email header? Whatever it is, Canva probably has an option for it.

Once you select a design option, you can scroll through thousands of available layouts. Here’s an example of what type of layouts you might come across.

All layouts are entirely customizable. You can change the font style, size, and color; you can transform circles into squares or take them out altogether, and you can switch out any photos or illustrations found within the layout.

Unfortunately, not every option found within Canva is free. Of course, you have the option to pay for a Canva membership, and at that point, you’ll have free reign of their features. But if that doesn’t seem like a viable route for you, then you can also pay as you go. For example, when you’re browsing through the available elements, some will have a price listed next to it. If you want to use it, you can simply add it to your masterpiece and then pay for it when you’re ready to download your design.

As you can see above, most of their elements are free to use (and the ones that aren’t are pretty cheap), So you should be able to get by just fine without paying for anything. Where it does get sort of tricky though, is when you get to the layouts.

If you want to use a paid layout, the pricing will differ based on how many times you plan to use it. For example, the layout picked below costs one dollar to use once. To use it multiple times, you’ll be charged $10, and to use it for an extended period, it’ll cost you $100.

However, when you consider how much a license to Shutterstock would cost you and how much it would cost to hire on a graphic designer, the price to design with Canva doesn’t seem too bad. Not even a little bit.

Month: December 2016