With only a few weeks left until we’re in the heart of the holiday season, it may look like there are only two “must-have” items for that tech-savvy person on our shopping lists: either a smartphone or a tablet. However, thousands of would-be perfect gadget gifts are going unnoticed. Advertisers are concentrating on big-ticket gizmos when plenty of gift-worthy devices are left under the radar instead of the tree. Here are just a few terrific eco-conscious, economical and clever high-tech and geeky gifts. 

Gadgets make great gifts – whether they’re practical or not

Someone may not love the 40-in-1 Swiss Army Knife, but they may be enamored with the 6-in-1 key chain. Either way, they’ll discover a use for it some day. Tech-geek gadgets are especially suitable for individuals on a budget. So, while the Starship Enterprise pizza cutter (http://bit.ly/vR8K4y) or these crocheted headphones won’t break your budget, they’re sure to please!

Gadgets for the hard-to-shop-for individual

So what makes a good gadget gift? It really depends on how tech-savvy the recipient is, and how much you’d like to spend. If you have a little bit more money and the individual is environmentally conscious, you might opt for a “green” choice. Eco-friendly products abound and are especially sought after this year. From hand-powered paper shredders to solar-powered tiki torches, many options exist for that inner tree-hugger in all of us.

Tablet or smartphone owners

For those who already own a smartphone and tablet, there are some terrific accessories to brighten their day, from iPhone “wallet cases” to iPad docking stations. As most tablets and smartphones don’t have separate keyboards, here are two accessory ideas, one for the iPad, one for the iPhone. These gadgets should have an immediate impact on the user’s experience!

The wonderful aspect of gadgets is that they are always at hand. Gadgets may make our lives a little easier and a a bit more fun. Hopefully these “under-the-radar” gift ideas might allow you to stretch your mind somewhat this holiday season and find that special someone a techy gadget they’ll treasure.

With the ease and security of online shopping, you’d think everyone would be shopping at home this holiday season. Of course, that’s far from the truth. Thousands of bargain hunters will be lined up waiting for the retail stores to open. And these savvy shoppers will have new bargain-hunting weapons at their disposal: mobile devices. Everyone with a smartphone or tablet will have with them specifically designed apps to help them navigate everything from where an item is in a store, to seeing if it is the best price, to being able to buy it online—in the store. Here are just a few of the ways technology is influencing our habits this holiday season.

Mobile Apps

An interesting trend this holiday season is appearing in mobile apps for both smartphones and tablets. These apps are specifically created to make your in-store shopping experience as easy as possible. One app in particular enables you to scan a barcode with your smartphone and it will compare that products price to other stores and online retailers. Another app even lets you take a picture of the product, and it will likewise compare prices and availability. Still another allows you to skip the directory and locate the exact aisle placement of that prized gift.

Smartphone Marketing

One major trend this season is in the strategies taken by marketers to catch us even when we’re not tied to our computers. Smartphone marketing could have a big influence on purchasing, as online retailers hope to strategically time their messages to effectively ambush customers while standing in line. One such marketer, for instance, is offering mobile-only deals at 6am, which may sway the would-be shopper from standing in the cold altogether.

Economical Technology Trends

Not only will we be using technology to make our shopping lives simpler, but we will also be on the lookout for the next big advancement. The trend in technology is seen in the battle of the tablets—at half the cost, the Kindle Fire is posing a threat to iPad’s dominance, and a new iPhone competitor seems to be entering the market every day. For good reason: the consumer is wary of the economy, will most likely spend less this year, and will be looking for both bargains and value.

Not all of us will shop solely from home this holiday season. Technology may help us find the store, locate the item, check the price and see if it’s in stock—all without having to contend with a salesperson. But as technology gives us greater freedom as consumers to purchase prudently, we must also acknowledge how the tech itself is in that constant battle for purchasing power. And, in this economy, the technology that offers the best value will be the ones to beat.

The Intel 4004 came out in 1971 and was the first CPU on a single chip! This week marks its birthday and we would like so say a quick thank you to the microprocessor which has transformed computing forever. A CPU, or central processing unit, is essentially the brain of a computer. Every bit of information input or output by the computer goes through the CPU. So you can imagine the impression made by the invention of such a little yet powerful CPU. Generations of CPUs born from the Intel 4004 have been, and continue to be, an integral part of our everyday lives.

Created as the processor for a calculator, the Intel 4004 quickly became the brain of countless other devices. Though CPUs today are exceedingly more powerful than their ancestor, our world would look considerably different if it wasn’t for the Intel 4004’s influence.  Everyday devices such as traffic lights, laptops, and cellphones would not exist without a CPU. The Intel 4004 has had a tremendous effect on computer science leading us into the modern world. You can see the evolving role of the CPU in technology here.

We can’t acknowledge the Intel 4004 without introducing the engineers responsible for developing it. Federico Faggin, Ted Hoff, and Stan Mazor made up the team in charge of the design and development of the Intel 4004. It’s easy to lose sight of the humble origins of today’s technological world, but the Intel 4004 reminds us of how far we have come.

So lets set aside a second to show our admiration for the little microprocessor that grandfathered the present day CPU.

Without a doubt, there’ll be a time when you will need help from your IT service provider. Remember that they are responsible for aiding many people with a wide variety of challenging problems.  In order to receive the best possible reply to your request, make sure to include as much important information when you initially ask for help. You can’t assume they will understand your issue if you don’t provide them with all the details. By following these few steps, you can be assured that the whole experience goes smoothly and efficiently.

Write an Informative Email Subject Line
Your company’s IT provider deals with countless requests a day.  Their greatest frustrations come when the requester doesn’t give enough valuable information.  When you send them an email, you should first identify yourself, and tell them where you work.  If your computer is having problems, identify your machine by make and model. Give them as much detail as possible.  Simply saying “Help!!!!!!!!” in the request is far from helpful.

Details, Details, Details
In the body of your support request email, you should add all details you can, such as what OS you use, what actions you’ve taken, and what was the content of any error messages you saw. Error messages may not covey much to those who are not in the IT field, but they do to those in IT! Statements such as “followed some steps I saw online” are ambiguous to the recipient of your email and they may not be able to diagnose the problem without contacting you for further information. It is important to explain the problem in full.

Be Frank
You want your issue resolved fast and so does your IT support team!  They are as busy as you are, so when outlining your issue, concentrate on the issue at hand and avoid including an excessive amount of nonessential detail.  Simply record the basic issue and send the message; if you include too much unnecessary detail, it lengthens the process and takes that much longer before tech support can resolve your issue.

In the end, you are all busy people and your IT services provider wants to help you quickly and efficiently. Help them do so by following the tips above!

Have you noticed how the face of business has turned online. In the past getting your name out as a business was easy, hire an ad agency, get a billboard, simple. Now with the volume of companies competing online it’s becoming more difficult for businesses to stand out. When everything was more local, many businesses were the only option for customers to get what they need, so customers would come to them, all they had to do was be open. Now, with all the options open to people, companies have to reevaluate the way they sell. They have to give potential customers a reason to choose them out of the endless choices. Having a strong online presence is a great way to do this, here are a few ways.

Becoming Mobile

Mobile devices are becoming a lot more common. People carry them to make their lives simpler as they can stay connected to their business and personal lives.. This makes commuting valuable working time instead of dead time. Unfortunatly many regular sites aren’t very readable on a mobile device because of this many businesses have mobile sites. They retain the companies branding while enabling faster, easier navigation on a mobile device. Mobile site makes your company more easily accessible to consumers.

Social Sites

Social sites, like Myspace, started off just social. But when Facebook came about it had a far more utilitarian interface and business caught the social site bug. Virtually every business you can find has a Facebook page. Social sites allow companies to share fun and interesting content that is related to their industry with potential customers, which creates an online community. Recently Google unveiled its business pages. This walk-though will teach you how to create a Google business page. Social sites enable such a noninvasive interaction between business and consumer I see the future of social sites as all business.

On-line Education

You have probably noticed the growing number of businesses that have blogs, these allow companies to give educational information without trying to obviously sell the person something. Offering educational content is a great way to show for prospective clients how knowledgeable your business is and develop trust. Webinars and blogs are two great ways to do this. In this way companies can stand out from their competition by showing their extensive knowledge and this can cause sales indirectly.

Most people like to visit a local shop where the owner works behind the counter. This is still available to us but that shop probably has an online presence even if it’s a small one. It can’t be denied that businesses are not just street facing but Web facing as well. Being open to the changing face of business will make you a more informed consumer and/or business owner.  Read this article to learn some great reasons for creating an on-line presence.