Silver Surfers: Internet Usage Among Older Generations [accredited-online-college.org]

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How Big is Tumblr? (Website Host Review)

How Big is Tumblr?

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The 50 Best Sources of Free Liberal Arts Learning Online

A liberal arts education can be the foundation for a career in just about any field, from politics to business, not just those directly related to liberal arts majors. Through these courses, students learn how to solve problems, think critically, write well, and gain a whole host of important facts about history and culture. That’s what makes these kinds of courses so essential in a well-rounded college degree program, and why so many colleges require students to take them, regardless of major.
Even if you’ve already signed up to take the basic liberal arts courses at your school, whether for your major or to fulfill general education requirements, it never hurts to take a few more or to expand your knowledge beyond the material covered in a course. We previously compiled a list of the best free STEM resources and now it’s the liberal arts’ turn, with loads of courses, lectures, reading material, and more on this list for you to look at and learn from in your free time.
Universities

These universities offer a wide range of liberal arts courses that students can access for free.

1. MIT OpenCourseWare: MIT offers one of the largest collections of open courses anywhere on the web. While you might think they would just be STEM-related, there are actually a good number of liberal arts courses to choose from as well.
   
2. The Open University: There are so many liberal arts courses to choose from on the Open University, from Art in Venice to the French Revolution, that you could take one every week and still not tackle them all.
   
3. Open Yale Courses: Yale offers free courses in diverse fields, including African American Studies, Classics, English, History, and Art History, among many more.
   
4. UC Berkeley Webcasts: Choose from courses in great liberal arts fields like anthropology and psychology when you head to UC Berkeley’s open learning site.
   
5. Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative: The bulk of the material on the OLI is technology-focused, but you can also find courses on French, speech, and soon, psychology.
   
6. University of Notre Dame OCW: Notre Dame boasts an impressive collection of OCW in the liberal arts, with something to meet almost any students’ needs.
   
7. UCI OpenCourseWare: Head to the University of California-Irvine’s OCW page to get access to courses in the social sciences, education, and the humanities.
   
8. OpenUW: The University of Washington offers a limited number of courses for free, but some are on really great topics like the Civil War, Greek mythology, Hamlet, Shakespeare, and even JRR Tolkien.
   
9. Columbia Interactive: While this site is no longer being updated with new material, the existing courses that are offered here are well worth your time to check out, covering everything from poli sci to literature.
   
10. Open Oxford University: You don’t have to get accepted to this prestigious British school to take courses there. Instead, head to their iTunes U site and start learning about literature, nature, and much more.
    
11. Stanford University on iTunes U: Stanford is another school with a standout collection of courses on iTunes U. Students can find everything from history to fine arts through the California school’s free offerings.
    
12. UMass Boston OCW: Don’t miss out on the free resources offered by the University of Massachusetts-Boston. There’s a great mix of science, tech, and liberal arts courses to take advantage of.
    
13. Cornell University: Architecture, communication, business, and music are just a few of the topics courses and lectures from Cornell focus on through their iTunes U site.
    
14. Cambridge University: Find news, lectures, and even course material on this prestigious school’s iTunes U site.
    
15. Capilano University OCW: Capilano offers free courses in liberal arts topics like art history, anthropology, English, geography, and philosophy.
    
16. University of Wisconsin-Madison: Leading professors at UWM share their expertise through courses and lectures featured on this site.
    
17. King’s College London Podcasts: Through free resources at King’s College, you can take a course in the history of philosophy or engage yourself in a humanities audio tour.
    
18. NYU on iTunes U: Listen to lectures on subjects like French, Spanish, sustainability, architecture, and philosophy through NYU’s iTunes U portal.
    
19. Arizona State University OCW: ASU provides a mix of OCW and lectures through iTunes U that can help you learn about a diverse selection of subjects, from geography to culture.
    
20. World Lecture Hall: Use the World Lecture Hall site to help you find courses from leading universities around the world. Search by course, topic, or university.
    

Courses

You can also find great courses offered outside of universities, like those listed here.

21. Connexions: On Connexions, you can search for free educational material on just about any liberal arts subject you can think of.
    
22. Wikiversity: Whether you want to learn about architecture, ethnology, or history, head to Wikiversity for free course materials.
    
23. BBC Learning: BBC Learning offers courses in topics like history, English, and religious studies, but some of their most popular courses can help you learn one of dozens of languages.
    
24. Fathom: Find free seminars from around the world in liberal arts subjects when you use Fathom.
    
25. Saylor.org: This free collection of college-level courses offers students the chance to learn about everything from art history to English lit.
    

Lectures

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10 Reasons to Test Websites on Old Browsers

The debate about designing websites for outdated browsers is often one that’s visited among web designers. One camp maintains that the percentage of visitors using old browsers is minimal and should be discouraged anyway; the other firmly states that sites should be tested for at least the last few versions of the most popular browsers to ensure backwards compatibility and quality control. For those who belong in the latter group, here are ten of the reasons why they’re still checking their designs against the dinosaur browsers.

1. To Ensure Basic Functionality – Among the designers that test in old browsers, there are many that simply do so to ensure a bare-bones functionality for their site. Preserving every nuance of the design isn’t the point; just being sure that users can read it is.
2. Because Less Tech-Savvy Users May Not Upgrade Regularly – Websites that cater to an older, less-than-savvy demographic have to be tested in old browsers, simply because designers know that a significant portion of site visitors will not be using the most up-to-date browser available.
3. To Maintain Presentation – Some of the more fanatical designers want to be sure that their carefully-built, painstakingly designed site looks as good as it possibly can on older and newer browsers alike.
4. Reaching the Widest Possible Audience – For sites that have a wide variety of visitors, such as charity sites that will be visited by both new and old browsers, the object of the site is to attract as much traffic and get as much attention as possible. In this case, it’s necessary to cater somewhat to at least the last few versions of the most popular browsers.
5. They Have the Time and Resources – Even with the aid of specially designed programs, checking a site against dozens of possible permutations of browser type and version takes time and resources that not all designers have. The most diligent and less overworked are generally the only ones who will manually check for backwards compatibility across the board.

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30 Terrific Twitter Hashtags for Science Teachers

Ubiquitous and, yes, occasionally eye-searingly obnoxious as they are, Twitter hashtags do actually serve a useful purpose.
No, seriously. They do.
Hashtags allow microbloggers to tag their postings and participate in discussions about everything from current events to what can only be described as “God help us all.” So, obviously, more enterprising educators and professionals out there discovered ways to use them in the interest of progressing humanity’s inquiries into anything and everything. Science, being one of the more notable inquiries into anything and everything, thrives here. Anyone tasked with teaching kids (or even adults) of all ages might want to mosey over to some of the following examples — which cover a wide range of fields as well as general education — and check out the great resources and talks they have to offer the scientific classroom.

1. #scienceed: Obviously, it makes sense that science educators would flock to a Twitter tag bringing together not only teacher types, but professionals and institutions (like some pretty neat museums!) as well.
2. #scichat: This general talk about all things related to the sciences will inevitably dredge up some great pointers and reads to supplement classroom discussions — or merely some fun side reading when the kiddos are taking tests.
3. #science: Get blinded with #science and hop on one of the most active relevant hashtags on the prolific microblogging site; no matter the area of inquiry, educators will most certainly find something of interest if they can keep up with the constant updates!
4. #physics: Neil deGrasse Tyson uses this one every once in a while, which ought to prove more than enough incentive to hop in and learn a thing or two about how the world keeps itself a-spinnin’.
5. #scienceteacher: Talk here proves relatively light when compared to the resource-and-discussion-heavy links listed, but educators looking to exchange a few laughs and stories will still appreciate what #scienceteacher offers.
6. #scienceteachers: Pluralize the previous entry for even more good times with fellow science educators, though keep in mind that its content remains the same.
7. #technology: #technology makes it easier than ever to answer that one snarky little rapscallion who always asks why exactly the class needs to know any of this stuff once they finally hit the real world.
8. #sciencenews: Use this hashtag to stay on top of interesting news stories and research from all around the exciting and shiny world of sexy, sexy science.
9. #biology: Listen in on what fellow teachers, professionals, institutions, and even students have to say about the basics of biology — though watch out whenever finals time rolls around.
10. #edchat: Just because it doesn’t exclusively involve science doesn’t mean #edchat isn’t worth following. As one of Twitter’s largest gatherings of teachers, it provides some awesome general advice and ongoing discussions about the education industry.
11. #math: Science and math sometimes enjoy sharing walks on the beach at sunset, so well-rounded teachers in the latter would do well to get their voyeur on and explore their intimate interconnections here.
12. #CERN: The European Organization for Nuclear Research, responsible for the Large Hadron Collider, enjoys its very own hashtag cobbling together news and views regarding its search for the Higgs-Boson and more.
13. #climatechange: Lurk or participate in an ongoing talk one of the most controversial science-related issues today — whether or not global warming is a thing that exists and why (or why not) governments need to pass legislation preventing it from getting worse.
14. #chemistry: Use this hashtag for connecting with anyone and everyone who respects chemistry (well, and some who don’t), though be forewarned that students sometimes pop in here to complain about their assignments and tests with alarming frequency.
15. #edtechchat: Tech-savvy teachers who want to incorporate the latest and greatest in education-enabling digital (and not-so-digital) devices will absolutely love the incredibly popular #edtechchat for following news and trading advice about some sweet, innovative applications.

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10 Ways You Can Go Electricity Free for a Weekend

As people continue to try and cut back on their expenses the high cost of the electricity bill is one that gets revisited over and over again.  In an attempt to lower that bill there are always the tried and true recommendations of turning off the lights when you leave the room, turning the furnace colder or the air conditioning warmer, and putting more efficient light bulbs and appliances in your house. But will those things actually help?  Of course, but what if you could take it up a notch by going entirely electricity free for a whole weekend?  Don’t think it can be done? Check out the following suggestions.

1. Go camping: Take your family, a tent, and enough food to last the weekend and hike over to the edge of a lake and pitch your tent.  Your food will be in a cooler with ice, you’ll cook over an open fire, and you’ll tell ghost stories around the fire for entertainment.  Think of the bonding you’ll do with your family and the fresh air you will get.
2. Camp in your back yard: Put up the tent (borrow one if you need to) in the back yard.  Use your grill or fire pit to cook your food.  Putting all of your food for the weekend into a cooler is an option, but one you may want to skip since you are at home.  Play games and tell stories to entertain the kids.  Take a nature walk and see what cool things you can find.
3. Camp in your living room: Pull out the sleeping bags and have everyone find a spot in the living or family room.  Start a fire in the fireplace and use that for heat and to cook over.  Other food that is not cooked over the fire is to be consumed cold or room temperature.  If it’s cold outside you can keep your food outside for the weekend, just be sure to put it in a cooler so the animals don’t get into it.
4. Stay in a cabin: There are plenty of rustic areas where you can go stay in a cabin.  Bring a lot of candles since you will need them to see by.  Make sure everyone brings a book to read and non-electronic games to play.  Cook over a camp stove or open fire.  Hiking in the woods, going swimming, exploring the area are all great things to do to unplug for the weekend.  Make sure to bring plenty of water too.
5. Black out: No TV, no computers, no electronics and no lights for the entire weekend.  You eat by candlelight, you read by natural light or candlelight, and you play games the same way.  Back in the old day’s people didn’t have electricity so just try to think of what kind of things they did.  Do you need your soccer shorts washed?  Put them in a bucket of water with some soap and wash them by hand and hang them out to dry.  Remember you don’t have a washer and dryer for the weekend.

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10 Ways to Decide if Your Business Needs a Mobile Application

Read More...Mobile applications (more commonly known as apps) are the latest techno craze linking potential customers to businesses through handy shortcuts that are available on their smartphones. Because of this, many businesses are scrambling to update their mobile capabilities to meet the increased demand. These mobile apps save time and fit in with a modern society continually on the go. Today’s businesses need to keep up with the latest technologies to remain competitive, but they also need to invest their money wisely. How do companies decide if a mobile app is right for them? Before taking the plunge, here are 10 ways to help you decide if your business needs a mobile application.

1. Check competitors – One of the first things to do is check your competition to see if they’re providing mobile apps. This shouldn’t be your only concern, but it is an important one because if they have an app you probably need one too. You don’t want to lose business to your competitors because they have a mobile app and you don’t.
2. Requests – Do you have customers who ask if you have a mobile app? This is a clear sign that there is a demand for one and your business needs one. To stay cutting edge you need to be able to provide your clients with the services they want.
3. ROI – You need to find out if your return on investment (or ROI) is going to cover the cost of the mobile app. Start by calculating your initial cost including start up expenses and monthly service fees. Then determine if the expected increase in revenue will cover the cost.
4. Need to outsource – Do you have an IT department who is capable of developing the mobile app or does it need to be outsourced? This will have a big impact on the initial cost and key to determining your ROI.
5. Transaction volume – The number of transactions your business generates is also a big factor in your decision. Will a mobile app increase the number of transactions enough to make it a worthwhile investment? A restaurant or coffee shop would benefit from the extra volume much better than a specialized industry like a custom bakery.

10 Lessons You Can Learn from a Pinterest Spammer

What do you think of when you think of spamming?  No, I’m not talking about the meat product that comes in a can, although I do kind of like that Spam.  You may think that a spammer sends a bunch of junk e-mail to your in-box, but what if I tell you there’s another kind?  A spammer who bombards social sites with information that leads to him making money.  Check out 10 lessons you can learn from a Pinterest Spammer.

1. A Lot of money is being made: Spammers are making anywhere from $500-$2000 a day on Pinterest.  As they do more spamming their earnings grow.  No wonder they are interested in doing this.  If they kept this up for even a year they would make over a half a million dollars.
2. It takes very little money to get started: No big investments are needed to do this.  You need to have a computer with a lot of bandwidth.  So you do need to have already purchased a decent computer and have excellent Internet service.  Other than that it’s all know-how.
3. Spammers use bots: I really had no idea that spammers use bots to do their ‘dirty’ work.  Apparently they have the knowledge to create a program that will pin photos onto Pinterest and note a link on that photo.
4. Not invitation only: When you go to www.pinterest.com you can look around at photos, but you can’t start pinning them to different boards until you become a user.  It says right up front that becoming a user is by “invitation only”.  The spammer tells that this is not true and that if you make a request from a valid e-mail address that you will get your invitation no matter what or you can invite yourself from a different e-mail account.
5. Easy to spot: If you spend enough time on Pinterest the bot postings are pretty easy to spot.  There’s a picture, but the words under it have nothing to do with what’s in the picture.   You’ll see a cute photo of puppies and the link will be for hand bags.  Unless you are making hand bags out of the puppies like Cruella Deville I don’t think the link really relates to the photo.

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10 Signs That You Need a New Mobile

One thing we hate – OK, two things we hate – about replacing a mobile are, a) having to buy all new accessories for it that didn’t come with it, like a car charger, skins and a case; and b) having to install all of our contacts onto the new phone. So we tend to avoid upgrades unless absolutely necessary. Which is why we totally identify with these 10 signs that you need a new mobile:

1. Can’t Find Parts/Accessories – When retailers stop supporting a model, you know it’s time to get a new one. Even the carrier that sold you the phone no longer keeps them is stock. That’s a definite sign.
2. Range – If you are capable of throwing your cell phone further than its signal range, you might want to think about moving up a notch or two. It may just be an issue with your mobile service, but you’ll still likely need a new phone if you switch providers.
3. Battery Won’t Charge – If you’ve had the phone so long that the battery no longer takes or holds a charge, you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of that thing. Chances are the cost of a replacement battery won’t be a whole lot less than the charge to upgrade phones with a contract.
4. Not App-Capable – Smart phones are so-called because of their versatility, the range of functions they can be configured to do. Phone apps are necessary in order  to have any of that functionality. Without the ability to download apps, your phone is just a phone.
5. A Phone By Any Other Name – Your mobile provider has changed names three times, and/or has since merged with yet another provider since you bought your current phone. Yes, we’re talking about you, SunTel, BellSouth Mobility, Cingular, Nextel people.

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The Complete Startup Reading List

Launching a startup is no small feat; if you’ve got one in the works, surely you know there’s plenty of hard work and a very real possibility of failure ahead of you. But you can stack the odds in your favor by taking advantage of all of the great resources available to startups these days, including a vast library of helpful readings. We’ve compiled this list to share what we believe to be some of the most important books for startups of any kind. We encourage you to check them out, and note any of your favorites we may have left out in the comments.

• Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur

  If you’re stuck in a corporate job you hate, Pamela Slim’s book offers some encouragement for breaking free and creating your own startup. Find helpful advice and support for making a transition from corporate slave to successful entrepreneur.

• Startup Weekend: How to Take a Company from Concept to Creation in 54 Hours

  If you want to get on the fast track to realizing your startup dream, Startup Weekend has some great advice. Check out this book to learn about the successful strategies that have helped other startups get off the ground in record time.

• Rework

  This business book stands traditional advice on its head, explaining why plans are harmful, as are outside investors, and even why you should just ignore your competition. Save your time, energy, and resources by taking the different path to success that’s outlined in Rework.

• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t

  At the very beginning, it’s not always clear whether or not your startup is going to take off, but this book attempts to identify some of the hallmarks of companies that make the leap into success. Read Good to Great to find out about some of the most important determinants of greatness that you need to put to work in your startup.

• The Tipping Point

  Malcolm Gladwell’s book offers an exploration on how ideas, trends, and products reach a tipping point to find success. Be sure to check out this book for insight into how you can successfully sell your product or idea.

• Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant

  This book explains how success can come from finding your “blue ocean”: a market space that’s previously been untapped, and is ready to take on growth. Read Blue Ocean Strategy to find out how you can identify your own blue ocean and skip the hassle of crowded markets.

• Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies

  What makes companies truly outstanding and strong enough to last the test of time? Built to Last answers that question, examining some of the most visionary companies of our time to find out what makes them tick and continue to prosper, sharing lessons that you can put to work in your startup.

• Startups Open Sourced

  Get inspired by the interviews of 33 startup founders in this book, as they discuss how everything got started. From choosing cofounders to raising capital to overcoming failure, there are lessons for startups every step of the way in this book.

• Start Small Finish Big: Fifteen Key Lessons to Start and Run Your Own Successful Business

  Author Fred DeLuca shares his experience as the young founder of the Subway restaurant chain, highlighting the most important principles for starting a small business. Read along to find inspiration as well as instruction for getting started.

• The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business

  Clayton Christensen’s book explains how companies miss out on potential new waves of innovation, and explains how startups can take advantage of “disruptive innovation.” Some of the lessons include: times when you should not listen to customers and when you should go after smaller markets instead of larger ones.

• Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model

  Getting to Plan B encourages startups to realize that business plans often change, and in fact, your success as a startup depends on your ability to do just that. Read this book to find out how to stress test your Plan A and reconfigure it for success.

• Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works

  Running Lean aims to help startups avoid the waste of time, money, and effort of creating the wrong product. Find out how to find a problem worth solving, continually test your product, and know when to change course.

• Do More Faster: TechStars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup

  Based on lessons from the TechStars mentorship startup program, this book offers practical advice for getting your startup off the ground. Discussions include fundraising, work-life balance, and even legal issues.

• So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur: How to decide if starting a business is really for you

  The startup life certainly sounds exciting from afar, but once it becomes a reality for you, it might not seem so glamorous. So You Want To Be An Entrepreneur explains what it’s really like before you make the leap, and how you can give yourself the best chance of success as an entrepreneur.

• Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days

  Just like Startups Open Sourced, Founders at Work offers an inside look into how famous startups got off the ground. Read the interviews of founders to see what it was like when they were just friends with a lot of hope and a few great ideas.
  
  
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Prolimatech Megahalems Rev. C CPU Cooler Review

Prolimatech’s Megahalems is a cooler which has been around for many years. It has long been a favourite in the enthusiast market due to its ability to offer excellent performance when coupled with the correct fan, a choice which Prolimatech leave down to the end user. Limited compatibility has always been its let down with only a select few sockets being natively supported in the cooler’s out-of-the-box configuration. Prolimatech aim to solve the compatibility issues with their Megahalems Rev. C cooler so that it can become a force to be reckoned with.
The Megahalems is a single tower CPU cooler which is split down the centre by an air pressure-enhancing channel. 6 nickel-plated, U-shaped, 6mm copper heatpipes connect the flat, nickel-plated base to an aluminium fin array. 2 pairs of fan clips allow users to install a pair of 120 or 140mm fans of their choice in a single or push-pull configuration. Prolimatech also offer separately-available 38mm wide fan clips for users looking to unleash some extreme cooling potential with 38mm thick fans. At a height of 158.7mm and weight of 790g without fans, the Megahalems can certainly be considering beastly in size when it comes to single tower CPU coolers.
Prolimatech solve previous issues on the Rev. C by offering native support for all modern Intel and AMD sockets excluding LGA 2011 which requires the use of separate mounting hardware. With a retail price of £46.99/€51,90 without fans, the Megahalems is rapidly approaching the pricing territory which is held by the dual tower CPU coolers. Can Prolimatech’s updates to their tried and tested Megahalems prove that it is still a worthy option in a dual-tower dominated segment of the market?


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THE NEW NETWORKING: ULTIMATE LINKEDIN GUIDE FOR 2012 GRADS

Our New Networking series has taken a look at how social media sites can be used as powerful networking tools for new college graduates, sharing our best picks for tips, tools, and more for Facebook, Twitter, and now, LinkedIn.
Today, we’re exploring LinkedIn for new grads. We’ve saved the best for last: this site was created with professional networking in mind, and it’s our top pick as the most effective resource when it comes to making meaningful professional connections. Check out our guide to find great ideas for making the most of this great tool, as well as groups to check out and insightful posts for LinkedIn success.

Tips

Whether you’re a LinkedIn newbie or just need to become more effective on the site, these tips offer great ideas for LinkedIn networking as a new grad.

• Use it: Too often, students and recent grads shy away from LinkedIn, preferring to use Facebook or Twitter instead. That’s a mistake: LinkedIn is the online destination for professional networking, and you’ve got to be on it to get connected.
• Create a complete profile: Don’t just give a tiny bit of effort when it comes to your profile; actually take the time to fill it out completely so that you’ll be more likely to connect with others that share your interests.
• Connect with your classmates and professors: Leaving school doesn’t mean you have to leave all of your connections behind. Bring them with you by reaching out and connecting with classmates, faculty, and friends on LinkedIn.
• Find a mentor: Use LinkedIn to find alumni, professors, or industry greats that can help you out as you navigate in your new career.
• Use introductions: If you share a connection with someone you’d like to meet, simply use the introduction form to request that your connection passes it along and helps you grow your network.
• Connect with all of your past employers: Yes, all of them. You never know which connections can pay off for you, so really take advantage of your full network.
• Take advantage of resources just for new grads: LinkedIn has recently spiffed up profiles for new grads, allowing users to list projects, honors, organizations, and even courses that you’ve taken in college, all relevant experience that can help you stand out and get connected with more people.
• Ask for recommendations: Check in with former employers, professors, colleagues, and classmates to greatly improve your LinkedIn profile with recommendations from those who know you in your college/professional life.
• Be a connector: If you know two (or more people) that should know each other but don’t, take a moment to introduce them to each other on LinkedIn. They’ll appreciate that you thought of them and recognize that you’re valuable as a person who offers assistance and great connections.
• Don’t neglect keywords: Although you’ll likely connect with people you know, and people they know, others (including recruiters) will find you simply by searching. The best way to get found is to include relevant keywords throughout your profile and summary. Remember to highlight and repeat key phrases and words that do a good job of explaining what you’re all about.
• Go public: Although you may be concerned about privacy, keeping a private profile is not the way to go on LinkedIn. Open your profile up publicly to connect with new people, and just be careful about what you share.
• Make small connections: LinkedIn’s co-founder, Reid Hoffman, says that it’s a great idea to do “small goods” on the site, offering congratulations, “likes,” and other little ways to let people know you’re listening and you care.
• Join groups: This one should be a no-brainer. If you want to network on LinkedIn, one of the best ways to do so is to get connected with others through industry and career groups.
• Establish yourself as an expert with Q&A: Check out the LinkedIn Answers tool to stand out as a resource in your industry and area of interest. You’ll attract new connections and show potential employers that you’re well-informed.
• Personalize your connections: When requesting connections on LinkedIn, take a moment to change the template request from “I’d like to add you to my professional network” to something that actually identifies you and why you should be connected with that person.
• Network in person, too: Use LinkedIn as a way to get connected with people and events that you’ll spend time with in person, deepening connections and finding more resources within your network.

Groups for New Grads

Join and participate in these groups to get connected with relevant new contacts, find resources for new grads, and more.

• Your alumni network: Take advantage of your college connection and get active in your alumni group on LinkedIn. Some of the best of these include the Boston College Alumni Group and The Penn State Alumni Association.
• Young professionals groups: There are countless groups on LinkedIn dedicated to young professionals in a variety of different interests. These include those that are industry-based, like Young Professionals in Energy, and location-based, like Chicago Young Professionals.
• Professional organizations, interest groups: Perhaps the most valuable groups you can join are the ones that cater to your specific career, interest, and industry. Search to find the right one for you, and dive in to become an active member.
• New Grad Life: Join this group to find discussions on interviewing, job posts, networking, and more.
• Students and New Grads: Become a part of Students and Recent Grads to get connected with people who want to hire new grads, learn about entry-level jobs available, and find out about news that matters to recent graduates.
• College Graduate Job Hunters: Find great new jobs, lively discussions, and great connections, all aimed at new graduates searching for jobs in this group.
• College Recruiting Central: Get insight into how human resources professionals and recruiters are finding new grads like yourself by joining and participating in this group.

Useful LinkedIn Tools

Find a job, discover new connections, and share your portfolio by taking advantage of these great tools on LinkedIn.

• LinkedIn Student Jobs: LinkedIn has made it amazingly easy to find a job targeted for new grads on the site. Through the LinkedIn Student Jobs section you’ll find a wealth of companies looking to hire recent grads just like you.
• Beepmo: Using this GPS-enabled mobile app, you can discover new connections based on where you’re located, making finding new people “as easy as checking into Foursquare.”
• Creative Portfolio Display: If you’ve worked on a lot of projects in college, this app is a great way to showcase your work and show your connections (and potential employers) what you’re all about.
• Reading List: This app is great for discovering new and relevant books, and also for striking up a conversation with others about what you’ve read.
• LinkOut: Having trouble finding time to get together with a new connection? LinkOut can take your calendar, your connection’s calendar, and automatically find times in which you can get together.
• Cardmunch: At events, it’s not always easy to collect business cards and remember to connect with everyone you’ve met on Facebook. Cardmunch automates much of this, automatically transcribing and uploading information from business cards after you take a photo of them.
• Events: This is a can’t-miss app. Stay on top of events that are important for networking and your career with the LinkedIn Events app.

Helpful Resources

Further explore the ways you can use LinkedIn for professional networking as a new graduate with these blog posts.

• LinkedIn Tips: Getting More from the Social Networking Service: Check out this post from CIO.com to learn how you can get more out of networking on LinkedIn.
• What Do I Put in My LinkedIn Profile if I am a College Student?: Neal Schaffer’s post goes into great detail about what you should do with your profile if you’re just starting out in the workforce.
• Oops! What NOT to Do When Approaching a Recruiter on LinkedIn: Thinking about connecting with a recruiter? Tread carefully, and watch out for these mistakes.
• LinkedIn Recommendation Tips: Chris Brogan’s post explains the fine art of sharing and requesting recommendations on LinkedIn.
• 9 Steps to LinkedIn Networking for a Job: Follow the steps in this post to increase your chances of finding a job through LinkedIn networking.
• Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn: This resource is more than five years old, but Guy Kawasaki’s advice still rings true as he explains several ways that anyone can put LinkedIn to work for networking and more.
• 5 Reasons to Use LinkedIn: Geared toward freelancers, this article is great advice for anyone who needs to better understand why and how they should ramp up their LinkedIn networking.

50 Links You Need if You Dream of a Career in Sports

Hollywood is recession-proof, so the saying goes, and it seems to be true. But doesn’t it seem like sports never seem to be doing bad for themselves either? Not one but two major sports leagues have recently had lockouts while players and owners haggled over how to divvy up all the profits they are rolling in. In other words, a career in sports would be an excellent choice for a high school or college-age person weighing their prospects for the future. Whether you want to be the next Kobe or the next Costas, we’ve laid out 50 websites you’ll want to visit to make your dreams of a sports career a reality.

Job Listings

Skip the general job websites and stick with these .coms tailored to people looking for openings in the sports industry.

1. JobsInSports.com: This should be your first stop for job opportunities like payroll specialist for the Miami Dolphins and vice president of business development for the NFL.
2. WorkInSports.com: More than 7,000 employers post sports jobs at WorkInSports, which claims to have more traffic than all its competitors combined.
3. mybestplay.com: This is really a job listing and recruitment network rolled into one. It’s great for helping backup players find teams around the world that need talent, as well as letting trainers and coaches find openings.
4. TeamworkOnline.com: See for yourself how many online hires this site has set up by viewing their homepage. Today’s jobs include camp instructor for the Washington Wizards and event coordinator at University of Phoenix Stadium.
5. SportsDiversityRecruiting.com: This company specializes in placing people from underrepresented groups like African-Americans, women, and gays and lesbians. They work with a wide range of sports jobs.
6. WomenSportsJobs.com: For women specifically, this site offers job postings, resume and career counseling, and updates on sports jobs fairs, with a special section for pro athletes reentering the work force.
7. SportsCareerFinder.com: Like the name suggests, this group wants to help you find a career in sports, from college sports to internships and full-time contracts with pro teams.
8. espncareers.com: Use the site’s “Career Control Room” to get an idea where you might find a place at the hub for America’s sports news, then view available opportunities.
9. sportscareers.com: Choose your category, like “fitness/coaching,” “media/PR,” or “management,” your desired position, and your location, and Sportscareers hooks you up with sports jobs in your area.
10. Sportsjournalists.com: With its job listings and message board, “the gathering place for journalists” is a great resource for interacting with other sportswriters and keeping your finger on the pulse of American sports.
11. gamefacesportsjobs.com: Game Face is a career placement company for sports marketers that can help you first break in, then move up at your company.
12. sportsjobboard.com: There’s a monthly fee to search sports job listings, but consider it an investment with the potential for magnificent returns.
13. IMGworld.com: Sports companies don’t come any bigger than IMG. Set your sights high and try to become one of their 3,000 employees worldwide by checking their job postings.

Recruitment

Playing college ball is pretty much a prerequisite for a career as a professional athlete. Use these sites to connect with recruiters and land a spot with a respected program.

1. Takkle.com: Cracking the “featured athletes” section on Takkle, the Facebook of college sports networking, can be a springboard for a mention in Sports Illustrated or, better yet, an offer from a top school.
2. PrepChamps.com: PrepChamps is a free service that lets high school athletes create a profile with their stats and highlight videos to raise their visibility with coaches.
3. beRecruited.com: For athletes in some of the smaller sports like swimming and volleyball, beRecruited is a great site for networking with coaches and researching schools and scholarships.
4. Sports-recruiting.com: This site helps put athletes in front of coaches from teams overseas and helps them make the transition to a new place when they are signed by a team.
5. NCSAsports.org: This paid service connected more than 400,000 college coaches with athletes last year. Even if you decide not to hire them, sign up for the free monthly newsletter for helpful tips on getting picked up.
6. NSR-inc.com: National Scouting Report boasts a 90% success rate for finding offers for prospects and claim to be referenced by more college coaches than any other recruiting service.
7. sportsworx.com: With specific programs designed for kids from 3rd grade all the way through 12th grade, it’s never too early to get on the path to a career as an athlete.
8. CPOA.com: For more than 25 years, College Prospects of America has been helping talented high school athletes and coaches find each other. It’s a very respected group with agents determined to help you get signed.
9. collegerecruitingnetwork.com: It’s a relatively new player to the recruiting game, but CRN is a solid agency for athletes in a number of college sports.
10. Varsityedge.com: The home of a helpful guide to college recruiting called The Making of a Student Athlete, this site delivers lots of helpful resources for players and their parents.
11. wegotplayers.com: One hundred percent dedicated to soccer recruiting, this is a must-use resource if you want to increase your exposure to football clubs around the world.

How-tos

These links are great resources for learning how to become a sports journalist, agent, scout, and more.

1. Interview with Tom Jolly, Times sports editor: Former New York Times sports editor Tom Jolly gave this great interview to Sports Networker about how he broke in and his suggestions for others who want a job in sports.
2. How to become a sports broadcaster: Former play-by-play man and sports talk host Michael Madden penned this lengthy, informative article on making it into “the booth.”
3. Can a complete novice become a golf pro?: If you dream of a life on the PGA Tour links, you’ll want to follow the story of Dan McLaughlin, a former photographer trying to turn pro by practicing for 10,000 hours.

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10 Examples of Stars Leveraging Their Fame on Twitter

As a tool for building a large following in a short time, Twitter is hard to beat. That’s why so many celebrities are using their profiles to such great effect. It provides a venue for communicating with their fan base, and building their brand. The following are ten examples of stars leveraging their fame on Twitter:

1. Wil Wheaton @Wilw – Known to trekkies as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: TNG, Wheaton has reinvented himself as an online personality as well. Regularly interacting with his followers, as well as following back, he has generated a following in large part because of his techie persona as well as his on-screen celebrity.
2. Stephen Fry @stephenfry – British actor and comedian, Fry is another example of engaging celebrity who follows and tweets quite often. His tweets are genuine, funny, informative and a lot more frequent than you might expect from a busy star.
3. Ashton Kutcher @aplusk – Kutcher has gained so much of a following from his activity on Twitter that he felt obliged to announce his relinquishing of control over his account. Despite tweeting an ill-informed tweet in support of Joe Paterno at the onset of the Penn State sex scandal, Kutcher’s notoriety as well as his celebrity keep him at over 9.5 million followers.
4. Jeff Probst @JeffProbst – Host of popular TV show Survivor, Probst leverages his fame by tweeting live during broadcasts of the show. As a result, his number of followers goes through the roof every time the show airs.
5. Michael Ian Black @michaelianblack – The comedian leverages his celebrity on Twitter for charity causes on occasion, such as the time he roasted any of his followers who donated $5 toward a disability service.

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8 Classic TV Shows That Prophesied Modern Day Technologies

Every once in a while, life imitates art and fiction becomes reality. Outlandish plots of yesteryear suddenly seem prophetic in retrospect. We’re not suggesting that TV writers are ever going to be confused with Nostradamus, mind you, but for some classic TV shows, there is just that sort of prescient aura surrounding the scripts. Let’s take a look at some examples of  TV fiction that became real-life technological fact:

1. Shazam! – This live action adaptation of the comic book hero was also known as The Shazam!/Isis Hour for 5 seasons. In a show that preceded cell phones by a full decade, one character, Mentor, was known to make phone calls from a mobile unit in his RV, with help of a mobile operator.
2. Space:1999  – The comlock device was a hand-held unit with a small television screen and camera which could provide computer access, open doors ans communicate as a mobile device. Sound familiar, anyone?
3. Knight Rider – An anthropomorphic car with interactive menus, GPS capability and high-tech security features. What a concept. Nice to see that some very positive developments came from a TV show we thought was kinda cheesy and far-fetched at the time.
4. Star Trek – Who could possibly miss the resemblance between those communicators and modern-day flip-phones? We think the Enterprise could have been sponsored by Motorola, and maybe could have even gotten a decent deal by signing up for their 5-year mission phone plan.

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25 Impressive College Kickstarter Projects You Should Check Out

College is a great time to explore your creativity, and Kickstarter is a great place to find the funds to make your creative dreams a reality. So it’s no wonder that college students, groups, and even faculty members have flocked to the site to get their projects off the ground. Whether they’re short films, art installations, or even school newspapers, these Kickstarter projects deserve a second look.

1. On Repeat

   Rhode Island School of Design student Marissa Goldman is at the helm of a successfully funded art project called On Repeat. Her goal is to transform warehouse space into a pop-up gallery, and we’re excited to see her idea come to fruition.

2. Shakespeare Iraq

   This group of Iraqi college students have formed a Shakespearean company, and as part of this project, are going to perform at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Last June, this remarkable group was the first to do an English-language Shakespeare production in a public Iraq theater, and they are wildly celebratory about their upcoming performance in Oregon.

3. Full Measure’s Newest Album

   This project supports the fifth album from University of Pennsylvania’s a capella group, Full Measure. With the help of generous backers, the group has more than doubled their original goal of $1,000, and will be able to cover the manufacturing costs of their full-length album.

4. Portals

   Jayne Vidheecharoen’s Art Center College of Design thesis project Portals shares a way to make the virtual world come to life. In these boxes, two people can interact virtually with a definite presence in the real world.

5. Love Motel for Insects

   School of Visual Arts faculty member and celebrated artist Brandon Ballengée has taken on this project to bring interactive, outdoor artwork to New York City. Using ultraviolet lights, this installation will attract insects, encouraging public interaction with the nocturnal species through not just the art, but related community events including picnics and musical events.

6. Parecomic

   Recent Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduate Carl Thompson has illustrated this documentary graphic novel, Parecomic, which shares the true story of Michael Albert, a U.S.left-wing activist. Following Albert’s story, the novel takes a look at the system of participatory economics and how it affects us all.

7. The Neon Project

   Ten college architecture students in New York are coming together to create this art project for the public space. The project is described as a mega-furniture installation, with Neon Pods used to give visitors an intensely relaxing moment to escape the fast pace of NYC.
   

8. The Beat

   This publication from Purchase College has been successful online and through social media, but is now expanding into print production. With this Kickstarter project, The Beat hopes to not only raise awareness of their publication, but also find the money to print their first issue.

9. Bard College Farm

   This project aims to bring a farm to Bard College, creating a space not just for growing, but for learning about food. This one-acre farm has reached its goal, and with Bard College matching funds 2:1, now has the money to make it all happen.

10. Psy

    Savannah College of Art and Design student Starlia Prichard has created this weekly webcomic about a girl with biokinetic powers. The comic has enjoyed great success, and with this Kickstarter project, will put Volume 1 in print for greater distribution.

11. Words in Perspective

    Stanford Graduate Design Program student Tom Cohlmia’s sculpture project has found immense success already, currently reaching nearly three times its original goal with several days to go. And it’s clear why Cohlmia has done so well: his design is simply amazing, etching fragments into blocks of crystal that offer a variety of different words and shapes that change depending on your perspective.

12. Turn

    This Michigan State University student produced web series project is an amazingly low-budget drama full of secret agents and science fiction. It’s completely student-run, with all aspects of production undertaken by Michigan State and Lansing Community College students.

13. Filming the Replication of a 17th Century Wooden Synagogue

    Massachusetts College of Art and design professors Rick and Laura Brown are working on this project to send a film crew to Poland for a historic opportunity: recording the reconstruction of the Gwozdziec synagogue. Through this documentary, the Professors Brown hope to follow the history and knowledge behind the construction of these iconic wooden synagogues that were obliterated in World War II.

14. Memory Tricks!

    Eight animation students from the Maryland Institute College of Art are teaming up with eight fifth-grade girls to create this project: a series of animations that help students learn difficult words, times tables, and more. These short films empower young girls to not only learn and share memory tricks, but get an introduction to the principles of animation as well.

15. Oh! You Pretty Thing

    This project is a short film from Emerson College, sharing the story of a young girl who is a big fan of rock music and suddenly finds fame in the form of a viral dance video. This project has already met its goal for filming, and is pushing forward for post-production support.
    
    
    
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10 Ways People Use FaceBook to Spy on Others

You would think that when it comes to social media sites like Facebook, the people who use them are, well, socializing, right? Well, apparently not everyone is in a particularly social mood when they log in. Here are 10 ways that people use Facebook to spy on others:

1. Checking Out Their Profile – Unless your privacy preferences are set accordingly, your personal info is not private. It requires action on the member’s part to safeguard from public view what that member wants to keep to herself, or limit to friends.
2. Friending – Once a person has become a friend on Facebook, they can keep tabs on your status and posts fairly simply. The tendency to automatically friend someone who friends them can open doors that best remain shut.
3. Fake Profiles – If someone wants to spy on another, and cannot expect to be friended using their actual persona and avatar, they might create a new one that appears less objectionable. This is one way of circumventing privacy settings, and another is …
4. Spoof Profiles – it’s also possible to use the same name as another of the person’s friends to create an entirely new profile. They can select a friend on their list whose profile suggests a limited use of Facebook (ie, no profile photo, little personal info provided on profile), and pose as that other friend on a different account, adding mutual friends to the new profile as well.
5. Friending Your Friends – It’s not uncommon for members to confirm friendships with unknown people based purely on the fact that they have mutual friends. So, the logic goes, they must be OK. Not necessarily.

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Thermaltake BigWater 760 Plus CPU Liquid Cooler Review @ NikKTech

Testing CPU Coolers may not really be a hard thing to do but as many of you know it does take time to remove the old one, clean old thermal paste remains, place new on the CPU and install the cooler you want to test. Because of that i always like to have as many CPU Coolers as possible for testing so i can avoid having to go through the same lengthy procedure every few days. Yesterday i uploaded a review about the best CPU Air Cooler currently, the Silver Arrow Extreme by Thermalright and as you can imagine it was one out of many units lined up for testing. Usually i don't really like to upload two reviews about the same hardware type one after the other but since i consider this review as a bit special a made an exception. So today we will be covering one of the latest liquid CPU Coolers by Thermaltake, the BigWater 760 Plus.

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REALLY FRESH TECH CONTENT (OUR VERY LATEST STUFF)... PlayThe new Apple iPad (2012) Preview and UnboxingThe new Apple iPad (2012) Preview and Unboxing... White and cyan Nokia Lumia 900 models are now available from AT&TWhite and cyan Nokia Lumia 900 models are now... Facebook users browse the site longer on their smartphone than a computerFacebook users browse the site longer on their... OCZ Vertex 4 128GB Solid State Drive Review (with 1.4 R6 firmware)OCZ Vertex 4 128GB Solid State Drive Review (... USA EditionYou are located: Home > Reviews > Storage > OCZ Vertex 4 128GB Solid State Drive Review (with 1.4 R6 firmware) OCZ Vertex 4 128GB Solid State Drive Review (with 1.4 R6 firmware)

Introduction

With good reason OCZ didn't send reviewers the smallest capacity Vertex 4 for the big launch last month. The 128GB size looked puny on paper with a little whimper of write performance, just 200MB/s. The read performance was pretty good at 535MB/s, but in our initial review of the larger models, the single thread read speed was around just 200MB/s. That would of left the Vertex 4 128GB in a cat fight against some very impressive SATA III drives, all of which are capable of breaking 200MB/s even when 90% full of data.

Yesterday we published an article with a new firmware for the Vertex 4 series. At the time we didn't have a 128GB drive on hand to test, but a new day brings new adventures. The new firmware we tested yesterday was version 1.4 R4 and it was a reviewer only release. OCZ has now sorted out a few bugs and the firmware version is up to 1.4 R6. This new R6 revision is available on OCZ's website in the firmware update section so we don't feel like we're teasing you with a piece of software that you can't get on your own now.

With the new firmware OCZ's baby Vertex 4 grows up a bit. The whimper is now an adult roar and the stated performance shows it. The read speed has increased from 535MB/s to 550MB/s, right in line with the Vertex 3 models which OCZ is looking to bury in the pages of history. The largest improvement comes in the write category, now a respectable 420MB/s - up from the 200MB/s at launch day.

In just one month's time the OCZ Vertex 4 went from being an outcast of the pride to a true contender for king of the 128GB jungle.

16 Incredible iPad Apps for ESL Learners

English’s bizarre turns of phrases and seemingly boundless tendency toward exceptions to rules intimidates even native speakers, so one must hold sympathy for those learning it in a secondary or tertiary situation. Those with access to an iPad enjoy some seriously cool lesson supplements harnessing digital age technology in the service of their educations. Whether students only have a few minutes to scan a dictionary listing or an hour or so to sit and intently study mouth formations and pronunciations, an application exists to meet the needs of all ages and skill levels. Download the following when hoping to receive a relatively comprehensive look at one of the world’s most widely-spoken tongues.

1. Intro to Letters, by Montessoreum

   Appropriate for ESL children, this application runs through all the letters of the English alphabet, introducing them to the structure and pronunciation through tracing, audio, digital flashcards, and phonogram puzzles.

2. Sounds Right, by British Council

   It’s a simple chart with great big resonance; when learning British English, refer to Sounds Right for proper pronunciation of vowels and diphthongs, with the former listed by mouth shape.

3. Sentence Builder for iPad, by Mobile Education Tools

   The winner of IEAR’s 2010 Language App of the Year distinction targets elementary school students and challenges them to construct simple, grammatically correct sentences around provided pictures and videos.

4. Speech Tutor, by Synapse Apps

   iPad-enabled ESL adults who need to work on their (American) accent or require a refresher in pronouncing specific letters and phonemes might want to consider this incredibly detailed app, which features animations of the sides and fronts of mouths illustrating proper tongue and lip formations.

5. iDaily Pro HD, by Frontier One

   Frontier One’s innovative app turns English language news into valuable lessons in grammar and sentence structure with its super amazing custom dictionary allowing users to save words and phrases that need clarifying.

6. Hello-Hello English, by Hello-Hello

   This joint effort between developers Hello-Hello and The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages helps users with their conversational English, providing lessons culled from real-life scenarios, flash cards, note-taking exercises, and more. The app itself is free, but they charge $1.99 per course, or $14.99 for all 30.

7. Basic Pronunciation: Clear Speech from the Start, by Cambridge University Press

   ESL students between the beginner and intermediate level use Basic Pronunciation’s series of fun games as supplements to more formalized lessons in proper speaking.

8. WordBook XL – English Dictionary & Thesaurus for iPad, by TranCreative Software

   One of the most detailed dictionaries and thesauri available through the iTunes store partners all of its entries with audio, etymologies, synonyms and antonyms, anagrams, and the ability to bookmark for future reference.
   
   
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