Cloud Computing: Making Development More Productive

With cloud computing, we have the ability to bring the development team, QA team, and maintenance team of software development together. This will also improve the security of the systems because some of the issues are do to miscommunication. Before, there were separate entities doing the same thing just on different projects. Now, we can have an integrated team which will improve efficiency and productivity. The problem here is that agencies such as government have yet to implement this type of system. This is where DevOps comes in. If you have not heard of it, DevOps is the idea that we can have all parts of development in communication and collaboration with each other. Federal agencies can start up new projects more quickly, improve resource utilization, and reduce downtime - ultimately driving the innovation needed for real change. Just 22 percent of Feds are very familiar with DevOps today, but 60 percent say they can see DevOps in their agency's future.

Making Habits Stick

Change is both hard to make and happens all the time without you noticing it. If you want to change your habits, it is going to take effort and cannot just happen overnight. The first part is that you should consider your thoughts and what you say to yourself because they can influence actions. You could also plan ahead for things that might stop you from achieving that goal. By determining an excuse before it happens, it will render it useless and you will be able to find a way to counter it and be more prepared. Making new habits stick also means that you should start small and work your way up from there. And it doesn't have to be boring. You need to make it fun so that you will be more likely to stick with it. If you hate going to the gym, there are many different mobile applications that you could try for work outs and yoga. Finally, get some friends to do it with you so that you will feel more motivated and accountable.

Technology Shifts

Every decade or so, the world's computing platform change. First it was the desktop and then came the internet with all the web applications which actually made room for more hardware. The laptops and smartphones took center stage at that point. Now we are looking towards wearables and virtual reality, as well as augmented reality. The platforms are also changing industries such as transportation with Uber and Lyft. Unfortunately, business applications have been lagging behind the revolution. Most of the tools that small to medium businesses use are still stuck in the last decade. The fact is that more than half of the world's adults have a smartphone. This translates into a massive market. The lack of the innovation in this area also results in horrible customer service. Take the Comcast service for example. They are a company that provides media services and yet they cannot handle the customer service end of business. There are plenty of jokes going around about them.

Traveling the World

Have you always wanted to travel the world? What has been keeping you? The world is a fascinating place and traveling can open your mind. It can even improve your health because your stress will be lower since you are doing the things you love. It is definitely worth every penny spent because the memories are for life. To get started, there are so many great mobile applications that will help with planning and even during the trip. The best part is that you can travel and do things that are within your budget. There are tons and tons of resources to get you started. Sometimes planning the trip can be just as much fun as actually going. When set off on your adventure, make sure to have a camera and a journal to write down the experiences. Walk the streets of a new city, smile, and greet people. Be the kind of traveler you would fall in love with.

Increasing Productivity Now

There can be times when your productivity just walks out the door and you end up spending more time than you should on certain web development projects. I realize that there are plenty of online tips and tricks that are spewed out by the dozens. Here are a couple more but I will guarantee that they are tested and work to some degree. I guess you just have to find something that fits the way you operate. One of the easiest things that you can do is change your environment. Work in a different location or rearrange your office so that you are facing in a new direction. You could even bring in a plant or a fish bowl. When you break routines you essentially create new life. Habits are easy but there is no risk because habits are lazy. You cannot succeed stuck inside the traps of familiarity and comfort. To inspire your passion for work, make sure to schedule time for yourself. These changes in habits might take work but they are going to be well worth it.

Faster Streaming

If you are one of those people that love to stream movies or music, the worst thing you can see on your screen is that buffering sign. Having a faster internet is also necessary for internet phone service to have a good quality sound and video. Fortunately, there are a couple things that you can do that will increase your speeds without having to tinker with the web application. First of all, our lives and devices are more and more connected so make sure to check what else is one the network because that will slow you down. Just disconnect the devices that you are not using. Before you stream, go into your browser's settings and clear the recent history and all temporary Internet files to ensure you're allowing it to work unrestrained. If you are on a computer, you should try using an ethernet cable because the router actually tends to slow down the speed. You could also turn off the hardware acceleration because then your machine will allow applications to select hardware resource requirements instead of using the computer’s universal settings.

Your Brain on Tetris

Did you know that one of the best games ever invented is not even on a mobile application? Nope, it is not Candy Crush although it should be a close second. Tetris was created in 1984 and it is still going strong. There have been many different studies that looked at the brain and what Tetris does to it. Some of the reasons that it is so addicting is that it appeals to our natural desire to organize things, complete tasks and achieve goals. There's always a new block to consider and place in the game, which keeps your brain hooked. Studies have also pointed to evidence of Tetris being able to change the way people dream after playing it for so long. There is this idea called the Tetris effect which refers to the way that we think about the world around us. Have you ever tried packing your trunk or a box and found yourself thinking of the best way to place things with minimal empty space?