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By on January 6, 2016 in Search Strategies, Technology
Image by StockSnap, pixabay.com

Image by StockSnap, pixabay.com

Not everyone starts out with a clear vision of what they want to do. After all, trying to choose how to spend the rest of your life is a pretty scary prospect. For those who remain tenuously undecided, there is still hope.

IT professionals are in high demand these days. As Roger Norton, dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics at Marist College, explains,

There truly will be a major shortage, in terms of graduating students in areas of computers and technology, to meet the needs of the companies out there.

Here are just a few of the fairly convincing reasons why you may want to explore IT as a future career path:

1. There is Lots of Personal Freedom
Of course, office culture will vary from one company to the next; however, IT professionals are generally left to do their own thing. Many positions will allow IT pros to set their own hours, work remotely, pace their work as they choose and have control over their workspace. Having a high degree of personal freedom on the job is never a bad thing.

2. You Have Flexibility in Picking a Specialty
Let’s say you pick a professional area of expertise, but then later realize that it isn’t quite right for you. With many career paths, it may be too difficult to go back and try to change gears. With IT, it’s actually rather simple.

Many IT professionals will change their specialty at some point, from software developers to network administrators, or from database administrators to web developers and so forth. There are numerous different fields to choose from, so you are definitely not going to get bored any time soon.

3. You Get to Travel Frequently
The IT field is constantly changing. It’s your job to always learn and stay informed on new developments in the tech industry. As a result, you will likely be traveling fairly often in order to attend classes, conferences and industry shows. IT conferences happen constantly in all corners of the world, and having a job which involves traveling around the globe and learning new things is a serious perk.

4. The Money is Good
Although it may not be the first thing on your list of credentials for a prospective career path, it’s worth noting that IT jobs tend to pay pretty well. After all, being an IT professional means that you have a valuable set of skills which most people do not possess, but which pretty much all organizations rely upon in order to survive.

The actual salary will vary based the organization, but many companies are willing to pay pretty well for skilled IT professionals.

5. You Get to Help People
As mentioned above, IT professionals possess a set of skills which most people do not have. Working in IT, you will be able to help people on a daily basis, and many individuals in the field find this as one of the job’s most personally fulfilling prospects. After all, it is nice to be needed.

6. You Can Think Creatively
As an IT professional, you will be confronted with unusual problems pretty much constantly, and it will be your job to find creative solutions in order to overcome them. IT is a challenging field, but in a good way; you will be expected to employ creative problem solving as part of your regular skill set. As such, it’s an especially great career path for those who love puzzles and other activities which involve thinking outside the box.

In many ways, IT is just as much of an art as it is a science, and many companies have really started to treat it as such. As Global Risk Technologies’ CIO Monica Eaton-Cardone explains, “A lot of my job is cheerleading, and a lot of these guys on my team are like artists.”

7. You’ll Play with Cool Toys
If you are the kind of person who always wants to try out the new gadgets as soon as they become available, then IT could be the field for you. People in IT oftentimes get the newest tech products even before they hit the market. You will be able to test the latest operating systems, smartphones, tablets and other fun pieces before anyone else.

8. You’ll Gain Lots of Helpful Knowledge
Who needs to call tech support if you’ve got a background in IT?! You can be your own tech support! Being able to competently handle your own tech issues outside of work is one of the most frequently overlooked, though handy, benefits of pursuing a career in IT. Plus, your friends will love you if you can save them time and money by handling their tech questions.

Very few other fields offer such a high degree of independence, good pay, personal fulfillment and job security as IT. Considering all of these perks and benefits, there’s no reason not to at least think about the idea.

By on January 2, 2016 in Technology
Image by Robert Scoble, Flickr

Image by Robert Scoble, Flickr

When you think about artificial intelligence, chances are one of the first words that comes to mind is “robot”. We’ve seen plenty of movies that show computers becoming too smart for their own good and trying to take over the world. Dramatic? Of course. But is there some truth behind it? Sounds like Mark Zuckerberg is trying to find out. His newest venture is to explore artificial intelligence to create something to make his life more efficient – he compares it to Jarvis in Iron Man. While this would be interesting (and really cool), it makes me wonder what it would mean for the rest of us. You’ve seen the way technology has changed our lives in the past ten years – gone are the days of scribbling down notes with pen and paper in class; now we’re taking pictures of the slides with our phones or watching lectures online. So what if we each had our own Jarvis? Here’s what comes to mind:

  • Going to class would be a thing of the past. We could send our Jarvises of the world to take down the information for us.
  • Could we send them on our errands too? Use them as personal assistants? Goodbye grocery shopping!
  • Our (currently) high-tech phones might become obsolete – Jarvis could make our calls and send our messages for us. I wonder if we’d become more social?

Well, Zuck – we’re definitely looking forward to what you come up with here!

By on August 25, 2015 in Technology
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By NVIDIA Corporation on Flickr

Nvidia’s latest release to the Shield lineup, the Nvidia Shield Android TV, introduces a new product that both Nvidia and the market have never produced before. Nvidia’s recent portable devices presented enhanced mobile gameplay where consumers could play on their Nvidia Tablet while also using a dedicated controller. This latest release from Nvidia is big leap forward in terms of specifications of the device and its gaming capabilities.

The design of the Nvidia Shield Android TV is a very slender rectangular shape that can be placed horizontally on a desk or vertically using a Nvidia Shield Stand. A green light emits from the top of the Shield that doubles as an aesthetic feature and an indicator of the battery level. The power button for the device is also placed on the top of the Shield and can be activated by simply swiping over the icon to power on or off. The relatively small size of the Nvidia Shield should allow it to be placed near any television without issue.

Gaming on the Shield can be done primarily by connecting to Nvidia servers and streaming the game onto your TV. Using this streaming method did not affect my game play with any additional lag or latency. The gaming experience was as smooth as playing a disk game on any other dedicated gaming console. The Android TV hub also allows you to also download games onto the device and save them on your storage drive. Similar to loading to a game from a Steam library, this feature should be familiar to most PC gamers. Additionally, the Nvidia Shield allows one to stream a game directly from their own computer equipped with a Nvidia card nearby. Streaming through my PC onto my television similarly resulted in zero latency and I was able to play uninterrupted.

The Nvidia Shield streams through the Android TV hub which comes with access to many of the latest TV shows and movies. While not as popular a streaming platform as Netflix, Android TV has a large quantity of hit TV shows and movies that should satisfy most consumers. The device is also equipped with Google Cast giving it iOS and Android mobile compatibility. The streaming capabilties along with the gaming aspect of the latest Shield product should appeal to a large selection of students. Cheaper than other products on the market, the streaming aspect should be fun for most students who enjoy TV, while the gaming aspect can appease both console and PC gamers.

All in all, the Nvidia Shield Android TV is a very powerful device that takes Nvidia into uncharted territory. Both a gaming and streaming device, the newest Nvidia Shield product is a big step forward for both markets. While possibly limited by the use of Android TV, the Nvidia Shield Android TV is great product that is ahead of the game and truly innovative. Priced at $200 for the basic level, this new product is sure to excite many students who want to stream and game on a powerful device.

Highlights:

  • Small Design
  • Powerful Tegra X1 Processor
  • 256-core GPU
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 16 GB Storage, 500GB with Pro Version
  • 4K Ready
  • Gaming and Streaming Capabilities
  • Equipped with Google Cast
  • Can stream from Nvidia GPU in home computer

Cons: 

  • Limited by Android TV
  • Limited Selection of Gaming Titles

By on July 27, 2015 in Technology
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By Pabak Sarkar on Flickr

The Tablift Tablet Stand is a unique product from Nbryte that is designed to help consumers get the most out of their tablets. The tablet stand is designed to help people use their tablets while in spots that may cause neck pain or be hard to use. Ideally, the stand would be used while on a sofa or bed where using the tablet by itself may be uncomfortable.

The design of the tablet stand is quite simple and is incredibly easy to learn. The bendable legs allow the position to be adjusted to the type of surfaces and level you wish to hold the tablet at. The stand is accompanied by three slots which allow you to place the tablet in the preferred viewing position. A clip attached to an extendable cord holds the the tablet in place in one of the three slots. The size of stand may seem quite large at times but its adjustability allows it to be used it very small spaces. In most instances, the tablet stand made using my tablet much easier and placed less strain on my neck.

While the tablet stand is propped up, use of your tablet is noticeably easier. Putting pressure on the tablet by typing does not shift the position of the stand and the base points of the legs stay in their original positions. The stand is also exceptionally good when having to do other tasks like cooking or eating. It positions the tablet optimally and is very useful for people who have a busy schedule. Dropping the tablet is also taken out of the equation when using the tablet stand, which is another bonus (especially for particularly clumsy people).

The Tablift Tablet Stand is a great product for any tablet user. While not everyone may need a stand, regular tablet users may see an enhancement in their experience with one. At just under $60, the stand may seem a bit pricy but the improvement it adds to one’s tablet experience is noticeable at first use.

Purchase the Tablift Tablet Stand here.

Highlights:

  • $59.95
  • Leg stability and malleability
  • Ease of use
  • Can be transformed to fit most surfaces
  • Three positions for viewing with clip for stability
  • Benefits for neck and back pain

By on September 19, 2014 in Technology
Image from picjumbo.com

Image from picjumbo.com

It’s all anyone in the tech-osphere is talking about; people are lined up at Apple stores around the world. But for the not-so-wallet-friendly base prices of $350 US (for the Watch), $199 US (for the 6), and $299 US (for the 6 Plus), you may be doubting whether the money is worth it. You don’t even want to know what the cost of the iPhones are if you don’t have a contract (but we’ll tell you anyways – starting at $649 for the 6 and $749 for the 6 Plus. Ouch). When you’re debating making the switch to the new iPhone, or sending in your pre-order for the Watch (set to come out in early 2015), here are the features you should be aware of that can benefit your student life:

The Apple Watch

After years of countless James Bond movies, we’ve all thought the radio-transmitting wrist watch was just a fascinating, futuristic gadget. Well, welcome to the future. Soon we’ll all be talking into our wrists and tapping our watches to make glorious things happen (although the ability to cut through glass isn’t available…yet). The exciting thing is that apps are only starting to be developed. Who knows what they’ll come up with in the next year? Here are some of the key things we already know about that will help you as a student:

Pretend you know where you’re going when you’re completely lost
When using Apple Maps, find directions to where you want to go – same old, same old, right? Wrong. One of my favourite new features with the Watch includes different vibrations to notify you when to turn left and right so your eyes don’t need to be glued to your wrist. No one will know you’re a freshman in a new city.

Draw when you don’t have time to type
When you’re trying to push through crowds on campus to get to your next class, the last thing you want to do is try to type on your phone. Chances are you’ll make mistakes that even autocorrect can’t figure out, and you’ll walk into people, trip over someone studying on the floor, or even drop your phone. The next time your friend texts you “Are you coming to class?”, you can just draw a checkmark on your watch and you’re back in action.

It’s hard to lose
Much like parents who clip a leash to their toddlers in the shopping mall, you now effectively have a phone on a leash. Strapped to your wrist at all times, you don’t have to worry about which class you left your phone in this time.

It gives you incentive to get back into shape
The Watch can sense your heartbeat and your altitude (among other things), which makes for an effective fitness tracker. It can tell how many calories you’re burning and how many flights of stairs you climbed today. It’s the cheat-free reminder you need (see also: guilt trip) to get up and get moving.

The iPhone 6 or 6 Plus

If you’re already an iPhone user, you likely don’t need much convincing to upgrade. Each subsequent iPhone generation comes with new and advanced features that you didn’t know you needed – but now your two-year-old 4S seems not only outdated, but inadequate (I know mine does).

It’s bigger (but still thinner than ever)
Now this is not necessarily a benefit for some users. Of course we want more information on the screen at once – we’re multitaskers with an attention span of zero. But what about fitting our phones into our pockets? There’s only one solution: jean manufacturers need to get on board with bigger pockets. Go big or go home, right? If you don’t care about pocket space (seriously, your phone will be glued to your hand anyways), the iPhone 6 Plus might be right for you. It’s great for videos on the go, and has a different landscape layout for ease of use. Those of us with smaller hands or no need for a phablet will be more than happy with the 6.

The camera is better
Are you the type to take pictures of the notes your professor has put up during the lecture, or ones your friends took when you missed that class? The 8MP iSight camera boasts 1.5-micron pixels and ƒ/2.2 aperture, for clearer photos than ever. It also includes auto-stabilization to make sure your selfies will be blur-free.

Leave your wallet at home
Apple Pay will let you tap to pay at select stores (220,000 locations to start) – just hold your finger on the TouchID and you’re done in seconds. Your bag will be heavy enough with textbooks; leave your bulky wallet at home and pay securely.

Longer battery life
For those long days at school, battery life is vital. The last thing you want is to be running around looking for an outlet (and there never seems to be one). The iPhone 6 gives you up to 11 hours when browsing on Wi-Fi (12 hours with the 6 Plus).

Faster wireless
Finding and connecting to wireless is half the battle, but actually being able to use it without hangups is a whole other frustrating issue. For those of you lucky enough to have functioning Wi-Fi in your classrooms, this is a great advancement.