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SiriusXM to Buy Stitcher Podcasting Unit From Scripps

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is near a deal to buy E.W. Scripps Co.s Stitcher Inc. podcasting unit for around $300 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

The satellite-radio giant is working to expand into the rapidly growing podcasting industry, following similar moves by media and tech companies including Spotify Technology SA and iHeartMedia Inc.




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Tips and techniques for creating a professional podcast

Determine your topic, audience and format

Everyone has something they could talk about for hours on end. When deciding which of these things should be the focus of a podcast, you need to consider topics that you will never get tired of talking about. Brainstorm 52 show topic ideas, one for each week of the year. This will let you know if you have enough ideas to have a regular podcast of your own, or if you would be better off finding guesting opportunities on existing programs. Of course, a show does not have to be weekly, but it is a starting point.

Defining your audience will help to hone the direction of the show, as well. A show geared toward young mothers will sound much different than a podcast for mid-career professionals. Your audience is rarely everyone. Figure out who they are and talk specifically to them, their needs and interests. As you plan your show, consider what type of format will be most effective, as well. Will you host guests, have a co-host or fly solo?

Choose memorable, straightforward branding

When coming up with a title for your podcast, it’s best not to be too clever or obscure. Make it easy to remember and spell and also give some idea of what the show is about. Search potential names in Google and on iTunes to be sure your idea is not already an established podcast. You will also want to claim a custom URL and related social media handles. Again, searching for these items will indicate if the title is already taken.

Cover art for your podcast needs to be an exact square, sized at least 1,400 pixels by 1,400 pixels and 3,000 pixels by 3,000 pixels at the most. Remember that people will be viewing it on a small screen, so use large text for your show name and relevant artwork.

Assemble a digital audio workstation




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Podcasting Is Still Hot; Google Drops E-Commerce Processing Fees

Podcasting is a relatively small market, closing in on a $1 billion run rate. But the category is on fire right now. The New York Times scooped up Serial Productions for a reported $50 million this week in a creative and strategic alliance with sister company This American Life. Terms of the deal were not disclosed and depend on performance goals. The Times bought podcast studio Audm for $8 million in March and is hiring prominent journalists to host new programs. With Serial, the Times owns the 14th largest podcast production company with roughly 4 million listeners and the iconic Serial franchise that was the first breakout hit. Union Square Ventures also announced on Thursday that it is investing in the podcast studio and ad network Headgum.




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15 Practical Tips For Creating A B2B Podcast

1. Strive To Be Different
2. Pilot Your Idea
3. Do Not Do It Alone
4. Understand Your Audience
5. Do Not Think About The Audience
6. Help Businesses Solve Challenges
7. Establish Yourself as an Authority
8. Target A Specific Niche
9. Focus On Building New Relationships
10. Three Elements Every Episode
11. Bring In A Variety Of Voices
12. Define The Why Of The Podcast
13. Keep Your Podcasts Brief
14. Make It Fast-Paced And Entertaining
15. Be Careful Not To Niche Down




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Spotify Is Testing a New Podcasting Tool to Share Quotes in Other Apps

Spotify has leaned heavily into its foray into podcasts and rolling out features and announcements at a pretty swift clip. Last week, the company announced it is introducing video podcasts to the mix with support for multitasking, meaning you can continue to listen to a video podcast uninterrupted while doing other things on your device. And earlier this week, Spotify announced support for simultaneous podcast and listening streaming for Premium users and up to five friends—a hot tool right now in the streaming service world as well, as many of us are distanced from friends and family.




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5 Steps to starting your new podcast

Starting a new podcast is a lot like starting up a new business from the ground up. There are steps you have to make sure that your podcast is entertaining while still being successful. You need to think about your content, your equipment, and your marketing plan. Will this be something people want to listen to? And how will you get them to listen? With so many small details that make up the massive project, we want to make it a little easier to get your podcast idea up and running!




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Sony Music steps up its podcasting with nearly 40 new shows

Sony Music has been signalling its podcasting ambitions with a series of partnerships over the past year. Now it has revealed nearly 40 new shows resulting from those deals – and they’re all launching this year.

The unveiling happened at the major labels first IAB Podcast Upfront presentation, with shows in categories including true crime, politics, current events, and social / racial justice, as well as music.

On the latter front, two of the new shows talked about at the upfront presentation were My 90s Playlist with hosts Tracy Clayton and Akoto Ofori-Atta, and a music/sports show from NFL reporter Lindsay Czarniak.




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15 Essential Tips To Plan A Podcast That Helps A Business Grow

1. Create An Ideal Listener Avatar
2. Know Why You Are Doing It
3. Be Authentically You
4. Interview Other Podcasters
5. Accept That Episode One Will Not Be Perfect
6. Get To Know Your Audience Intimately
7. Be Clear About The Value You Want To Bring
8. Never Quit
9. Know Your Audiences What Is In It For Me
10. Let Interesting Guests Talk You Up
11. Commit To A Disciplined Purpose For A Year
12. Find A Niche Aligned With Your Expertise
13. Take A Step-By-Step Approach
14. Figure Out What People Need To Hear
15. Be Relevant And Real




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4 crucial tips for making your podcast connect with audiences

After months of working from home, and with many more months to go for most companies, keeping employees, customers and partners connected is more important now than ever before. One way brands are looking to stay engaged is through podcasting.

Podcasts are an intimate medium that allow listeners to feel more connected to the host and engaged with the topic. Here are four best practices for how to make company podcasts effective and engaging for the long run:

1. Empower your team.
2. Provide consistent, accessible and digestible content.
3. Pay attention to feedback.
4. Put in the work.




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25 Essential iPhone Apps for Lifelong Learners

For those of us who are iPhone users, I asked Jimmy Atkinson at Edu-Tastic to share a list similar to the one I posted for you yesterday but for the iPhone. Here it is! (The link to the webpage is: http://toponlineuniversityreviews.com/2009/25-essential-free-iphone-apps-for-lifelong-learners/


by Miranda on July 14, 2009

iPhone applications are becoming increasingly useful, from providing ways for you to track your efforts to pay off debt, to allowing you to write emails and surf the Web. iPhone apps have gone way beyond making light saber noises and playing Sudoku. Do you have a passion for learning? If so, your iPhone can help you be better informed — by keeping vital information at your fingertips. Here are 25 iPhone apps that can help the lifelong learner explore the world:

Literature, Language and Art

If you are interested in learning more about literature, foreign languages and art, the iPhone can help you out.

  1. Stanza: Get access to thousands of books and periodicals. You can download books, both paid versions and free versions, to your iPhone and then peruse them at your leisure.
  2. Margins: If you are looking for a way to keep your notes organized, you can do so. This iPhone app is specifically designed for those who take notes in the margins of their books. It makes your thoughts much easier to organize — and find later.
  3. Aristotle’s Complete Works: One of the developers of Western thought is Aristotle. You can get his complete works, fully searchable, for your iPhone.
  4. Art Envi: If you want to learn more about art and artists, this iPhone app can help you out. You have access to thousands of art masterpieces, and you can sort them by genre. Art Envi Deluxe takes things up a notch.
  5. Love Art: This iPhone app is centered around helping you learn about art. You can learn about the lives of great artists, and the stories behind their works. Quizzes are offered to help you gauge how much you have learned.
  6. iTranslate Ultimate: You can translate between English, French, Spanish, German and Italian using this iPhone app.
  7. WordPower Lite: This iPhone app is more of a series. You can use it to practice a number of languages, including Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and a host of other languages. You receive new words to practice, flashcards, audio and can even record yourself saying the words so that you can get a better idea of how you sound.
  8. 20/20: 20 of the most useful phrase that you can use while traveling — in 20 different languages.

Math and Science

You have the opportunity to learn more about the world around you when you take advantage of iPhone applications centered around math and science. You can even learn about the related subject of medicine.

  1. Science Quiz: Receive different quizzes about a variety of science subjects. Astronomy, anatomy, biology, chemistry, technology and zoology are all included in these quizzes.
  2. Science Fact of the Day: If you are interested in learning something new every day, you can get a daily science fact delivered straight to your iPhone.
  3. EleMints: Learn the Periodic Table of Elements in an interactive manner, with interesting facts about the elements and a fun way to learn.
  4. Math Quizzes for All Ages: Brush up on your math skills, taking quizzes that include basic math concepts on up to more advanced problems and solutions.
  5. Exambusters Chemistry Cards: Flashcards that help with chemistry concepts from Exambusters. Exambusters also offers helpful cards for Trig, Algebra, Physics and Biology.
  6. Star Walk: Learn about the night sky with help from this iPhone app. Find constellations and their names, and learn more about what you see when you look to the stars.
  7. Peterson Field Guide to Backyard Birds: Put this famous field on your iPhone. Includes a search feature that allows you to narrow down birds by your area, and also provides images and information about birds you are likely to see. Also cool: Recordings of bird song.
  8. Human Atlas: See the human body in detail — and 3D. Also included in this iPhone app are common ailments, as well as their treatments.
  9. Medical Exam: A convenient tool that can help you enlarge your knowledge of medicine in 14 categories. It is also a great study aid for taking an actual medical.

Reference Materials

If you want to know something — and you want to know it now — here are some great reference materials that you can access right from your iPhone.

  1. WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus: Look up thousands of words and learn their meanings. You can also use the thesaurus to get ideas for replacement words. Pronunciation help is also included in this iPhone app.
  2. Spell Checker: If you are unsure of how to spell a word, simply type it into your iPhone, and find out if you are right. The application corrects misspelled words, and provides alternative ways to spell.
  3. Wikipedia Mobile: Access Wikipedia easily from your iPhone, wherever you go. Wiki Mobile is formatted especially for iPhone, making it easy to use and read on the go.
  4. 15,000 Useful Phrases: Looking for just the right phrase? You can find it with a little help from your iPhone. Extremely helpful for public speakers, writers and conversationalists.
  5. Financial Glossary: Learn what hundreds of financial words mean. Very helpful for those trying to sort out the current mess.
  6. World Proverbs: Access wit and wisdom across cultures and countries with this iPhone app. Learn a little bit about others, and find the right lesson, with a little help. Shaking your iPhone pops up a random proverb.
  7. MedCards: Physicians carry around laminated cards for quick reference. Now you can have that same reference information on your iPhone. While this application could be of great use to doctors, you don’t have to be a doctor to benefit from it.
  8. BibleXpress: For Christians who want to learn more about the Bible, or find passages quickly, BibleXpress can be invaluable. Includes a number of versions of the Bible, from the King James Version to the New Revised Standard Version to the New American Standard Bible to the New Authorized Version of the Bible and more.




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75 Coolest iPhone Apps for Lifelong Learners

In today’s technology age, man’s best friend has a QWERTY key pad instead of four legs. For the academic, an iPhone can be a foe just as easily, with its various interesting but distracting capabilities. In order to use the iPhone to its fullest potential, learners should use it for work as well as play, and thanks to these application creators, that task is not only possible, it is fun as well. From reading worldwide news to creating budgets, from learning foreign languages to appreciating the arts, these applications contain everything you need to feed your superior intellect.
News
Know the market like the back of your hand…or the face of your phone! Keep up with today’s business news here:
  1. Reuters: Get the official Reuters mobile site on your iPhone or iPodTouch. Get news, sports, entertainment, business information and tons more.
  2. WashingtonPost Mobile: Read breaking news as soon as it’s released with WashingtonPost Mobile.
  3. Marketing Forecast: Marketing Forecast provides a continuous stream of forward-looking marketing and consumer insights from Ad-ology Research and other top research firms.
  4. iActu: iActu allows user to access the world information in only one touch. Discover more than 500 newspapers and pass from New York Times to Japan Times.
  5. One News Page: One News Page is a leading global news portal offering live news with more than 20,000 news headlines being added each day.
  6. NPR: This application gives you the option to hear audio podcasts like the NPR Hourly News and your local NPR Radio station news. Additionally you can browse all news stories by category including local news, most SMSed stories, story of the day, song of the day, politics, business, and science.
  7. CBS News Mobile: Read breaking news, and developing stories from CBS News.
  8. AP Mobile News: The Mobile News Network, powered by the Associated Press, helps you keep up-to-date with what’s happening anywhere, from your hometown to your favorite locale.
  9. ESPN iPhone: Get the most comprehensive sports coverage on your iPhone from ESPN Mobile Web for free, including breaking news and analysis, up to the minute scores, and more.
  10. NYTimes Mobile: The NYTimes application allows you to enjoy the professional journalism of The New York Times on your iPhone, wherever you are.
Travel
Don’t let anything go unnoticed when you leave town. To stay in-the-know, all you need is your phone and these applications.
  1. Speeek!: Contains over 1,500 useful phrases while traveling overseas. By simply talking into your iPhone in English, Speeek! will find the phrase and speak it in Chinese.
  2. Events Finder: Provides events from multiple event sources, such as Upcoming, Eventbrite, and TicketStumbler, all in one application.
  3. iSayHello: Speak German, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, Spanish or Polish. Choose your language course and off you go with the language travel guide. This easy-to-use talking travel dictionary with superb audio output is more of a vocabulary trainer and dictionary than a translation program.
  4. New York on Tap: New York on Tap was designed to help people find great bars in New York City. It’ll also help you locate the nearest subway and help you figure out where to go next.
  5. Payless Car Rental: Rent a Car using your iPhone. Travelers can view, modify, or cancel their reservation using the iPhone. "Call to Book" button connects the customer directly to Payless Car Rental’s call center.
  6. Bell Hop: Find photos, information, rates and more on this fast, easy-to-use lodging mobile search.
  7. London Travel Guide: Packed full of cool features our London Travel Guides are everything you that would expect from an electronic tour guide, only it’s free.
  8. Good Food: GoodFood by Goodrec is the best way to find great places to eat! See what other users love and hate.
  9. TripIt: Use your iPhone to access your TripIt itineraries whether you’re online, offline or in airplane mode. TripIt is the best way to organize and share your travel plans. Forward your travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com, and TripIt automatically creates a master itinerary for your trip, with detailed information about flights, hotels, rental cars and much more. It also includes maps, driving directions and local weather.
  10. SushiGuru: Take SushiGuru with you to sound like a pro when you order sushi. SushiGuru provides you with a searchable database of over 200 entries of Japanese and English names of sushi and sushi rolls.
Arts
The following apps range from learning about famous paintings by the masters to creating art through a variety of media.
  1. Art. Learn all about great artists and their works with this factbook app that also lets you quiz yourself to see how much you are learning.
  2. Art Gallery Premium. With over 7,500 works of art in their database, you can bring up your favorite famous work of art on your iPhone or browse to learn about artists you might not know.
  3. Art Envi Deluxe. Like having a giant museum in your phone, this app contains works by famous artists as well as specialized categories such as Japanese art.
  4. Kaleido. While not high on boosting knowledge, any art lover will appreciate taking photos and creating kaleidoscope effects with them.
  5. Photo Lab Daily. This free version allow you to take a photo with your iPhone and once a day you can use the Photo Lab tools to enhance your photos. There is a version available for a fee if you want to do more than one a day.
  6. MyPaint Free. Finger paint on a blank canvas or use one of your photos from your photo roll to find your artistic talent with this app.
  7. Pencil Pusher. This app allows you to draw as if with a pencil. Write, erase, choose from a variety of backgrounds, choose colors, and more.
  8. Bonsai. Learn the traditional art of bonsai care with this app that provides you the opportunity to adjust water, trim the tree, and monitor its overall health.
Medicine
Whether you are a medical professional or just want to expand your personal knowledge, these apps are sure to provide plenty of knowledge.
  1. Taber’s Medical Dictionary. Touting 30% more medical terms than other medical dictionaries, this one offers definitions, photos, Patient Care Statements, and more.
  2. Registered Nurse. Any nurse studying for the NCLEX exam will love this app that provides a practice exam that tests you in over 20 different subjects.
  3. Normal Lab Values. Medical professionals or anyone interested in learning more about laboratory results will appreciate having normal values readily available.
  4. Medical Drugs. This app provides detailed information on hundreds of pharmaceutical medications.
  5. Diagnosaurus DDx. With over 1,000 diagnoses, anyone can perform differential diagnosis quickly and easily with this app.
  6. MedCards. This app replaces the laminated cards physicians carry around and also allows anyone interested in learning to have instant reference to such things as EKG values, Mental Status Exam guide, Snellen chart, and more.
  7. MedAbbreviations. Get over 13,000 medical abbreviations with definitions, explanations, a search feature, and more.
  8. Skyscape Medical Resources. Find all kinds of medical information such as drug information, evidence-based clinical information, medical calculator, and a med-alert based on a specialty of your choosing.
  9. Human Atlas. Geared for medical professionals, patients, and consumers, get a 3D explanation along with over 150 common medical treatments and conditions.
  10. Medical Exam. Whether you are studying for your medical exam or just want to have a profound knowledge of medicine, this app helps you learn from 14 different categories.
Fun
Don’t take life so seriously! Have a little fun with your phone here:
  1. Where to Golf: Gives golfers all the information about a golf course and how to get there. Whether on business, on vacation or in your home town, you’re only a touch away from finding the course you’re looking for.
  2. Tetris: Take Tetris for a spin on your iPhone and iPod Touch to experience new twists and enhanced graphics. Drag, Flick and Poke your way through 15 challenging levels.
  3. Sudoku: This application has more than 10,000 puzzles. So enjoy one of America’s favorite games, but try to get some work done, too.
  4. Crossword: This is a very thorough Crossword application with various levels of difficulty.
  5. Word Warp: Make words out of the six jumbled letters provided at each game’s start.
  6. Cube Runner: Think eSnakei for current generation telephones. Boatloads of fun, just don’t run your boat into the cubes.
  7. Topple: Topple is a quick, tower building game that is theoretically simple yet surprisingly addictive.
  8. Trism: A little bit like Bejeweled meets Tetris, Trism stands alone as a distinctive, fun and brain-taxing challenge.
  9. Wurdle: a Boggle-like word game available in the iTunes app store. The game is jammed-packed with features, challenging, and most of all, it’s fun.
  10. 400 Free iPhone Games: The perfect cure for boredom. This go-to site has 400 free games, from logic cames to old-school arcade games.
Reference
Keep these reference tools close so that you’re prepared to discuss constellations, the periodic table, or world facts.
  1. USA Factbook Free: This reference packet is great for anyone in a civics, history or political science course that covers the U.S. Access key documents, lists of the flags, state capitals and other stats.
  2. Stars: Anatomy students can use this tool as a resource when studying constellations.
  3. The Chemical Tough: Lite Edition: View the periodic table when you download this free app.
  4. Formulas Free: This app brings you free calculus formulas.
  5. iQuotations: Look up quotes to use in papers or just as general inspiration.
  6. Math Ref Free: Get free reference packs for geometry, algebra, trig, derivatives and more.
  7. AllTheCountries: Get facts about literacy rate, economy, population, area and more for every country.
  8. Your Rights: Use this app for political science courses or just as backup when you get into trouble at school.
  9. iTranslator: Study abroad students and panicked foreign language students can use this tool to connect to Google Translator, Babel Fish or Free Translation.
  10. Quickpedia Lite: This app makes it easier and faster to use Wikipedia.
Foreign Languages
Whether you are planning to travel or just love learning languages, these apps will help you learn to speak whatever language your heart desires.
  1. Jourist Visual PhraseBook English. Use this visual aid with 20 different languages to help you show the person what you mean. It also include the written phrase in both English and your target language.
  2. iTranslate Ultimate. Translate words between English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian, then have the words repeated back to you in the target language with this app.
  3. Translator with Voice. Get translations in 34 different languages with voice support on most of them.
  4. DragonDian. Use this dictionary to draw Chinese characters to quickly and easily find an English translation.
  5. WordPower Lite – Italian. This free app gives you one Italian word a day to practice and master by listening to audio, recording and playing back your own voice, and using flashcards.
  6. iSpeak Spanish. Translate between Spanish and English with this app that also allows you to hear words spoken in high quality English and Spanish voices.
  7. Gengo Flashcards – French. This app uses visual cues and the voices of native French speakers with flashcards to help you learn French. Take a picture of any object, then add the French and English words to it, and you have created your own flashcard to add to the stack.
  8. Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook. Whether traveling or learning Japanese, use this app to get over 600 written and spoken Japanese phrases.
  9. Byki German. Learn German in no time with this app that includes native speakers, quizzes, and a phrasebook.
  10. WordPower – Thai. Listen to 2000 Thai words for proper pronunciation and see the words and phrases in three versions–original Thai, Romanized, and English.
Search
Let your iPhone guide you in general searches, job hunts and more.
  1. Inquisitor: This super fast search tool also makes suggestions for your searches.
  2. Last.fm: Search music, artists and more with Last.fm for the iPhone.
  3. Repairpal: This app will help you find auto repair shop and support.
  4. Job Search: Indeed.com’s search application lets you find jobs by location and job description.
  5. SearchMe: SearchMe is a new way to search the web on your phone. Unlike all other search engines that return a bunch of links, SearchMe lets you see a "coverflow" of pages that match your search results.
  6. U.S. Historical Documents: U.S. Historical Documents contains over 100 of the most influential documents in U.S. history and they will be stored directly on your iPhone/iTouch. Quickly and easily find any text from any document with the fastest and most powerful search engine available on the iPhone.
  7. 3GPS OS 3.0: 3GPS OS 3.0 tells you how fast, high and where you are. Whether you’re climbing a hill, touring or running a marathon, with 3GPS OS 3.0 your iPhone shows your current altitude, speed and course.
Guest Blog Contributor By-line:
This post is from Amber Johnson, who also writes for OnlineDegreePrograms.org, an accredited online college resource. Link to original article: http://onlinedegreeprograms.org/blog/2009/75-coolest-iphone-apps-for-lifelong-learners/




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3 Free Apps for Employees Pursuing MBAs

MBA courses are full of all sorts of people at varying stages of their lives. There are those who start head strong right after completing their undergrad, while others wait a couple of years before re-immersing themselves in their studies. Then there are those who wait even longer—10-15 years sometimes—before heading back to school and hitting the books.

Whatever stage you find yourself, there is no denying that adjusting to the course load while juggling other real life, "grown up" responsibilities will take some time. In our ever-evolving world, it seems we are more often than not on the go and therefore reliant on our mobile devices. From tablets to smartphones, the gadgets we use keep us connected and allow us instant access to the information we need. To that end, while navigating your way from corporate meetings to class lectures, you might consider checking out the apps below. They are all free and aim to make learning and pursuing higher education much less painful.

Which MBA…?
First on this list is the Which MBA  app created by The Economist. Containing stats and information on approximately 100 of the world's top MBA programs and organizations, downloading and utilizing this app should be your first step when deciding to pursue your MBA. By entering a few simple facts and criteria, the app will inform you which program or organization is best for you and your situation.

This will help give you some good direction at a time when you might otherwise feel completely at a loss and overwhelmed with options. It is free, although available only for iPad and iPhone users.

Dropbox
Next up is the Dropboxapp, which is free and available to both Apple and Android users. Updated regularly, Dropbox is a pretty reliable app that allows you to store pictures, documents and projects in a virtual "cloud" account for access anytime, anywhere you have a computer, tablet or smartphone handy.

This proves especially helpful as keeping up with work and assignments can prove taxing and overwhelming. Knowing that you can always get to it can be a real lifesaver. Say you're in a meeting and forgot to send your work team the updates to the new client presentation, a quick login to the Dropbox system solves that problem in a snap.

Card Munch
The final, noteworthy app all MBA hopefuls should check out is Card Munch. Although it is available only for iPhone and iPad, the developer is currently working to expand to the Android system. It is a free app that allows you to quickly store and save contact info you gather via business cards, ensuring you don't lose that vital contact you networked so hard to get.

Plus, it ensures you will always have that number at your fingertips and not trapped in some archaic rolodex at home or at the office. This app will help keep both your professional and educational lives organized and connected, making you a more all-around, productive individual.

So, if you're currently pursuing your MBA or considering doing so, I recommend checking out these apps to make your life much easier.

Guest Blog Contributor By-line:
This post was contributed by Amanda Watson, an experienced freelancer blogger who covers web-based businesses and higher education. She writes about the latest online mba news and current trends among online entrepreneurs. You can reach Amanda at watsonamanda.48@gmail.com.




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Practical Magic: The Best Business Apps for iPad

With the introduction of tablets like the iPad, working outside of the office has become streamlined. No longer are employees and entrepreneurs chained to their desks and laptops.

Here are some tablet applications that allow workers to share, create and record information easily and quickly, putting productivity and ingenuity at their fingertips.
CloudOn

If you need access to documents, CloudOn is a must for your iPad. The app gives you access to Microsoft Office and also syncs with your Dropbox account to make sharing easy. (Dropbox is a free file synchronization application for mobile professionals who use myriad devices on which files live.)  CloudOn boasts a file viewer that can open any image, and you can also send your documents directly via e-mail as an alternative to sharing through Dropbox.

This application is a huge hit with college students, and for good reason. Described as “an extension of your brain,” Evernote allows users to take notes using text, photos, video and audio – great for taking notes during meetings or conferences.

One of the coolest things about Evernote is that it uses optical character recognition (OCR)to make the text in your photos searchable. This means you can take a photo of a slideshow or presentation and automatically search it later based on the subject matter.
There is also the capability to sync Evernote with your desktop, which is a great safeguard in the face of damage or loss of a mobile device.

Users can use this to process a diagram, flow chart, Website wireframe or graphic design. OmniGraffle has a library of stencils, but you can also draw your own shapes. Once completed, you can share the graphic as a PDF and can save it to your photo library.

The app comes with a hefty price tag of $50, and is probably more appropriate for project managers or other employees who work in project development or training.
Fuze Professional

Multi-party HD video meetings are possible with this iPad app. You can include documents, images and presentations in the meeting by adding the files to the Fuze library. There are also some great features that allow you to zoom and pan to highlight visual data while you are running a presentation.


In addition to the multi-party video option, participants have the option to IM (instant message) during the presentation or communicate via voice chat. Participants may also edit presentation documents on the fly to highlight certain points.

Guest Blog Contributor By-line:
A freelance writer and blogger hailing from the great state of Texas, Melissa Miller specializes in writing about the education field. If you're considering pursuing an associate degree online, Melissa's many posts on the subject can help light the way. Email her at melissamiller831@gmail.comwith any feedback.




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6 Tips for Designing Effective M-Learning Apps for Your Corporate Training

Mobile learning makes everything a little easier. Schedules are more navigable, and you don’t have to plan for an instructor to deliver real-life training. This new standard changes the playing field. With the advent of mobile training, employees are able to learn from anywhere, and have easy access to information if they need to look something up. As long as the app is designed properly, you’ll get more from mobile learning than you ever could from traditional training.

1. Know what you want to cover
It’s useless to have a corporate training app just for the sake of having one. If the information is too general, no one is gaining anything. If it’s too specific, employees may lose sight of the big picture. Break down the elements of your training into blocks. Each block should have a main point that shows its relationship with smaller points. Breaking things into thorough but bite sized pieces is the best way to go.

2. Figure out how you’re making it available
What platforms do you need to reach with your app? If everyone has a company phone, you’ll want to design your training app specifically for that platform. If your employees use their personal phones, you’ll have to adapt your app for a variety of platforms. The content should read the same on every app. While there may be some aesthetic differences, the key is to make everything cohesive across the board. Everyone should have access to the same info.

3. Add some social elements
The only downside to m-learning is that users typically work within the apps independently. You’re losing the element of discussion you could get at a face-to-face training table. Discussions promote knowledge and are necessary for exchanging ideas. People may have questions and no one to answer them. Work social elements into your app to build a sense of community among employees and instructors.

4. Create video content
There’s more to mobile learning apps than fun graphics and comical sound effects. Working video content into your training app can help people understand complex processes, such as how to work certain pieces of equipment or software that may be pertinent to their jobs. Whether you want to utilize videos of real people or cartoon animation, having a moving representation of what you’re trying to explain will help visual learners perfect their knowledge.

5. Let the learner become the instructor
Role playing exercises are common in corporate training, especially when it comes to customer service situations. We use these techniques because they work by giving everyone a chance to showcase and strengthen what they’re best at. Utilizing features such as user submitted quizzes and polls in your app is great for engagement, and it allows everyone to showcase just how much they know.

6. Encourage feedback
If your app isn’t working for someone, they may not speak up – and that’s especially true if they believe everyone else understands it just fine. Always seek feedback from your employees about how your mobile learning programs are working for them. If you find people are having difficulty, it may be time to redesign the interface or simplify the information. People are willing to tell you how they want to learn, as long as you’re willing to listen.

It can seem overwhelming and confusing at first to throw away a traditional method in favor of an innovation, but the results are worth it. Once you implement mobile learning in your workplace, you’ll never want to go back to training the old way. 


Guest Blog Contributor By-line:
Monique Craig is interested in digital marketing and branding. She’s part of the team at Oneflare [https://www.oneflare.com.au/], Australia’s online marketplace for local service providers.




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7 Steps to an Effective E-Learning Training Strategy

E-learning creates endless possibilities for new ways to help our team to upskill. In a world where business practice constantly evolves all of us need to be on our toes and up to date with the latest trends and technology relevant to our industry. It’s no use management being on trend if our staff are left behind.

Below we will set out 7 steps which will help guide you towards creating an effective e-learning training strategy to ensure that your staff are getting the most out of their training and development program at work.

1.  Decide On Your Objectives & Plan Accordingly
Planning is essential in ensuring that the resources you put into e-learning are well spent. Identify what type of training is most needed within your organization at this time. Is the training required uniform across the board, or do you have a need for various types of training?

Take into consideration what skills the course will develop, how it will do this and what theoretical frameworks it will be based upon. Next, you need to consider the learners themselves, what are their requirements? We all learn in different ways and to ensure that your staff get the most value out of the e-learning training, you should aim to personalize the training insofar as possible.

By setting out your objectives in advance, it will be easy to measure the success of the program at the end.
       
2.  Make It User-Friendly
Above all else an e-learning environment must be user-friendly. If the learner has difficulty in navigating around the website or accessing the webinar then everything else becomes secondary. Pay close attention to making the material accessible to all staff and giving an introductory tutorial to make sure that everyone knows how to access their course.

The language used should be clear and concise, learners want and need to be able to extract the relevant information without having to wade through extra academic style details which do not pertain to how they will use the skills they are developing.

3.  Give Students a Plan
Many learners feel more secure when they are given a clear overview of the course syllabus. Knowing what material they will cover in the coming weeks allows them to do preparatory work if they wish and relieves stress that may arise out of the unknown. This course overview should also outline what is expected of the students, and how they can expect to be assessed.

4.  Get Them Talking
Group interaction and collaborative learning is sometimes seen as not particularly relevant to an e-learning syllabus. However, overlooking this aspect of training may leave students feeling isolated leading to a lack of interest in the training. Not everyone enjoys group work, but it is a feature of most workplaces and even those who don’t enjoy it will probably expect some degree of collaboration during their training. Collaborative activities where students work together to solve a problem create a wonderful learning opportunity for everybody involved. Each learner can contribute the skills that they have been developing, contributing to the good of the whole, and students can identify different ways of approaching tasks.

Social media is useful for collaborating, as are forums where ideas can be exchanged.

5.  Set Up an Assessment Strategy
Any training program requires an element of assessment to ensure that the learners are processing and retaining the relevant information. It also allows the students to put what they have learned in the e-classroom to practical use. Some people will prefer to assess the students at the end of each module with a simple multiple choice quiz, while others opt for a collaborative group project at the end of a unit.

How the learners will be assessed should be agreed upon before they begin their course, and outlined to them so that they can prepare for it as they progress. Assessment not only gives you as the e-learning coordinator the chance to see how staff are progressing with their training, but it also gives the learners a sense of achievement which will drive them forward and keep them motivated.

6.  Solicit Feedback
It is important to ask for feedback to check that your e-learning program is actually delivering what you hoped it would. Be sure to discuss the learning outcomes with both the learners themselves and their team leaders, this will allow you to see if the both parties have derived benefit from the training. Where the learner feels that they have, but their team leader is not seeing it, then perhaps the training needs to be tweaked to ensure that it is more relevant to the worker’s daily workload.

You can solicit feedback using online surveys, face to face chats or online chats where the learners come together for a session.

7.  Keep the Learning Going
Many learners, and indeed, instructors can tend to see training and development as having a set start and finish date. While this may be strictly true, training within an organization should be approached as ongoing. Life itself is a constant journey on the path of learning, why should work be any different. Encourage your staff to engage with their career development in this light. Set up structures by which they can approach you with regard to continuing their learning once they have completed one e-learning course. Perhaps there is an advanced course you could run or a course of study which will complement the first one. Every time your staff upskill in a way that improves their productivity and sense of purpose at work you will see the return in spades.

I hope that this overview has given you a few ideas on how to get started implementing your own corporate e-learning training strategy. With adequate planning and a positive approach, you may find that e-learning can make a huge difference to staff morale in your workplace.


Guest Blog Contributor By-line:

David Grover is a Communications Manager at Timeo, a useful tool for businesses in the UK. He’s also a freelance career coach, who’s always eager to share his experience. In his free time, he enjoys traveling.




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Say it & Mail it for iPhone hits #6 in Top Paid Business Apps in the iTunes Store

You can take a look at Apple's web page to see their featured business apps for iPhone and the current top 10 selling apps.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-everything/work.html




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Steps to Creating & Promoting an RSS Feed

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication as it is commonly known, is a technology that gives webmasters the ability to easily distribute and publish syndicated content on the Internet. It seems like all Internet businesses now have RSS feeds available; at least your competitors do. You have finally made the decision that you have to have one. Where do you start?

Steps to Creating & Promoting an RSS feed




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Tips for Blogging

10 Tips for Bloggers -There are no hard and fast rules on how to blog. Having said that, bloggers will likely increase their exposure by following some simple blog guidelines.

1.) Stay on topic.
Opinions are generally accepted but the content of the items in the blog should all relate to a general theme. Unless you have an uncanny knack for wit, humor or cynicism, the majority of your readers will be interested in the content that relates to a specific defined theme or loosely defined area of interest. Most readers won't care that you eat Cheerios for breakfast. They may, however, be interested in the fact that vinegar takes out stains and that toilet paper rolls make great wreaths. Define a topic and stick to it. This will ensure that you create a loyal following of interested readers.


2.) Stay informative.
If you are attempting to create the impression that you are knowledgeable about a specific industry or sector, be sure that you stay current on news. If you are endorsing a product or voicing an opinion, be sure to check your facts; your reputation is at stake. If you are offering an opinion, be sure to qualify your post, making it clear that the content is intended as an editorial.


Complete Article - Tips for Blogging





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Tips for Promoting Podcasts

It is important to remember that podcasting is a relatively new technology and not everyone understands or knows what podcasting is. It is particularly important to educate users if your audience is not technical. Not only is it important to explain what a podcast is, but it is equally important to explain how your podcast will help listeners.

Tips for Promoting Podcasts




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Tips to Publicize Your RSS Feed

There is little argument from webmasters and publishers that RSS brings in traffic. So once you've made the leap and created a feed, how do you tell your visitors about the feed?

Tips to Publicize Your RSS Feed




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Top 10 Tips for Podcasting Success

As podcasts increase in popularity, listeners have more choices. So while you might be ahead of the competition, you should still be thinking about ways that you can make your podcast unique and stand out from similarly themed podcasts.


1. Plan Accordingly.
When making the decision and commitment to podcast, it is important to think beyond the moment. Before starting, think about the time the podcast production will take. How will podcasting fit into a current schedule? How frequently will you podcast? How will hosting of podcasting files be handled? If the podcast is excessively popular, how will fees be generated to pay for hosting? What is the common theme that threads all podcasts in a series together? Think not only of a broad theme, but also various episodic themes that fit into a broader theme. What will make you distinct or different from others podcasting about similar content? By approaching podcasting with a little forethought, you will set yourself up for success.

Top 10 Tips to Podcasting Success




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RSS Feed Tips to Help Search Engine Optimization

RSS feeds are a great communication medium, and when properly managed, web feeds can bring in significant Internet traffic. RSS feeds should contain compelling themed content with episodic titles that are united in common broad theme. Use RSS feeds as an online marketing and search engine optimization tool. Just as optimizing an HTML web page will increase exposure, so too will an RSS feed that is properly optimized and promoted. Use these simple tips to improve your web feed exposure.

RSS Feed Tips to Help Search Engine Optimization




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Tips for Webmasters and Publishers

According to Matt Cutts, there are over 100 factors that affect search engine ranking. For those of you who don't know, Matt is a Google guy guru, he is employed by Google but writes an independent blog and shares information related to Google and search engine optimization. Unfortunately, of those 100 items that account for search engine ranking, there are only a few that webmasters can actually control.

Tips for Webmasters and Publishers




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RSS Tips

If you are interested in jumping on the bandwagon, but not quite sure of where to start, consider following these simple RSS feed tips to maximize feed compatibility and make your feed stand out from the crowd.

RSS Tips




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Podcast Audio Recording Tips

Have Fun
Use voice inflections to add emotion and passion to your comments and questions. Use music between segments not only does theme music create a brand and audio identity, it also helps transition one segment to another. Intro and outros can soften a podcast and give it a little extra polish. Introduce your podcast at the beginning and end of the show. Remind listeners who and what they are listening too. This is your opportunity to establish your audio brand. And finally have fun, listeners will be able to tell if your podcast is a labor of love or a painful rendition, keep your spirits up and your mood light!

Podcast Audio Recording Tips




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Tips to Maintaining Your RSS Feed Subscribers

You have an RSS feed and you have worked hard to get the word out. According to your logs you have subscribers! Now the hard part: how to retain the subscribers to your RSS feed. Follow these simple steps to insure that your subscriber base will grow.

1. Original Content
A consistent stream of original content will do well to earn subscribers loyalty. The best RSS feeds provide content that is compelling and unique. Do not rehash existing content, look for a unique angle or spin if you wish to cover something that is hot in the blogosphere.

Tips for Maintaining RSS Subscribers




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Tips For Real Estate Video Podcast

The use of technology can define the success or failure of a business. This is no more evident than in the real estate industry. Realtors who flocked to the latest technologies, adopted them, and applied them in order to enhance and sell property, are still prospering.

Tips For Real Estate Video Podcast




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Effective Podcasting Tips

Many people assume that podcasting is all about audio and fail to acknowledge the writing behind the show. Skilled communicators understand the type of planning required in order to pull off a clean final product. The most memorable and effective podcasts are always well planned. Some of the best podcast shows use a script and follow a structured format. The preparation that occurs behind the scenes is similar to what would take place for a radio show.

Effective Podcasting Tips




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Social Bookmarking Tips

Good Things to Social Bookmark

It can be tricky to predict what content will perform well on social bookmarking websites. The interests of our democratic populace are widespread and constantly changing. Webpages, podcasts, and images which are deemed more newsworthy, humorous, or intriguing often steal the spotlight. Knowing how to present content on social bookmarking websites can help internet marketers stand out.
Good Things to Social Bookmark




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Audio File Optimization Tips

Optimize your audio files to increase their popularity, just as you would optimize a website. Audio search engines are becoming more advanced as audio files become more commonplace on the Internet. Here are some tips to optimize your audio offerings...

Audio File Optimization Tips




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Blog Promotion Tips

There are a wide variety of things you can do in regard to blog promotion. Here are just a few...

1. Optimize

Optimize the blog using standard search engine optimization techniques, so that it performs well in the organic rankings of the various search engines.

Blog Promotion Tips




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Blog Posting Tps

Coming up with ideas for new blog posts on a regular basis can be a challenge, even for the most prolific writers. Experience shows that readers tend to favor certain types of posts more than others. Here are some popular types of blog posts that you might want to use for those times when inspiration simply does not strike.

Lists

Lists are loved by readers. Top 10 lists, lists of top resources, lists of tools, lists of important dates, etc. Really, just about any type of list will tend to be very popular with blog readers. And you can easily craft lists from popular posts and other resources.

Interviews

Interview top professionals in your market or niche. Blog posts that contain interviews will frequently generate interest and attention. Additionally, interviews will often be cross-promoted on a related website by the person you interview, which often results in additional backlinks to your site.

Blog Posting Tips




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Instant Movie Making - Secrets Of Hollywood Encapsulated In One Succint Manual

Your practical guide to making award winning movies in one easy-to-follow eBook from Ivan Watson. No hassle, no flannel, just plan common sense from the master himself.




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Try NoAdware for FREE and see for yourself if your PC is infected!



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Articles: Ninjalane Podcast - Next Gen Console (PSV vs XB1) and Overclocking Motherboards EVGA ASROCK

Ninjalane Podcast: In this episode Darren brings up the topic of next gen consoles including what games will be available for the PS4 and XB1 and Dennis reminds us that Ninjalane does motherboard reviews.




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Preparing for Remote Job Interviews: Tips and Strategies

Remote job interviews are becoming more common as the trend towards remote work continues to gain traction. If you’re looking for a remote job, you must prepare for your remote job interviews just as you would for in-person interviews. Remote job interviews may occur over the phone, video conference,...

The post Preparing for Remote Job Interviews: Tips and Strategies appeared first on Home with the Kids Blog.




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