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WARNING: iPod Earbuds Are Known To Cause Permanent Hearing Loss

Listening to music on the radio is about antiquated today as using a payphone. Modern music lovers now carry thousands of songs around with them in their iPod and listen while driving, working, exercising, completing chores, etc. Problem is, the earbuds that come with the iPods (and similar products) let in a lot of ambient noise. That means users crank up the volume to drown out whatever is going on in the background.

The volume on an iPod can be raised to 115 decibels (db) which is the equivalent of standing next to a moving subway train and only 5 db short of an ambulance siren. The average individual can tolerate up to eight hours of sound at 85 db before suffering hearing damage. For every 5 db over 85, the exposure time before irreversible damage gets cut in half, say audiologists.

Because so many earbud users have suffered hearing damage, Apple was taken to court, but a federal appeals court exonerated the company, noting that Apple puts warnings on its packaging and iTunes site and offers instructions on how to set volume limits on iPods.

To hear music at a reasonable volume, users can purchase headphones with in-ear monitors (IEM) that reduce noise. You can also have an audiologist make custom earbuds for you to ensure a perfect fit and reduce background noise. They cost about $400 but will save your hearing.

How To Think Like A Geek

Who wants to find an extra hour of free time in their day, every day? Considering we’re all stressed out because there’s never enough time to get everything done, this is what I would call a “leading” question.

So how can you do it? By looking at the seemingly innocent, time-sucking activities you are spending time on every day and either automating them or speeding them to completion using technology. Can it really be that simple? It can, but you need to understand one critical factor first…

The “Latte” Factor

Best-selling author David Bach coined this phrase in his book The Automatic Millionaire. The latte factor is based on the simple idea that all you need to do to become wealthy is take a hard look at the small things you spend your money on everyday and see whether you could redirect that spending into savings.

For example, a little $2 purchase made every day on common things like Starbucks (a latte), bottled water, fast food snacks, cigarettes, etc. REDIRECTED into an investment account earning 6% will become $10,199.30 in 10 years. If that’s true, why don’t more people do it? Because, saving $2 a day seems so insignificant that people spend ALL their money on these things and then have nothing left over to invest.

5 Time-Saving Techie Tips That Will Add An Hour Or MORE To Your Day

So the question is, what are some small, time-saving technologies we can use to automate or speed up what we get done to save us that precious hour? Here are our 5 favorites:

1. Use An Aggressive Spam Filter. Over 80% of the e-mails being sent daily are not-so delicious spam. And it you’re like me, you’re getting dozens of these every day, which can easily add up to 5-10 minutes per day sifting, sorting through and deleting the spam from the e-mail you want. We recommend Cyberoam because it not only protects you from spam, but also provides strong firewalls. (Cyberoam goes further in saving companies money in that they allow parameters to be set on certain websites and bandwidth limitations to certain websites as well.) Plus, eliminating spam temptations from your STAFF will not only cut down on the time they waste on it but will also drastically reduce your chances of getting viruses and spyware on your network.

2. Replace Old PCs. While it’s hard to truly estimate how much total time is wasted waiting on an old, slow computer to process tasks, start up, etc., I can tell ya, it adds up. Let’s say your old PC takes 10 seconds longer to process a task than a fresh, new one. Might not seem like a lot, but with users averaging 100-150 tasks a day conservatively are wasting 16-25 minutes a day. Add in the crashes and other problems old PCs cause and you’re probably closer to 30-35 minutes a day.

3. Maintain Your Network. Another tip that will save you a lot of time is patching, updating and optimizing your server and workstations. You’d be surprised how much slower even a new machine will start to run if not maintained properly.

4. Document Management. This is a HUGE time-saver if you are a paper-heavy office (like attorneys, doctors, contractors, and many others). But even if you aren’t, scanning and storing paper documents so they can be searched on and located in seconds rather than minutes or hours is a HUGE time saver. Plus, it’s a greener solution, improves document security, enables users to access critical documents remotely AND (if that’s not enough) prevents important papers from loss or damage.

5. Implement SharePoint Or Other Business Collaboration Software. Be honest – how much time is wasted in your office because people are duplicating efforts, can’t find information and documents they need or backtracking to FIX mistakes made? This, like time wasted on old PCs and downtime, may be hard to calculate, but I would conservatively guess that folks are wasting at least 30 minutes a day or MORE because of disorganization. That’s why we recommend growing companies implement some type of collaboration software that will help organize projects and information, making it easier for everyone to get on the same page.

The Good, The Bad, The Bottom Line

Here’s a quick run-down of the good, the bad and the bottom line on the new Motorola Droid Phone.

The good: Most users of the Motorola Droid Phone really like its display screen; fans cite the phone’s large, crisp picture and vivid graphics. The phone also has a fairly fast web browser, (reportedly much faster than that of the Blackberry), a Google Maps Navigation app, and better messaging and contact management. With Verizon as its carrier, the Droid has very reliable service.

The bad: The QWERTY keyboard seems to be a bit awkward, especially if you don’t have exactly dainty hands. Some people dislike its weight, too, since it weighs a full ounce more than its closest competitor. Also, because the dial pad control is restricted to the home screen, driving and making a phone call is rather difficult. Not surprising, music and video capabilities are not as strong at the iPod’s. In addition, there’s no Bluetooth voice dialing.

The bottom line: Overall, the Droid is a good smart phone with a good service, useful Google maps, and a killer display screen. It’s a great touch-screen upgrade from the Blackberry and gives its competition a run for their money.

How To Handle Cyber-Bullying

When I went to school, the biggest threat on the playground was getting ruffed up by the class bully who was twice as big and twice a hairy as every other kid on the block. (What were his parents feeding him?) But cyber-bullying is something very different.

Cyber-bullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. It has to have a minor on both sides because once adults become involved, it is plain and simple cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking.

Turns out digital devices and the web make it much easier for a bully to harass someone; the anonymity and use of social media sites often make them bolder than they would be in a face to face confrontation, and gives them more opportunities to badger their target. As a parent, this is just another good reason why you should be monitoring your child’s PC and cell phone, as well as their Facebook, MySpace and other online social media site usage. Most social media sites have a way for you to report this type of abuse and get violators and hateful commentary taken down from their sites.

If your child becomes the target, you can try to get your school involved, but many schools have been shot down, even sued, for trying to interfere. If the abuse becomes physical, sexual or threatens physical or sexual harm, call the police. The schools aren’t equipped to handle that level of abuse. The police are.