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Many writers over the past 50 years have tried to use the growth of technology as an allegory to explain the changes in human society over time. No place has this become more prevalent than in the cinema. Movies are made, in large part, to capture the imagination of the viewer. No change has been as revered or anticipated as the change that has been made with the aid of our amazing technological advancements. In fact, computers have changed moviemaking forever. The computer has allowed filmmakers to capture, light, and edit their movies digitally, and tackle the role of technology in society. Here are five films that embrace the awe people have of technology and the fear that comes with the unknown. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Partially based on the short story The Sentinel by renowned scientist and science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey has become the film that?s synonymous with the shift toward the importance of high-quality visual effects that many moviegoers now take for granted. Written and directed by the late Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey was about the evolution of man from a being that hardly resembles a current-day human, to a being that is able to develop technology so complex that it allowed for deep space travel and exploration. 2001: A Space Odyssey is widely renowned as one of the most awe-inspiring and influential films ever made. The computer that takes up residence in this film, Hal 9000, is an artificially intelligent supercomputer that administers many of the operations of the Discovery One mission for Jupiter in the film. Hal 9000 is lauded as omnipotent and, in its own words, ?foolproof and incapable of error.? Turns out, this is not the case, and Hal 9000 begins to sabotage the mission by first murdering the scientists in cryogenic hibernation, and then soon after Dr. Frank Poole, leaving Dr. David Bowman as the only surviving member of the mission team. After some harrowing moments where ?Dave? is briefly exposed to the vacuum of space, he disables Hal in one of the most dramatic moments of the film. In essence, HAL 9000 is portrayed as the antagonist of that part of the film, and his destruction acts as the effective commentary that Kubrick and Clarke (who wrote the movie) had designed. This kind of technology, despite the title, is still not currently available, as people are lukewarm (at best) about the development of computer entities that are programmed omnipotent. WarGames (1983)In John Hughes? immensely popular Ferris Bueller?s Day Off, one of the central themes was how Ferris was able to manipulate the school principal, Mr. Rooney with the use of a computer and other technologies of the day. Another film starring Matthew Broderick, WarGames, makes our list. The use of technology in this movie sets the tone for the age of the personal computer and the dangers of relying on technology to manage core functions of national defense. WarGames is about a high school student, David Lightman, who begins the movie by dialing into his school?s network and changing his and a female classmate?s grades using his IMSAI 8080 microcomputer. From there he begins using that technology to dial into computers of a video game developer, searching for a way to play games. He finds […]
An employee?s personal device is loaded with productivity apps. It has the potential to streamline their workday and improve communications and collaboration with coworkers. However, an employee?s smartphone or tablet also comes loaded with apps like YouTube, Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, and all the other wonderful distractions of the Internet. Additionally, these devices can have games, which essentially turn them into portable game consoles similar to a Nintendo 3DS or Playstation Vita. As an employer, you would be quick to ban an employee from using their Gameboy at their desk. Likewise, a worker with Candy Crush on their smartphone is just as bad. Take for example a report by the Evolving Workforce Research that found: Nearly 60 percent of employees feel work would be more enjoyable if they had a say in the technologies they used, while 60 percent feel they would be more productive with better IT resources (like BYOD). It?s statistics like this that mobile device manufacturers love to latch onto in order to move their product under the guise of ?These devices will make your staff more productive.? But if you look closely at this statistic, it says that 60 percent of employees feel like they would be more productive if they were allowed to use a device of their choosing. Having a productivity tool and using said tool for productivity are two completely different things. How many of us purchased a sweet piece of exercise equipment because we felt like it would improve our health, but after we got it assembled it ended up being used as a coat rack? BYOD works the same way. Just because an employee has every intention to bring their device into work for the purpose of being more productive, doesn?t mean they won?t get distracted by the device because they’re stuck on level fifteen of Candy Crush Saga. When you peel back the layers of feelings and good intentions associated with BYOD, you?ll discover studies where increased levels of productivity are actually seen. Like this one from Cisco: BYOD-ers save an average of 37 minutes per week with BYOD as it is currently implemented in their companies. The United States leads by far in terms of current productivity gains per BYOD user, with 81 minutes per week, followed by the United Kingdom at 51 minutes. In both of these countries, BYOD-ers posted impressive gains by working more efficiently and being more available to their colleagues and managers. With this study, we seem to be getting somewhere by having hard proof that BYOD actually improves employee productivity by freeing up precious minutes every week. Okay, now here?s the million dollar question: Will an employee use these extra minutes afforded to them by BYOD to get more work done for your company? Or, will they say to themselves, ?Alright! Now I?ve got extra time to put towards Candy Crush!? One aspect of BYOD that every business owner needs to be aware of is the fact that increasing the number of devices in your office will increase the number of network access points needing to be managed. Therefore, increased security measures must accompany the implication of BYOD for your business, which is an effort that may or may not offset the productivity gained by these mobile devices. In the same way that BYOD requires […]
Office burnout is similar to the physical term, ?exhaustion.? You do too much, and it has a mental effect on how you work and behave. Just like any other illness, it?s important to take measures to prevent it. Otherwise, you risk a full-on epidemic, and before you know it, you won?t be the only one suffering. There are several ways you can cut down on working yourself to the bone: Mini-breaks. Careful use of sick and vacation time. Physical activity. Getting enough sleep. Getting along with co-workers. Shorter commutes. Short Breaks are the Best BreaksInc. recommends business professionals take breaks every twenty minutes. It might sound like a lot of breaks, but honestly, you do it to yourself subconsciously anyway, even if it doesn?t feel like it. Instead of staring at Facebook for a minute or two, get up and move around. Physical movement is good for you, and taking a break from your computer monitor will feel like a micro-vacation. Don?t Waste Sick Days on Not-Sick DaysA lot of employees will call in sick due to stress or other personal issues. Don?t be one of them. If you come in and you?re not mentally rested, your work quality will suffer. Save your sick days for when you?re actually feeling sick. The same can be said about your vacation time. Do you really think you?ll be able to take it all at once in some glamorous trip? That sure would be nice; but, in all likelihood, it probably won?t happen. Try and plan out when you think you?ll need a break, and take vacation days accordingly. Light Physical Fitness Never Hurt Anyone? MuchA great way to spend your mini-breaks is to get your blood pumping with some light exercise. There are a variety of exercises perfect for the office, such as leg lifts and stretches. These can help keep your body physically fit (because sitting down all day certainly doesn?t help). You can even get some light weights to carry around, which will help keep your muscles active even while at work. It?s been scientifically proven that when you feel better about yourself, you perform better in the workplace, so take advantage of any little bit you can. Get a Good Night?s SleepObviously, rest is an essential part of staying healthy, both physically and mentally. You should aim to hit the hay at a decent time that will let you wake up naturally without an alarm clock, but sometimes that?s easier said than done, especially when you?re trying out a new sleep schedule. Start by going to bed earlier and earlier every night, then keep progressing until you are waking up naturally at the desired time. You should still set an alarm clock, as even the body can make mistakes. Keep in mind that the goal here is not to oversleep, but to ensure that you get enough rest, as sleepless nights can lead to illness and injury. Play Nice with OthersIt should go without saying that you should treat others how you would like to be treated, but sometimes gossip and a tense environment can lead to unintended circumstances. A negative workplace saps the energy out of your very being, so it?s in everyone?s best interests to create the best working environment possible. If you like who you work […]
Don’t be Afraid to Replace Got an older PC that’s causing you a lot of issues? Older technology is typically more expensive to run, and after a while, it’s cheaper to simply buy a new desktop than it is to continue pouring money into something that always seems broken. It’s a great time to buy workstations, and if things are tight you can even buy refurbished desktops to keep costs low. Enforce Energy Efficiency If you reduce the amount of energy your technology uses each day, your utility bill from the electric company will decrease as well. Switching to LCD monitors (if you are still using old CRT dinosaurs), and enforcing company-wide policies to turn off monitors or put workstations to sleep at night can make a big difference. Stop Dealing with Vendors You hired your employees to work, not sit on the phone with a PC manufacturer because your hard drive crashed. Businesses waste money by paying employees to go around in circles with vendor tech support all the time. IT firms like White Mountain IT Services build relationships with vendors and are able to get things done faster. This means issues get resolved quickly and your employees don’t need to deal with less-than-helpful support. Stop Paying your Phone Bill Yes, you heard us right. Cease paying your phone company by switching over to a VoIP solution instead. Small businesses save up to 80% on their telephone communication expenses, so the investment pays for itself quickly. Many VoIP systems allow your users to take their phone and use it anywhere, giving you increased flexibility and functionality. Get Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance Nearly all day-to-day IT issues can be completely prevented with just a little bit of maintenance. White Mountain IT Services offers these services to our clients, reducing the amount of downtime they experience. Traditional computer support only fix computer issues when they arise. White Mountain IT Services provides proactive monitoring and maintenance to ensure fewer issues plague your business.
Let’s look at the definition of disaster. dis?as?ter A calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship, as a flood, airplane crash, or business failure. To White Mountain IT Services, a disaster is anything that involves a major loss of data or major downtime. When one of our clients experience a server malfunction that leaves most employees sitting idle unable to work, that is a disaster. The Cost of a Disaster Downtime is a very terrible expense to not try to avoid. Try this simple formula for yourself: Number of Employees Affected by an IT Outage X Average Employee Hourly Cost (NOT WAGES)+ Average Company Hourly Income X Percentage of Income Lost Due to the IT Outage This simple formula will tell you about how expensive every hour of downtime is for your company. The hardest value in the formula is understanding the percentage of income lost. Not all companies might have a figure, but you will want to consider it as you do the math. This doesn’t include the cost of repair, consultation, parts, or any of the remediation required to get things back up and running. Disaster’s Harbinger Disaster can strike from any direction. Hard drives can go, data can be corrupted, hardware can fail, and networks can go down, and systems can become infected with viruses and malware. User error can cause disaster, as well as theft and other malevolent activity. While companies should take precautions to safeguard themselves against threats both external and internal, and managed maintenance can prevent a lot of foreboding issues, having a solid disaster recovery plan can mean faster turnaround when there is devastating downtime. Employing a disaster recovery plan starts with the data – your most important IT asset. Computers can be replaced, hardware can be repurchased and software can be reinstalled. Your data is the culmination of countless hours of work by all of your employees ever. It’s no wonder why most businesses that suffer a major data loss go out of business within the first year. You can lose your credibility, and things go into disarray. Data needs to be backed up. Your backed up data should be archived regularly offsite. Most importantly, your backup solution needs to be easy to test, and tested regularly. You don’t want to find out your backups are corrupted when it is too late. The time to put together your company’s disaster recovery solution is now. Contact White Mountain IT Services at (603) 889-0800 to talk about solutions for safeguarding your data and your business in the event of a disaster, large or small.
