10 Time-Saving Tips For The Busy Blogger

There is a defined process to creating a successful blog even after writing and publishing your articles. You must take time to promote your content and be prompt in responding to comments from your readers. After that, the whole process starts over again and it’s time to write your next post. Sometimes we wish we can just wave a magic wand and new content magically appears, but unfortunately that’s not how it works.
Unless you can afford to hire your own writers similar to large publishing companies, you’ll have to do it all yourself. Consistency is key if you want to be successful and earn a living from blogging. Don’t worry though. Here are some time saving tips that can help you write with more efficiency and be more productive.

1. Have A Specific Place To Store Your Ideas

One of the biggest challenges most writers encounter is thinking of ideas and topics to write about. Writer’s block is common to most bloggers. Ideas often come to us at unexpected times and in unusual ways. Ideas can come to us while taking a walk, playing video games or even chatting with friends.
Having a place to store your ideas is important.

Either have a little notebook handy or use a notes app on your smartphone to capture your ideas. Write down any ideas that come to mind. Don’t be concerned about the relevance or quality, just get your raw ideas written down. Later on you can go back and review and edit your ideas to help you finalize your next blog topics.

2. Create A Content Plan

Aside from writing down ideas, take time to create a content plan. Your content plan should be in the form of a calendar. It is where you will track types of post you will create and when you will publish each one. You should also note your promotional strategy in your content plan for each post you publish.
By updating your plan on a regular basis, it will help you be more productive and be more consistent in creating and publishing your content.

3. Create An Outline For Each New Post

Once you have figured out the title and have written the introduction for your article, the next step is to create an outline. This is especially helpful for articles that are in a list format. Creating an outline will help you shape the flow of your content, making writing your post easier to complete.
After creating your outline, tackle the most difficult part of your article first. I find this method works well to keep my writing process on track.

4. Schedule Time To Write

Have you ever sat in front of your computer and just stared at an empty screen? Don’t worry. You are not alone. The best way to tackle this problem is to schedule time for yourself to write. Pick times when you feel most creative and alert.
Choose a time when you’re likely to experience the least distractions. Some people write better in the morning, while others write better at night. Make sure you stick to your schedule and make it a habit.

5. Remove Distractions

When you have set up your writing schedule, the next thing you need to do is eliminate all distractions. Turn off the television, close your email client and log off your social networks. By removing distractions you can better focus and be more in the creative zone.
Writing requires a lot of concentration. You want your words to flow naturally. Don’t let those seemingly little distractions derail you from creating great content.

6. Use A Timer Or Set A Deadline

Another effective trick is to set a deadline for yourself. Let’s say it takes you two hours to write and edit a blog post. Set yourself a deadline and stick to it. The time you allow yourself will depend on the kind of article you’re writing and your overall writing skills. The key here is discipline.
I know some friends who even use a timer. This tool is a great way to get you hustling and more focused on the writing task at hand.

7. After You’re Done Writing, Take Time To Edit

Have you tried writing your article and editing it at the same time? It doesn’t work very well. I know this is hard for some writers to understand, but it is something that is important if you want to create well written content. The main reason for this approach is to give yourself the opportunity to truly focus on just writing and to let your thoughts flow.
Constantly stopping to edit will just distract you and derail your train of thought. Don’t stop to check grammar or spelling until you are done writing your first draft.

8. Fact Check, Create Your Tags and Add Photos

After editing your work for grammatical and spelling errors, the next step is to do your fact checking and add meta tags. At this point you can also add images that will complement your article. By doing these activities in batches, you save time and can concentrate on actually writing your post. Establishing a defined, repeatable workflow is key for maximum productivity.

9. Back Up Your Site

Imagine you wake up one morning and your blog is gone. All your work has disappeared. One key step that most bloggers tend to miss is backing up their website or blog. Do not wait for your site to get hacked or infected with malware before implementing a back-up strategy.
If you are unsure of how to go about backing up your blog, hire a professional to do it for you. Being prepared will save you significant money, time and aggravation in the event that something bad happens.

10. Use Analytics To Avoid Guess Work

Aside from using the comments and social-sharing statistics to help judge how well your content is resonating, you may want to look at implementing more formal analytics. If you struggle with analysis (finding which topics your readers like and share the most), the best thing to do is implement Google Analytics on your site to eliminate the guess work.

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Tips And Tricks For Writing Fast (And Professionally!)

1. Freestyle Writing

To be honest, I hate this method. I’m one of those annoying writers who edits as I write. It just works better for me. I’m able to form better sentences, find my flow and generally write better if I take my time with it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make for fast writing, and just because I hate free style writing, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

If you’re pressed for time and really want get some writing done, open up a fresh Microsoft Word document, and start typing. Don’t worry about how it will sound, whether your sentences are grammatically correct or even if they make any sense. Don’t look at the clock. Get it all written.
Editing and cleaning up copy in 10 minutes is more than enough for you to produce a quality article. So you see, there’s really no magic here, you just let your brain has more freedom, and it rewards you a completed work. Fast and practical.

2. Set a Timer

I know a lot of people who don’t like setting a timer and writing till it goes off. However, I don’t know anyone for whom this hasn’t worked. So go ahead and try it. Set a timer for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, then sit in front of your computer and start writing. It’s okay if you can’t think of anything to write and you might be just staring at a blank screen. It’s totally fine.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

Chances are that as your timer starts to run out, your brain will jump-start and your fingers will start flying on their own. Like what I wrote earlier, it doesn’t have to be pretty and it doesn’t have to make sense. It just needs to be written! You can pretty it up later.
Once you timer is off, step away from your computer – even if you’re on a roll. Leave your brain wanting for more. If the timer proved ineffective in jump-starting your writing then take a break and come back to it later.
Your timer doesn’t have to be a clock. You can write after you’ve put a few cookies to bake in the oven and use that as your timer. Stop when the oven dings and treat yourself a cookie. After all, you deserve it! My personal favorite timer is the train. I write every time I use the metro and have no choice but to stop and take a break when the train arrived at the station. And let me tell you, my fingers fly as the train is about to reach the station. Suddenly I have so much to say!

3. Turning Off Spell Checker

One thing that really bugs me is seeing a red-underlined error while writing in Microsoft Word. I mean can’t it tell that this is my first draft? That it doesn’t need to be perfect right now? That right now, at this very moment, it just needs to be written?

Well, apparently it can’t. So if you’re one of those writers who get bugged by the spell checker, you need to turn it off. For Microsoft Word 2010, you can simply click on the dark blue tab on the top left side of the software, then click on the Option > Proofing, and uncheck “Check spelling as you type“.
You can also uncheck any other option that will interrupt your writing process, such as “Mark grammar errors as you type”. You can check all these errors later by click on the Review > Spelling & Grammar Check, which the options are existed on the top bar of the software. By doing this, you will find that your idea will flow more naturally and writing will be more comfortable.

4. Turning Off Backspace

Ever had one of those sentences which you typed, then you feel it’s bad, then you pressed backspace about a hundred times, just to delete it? Yeah, I had the similar experience. What’s worse is that after I’ve pressed the backspace key a hundred times, I realize that my original sentence was fine.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

To avoid pressing the backspace key for unnecessary changes, you need to make a determination to not touch the backspace key and stick to it. If you make a mistake, whether it’s a spelling mistake or a grammatical mistake, just move on.
If you manage to not hit the backspace key while writing, chances are you’re going to end up with some word combinations which have the potential to be composed into epic phrases that you might use after all.

5. Do Research Before Writing

One of the fastest ways to write is to stop the urge to check on your facts or refer to information for accuracy. Before you sit down to write, make sure you’ve done all your research and are well versed in it. This way all you have to do is write without stopping. Everything is already there in your head – you just need to put it down in writing to make sense of it all.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

Research before writing will also stop unnecessary actions like reading off-topic articles while you are writing. You might be even tempted to see certain Youtube video for “research” purpose and boom… another day well spent with nothing but procrastination completed. Surely we need inspiration from different kind of sources, but not for the time when you need to write fast.

6. Write Outline

This is absolutely my favorite tip for writing fast. Think about what you want to write, then outline it. If it’s an article, jot down the subheadings. If it’s a web copy, write down the points you want to cover. The process is pretty much the same for any writing you need to get done.
If you prefer, you can also write more detailed outline for easier writing later. Give some keywords to every topic or even paragraph in the article. Surprisingly this action will possibly spawn more ideas for you in the writing stage later. Most importantly, once you have the outline, writing will be a breeze and doesn’t take much time. Before you know it, the work is done!

7. Get a Writing Buddy

If nothing seems to be working, then teaming up with a writing buddy/partner is your best bet. A writing buddy holds you accountable, watches the clock for you and even writes with you.

(Image Source: Fotolia)

If you have a lot of writing to do or have a big project that needs to get done, partnering up with a writing buddy is going to keep you motivated and on track with your deadline.
Your writing buddy doesn’t necessarily need to be your friend. They just need to check in with you to see if you’re doing what you have decided to do. Set a few ground rules before starting. What time will you check in with each other? How will you compare notes? Will you exchange each other’s work and provide feedback?
For me, the best writing buddy is one who has to do some writing of his/her own. This way, it’s a two-way thing and I’m not just getting help but I’m helping someone too.

What About Writing Professionally?

Your writing can’t be professional if it’s not written at first. Concentrate on getting it written first, then spend a few minutes revising, editing and generally prettying it up. You’ll notice that there are really not much differences between the speed writing and the common writing, as you’ve done the research, wrote the outline, and edited the article to make it professional. You just took another approach which costs you less time.
So get it written first, then make it professional. Use these tips and tricks regularly and you’ll find yourself doing lesser editing with time, while enjoying more on writing great articles! Also do let us know your personal favorite tricks for writing fast and professionally!

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Power Cover keyboard accessory for Surface to include built-in batte

Microsoft is said to be working on a new keyboard cover accessory for Surface Pro, Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 that will ship later this year. Known tentatively as the Power Cover, it will include an integrated battery and a new connector style that won’t be compatible with the original Surface RT.

Sources claim the Power Cover will be a tad bit thicker than existing Type Covers and will weigh more than twice as much at 1.1 pounds. The internal battery won’t be used to power the keyboard but will instead serve as a supplemental power source for the tablet. When the Surface is connected to a power source, it will share the charging juice with the cover.

It will be available in a variety of colors and should launch shortly after the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 later this year. It will provide a Type Cover-like typing experience, we’re told, but unfortunately there’s no word yet on exactly how much extra battery life it will provide for the slates. At least one source says it will significantly enhance battery life, so that’s promising.

Details regarding the Surface Pro 2 leaked onto the web earlier this week including the revelation that it will ship with a Haswell-based Core i5 processor. In addition to a slight performance boost, Haswell is said to offer up an additional two hours of battery life which will bring the total closer to the seven hour mark. Sources also claim the Surface Pro 2 will get a boost in system memory up to 8GB.

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The Best CPU Coolers: 10-Way Roundup

AMD may not be getting as much enthusiast love as it used to, but the company's APU range is still where it's at for home theater-style systems, so I didn't hesitate to pick one up for a new compact media-streaming box recently. Unfortunately, while the chip was a relatively powerful yet affordable solution for playing 1080p content, it was surprisingly loud -- we're talking enough noise that I thought something was wrong with my power supply. Upon inspection, it wasn't the PSU and nothing was wrong per se, the stock AMD cooler was just being obnoxious, especially for a living room setup.

I thought I could get away with slowing the CPU fan in the BIOS, but that caused a drastic temperature spike and left me seeking a more elaborate solution. It's one that proved to be relatively simple: the Xigmatek Janus, a small heatsink and fan combo for Mini-ITX systems.

Strangely enough, that very same day I found myself facing another CPU cooler problem while building a Sandy Bridge-E rig with my friend. Having bought all the parts, we discovered that the Core i7-3820 processor didn't come with a cooler. Instead, Intel sells its heatsink/fan separately for $30. Although I knew he'd need a cooler, I wasn't prepared to answer my buddy's question when he asked which model to purchase.

It had been years since our last CPU cooler roundup so my knowledge was a little dated.

With the recent arrival of Ivy Bridge-E (see our Core i7-4960X review), I felt it was a good time to check out the latest aftermarket coolers. The new chip is fully compatible with Sandy Bridge-E/EP's LGA2011 socket. We contacted all the major players and received 10 heatsinks to test including units from Noctua, Thermalright, Xigmatek, Silverstone and Thermaltake.

Noctua NH-U14S & NH-U12S

The Noctua NH-U14S and NH-U12S are among the most recently released coolers in this roundup. Whereas the NH-U12S comes with with the renowned NF-F12 120mm fan and succeeds the popular NH-U12P SE2, the NH-U14S is the series' first 140mm model and uses the new NF-A15 140mm fan.

Both models have a new slim design that ensures easy RAM access and maximum compatibility with tall modules. They feature PWM fans for convenient automatic speed control through the motherboard, but you can also lower the maximum fan speed from 1500 to 1200 RPM using a supplied low-noise adapter.

Noctua NH-U12S

With a fin depth of only 45mm, the NH-U12S doesn't overhang the DIMM slots and wouldn't even with two fans installed. Its slim profile provides full access to the memory on motherboards with all modern processor sockets and guarantees total compatibility with tall heatspreaders or optional memory fans.

Without fans, the heatsink measures 158H x 125W x 45D mm. With a 120mm blower attached, the cooler measures 71mm deep and weighs 755 grams. The heatsink features nickel plating and a copper base with five double heatpipes that extend up into an array of aluminum fins.

Along with a heatsink, the package includes one Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan that uses SSO2 (self-stabilizing oil-pressure bearing) bearing technology. If you're unfamiliar with the feature, it combines oil-based hydrodynamic bearings with an additional magnet that supports rotor axis' self-stabilization.

With a stabilized axis, SSO fans last longer than ball, sleeve or hydrodynamic solutions. SSO2, of course, is the technology's second-generation. It comes courtesy of metal bearing shells as well as new injection molding techniques and moves the magnet closer to the axis for even more stabilization and durability. 

The fan is designed to operate at between 300 and 1500 RPM while the low-noise adapter that we mentioned earlier can cap the maximum RPM at 1200.

The Noctua NH-U12S comes with the SecuFirm2 mounting kit which allows for installation on the Intel LGA2011, LGA1156, LGA1155, LGA1150 & AMD AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2 (backplate required) platforms. At $70, the NH-U12S isn't exactly cheap, but premium parts rarely are.

Noctua NH-U14S

The NH-U14S is the NH-U12S's big brother, featuring a very similar design, just on a grander scale. The larger model features a 52mm design (15% larger than the NH-U12S) that is tailor-made for the LGA2011 platform. As a result, it doesn't interfere with the DIMM slots on this platform.

It's bigger in the other directions too at 165H x 150W and it weighs 770g alone -- more than the NH-U12S with its fan mounted. With the NF-A15 PWM fan installed, the cooler measures 78mm deep and weighs 935g.

Like its smaller sibling, the NH-U14S heatsink features a copper base, nickel plating and soldered joints, but it has six double heatpipes rather than five. Meanwhile, the NF-A15 PWM fan features the same SSO2 technology that we noted above, while a noise adapter identical to the NH-U12S' is also included.

Both the NH-U12S and NH-U14S are backed by a six-year warranty, which should ensure they make it through the life of the platform they are installed on. Speaking of which, the NH-U14S also touts the same platform support as the smaller NH-U12S and as far as we can tell, it only costs slightly more at $75.

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New Facebook flap: Your face in some product's ad

A proposed Facebook policy that would allow your picture to be used in a product or store's ad on the site has privacy groups united in opposition.

Executives from six public interest groups on Wednesday signed a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, asking that the agency block the practice.

"Facebook (FB) users who reasonably believed that their images and content would not be used for commercial purposes without their consent will now find their pictures showing up on the pages of their friends endorsing the products of Facebook's advertisers," said the letter. "Remarkably, their images could even be used by Facebook to endorse products that the user does not like or even use."

Facebook reached a $20 million settlement last week in a class action suit brought by those who argued it did not have enough privacy protections.

Facebook said the proposed policy was in response to that settlement. It said it would listen to comments over a 7-day period that ends Thursday, and that it would consider feedback before adopting the changes.

In response to questions about the objections, Facebook said Thursday that it has not changed its ad practices or policies, and that it is only making things clearer for people who use the service. It said it wants to make clear that you are granting Facebook permission for this use when you use its services.

Related: Facebook's mobile business triples

But Jeffrey Chester, executive director for the Center for Digital Democracy and one of the signers of the letter, said the new policy opens the door for even greater user of user's data.

"It requires 'Alice in Wonderland' logic to see this as anything but a major setback for the privacy rights of Facebook users," said the group's letter. The group is particularly upset because it said it makes it easier to use the images of minors who use the site.

Related: Zuckerberg's dream of 5 billion Internet users

Chester said Facebook unveiled the new rules on the eve of the Labor Day holiday in hopes it could be put in place before the FTC and public had a chance to object. But the comments from users at the bottom of the page announcing the changes were overwhelmingly negative.

"Send me ads, fine. Use my photos or posts in ads, I'm out of here," wrote Margo Kelly, one of the Facebook users posting a comment.

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9 Cloud Operating System You Can Try Out For Free

1. ZeroPC

ZeroPC offers you 1GB of free storage and lets you to connect cloud storage services like Box, DropBox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, SugarSync and 4Shared for access to your paperwork. ZeroPC is also available on the Android, iPhone and iPad, giving you access while on the go.

For photo lovers, it is also a great "photo management tool", linking photo & video services like Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, PhotoBucket, Picasa and Recood. Plus, it also has native apps for instant messaging, a text editor as well as productivity tools for managing documents and spreadsheets online.

2. Jolicloud

Jolicloud offers you Joli OS, which you can download and install in your system (even if it’s 10 years old) or use it in the browser. Joli OS provides you with the full cloud experience – keep and use your favorite apps any time, any where. Jolicloud has over 15,000 web apps you can access using the system.

You can integrate your DropBox and Google Drive accounts with Jolicloud and there is also a ‘Jolicloud Me’ version where you can manage all of your online life at a single place Jolicloud Me currently supports Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Picasa, Tumblr and Twitter.

3. Glide OS

Glide OS is a good choice if you’re collaborating for a group project. Glide team offers 30GB of free storage and you can add a total of 6 users in your account. The OS is not very pretty but is quite useful; it has additional features like email and profiles as well as basic tools like Calendar, Notes, Text editor, Presentation maker, etc required for your paperwork.

Glide also provides a syncing software for Windows, Mac OS and Linux so that you can easily sync your files between Glide HD (they call it the Glide Hard Disk) and your local storage. They also have browser extensions and a mobile version.

4. SilveOS

SilveOS is a cloud operating system built on Silverlight. You can run it in any browser with Silverlight installed. It has many built-in apps which let you write, listen to music, make notes, and even play Solitaire. You can also install Silverlight apps from the web in SilveOS.

It, however, doesn’t provide any storage so it’s not the best Cloud OS for long term work. But it’s a handy tool if you often work on computers that is not yours like the office computer or at cyber cafes.

5. ISpaces Cloud Computer

iSpaces has only the basic features for you to manage your work like Browser, File manager, Notes, Office suite (Zoho office), etc. It also has 3 Workspaces accessible from the task bar. t lets you keep your working environments organized with quick access from one Workspace to the other.

You can work on your files from Box and DropBox using the file manager. iSpaces has a simple environment for you to access your files on Box and DropBox in the same view, and you can move your files from one space to another just by drag and drop. The changes will be reflected in your respective cloud storage accounts.

6. Cloudo

Although in beta stage, Cloudo is an interesting operating system built to run in your browser. It is packed with apps like Mail, Calendar, Audio Player, RSS reader, Contact manager, Word processor, Notepad, Command Line Interpreter, Finder (to search files) etc. It provides a good interface like an operating system where you can run commands, install apps, play music etc.

It handle multi-tasking quite efficiently and let you do your tasks efficiently. It also offers an Application Manager which you can use to install more apps in your Cloudo.

7. XOS

xOS doesn’t provide a lot of customization options but they do provide a good collection of apps for personal use. It offers Web browser, File manager, Text editor, Notes, Calendar, Paint, Email client, and Canvas Rider (a bicycle game) among others.

8. ZimDesk

ZimDesk is a cloud operating system full of apps and features. It has got Custom wallpapers, Office Suite, Contact Manager, RSS reader, Calendar, Mail client, FTP client, File uploader and manager etc.

9. The Places A

It’s an another cloud operating system which offers basic apps like Radio, Calendar, File manager, Bookmark manager, Notes, Email client, etc. You can add web apps to it as links which will be opened in new tabs. It also supports Instant messaging between its users.

Cloud OS is unique in the sense that you can have all your documents, designs, music, personal files, photos and videos kept online and accessible via a virtual working environment. Great for busy people who are always on the go, travelling to different places, working on different computers or mobile devices. Working on a Cloud OS, all you need is an Internet connection and you’re all set.

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10 Upcoming Technology That May Change The World

1. Google Glass

Augmented Reality has already gotten into our life in the forms of simulated experiment and education app, but Google is taking it several steps higher with Google Glass. Theoretically, with Google Glass, you are able to view social media feeds, text, Google Maps, as well as navigate with GPS and take photos. You will also get the latest updates while you are on the ground.

(Image Source: YouTube)

It’s truly what we called vision, and it’s absolutely possible given the fact that the Google’s co-founder, Sergey Brin has demo’ed the glass with skydivers and creatives. Currently the device is only available to some developers with the price tag of $1500, but expect other tech companies trying it out and building an affordable consumer version.

2. Form 1

Just as the term suggests, 3D printing is the technology that could forge your digital design into a solid real-life product. It’s nothing new for the advanced mechanical industry, but a personal 3D printer is definitely a revolutionary idea.

Everybody can create their own physical product based on their custom design, and no approval needed from any giant manufacturer! Even the James Bond’s Aston Martin which was crashed in the movie was a 3D printed product!

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

Form 1 is one such personal 3D printer which can be yours at just $2799. It may sound like a high price but to have the luxury of getting producing your own prototypes, that’s a reaonable price.

Imagine a future where every individual professional has the capability to mass produce their own creative physical products without limitation. This is the future where personal productivity and creativity are maximized.

3. Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality gaming is here in the form of Oculus Rift. This history-defining 3D headset lets you mentally feel that you are actually inside a video game. In the Rift’s virtual world, you could turn your head around with ultra-low latency to view the world in high resolution display.

There are premium products in the market that can do the same, but Rift wants you to enjoy the experience at only $300, and the package even comes as a development kit. This is the beginning of the revolution for next-generation gaming.

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

The timing is perfect as the world is currently bombarded with the virtual reality topic that could also be attributed to Sword Art Online, the anime series featuring the characters playing games in an entirely virtual world. While we’re getting there, it could take a few more years to reach that level of realism. Oculus Rift is our first step.

4. Leap Motion

Multi-touch desktop is a (miserably) failed product due to the fact that hands could get very tired with prolonged use, but Leap Motion wants to challenge this dark area again with a more advanced idea. It lets you control the desktop with fingers, but without touching the screen.

(Image Source: Leap Motion)

It’s not your typical motion sensor, as Leap Motion allows you to scroll the web page, zoom in the map and photos, sign documentss and even play a first person shooter game with only hand and finger movements. The smooth reaction is the most crucial key point here. More importantly, you can own this future with just $70, a price of a premium PS3 game title!

If this device could completely work with Oculus Rift to simulate a real-time gaming experience, gaming is going to get a major make-over.

5. Eye Tribe

Eye tracking has been actively discussed by technology enthusiasts throughout these years, but it’s really challenging to implement. But Eye Tribe actually did this. They successfully created the technology to allow you to control your tablet, play flight simulator, and even slice fruits in Fruit Ninja only with your eye movements.

(Image Source: Eye Tribe)

It’s basically taking the common eye-tracking technology and combining it with a front-facing camera plus some serious computer-vision algorithm, and voila, fruit slicing done with the eyes! A live demo was done in LeWeb this year and we may actually be able to see it in in action in mobile devices in 2013.

Currently the company is still seeking partnership to bring this sci-fi tech into the consumer market but you and I know that this product is simply too awesome to fail.

6. SmartThings

The current problem that most devices have is that they function as a standalone being, and it require effort for tech competitors to actually partner with each other and build products that can truly connect with each other. SmartThings is here to make your every device, digital or non-digital, connect together and benefit you.

(Image Source: Kickstarter)

With SmartThings you can get your smoke alarms, humidity, pressure and vibration sensors to detect changes in your house and alert you through your smartphone! Imagine the possibilities with this.

You could track who’s been inside your house, turn on the lights while you’re entering a room, shut windows and doors when you leave the house, all with the help of something that only costs $500! Feel like a tech lord in your castle with this marvel.

7. Firefox OS

iOS and Android are great, but they each have their own rules and policies that certainly inhibit the creative efforts of developers. Mozilla has since decided to build a new mobile operating system from scratch, one that will focus on true openness, freedom and user choice. It’s Firefox OS.

Firefox OS is built on Gonk, Gecko and Gaia software layers – for the rest of us, it means it is built on open source, and it carries web technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3.

(Image Source: Mozilla)

Developers can create and debut web apps without the blockade of requirements set by app stores, and users could even customize the OS based on their needs. Currently the OS has made its debut on Android-compatible phones, and the impression so far, is great.

You can use the OS to do essential tasks you do on iOS or Android: calling friends, browsing web, taking photos, playing games, they are all possible on Firefox OS, set to rock the smartphone market.

8. Project Fiona

Meet the first generation of the gaming tablet. Razer’s Project Fiona is a serious gaming tablet built for hardcore gaming. Once it’s out, it will be the frontier for the future tablets, as tech companies might want to build their own tablets, dedicated towards gaming, but for now Fiona is the only possible one that will debut in 2013.

(Image Source: Razer™)

This beast features next generation Intel® Core i7 processor geared to render all your favorite PC games, all at the palm of your hands. Crowned as the best gaming accessories manufacturer, Razer clearly knows how to build user experience straight into the tablet, and that means 3-axis gyro, magnetometer, accelerometer and full-screen user interface supporting multi-touch. My body and soul are ready.

9. Parallella

Parallella is going to change the way that computers are made, and Adapteva offers you chance to join in on this revolution. Simply put, it’s a supercomputer for everyone. Basically, an energy-efficient computer built for processing complex software simultaneously and effectively. Real-time object tracking, holographic heads-up display, speech recognition will become even stronger and smarter with Parallella.

(Image Source: YouTube)

The project has been successfully funded so far, with an estimated delivery date of February 2013. For a mini supercomputer, the price seems really promising since it’s magically $99! It’s not recommended for the non-programmer and non-Linux user, but the kit is loaded with development software to create your personal projects.

I never thought the future of computing could be kick-started with just $99, which is made possible using crowdfunding platforms.

10. Google Driverless Car

I could still remember the day I watch the iRobot as a teen, and being skeptical about my brother’s statement that one day, the driverless car will become reality. And it’s now a reality, made possible by… a search engine company, Google.

While the data source is still a secret recipe, the Google driverless car is powered by artificial intelligence that utilizes the input from the video cameras inside the car, a sensor on the vehicle’s top, and some radar and position sensors attached to different positions of the car. Sounds like a lot of effort to mimic the human intelligence in a car, but so far the system has successfully driven 1609 kilometres without human commands!

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

“You can count on one hand the number of years it will take before ordinary people can experience this.” Google co-founder, Sergey Brin said. However, innovation is an achievement, consumerization is the headache, as Google currently face the challenge to forge the system into an affordable gem that every worker with an average salary could benefit from.

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Salesforce realizes nobody wants to store their files in Salesforce

A year ago at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff dropped some big news: Salesforce was getting into file sharing, taking on competitors like Box with a new product called Chatterbox.
Turned out that wasn't really true. Chatterbox was an add-on feature to Chatter, Salesforce's news feed (think of it like Facebook for salespeople). It allowed users to place files from their local hard drives into the Chatter news stream so that other Salesforce users could read them on any device. But in conjunction with an earlier product called Chatter Files, which let Chatter users upload files for collaboration, it seemed like Salesforce was trying to get people to use Chatter to store and work on files, rather than relying on third-party repositories like Box.
Never mind.
[ Also on CITEworld: How Google Apps helped this company double in size overnight ]
Today, Salesforce is killing the Chatterbox name and instead subsuming its functionality into a new feature called Salesforce Files. It's different from previous Salesforce file-sharing efforts in several critical ways:

• It works with third-party file repositories, both on-premises (like SharePoint or Documentum) and cloud-based (like Dropbox or Box). To achieve this, Salesforce used technology it gained in the February 2013 acquisition of EntropySoft, which had built direct connectors to these repositories using their APIs. For repositories without direct APIs, Salesforce is relying on the CMIS standard.
• Files don't have to be stored in Salesforce. Instead, Salesforce will contain read-only links or pointers to files in other repositories. Access will be read-only -- a user will be able to see a PowerPoint presentation stored in SharePoint that her business partner has shared via Salesforce, but she won't be able to edit it unless she downloads it to her device and opens it in a third-party app (likeQuickOfficeon the iPhone, for instance).
• It doesn't require Chatter, but it will be available from within other Salesforce products.
• It will also be available to third-party applications built on the Salesforce Force platform.

The product enters beta today and will supposedly be out in February 2014, so there are still some areas that seem like they need a lot more fleshing out. In particular, Salesforce said Files would rely on permissions inherited from the other repositories -- for example, users who have permission to access a particular SharePoint folder will have permission to access that folder in Salesforce Files, too. But this seems to require Active Directory Federation Services, which is not trivial to set up; support for third-party identity brokers like Ping and Okta will come later on.
Salesforce Chatter executive vide president Nasi Jazayeri also told reporters that Files will eventually offer read-write access to files, but it wasn't clear which repositories would support this or what the timeline would be for this feature.
At any rate, the takeaway is that Salesforce no longer expects to be an alternate repository for files. Instead, it's going to work with the repositories you already have.
Benioff speaks at TechCrunch Disrupt again next week. We can't wait to see what he says this time.

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