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One of the Daily Career Tips from the Career Opportunities podcast. You can follow these tips on Twitter (careertips) or Seesmic (careertips) Author: dewelch Keywords: career employment job jobs tips work workplace Added: July 24, 2008

For the past 48 years the percentage of women at work has grown during economic recoveries. But during the last round of recovery (remember that?) the percentage of women at work dropped. This could be an economic disaster for families. Women bring home a third of family income. Are you a woman who has left the workplace? Why? How is it affecting your family?Also today, so called Spam King Robert Alan Soloway has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for email fraud. So does this mean we'll see less junk email in our inboxes?Plus, what's in the air freshener you use? It's not on the label. A U.W. researcher says she's found out toxic chemicals in fabric sheets and plug in air fresheners.

A few weeks ago I started sending out daily career tips via Twitter. Yesterday, I started a new experiment. I have started to place the tips on Seesmic, as well. To get your daily dose of career wisdom, visit: Career Tips on Seesmic Career Tips on Twitter Career Tips on FriendFeed iPod Ready Video a Daily Career Tips - Now with video

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Most high-tech jobs follow a similar pattern you work, you complete projects, you work some more and at the end of the year you get your performance review. That’s when you find out how you did and what your managers feel you need to do better. Repeat each year until you retire. I realize, of course, that this is fantasy. Many of us suffer from micro-management on a daily, if not hourly, basis, while others may never get much feedback at all. Instead, we try to judge our performance based on the often confusing comments we receive as we pass our managers in the hallway. As you might imagine, the passing comments we receive might have little to do with the true perception of our performance. In fact, it can often leave us feeling blindsided by bad news when a formal review does occur. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment a Archive - Blindsided - June 17, 2005

Worlplace bullying can be so subtle, it's hard to name but you need to. It is the repeated mistratment of a "target" with verbal intimidation, humiliation or job sabotage. We talk with Dr. Gary Namie about this common warzone.

Study indicates shift in economy has led to more women staying home.

Some clever people think that global warming offers a huge business opportunity for companies who can find new ways of tackling climate change. Peter Day hears from a few small start up companies who seem to have few fears about embarking on projects which may have a huge impact on our world ... or might just fizzle out.

Author: CareerBuilder Added: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:55:04 -0800 Duration: 120Our latest video helps workers discover what their unofficial role is around the office and advises them what to do if its crappy

Our latest video helps workers discover what their unofficial role is around the office and advises them what to do if it's crappy. Author: careerbuilder2007 Keywords: Careerbuilder.com Office Work Comedy Survival Series Workplace Roles Joke Hipster Happy Hour Added: July 21, 2008

This is part of an ongoing series on negotiations. In this Business English Podcast episode, we ll study how to open a traditional commercial negotiation between buyer and seller. We ll focus on creating goodwill, starting off, setting ground rules, suggesting an agenda and exploring possibilities. We ll be listening to a telephone conversation between Tony, a supplier of building materials, and Paul, a purchasing manager for a large construction company in Canada. Paul is buying materials for a harbor project. A harbor is a protected area of water where boats dock, or park. For this project, Paul needs to buy anchor bolts. These bolts are the thick steel screws that are embedded or buried in concrete to support or anchor structural steel columns. Structural columns refer to the steel frameworks that hold buildings up. This is the first time Tony and Paul have talked on the phone. As you listen, pay attention to the language they use to get the negotiation started, and try to answer the following questions. Listening Questions: 1. How does Tony begin off the phone call to establish goodwill? 2. How long does Paul say he has available for the phone call? 3. Paul asks Tony how he will be using the bolts. How does Tony respond? 4. What other option does Paul want to explore with Tony?

Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career Subscribe to Career-Op Podcast Email: Visit this group In the past, you might have been told to jealously guard the secrets to your success and only give away as much information as it took to achieve your goals. Each piece of information you had, that someone else lacked, gave you a bit more power a bit more leverage. You would tie people to you, knowing that no one person had all the answers all the secrets. This was the path to career success. The goal was to make everyone so dependent on you that they couldn t dare fire you. If you haven t already figured this out, that world is no more. Using such behaviors today is more likely to get you fired rather than build your career. Today s successful careers are made up of 2 very important parts teaching and sharing. I have found in my own career that the more information I share, the more information I give away, the more connections, the more visibility and the more money it brings back to me. In the past, you might have been able to horde information, but in today s hyper-connected world, you are but one source of information. The quality of your information matters much more than the quantity. Hording information today is seen as an anti-social and aggressive behavior that puts the success of one person above the success of everyone involved. You might be thinking, but if you give everything away, how do you make any money? The fact is, there are few people who are willing to go as deep into a project as you are. Like a doctor at a 1950 s cocktail party, people are constantly asking me technology questions. While I am more than happy to answer anything I can, I usually find that once I get beyond about 2 or 3 steps in a troubleshooting processing, they simply throw up their hands and say Oh, just come over and make it work! Unlike me, they aren t inclined to dig down into a problem in the way that is required to solve it. They have their own interests, their on projects and their own needs. By being willing to share my knowledge, though, I am able to show that I have the ability to solve their problems, which turns into a consulting call for me. If I had immediately told them my rate and tried to set up an appointment, I am sure more than half would have simply walked away. It is also important to be willing to teach those around you who want to learn. Sure, some folks just want you to fix it and really don t care how you do it. Others, though, want to watch what you are doing and learn from it. Don t see this as an effort to steal your knowledge, rather see this as an opportunity to give them the tools they need to move forward in their own work or career. The fact is, a more knowledgeable client is a benefit to you, not a detriment. If they have seen you edit the settings of their router, or simply reset it, it will be much easier to offer telephone support in the future. You won t have to step them through each step by telling them where to click or what menu to choose. You will be able to move towards a solution to their problem directly instead of wasting their time and yours. Doesn t this reduce your billable hours, though? Actually, it might, but in return you gain something far more important, You gain a deeper realtionship with the client that will last for years (if not decades, as has been the case for me) instead of someone who calls once and never comes back. Being willing to share and teach develops a deep and long-lasting relationship with your clients, peers and co-workers that will stand the test of economic downturns, layoffs and new jobs. Instead of concentrating on the one-time value of a person, you start to see their lifetime value to you, your business and your career. Teaching and sharing also establishes your credibility over time. You become the expert that everyone refers to their friends and even strangers they might meet. You become a friend and confidant that doesn t make them feel stupid when they need help. You become the teacher that we all need and want in our lives. If you want to build a career that lasts, share your knowledge and teach whenever you can. The rewards for your efforts will come back a hundredfold. Get daily career tips via Twitter follow careertips Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment a Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career

Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career Subscribe to Career-Op Podcast Email: Visit this group In the past, you might have been told to jealously guard the secrets to your success and only give away as much information as it took to achieve your goals. Each piece of information you had, that someone else lacked, gave you a bit more power a bit more leverage. You would tie people to you, knowing that no one person had all the answers all the secrets. This was the path to career success. The goal was to make everyone so dependent on you that they couldn t dare fire you. If you haven t already figured this out, that world is no more. Using such behaviors today is more likely to get you fired rather than build your career. Today s successful careers are made up of 2 very important parts teaching and sharing. I have found in my own career that the more information I share, the more information I give away, the more connections, the more visibility and the more money it brings back to me. In the past, you might have been able to horde information, but in today s hyper-connected world, you are but one source of information. The quality of your information matters much more than the quantity. Hording information today is seen as an anti-social and aggressive behavior that puts the success of one person above the success of everyone involved. You might be thinking, but if you give everything away, how do you make any money? The fact is, there are few people who are willing to go as deep into a project as you are. Like a doctor at a 1950 s cocktail party, people are constantly asking me technology questions. While I am more than happy to answer anything I can, I usually find that once I get beyond about 2 or 3 steps in a troubleshooting processing, they simply throw up their hands and say Oh, just come over and make it work! Unlike me, they aren t inclined to dig down into a problem in the way that is required to solve it. They have their own interests, their on projects and their own needs. By being willing to share my knowledge, though, I am able to show that I have the ability to solve their problems, which turns into a consulting call for me. If I had immediately told them my rate and tried to set up an appointment, I am sure more than half would have simply walked away. It is also important to be willing to teach those around you who want to learn. Sure, some folks just want you to fix it and really don t care how you do it. Others, though, want to watch what you are doing and learn from it. Don t see this as an effort to steal your knowledge, rather see this as an opportunity to give them the tools they need to move forward in their own work or career. The fact is, a more knowledgeable client is a benefit to you, not a detriment. If they have seen you edit the settings of their router, or simply reset it, it will be much easier to offer telephone support in the future. You won t have to step them through each step by telling them where to click or what menu to choose. You will be able to move towards a solution to their problem directly instead of wasting their time and yours. Doesn t this reduce your billable hours, though? Actually, it might, but in return you gain something far more important, You gain a deeper realtionship with the client that will last for years (if not decades, as has been the case for me) instead of someone who calls once and never comes back. Being willing to share and teach develops a deep and long-lasting relationship with your clients, peers and co-workers that will stand the test of economic downturns, layoffs and new jobs. Instead of concentrating on the one-time value of a person, you start to see their lifetime value to you, your business and your career. Teaching and sharing also establishes your credibility over time. You become the expert that everyone refers to their friends and even strangers they might meet. You become a friend and confidant that doesn t make them feel stupid when they need help. You become the teacher that we all need and want in our lives. If you want to build a career that lasts, share your knowledge and teach whenever you can. The rewards for your efforts will come back a hundredfold. Get daily career tips via Twitter follow careertips Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment a Teaching and sharing are an important part of any career

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article How do you work with your clients? Do you find that you are leading them into new worlds, pushing them, kicking and screaming into the 21st Century or simply walking beside them, trading thoughts and developing technology plans together? In most cases, you will find your work to be a combination of all these and more. Each client requires a unique approach, but identifying these basic levels can help you to provide the best service possible for your clients. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment Post from: Career Opportunities by Douglas E. Welch Archive: Leading, Pushing or Walking Together - June 10, 2005

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article How do you work with your clients? Do you find that you are leading them into new worlds, pushing them, kicking and screaming into the 21st Century or simply walking beside them, trading thoughts and developing technology plans together? In most cases, you will find your work to be a combination of all these and more. Each client requires a unique approach, but identifying these basic levels can help you to provide the best service possible for your clients. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment Post from: Career Opportunities by Douglas E. Welch Archive: Leading, Pushing or Walking Together - June 10, 2005

Some clever people think that global warming offers a huge business opportunity for companies who can find new ways of tackling climate change. Peter Day hears from a few small start up companies who seem to have few fears about embarking on projects which may have a huge impact on our world ... or might just fizzle out.

The digital revolution was supposed to help the workplace go green, but despite having powerful, digital devices to help us with all sorts of communications and other daily tasks, we still use tons of office paper each year. How can you really make a difference and save paper in the office? Watch and learn. Rate, comment, subscribe to Real World Green and join us at http://www.green-house.tv for more! Distributed by Tubemogul.

Author: newbeginningtv Added: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:39:24 -0800 Duration: 522Eva and Flex discovers an unexpected intruder in the office first thing in the morning. Later on as Flex plays secretary, he learns of the upcoming changes within the office. New episodes every Monday www.newbeginningtv.com

Author: newbeginningtv Added: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:39:24 -0800 Duration: 522Eva and Flex discovers an unexpected intruder in the office first thing in the morning. Later on as Flex plays secretary, he learns of the upcoming changes within the office. New episodes every Monday www.newbeginningtv.com

Author: newbeginningtv Added: Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:39:24 -0800 Duration: 522Eva and Flex discovers an unexpected intruder in the office first thing in the morning. Later on as Flex plays secretary, he learns of the upcoming changes within the office. New episodes every Monday www.newbeginningtv.com

A letter from our website: I have recently been reprimanded at work about an emotional outburst during a staff meeting. My boss’s boss told me that she felt disrespected during the meeting. They say I need to work on my emotional intelligence. I would argue I need to work on my emotional expression. I felt very strongly about an issue and I let me feelings be known. I believe I have emotional intelligence and I need to work on my expression. What do you think? Listen to Joseph s answer and more about how to develop EI.

Take care of yourself first during economic downturns By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Take care of yourself first during economic downturns Whatever indicators you use, it seems clear the US economy is slowing down…some even say, stalling. Whenever the economy slows down it can put tremendous burdens on us all as we are driven to work longer hours with fewer people, along with suffering the stress of on-going layoffs, reduction in hours and more. Looking back on previous downturns, I see that taking care of yourself, physically, emotionally and economically, becomes extremely important. If you don’t, you can find yourself adding personal problems to the economic ones you already face. Every economic downturn brings a host of layoffs over a wide variety of businesses. Even if you survive a layoff at your company, the added stress of trying to be more productive, with fewer people, can leave everyone feeling a bit shell shocked. Worse still, excessive overtime can leave you feeling physically and emotionally drained. This is an open door for colds, flu and other ailments that sap your productivity just when you need it most. In order to protect your own health and well-being you must watch your environment carefully and act quickly to prevent becoming just another statistic. If you are asked (perhaps, required) to put in overtime, try to keep it below a certain threshold. You can’t work 80 hours a week, for months on end, and remain productive. If you don’t limit your work hours, your body or your mind will simply do it for you. You will wake up one morning unable to rise from your bed, no matter how pressing your deadlines might be. If excessive overtime is becoming a regular occurrence, start looking for a new job. Excessive overtime is a sure sign that your company is in trouble. They are trying to survive by cutting costs to the bone without realizing that they are destroying their staff in the process. Riding a sinking ship to the bottom holds no nobility. It only destroys your morale, self-confidence and possibly, your health. In these events, you must do what is best for you. Look and plan carefully. If a new position presents itself, make sure you take the time to investigate it. You might feel too tired or too depressed, but this is exactly the time when you need to look for new opportunities. Don’t allow a bad situation to prevent you from moving on with your career. Your emotions can take a beating during an economic downturn, too. Most importantly, don’t let anyone make you believe that the company’s problems are your fault. I have seen executives and managers try to shame their employees into higher productivity. The fact is, though, that it is usually these executives and managers who are the most to blame for the company’s troubles. It seems ludicrous to lay the blame on their employees who are already suffering more from economic problems. Emotional abuse, in all its forms, is another red flag that should send you looking for new opportunities. Finally, protecting yourself economically during a downturn is critical. If you are suffering under mandatory overtime, make sure that that extra money is going into the bank or other investments. While any of us might be tempted to buy that new TV, car or computer with this “extra” money, now is not the time. No one is ever sure how their company will fare during an economic downturn and you need to protect yourself against the possibility that you will be out of job in a week, a month, a year. Build your nest egg now. In a few months, if and when the economic outlook brightens, you will be able to make your purchase outright instead of having to finance it. If the economy continues downward, you will be able to easily survive any troubles that might come your way. When it comes to your career and the economy, protect yourself as much as possible. Don’t assume that others are looking out for your best interest. Remember, your employer will do what is best for them, even if it happens to be the worst for you. In most cases, they aren’t doing this out of spite, but rather they are doing it out of a desperate attempt to survive. For whatever the reason, though, it is up to you to protect what you have created and what you have earned. Otherwise, a troubled economy might just destroy your career. Get daily career tips via Twitter follow careertips Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on FriendFeed | Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment Post from: Career Opportunities by Douglas E. Welch Take care of yourself first during economic downturns

(This podcast is pulled from the archives and presented here as a service to more recent listeners Douglas) Listen to this episode Read the entire article Ask the typical computer user to describe a tech support or IT worker and you will hear the same response repeatedly. “Whenever you asked him or her a question, they would make an exasperated sigh and then reluctantly tell you what to do.” Beyond any lack of fashion sense or social skills, the exasperated sigh is the hallmark of the tech geek. So much so that Saturday Night Live once had an on-going sketch in which tech staffers took the sigh to ludicrous heights. What some tech workers don’t know, though, is that a simple sigh could be a major pothole in their career. No one likes to be treated like an idiot, but sometimes this is exactly what high-tech workers do. Join me on these networks: Douglas on FriendFeed | Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Support Career Opportunities: iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment Post from: Career Opportunities by Douglas E. Welch Archive: The Exasperated Sigh - June 3, 2008

This interview was recorded a while ago, but I am so glad it is being released. It sounds good and I get a chance to talk about all things podcasting with host, Tracy Pattin. Voice Registry Podcast- Tracy Pattin Talks To New Media Expert Doug Welch Doug Welch has been podcasting since September 24, 2004, making him a veteran in the New Media industry. He is the founder of the New Media Interchange and produce/co-host of Mortgages Made Simple with Rick Gundzik. He also co-teaches with his TV writer wife, Rosanne Welch, at UCLA for Podcast and New Media for Writers, a 10-week course educating writers and others how podcasting, YouTube, Facebook and others can be used to further work and career. Download audio file (doug-welch-vr-podcast.mp3) right + click here to download podcast (9.8 MB) (Via Voicebank.net s VoiceRegistry Blog.) Post from: Careers in Podcasting and New Media by Douglas E. Welch Voice Registry Podcast- Tracy Pattin Talks To New Media Expert Doug Welch

Recently I had the (on-going) opportunity to work with Lloyd Garver. Lloyd has been writing for decades for traditional media shows like Home Improvement and has also been writing a column for the CBSNews.com web site. Lloyd had been recording audio versions of his columns and placing them on his web site, but after talking with a mutual friend, he wanted to step up to full podcasting of his pieces. Listen: What Would Lloyd Say?: Don t Read This While You Drive Each time I start a project like this, I am reminded of everything I had to learn over the course of my own podcasting career. In Lloyd s case, he was already about 90% of the way towards podcasting. He had a web site, a blog and audio content already in the blog. Our focus was on setting up RSS feeds, registering the show in iTunes and statistics. First, I turned to my old favorite, Feedburner, to set up his podcast-ready feed. I started using Feedburner the minute it was announced as previously I was handwriting my RSS feed each time I released a show. Feedburner allows you to easily add all the specific tags for iTunes as well as tweak your feed and provide additional features. Once the feed was set up, we registered his show with the iTunes Podcast Directory. This should be the first stop in your podcast marketing, too. iTunes makes it easy to find and subscribe to podcasts, so this is always my first recommendation to anyone who wants to listen to podcasts or produce them. What Would Lloyd Say? was available in the iTunes Podcast Directory in about 48 hours. I find this fairly typical, although some people still report long lag times or never getting their show listed. Typically, this has to do with some issue in their RSS feed or the graphic used for the show artwork. Apple seems to want a 300 300x72dpi image for the artwork and tends to hiccup if it doesn t meet those dimensions. Once a podcast is running, of course, you want to get some statistics to see how many listeners you have. Feedburner provides a subscribers number each day and a combination of Google Analytics and web hosting company stats give us page views, but getting a simple count of the number of downloads can be tricky. The only true way to know how many downloads you have is to use the raw log files from your web hosting company or stats provided from a podcasting service like Libsyn.com. In many cases these days though, raw log files are either not available or costs extra each month. Hosting with GoDaddy.com as I am, Lloyd had to subscribe to the extra TrafficFacts service in order to get his raw log files. I am not happy about this, but it is one of the limitations of GoDaddy.com hosting. Once TrafficFacts was enabled, we were able to download the daily log files. Of course, you still need to process those logs in some way to pull out and count the MP3 downloads. On my Mac, I have a small shell script which does this for me, but Lloyd is using Windows. As he is new to this type of reporting, I fell back on a command-line based tool called podstats. This program was created by Kevin Devin, the founder of Friends in Tech of which I am a member. At the time, we needed a robust tool to report our downloads so that we could participate in a podcast advertising network. Unfortunately, the command line nature of the tool is not really the drag-and-drop simplicity we expect from Windows or Mac. That said, I was able to create a small batch file that allows Lloyd to drop a log file onto the program and get a nicely formatted report. This information can then be entered into an Excel spreadsheet to tracking, manipulation (averages, max, min, etc) and charting. So, that is my real world example of setting up a podcast. If you have questions about podcasting, whether recording, web sites, blogs or RSS feeds, leave a comment below and I will answer all I can. Post from: Careers in Podcasting and New Media by Douglas E. Welch Real World Example: What Would Lloyd Say?

Sir David Tweedie is the most powerful accountant in the world. Don't yawn: as chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board, he is  the man who tries to keep global capitalism honest in the face of bubbles, corporate lies, corruption, and huge changes in what companies do and the way they value their businesses. Peter Day hears from Sir David about his ceaseless quest for clarity in a world of often baffling facts and figures.

I met with some folk from Polaroid and PR agency Clarion Communications last Thursday evening to see and talk about the latest product Polaroid has just launched in the UK - the Polaroid PoGo. This portable device you see pictured here - about the size of an iPod Classic but a bit thicker - is a printer that you d use to print images from your digital camera or camera phone either via a wireless Bluetooth connection or with a USB cabled PictBridge connection. And a nifty printer, too, one that contains no ink, no cartridges, no ribbon, just special paper and some clever technology. I used the PoGo to print some photos from my Nokia N95 8GB via Bluetooth. A few seconds to pair the two devices, send the data from the phone to the printer and, in less than 60 seconds, a printed image. The printouts are quite small at 2 x3 (about 5cm x 7.6cm), a bit smaller than a standard-size business card. The quality is good although I would guess that s largely dependent on your camera resolution. My N95 has a 5-megapixel camera so PoGo print quality is quite good. I d guess resolution would be notably less if you had, say, a 2-megapixel camera, quite common on a wide range of camera phones. Might not be much of an issue with digital cameras where resolutions of 8 megapixels and more are becoming pretty common. The clever print technology in the Polaroid PoGo is much to do with Zink ( zero ink ) in which each sheet of paper has colour dye crystals embedded and which convert into the image when heat is applied. You can read more about this technology at the Zink website. The Zink paper has a peel-off backing which exposes an adhesive, so you can stick your prints anywhere you want. So who s the Polaroid PoGo aimed at? The 16-24 age group, according to Michael Thomas, Polaroid UK s Senior Product Manager EMEA who I talked with on Thursday. I recorded our conversation which is available here as an 8-minute podcast. We also spoke about Polaroid s plans for other Zink-enabled devices including a combination camera/printer due to launch during Q1 2009. The Polaroid PoGo launched in the UK on July 3 following its debut in Germany in June. It launches in the US this weekend, available in stores on July 6. At £99.99 in the UK, it s an affordable price point, although if we are heading into a recession it may become an early casualty if people become more discretionary. The Zink paper comes in packs of 10 and 30 retailing at £3.99 and £6.99 respectively. Polaroid US has a polaroidpogo channel on YouTube with video explaining how to use the PoGo. Not that you need a video - I found it simplicity itself. This one I did like especially, though. Imaginative. 2008 - visit the author for more great content. ShareThis

Start building some independence for yourself By Douglas E. Welch Listen: Start building some independence for yourself It is the 4th of July, Independence Day here in the US, where we celebrate the founding of our nation. If you haven’t read the declaration recently, there are some truly stirring words to be found there, starting with “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” While we all may be created equal, the circumstances of our lives are quite different. In many cases, we find it hard indeed to seek out “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…” in the ways the signers first imagined. We are constrained by so much in society today, both culturally and economically, that we each need to form our own “declaration of independence” and seek out that happiness we all so deserve. First, in my mind comes economic independence…the ability to choose how and when we make and spend our income. Nothing is so basic as the dollars in our pockets or our bank accounts and yet many of us leave important monetary decisions to others. We allow our confusion of need vs. want to bury us in uncontrolled debt. We make career decisions based solely on the amount of money paid. We let others trap us in cycles of abuse simply because we think we have no other choice. You can start building your economic independence today. Look at each purchase you are making. Don’t just blindly consume. It is ok to buy a new cell phone, a new computer, a new car, as long as you have considered your needs and how your purchase will fulfill them. Don’t let others make purchasing decisions for you, via advertising or peer pressure. Make the best decision for you. I am sure you find that many of the items you purchase everyday are not really necessary to your overall happiness and, in some cases, might even be making you unhappy, especially when you have to find a way to pay for them. Save money today so you have a buffer against tough times in the future. The goal is not to deny yourself everything today in case things get bad. Instead, you want to have money in the bank to tide you over in the event of a layoff, plant closure or family crisis. I find that nothing else lends as much peace of mind as knowing that, if needed, you could easily survive for 3-6 months on your savings. It wouldn’t be fun, but it also wouldn’t mean losing your car or your home as well. The framers of the Declaration of Independence showed great wisdom when they included happiness as an unalienable right. It is happiness that we seek, in all of its forms, no matter where we work or what we do In terms of your career, just as you might develop an economic buffer, you should also develop a career buffer. Gather new skills as if they were dollars because that is exactly what they are. Skills, experience and education are stepping stones to the next level of your career. Unless you consider your current job perfect, you will want to move and grow. You will want to increase your pay and influence. Skills, experience and education hold the power to do just that. Next, understand that no job should hold you captive. If you have built up your savings, then money should no longer be a factor when deciding to leave a meaningless or abusive job. You know that you can support yourself while you find another. Still, lack of faith in your own career skills can trap you in jobs you hate because you don’t have confidence in your own abilities. As I often say, “You got this job. You can get another.” You need to remember this. You had skills enough to get your current job. Getting another one, as least as good, should be no problem. Your goal then becomes to improve your position. If you have developed your skills, even this should be only a small problem. You must have a clear view and a faith in the quality of your work, otherwise you will constantly be underemployed and always under the power of those around you. Declare your own independence today. The framers of the Declaration of Independence showed great wisdom when they included happiness as an unalienable right. It is happiness that we seek, in all of its forms, no matter where we work or what we do. Happiness…a deep, abiding happiness, is what makes life worth living. You either seek happiness for yourself or leave yourself to the whims of those around you. Get daily career tips via Twitter follow careertips Join me on these networks: Follow Douglas on Twitter | Douglas on MySpace | Douglas on Facebook | Douglas on LinkedIn Become a Facebook Fan of Career Opportunities Support Career Opportunities: One time: Monthly ($2): iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 818-804-5049 Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech, employment Post from: Career Opportunities by Douglas E. Welch Start building some independence for yourself