Using Twitter to Promote the Fall TV Season

By TANZINA VEGA

Lots of people are accustomed to watching television while simultaneously posting updates to Twitter or Facebook or looking up information online, or what is known in media circles as “the second screen experience.” But why watch two screens when you can start with one?

The CW’s electronic insert in Entertainment Weekly.

To showcase its new fall season, the CW network will use Twitter as a platform to preview the season premiere of the show “Emily Owens, M.D.” To promote the show, CW will include an insert in the Oct. 5 issue of Entertainment Weekly that will feature what is essentially a small cellphone screen that will wirelessly display a short video showing stars of new CW shows and then a live Twitter feed of the network’s account, @CW_Network.

Rick Haskins, CW’s executive vice president for marketing and digital projects, said the screen would feature the six most recent posts to the network’s Twitter handle. An in-house social media team managing the feed will delete only messages that include profanity or other unacceptable language, he said. And if someone posts saying they don’t like the show or the network?

“To me that’s what starts the dialogue,” Mr. Haskins said. “We will not editorialize that out. We no longer own our brand. The consumer owns the brand and the more people that embrace that and entertain it, the stronger the brand is going to be with their audience.”

Joel Lunenfeld, Twitter’s vice president for brand strategy, said more television networks were considering using the platform to introduce content before it runs on television. On Friday, Fox used Twitter to preview the season premiere of “Raising Hope.” Seeing something on Twitter, Mr. Lunenfeld said, actually helps the chances of people flipping on the television to watch.

“I think we saw a lot of that activity during the Olympics this year,” he said. “People are seeing things unfold on Twitter, engaging with it and then tuning in to watch it happening.”

Alan Cohen, the chief executive of OMD, the media planning and buying agency that is a unit of the Omnicom Media Group, part of the Omnicom Group, and the agency that worked on producing the insert, said marketing new television shows was increasingly difficult because of the amount of content available to viewers. Mr. Cohen said the agency was focused on “reinventing print” by combining multimedia elements like the Twitter feed.

“Now people need a little push to know what to watch because there’s so much television,” he said. “We believe that print is one of the vehicles where you want to get people to notice.”

Another E-Commerce Site Tests Advertising on TV

By STUART ELLIOTT

Decades ago, commercials for Fab detergentwere a ubiquitous presence on television.

The Web site Fab.com is testing advertising on television with a commercial that shows an unkempt young man in a dumpy apartment transforming his surroundings by touching his possessions.

Beginning on Monday, another brand named Fab will also be turning to TV to advertise.

The newcomer Fab is the social shoppingWeb site that has a focus on what it calls “everyday design.” Fab is working with the Arnold Worldwide agency to test whether a presence on television will further stimulate interest in, visits to and sales through fab.com.

If the test is deemed successful by Fab executives, they would add TV to a media schedule that until now has been dominated by social-media services like Facebook. Fab has used Facebook extensively, running Facebook ads, so-called sponsored stories and, most recently, buying ads on the Facebook log-out page.

The TV test, with a budget of $1 million, will run for three weeks on broadcast and cable outlets in six markets: Austin, Tex.; Baltimore; Denver; Nashville; San Diego; and West Palm Beach, Fla. A 30-second commercial created by Arnold, part of Havas, will be used for the test.

Fab becomes the second e-commerce firm in a week to start testing whether a traditional medium like television will help sell merchandise online. The first was Warby Parker, which sells discount prescription eyeglasses; Warby Parker’s test of TV began Thursday.

A major reason for new kinds of retailers experimenting with a tried-and-true medium like television is the so-called second-screen effect, which refers to how millions of people now watch TV with devices like cellphones and tablet computers on hand.

“Mobile is huge for us,” said Jason Goldberg, chief executive at Fab, who founded the company with Bradford Shellhammer, whose title is chief design officer. Thirty percent of Fab sales come from mobile devices, Mr. Goldberg said.

Fab has 7.5 million members, Mr. Goldberg said, an increase of 50 percent from five million on July 1. “We’re definitely starting to break into the mass market,” he said, which offers another reason to try TV as an ad medium.

Another reason for Fab’s interest in TV is that its audience is 70 percent women, who are heavy viewers of television.

If the test works, Mr. Goldberg said, “we’ll take the ad national and expand” the budget to “double-digit millions.”

The commercial is about a style-challenged young man who, when the spot begins, is asleep in bed. (Mr. Shellhammer joked that the original idea for the television test was “an infomercial with me as the star.”)

As the man wakes, he looks out the apartment window and sees a young woman arriving in a taxi cab.

Startled, he gets ready for her arrival. When he taps his unstylish alarm clock, it suddenly turns into a better one. He keeps tapping it until it becomes one he likes.

Inspired, the man spends the rest of the commercial running around his dowdy apartment, tapping the furniture, wall hangings, bric-a-brac and, finally, his clothes, until they are transformed into stylish trappings.

The spot ends with the woman entering the apartment and, pleased by what she sees, joining the man on the sofa, which a moment before had undergone its own style makeover. She taps the man and gives him a knit cap with a built-in face warmer known as a Beardo, one of the most popular items on fab.com.

Other items in the commercial in addition to the Beardo are “products we’ve sold on Fab,” Mr. Shellhammer said. “We want people to say, ‘What is that?’ and go to the site.”

Scott Ballantyne, chief marketing officer at Fab, said the goal of the commercial was to “bring the Fab color, energy, experience, to life.” He said he recommended Arnold Worldwide to work on the spot based on his previous experience working with the agency.

Combining Two Facebook Pages

By J.D. BIERSDORFER

Question:

I accidentally created two personal Facebook pages. Is there any way to combine the two accounts so the Friends list in each one gets added together into one big list?

Answer

According to Facebook’s Help guide, the site “does not currently offer a way to merge two separate accounts.” If you want to do your own sort of manual merge to get photos and other info from one account to the other, Facebook recommends that you download a copy of the information from the account you want to close first. The site has instructions for doing this here.

Downloading your information from Facebook gives you an archive file with your photos, videos and other content you posted to the site with that account, along with your Friends list. Once you get the download data from the account you want to close, and upload it to the one you want to keep, you can delete the unwanted Facebook page (as explained here).

As you resettle onto the single Facebook profile page, you can use the Friends list you downloaded from the deleted account as a guide for sending out new Friend requests to the people you want to keep in your online life. Unlike personal accounts, duplicate Facebook “Pages” representing businesses, brands or organizations can be merged.

How to Write a Christmas Newsletter

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

]]It's that wonderful time of year again when customary holiday greeting cards are sent out to loved ones, to spread the holiday cheer. When sending out your Christmas Cards, why not include a little home-made newsletter to keep family and friends updated on what is happening in your life?

Steps

1. Tailor your news to your recipient. Think about who you're sending your newsletter to. What sort of information would you like to include for that recipient? Possibilities might include marriage, moving in with your partner, vacations, new pets, children's news, graduations, new job and any significant changes in your life. There's no need to go into great detail. Just mention milestones and happy events that have occurred within the past year.
2. Pick out Christmas or other holiday-themed stationery. There is a wide variety of stationery available with pre-printed themes on the paper that you can use to print your newsletter onto. Alternatively, you can make a colorful Christmas theme on your computer program that will print directly onto plain paper.
3. Design the newsletter. Using a program such as Open Office, MS Word, Pages or Wordpad, start preparing your newsletter. If your program already has pre-set newsletter layouts, you can use these for a very professional result. Choose a pleasing and elegant font, in a fairly large typeset to make it easy for the young and the very old to read beside the firelight.
4. Keep the tone casual and upbeat. Most importantly, don't fill it with tales of how many amazing achievements you and your family have had -- that just sounds like bragging! Similarly, don't be morose and fill it with tales of woe about all your hardships that you've confronted all year. This is Christmas time, when love, warmth and the overcoming of adversity are considered key elements of the season. Remember that you are just updating people, not giving a sermon!
5. Close off the newsletter by wishing your family and friends a wonderful holiday season! You might also wish them a safe, prosperous and happy New Year.

Tips

• For an alternative, create an interesting format that can be used to convey the same news in a more interesting way than a newsletter. Try a travel itinerary that lists the events of the year as though they were travel events -- for example, your children may have been 'upgraded to 10th grade'. Other formats can be a newspaper article, a contractor estimate, a script for a play or soap opera, a travel brochure with photos, recipes, or CD cover photo and insert. These will all take some more time, so you should prepare well in advance or have a solid block of time to sit down and do this without interruption.
• If you'd like, include information such as your favorite holiday recipes in your newsletter.
• Include your photo with your family together, to give a nice, personal touch. Insert photos related to the news tidbits wherever possible, such as a few photos of your family vacation, or your child's photo on graduation day.
• During the year, when your kids say something adorably cute (e.g. "Daddy! You have a hole in your hair!"), run to your calendar and write it down in the margin. At the end of the year when you're trying to remember significant events, you'll also find these priceless "quotable quotes" to lend an entertaining dash of creativity to your publication.
• If you can't remember all you did during the year, pull out your credit card receipts or checkbook register and check where you spent your money...it's like a trip down memory lane ("Yeah, there's that cute little B&B! Oh, I forgot the time we went to the beach boardwalk..."). And don't forget all those digital pictures you haven't downloaded yet!
• If words fail you, make a photo collage, and just add a few captions to describe the events in those photos.
• Your paper color doesn't have to be white; choose pale green or pale silver for a festive touch.

Warnings

• Try not to remind the recipients about any unfortunate events in their life.
• Steer clear of writing from the point of view of your pets, i.e. "Hey, it's Pokey and Maggie again. Our people left us in a kennel while they celebrated their anniversary on a great vacation in Mexico last July." It's quite overdone and might be annoying to some. If you want, you can include a section or article that is written in this tone to appease the pet lovers, but avoid writing in this style for the whole newsletter.
• Write your letters in the first person, which is using the words "I" and "We" rather than the third person narration style (referring to yourself by your own name). If it's a letter, it should be directly between you and your reader, such as saying "We had a wonderful trip to Bongo Beach, where we tried surfing."
• People are more interested in you than in your kids. Make sure at least half of your newsletter is about you rather than your kids (and coaching your kids' team counts as something about them).

You may want to edit the newsletter for specific recipients. For instance, Grandma and Grandpa might not appreciate knowing that their granddaughter has moved in with her boyfriend. Depending on their ages, let children preview what you've written about them. Anecdotes you find cute and charming may be acutely embarrassing to them. College students and adult children may not want to be mentioned at all. Don't include contact information for them without their permission.

Related wikiHows

• How to Start a Family Newsletter

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Computer program such as MS Word where you can layout the newsletter
• Home printer
• Various family photos related to the news you are sharing
• Holiday stationery
• Christmas cards
• Creativity and imagination

Sources and Citations

• eHow to Create a Holiday Newsletter on Your Computer
• eHow to Produce a Newsletter
• Christmas News Letter Suggestions and Examples

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Christmas Newsletter. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Write a Letter to a Friend of the Opposite Sex

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Eligible to be a love interest for you can be awkward and intimidating. You only feel friendship and want to develop and continue your relationship with a good friend as a friend, but you don't want to drop any hints at romantic interest, nor do you want to encourage any. You can maintain a platonic friendship by writing fun, interesting letters that don't leave any room for ambiguity.

Steps

1. Use a casual greeting. Obviously, this is not a letter that should be started with "My Dearest Robert:" Instead, try, "Hey, Rob --" or "Rob - what's happening?".
2. Be friendly. Don't resort to stiff, formal (boring) stuff. Think about it as if your friend was right there with you and just "talk" to him/her.
3. Fill him or her in on the details of your life. Your friend shouldn't have to guess at what's going on with you, while sitting reading your letter or email. If you really want to stay involved in one another's lives, you will need to share some of what's going on. It may be a little longer than a paragraph or two, but it'll be a better letter in the end.
4. Share your highs and your lows. Just as you would if your friend were there with you, share stories with him or her about your day. If you had a lousy day, saying something like, "... So that was my crummy day. I hope yours was better - to tell you the truth, now that I've told you about mine, I do feel better. Thanks for being a good pal and letting me vent." If you had a great day, how about, "... the only thing missing was being able to see you and celebrate together! Oh, I wish you'd been here, it would have been so great to share this with you. But at least we have email, huh?"
5. Keep it real. You don't need to add a lot of drama. Just stay focused on one or two incidents or events - your pal doesn't need to have all the intimate details of your life.
6. Do let him/her know if you've met someone special. One sure way to create an awkward moment is for you to keep a new romance from your friend. Let him or her know that you're going on a date, or that you had one that was successful and hope this one will be a keeper. Not only does it keep your friend in the loop of your life, but it also cements the notion that you are friends and only that.
7. Sign off with a friendly farewell. Don't gush or get overly sentimental, even if you are really missing your friend - keep it positive and light. "Miss you, buddy," is great. Or "XOXO," even, but just make sure you don't add a bunch of mushy love stuff or else your pal could get the wrong idea.

Tips

• If you're corresponding via email, review before you send. Many a mishap has happened between "TTYL" and send.
• If you're corresponding via snail mail, and if this relationship is very sensitive in terms of the way your friend may perceive any little indication that you may feel more than friendship, consider typing it. It really is less personal than writing it in longhand - there's just something very romantic about receiving a personal letter in the mail.
• That said, however, if your friendship is solid, receiving a handwritten letter in your very own longhand can be so comforting and can really bring a sense of "you" home to your friend. Your scent on the mail, your seal on the letter, whatever you do to make it personal, warm and friendly, it will be more so when received in your own writing.

Warnings

• Do not create any ambiguity. If you feel friendship only, do not ever allude to any other relationship between you even being possible. Saying things like, "We should have hooked up instead of who we ended up with LOL" puts a dangerous seed of hope in your friend's mind and will end up compromising the relationship in the end.
• Squelch any such slips your friend may make kindly, but immediately. If you receive a note containing a comment like the one above, your best bet would be to treat it lightly, but with an unmistakable "no." Example: "Oh, if we ever had hooked up, we'd have killed each other. It's so much better just being friends with you, and I wouldn't trade your friendship for anything."

Things You'll Need

• Letter paper and pen or email

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Letter to a Friend of the Opposite Sex. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Network at a Conference

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Networking at a conference is easier than you think–even if you are shy or don't enjoy participating in networking. The benefits from networking in a conference environment are immense such as meeting new people who can give you new research, product, or information leads that will open up new possibilities for you, so it pays to keep your mind focused on these rather than worrying about putting a foot wrong. If the big names floor you, and you're feeling overwhelmed by the expertise around you, take a deep breath and prepare to realize the opportunity before you. This article provides some tried and true suggestions for helping you to make the most of the big thinkers and agenda-setters at a conference while you've got them close.

Steps

1. Start networking before you even get to the conference. It's important to know who your fellow attendees will be and what their specializations, business, or expertise is. In particular, look up the people who will be presenting at the conference. They are the influencers who can help you get better networked into your targeted industry, or who may even be able to share ideas with you or give you a little time to talk through things that you're doing.
   • Take the time to visit the presenters' websites, if relevant. They should also have email addresses on their websites–even top executives may have emails. But, if they don't try to find them on sites like LinkedIn.[1]
   • If you're aiming to network with someone working for a company, also research the company's background, including its history and age, mission, achievements, and principal staff.
2. Email these influencers to let them know that you look forward to hearing their talks. You're growing a relationship when you recognize someone for the valuable expertise they'll be sharing at a conference. These presenters will appreciate you taking the time and you'll gain relationship equity with them. They will, most likely, email you back and thank you. Now you can re-email them and let them know you will make sure you introduce yourself, in person, when you see them at the event.
3. Go up and introduce yourself at the event. Go to the talks of those presenters you have emailed. Go early and sit in the front row so that you're in a good position to reach them after the talk. Turn off your cell phone if you haven't already done so. Be attentive so that you can raise any particular points with them afterward if the opportunity presents itself. After their presentation, take up a business card with a personalized note you've already written on the back, and start telling them how much you appreciated their insights. This will build even more relationship equity. Introduce yourself, compliment the presenter on their presentation, saying briefly why you liked it, and ask any relevant questions that you have (see next step).
   • If you're terrified of giving out a business card, role play giving a business card to someone with a family member or friend. Introduce yourself first ("Hi! I'm Ken. I emailed you about The Barbie Factor last week.") Then practice steering the conversation away from you and onto the other person by asking open-ended questions. Or, you can practice doing this in front of the mirror. The more you practice giving a business card, the more naturally it will come to you.
   • You can also ask to follow up with a quick phone call with a question you may have about their presentation. Now you're at the point where you have really created a connection and, more likely than not, laid the groundwork for a long-term connection with whom you can develop all kinds of new business, creative, scientific, or career opportunities.
   • Be sure that your business card is up-to-date with the latest details to contact you. If what you do is not clear from the card, be sure to fix that because the presenters will be receiving many cards and you don't want to be lost in the pile because of ambiguity. Also be sure to use clean, unbent cards for a professional look.
4. Be ready to get to the point quickly. Presenters, business people, and others associated with the conference will generally be time-limited and won't get much of a chance to stand around chatting with you. This is an aspect that often scares novice networkers because they're worried about being tongue-tied. As with giving the business card, it's a really good idea to role play the kind of conversation openers and content that you'd like to convey with the particular person. Coupled with your prior research into their expertise or business, you should be able to hone down the precise things that you'd like to get across in a very short period of time.
   • Make a list of questions you'd like to ask the presenter. Consider picking the most important two questions in case you really are time pressured, so that you get the optimal connection without feeling too flustered. Practice asking the questions in front of the mirror.
   • One way of getting assurance that your questions are welcome is to preface the conversation with something like: "Have I caught you at a bad time? I had two quick questions I wanted to ask you."
   • Bear in mind that you might be able to arrange to see them later at a dinner event or similar event during the conference if they're not free straight after their talk. Still aim to give them your business card, but be sure to make a time or reason to catch up again during the period of the conference.
   • If you have promotional material, a paper, or any other documentation or software that you'd like the presenter to have, be sure to have it ready and packaged up to give to the presenter. This is a good way of having a reason for more follow-up too, as you can ask the presenter what they thought of the things you gave them.
5. Listen. Whatever opportunity you get to network directly with the presenter, be sure to listen well. A good networker is a good listener and while you're talking to the presenter, focus on them and their answers to your questions and not on anybody else in the room. Limit your own talking and encourage the presenter to talk. Whatever you do, no matter how excited or enamored of this person's expertise/fame/importance you are, don't jump to conclusions about what they're going to say next and try to fill it in for them. Remain calm and let them do the talking.
   • Stay positive and don't fear pauses. Be considerate of the fact that the conference is probably abuzz with atmosphere and more overwhelming for the presenter than it is for you even.
   • Maintain eye contact, nod, and unfold your arms.
   • Don't be afraid to make notes on your business cards or in your smart phone if there is anything you promise to follow up. This shows your enthusiasm and willingness to do what you've promised. It also ensures that you won't forget!
   • Enjoy talking to the other person. Here is a wonderful opportunity, so make the most of it by enjoying it as well as trying to connect.
6. Learn how to excuse yourself gracefully. There will be times when the presenter doesn't turn out to be the right contact you were hoping to connect with, or you start being clearly aware yourself that the presenter does not appear that interested to talk with you. In this case, excuse yourself politely, thank them for their time, and continue your networking with other members of the conference.
7. See which other conference attendees seem to be with the presenter. If the presenter came alone, then this step won't be of help. But if the presenter came with a team and some of them are part of the audience, try to network with them and exchange business cards. Let them know what your business, research, or study is, and see whether it is possible for them to connect you to the presenter in some way, or even better, find out which other people within the presenter's team are worth connecting with more deeply in terms of doing business or exchanging information and ideas.
   • Remember that those who act as "spheres of influence", while often lower in a company, institution, or organization, have just as much importance. They are the people who have time to listen to others and are proud of what they do and are happy to share information to others. These people will network with integrity and can share good information with you and be important contacts too. For example, you might have wanted to discuss something with the professor who just gave the presentation but he's had to rush back to his baby's birth. If his PhD student is attending the conference too, find her and ask her the questions and share your ideas. If she's convinced that you're genuine and someone definitely worth staying in touch with, she'll help remind the professor about you. Just be sure to keep in touch with both her and the professor after the conference.
8. Follow up with an email to the presenter. If you can, send a relevant article to the topic they shared. This will show that you have an avid interest in the topic and that you're willing to share information with them. And if possible, connect the presenter with other relevant people you know personally and share information as generously as you can.
   • Follow up with promptness anything that you promised you'd do. If you find for some reason that cannot meet the promise, let the presenter know that there has been a problem and what you intend to do next. Keep the channels of communication flowing; not everyone follows up after networking and they miss enormous opportunities.
9. Stay in touch with the presenter by email and phone. Anything can happen here. It's all about sharing who you are and what skills you offer to the world of work that should start a great conversation around connections and opportunities for all those great influences you meet at conferences.

Video

A range of networking ideas to help you.

Tips

• Note that you are about 7-10 times more effective face-to-face than you are over the phone. That's why being present at a conference with industry influencers you can meet and network with is very crucial to your success.
• Remember when connecting with someone, it is all about figuring out what matters most to that person. To this end, ask great questions like, "What's one thing you have not done in your career you would still like to do?" For many, this question can lead to more opportunities for the person when you realize you've got such opportunities to offer, and in turn, they'll feel keen to provide you with an opportunity too. You might end up getting them to coach you or your organization, join you on a TV show, co-author a book, or many other possibilities!
• If there are name tags at a conference, wear them. It makes it easier on everyone, especially those prone to forgetting names. Wear it on your right hand side so that when you shake hands, it remains clearly visible.
• Attend as many conference social functions as possible.
• When you arrive early at a session introduce yourself to the people around you.
• If the conference is organized by a professional society find out if the business and other planning meetings are open to you. If so, attend. Frequently, business meetings are not well attended and provide you with the opportunity to interact with the organizations senior leadership on a 1:1 or in a small group setting which might not be available at other times.
• If you are a student see if the conference is looking for student volunteers. If so, volunteer to help out in an area where you will have the opportunity to meet many attendees. Asa an added bonus, you may get some of your registration fee waived.
• Establish a business-card workflow.
  • Several months before the conference verify that you have a set of current, professional business cards for distribution at the conference.
  • Each morning verify that you have a sufficient number of business cards and a good pen with you to last the entire day.
  • Make a habit of giving out and requesting business cards.
    • Taking blank business cards with you is a great way to get other people's information when they've forgotten their business cards! Or, just cross out the front of one of yours, so you won't hand it out accidentally, and use the back.
  • When you receive a business card, note on the back of the card when and where you met the person named and anything important not apparent from the preprinted information. Put it somewhere separate from your stash of business cards to hand out.
  • Enter the business cards, with notes, into personal information manager software.
  • Follow up with the people promptly after the conference, preferably with a note relevant to their specific interests.
  • Contact them from time to time afterwards with something relevant to their interests, perhaps an article relevant to their interests or scheduling of related conferences you may attend, to establish and maintain rapport.[2]. You could even establish a routine (perhaps names ending in one letter of the alphabet per week) or automate reminders to follow up with batches of people periodically (most suitable if your specialty is one which numerous low-level relationships would facilitate, such as sales).

Warnings

• Remember not to be greedy and focused on you first. Networking is a relationship strategy, not a selfish pursuit.
• Don't push your ideas. Ask questions instead, first and then, use your ideas to add to those with whom you are networking.
• Don't lie about anything. Trust is an implicit part of networking and your reputation will be damaged if caught out.
• Don't pretend to know people you don't and drop names. You will be found out and it's lame.
• Avoid badmouthing anybody, no matter how useful this might seem. Even if the person you're networking does so, refrain from joining in. It gets around.
• Avoid swearing or using any language that might be considered offensive. You don't know people's backgrounds or beliefs, so be respectful at all times.
• Never interrupt. Bear in mind how much this irks you when someone else does it to you.

Things You'll Need

• Business cards
• Email address (make sure it's suitable and easily recognizable)
• Papers, background information if you want to pass anything to the presenter
• Internet access

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.linkedin.com
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapport

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Network at a Conference. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Use Google+ Hangouts for Teaching

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Google+ is the latest social media platform which has caught the imagination of professionals in all walks of life. Fortunately for educators, many features like Circles, Sparks, and Hangouts are of immense value – for an educator teaching at institutions located in different places, a lot of time is lost in travelling from one location to other, not to mention the strain involved in alternatively travelling and teaching. Google Plus's Hangouts is a tool that takes the travelling strain out of the teaching process. Teachers can use that time to conduct more virtual classrooms at a greater number of places. This enables institutions to teach more students with a lower number of teachers, thereby saving costs and placing institutions in a position to reward teachers in better ways. The biggest advantage is that the Google Hangouts allows a teacher to teach to ten classrooms at a time. In case there are more, each of the receiving classrooms can relay it to ten more classrooms in turn. Classes can be interactive and students at any center can ask questions through FM mikes. The speaker's image will always be bigger so that there is no confusion as to who is speaking. You don't have to search faces to find out who is speaking. Here are some suggestions for using Google+ Hangouts to improve your teaching experience.

Steps

1. Before getting started, ensure that:
   • You have computers with the latest configurations.
   • You have a high speed internet connections at each node.
   • Your internet connection works even without power supply.
   • You have an alternate source of power to ensure continuous transmission even during power outages.
   • All your systems are connected to an inverter, so that the transmission is not lost during the switchover form one power source to another.
2. Create Google+ accounts at the transmission and reception levels. These are the places from where the teacher is teaching (transmission) and where the students are located (reception). The first prerequisite for creating a Google+ account is having a Gmail account. Log into your Gmail account.On the left side of your Dashboard bar(The strip at the top)you will have an icon "+you" by clicking the icon you can create a Google+ account.
   • Create Gmail accounts for all the nodes (transmission and reception). The Google+ accounts operate through Gmail accounts.
3. Network the Google+ nodes once the accounts are created. It is necessary to connect the various nodes with each other by sending and accepting contact requests.
4. Create relevant circles. The transmission node should create subject-wise circles and include the relevant reception nodes in the circle. Similarly, the reception nodes should also create each subject circle and include the relevant transmission node in the circle. The process is very easy – just drag and drop the relevant nodes in the circle.
   • You can create an unlimited number of circles but be sure you can manage the amount you do create.
   • Have a clear and specific classification for the circles and ensure that all the nodes follow the same classification. This will avoid confusion between nodes.
5. Integrate your You Tube, Picasa accounts with your Google+ account. This way you can transmit videos & Photos.You can also transmit Power Point presentations,or any file from your screen by clicking the option "share your screen"
6. Conduct dry runs. Test the system and the network at each node. View the audio and video quality and clarity. Make any necessary adjustments to perfect the connections.
7. Run a few trial sessions. Conduct a few trial sessions on topics of general interest to enable the students and teachers to get acclimatized to the system.
   • The transmission node should select the relevant circle before starting the hangout.
   • All the nodes should log in to their Google+ accounts at least fifteen minutes before the schedule of the virtual class. The relevant reception nodes will automatically get the transmission once they are logged in.
   • The transmission node should ensure that all the reception nodes are logged in before requesting the teacher to start teaching.
8. Start conducting virtual classrooms with Google Hangouts. And when you succeed, share the methodology and success stories with other teachers, to encourage more educators to make use of this easy and enjoyable method of information sharing and learning. If convenient, you might even like to write a few "How to" articles on virtual imparting to help others to learn more from your own experiences.

Tips

• Sparks is another very useful Google+ tool of research for teachers. Through it, teachers can access the latest information in their domain by just selecting and saving the subjects in the Sparks. Sparks will automatically search and store the latest information on those subjects and teachers can refer to Sparks for any new information on their subjects.

Warnings

• Ensure that the network is a closed loop, so that no unwanted or irrelevant node gets in.

Things You'll Need

• Computers with latest configuration for best results
• High speed internet connection
• Reliable audio systems
• LCD projectors
• Classrooms, seminar halls or other suitable locations for sitting and viewing and for teaching from
• Computer savvy teachers and students; if the teacher is unsure, get a helper

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Use Google+ Hangouts for Teaching. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Communicate With a Deaf Person Through an Interpreter

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Communicating with a Deaf person through a sign language interpreter may feel awkward at first, but if you keep a few simple etiquette tools in mind, you can minimize the language barrier.

Steps

1. Don't engage directly with the interpreter. Don't think of a sign language interpreter as a third party in the conversation, but instead as a tool through which the Deaf person speaks and understands language. This one simple rule will help you to avoid most faux pas. You may be introduced to the interpreter at the beginning of the conversation, but otherwise remember that he or she is being paid to do a job, and you should speak directly with the Deaf person.
   • Don't ask the interpreter's opinion, tell the interpreter not to interpret something you've said, or look at the interpreter when you're talking.
   • Even though the Deaf person's "voice" is coming from the side, which may feel strange at first, you should keep your eyes on the Deaf person and speak and react as if he or she were speaking aloud.
2. Let the Deaf person and the interpreter position themselves as needed. Depending on where you are, there may be issues with lighting or positioning. To understand a conversation fully, the Deaf person needs to be able to see the interpreter and you clearly, and the interpreter needs to be able to see the Deaf person clearly. Normally, the interpreter will sign to your side so that both people who sign are facing one another. In a group with one or more Deaf people and one or more hearing people, this can get a little more complicated. Be flexible and offer to move, have a seat, or do whatever is best for everyone.
3. Speak and gesticulate normally. If the Deaf person reads lips, he or she will probably be looking between the interpreter's hands and face, your lips, and your gestures to get a full picture of the conversation. Continue to face the Deaf person you're speaking with and speak with a normal tone and volume. If your conversation partner is reading lips, speaking more loudly, softly, or with exaggeration will actually make you harder to understand. You shouldn't speak more "flatly" than usual, either. A good interpreter will pick up your tone, and your face will also communicate tone.
4. Be sensitive of a lag in interpreting. You should speak at a normal pace and follow the usual rules in conversation, but do allow for pauses where appropriate. Keep in mind that there will always be a slight lag between what you say and what the interpreter signs––if the Deaf person wants to interject something, but you keep going, there will either be a lot of interrupting in the conversation or a one-sided discussion. You also may need to make allowances for an interpreter, for example if the interpreter is not a licensed interpreter but instead a friend, family member, or someone else who signs but doesn't normally interpret.
   • Even licensed interpreters vary in skill level and familiarity with a particular Deaf person.
   • It's possible that if the interpreter and the Deaf person are from different regions, they may naturally sign differently, which makes for slower or more confusing interpretation. In fact, there are even Deaf interpreters who interpret into more natural ASL (or another sign language) from the hearing interpreter's version.
   • If there seems to be a long lag at the end of a sentence, or the interpreter is signing slowly or pausing a lot, or you notice confusion overall, slow down a little and pause more.

Tips

• Remember not to turn your head away so that your lips aren't visible. Even with an interpreter, it's rude to look away when talking to a Deaf person. It's also polite to let the person you're speaking with know if you notice something, like someone coming over to the group from behind them, your phone ringing, etc.
• Don't be afraid to ask politely whether someone needs accommodations. Though you should behave as you normally would in conversation, it's fine to simply ask if there's anything you could do to make conversation easier. If not, you'll likely just get a "no, thank you" and can continue on with the conversation.

Warnings

• Don't ask someone to interpret if that's not why they're present. A Deaf person can certainly ask someone nearby to interpret if they're having difficulties, but often a so-so or even advanced signer's interpretation isn't as good as reading lips/body language. It's the Deaf person's choice to decide how to communicate, and you should respect any choices they make.
• Don't expect an interpreter to work without pay. While you shouldn't ask someone who isn't an interpreter to interpret for you, you also shouldn't ask an interpreter to work if they're not being paid and aren't offering. Interpreters often get roped into interpreting in social situations, but remember that interpreting is a paying job. Just as you wouldn't ask a professional for free medical or legal help, don't ask for free interpretation. If an interpreter does help out without being asked, be sure to show your gratitude!
• Interpreters only know certain signed and spoken languages. If you're at an international event, for example, and you want to introduce yourself to a Deaf person with an interpreter, you may find that you and the interpreter don't share a common language. Though there are sometimes interpretation situations with multiple interpreters, this isn't often the case. If you find yourself in this situation, you can always laugh it off, smile, shake the person's hand, and give them your business card.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Communicate With a Deaf Person Through an Interpreter. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Delete your Usage History Tracks in Windows

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

It's not only those who surf adult websites or chat rooms that might wish to hide their tracks from others. Many people keep sensitive information on shared computers and have an interest in keeping data private. It is absolutely vital to make this your habit to avoid potential problems. While bought software can erase history logs, this how-to will equip you to do it yourself for free.

Steps

Deleting Your Usage History

1. Delete internet history, cookies, temp files and saved form data. For Internet Explorer users:
   • Bring up Internet Options from the Tools menu, then select "Delete all.". Alternatively, delete individual items using the History Pane accessible from the toolbar button.
   • Delete cookies - In the same "Internet Options" window, select Delete Cookies. Alternatively, delete individual items accessible using the View Files button.
   • Delete temp files - In the same "Internet Options" window, select Delete Files. See Tips for how to manage temporary files.
   • Delete saved form and password data by clicking on AutoComplete on the Content tab in Internet Options. Cover your tracks by clicking on the Clear Forms and Clear Passwords buttons.
   For Firefox Users:
   • Use the ctrl-shift-delete key combination by holding them all down at the same time. Check the list for what you want to delete (cookies, passwords, form and password data, temp files). Alternatively, delete individual items by going to the Tools menu and click Options, then Privacy and finally Cookies. Click View Cookies to choose which ones to keep and delete.
2. Delete history information stored in the registry. Go to Opened & Saved documents, click on Search history and then Run history.
3. Clear Recent Items list. Open the Start menu and click on the Recent Options item. Click on Clear recent items in the context menu.
4. Install Spybot. Spybot Search & Destroy (see External Links) is a free tool which can remove registry stored histories.
5. Run Spybot and click Check for Problems. Wait for the report. When it appears, right-click a found entry and click Select All. #*Alternatively, in the report, select individual usage tracks for deletion. You may want to keep some of them though.
   • Find the high-up button called Fix All Problems. Your registry tracks will now be deleted.
6. Recognize that at this point all your PC's standard histories are now erased. Only true privacy enthusiasts will want to complete the following additional steps to delete the hidden history files. XP's hidden history files (index.dat files) are encoded in hexadecimal, not as text, so only the hackers amongst us will ever read them. Should you wish to erase these tracks, continue, perhaps most users would not need to.The screenshot shows that a determined audit of a computer can show a list of visited web sites using free software (Super WinSpy, see How to Recover Deleted History in Windows, can view many types of hidden history).
7. Bring up an Explorer window listing all your computer's "index.dat" files. To do this in Windows Explorer, right-click C:\ drive and click Search, then For Files & Folders. Click All Files & Folders, and enter "index.dat" in the File name field.
   • Before searching, check the following options using the More Advanced Options line:
     • Search System Files
     • Search Hidden Files & Folders
     • Search Subfolders
     • When searching completes, you will have a list of the hidden index.dat files on your computer.
8. Overwrite the History contained in your target index.dat file. This is done by using a hex file editor such as PS Pad.
   • Install PS Pad.
   • Right-click an index.dat from your previous search results and choose "PSPad Hex" in the content menu. It will open for editing in hex mode. The screenshot shows an example file listing a history of opened Office files.
   • Ensure you are not editing in Read-Only mode by trying to type a zero in the first field. Read-Only mode can be toggled on and off in the file menu of PS Pad.
   • Overwrite each position in the file with zeroes (0) by navigating to the first entry and then just holding down the zero key. If you wish to overwrite specific lines in the file, navigate to a line using the scroll bar. The screenshot shows the same file overwritten with zeroes.
   • Save the file. Do the same process to any other "index.dat" file you wish to erase
9. Find and Install the software known as "CCleaner". Not only will it clean the history and cache of all these browsers, it will also clear out lots of other programs too, so no tracks can ever be left behind from other programs too.

Tips

• If you don't want to complicate your life with manual tracks erasing, find a program to do it for you such as CCleaner (which is free!), OSPC Privacy Cleaner, East-Tec Eraser 2007, Evidence Eliminator, Tracks Eraser Pro, or Window Washer (see External Links).
• Set IE to automatically delete temporary files when it closes. The option can be found in the Advanced tab under IE's Tools/Internet Options menu item. Alternatively, install IE replacement Firefox, which offers a "Clear Private Data" tool (see External Links).
• After erasing your tracks, delete all System Restore points for good measure. The registry can be restored to a previous state using this tool.
• To prevent forensic analysis of your hard drive, write over the empty space of your hard drive using a tool such as Eraser (see External Links).
• To disable the Recent Documents section on your start menu, right click on the Start button. Click on Properties. Go to the Start menu tab. Then Click the Customize button. Go to the Advanced tab. At the bottom, you'll see a recent documents section where you can uncheck "List my most recently opened documents." There is also a button that you can use to Clear the List and still keep that portion in the start menu.
• Windows maintains a DNS cache to help it find web pages. To see a list of recent web pages viewed, open a CMD window (click CMD in the 'run' box) and type ipconfig /displaydns. The cache can be emptied by typing ipconfig /flushdns.

Warnings

• Don't change computer settings for other users without asking. It would be a nuisance. Changing computer content without legal right is a crime in many countries.
• In some limited circumstances, it may be possible for an expert to reverse these changes.
• Attempting to hide your computer usage at work is likely to bring you into conflict with management policy. Network administrators can access server logs that detail network and workstation activity, and firewalls can also keep logs. ISPs also keep their own logs.
• System file changes you undertake yourself are potentially dangerous and under your own risk.
• You are likely to draw suspicion if it was clear that you took steps to erase your tracks.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Delete your Usage History Tracks in Windows. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network

This article describes techniques a user can use to secure his or her 802.11b/g/n wireless home network. Securing a wireless network is very important because if you don't, your neighbors can not only borrow your Internet connection, but also access your files and check up on what you're doing. Even worse, hackers can use your internet connection to upload illegal materials, and the FBI will ring your bell...

Steps

1. Connect to your router via your browser, by inputting something called a Gateway IP Address.
   • To find your Gateway IP Address and connect to it in Windows
     • Click Start > Run > type 'cmd' > Click 'Enter'
     • Once the Command Prompt window opens, type 'ipconfig /all' and hit 'Enter'
     • Locate the line labeled 'Gateway' and make note of the number that follows. It will look similar to '192.168.1.1'
     • Open Internet Explorer (or your favorite browser)
     • Enter the Gateway IP Address into the address bar and click 'Enter
   • To find your Gateway IP Address and connect to it on a Mac
     • Open your Finder and run 'Terminal' inside of Applications > Utilities
     • Once the terminal window opens, type 'ipconfig -a' and hit 'Enter'
     • Locate the line labeled 'Gateway' and make note of the number that follows. It will look similar to '192.168.1.1'
     • Open Safari (or your favorite browser)
     • Enter the Gateway IP Address into the address bar and click 'Enter'
2. Enable encryption on your access point. Using 128-bit encryption or higher makes your Wireless Network more secure. WEP and WPA are entirely different encryption schemes. WEP has been proven insecure and can be cracked in a few minutes using free utilities that can be downloaded from the Internet. Using at least WPA is recommended, because it is much more secure, but is sometimes a bit harder to set up correctly than WEP is, and isn't completely secure.[1] [2] Some older access points or wireless cards do not support WPA2. If you have one of these, it is recommended that you purchase a newer one that supports WPA2, depending on how important you consider your security.
3. Set the router access password. Anybody who gains access to the router configuration settings can disable the security you have set up. If you forget the password, most routers have a hardware reset that will restore all of the settings to factory defaults. The best option is to use a random sequence of the maximum length of characters - you only have to type that once, so it is not a big thing. When you connect to the router via LAN cable while setting it up, you can copy and paste the password onto the router and onto your local setting, so you never need to type it again.
   • Use a secure password. Don't use easily guessed passwords for your WPA2 or router access passwords, such as "ABC123", "Password", or a string of numbers in order. Use something hard to guess that contains both upper and lowercase letters as well as numbers. Special characters such as !@#$% are not supported by some routers. The longer the key, the better, although the WPA2 key has a minimum and maximum length. Try to make a little mental effort -- good passwords might be hard to remember, but they are harder to crack.
   • If you use a weak key then even WPA and WPA2 can be easily cracked within a day using a combination of special precomputed tables and dictionary attacks. The best way to generate a secure key is to use an offline random number generator or write the entire alphabet in uppercase and lowercase and numbers 0-9 on separate pieces of paper, mix the paper up and randomly pick up pieces and return them, mixing them up again each time; each character you pull out becomes a character in your key. You can also try throwing a pair of dice and using the resulting numbers as your password.
4. Change the Service Set Identifier (the network name or "SSID") from the default to something unique. A default SSID indicates to hackers that the network was set up by a novice and that other options (such as the password) are also left as the default. Use a name you can remember and identify, as the SSID has no influence on the security of your network (not even if you choose not to broadcast it).
5. Enable MAC Address filtering on your Access Point or router. A MAC (not to be confused with the computer model 'Mac') address is a code unique to every wireless networking card in existence. MAC Address filtering will register the hardware MAC Address of your networked devices, and only allow devices with known MAC Addresses to connect to your network. However, hackers can clone MAC addresses and still enter your network, so MAC address filtering should not be used in place of proper WPA2 encryption.
6. Don't disable the 'SSID Broadcast'. Do not disable the 'SSID Broadcast' feature of your Access Point or router. This seems counter-intuitive, but it is actually a bad idea.[3] Although this would make your network invisible to your neighbors, any determined hacker can still sniff out your SSID; and you are implicitly forcing your computer to shout out your SSID anywhere you are, while it is trying to connect to it. Anyone could then impersonate your router with that SSID, and get your credentials that way.
7. Disable remote login. The first router worm brute forces its way into the router in this manner. Most default usernames are set to Admin. It isn't hard for a virus/worm to crack the password if the username is known. The good thing is that routers normally have this disabled by default. Be sure to confirm that it is disabled when you first set up your router and periodically thereafter. If you need to update your router setting remotely, only set up access for the time you are going to be connected.
8. Disable wireless administrating. Finally, change the setting that allows administrating the router through a wireless connection to 'off' (meaning that you need to connect with a LAN cable for administration). This disables any wireless hacking into the router.

Tips

• You need to set the same WPA2 Settings on your computer and router.
• Check your Access Point or Routers' documentation on how to enable or disable security features.
• You may need to upgrade the Firmware of your Access Point or Router if it doesn't have any of these features. In some situations, you will need to purchase a new Access Point.

Warnings

• Be sure to register all devices on your network, including computers, laptops, media players, and networked storage if you are using MAC filtering. Also, be sure to enter the MAC addresses correctly as if you enter the wrong ones, you will not be able to connect the computer to the router to change them back and you will need to reset the router. Some routers allow you to save them while they are connected.
• Certain versions of Windows don't have individual wireless settings for different wireless domains. This means that the settings that 'share' files at home with your LAN will 'share' files with anybody else's wireless network, even a wireless network masquerading as one you trust.
• Disable 'File and Printer Sharing' in the wireless 'Connection Properties' for your portable computer. Only use the 'Client for Microsoft Networks' half of Microsoft's file sharing. This means that your portable must connect to a machine that shares file/folders in order to access things, and that OTHER computers can't ask to connect to your portable to access files on your machine. At least not through Microsoft's 'File Sharing'. Other running services and back doors may exist.
• A user with a 'cantenna' can access your wireless network from a very long way off. Just because your notebook doesn't get a signal on the porch doesn't mean someone else can't access or monitor your network from a mile away, meaning that even though you don't think anyone in your neighborhood would break into your network, someone far away might.

Sources and Citations

1. ↑ http://www.speedguide.net/read_news.php?id=2714
2. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPA2#WPA2
3. ↑ http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wireless/?p=205

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Secure Your Wireless Home Network. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Coming in February [REPORT]

by Emily Price

A new rumor suggests that Samsung will be launching the Samsung Galaxy S4 (S IV) in February 2013 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

According to Korea Times, the follow up to the popular Galaxy S III will have a 5-inch display (up from the Galaxy S III’s 4.8-inch screen).

As expected in a next-generation smartphone, the device will feature the best hardware and software Samsung has to offer. An official from one of Samsung’s local partners told the daily paper that most of the changes would in fact be under the hood rather than to the exterior of the device.

“The S4 will see some external changes but retain its popular rectangular shape with rounded corner concept,’’ the official said.

The phone is also thought to maintain several stand-out features from the Galaxy S III including support for LTE networks and use of Samsung’s Exynos and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors depending on the country in which the phone is being sold.

Samsung announced the Galaxy S III in May of 2012. The phone went on sale later that month, and by September the company had sold more than 20 million units of the flagship phone, with sales topping 200,000 daily.

The Galaxy S III came loaded with a number of “human” features. For instance, the phone tracks your eyes when you’re looking at the screen and won’t shut off as long as you’re still trying to look at something. The phone can also wake up using just your voice, and has a “groupcasting” feature for sharing pictures and presentations with other Galaxy S II handsets

Microsoft’s latest tablet rises to the Surface

By Patrick Gray

It seems that nothing animates technology giant Microsoft like strong competition. Decades ago, Netscape ignited a fire within the company that turned Internet Explorer from a half-baked accessory program into the world’s dominant browser. Even in the seemingly ancillary gaming market, Sony’s dominance awakened the sleeping beast and brought us the Xbox.

Apple has been one of the few companies to withstand a Microsoft full frontal assault. The Zune MP3 player flopped against the mighty iPod, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile smartphones were forced into a complete rethink in a post-iPhone world, and now the iPad owns the tablet market — one that Microsoft spent over a decade trying to perfect and dominate..

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With Windows 8, Microsoft has clearly turned its cannons on the tablet market, adopting the old axiom that “if you want it done right, do it yourself.” Previous generations of Windows tablets suffered from recurring complaints about clunky hardware and poor battery life, and at least on the hardware front, Microsoft has delivered a compelling alternative in the form of the Surface tablet.

With Apple-like secrecy, Microsoft announced a pair of tablets running Windows 8 — one based on an ARM platform and running Windows 8 RT, the other sporting a familiar Intel chipset and running the Pro version of Windows 8. Physically, the device seems to represent that ever-elusive beast: a Windows tablet that maintains the size and weight of the iPad.

In a refreshing break from the sea of similar tablets, it seems as though some thought and care went into the design of the device, with expansion capabilities that Apple has traditionally shunned in the form of USB, HDMI, and memory card slots, in addition to a larger HD-quality screen. There’s a larger screen onboard, and an exceptionally cool magnetic cover that apes the “smart cover” from Cupertino in the physical sense, but adds a full keyboard and touch pad with minimal additional size or weight. Combine this with Windows 8 features like Microsoft Office, and you have a device that allows “real work” versus those of competitors.

Could Surface save Microsoft in the tablet space?

While Microsoft can be credited with being the first to successfully commercialize tablet computers, they never gained much traction outside of niche business users. Previous versions of Windows revolved around pen-based input on tablets, which suddenly seemed archaic in a world driven by touch. Microsoft has attempted to answer the user interface with its upcoming Windows 8 operating system, offering the best of both worlds: compatibility with familiar applications and a touch-driven tablet experience. The key remaining question was whether Microsoft’s hardware partners could produce a device that matched the iPad for size and longevity, as well as industrial design and overall sexiness.

We are certainly left with some questions around the Surface tablet, mainly around pricing and battery life, but the initial glamour shots coming from the press event make it clear that Microsoft has invested time and treasure in producing a good looking product. Similar to the hardware, we’ve seen glimpses of Windows 8 in its RT guise, the presumptive choice for tablet users. Essentially, Microsoft has laid several pieces of the puzzle on the table, but it remains to be seen whether they can be assembled into a cohesive whole. What is clear, however, is that Microsoft is taking the tablet battle to the next level by offering their own branded hardware.

For the enterprise, this presents several opportunities and threats. With Surface, Microsoft is clearly targeting enterprise users by presenting two variants of the tablet and including expansion capabilities that enterprises would likely favor. Microsoft has an obvious advantage in the enterprise market than the other tablet players but is a relatively untried commodity on the hardware front. Aside from Microsoft-branded mice, most companies own little Microsoft hardware. The biggest risk is that the hardware venture, and Windows 8 itself, represent fairly radical shifts for the company. These are big bets that could pay off for Microsoft and its customers, or potential flops that leave enterprise customers holding the bag.

On a positive note, having a single vendor producing the hardware and operating system theoretically makes for a tightly integrated computing experience, and presumably a more seamless support experience as well. Previous Windows tablets have been plagued by bad drivers and strange, minor incompatibilities between hardware and software. Microsoft’s device would hopefully alleviate these issues.

The final risk for Microsoft and enterprises considering its offerings is one of timing. The product appeared close to release but was not offered for more than a cursory inspection. Microsoft was also elusive on price, an obvious concern to consumers and enterprises alike. In any event, Microsoft has stepped up its attack on the tablet market with a cannonade in the form of the Surface tablet. If your deployment can wait a few months, Surface looks like a very viable option for the enterprise.