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We always read about the most popular gadgets on the market. But for every technology that changes our lives there is something that flops. It’s difficult to judge what the public will take a fancy too, so companies take a risk when they release something. Here we explore a handful of technologies that fall outside of the “took flight” category.

Famous tech failures

Apple TV: Apple TV lets users buy their entertainment straight from iTunes and stream it on their computers, handheld devices, or TVs. The unfortunate thing about this, which may be the reason for its less then popular ranking, is that it is somewhat limited to iTunes. Sony Mylo: You will possibly not remember the Mylo. That's because it came and went without eliciting much response from consumers. This Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device enabled consumers to connect to the Internet, send e-mail, and hold online chats. In addition, it came with Skype for free Internet calls. Sadly for Sony, the iPhone and its enormous app store...

We usually tend to take Microsoft Outlook for granted. After all, we've been using this program to read email messages and control our schedules for years now. Nevertheless, Microsoft Outlook is a remarkably powerful program. If you want to make the most out of it, it's time to explore some of its hidden features. Here are three key tips that can help you save time and work more efficiently when connected to Microsoft Outlook.

Eliminate the Clutter

Using Outlook’s “Conversation View” can help keep your email conversations neatly in one thread rather of being spread out over days of email backlog.  The disadvantage to Conversation View is that often these emails are cluttered with repeat material from old emails.  To easily eliminate this annoyance, just right-click the conversation and choose the “Clean Up Conversation” option.  Now all of the repeated quoted material will be eliminated from the conversation.

Say it in a Picture

If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how much...

When looking at data security, many people think they have plenty of systems and precautions in place to keep their data protected. Sure, you might have antivirus software and you may even update it frequently. You may also believe that you’re too small of a company to be a target of a hacking attempt. Only big firms that have thousands of clients need to worry about cyber criminals, right? Wrong. Hackers and cyber criminals have in fact escalated their focus on small businesses. We would like to help you understand the dangers your small business could be facing.

Small firms: low-hanging fruit

Sadly, small businesses make easy targets, so hackers are beginning to concentrate on them. Small firms are quick hacks and the criminals can make more hacks at a faster rate. With increased chances, their likelihood of stealing valuable information goes up substantially. As a small company, you may not think you have any useful information, but in today’s world even the simplest information can be used to do damage to someone else. Credit card purchases are the most common targets of cyber criminals. Each time your system runs a transaction, it must verify the cardholder’s information. This information can contain card numbers, addresses, names, and more. Your clients don't want this information stolen!

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Earlier this week we explained the reasons why your company’s culture affects your brand. A balanced company culture will have a very positive effect on your daily operations and the way the public views your company. Measuring the cultural health of your company is one thing, but where do you go from there. Below we’ll consider some ideas to improve or give your company a cultural transformation.

The first step is to ask yourself a couple of questions to get a sense of the “feel” you would like your business to have:

What characteristics would you like your company’s atmosphere to convey? Inventiveness, respectfulness, acceptance, fun, etc. What are your company’s values and how can the culture mirror them? Who controls the flow of information? How and what's distributed to the staff? How do you reward or inspire employees now, and how would you like to in the future? Does everyone feel heard in the company? Do people feel free to express their ideas and give their opinions?...

Strategy is usually at the forefront of a company’s focus. Strategy is not the only thing that makes a company prosperous. Culture also plays a huge role. The culture of your company affects your branding, your marketing success, and daily operations, all of which have an effect on how the world sees your business. The logos of brands like Apple, Google, and Starbucks are recognizable not only because they appear to be everywhere, but also these companies have strong cultures that shine through their employees, storefronts, and logos. These positive, strong cultures all begin within the walls of their offices.

Why Culture is so Important

If people work in a place where they feel ownership, pride, and empowerment they will put their hearts into the work they do. They will take more risks and be more willing to think outside of the box. A healthy culture builds creativity and innovative thinking. When people feel like they're being stifled by their work or they have no control over their tasks, they...

Did you start your business because you love paperwork? Probably not, unless you’re an accountant of course. Probably, you started your business because you love the job, product, or service you sell. As a business owner, however, you can’t disregard the paperwork that comes along with owning your own business. The financial side of a business is crucial and the proper invoicing of your clients means cash in the bank and content clients.

Invoicing help online

Using an online invoicing service is a possible option for business owners who need a quicker, more reliable way, and often-automatic means to invoice their customers. You can find a multitude of available online options to choose from that can take that cumbersome task of paperwork off your plate. Below we’ll take a look at just 3 of the solutions out there:

A free but powerful invoicing service

Sometimes the word “free” is synonymous with “not very good.” Fortunately, that is not the case with the free system, BillingBoss....

It looks as if Microsoft is ready to do its part to discourage cyber crimes. Microsoft intends to offer real-time feeds that partners can use to examine possible cyber threats and take the proper steps to boost their defenses against these attacks.

With Microsoft’s achievements in tackling botnets, they've been able to accumulate a lot of information around the specific threats these botnets pose. By allowing the botnets to infect highly monitored environments, Microsoft had been able to isolate and remove the destructive bots and also discover how they work.

This collected information is now shared with ISPs, private and government agencies, & CERTs. While real-time data may not lessen the number of attacks by malicious code, the result of sharing this data will likely be quite extraordinary. IT security companies should be able to respond more quickly to these threats and therefore be able to lessen the level of damage they can cause.

Microsoft's live threat feed could have a far more important...

Thanks for reading our obligatory first blog post! Over the last few months OCC has undergone (and continues to undergo) quite a transition. We're ramping up our services, adding new products, updating our store and providing even better service than ever. Our new website, and soon, a new online store will also continue to set us a part. We hope you are excited as we are about the changes!