Software patent plan gets axed

The Government has backed down on a controversial plan which would have seen software made patentable in New Zealand.

Commerce Minister Craig Foss said today that following industry consultation he had decided to remove the patentability of software from the Patents Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

"These changes ensure the Bill is consistent with the intention of the Commerce Select Committee recommendation that computer programs should not be patentable," he said.

Foss thanked the New Zealand software and IT sector for their engagement over the last few months.

"I'm confident we've reached a solution where we can continue to protect genuine inventions and encourage Kiwi businesses to export and grow."

Click here to read the supplementary order paper (SOP) released by Foss today.

New Zealand's largest IT representative body, the Institute of IT Professionals, expressed relief and said the decision removed a major barrier to software-led innovation.

Chief executive Paul Matthews said although there were varied opinions on the matter, the consensus amongst professionals was that the patent system simply did not work for software.

"If you look at the New Zealand market, you would be hard pressed to find many people that were thinking patents would be a good idea."

It was in New Zealand's best interests for software to continue to be covered through the provisions of copyright - "a far more appropriate mechanism" - in the same way movies and books were, Matthews said.

"We believe it's near impossible for software to be developed without breaching some of the hundreds of thousands of software patents awarded around the world, often for 'obvious' work.

"Thus many software companies in New Zealand, creating outstanding and innovative software, live with a constant risk that their entire business could be threatened due to litigious action by a patent holder."

Patenting software would give large overseas firms the opportunity to monopolise a concept and crush smaller competitors through the legal system, he said.

Matthews said a recent poll of more than 1000 Kiwi IT professionals found 94 per cent wanted to see software patents gone.

A petition launched by the industry against software patents received over 1,000 signatures in under a week, he said.

New Zealand's biggest software exporter, Orion Health, also welcomed Foss' decision.

Chief executive Ian McCrae said obvious things were being patented under the current regime.

"You might see a logical enhancement to your software, but you can't do it because someone else has a patent.

"In general, software patents are counter-productive, often used obstructively and get in the way of innovation."

Internet New Zealand said Foss' decision to amend the Patents Bill drew to a close "years of wrangling between software developers, ICT players and multinational heavyweights over the vexed issue of patentability of software".

"Patenting software would not only make the continued development of the Internet more difficult, it would reduce innovation and could well stymie interoperability of various software platforms," said Internet NZ spokesperson Susan Chalmers.

Matthews said discussion on the Patents Bill had been going on for a long time.

The Commerce Select Committee unanimously recommended in 2010 that software should not be patentable, which led to lobbying from patent lawyers and others.

Foss then released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) which had the potential to reverse this position but today released another SOP dumping the move.

By Ben Chapman-Smith Email Ben

Software patent plan gets axed

The Government has backed down on a controversial plan which would have seen software made patentable in New Zealand.

Commerce Minister Craig Foss said today that following industry consultation he had decided to remove the patentability of software from the Patents Bill, which is currently before Parliament.

"These changes ensure the Bill is consistent with the intention of the Commerce Select Committee recommendation that computer programs should not be patentable," he said.

Foss thanked the New Zealand software and IT sector for their engagement over the last few months.

"I'm confident we've reached a solution where we can continue to protect genuine inventions and encourage Kiwi businesses to export and grow."

Click here to read the supplementary order paper (SOP) released by Foss today.

New Zealand's largest IT representative body, the Institute of IT Professionals, expressed relief and said the decision removed a major barrier to software-led innovation.

Chief executive Paul Matthews said although there were varied opinions on the matter, the consensus amongst professionals was that the patent system simply did not work for software.

"If you look at the New Zealand market, you would be hard pressed to find many people that were thinking patents would be a good idea."

It was in New Zealand's best interests for software to continue to be covered through the provisions of copyright - "a far more appropriate mechanism" - in the same way movies and books were, Matthews said.

"We believe it's near impossible for software to be developed without breaching some of the hundreds of thousands of software patents awarded around the world, often for 'obvious' work.

"Thus many software companies in New Zealand, creating outstanding and innovative software, live with a constant risk that their entire business could be threatened due to litigious action by a patent holder."

Patenting software would give large overseas firms the opportunity to monopolise a concept and crush smaller competitors through the legal system, he said.

Matthews said a recent poll of more than 1000 Kiwi IT professionals found 94 per cent wanted to see software patents gone.

A petition launched by the industry against software patents received over 1,000 signatures in under a week, he said.

New Zealand's biggest software exporter, Orion Health, also welcomed Foss' decision.

Chief executive Ian McCrae said obvious things were being patented under the current regime.

"You might see a logical enhancement to your software, but you can't do it because someone else has a patent.

"In general, software patents are counter-productive, often used obstructively and get in the way of innovation."

Internet New Zealand said Foss' decision to amend the Patents Bill drew to a close "years of wrangling between software developers, ICT players and multinational heavyweights over the vexed issue of patentability of software".

"Patenting software would not only make the continued development of the Internet more difficult, it would reduce innovation and could well stymie interoperability of various software platforms," said Internet NZ spokesperson Susan Chalmers.

Matthews said discussion on the Patents Bill had been going on for a long time.

The Commerce Select Committee unanimously recommended in 2010 that software should not be patentable, which led to lobbying from patent lawyers and others.

Foss then released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) which had the potential to reverse this position but today released another SOP dumping the move.

By Ben Chapman-Smith Email Ben

Complete History of Social Media: Then And Now

Interacting with friends and family across long distances has been a concern of humans for centuries. As social animals, people have always relied on communication to strengthen their relationships. When face-to-face discussions are impossible or inconvenient, humans have dreamed up plenty of creative solutions. Avalaunch Media recently unveiled their Interactive Infographic entitled, “The Complete History of Social Media.”

History of Social Media: Then And Now

The roots of social media stretch far deeper than you might imagine. Although it seems like a new trend, sites like Facebook are the natural outcome of many centuries of social media development.

Social Media Before 1900

The earliest methods of communicating across great distances used written correspondence delivered by hand from one person to another. In other words, letters. The earliest form of postal service dates back to 550 B.C., and this primitive delivery system would become more widespread and streamlined in future centuries.

In 1792, the telegraph was invented. This allowed messages to be delivered over a long distance far faster than a horse and rider could carry them. Although telegraph messages were short, they were a revolutionary way to convey news and information.

Although no longer popular outside of drive-through banking, the pneumatic post, developed in 1865, created another way for letters to be delivered quickly between recipients. A pneumatic post utilizes underground pressurized air tubes to carry capsules from one area to another.

Two important discoveries happened in the last decade of the 1800s: The telephone in 1890 and the radio in 1891.

Both technologies are still in use today, although the modern versions are much more sophisticated than their predecessors. Telephone lines and radio signals enabled people to communicate across great distances instantaneously, something that mankind had never experienced before.

Social Media in the 20th Century

Technology began to change very rapidly in the 20th Century. After the first super computers were created in the 1940s, scientists and engineers began to develop ways to create networks between those computers, and this would later lead to the birth of the Internet.

The earliest forms of the Internet, such as CompuServe, were developed in the 1960s. Primitive forms of email were also developed during this time. By the 70s, networking technology had improved, and 1979′s UseNet allowed users to communicate through a virtual newsletter.

By the 1980s, home computers were becoming more common and social media was becoming more sophisticated. Internet relay chats, or IRCs, were first used in 1988 and continued to be popular well into the 1990′s.

The first recognizable social media site, Six Degrees, was created in 1997. It enabled users to upload a profile and make friends with other users. In 1999, the first blogging sites became popular, creating a social media sensation that’s still popular today.

Social Media Today

After the invention of blogging, social media began to explode in popularity. Sites like MySpace and LinkedIn gained prominence in the early 2000s, and sites like Photobucket and Flickr facilitated online photo sharing. YouTube came out in 2005, creating an entirely new way for people to communicate and share with each other across great distances.

By 2006, Facebook and Twitter both became available to users throughout the world. These sites remain some of the most popular social networks on the Internet. Other sites like Tumblr, Spotify, Foursquare and Pinterest began popping up to fill specific social networking niches.

Today, there is a tremendous variety of social networking sites, and many of them can be linked to allow cross-posting. This creates an environment where users can reach the maximum number of people without sacrificing the intimacy of person-to-person communication. We can only speculate about what the future of social networking may look in the next decade or even 100 years from now, but it seems clear that it will exist in some form for as long as humans are alive.

Why Small Businesses Need Firewalls

I have been spending time this week at a small media company called Mercury Labs. Despite their name, they don’t normally test anything, but ironically that is what I have been doing there. I was testing a bunch of integrated network security devices for Network World. These devices cover what is called unified threat management, but you can think of them as network firewalls with additional features, such as the ability to scan incoming and outgoing traffic for viruses and spam, blocking phishing URLs, and being able to set up a secure virtual private network connection when you are on the road. I’ll call them advanced firewalls here for convenience.

I have a long history of testing these tools. Almost seven years ago, one of the Techtarget publications had me looking at them for larger enterprises, and I went out to the central IT department at Stanford University to put them through their paces. This time round, I wanted to find a small business site for the tests that I was going to be doing for Network World. That’s why I was over at Mercury this past week.

They have about 10 Macs connected to an Apple Airport, which is the center of their network, providing IP addresses, wireless connections and a shared hard drive to the entire office. The Airport is attached to a cable modem and the Charter broadband network.

Wait a minute. Don’t you need a firewall if you are going to connect your network to the badass Internet? Yes, and Mercury knew they were taking chances. A firewall is just the basic separation that keeps the bad guys from getting inside your network and causing havoc. That is why they were the perfect testing site.

They were vested in my review and what I would find out about these products and their specific needs. Interestingly, it isn’t just small businesses that don’t have firewalls. When I arrived at Stanford, the central network didn’t have any either. Partly that was because of some odd notion of academic freedom, but back then they realized they had to get better protection. Ironically, while I was doing my tests there, we saw someone try to reach out from Germany one morning. Luckily, they had other defenses that prevented them from doing any damage, but it emphasized the reason why I was there testing these products. And coincidentally, when we brought up the advanced firewalls at Mercury, we could see all the network traffic where folks were continually scanning and looking for ways to enter their network too. It was a sobering illustration of why these products are essential.

When I first arrived on scene, I went into their phone closet where I tried to suppress a gasp. Yep, this was your typical small business: part storage room, part cable jungle, and mostly a mess. It was clear that trying to figure out the network topology was going to be a challenge, and my first act was to leave everything alone.

Inside the closet were two small gigabit switches from DLink that looked like they had been around since the days of DOS. This worried me, but since things were working, I wasn’t too concerned. Yet. One of the vendors that were part of the test insisted on sending a product engineer to help with my testing, and I am sure glad that he was there. When we cut over to his device instead of the Airport, things initially went south. Turns out we found a bug in their firmware. Once that was fixed, all of the wireless Macs were quickly brought up on the network behind the new firewall. But the wired Macs had trouble connecting. It took a few reboots later before we got everyone back on board. It was ironic that the wireless portion of their network was easier to bring up than their wired portion. That was thanks to the wonky cabling in the closet.

So what are some takeaways from this experience?

If you are running gigabit Ethernet to your desktops, make sure your cable plant is up to snuff. Part of my problems had to do with the older cables used to connect things in their wiring closet. There is a difference between Cat5 and Cat5e, especially if you want to run the faster networks these days. Make sure you are using the right cables.

Disconnect any unused wired ports in your office. This is just basic security practice, but bears repeating. And if your wiring contractor hasn’t done so, you should label your ports in the walls and in your closet so you can track things down more easily.

Understand the limitations of your core network gear, including switches, routers, firewalls, and wireless access devices. Your network installer should explain these things in terms that you can understand.
Have a separate guest network with the appropriate security measures. The Mercury folks were using the Airport guest network features, which were bare bones. One of the reasons they wanted to go to the advanced firewall was to provide better protection from their frequent guests and contractors who were going to be connecting in their offices.

Oh, and what happened with my review for Network World? Well, you will have to wait and read about it in their pages. I can tell you that I learned some interesting things about all the products that I tested.

To subscribe to David’s newsletter, click here. You can also join David on Facebook at Facebook.com/davidstrom, watch his video product reviews and follow him on Twitter @ dstrom. To view a few of his presentations and to find out more about his speaking business, go to http://strom.com.

Small Business Owners Continue to Evaluate Bitcoins

A recent study by researchers at Southern Methodist and Carnegie Mellon universities found Bitcoin exchanges pose considerable risk to users.

Still, the digital currency remains popular, especially with online businesses operating across international borders. That’s probably because the currency isn’t regulated by any bank or country.

As the value of each Bitcoin grows, many small business owners may wonder if they should accept them as payment. Companies that primarily deal in online transactions or purchase online products and services may want to consider adding it as an option for their customers.

In an email interview, Assaf Scialom of iQDesk.net explains why small business owners should consider accepting Bitcoins or other virtual currencies as payments instead of a government-circulated currency.

“The main thing that small business can benefit from using Bitcoin is the ability to sell worldwide with really low cost,” Scialom said. “For example, if I am based in the U.K. and I am selling to the U.K. market and the U.S. market, any transaction in U.S. Dollars costs me quite a lot if I am using Paypal or credit cards. Using Bitcoins reduces this cost dramatically.”

“On top of that I can use the Bitcoins to buy online services like hosting and other Web based software so I don’t need to cash in the Bitcoins I earn (which costs money),” Scialom added.

In a blog post at FindLaw.com, Robyn Hagan Cain writes: “The question of whether you should accept Bitcoin really depends on you as a person. If you’re actively engaged in the online community, Bitcoin may be a better bet than the dollar. If you live in the brick-and-mortar world, you may have a hard time spending it.”

Scialom agrees with this point.

“Bitcoin is good for online business that sell virtual goods (like software subscriptions, content, etc.) but it can be good for small businesses selling goods that are easy to ship abroad,” he explained.

Another issue that may make many small business owners skeptical of Bitcoins and other virtual currencies is the limited marketplace in which to spend them. Small businesses may be unwilling to tie money up in a system that is admittedly volatile.

A warning at Bitcoin.org, where wallets can be downloaded and used to store Bitcoins received, notes: “Keeping your savings in bitcoin is not recommended. Bitcoin should be considered as a high risk asset, and you should never store money that you cannot afford to lose with Bitcoin.”

Outside of small businesses purchasing their online services and products using Bitcoins as the currency, items available at BitcoinStore.com show that more can be purchased and Scialom says it’s only a matter of time until more is available.

“I think the main limitation is that it is not well spread at the moment and not a lot of users or businesses use it. So it can’t be a stand alone solution but I think in the next 2 to 3 years this is going to change,” Scialom says.

Bitcoin Photo via Shutterstock

New Accessory Gets You Up Out Of That Chair And Moving Without Sacrificing Productivity

According to a recent Medical Billing and Coding report, it’s clear to see that the human body isn’t designed to sit for long periods of time. However, most of us working in an any type of office environment can sit focused on a project for hours before we realize it. The opposing “musts” of must work, but must workout poses quite a conundrum. How do we work so we can still afford the crunchy peanut butter, yet do some form of exercise in order to burn off those excess calories? Thankfully, we have a solution in TrekDesk, the desk created to surround your favorit treadmill so that you can comfortably work while walking and getting that much needed exercise. TrekDesk claims to be the only treadmill desk that offers enough surface desk area to not only accomplish work tasks but also accommodate any gaming accessories for when downtime becomes playtime.

Designed to fit any existing treadmill, the TrekDesk treadmill desk offers a full-sized, height adjustable workstation that allows you the opportunity to work while getting the necessary amount of daily exercise and everything that goes along with that including losing weight, reducing stress, preventing disease, strengthening muscles, and improving both mood and productivity. As a bonus, this is another way to help to improve your office efficiency because you’re not only improving productivity, but utilizing precious space for multi-tasking.

Many companies such as Google, Microsoft, Evernote and hotel chains Hyatt and Marriott,  are encouraging their employees to take up the treadmill while working. The costs are nominal compared to the savings in healthcare benefits when employees are healthy. TrekDesk costs $479 and includes all of the accessories. Competitors such as LifeSpan offers a treadmill desk that comes with a treadmill so the cost is much higher running between $1,300 up to $3,000. At TreadDesk, the price for the treadmill alone is $995 and the adjustable height desks begin at $1,500.

Most of these companies offer testimonies of people shedding unwanted pounds while walking slowly (about 1 mph) while working. TrekDesk states that a gamer named Paris lost 40 lbs so far by walking while playing World of Warcraft atop a TrekDesk.

It is obvious that, although we are all working, sitting for prolonged periods of time contributes to poor health, but as Steve Bordley, CEO of TrekDesk Treadmill Desk says, “Walking while gaming or engaging in any online activity is one solution to this expanding problem.”

So what do you think? How many of you are doing some kind of ‘exercise’ while at your desk? Let us know in the comments!

New Accessory Gets You Up Out Of That Chair And Moving Without Sacrificing Productivity

According to a recent Medical Billing and Coding report, it’s clear to see that the human body isn’t designed to sit for long periods of time. However, most of us working in an any type of office environment can sit focused on a project for hours before we realize it. The opposing “musts” of must work, but must workout poses quite a conundrum. How do we work so we can still afford the crunchy peanut butter, yet do some form of exercise in order to burn off those excess calories? Thankfully, we have a solution in TrekDesk, the desk created to surround your favorit treadmill so that you can comfortably work while walking and getting that much needed exercise. TrekDesk claims to be the only treadmill desk that offers enough surface desk area to not only accomplish work tasks but also accommodate any gaming accessories for when downtime becomes playtime.

Designed to fit any existing treadmill, the TrekDesk treadmill desk offers a full-sized, height adjustable workstation that allows you the opportunity to work while getting the necessary amount of daily exercise and everything that goes along with that including losing weight, reducing stress, preventing disease, strengthening muscles, and improving both mood and productivity. As a bonus, this is another way to help to improve your office efficiency because you’re not only improving productivity, but utilizing precious space for multi-tasking.

Many companies such as Google, Microsoft, Evernote and hotel chains Hyatt and Marriott,  are encouraging their employees to take up the treadmill while working. The costs are nominal compared to the savings in healthcare benefits when employees are healthy. TrekDesk costs $479 and includes all of the accessories. Competitors such as LifeSpan offers a treadmill desk that comes with a treadmill so the cost is much higher running between $1,300 up to $3,000. At TreadDesk, the price for the treadmill alone is $995 and the adjustable height desks begin at $1,500.

Most of these companies offer testimonies of people shedding unwanted pounds while walking slowly (about 1 mph) while working. TrekDesk states that a gamer named Paris lost 40 lbs so far by walking while playing World of Warcraft atop a TrekDesk.

It is obvious that, although we are all working, sitting for prolonged periods of time contributes to poor health, but as Steve Bordley, CEO of TrekDesk Treadmill Desk says, “Walking while gaming or engaging in any online activity is one solution to this expanding problem.”

So what do you think? How many of you are doing some kind of ‘exercise’ while at your desk? Let us know in the comments!

Using Social Networking For Sales Lets You Reach New Markets

Online shopping continues to evolve and the new trend for businesses is to use social networking to engage customers and encourage them to share favorite products with each other. Facebook offers one such avenue, but there are others cropping up as well.

OpenSky recently launched its marketplace, which gives small merchants their own stores on the network that boasts of nearly 3 million members. When OpenSky members follow a merchant or buy a product, their friends can see that purchase and talk to them about it. Members can also talk directly with the merchant, allowing OpenSky to operate a little like the small town stores of old.

“We’re bringing Main Street back,” said Leah Lefco of OpenSky. Lefco says the platform gives small businesses an opportunity to reach a customer base they might not otherwise reach.

“The small cheese maker in North Carolina might make great cheeses, but could have trouble reaching cheese lovers in Wisconsin,” Lefco said. But with OpenSky, that small cheese maker can reach not only the cheese lovers in Wisconsin, but those in California. Those buyers will share with their OpenSky friends news of their new favorite cheese maker. As word spreads, that small cheese maker in North Carolina sees an increase in sales.

“We truly want to help these businesses,” Lefco said.

OpenSky operates specifically for small businesses that might not benefit from Facebook. Facebook forces businesses to pay for some posts and Lefco said that building a business on Facebook might be missing the point - and the customer.

“I’m not on Facebook to go shopping for boots,” she said. “I’m there to see what my friends are doing and then I get off (Facebook).”

But not all agree. Many in business these days see Twitter and Facebook as legitimate and productive methods for reaching customers. For example, in Ramon Ray’s book “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing”, Ray argues that using Facebook effectively for business is a learned skill, but one that can prove highly profitable.

With more than 1 billion members, Facebook is arguably the most energetic and prolific social networking site on the internet, so it stands to reason that businesses would use that lively network to market their business.

But any successful business owner knows that it’s best to rely on a combination of marketing strategies. OpenSky is happy to help small business owners not only reach their customers but also communicate with them in a unique and unprecedented way.

When the marketplace launched May 1, Lefco said, there were 250 merchants live on the site and another 450 were nearly ready to go live. An additional and impressive 3,000 sat on a waiting list.

Are you selling products on social networks?  What is your strategy? Let us know in the comments!

Using Social Networking For Sales Lets You Reach New Markets

Online shopping continues to evolve and the new trend for businesses is to use social networking to engage customers and encourage them to share favorite products with each other. Facebook offers one such avenue, but there are others cropping up as well.

OpenSky recently launched its marketplace, which gives small merchants their own stores on the network that boasts of nearly 3 million members. When OpenSky members follow a merchant or buy a product, their friends can see that purchase and talk to them about it. Members can also talk directly with the merchant, allowing OpenSky to operate a little like the small town stores of old.

“We’re bringing Main Street back,” said Leah Lefco of OpenSky. Lefco says the platform gives small businesses an opportunity to reach a customer base they might not otherwise reach.

“The small cheese maker in North Carolina might make great cheeses, but could have trouble reaching cheese lovers in Wisconsin,” Lefco said. But with OpenSky, that small cheese maker can reach not only the cheese lovers in Wisconsin, but those in California. Those buyers will share with their OpenSky friends news of their new favorite cheese maker. As word spreads, that small cheese maker in North Carolina sees an increase in sales.

“We truly want to help these businesses,” Lefco said.

OpenSky operates specifically for small businesses that might not benefit from Facebook. Facebook forces businesses to pay for some posts and Lefco said that building a business on Facebook might be missing the point - and the customer.

“I’m not on Facebook to go shopping for boots,” she said. “I’m there to see what my friends are doing and then I get off (Facebook).”

But not all agree. Many in business these days see Twitter and Facebook as legitimate and productive methods for reaching customers. For example, in Ramon Ray’s book “The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing”, Ray argues that using Facebook effectively for business is a learned skill, but one that can prove highly profitable.

With more than 1 billion members, Facebook is arguably the most energetic and prolific social networking site on the internet, so it stands to reason that businesses would use that lively network to market their business.

But any successful business owner knows that it’s best to rely on a combination of marketing strategies. OpenSky is happy to help small business owners not only reach their customers but also communicate with them in a unique and unprecedented way.

When the marketplace launched May 1, Lefco said, there were 250 merchants live on the site and another 450 were nearly ready to go live. An additional and impressive 3,000 sat on a waiting list.

Are you selling products on social networks?  What is your strategy? Let us know in the comments!

Are Tough Times Inspiring Better Leaders and Increasing Engagement?

Are your employees engaged in their jobs? A Gallup poll measured the growth of employee engagement and which of 12 different occupations tend to boast the highest engagement.

What Exactly Do I Mean By Employee Engagement?

Gallup defines it as people who are “deeply involved in and enthusiastic about their work and actively contributing to their organization.” In contrast, employees who are “actively disengaged” feel emotionally disconnected from their jobs and their workplace, which can only harm their companies’ performance. Somewhere in the middle are employees who are simply not engaged. While they may be satisfied with their jobs, they’re not emotionally connected to them, making them less likely to go above and beyond.

Gallup compared engagement levels from 2012 (when the study was conducted) to levels in 2009 at the depths of the Great Recession. Overall, while engagement has improved among almost all occupations, the difference is not huge. Thirty percent of employees report being engaged, similar to the 28 percent who were engaged in 2009. About one in five (18 percent) are actively disengaged; the rest are not engaged.

The group that enjoyed the most engagement and the most growth in engagement was managers and/or executives. Their engagement level was up 10 percentage points from 2009, to 36 percent. Manufacturing and transportation workers are the least engaged in their jobs, which is no different from 2009. And service workers are the only group whose engagement actually dropped from 2009 to 2012 - Adown 3 percentage points, to 29 percent.

What’s the Reason for the Different Engagement Levels?

Gallup theorizes that tough times might inspire managers and executives to work harder and become better leaders, increasing their engagement or that they simply feel more secure in their jobs than lower-level employees.

Why Aren’t Service Workers Engaged?

Gallup points out that service industries are typically most affected by consumers’ discretionary spending, which has put them in a tough place for the past few years. But the study also notes that service workers, more than any other group, don’t believe their opinions matter at work.

To me, this hits at the core of the issue. Having the ability to direct or influence what you do at work is a big factor in engagement, and executives enjoy this ability much more than do service, manufacturing or transportation employees.

Another Key Issue?

A separate Gallup poll found that engaged employees are far more likely to work at businesses that are hiring than non-engaged or disengaged employees. In fact, 40 percent of managers and execs in the 2012 study say their companies are hiringâ€"a big increase from the 26 percent who said so in 2009. Perhaps seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, and knowing that their teams are finally getting the extra help they’ve needed during the recession, is driving higher engagement among managers and execs.

Finally, Gallup data consistently show that employees are more likely to be engaged when their direct supervisors are highly engaged managers.

What Can You Do to Increase Employee Engagement?

Give your employees more autonomy and ask for their input and opinionsâ€"then, whenever possible, act on them. Hire more help to take the load off overwhelmed employees who have “checked out.”

Focus on your managers, particularly those who supervise front line employees directly. Keeping them engaged has a “trickle-down” effect on the whole team.

Business Leader Photo via Shutterstock

Are Tough Times Inspiring Better Leaders and Increasing Engagement?

Are your employees engaged in their jobs? A Gallup poll measured the growth of employee engagement and which of 12 different occupations tend to boast the highest engagement.

What Exactly Do I Mean By Employee Engagement?

Gallup defines it as people who are “deeply involved in and enthusiastic about their work and actively contributing to their organization.” In contrast, employees who are “actively disengaged” feel emotionally disconnected from their jobs and their workplace, which can only harm their companies’ performance. Somewhere in the middle are employees who are simply not engaged. While they may be satisfied with their jobs, they’re not emotionally connected to them, making them less likely to go above and beyond.

Gallup compared engagement levels from 2012 (when the study was conducted) to levels in 2009 at the depths of the Great Recession. Overall, while engagement has improved among almost all occupations, the difference is not huge. Thirty percent of employees report being engaged, similar to the 28 percent who were engaged in 2009. About one in five (18 percent) are actively disengaged; the rest are not engaged.

The group that enjoyed the most engagement and the most growth in engagement was managers and/or executives. Their engagement level was up 10 percentage points from 2009, to 36 percent. Manufacturing and transportation workers are the least engaged in their jobs, which is no different from 2009. And service workers are the only group whose engagement actually dropped from 2009 to 2012 - Adown 3 percentage points, to 29 percent.

What’s the Reason for the Different Engagement Levels?

Gallup theorizes that tough times might inspire managers and executives to work harder and become better leaders, increasing their engagement or that they simply feel more secure in their jobs than lower-level employees.

Why Aren’t Service Workers Engaged?

Gallup points out that service industries are typically most affected by consumers’ discretionary spending, which has put them in a tough place for the past few years. But the study also notes that service workers, more than any other group, don’t believe their opinions matter at work.

To me, this hits at the core of the issue. Having the ability to direct or influence what you do at work is a big factor in engagement, and executives enjoy this ability much more than do service, manufacturing or transportation employees.

Another Key Issue?

A separate Gallup poll found that engaged employees are far more likely to work at businesses that are hiring than non-engaged or disengaged employees. In fact, 40 percent of managers and execs in the 2012 study say their companies are hiringâ€"a big increase from the 26 percent who said so in 2009. Perhaps seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, and knowing that their teams are finally getting the extra help they’ve needed during the recession, is driving higher engagement among managers and execs.

Finally, Gallup data consistently show that employees are more likely to be engaged when their direct supervisors are highly engaged managers.

What Can You Do to Increase Employee Engagement?

Give your employees more autonomy and ask for their input and opinionsâ€"then, whenever possible, act on them. Hire more help to take the load off overwhelmed employees who have “checked out.”

Focus on your managers, particularly those who supervise front line employees directly. Keeping them engaged has a “trickle-down” effect on the whole team.

Business Leader Photo via Shutterstock

What Are Small Business Marketers Doing In 2013?

We recently shared our thoughts on how content marketing has become something of an equalizer for small businesses trying to compete in the same space as larger brands with their big budgets and seemingly unlimited resources.

Rather than extract value via traditional and costly marketing channels such as display and search, content creates value for consumers and a more effective way for small businesses to engage their audience. At Outbrain, we’re always looking to share ways in which small businesses can better engage their audience with interesting and great quality content.

To that end, we’re excited to announce the launch of our 2013 B2B Small Business Content Marketing report produced in partnership with the Content Marketing Institute.

The Content Marketing Institute’s recent North American survey revealed some surprising insights into the differences between B2B small business marketers and their enterprise peers. For example, small business marketers use more social media platforms than their enterprise peers and are planning to increase their content marketing budgets more than their larger, enterprise peers.

In our 2013 report, we shares the trends, benchmarks and key tactics employed by small business marketers and how they approach content marketing. The report answers:

• what are the most effective marketing tactics for SMBs?
• what’s their most important content marketing measurement criteria?
• what are their biggest content marketing challenges?
• how are SMBs mastering content creation and how do they tailor their content?

DOWNLOAD IT NOW to take a closer look at what content marketing means to small businesses and what you could be doing too!

VerticalResponse Now Connects To CRM Solutions Offering Three Great Advantages To Your Business

If you’re serious about marketing your business, chances are you’re using an email marketing platform, a customer relationship management (CRM) solution, or both. A combination of both gives you plenty of power over your marketing campaigns, ensuring that you know who opens their emails and keeping track of your most loyal customers.

The recent affordability of both CRMs and email marketing platforms has made conducting a business much easier than it used to be. But how can we make that even easier? VerticalResponse has an answer to this: How about we combine both CRM and email marketing into one solution?

According to their recent announcement, VerticalResponse has integrated SyncApps by Cazoomi, bringing a unified interface that allows you to connect well-known CRMs to your email marketing dashboard. Data will be synced between the two and you’ll have updated information on all of your campaigns.

Here are the CRMs you can now connect with: Base CRM, SalesForce, HighRise CRM, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Nimble, Podio, SugarCRM, and Zoho CRM.

There are some advantages to making the jump to a more holistic solution:

• You save plenty of time. The communication between both applications will let you focus on other things, rather than having to go in and out of each solution to update them.
• Your email marketing strategy can be more targeted. You can get data from your CRM into VerticalResponse and send more personalized emails to certain groups of customers, depending on their preferences. As an example, about a week ago, I received an email from eMag (an electronics distributor) showing me some smartphones I might be interested in. This is a result of the fact I’ve been browsing smartphones on their site a few days before that. It’s nice to have that kind of touch and shows the customer that you’re aware of what he/she is looking for.
• Information is more transparent. You’ll be able to have a clearer picture of what’s going on in the online front of your business without having to actually extrapolate the data yourself.

If you want SyncApps integration, you’ll have to pay a basic fee of $9.99 per month. The professional version, which gives you a wider array of features, will cost just under $50 a month. Either way you go, you’ll benefit greatly from the ability to see your data in a new way, along with the ability to send more targeted messages to your customers!

VerticalResponse Now Connects To CRM Solutions Offering Three Great Advantages To Your Business

If you’re serious about marketing your business, chances are you’re using an email marketing platform, a customer relationship management (CRM) solution, or both. A combination of both gives you plenty of power over your marketing campaigns, ensuring that you know who opens their emails and keeping track of your most loyal customers.

The recent affordability of both CRMs and email marketing platforms has made conducting a business much easier than it used to be. But how can we make that even easier? VerticalResponse has an answer to this: How about we combine both CRM and email marketing into one solution?

According to their recent announcement, VerticalResponse has integrated SyncApps by Cazoomi, bringing a unified interface that allows you to connect well-known CRMs to your email marketing dashboard. Data will be synced between the two and you’ll have updated information on all of your campaigns.

Here are the CRMs you can now connect with: Base CRM, SalesForce, HighRise CRM, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Nimble, Podio, SugarCRM, and Zoho CRM.

There are some advantages to making the jump to a more holistic solution:

• You save plenty of time. The communication between both applications will let you focus on other things, rather than having to go in and out of each solution to update them.
• Your email marketing strategy can be more targeted. You can get data from your CRM into VerticalResponse and send more personalized emails to certain groups of customers, depending on their preferences. As an example, about a week ago, I received an email from eMag (an electronics distributor) showing me some smartphones I might be interested in. This is a result of the fact I’ve been browsing smartphones on their site a few days before that. It’s nice to have that kind of touch and shows the customer that you’re aware of what he/she is looking for.
• Information is more transparent. You’ll be able to have a clearer picture of what’s going on in the online front of your business without having to actually extrapolate the data yourself.

If you want SyncApps integration, you’ll have to pay a basic fee of $9.99 per month. The professional version, which gives you a wider array of features, will cost just under $50 a month. Either way you go, you’ll benefit greatly from the ability to see your data in a new way, along with the ability to send more targeted messages to your customers!

What is Responsive Web Design?

Have you asked yourself, “What is responsive Web design?” Responsive Web design is an approach whereby a designer creates a Web page that “responds to” or resizes itself depending on the type of device it is being seen through.  That could be an oversized desktop computer monitor, a laptop, a 10-inch tablet, a 7-inch tablet, or a 4-inch smartphone screen.

Responsive Web design has become one of the hottest trends in 2013.  This is due in part to the  growth of smartphones and other mobile devices. More people are using smaller-screen devices to view Web pages.

In fact, Mashable even dubbed 2013 the Year of Responsive Web Design. Pete Cashmore wrote,  ”For those of us who create websites and services, all this leads to a singular conclusion: A million screens have bloomed, and we need to build for all of them.”

What Does Responsive Web Design Look Like?

The purpose of responsive design is to have one site, but with different elements that respond differently when viewed on devices of different sizes.

Let’s take a traditional “fixed” website.  When viewed on a desktop computer, for instance, the website might show  three columns. But when you view that same layout on a smaller tablet, it might force you to scroll horizontally, something users don’t like. Or elements might be hidden from view or look distorted.  The impact is also complicated by the fact that many tablets can be viewed either in portrait orientation, or turned sideways for landscape view.

On a tiny smartphone screen, websites can be even more challenging to see. Large images may “break” the layout. Sites can be slow to load on smartphones if they are graphics heavy.

However, if a site uses responsive design, the tablet version might automatically adjust to display just two columns. That way, the content is readable and easy to navigate. On a smartphone, the content might appear as a single column, perhaps stacked vertically.  Or possibly the  user would have the ability to swipe over to view other columns.  Images will resize instead of distorting the layout or getting cut off.

The point is: with responsive design, the website automatically adjusts based on the device the viewer sees it in.

How Does Responsive Web Design Work?

Responsive sites use fluid grids. All page elements are sized by proportion, rather than pixels. So if you have three columns, you wouldn’t say exactly how wide each should be, but rather how wide they should be in relation to the other columns. Column 1 should take up half the page, column 2 should take up 30%, and column 3 should take up 20%, for instance.

Media such as images is also resized relatively. That way an image can stay within its column or relative design element.

Related Issues

Mouse v. touch: Designing for mobile devices also brings up the issue of mouse versus touch.  On desktop computers the user normally has a mouse to navigate and select items.  On a smartphone or tablet, the user mostly is using fingers and touching the screen.  What may seem easy to select with a mouse, may be hard to select with a finger on a tiny spot on a screen. The Web designer must take “touch” into consideration.

Graphics and download speed: Also, there’s the issue of graphics, ads and download speed. On mobile devices, it may be wise to display fewer graphics than for desktop views so that a site doesn’t take forever to load on a smartphone.  Larger ad sizes may need to be exchanged for smaller ads.

Apps and “mobile versions”:  In the past, you might have thought about creating an app for your website â€" say an iPad app or an Android app.  Or you would have a mobile version specifically for BlackBerry.

But with so many  different devices today, it’s getting harder to create apps and versions for every device and operating platform. As Smashing Magazine wrote, “When will the madness stop? It won’t, of course.”  A responsive design that is flexible enough to be viewed on multiple devices just makes sense.

Why Small Businesses Need to Switch to Responsive Web Design

More people are using mobile devices. A recent Pew study found that 45% of American adults own a smartphone, and 31% own a tablet computer. As we reported yesterday, smartphone shipments outpace those of regular mobile phones, and tablet growth is surging.

Check your traffic and you might just be shocked at how many visitors are getting to your website  through mobile devices.  (In your Google Analytics, select “Audience” on the left side, then “Mobile” to see what proportion of traffic is from mobile devices. You can even drill down to see which devices are sending the traffic.)

Responsive design templates are everywhere now, for purchase.  If, for instance, you have a WordPress site you can visit a reputable template gallery such as ThemeForest and search for “responsive WordPress themes.”  Purchase one for under $50. Your Web developer can then customize it for your logo and brand.

Editor’s Note:  Here at Small Business Trends, we are working on a new responsive design. Shouldn’t you?

Responsive Design Photo via Shutterstock

Cascade Orthopedics Streamlines Commissions, Increases Sales and Saves Time With Cloud Based Solution

Cascade Orthopedics had a goal. The provider of orthopedic supplies to professionals around the country was growing quickly and needed a way to get its sales compensation management in order. When the company doubled its sales force through an acquisition, the need to organize its sales staff reached urgent levels.

Enter Xactly. A Cloud-based sales force management solution, Xactly automates the sales compensation process for businesses of all sizes. As Cascade Orthopedics explored Xactly’s solutions, it became clear that the software offered far more than simple sales compensation automation. Through using Xactly, Cascade Orthopedics was able to:

• Increase its sales performance
• Organize its sales behaviors to be more strategic
• Accelerate adoption of Salesforce as its CRM
• Operate with more efficient, less expensive, and scalable compensation management.

But it started with Xactly’s examination of Cascade Orthopedics’ current sales tracking process.

Before Xactly

To manage sales flow, the top staff at Cascade Orthopedics used SQL to run reports, which they then exported to Excel spreadsheets. Those spreadsheets were used to calculate each salesperson’s commissions monthly, requiring hours of administrative work. When Cascade Orthopedics had only four salespeople, that was a reasonable way to manage commissions calculations, but the sales team was growing.

Another problem with Cascade Orthopedics’ process was visibility. Sales team members were unable to see commissions until the day they saw their paychecks. The company knew that if there were a way for sales team members to keep track of their commissions throughout the month, it would be a great motivational tool.

“Essentially, with the old process, all our commissions calculations used to happen behind an impervious ‘curtain,’ making it extremely difficult for us to be strategic with compensation,” Cascade Orthopedic Supply’s business analyst James Mayfield says. “We want reps to be able to look behind the curtain to better understand what and why they were being paid.”

During Implementation

Cascade Orthopedics chose Xactly after determining that it met all of their business’s needs, including visibility, automation, and management reporting. The Cloud-based solution utilizes the proven incentive compensation solution provided by Salesforce.com, allowing for easy adaptability for a staff that was accustomed to the Salesforce.com interface. Xactly was deployed as a solution in the spring of 2011 and transition went very smoothly. Even better, positive results were immediate. The small orthopedics provider is now operating its compensation calculation process in a similar manner to much larger companies.

With Xactly

Using Xactly’s dashboard, Cascade Orthopedics’ staff can now keep track of their compensation throughout the month, letting them know where they are in reaching their monthly goals. This up-to-date tracking gives Xactly’s team members extra motivation on a daily basis.

Mayfield has found this increased visibility has boosted accountability from each sales team member. Instead of goals being set by management, he’s found that the sales team now sets its own goals and strives to achieve them. But one of the best things about Xactly is the time it has saved. The same top staff who once spent hours each month running reports, exporting them to Excel, and manually calculating compensation has now reduced that time to a few hours per year.

Xactly has streamlined Cascade Orthopedics’ sales compensation process, saving the company money on administrative tasks and motivating its sales force to be more in charge of their compensation. This more efficient, lower-cost method of operating its sales structure has made operations easier and more effective for Cascade Orthopedics, which is now positioned to increase its client base and beat the competition.

Cascade Orthopedics Streamlines Commissions, Increases Sales and Saves Time With Cloud Based Solution

Cascade Orthopedics had a goal. The provider of orthopedic supplies to professionals around the country was growing quickly and needed a way to get its sales compensation management in order. When the company doubled its sales force through an acquisition, the need to organize its sales staff reached urgent levels.

Enter Xactly. A Cloud-based sales force management solution, Xactly automates the sales compensation process for businesses of all sizes. As Cascade Orthopedics explored Xactly’s solutions, it became clear that the software offered far more than simple sales compensation automation. Through using Xactly, Cascade Orthopedics was able to:

• Increase its sales performance
• Organize its sales behaviors to be more strategic
• Accelerate adoption of Salesforce as its CRM
• Operate with more efficient, less expensive, and scalable compensation management.

But it started with Xactly’s examination of Cascade Orthopedics’ current sales tracking process.

Before Xactly

To manage sales flow, the top staff at Cascade Orthopedics used SQL to run reports, which they then exported to Excel spreadsheets. Those spreadsheets were used to calculate each salesperson’s commissions monthly, requiring hours of administrative work. When Cascade Orthopedics had only four salespeople, that was a reasonable way to manage commissions calculations, but the sales team was growing.

Another problem with Cascade Orthopedics’ process was visibility. Sales team members were unable to see commissions until the day they saw their paychecks. The company knew that if there were a way for sales team members to keep track of their commissions throughout the month, it would be a great motivational tool.

“Essentially, with the old process, all our commissions calculations used to happen behind an impervious ‘curtain,’ making it extremely difficult for us to be strategic with compensation,” Cascade Orthopedic Supply’s business analyst James Mayfield says. “We want reps to be able to look behind the curtain to better understand what and why they were being paid.”

During Implementation

Cascade Orthopedics chose Xactly after determining that it met all of their business’s needs, including visibility, automation, and management reporting. The Cloud-based solution utilizes the proven incentive compensation solution provided by Salesforce.com, allowing for easy adaptability for a staff that was accustomed to the Salesforce.com interface. Xactly was deployed as a solution in the spring of 2011 and transition went very smoothly. Even better, positive results were immediate. The small orthopedics provider is now operating its compensation calculation process in a similar manner to much larger companies.

With Xactly

Using Xactly’s dashboard, Cascade Orthopedics’ staff can now keep track of their compensation throughout the month, letting them know where they are in reaching their monthly goals. This up-to-date tracking gives Xactly’s team members extra motivation on a daily basis.

Mayfield has found this increased visibility has boosted accountability from each sales team member. Instead of goals being set by management, he’s found that the sales team now sets its own goals and strives to achieve them. But one of the best things about Xactly is the time it has saved. The same top staff who once spent hours each month running reports, exporting them to Excel, and manually calculating compensation has now reduced that time to a few hours per year.

Xactly has streamlined Cascade Orthopedics’ sales compensation process, saving the company money on administrative tasks and motivating its sales force to be more in charge of their compensation. This more efficient, lower-cost method of operating its sales structure has made operations easier and more effective for Cascade Orthopedics, which is now positioned to increase its client base and beat the competition.

What NOT to Spend On In Your Startup

Most articles are great at listing all the things you can spend your limited startup funds on.  But through experience, we’ve learned some lessons about wasting money and how to avoid the nonessential aspects of a startup.

Here is my list of things NOT to spend on if you can avoid it in the first 6 months.  By spending wisely you preserve your funds for the things that count. Also, in the first 6 months of your business you have certain priorities â€" this list will keep you on track.  I’m not saying to NEVER spend on these things - in fact depending on your business you may have to spend on some of them â€" just not in the first six months.

Conferences - They can be expensive and distract you. In the first six months your head should not be on conferences unless you can calculate a specific dollar ROI from going (such as, you’re being paid a speaking fee).

Travel - Travel is not only expensive, but you are less productive during travel. When I travel, I’m lucky to get one-third of my normal daily workload handled.  Aside from a critical sales call that you simply MUST attend â€" use email and phone instead. Skype video conferences and Google Hangouts are two free substitutes for in-person meetings.

Offices - “Real Estate is the leading cause of death for startups,” Ross Mayfield, co-founder of SocialText once quipped.  Obviously, if you run a local retail business, you need a shop. But today, many kinds of businesses can work virtually and  need not saddle themselves with fixed lease costs in the first 6 months.

Hiring Employees - As famed tech investor Paul Graham writes, “The classic way to burn through cash is by hiring a lot of people. This bites you twice: in addition to increasing your costs, it slows you down.”  Adding employees requires you take time to bring people on board, communicate with them so they understand the vision, and allow time for them to get acclimated. In some businesses, such as a restaurant, you MUST hire if you expect the business to run. But many other kinds of businesses are better off focusing on product development, marketing and/or sales before hiring a lot of people.  Plus, you want to give yourself the time to select the best talent; go with freelancers and contractors whenever possible in the first 6 months.

 A Too-Ambitious Website - Get a website up early.  But unless your business IS a Web technology business, keep it small and modest at first.  Invest in a good template design, and keep the number of pages down until your business has more of a track record.

Too Much Time Blogging - Newbie business owners lacking clients often make the mistake of trying to become like the Huffington Post. Even if you’re not spending money, you’re spending something just as precious: time. Limit your writing time and put more effort into closing sales.

Paid Networking Groups - I am not a fan of paid networking or referral groups such as BNI.  But if you’re considering one, at least hold off joining until you figure out whether you really can benefit from one. Try Meetups instead.

Document, presentation and spreadsheet software - With all the free online software services, you should be spending little or nothing at first for these. As your business grows you can selectively upgrade to meet specific needs.

Public Relations - Don’t get me wrong, PR is valuable. But in the first 6 months you’re still figuring out your startup’s “story” and how to frame it.  Until you’ve gone through that process don’t waste your money or the PR professional’s time.

Raising money - Some startups will never get off the ground without investment - but that’s not most startups. Unless you are part of the tiny minority with the kind of high-growth business likely to attract investors, or you are planning to buy into a franchise and need the franchise fee, focus on getting customers instead.

Large print runs - For brochures, sell sheets, mailers and other items: prepare and print in small quantities.  Invariably you will refine your business and your marketing materials after the first 6 months. You may end up focusing on a narrow niche or revising your pricing. You want to be nimble, not locked in to a 3-year supply.

Web conferencing software -  Holding meetings and sales presentations remotely can be valuable.  But all those $24/month expenses for software services  can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars monthly. Explore free options that may fit your situation:  Google Hangouts, AnyMeeting or OoVoo are 3 possibilities.

Conference call bridge - Try a service like FreeConference.com instead of paying for a conference bridge service.  Couple it with Google Talk, and you don’t even have to pay long distance charges (calls to phones in the US and Canada are currently free).

Collaboration, CRM, sales management and other software - Just the process of evaluating and choosing software packages can take hours, even days - why get distracted?  If it’s a process improvement type of software and  not core to your business, it can wait 6 months.

Invention services â€"  If you have an invention that you think could be valuable, run, don’t walk, to a patent attorney - not an invention promotion service. U.S. patent law recently switched to a first to file system. You could lose rights by not taking the correct steps promptly, and only an attorney can advise you.

Trademark filings - Filing for a trademark usually doesn’t have the same urgency as with a patent. In fact, by consistently using your mark over time you establish stronger rights. In the first six months a trademark registration is not an essential expense.

Advertising - Advertising takes money. Besides, a lot of startups are still figuring out what they doing in the first 6 months.  Instead, ramp up your social media presence during this time. You can connect with your audience and develop more of a two-way dialogue during this time, gaining feedback from your target audience as well.  If you must advertise, experiment with low cost alternatives such as Facebook Promoted Posts and Twitter Promoted Tweets.

Finally, I’d like to also point you to two additional resources:

How to save on expenses in a small business.

Ten ways to save money in your business

Image: Startup costs

3 Awesome Pocket-sized Projectors for Presentations or Entertainment

Ever wanted to make a presentation on the fly, or found yourself having to make do without your slides because a supplied projector was on the fritz? Or maybe you want to share a movie on your phone with a group, without them all crowding around your tiny screen. Or maybe you want to recreate the world’s smallest car chase. Pocket projectors might be right up your street if you’re looking to avoid these problems!

Here are three great options:

eyesee is a slim, mobile projector that your iPhone 4 or 4S will slide into. At $150, it’s quite a cheap option. Use it for videos, photo slideshows, PDF files, and presentations.

• Vibrant LED 15 lumens projector lamp.
• Up to 50 inch image at 640 x 360 resolution.
• Manual Focus adjustment.
• 0.5 W Internal speaker with manual control.
• Dependable Texas Instruments DLP technology.
• Rechargeable internal battery can be used to charge your phone.
• 30-day money back guaranty.
• One (1) year limited warranty.

The 3M Projector Sleeve is very similar to the eyesee. It is also for iPhone 4 and 4S, but boasts 35 lumens, which is over twice as a bright as the eyesee projector. It retails at $230, but right now you can get it for $104.99 on Amazon.

According to PC Mag, “The projector is bright enough to show videos in a dark room at sizes up to about 50 inches diagonally, though they’re best at 36 inches and smaller.”

But, if you want the brightest and best in a very small package, you should go with the Brookstone HDMI pocket projector. It’s significantly more expensive that the above two options, but it’s also significantly brighter, at 85 lumens. The Wirecutter names it as their pick for best pocket projector.

• Projects bright, sharp images up to 60″ diagonal
• Accepts 1080p and 1080i video input
• Rechargeable and portable
• Connects via HDMI to most smartphones, tablets, computers, video players, cameras and more*
• Mega-bright LED lamp projects up to 85 lumens for up to 2 hours on a single charge
• Dual built-in speakers and focus control
• Rechargeable 3800mAh battery doubles as a USB backup battery for your smartphone devices
• Includes HDMI cable, Micro HDMI adapter, Mini HDMI adapter and AC adapter

Do you use a pocket projector? Let us know what your pick is for the best in the comments!

SpyEye Trojan developer and marketer extradited to US

One of the masterminds behind the pernicious SpyEye banking Trojan has been extradited to the United States, where he will face charges for computer and wire fraud.

Hamza Bendelladj was charged in a 23-count indictment that was returned in December 2011, but only unsealed last week. He was arrested in January at an airport in Thailand, and was extradited to America last week.

The 24-year-old is charged with 11 counts of computer fraud, ten counts of wire fraud and other conspiracy-related offences, prosecutors said.

SpyEye first turned up in 2010 and quickly resembled the notorious Zeus Trojan for its ability to steal information, particularly bank login credentials, from the users whose computers it infected. The malware, which can be hard to detect by traditional security software, often injects web fields into legitimate banking sites, where attackers secretly steal data that victims enter.