How to Develop a Workplace Training Program

Every time your company installs a new system, upgrades software, or adds “smart” equipment, your employees require training on how to make the most productive use of the new technology. The current labor market is tight, and finding people with the necessary skills is a challenge, so companies are taking on more responsibility to provide training to new and existing employees. A successful and effective workplace training program takes research and planning. These steps will help your company develop a workplace training program that prepares your team for new challenges.

Conduct a Needs Assessment

Before you develop content for a workplace training program, you have to know why you’re doing it. What needs are you trying to address, and what skills are lacking that need development? Most importantly, what are the goals for the program? Training should support an identified business objective by addressing areas that need improvement in order to meet that goal.

For example, in the case of new system implementation involving a major data migration to the new platform, your employees need training in what will be different and how to use the new system productively. Your goal will likely be ensuring that all users are competent and confident in using the new system by a stated date, with minimal disruption to service. Figure out what employees need to do to accomplish your goal, and break down how each role they occupy will contribute. Develop a workplace training program that clearly targets specific objectives.

Identify a Leader

Your director of learning and development is the natural team lead for crafting new workplace training, but if your organization is smaller, you may not have someone who holds that title. The program manager should be enthusiastic, curious, and willing to listen to various perspectives about what new skills or knowledge employees need. Choose someone people talk to easily and with whom staff feel comfortable sharing ideas.

Understand Adult Learners

Respect your team’s experience and don’t waste their time with irrelevant training. They want to learn what they need to know and get back to work. Adults respond best to self-directed, task- and goal-oriented training where they learn information they want to learn. Be prepared to answer questions about what’s in it for them. Will the training result in career advancement, or will it solve a workplace problem and give them greater job satisfaction? Perhaps your organization has set a lofty goal of helping every staff member understand new industry standards. In those cases, it’s best to utilize a high-quality workplace training program. Emphasize that the work that goes into training will pay off for individual employees who gain upgraded skills and fluency with best practices in your industry.

Identify How You Will Measure Results

It’s disheartening to invest significant work time in a training program and then never hear another word about it. Communicate to employees how their newly gained skills and knowledge benefit the company as a whole and back up your claims with concrete data. Tell workers the positive results of their efforts and thank them for their hard work in deploying their new skills.

5 Invaluable Life-Saving Medical Devices

The survival rate for life threatening diseases and medical issues continues to increase. That’s because someone invented a life-saving medical device to diagnose, treat, or repair their medical issue. The medical field always leads the innovation and creation of new and better machines. Advances in medical technology continue to shape the world we live in and extend the life expectancy of us all.

Ventilators

Mechanical ventilators are invaluable for keeping patients alive that can’t breathe for themselves. Doctors use them during surgery when a patient goes under a general anesthetic and can’t breathe. In cases of paralysis, brain damage, or patients in comas, ventilators will breathe for them until they can do it themselves. It’s crucial, though, that these patients receive the proper care.

Pace Makers

Since its invention in 1950, the pacemaker has been an invaluable life-saving tool. A patient will have the pacemaker surgically implanted into the chest or abdomen. This small device helps the heart beat normally by using electric pulses. A normal functioning heart can control itself with its own electrical system. It controls the rate and the rhythm of the heartbeat by sending a signal from the top of the heart to the bottom, causing it to contract and pump blood. The pacemaker does this when the heart can’t. Advances in the technology made the pacemaker smaller and programmable to fit a patient’s specific needs.

MRI Scan Technology

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses nuclear magnetic resonance to combine a magnetic field and radio waves to create a detailed image of the tissues and organs inside the human body. The magnetic field temporarily realigns the hydrogen atoms in the body, then the radio waves cause the atoms to make very faint signals to create the cross-sectional MRI images. In short, the image is map of radio signals created by the body.

Insulin Pumps

Millions of people worldwide struggle with diabetes. Even with regular injections of insulin, many diabetics still suffer from huge swings in their blood sugar levels or have unpredictable side effects from the insulin. Insulin pumps now automate most of the daily insulin injections for people. They deliver a steady, measured, and continuous doses of insulin, or a surge dose on request at mealtimes. A flexible plastic tube is inserted into the fatty tissue of the skin to deliver the insulin. The pumps provide diabetics with better control over their illness.

Computed Tomography Scans

Better known as CT scans, this imaging marvel uses special x-ray equipment to create detailed scans of areas inside the body. It creates a 3D picture and can detect smaller abnormalities better than traditional x-rays or other methods. It is used to diagnose cancer, check head injuries, check the skeletal system, and find other diseases. Images created this way are far more detailed than ultrasounds and x-rays, and it allows doctors to accurately diagnose patients.

How to Set Up a Home Network: A Simple Guide

Setting up your own home network isn’t difficult, but it can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. When you’re figuring out how to set up your home network, you might need a few extra cables and connectors, and you’ll definitely need the following:

Modem

Your ISP may want to rent you one, but you might be better off buying your own. In the long run, it will be cheaper to own your modem than to rent it. Do your research online to discover modems that are compatible with your ISP and your download speed. Your provider should have a list posted on their site of compatible devices. The modem connects to the internet. While you are deciding which modem to buy, your ISP will likely be announcing an upgrade in your connection speed—so consider staying power when you select your modem.

Router

Your router distributes an internet connection throughout your home. Most routers also provide several ethernet cable ports for wired connections. Game consoles and streaming services can gobble a lot of bandwidth and slow down everyone else’s wireless connection, so placing those devices near the router and connecting them with ethernet cables will give them a speedy connection while minimizing interference with wireless devices. As with a modem, when purchasing a router, consider the future and the perpetual increases in connection speed. Newer routers will support two kinds of networks: 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz—the first has greater range will the latter has better throughput, but lesser range.

Cabling

If you’ve decided to put the kids and their console in the basement with the router, you may need some additional cabling for your “mixed” wired/wireless network. Ethernet cables have speed limits, so consult your supplier about which cable type will work for your network.

Configuration

Most manufacturers have made configuring a new router easy, with step-by-step instructions on how to set up your home network. You may have online access to the network admin dashboard, as well. Plug in your modem, connect your router to it with the proper cable, and then follow your router brand’s instructions for setting up and adding devices, such as laptops, tablets, and wireless printers. Once the network is up, phones and other mobile devices will detect it and if the user has been added with a password, they can log on.

Pay attention to security. Wi-Fi is most susceptible to security issues, so work your way through instructions for securing your wireless network with encryption and passwords. If you work at home, you must make sure your network and devices will support access to your company’s VPN, or that you can use a VPN service to protect your wireless connection. Depending on your router, you may need to configure users and their levels of network access.

Boosters

If you have a large home, or your signal will encounter a lot of walls or interference from appliances, you may need to add signal boosters in a few places around the home. These do what their name implies—boost the signal from your router to make it stronger in places that are otherwise difficult for it to reach.

If you run into trouble connecting, search online for troubleshooting instructions or try the time-tested tactic of resetting or unplugging everything and starting over.

Data Security Measures for Businesses

Data breaches can have devastating impacts on your business. In addition to damaging a company’s reputation, threatening the safety of employers and customers, and incurring serious legal ramifications, data breaches can result in debilitating financial losses from which some companies never recover. Due to the many serious complications that can occur as a result of a data breach, you undeniably need to protect your business’s data. To learn how to better protect your company’s data, consider implementing these data security measures for businesses.

Set up a firewall

Setting up a firewall will help protect your business’s network from data breaches. Based on predetermined security rules, these network security systems block unauthorized external networks from accessing the network. While serving as a barrier, they still allow for outward communication.

Shred old hard drives

Hard drives store extensive amounts of data for many businesses. If such hard drives do not get properly disposed of, data is at risk of someone steal it. Hard drives are incredibly durable, which means that they can undergo a lot of damage before the data on them becomes completely unrecoverable. One of the only ways to ensure data is destroyed is by shredding the hard drive.

Install antivirus protection

No business’s data security protocol is complete without effective antivirus and anti-malware software. If unwanted attackers get though to your network, this software will serve as your business’s last line of defense. They prevent, detect, and remove harmful viruses.

Regularly update your computer

Regularly updating your computer will ensure your data’s security. If you choose not to update your computer, you won’t have the latest versions of your security applications protecting your data. Thus, any issues that such systems had will not be resolved on your device. As a result, your data becomes more vulnerable to a security attack. It’s highly important not to forgo regular computer updates.

How Alkaline Batteries Are Made

Alkaline batteries are a dependable energy source and can last several years. They use a positive electrode based on manganese (IV)oxide and a negative electrode made of zinc. It has an electrolyte from a concentrated alkaline solution. At the positive electrode, the manganese (IV) oxide converts into manganese (III) oxide and hydroxyl ions. The zinc reacts with the hydroxyl ions at the negative electrode, releasing the electrons that power the circuit. With this, how alkaline batteries are made is essential to understanding why they’re useful today. All the mechanisms that go into battery production are monitored by industrial web guiding systems, and battery manufacturing companies can purchase these components to ensure maximum proficiency.

Cathode

1. The cathode acts as part of the battery’s container. The manganese dioxide, carbon black (graphite), and electrolyte (potassium hydroxide mixed in a solution) mix in large batches. This mixture is then granulated and pressed into hollow cylinders (preforms). Several of these cylinders may be stacked on each other, or an extruded ring of the same material replaces them.
2. The cylinders are inserted into a nickel-plated steel can. The steel can and cylinder make up the battery’s entire cathode. An indentation is made near the top of the can, and a sealant is placed to protect against leakage.

Separator

A paper separator soaked in the electrolyte solution is inserted against the preforms. This separator keeps the cathode material from contacting the anode material. It is made from either several pieces of paper or a porous synthetic fiber.

Anode

A gel made from zinc powder, potassium hydroxide electrolyte, and other materials is placed next. It is not filled to the top, to allow for chemical reactions to occur.

Seals

1. At this point, the battery is an open-cell. Although it could produce electricity, it would not last long. To ensure its long-lasting potential, it needs a brass nail or spike inserted in the middle of the can. It also needs a plastic seal and a metal end cap. The nail is welded to the metal end cap and passes through the plastic seal.
2. The seal meets the indentation at the top of the can and is crimped in place.
3. A steel plate closes the positive end of the battery after being welded in place or glued with an epoxy cement.

Packaging

A label is glued on to show the size, type, and other information.

Quality Control

All batteries are checked for optimal quality control. Manufactures check various conditions to ensure a stable shelf life and to protect against corrosion. All steps in the manufacturing process and post-production are checked for error.

How E-Waste Affects the Environment

With people replacing their electronics continually, it’s often wondered: where do all the old electronics go? Electronics that are thrown away and end up in waste management facilities are known as electronic waste, or e-waste for short. E-waste is responsible for many human and environmental issues. While electronics recycling programs exist, improper e-recycling contributes to more human and environmental issues than intended. The harmful effects of e-waste on the environment are through air, water, and soil pollution, as heavy metals and other contaminants enter these pathways.

Pollutes the Air

When e-waste is transported to different management centers, it is dismantled and shredded. This contributes to dust and particulates in the air that affect workers and local wildlife. Electronics that have little repair value are burned, but these electronics also contain different plastics and non-combustive materials. Excessive heavy metals can destroy plant and animal life, thus permanently altering ecosystems.

Ruins Water Sources

E-waste pollutes water sources through improperly designed landfills and improper recycling or disposal. The metals and chemicals leach into water sources and ruin them, making the water contaminated and undrinkable. These contaminants also contribute to acidification and toxification. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulate in water ecosystems to the point where restoration is impossible. They also accumulate in fish, where humans can ingest unhealthy amounts of heavy metals through these food sources.

Contaminates the Soil

As e-waste is improperly disposed, the heavy metals and chemicals leach down into the soil, contaminating the groundwater and ruining the soil quality. Coarse particles and bottom ash can also contaminate the soil. Once in the soil, these pollutants remain for a long time. Plants, animals, and humans are all exposed to the toxins in the soil, which can damage cell structure, alter metabolisms, and reduce growth. Similarly, children can ingest toxic soil particles from poor hygiene or having consumed foods where heavy metals have bio-accumulated, such as meat, eggs, and fish. This is harmful to their developing bodies. For example, lead alters nerve cells, lowers IQ, and can permanently destroy brain cells.

The Importance of Reducing E-Waste

While all of these are devastating environmental effects, there are ways to reduce your e-waste footprint. Consumers should purchase a new electronic device only when needed. Doing this instead of replacing your smartphone or other electronic device every year will greatly reduce the amount of e-waste in landfills. Additionally, you can repair electronics instead of replacing them entirely. This is especially true if your electronic device has a small issue or fixable issue. Today, there is a push to allow consumers to modify their own electronic goods. This will reduce the amount of electronics needed when simple modifications can suffice.

Top Reasons Why You Need to Network

Networking changed quite a bit thanks to social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Indeed, Twitter, and many others. We can connect with so many people to benefit our careers through the power of technology. Since it’s easier now than ever before, here are the top reasons why you need to network for your career, regardless of the industry.

Creates Good Word of Mouth

A main reason why many people see networking as a valuable tool is because it can create a good word of mouth. Networking with people on social media and in person can build your reputation due to the interactions you have. People can then use the positive experiences they had with you and recommend your services to others.

Opens Doors

In addition to creating a good word of mouth, another reason why you need to network is so you can open doors for yourself. As you progress through your career, you want to have many opportunities to achieve your goals. By networking with other people in your industry, there’s a good chance they know someone who can connect you with someone who can further your career.

Improves Communication Skills

Communication today is more than just human interaction due to the various social media platforms. Networking allows you to improve your communication skills by interacting with others on social media and meeting people in person. While it’s a bit easier to connect with someone online, one successful way to network in person is to attend events in your local community.

Make Connections in the Industry

Besides making a new connection, another reason why you need to network is so you can meet people in the industry you are either currently in or hope to be in someday. This point goes back to giving yourself opportunities you may not have had if you didn’t meet new people. Networking can also create future partnerships that can even alter your career path.

The Main Advantages of Smart Cities

Following in the wake of Smart phones, televisions, and cars, Smart cities will soon arrive on the horizon. Thanks to several technological innovations and advancements, building Smart cities is now a possibility. A Smart city refers to an urban area that incorporates information and communication technologies to optimize infrastructure and enhance the performance of urban services. Smart cities have a goal to create a more-sustainable urban environment, reduce costs, and improve the quality of life for its citizens. Continue reading to learn more about the many advantages of Smart cities.

Enhanced safety

Smart cities generally boast far safer environments than regular cities due to their implementation of technological advancements that help reduce criminal activity. Smart technologies that help improve the safety of citizens include connected crime centers, license plate recognition, and gunshot detectors.

Increased sustainability

By incorporating energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy sources, and air quality sensors into an urban environment’s infrastructure, Smart cities can greatly improve the sustainability of municipalities. For example, Smart sensors can quickly identify any leaks or outages to conserve water and electricity. In addition to creating a more sustainable environment, such eco-friendly features also help improve the health of citizens by decreasing their exposure to toxic air pollutants.

Decreased traffic congestion

Using car sensors, Smart cities can pinpoint common areas of congestion and high-risk locations. Based on the data they receive, they can then effectively improve traffic patterns by reshaping intersections or increasing intersection monitoring in accident-prone areas. Smart cities can also help reduce traffic congestion by monitoring the state of traffic equipment and determining its effect to reduce inefficiencies.

Reduced infrastructure failures

Infrastructure failures can become extremely costly, and they can put the safety of citizens at risk. Unfortunately, such failures commonly occur in cities as structures age and weaknesses develop without being noticed. Thanks to Smart sensors, Smart cities can quickly identify structural flaws in roads, bridges, and buildings as they develop. Such data can then be sent to personnel so that they can inspect and repair cracks and weaknesses before the entire infrastructure fails.

The Coolest Advancements in Car Technology

Companies like Tesla, Jeep, and Toyota, are all changing the way we think about our cars. These and many other major companies have developed features to improve car safety and efficiency for drivers around the world. Here are some of the coolest advancements in car technology.

GPS Integration

GPS technology has undoubtedly changed the way we travel—it’s no longer necessary to fumble around with a map. Many modern vehicles now have popular GPS applications like Google Maps and Waze readily integrated into their operating system. It’s never been easier to get from Point A to Point B.

Bluetooth Capabilities

Bluetooth is a hands-free technology that allows drivers to safely make and receive phone calls while on the road. It’s also great for those who want to listen to their favorite music or podcasts because drivers can change songs without taking their hands off the wheel, reducing distractions.

Emergency Braking

Car manufactures are always concerned about safety and, as such, are always looking for ways to minimize risk on the road. Emergency braking systems are the result of this mindset. As one of the coolest advancements in car technology, emergency braking will assist a driver in situations where they must come to an instant halt.

Backup Cameras

As its name implies, this technology gives the driver a better visual of what is happening behind them. Consequently, a backup camera saves drivers from the dangers of potentially hitting something—or someone—as they reverse. Many backup cameras also feature an alert system that gives the driver an auditory warning as they approach danger.

Automatic High-Beam Lights

It can be difficult to know when it’s appropriate to turn on your headlights. Thankfully, many modern cars now feature automatic high-beam lights to remedy the confusion. Newer Jeep Wrangler models, for example, put this tech to work daily. These lights will automatically turn on when necessary, and they’ll also adjust their brightness based on the time of day.

Autonomous Capabilities

Autonomous capabilities are still in development but may very well become the new normal in the near future. One major hurdle that tech and auto companies must overcome is finding a way to have vehicles communicate with each other to prevent accidents. Google and Tesla are currently testing self-driving cars on the roads, and if testing continues into the next decade, it will change our lives in a big way.

Put a FaceTime Link in Email or Text Message to Direct Recipient to Call FaceTime

Apple provided a multi-page document in September 2017 that describes several URL methods that are supported by system apps on iOS, macOS, and watchOS 2 and later. Native iOS apps and web apps running in Safari on any platform can use these methods to integrate with system apps and provide a more seamless experience for the user. For example, if an iOS app displays telephone numbers, software designer can use an appropriate URL to launch the Phone app whenever someone taps one of those numbers. Similarly, clicking an iTunes link launches the iTunes app and plays the song specified in the link. When a user clicks a link, the response depends on the platform and the installed system apps.

This Apple document describes the methods that require special attributes or special formatting in order to be understood by the associated system app. As a result, this document does not describe all URL schemes supported on different Apple platforms.

We've found that regular users can apply these techniques in some every day tasks in the Notes app or in iMessage or the Mail app. For example, if a user wants customers (iOS only) to make contact on FaceTime rather than by telephone, the user can put a Native app URL string in a text message or email in the following format: facetime://user@example.com

For FaceTime audio calls for iOS customers only the format is:
facetime-audio://user@example.com

The user replaces "user@example.com" with their own email address. However, the user must set the iPhone to use an Apple ID as well as the phone number.

FaceTime calls can be received when a user sets their iPhone to "Use your Apple ID for FaceTime". Once this command is selected, the user then logs into their Apple ID or crates another Apple ID account.

Once the user is signed in to FaceTime the user can also assign additional real email addresses to use to receive FaceTime video or FaceTime audio calls.

To add additional emails ...

Open the Settings app in iOS and go to “FaceTime”

Tap on “Add Another Email…” and enter the email address to add to FaceTime as “user@email.com” format

Adding more email addresses to FaceTime in iOS is allowed.

Users will receive a verification message at the assigned email address.

When the email address is verified, users can make and receive FaceTime video and voice calls with that email address. Users also have the option of selecting a Caller ID to use from any of the assigned emails or the phone number. FaceTime can also work from an Apple iPod, iPad or retired iPhone without a phone number.

For more link information, see FaceTime Links from the Apple Developer Documentation Archive ...