Mobile devices are not a fad, so if your website is not mobile-friendly, then you are cutting yourself off from significant traffic.  But not to worry, even with a small budget you can build a great mobile website for your business.

Try these free tools and resources:

1. MobiReady- Preview your site and see a report on how well it will come up on a mobile phone, including tips on how to fix any problems.
2. iPad Peek- See how your website looks on an iPad.
3. Zinadoo- This user-friendly mobile website development tool offers a professional editor interface, email, feedback forms, RSS feeds, and more.
4. Onbile- Create and manage a free mobile website in just a few minutes, choosing from several templates.
5. WordPress Mobile Pack- This offers a “complete toolkit” to turn your blog into a user-friendly mobile experience.

1. LogMeIn- Access your home computer’s content from your iPhone or iPad.

2. EasySign- Reduce the need for paper documents by simply using your finger (or a stylus) to sign all sorts of docs on your mobile device. Then send it securely & import to Dropbox or Box.net.

3. LucyPhone- If you get put on hold with customer service, just hang up and LucyPhone will call you back when the customer service rep comes back on the line.

4. Pocket- Store sensitive information like passwords, prescriptions, locker combinations on your mobile device with Pocket. The information is only accessible via a master password that cannot be accessed locally.

The iPad is much different from your traditional office computer.  Learn how to harness the power of this device that requires you to think outside the box of the PC and laptop.

Join us for a two-hour class that will guide you to use your iPad or iPad 2 effectively and also review some popular apps such as Pages, Keynote, Numbers Pen, Ultimate WebEx, Dropbox, Agenda and Adobe Connect.

Course dates: February 28th, March 28th, April 27th, & May 18th

For new users 9-11AM or For business users 12- 2PM 

Presentations will become more dynamic, staff meetings will liven up, and you will become more organized after you learn the ins-and-outs of the iPad interface. Most people aren’t aware of all the features of the iPad when you take it out of the box.  Don’t wait any longer to learn them!

Check our latest eNewsletter for all the details!

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Top 10 Internet:

1.      Google
2.      Tencent
3.      Airbnb
4.      Dropbox
5.      Gogo
6.      Akamai
7.      Zaarly
8.      CloudFlare
9.      Pinterest
10.    Badoo

Top 10 Media:

1.      Twitter
2.      Red Bull Media House
3.      New York Times
4.      Tumblr
5.      Ushahidi
6.      Reddit
7.      McSweeney’s
8.      Byliner
9.      The Awl Network
10.    BuzzFeed

Top 10 Social Media:

1.      Facebook
2.     LinkedIn
3.      Tumblr
4.      Disqus
5.      UberMedia
6.      American Express
7.      Waze
8.      Yammer
9.      Formspring
10.    Intel

See the FULL list here

Join us in Beachwood next week from 9AM- 4PM to take a hands-on training course taught by our experienced, knowledgeable instructors. Email us at ekenney@devore.com and you pay only $100* for these classes next week. That’s over 1/2 off the original value!

Last Minute $100 Courses:

• Visio 2003 (2/15) – Learn basic concepts of creating and working with flowcharts, cross-functional flowcharts and organizational charts. Draw basic objects, identify master shapes and stencils, importing graphics and working with custom shape properties. Work with Page Layout and Organizational chart wizards. Set up spreadsheets to convert into organizational charts.

• Adobe Acrobat (2/17) Covers both Adobe Professional and Acrobat Standard for designers, developers, and business users. Geared for those just starting out with PDFs, or those who want to learn more about security or collaboration tools within Acrobat.

• Adobe InDesign CS3 (2/17) Learn about the tools and features available. Work with some of the tools and features to create eye-catching printed documents. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: manage the InDesign environment, design documents, enhance documents, add tables, and finalize documents.

• Excel 2010 Intermediate (2/21) – Create, edit, and format charts using the Chart Wizard, Chart toolbar, and Chart menu. Create graphics with the Drawing toolbar, Clip Art and WordArt. Use database features to sort, subtotal, and filter with AutoFilter and Advanced Filter. Use a Data Form and Data Validation, and will learn how to track changes in a shared workbook.

*Please note this price does not include a course book. Special pricing is available only to the first registered student in each course.

Pinterest just has hit 11.7 million unique monthly U.S. visitors making history as the fastest independent site to hit over the 10 million mark.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is the new social networking site where you can create and share wish lists. Pictures uploaded (called Pins) are placed on themed Boards, ranging in topic from anything from puppies to old cars. Users called Pinners post these Pins to Boards that they organize by theme, browsing among the 32 topics such as fitness, art, or science.

Why is Pinterest so popular?

Adding to the menu of social media sites, this one is “fresh, relevant and entirely different from any social network we’ve encountered thus far.” Pinterest focuses on visual sharing rather than text-based posts. It is particularly attracting young women, as Tech Crunch says that it is the 18-34 year old upper income women from the American heartland that are propelling its popularity.

How do I join?

It is technically still invitation only. So either sign up on the site or ask around to see if you already know a Pinner who will invite you.

Knowledge of instructor. All equipment and training area exceeded expectations. -Access 2003 Introduction student

We specifically wanted to learn how to create forms in Adobe, which was not scheduled to be presented. Luckily, the instructor taught us this aspect on his own, which was appreciated. -Adobe Acrobat student

Answered many of my questions, allowing me to learn more on my own. -Adobe Acrobat student

For more information on DeVore computer training in Cleveland, visit us online.

The internet (and social media more specifically) is the land of distractions. Scientists say that our pleasure (dopamine) increases when we become distracted and change the focus of our attention. That’s why we keep checking Facebook and emails 932 times a day!

How can we stay focused in this world of constant distractions? Here are some tips from Inc.com for staying productive:

1. Work in small chunks, backwards from goals to milestones to tasks.
2. Stop multi-tasking, really, STOP.
3. Be serious about eliminating distractions.
4. Schedule to read your email only twice or three times a day.
5. Use the phone for meaningful conversations, not email.
6. Work on your own agenda, don’t just react to your inbox.
7. Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals, then take a break.

With all those electronic devices, what to do to stop them from cluttering up the house?

• Use bread clips for power cord labels to know which cords are connected to which devices.
• Take Martha Stewart’s advice and create a charging station in a nightstand with a back, a drawer, and an outlet close by.
• Cordies keep all your desktop cables straight by holding cables so that they don’t slide off your desk when disconnected.