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Supplier Report: 12/13/2014

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IBM

  • IBM banking software can take any file on your computer:

    “[you agree lot let] the Program remotely to collect any files or other information from your computer that IBM security experts suspect may be related to malware or other malicious activity, or that may be associated with general Program malfunction.”

    http://boingboing.net/2014/12/12/ibms-banking-security-softwa.html

  • Looks like the Apple/IBM partnership is starting to take shape… (dozens of articles about the 1st round of apps)

    On Wednesday December 10, 2014, the two companies delivered the first iOS-exclusive apps under the partnership, which have wide-ranging implications and could be used across a broad spectrum of industries. The applications include: Plan Flight, designed to help airlines better manage fuel; Trusted Advice, which will assist financial advisors in managing client portfolios; and Case Advice, which helps government workers manage the workload of caseworkers based on real-time analytics .

    http://www.nasdaq.com/article/apple-and-ibms-enterprise-partnership-bears-fruit-cm422720

  • Free Watson services for business are now in BETA:
    http://blog.executivebiz.com/2014/12/ibm-rolls-out-beta-version-of-watson-analytics/
  • Follow-up on that IBM/Twitter deal from a few months ago:

    Under the deal, IBM will gain full and unrestricted real time access to all public tweets, as well as and archives of past public tweets. The applications proper use of this data could be hugely significant. For instance, scientists could use analysis of Twitter data to learn more detailed information about how widely earthquakes are felt, giving more detailed information than is currently available, especially in less-studied areas. Or, health officials could use it like a Google Flu Tracker on steroids, providing detailed data on disease symptoms and transmission as they spread across areas.

    http://www.business2community.com/twitter/twitter-ibm-unlikely-partnership-will-enrich-business-decision-making-01086912

Oracle

HP

Other

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Productivity Bulletin: 12/12/2014

Photo: Sean MacEntee, Flickr

  • Reject every opinion that isn’t at least 90 out of 100:

    As you evaluate an option, think about the single most important criterion for that decision, and then simply give each option a score between 0 and 100. If you rate it lower than 90 percent, then automatically change the rating to 0 and simply reject it. This way you avoid getting caught up in indecision, or worse, getting stuck with the 60s or 70s.

    This is an interesting quote, but is it applicable?  If we can surround ourselves with 90% certainty all the time, we would all be pretty successful.  I appreciate the intent, but this is leaning towards “interesting sound byte” vs. sound advice.  Thoughts?
    http://chrisguillebeau.com/reject-every-option-that-isnt-awesome/

  • Behaviors that people think are negative but are actually good:

    The same is true for life. Be okay with knowing it is the journey that is important, and sometimes in being lost and going down paths we never would have thought to choose we find out things about ourselves that are amazing. We discover unknown talents in ourselves, and meet friends or allies who otherwise would have remained a mystery. Being lost now doesn’t mean you will be lost forever. It simply means you are taking your time in finding your way, and also allowing the world around you to give input into the path which is best for you. Often it is that input we never would have dreamed to ask for that sets us on our true path.

    http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/7-behaviors-most-people-think-are-negative-that-are-actually-healthy.html

  • The French are not as lazy as frequently reported:

    But in reality, France’s 35-hour week has become largely symbolic, as employees across the country pull longer hours and work more intensely, with productivity per hour about 13 percent higher than the eurozone average. And a welter of loopholes lets many French employers outmaneuver the law. All told, French workers put in an average of 39.5 hours a week, just under the eurozone average of 40.9 hours a week, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/business/international/france-has-second-thoughts-on-its-35-hour-workweek.html

  • Centralize your information:
    We might not be suffering from information overload, it could be that data is just in too many places (does this sound familiar?)
    http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/information-many-places-simplify/Here is an example of how to do it:
    http://lifehacker.com/5989980/ive-been-using-evernote-all-wrong-heres-why-its-actually-amazing
  • Some exercises to do at your desk to counter-act the effects of sitting and typing all day:
    http://www.refinery29.com/desk-job-health-fixes#slide-1
  • Brainstorm better ideas in 1/2 the time:
    Research shows that 75% of our ideas happen in the first 50% of the time allotted. It seems crazy, but our brains actually respond better to pressure when it comes to ideation. Two other issues start happening with more time:
    1. Ideas get recycled in slightly different packages, because the group is clinging to a certain mindset. How many times have you stalled on an idea without looking at it in a totally new way?
    2. Defensiveness begins to take route. There’s no doubt that the collaborative aspect of innovation is critical, however, with more time to hash things out, the propensity to get entrenched in each of our own biases is heightened.
    3. Cut the actual sessions where a team comes together to innovate in half. However, provide a pre-work, individual assignment first that spurs thinking.
    4. Create ways that supports to all types of thinking and behaving to communicate their ideas. Not everyone is going to leap into a brainstorming free-for-all. Try less verbal concepts like “brain-writing”
    http://www.inc.com/mark-miller/amazingly-simple-tactics-for-producing-better-ideas-faster.html