With the go-green phase upon us, everyone is looking to do their part. These 5 little changes will give your business an eco-friendly outlook and help decrease your carbon footprint.  While most small companies are environmentally aware, the following tips will surprise even the biggest of tree-huggers!

1. Nitro PDF: An alternative to Adobe PDF, Nitro PDF is about one-third of the cost. This program can easily create and send individual PDF files for clients, limiting the amount of paper used for traditional reports.

2. PDF995 Printer Driver: While the name might sound a little scary, the software is surprisingly simple. The PDF Printer Driver is an excellent way to digitally render invoices, graphic mock-ups, and long text documents, without touching a piece of paper or a scanner.

3. Fax to E-mail Services: While fax machines are becoming a thing of the past, this is a way you can jump ahead. Join a service such as “eFax“, “UnityFax“, or “jConnect” which allows you to set your incoming phone number to an e-mail address, so new faxes will go straight to your inbox.

4. EchoSign Online Contracts: The idea behind EchoSign is to elimminate the amount of paper used for contracts signed with clients, businesses, employees, etc. EchoSign has the same binding powers as a conventional contract while maintaining an ecological position. As with most internet-based programs, EchoSign speeds up the execution process up; an added perk for being nice and saving all those trees!

5. Online Backup and Record Keeping: Archiving your records and files can be a total pain in the bum, and even e-mail can get a little confusing at times. Online record keeping can be an extremely helpful option for businesses looking to save time and money. Here are a few services we recommend: Box.net, DropBox, Mozy, and Backblaze.

What else can you do to decrease your company’s carbon footprint? Have you made any successful ecological changes in your business?

See how one small business implemented some great workplace policies that are all about being green!

When planning an event, last-minute purchases come up all the time. Well, Paypal and iPhone have teamed up the create a bump app that allows users to make purchases quickly and easily.  Over the past few years Paypal has made financial transactions via the internet a simple process. The recent bump iPhone app is just another way the company is creating a worry free shopping environment. The new bump app lets users literally bump their phones together and send money to each other.

Another cool feature of this app is that you can donate money to great causes and charitable organizations. Currently, PayPal has partnered with various organizations, including Save the Children and Autism Speaks, to make donating to charities an  easy process. The iPhone app will also allow users to deposit checks straight from their phone. Instead of going to an ATM or bank, just take a picture of both sides of the check and PayPal will deposit the money into your online account.

How do you think you will use this app? Can you see any potential problems with the technology?

Naked Pizza, a pizza company based in New Orleans, has recently decided to expand their markets and open up locations all over the world, from Miami to Dubai! Only 10 months after their franchise operations were launched, 300 Naked Pizza stores are now under development. What is the secret behind their success? Co-founders  Randy Crochet and Jeff Leach frequently claim that Naked Pizza is a “social media company that sells pizza.” In fact, they say that their entire business plan is to use social media to promote a healthier alternative to fast food.

And, they didn’t stop there. Naked Pizza has used Twitter to raise awareness for global problems with obesity while marketing their health-inspired pizza. The company then rented out a New Orleans billboard and posted their twitter handle on it. They started tweeting more about diet and health, and as they gained fans they created a facebook page and gave out promotions and coupons. Naked Pizza also has several YouTube videos that introduce viewers to store and the pizza that will hopefully help change the world.

It’s great to see a small business growing and becoming a bigger name with the help of social media, and pizza companies aren’t the only ones that can use this technique. Any industry, including event planners, can broadcast their business and grow with the use of social media.

What can you learn from Naked Pizza to support your business?

We’ve seen the success of its practical applications and digital reader abilities, but the Apple iPad has also been used in some pretty crazy ways. There are some owners out there who believe in making the most of their iPad experience, using the device for dolphin communication, for cats and dogs, as a skateboard, and in zero gravity. Just for fun we thought we’d share some of the extraordinary, albeit unconventional, uses of the Apple iPad for you to enjoy.

What is the craziest thing you’ve used your iPad for?

Take a look as Pianist Lang Lang plays the iPad for a concert encore.

VEVO and YouTube have once again partnered with American Express to launch a five-concert series of live performances this summer. “Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express” will kick off with a live-streamed performance by Arcade Fire at Madison Square Garden on August 5. Earlier this year YouTube and VEVO united with American Express to stream both the Alicia Keys and The National performances which contributed to the decision to create another concert series.

The summer series will feature the work of several acclaimed directors, and some cool social media features like “Choose Your Cam” which will allow viewers to control their experience by switching between camera streams. Other performances will include The Roots and John Legend.

Do you think this concert series will help establish YouTube and VEVO in the online music community? What performances would you like to see streamed?

Take a look at the teaser for the live-streamed concert by The Nationals in Brooklyn last May.

Last week Yahoo! Movies released the first full-length trailer for The Social Network, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher.

The film is an adaptation of the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich. The Social Network is about the early days of Facebook, and addresses some of the issues facing the company today. The film also draws parallels from the fictionalized account of its start in The Accidental Billionaires.

Mezrich recreates the foundation and rise of the Facebook phenomenon, although loosely connected to real events, which tells the story of two Harvard undergrads who revolutionized how we connect to others. The road to the initial Facebook concept was paved with betrayal, vast amounts of cash and two friends who wanted nothing more than to be cool. It’s juicy, fast-paced and if the book is any indication, the film is going to be a must see!

What do you think of the trailer? Are you going to see the film in theaters this October?

The Amazon Kindle has been around for a few years, and its amazing quality has made it a success, but with the recent release of the Apple iPad, will the Kindle survive or be forced to change in order to compete?

An increasing number of readers have turned to e-book readers, and for the past three years the Kindle has been the device of choice. The Kindle offers readers an easy to read and adjust electronic display, a built-in dictionary, and access to the internet and Amazon store where users can download books, magazines and newspapers in a matter of minutes.

However, in April 2010 Apple released the iPad which allows users to do more than simply store digital books. The battle between these e-book readers sparks from the iPad’s ability to provide reading, Web browsing, movies, and games; although, most consumers agree that the Kindle is the better reading device. The iPad also offers a popular Kindle app with a limited library collection.

For now it seems the Kindle is safe, but as Apple continues to push the boundaries of technological advances, how do you think Amazon will respond to ensure a future for the Kindle?

Overview of Hulu TV: Hulu is a great website that allows networks such as NBC, FOX, ABC & others to broadcast movies and television shows after they have been broadcasted live. As of now, Hulu is only offered to users in the United States and they make sure that international users outside the US do not have access to the videos. Hulu blocks many anonymous proxies and virtual private networks. In addition to NBC, ABC and FOX programs and movies, Hulu carries shows from other networks such as  Current TV, PBS, USA Network, Bravo, FX, NFL Network, Sundance, E!, A&E, and Oxygen. Each supplier receives up to 50-70 percent of advertising revenue resulting from its content.

Now you can easily watch TV on the internet! You don’t have to download from iTunes or create a Netflix account because Hulu TV shows and movies are free and easy to watch.

• What Can I Watch on Hulu TV?: Hulu TV offers full-length movies and tv shows, sports events and short video clips.  You are able to watch current programs, like the latest episode of True Blood, or go back and find old classics.
• How Much Does Hulu Cost?: Hulu TV is free! Most programs begin with “limited commercial interruptions” meaing that every 10 minutes you’ll have to watch a 30 second commercial clip.

Do you watch TV shows or Movies on Hulu.com? If so, do you enjoy this website and find it to be better than NetFlix or iTunes? If you’ve never tried Hulu.com before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised on how many shows you’ll find!

Google TV will make your TV smarter and easier to use! It is television that is combined with internet and works just like a Google search. When you turn on your Google TV, you will be greeted by a search bar. Just type in what you’d like to watch and it will allow you to select and tune that channel. TV is becoming so much more complicated but also easier to use!

• Combines the web with TV
• Combines your TV with your phone
• And runs apps

Here is a short video that explains how Google TV works:

Would you choose Google TV or Apple TV?

Over the past few weeks privacy has been the buzz over on Facebook Island. To leave, or not to leave has been eating away countless nights of sleep for many Facebook users –alas, all can be resolved with this parody video to help persuade you as to why you should be deleting your Facebook account…

As much as I hate hearing about the Hills, or how someone’s pigs and cows are doing in Farmville; I shall be retaining my account, for now… What about you? Still plan on keeping your account after watching this hilarious video?