What's Next for Apple? See what the Insider Predicts.

There's was a very bullish note on Apple yesterday from ISI.

It says, "the 'mother lode' of all Apple upgrade cycles" will happen this year when Apple releases two new iPhones with big screens. 

 

It's predicting Apple releases a 4.7-inch iPhone and a 5.5-inch iPhone this year. 

 

"Large-screen envy" is prevalent among the iPhone installed base and we believe a ~5" form-factor iPhone would spark a massive upgrade cycle as well as many 'Android switchers' returning back to the iPhone," says ISI.

Here's the explanation of how the upgrade could impact Apple:

We estimate the current iPhone installed base to be about 260mil users (roughly equivalent to the last 7 quarters worth of iPhone units). By our calculations, we estimate slightly over half of iPhone sales today go to upgrades (with the majority of new users coming from international markets). However, we believe that while the upgrade rate (i.e., % of installed base upgrading their device in a given quarter) had hovered in the 10-11% range over 2011-12, it has now dropped closer to 9% as users find few compelling reasons to upgrade. In peak quarters, the upgrade rate has reached the ~12-14% range and we expect a similar upgrade rate in 2H14 for iPhone 6, if not better. We believe this could drive ~$3.00 (or ~10-15%) EPS accretion over 2H14 assuming an incremental ~3% of the base upgrades each quarter.

 

This is yet another analyst group saying Apple releases two phones this year.

It would be a major departure for Apple, which has only ever done one iPhone at a time since it released the iPhone in 2007. (Last year it did the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C, but the 5C was just an iPhone 5 with a new plastic backing, so it didn't really feel like two phones.)

Because it would be such a change of pace, we're skeptical it's really going to happen. We'll believe it when we see it.

But, there is a lot of noise around the idea that Apple would do two phones, so we're more inclined to believe it's going to happen as people keep talking about it.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/isi-two-new-iphones-this-summer-2014-3#ixzz2wLBVZJdX

Ergonomically Correct Office Chairs are Important!

People have been talking about ergonomic office chairs like the uber expensive Herman Miller Aeron line for years now, but there's no need to go plop down a bunch of cash just to be comfortable. Nowadays, you can grab much cheaper ergonomic chairs from a place like Staples or even upgrade your old chair with some DIY fixes. Note that some things are DIYable; some are not. Here are the things you need to make sure your chair has:

• A comfortable cushion: One of the most basic and obvious things you need is a comfortable place to sit. A hard chair isn't going to do you any good; a proper office chair with a cushion is going to keep you much more comfortable. After all, you are spending hours at a time in this chair. Breathable fabric is great too, if possible.

 

• Arm rests: Again, this is something you probably can't DIY, but you should have some arm rests on your chair for when you aren't actively typing. They should be low enough that your shoulders stay relaxed and your elbow bends at around a 90 degree angle.

 

• Adjustable seat height: It's a lot easier to adjust your seat height than it is adjust your desk height. You want to be able to adjust your seat so that your thighs are parallel to the floor and your feet are flat on the floor. You also want to have your arms at the height of the desk (or the part of the desk containing your keyboard or mouse).

 

• Adjustable back rest height: This is one of the first things to go in the cheaper office chairs, and it was one of the biggest mistakes I was making in my own setup at home. You should be able to adjust your chair's back rest not only up and down, but its angle as well. Generally, you want the angle to be pretty far forward to keep your posture up—the further back you put it, the more likely you'll be to slouch. You'll also want the back rest of your chair to have...

• Lumbar Support: You have probably heard this term a lot, but may not even know what it means. Essentially, our backs are slightly curved inward, meaning the backs of our chairs shouldn't be directly vertical. Instead, they should support our lower backs by coming forward. The graphic to the right illustrates the idea well: the left half is a chair with no lumbar support, the right image has this $10 support added on. Of course, you could just as easily strap a rolled-up towel or something similar on your chair, but you need that support if you don't want to mess up your spine.
  

  Angel Sales PosturePro Lumbar Support

• The ability to swivel and/or roll around: It's hard to DIY this particular feature, but a chair with wheels and the ability to swivel is actually more of a necessary feature than you may think. When you need to reach for items on your desk, you can put strain on your body—so widening the area you can easily reach (and see without turning your head) can do wonders.

Show Your Administrative Professional They are Appreciated!

You see them everyday in your office.  You routinely ask them for help for most anything office related.  They keep you on schedule, informed and looking good.  Don't forget the person behind the scenes who keeps your office running smoothly.  The Administrative Assistant is a title that encompasses so much responsibility and multiple job duties that you might not even realize they take care of.  You just know it gets done.  So this year, let the Administrative Professional in your life know they are appreciated!

Celebrate Administrative Professionals Day

Administrative Professionals Day and Administrative Professionals Week are widely observed in many workplaces in the United States and other countries around the world. Many employers and supervisors arrange events to show their appreciation of the work carried out by administrative professionals, to highlight their importance to the organization and to enhance their work-related skills.

About Administrative Professionals Day

During World War II, there was an increased need for skilled administrative personnel, particularly in the United States. The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize the contributions of secretaries and other administrative personnel to the economy, to support their personal development and to help attract people to administrative careers in the field. The association's name was changed to Professional Secretaries International in 1981 and, finally, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) in 1998.

 

These changes in name reflected the changing nature of the tasks, qualifications and responsibilities of the members of the organization. IAAP now has an international orientation and continues to provide education and training and set standards of excellence recognized by the business community on a global perspective. The organization's vision is "to inspire and equip all administrative professionals to attain excellence".

 

The first National Secretaries Week was organized in 1952 in conjunction with the United States Department of Commerce and various office supply and equipment manufacturers. The Wednesday of that week became known as National Secretaries Day. As the organization gained international recognition, the events became known as Professional Secretaries Week® and Professional Secretaries Day®. In 2000, IAAP announced that names of the week and the day were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of the modern administrative workforce. Many work environments across the world observe this event.

Planning the Perfect Family Reunion

With summer just around the corner, you might be thinking about fun family activities.  If you are an over achiever like me then you might want to take on a large project like planning your family's reunion.  Here are some quick tips to get you started on the right path.

 

1) Which family? It may seem obvious, but the first step for any family reunion is to decide who is family. Which side of the family are you inviting? Do you want to include only close relatives or all descendants of Great Grandpa Jones? Are you inviting only direct-line relatives (parents, grandparents, grandkids) or do you plan to include cousins, second cousins, or third cousins, twice removed?

2) Create a guest list. Start by assembling a list of family members, including spouses, partners and children. Get in touch with at least one person from each branch of the family to help you track down contact information for each person on your list. Make sure to collect email addresses for those that have them - it really helps with updates and last-minute correspondence.

3) Survey attendees. If you're planning to include a lot of people in your family reunion, consider sending out a survey (by postal mail and/or email) to let people know that a reunion is in the works. This will help you gauge interest and preferences, and ask for help with the planning. Include possible dates, proposed reunion type, and a general location, and politely ask for a timely response to your questions.

4) Form a reunion committee. Unless this is a get-together of five sisters at Aunt Maggie's house, a reunion committee is almost essential to planning a smooth, successful family reunion. Put someone in charge of each major aspect of the reunion - location, social events, budget, mailings, record-keeping, etc.

 

5) Select the date(s). It's not much of a reunion if no one can attend. Whether you plan your family reunion to coincide with a family milestone or special day, summer vacation, or a holiday, it helps to poll family members to avoid time and date conflicts. Since family reunions can encompass everything from an afternoon barbecue to a large affair lasting three or more days, you'll also need to determine how long you plan to get together. A good rule of thumb - the farther people have to travel to reach the reunion location, the longer the reunion should last. Most importantly, remember that you won't be able to accommodate everyone. Choose your final date(s) based on what's best for the majority of attendees.

 

6) Pick a location. Aim for a family reunion location that is most accessible and affordable to the majority of people you want to attend. If family members are clustered in one area, then select a reunion location that's nearby. If everyone's scattered, then choose a central location to help cut down on travel expenses for far-flung relatives. 
 

7) Develop a budget. This will determine the scale of the food, decorations, accommodations and activities for your family reunion. You can choose to have families pay for their own overnight accommodations, bring a covered dish, etc., but unless you have another source of income, you'll also need to set a per-family registration fee to help with decoration, activity and location costs.

8) Reserve a reunion site. Once you've chosen a location and set a date, it's time to select a site for the reunion. "Going home" is a big draw for family reunions, so you may want to consider the old family homestead or other historic site connected to your family's past. Depending on the size of the reunion, you may be able to find a family member who will volunteer to have it at their home. For larger reunions, parks, hotels, restaurants and community halls are a good place to start. If you're planning a multi-day reunion, then consider a resort location where people can combine reunion activities with a family vacation.

9) What about a theme? Creating a theme for a family reunion is a great way to interest people and make them more likely to attend. It also makes things more fun when it comes to being imaginative with food, games, activities, invitations and just about every other aspect of the reunion. Family history themes are especially popular, as are reunions which celebrate a very special family member's birthday or anniversary, or the family's cultural heritage (i.e. Hawaiian luau).

 

10) Determine the menu. Feeding a large group of people with different tastes is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of planning a reunion. Make it easy on yourself by selecting a menu that relates to your theme, or perhaps one that celebrates your family's heritage. Organize a group of family members to prepare the food or, if your budget allows, find a caterer or restaurant to do at least part of the work for you.
11) Plan social activities. You don't need to occupy everyone all the time, but planned activities and ice-breakers at your family reunion will provide an easy way for people who do not know each other well to comfortably spend time together. Include activities that will appeal to all ages and further family knowledge of shared heritage. You may also want to award prizes for special distinctions such as oldest family member or longest distance traveled to attend.
12) Set the stage. You've got a bunch of people, now what do you plan to do with them? It's time now to make arrangements for tents (if an outside reunion), chairs, parking decorations, programs, signs, t-shirts, goodie bags and other reunion-day requirements.
13) Say cheese! While many family members will no doubt bring their own cameras, it helps to also make plans to record the overall event. Whether you designate a specific relative as the official reunion photographer, or hire a professional photographer to take photos or videos, you should prepare a list of the people and events that you want recorded. For spontaneous "moments," purchase a dozen disposable cameras and hand them out to volunteer guests. Don't forget to collect them at the end of the day!
14) Invite the guests. Once you have most of your plans in place, it's time to invite the guests by mail, email and/or phone. You'll want to do this way in advance to make sure and give everyone time to get it on their calendar. If you're charging admission fees, mention this in the invitation and set an advance deadline by which at least a percentage of the ticket price is required (unless you're wealthy enough to cover all of the costs yourself and can wait until the actual reunion for reimbursement). Tickets purchased in advance also means people will be less likely to cancel at the last moment! This is also a good opportunity to ask people, even if they can't attend the reunion, to provide family trees, photos, collectibles and stories to share with other family members.  15) Fund the extras. If you don't want to charge admission fees for your reunion, then you'll need to plan for a little fund raising. Even if you do collect admissions, fund raising can provide money for some fancy "extras." Creative ways for raising money include holding an auction or raffle at the reunion or making and selling family hats, t-shirts, books or reunion videos.  16) Print up a program Create a program that outlines the lineup of scheduled reunion events to provide to family members as they arrive for the reunion. You may also want to send this out via email or your reunion Web site in advance of the reunion as well. This will help serve as a reminder to people of activities which may require they bring something with them, such as a photo wall or family tree chart.  17) Decorate for the big day The big day is almost here and now it's time to make sure it goes smoothly. Create catchy, easy-to-ready signs to point arriving guests to registration, parking, and important locations such as bathrooms. Purchase or make a guest book to collect signatures, addresses, and other important information, as well as serve as a permanent record of the reunion. Purchase pre-made name badges, or print your own, to facilitate mixing and mingling between unacquainted family members. Family tree wall charts are always a big hit as reunion attendees always want to know where they fit in to the family. Framed photos or printed posters of common ancestors or past family reunions are also popular.  18) Keep the fun going. Designate a volunteer or volunteers to create and send out a post-reunion newsletter with stories, photos and news items from the reunion. If you collected family information, send along an updated genealogy chart as well.

Need Help Managing your Money?

Money management tips

NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Some of these may seem like no-brainers, but all are worth a look, and a few might just change your life.   Automate your financial life. Call your mutual fund or broker to have monthly investments routed from your bank. Do the same for your monthly utility, cell-phone and cable payments. You'll find it easier to budget, and you'll never pay a late fee again.   Know your credit score Order your credit score from all three major credit bureaus for $45 from Myfico.com. True, you're entitled to free copies of your credit reports this year, but one detail will be missing: the magic number that lenders and insurers use to judge your credit-worthiness. Pay for that.   Don't take it with you  Pass on money to your children now rather than bequeathing it. Gifts of up to $11,000 a year are tax-free. Besides, your kids and grandkids will thank you -- which they can't do if you're dead.   Digitize the financial drudgery  Buy either Quicken or MS Money, software that will help you track your spending, see your portfolio allocations, estimate next year's tax bill -- all the tedious tasks you know you ought to do but never would unless someone made it very easy. Pick up the premium edition of either program for $70 and change at Amazon.com. You'll spend a couple of hours on initial setup, but from then on, you'll be amazed at what you can do with your money, once you know what you're doing with your money.   Have a financial plan  Hire a financial planner to review your retirement and college savings plans. At www.garrettplanningnetwork.com and www.myfinancialadvice.com, you'll find planners who work by the hour (usually $150 to $200 per). Getting on track will take eight to 10 hours up front, plus an hour or two for a yearly checkup.   Stop assuming you're immortal  Hire a lawyer to craft a will, a durable power of attorney, a living will and a health-care proxy. It may cost $1,500 to $2,000 (more for large or complicated estates), but could save your heirs thousands in taxes and fees. Unless, of course, you live forever.   June 7, 2005 By David Futrelle, George Mannes and Cybele Weisser, MONEY Magazine

National Library Week April 13-19, 2014

What better way to honor National Library Week, (April 13-19) than starting your own book club! Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction.  Remember, there is no right or wrong way to develop your book club, so don't stress out at the details.  

Think about what your intentions are for your book club. Before you start looking for prospective members, sit down for a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions.

1. Why are you starting a book club? What do you hope to get out of it?
2. What type of people will make up the club? Are you hoping that all of you will have something in common (beside your love of books), or are you looking to form a diverse group?
3. What types of books will your club primarily read? Fiction? Non-fiction? One particular genre or rotate through themes each month? 
4. Do you want to lead the club? If so, for how long, and how much time can you devote to organizing meetings, refreshments and discussions? If not, will other members be willing to take on these responsibilities?
5. What are the minimum and maximum number of members your club can accommodate?
6. When will your first meeting take place? How often will your club meet afterward? What about the summer months, and during the winter holidays? 

Now that you have a clear vision of what you want for your book club, it will be easier to find others who want the same experience.

How to Host

                 

If you and several friends are already interested in forming a book club, congratulations! Your book club is already well on its way.

When prospective members contact you for more information, explain the purpose of the book club and the number of members you're looking for. Interview them briefly about the types of books they like to read, and why they're interested in joining a book club. Let them know when and where the first meeting will be held, and ask them to bring two book suggestions to the meeting.

The Meeting Place
The location of your book club meetings—a restaurant, library, or your living room—will influence the number of members in the club and vice versa.

If it's in your home, you might want to keep it to eight or less. Ideally, no one member will have to host every meeting of the club. Club members are often willing—and usually eager—to host a meeting of the club at their house.

Still, no one should feel obligated to host a meeting in their home. Aside from hosting, there are other ways members can get involved when the club gets together. If you're hosting in someone's home, decide if refreshments will be served. 

 If your library has a meeting room available, you may want to open up the club to 12 or more members. Other options for larger book clubs include meeting areas at bookstores, churches, YMCAs, restaurants or hotels.

Your Virtual Meeting Place
Online book clubs are growing in popularity, and you can invite friends from around the world to join you. As an Oprah.com member, you can start your own discussion thread anytime. You never have to worry about a meeting space, appetizers or cleaning up—and your favorite people can drop in anytime!

Your First Meeting

  

     

                  

Now comes the good part: meeting with your book club! Invite members to the first meeting at least two weeks before the date you've selected. Whether you contact them by phone, e-mail or the web, let them know when and where the first meeting will be held. Recommend that everyone has read at least one chapter and has at least one question they'd like the club to discuss.

Before everyone arrives, take a look at these ideas to help make sure everything runs smoothly. You and the other members will be deciding on a few important issues:  

• Who will lead the book club meetings?
• Will it be the same person every time, or the person who suggested the book?  
• Is there a price limit to the books you'll be reading? Paperbacks only, for instance?  
• Who will keep a record of all the books read, when they were discussed, and who suggested them?  
• And if you are meeting in person:  Where will subsequent meetings be held? In the same location, at the home of that meeting's leader, or in a community room somewhere else, like a library or bookstore?    
• Will refreshments be served? Who will provide them? Will they be connected to the theme of the book being discussed?  

Choosing a Book to Read

Take a vote. After everyone has presented their suggestions take a vote on each title. If you have a tie, have another vote.   

Simply take turns. Go alphabetically, by birthdays, or by whatever order you decide. Whoever's turn it is selects the next book to be read. 

Take a blind vote. This is a little more time consuming, but allows everyone to cast their vote anonymously. Distribute several small slips of paper to everyone at the meeting. Vote on each title under consideration by passing around a large bowl and having everyone put in a slip with "yes" or "no" written on it. The title with the most "yes" votes wins.

Leave it to providence. Still have those slips of paper and a bowl handy? Use them to write down the title of each book, then put them all in the bowl and have someone pick one (or more).
Having discussion questions before your book club meets will help facilitate a good discussion of your book. As you read each novel, jot down page numbers and passages that moved you and where you found answers to the Oprah.com discussion questions. That way, you can easily share them with the group later on.

Start the Conversation
Don't feel you have to talk about each question! If the group doesn't have a lot to say about a topic or doesn't seem interested in the question, move on to a question that gets them talking. Or better yet, see if any one in the group has a question they'd like to discuss.

Looking for some questions to get the conversation rolling?
 
1. Get printable versions of the discussion questions from some of Oprah's Book Club selections!

Grow Your Club
Once your club is up and running, create an online component to your club. Post meeting reminders for your book club, discuss who's bringing what snacks or simply encourage each other to read the assigned chapters!

Whether in person or over e-mail, when new members contact you for more information about joining your book club, interview them briefly about their experience with books and why they're interested in joining your club. Let them know about the current members and where your book club will meet. 

Happy reading!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

• Hard Boiled Eggs, room temperature, or white and brown eggs, preferably not super-fresh
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar per cup of strained dye liquid
• Purple Cabbage (makes blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs)
• Red Onion Skins (makes lavender or red)
• Yellow Onion Skins (makes orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs)
• Ground Turmeric (makes yellow)
• Red Zinger Tea Bags (makes lavender)
• Beets (makes pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs)
• Oil (canola or olive)
• Clean the eggs so there are no particles sticking to their shells.

To prepare the colored dye, first chop the cabbage, chip or peel away the dry skins from the onions, or shred the beets. In a stainless steel saucepan, boil enough water to generously cover the number of eggs you'll be dyeing. Add the dye matter and bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes. The dye is ready when it reaches a hue a few shades darker than you want for your egg. Examine a sample in a white dish. Remove from the heat and it let cool to room temperature (I put the pot on my fire escape and it cooled off in about 20 minutes).

 

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another stainless saucepan, or into a bowl then back into the original pan if that's all you have for dying, otherwise use a flat bottom vessel like a large jar, Dutch oven, etc. Stir in the vinegar at the rate of 1 tablespoon per cup of strained liquid. Arrange the room-temperature eggs in the vessel in one layer and carefully pour the cooled dye over them.

 

Place the dye bath in the refrigerator until the desired color is reached. Carefully dry the egg then massage in a little oil to each, then polish with a paper towel. Store the eggs in the refrigerator until it is time to eat (or hide.)

April Showers Bring May Flowers 

Discussing the Rhyme

Published April 1, 2008 | By Ken Bolt

 

                      April Showers Bring May Flowers – Origins of the Rhyme

 

“April showers bring May flowers.” We’ve all heard this rhyme at some point, usually having been taught it at an early age by our parents or teachers. It’s a popular thing to say and hear around the springtime, but one thing you might not know is where the rhyme originated from. It can be traced back to the mid 1500s, although earlier use of “April showers bring May flowers” may have existed.

In 1557 a gentleman by the name of Thomas Tusser compiled a collection of writings he called A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry.

 

In the April Husbandry section he wrote:

     Sweet April showers
     Do spring May flowers

 

 

As you can see, the rhyme was originally a short poem. There is meaning behind the words, as well. “April showers bring May flowers” is a reminder that even the most unpleasant of things, in this case the heavy rains of April, can bring about very enjoyable things indeed – in this case, an abundance of flowers in May. “April showers bring May flowers” is a lesson in patience, and one that remains valid to this day.

 

Many of life’s greatest things come only to those who wait, and by patiently and happily enduring the clouds and damp of April you can find yourself more easily able to take in the sights and smells of May. After all, it’s easier to love something if you begin with an optimistic outlook! Here’s some more in-depth information about the meaning of “April showers bring May flowers.”

 

If you’re having a hard time enduring April showers, bring May flowers into your home early by purchasing bouquets and arrangements from your florist. If you’re finding it difficult to wait for the growing season, this is a good way to secure a sneak peek of things to come. You can use the florist’s online shop to browse various pre-made arrangements or to get ideas for customized ones.

 

You can also make purchases and arrange for delivery this way, saving you from having to go out in the middle of a storm. It works well with gifts, as well, since you can send a taste of spring to friends and family without needing to leave your home (perfect if they need a reminder about how April showers bring May flowers as well).

You may wish to use this time to plan your garden for later months, or to do some basic maintenance on the nicer days. It’s good to get ahead of schedule, because then it lets you do some experimenting.