technology

The communications industry is constantly evolving and growing, so it’s important to continue learning about new resources, especially apps you can download on your phone.

Canva

Ever wonder how people create such eye-catching graphics for events? Canva allows you to become artsy, creative and original.

Lightroom

This app costs nothing to download and edits pictures beautifully. Users find it simple, and they have fun exploring their own editing styles.

Unfold

Want to add a nice background and text to your Instagram stories? Try this app to add a unique touch, and improve the quality of the content you feature.

– Carolyn Taylor, Jones PR

As the digital world advances, more and more people are using photography for social media and advertising. The most common action for choosing a photo online is to search it on Google Images and find one that seems appropriate.

There are two problems with using images from Google:

1. They will often be bad quality.

2. They are copyrighted images (somebody owns them).

There are plenty of websites out there, like Unsplash, with loads of license-free images. Not only will these images be much higher quality than those on Google, but you can legally use them however you’d like.

– Trey Gause, Jones PR

What does it mean to have digital literacy skills? From basic computer skills to more advanced skills like digital design, digital literacy skills are becoming a significant factor in getting a job and functioning in the world.

Goodwill’s accredited Career Pathways Institute has a training team dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities or disadvantages understand the digital age through basic computer access.

Classes offered include introductions to computer applications, keyboarding, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Google Apps and Drive and for more advanced learners, a Canva design studio class.

Find more information and a calendar of classes on Goodwill’s website.

– Ashley Ross, Jones PR

Hey, all you copywriters, there’s a new benchmark for speed – 20,000 lines a second.

Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, is touting its copywriting artificial intelligence. It’s one of a slew of AIs that are being taught to produce content. Even bastions of traditional journalism, such as the Associated Press, are adopting these technologies.

“Generative bots are the new chatbot,” University College London’s Jun Wong told the BBC.

An example from Alibaba’s bot: “Similor Wholesale China factory OEM noise cancelling headset super bass stereo headphone.”

Call us old-fashioned, but we prefer a little more artistry in ad copy.

– Dan Stefano, The Pittsburgh 100

Job seekers are enticed by work-from-home options according to research from staffing firm Robert Half. More than three quarters of surveyed professionals (77 percent) said they are more likely to accept a job offer if there is an option for telecommuting. Those in San Francisco and Los Angeles are most likely to seek this perk, citing long commute times.

Companies that promote these options are more likely to attract top candidates. However, there are drawbacks to telecommuting, including people abusing the benefit, feeling isolated and missing a team environment, and strained relationships due to lack of face time.

– Robert Half, The Arizona 100

Dobson Technologies, a family-owned Oklahoma company, is on a mission to bring the latest internet technology to businesses in micropolitan cities across Oklahoma. Dobson continues to expand its massive footprint to equip businesses for growth. Poteau, Heavener, McAlester and Weatherford now have access to fiber optic, high-speed business internet – positioning these communities for increased commerce opportunities.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses indicate that high-speed internet access is as essential to their operations as other utilities such as water, sewer or electricity. For Dobson, an Oklahoma company connecting Oklahomans, it’s all about connectivity.

– Kelly Hughes, Jones PR

Weatherford businesses can now enjoy big-city conveniences with Dobson Technologies’ Fiber Optic Network.

Businesses along Dobson’s fiber route are now eligible for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions and high-speed internet services with two types of connectivity:

1. Fiber-to-the-Business: High-speed fiber optic connectivity that reaches up to 125 Mbps.

2. Dedicated-Fiber-to-the-Business: Perfect for businesses with greater data needs with dedicated access to high-speed, fiber optic connectivity with customized speeds and bandwidth.

Businesses looking to kick off 2018 with the right business internet connection can learn more and sign up for services.

– Ashley Ross, Jones PR

Now that school has ended and parents are starting to panic about what to do with the kids this summer, it is the perfect time to talk about technology responsibility with your tweens and teens.

Sprint employees can show parents how to set controls on their accounts to monitor cellphone and data usage – giving parents peace of mind!

Covering your devices with screen protectors will help shield them from messy fingers and accidental drops. Planning a family road trip? Better grab some Beats headphones for the teens. This way, they can listen to their music and you can enjoy yours!

– Taylor Ketchum, Jones PR

Forbes magazine recently ranked Tulsa the #1 Best City for Young Entrepreneurs, yet raising capital is a common obstacle for entrepreneurs trying to expand a small business.

Tulsa-based Momentum3 has partnered with New York-based GrowthFountain to launch Momentum3Growth, a crowdfunding platform designed specifically for profitable technology startups. Before Momentum3Growth, there was little help for founder-only companies that may not have employees yet, but have revenue and a successful business model.

With over 750,000 members, GrowthFountain has expanded Momentum3’s services by exposing its companies to potential investors, which increases the probability of funding success for young startups.

– Jake Pasdach, Jones PR

The next big thing is virtual reality. Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “The magic of virtual reality software is this feeling of presence, the feeling you’re really there with another person or in another place.”

Facebook bought Oculus, a company specializing in virtual reality technology, two years ago for $2 billion, and Zuckerberg has since contributed $500 million to develop the magic of virtual reality.

The current headsets produced by Oculus radically redefined digital entertainment by immersing the user inside games or favorite movies. One million people currently utilize VR technology, but with Zuckerberg’s innovation, endless experiences await.

– Page Jones, Jones PR

One of America’s first official highways is getting a solar-powered tuneup.

Also known as the Main Street of America, US Route 66 was established in 1926. Today, the famous road running between Chicago and Los Angeles is about to become the first public roadway to undergo a solar panel reconfiguration in certain areas, thanks to Idaho startup Solar Roadways.

The solar roadways are made of hexagonal solar panels that conduct clean energy and could revolutionize methods of energy consumption by making energy cheaper, more adaptable and exponentially cleaner. The project will start small but is expected to expand quickly.

– Jake Pasdach, Jones PR

Many brands have realized that Snapchat is being used daily by their target audiences. Some brands have launched their own Snapchat channels and work to put out quality content for their followers.

Now, thanks to geotarget filters, brands can launch filters by location without being on Snapchat themselves.

Therefore, a brand’s logo and products can be featured in potentially thousands of photos being sent to target audiences, and all a brand manager has to do is upload the design, choose its location, and sit back and watch the filter get used and the brand be promoted to their target audiences.

– Taylor Ketchum, Jones PR

Disney is partnering with Circle to make parenting easier. Circle with Disney is a new way for families to manage content and time online for all their children’s devices.

Parents are able to manage it all from the app – setting a time limit on social media, filtering websites, pausing the Internet for homework and automatically turning it off for bedtime. Parents can monitor their family’s online habits and decide just how much Facebook and Minecraft they access daily.

The Disney partnership gives Circle more visibility and an abundance of Disney videos and music. For more information, visit www.meetcircle.com.

– Aubree Hughes, Jones PR

Residents in certain cities around Oklahoma can now reap the benefits of Google Express. Google Express is an eCommerce retail platform that allows customers to order items from well-known stores, such as Barnes & Noble, Costco and Kohls, which are then quickly delivered to their home.

Google Express will expand service to Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman on July 1. “We think of this as being part of our ongoing mission to connect customers with the retailers and brands they love,” said Brian Elliot, general manager of Google Express.

Google Express is one more addition to Oklahoma’s growing eCommerce market.

– Jake Pasdach, Jones PR

3D-printing Materials: Companies are exploring other uses of the technology using multiple materials that include glass and electronics. Advances have been made in biological 3D printing, such as creating skin or organs.

Advanced Machine Learning: Machines will start learning and understanding their environment to take in more complex information and perform tasks only humans were previously capable of. For example, machines will write 20% of business content by 2018.

Adaptive Security Architecture: Simply put, the “hacker industry” has become more sophisticated, requiring IT leaders to rapidly detect threats to prevent attacks.

A complete list of technology trends is available.

– Jake Pasdach, Jones PR

Gone are the days when businesses make announcements to media with hopes of next-day coverage. Social media has changed the way businesses engage with audiences.

Facebook Live recently launched, allowing users and businesses to live stream events as they are happening and instantly broadcast them to the globe. Facebook has always been the top platform for engagement, but now businesses can go live with a video update and get instant feedback as it is happening.

That is a powerful weapon in the business world; now it is up to the businesses to decide if they will pull the trigger.

– Taylor Ketchum, Jones PR