Technology Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-03-2023

Adobe Analytics is the most powerful tool available for analyzing digital consumer data, but it’s easier to grasp if you know where to start. Master the most basic and widely applicable features in the easiest way. Get details on two standard calculated metrics in the analytics industry that focus on analyzing engagement on your site, app, or other digital property. Discover several tips to improve your productivity in Analysis Workspace.

Article / Updated 12-01-2023

Getting the most out of your unstructured data is an essential task for any organization these days, especially when considering the disparate storage systems, applications, and user locations. So, it’s not an accident that data orchestration is the term that brings everything together. Bringing all your data together shares similarities with conducting an orchestra. Instead of combining the violin, oboe, and cello, this brand of orchestration combines distributed data types from different places, platforms, and locations working as a cohesive entity presented to applications or users anywhere. That’s because historically, accessing high-performance data outside of your computer network was inefficient. Because the storage infrastructure existed in a silo, systems like HPC Parallel (which lets users store and access shared data across multiple networked storage nodes), Enterprise NAS (which allows large-scale storage and access to other networks), and Global Namespace (virtually simplifies network file systems) were limited when it came to sharing. Because each operated independently, the data within each system was siloed making it a problem collaborating with data sets over multiple locations. Collaboration was possible, but too often you lost the ability to have high performance. This Boolean logic decreased potential because having an IT architecture that supported both high performance and collaboration with data sets from different storage silos typically became an either/or decision: You were forced to choose one but never both. What is data orchestration? Data orchestration is the automated process of taking siloed data from multiple data storage systems and locations, combining and organizing it into a single namespace. Then a high-performance file system can place data in the edge service, data center, or cloud service most optimal for the workload. The recent rise of data analytic applications and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities has accelerated the use of data across different locations and even different organizations. In the next data cycle, organizations will need both high-performance and agility with their data to compete and thrive in a competitive environment. That means data no longer has a 1:1 relationship with the applications and compute environment that generated it. It needs to be used, analyzed, and repurposed with different AI models and alternate workloads, and across a remote, collaborative environment. Hammerspace’s technology makes data available to different foundational models, remote applications, decentralized compute clusters, and remote workers to automate and streamline data-driven development programs, data insights, and business decision making. This capability enables a unified, fast, and efficient global data environment for the entire workflow — from data creation to processing, collaboration, and archiving across edge devices, data centers, and public and private clouds. Control of enterprise data services for governance, security, data protection, and compliance can now be implemented globally at a file-granular level across all storage types and locations. Applications and AI models can access data stored in remote locations while using automated orchestration tools to provide high-performance local access when needed for processing. Organizations can grow their talent pools with access to team members no matter where they reside. Decentralizing the data center Data collection has become more prominent, and the traditional system of centralized data management has limitations. Issues of centralized data storage can limit the amount of data available to applications. Then, there are the high infrastructure costs when multiple applications are needed to manage and move data, multiple copies of data are retained in different storage systems, and more headcount is needed to manage the complex, disconnected infrastructure environment. Such setbacks suggest that the data center is no longer the center of data and storage system constraints should no longer define data architectures. Hammerspace specializes in decentralized environments, where data may need to span two or more sites and possibly one or more cloud providers and regions, and/or where a remote workforce needs to collaborate in real time. It enables a global data environment by providing a unified, parallel global file system. Enabling a global data environment Hammerspace completely revolutionizes previously held notions of how unstructured data architectures should be designed, delivering the performance needed across distributed environments to Free workloads from data silos. Eliminate copy proliferation. Provide direct data access through local metadata to applications and users, no matter where the data is stored. This technology allows organizations to take full advantage of the performance capabilities of any server, storage system, and network anywhere in the world. This capability enables a unified, fast, and efficient global data environment for the entire workflow, from data creation to processing, collaboration, and archiving across edge devices, data centers, and public and private clouds. The days of enterprises struggling with a siloed, distributed, and inefficient data environment are over. It’s time to start expecting more from data architectures with automated data orchestration. Find out how by downloading Unstructured Data Orchestration For Dummies, Hammerspace Special Edition, here.

Article / Updated 12-01-2023

We depend on machines to produce everyday essentials — such as power, food, and medicine — and to support nearly every aspect of society. Thus, machine health is vital to overall manufacturing and business health. Machine health transforms reliability, maintenance, operations, and asset performance management by using artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to improve performance, reduce downtime, and help manufacturers reach Industry 4.0 standards. Transform the way you work In an era of labor shortages and technology innovation, manufacturing needs to move faster toward digitization. Using AI in manufacturing, companies can eliminate repetitive tasks, reduce inefficiencies, and strengthen data-driven decision making. With insights into the real-time condition of their machines, workers can break away from traditional maintenance schedules and manual tasks. This means more time for proactive work and collaboration with other departments, which leads to stronger cross-functional teams. It also leads to further innovations, such as process optimization. When employees have insights into the health of their machines, they can predict their workdays and own their schedules, opening up new opportunities for innovation and engagement. Learn more about transforming the way you work with machine health at www.augury.com/use-cases/business-goal/transform-the-way-you-work. Eliminate unnecessary downtime Unplanned downtime can be expensive. There’s the cost of the repairs themselves, lost production and sales, and reputational damage. Maintenance and reliability teams often have to scramble to diagnose and fix the problem as quickly as possible — often resulting in overtime pay and expedited shipping costs for emergency spare parts. Sudden and catastrophic machine failures can also harm worker morale and jeopardize worker safety. Thus, reducing unnecessary downtime has a significant impact on both your top and bottom lines. Learn more about eliminating unnecessary downtime with machine health at www.augury.com/use-cases/business-goal/eliminate-unnecessary-downtime. Reduce loss, waste, and emissions Reducing waste to improve sustainability has become a top priority for manufacturers for cost-cutting/efficiency purposes, as well as to promote a healthier planet. Healthy machines can run at capacity and with less downtime, leading to less waste and more efficient energy use. An industry study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) found that optimizing the performance of rotating assets — which account for approximately 54 percent of U.S. industrial electricity consumption — can reduce energy consumption by 12 to 15 percent. Learn more about reducing loss, waste, and emissions with machine health at www.augury.com/use-cases/business-goal/reduce-loss-waste-and-emissions. Maximize yield and capacity Real-time machine health insights allow maintenance teams to adjust shutdown schedules based on the current condition of the machine, its history, and the recommendations of experts. In the longer-term, machine health minimizes unplanned downtime by improving the health of your machines, reduces planned downtime by deferring nonessential maintenance activities, and can increase output on production lines with healthier machines running optimally. Learn more about maximizing yield and capacity with machine health at www.augury.com/use-cases/business-goal/maximize-yield-and-capacity. Optimize asset care When it comes to asset care — from acquiring and storing parts to managing maintenance resources — manufacturers have traditionally taken a more preventive than predictive approach: Machines are serviced on fixed schedules, regardless of whether or not they need maintenance. Many manufacturers keep spare parts for critical machine assets in inventory because calendar-based maintenance dictates when parts should be replaced — whether or not replacement is needed. The alternative is overspending to get parts on short notice and expensive downtime while you wait for the parts to arrive. Whether hoarding parts or paying more for last-minute parts, both methods are inefficient and costly. Machine health empowers you to control how you spend time and money based on the real-time condition of your machine assets. Learn more about optimizing asset care with machine health at www.augury.com/use-cases/business-goal/optimize-asset-care. Start building a winning machine health culture Machine health can transform operations for every manufacturer. Get your free copy of Machine Health For Dummies at https://www.augury.com/machinehealthfordummies/. How much will you save with Augury Machine Health? Use the ROI calculator at www.augury.com/value-calculator/ to see how much time and money you can save with Augury’s Machine Health.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-13-2023

Note: The following cheat sheet is from Building Websites All-in-One For Dummies which published in 2012; therefore, this content may be outdated. For more current information on website building, please see HTML, CSS, & JavaScript All-in-One For Dummies. Whether complex or simple, websites require that you make decisions — such as color, theme, and tone — and that you juggle many pieces of the project — like code, style sheets, and graphics. Knowing which resources to turn to for help implementing HTML5, and a few key points about incorporating graphics and video, can help you.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-01-2023

As you edit images in Photoshop Elements, you need to know your way around the editor workspace and the tools panel — especially the selection tools. Check out the visual reference to the photo editor and the tools panel keyboard shortcuts, as well as the table of Photoshop Elements selection tricks. Having these references by your side will help you edit images in Elements quickly and easily.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-01-2023

Your iPhone can be so much more than a communication tool to talk into. Aside from making calls and creating your contacts, you should make yourself familiar with the many options available on the iPhone touchscreen. You'll also want to be able to handle troubleshooting when your Apple device acts strangely or stops working. When you need a bit of levity, check out our 10 ways to have fun with Siri. And finally, if you have an iPhone with Face ID, you’ll discover how to put your iPhone into recovery mode.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-01-2023

So, you’re using a Mac running macOS Sonoma? Good job! This Cheat Sheet gives you a handy reference of keyboard shortcuts that can save you time, teaches you how to navigate the "Save As" dialog using the Tab key, explains a straightforward protocol for backups, tells you how to burn CDs from the Music app, and warns you about six moves to avoid at all costs.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-01-2023

You can make the most of your work in QuickBooks Online by using handy and time-savings shortcuts and tool buttons. Using keyboard shortcuts means you can seamlessly access various windows and pages without touching a mouse. The various icons at the top of the QuickBooks Online page help you quickly search for items, create new items, or display transactions.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-31-2023

This cheat sheet gives you a rundown of some of the most useful features and apps so you can find what you need to customize your iPhone’s behavior. See how to get the most out of Siri (your iPhone’s virtual assistant), review some favorite apps for news and weather, and discover several of the most popular apps for multimedia.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-31-2023

QuickBooks 2024 makes small-business accounting fast and easy. But your day-to-day business bookkeeping will go even more smoothly if you employ a handful of QuickBooks user interface tricks, editing tricks, and keyboard shortcuts.