Samsung Tab Pro 8.4: More Like Semi-Pro

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Mobile device appellations bear little relevance to the device itself. By naming its latest mid-sized tablet the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4 (officially the SM-T320, $399.99, discounted to $369.99), Samsung gives us at least a clue to its intended usage and audience.

But just because you call your bicycle a car doesn't make it a Maserati.
While tricked out with pre-installed apps and capabilities that place the Pro a step above Samsung's non-Pro tablets, it lacks the "don't call me a stylus" S Pen functionality of the identically-priced 8-inch Galaxy Note 3 ($399.99, discounted to $329.99) to be as truly useful as its name would imply.

In other words, the Pro would be more aptly called semi-pro.

Specs/Design\

Even though they're the same price, the KitKat-running Pro offers superior specs to the Jelly Bean-running Note 3 with one exception.

Most obviously, Pro 8.4 has an 8.4-inch WQXGA SC-LCD 1600 x 2560 pixel, 359 ppi screen, .4 inches larger and twice the resolution of the 8-inch TFT 800 x 1280 pixel 189 ppi display on the Note 3, a difference you can see when trying to read tiny headlines on Web pages.

The one aforementioned exception to Pro's otherwise superior specs? Processing power, although the differences between Note 3's Snapdragon 800 2.3 GHz quad core engine and the Pro's Exynos 1.6 GHz quad core brain are arguable and dependent on applications. One noticeable deficiency: the Pro's accelerometer doesn't exactly snap to reorient when turned with even an average degree of alacrity.

"Like the Note, the white Pro includes a faux-leather rear, which is both aesthetically pleasing and functional thanks to its non-slip surface."

Like the Note, the white Pro includes a faux-leather rear, which is both aesthetically pleasing and functional thanks to its non-slip surface. The Pro (8.62 x 5.05 x 0.28) is slightly taller, slightly narrower and slightly thinner than the Note 3 (8.3 x 5.35 x 0.31 inches), both weighing in at 11.7 ounces.

Unlike other Tabs, the Pro's screen section seems to be set into a metallic band. This band was loose on the first of two review units I handled, as if the screen surface could be popped out. The second review unit was a bit more solid, but my loose experience with the first planted a gnawing build-factor issue in my perception of the Pro.

As with all Samsung Tabs, the slit stereo speakers are placed on the bottom perimeter, a positioning on all tablets that continues to baffle me.

Like the Note 3, the Pro offers several multi-tasking/multi-window features. By swiping left from the right bezel, you get an app tray or drawer from which you can access 18 of the 28 tray-compatible apps; you can easily add/subtract apps from the tray. When you tap-open an app from the tray, it opens as an overlaid tile, which can be re-sized and moved around the screen.

Like the Note 3, the Pro offers several multi-tasking/multi-window features. By swiping left from the right bezel, you get an app tray or drawer from which you can access 18 of the 28 tray-compatible apps; you can easily add/subtract apps from the tray. When you tap-open an app from the tray, it opens as an overlaid tile, which can be re-sized and moved around the screen.

Like the Note 3, the Pro offers several multi-tasking/multi-window features. By swiping left from the right bezel, you get an app tray or drawer from which you can access 18 of the 28 tray-compatible apps; you can easily add/subtract apps from the tray. When you tap-open an app from the tray, it opens as an overlaid tile, which can be re-sized and moved around the screen.

Unfortunately, side-by-side apps can't interact with each other (or at least I haven't found any interaction instances). For example, you can't drag a Gallery photo into an email message. You can set the Pro to automatically open files, video or email attachments in multi window.

Unfortunately, side-by-side apps can't interact with each other

    BY: @cyrustmybjaz29
                                                            J. Esguerra
                                                             @bullfrogmonster29

Source: Mashable

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The True Meaning Of Leading By Example

New managers are often told it's best to “lead by example”. Rightfully so – but like most platitudes, “lead by example” doesn't give you particularly instructive action.

So, let's dig in.

First lets talk about the idea of “personal brand.”

A great personal brand isn’t an artificial construct. A great personal brand – like a great company brand – is authentic. Your personal brand is simply a snapshot view of who you really are. Yet thousands of people try to use tactics to “create” a personal brand as if it’s a product or commodity when a personal brand is built on genuine statements and authentic actions.

When a personal brand is an authentic extension of the real person and not an artificial construct, it inspires trust.

Which brings us back to leading by example. Leaders aren’t given respect; they earn the respect of the people they lead. Leaders are not automatically trusted; they earn the trust of the people they lead. In cases where someone “inherits” a position or is given a position arbitrarily, they don't really have trust — they have a title. Those are different things.

The best way to earn respect, to earn trust, and to earn the right to lead others is to lead not by word but by example. When I know you truly believe what you say – because your actions support what you say – then I will start to trust you. Then I will start to respect you. Then I will truly start to follow you.

Here are a few ways to lead by example. But keep in mind if you simply go through the motions everyone can tell. If you don’t believe, deep inside, that what you’re doing is important – that what you’re doing is the right thing – then don’t do it. Everyone around you will be able to tell. People have a highly sensitive Insincerity Meter that immediately calls bull-crap.

GSD (Get Stuff Done).

Every company preaches action and execution, yet in many there is a major disconnect: “leaders” don’t actually produce; they ensure production. Many “leaders” care more about how things are done than about finding ways to do things better. Many leaders care more about their positions than their work.
Every day make sure you roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Sure, you might have administrative duties. Sure, you might be in charge of developing big-picture strategies. Fine. But never forget that works requires work – and getting things done.
Don’t say execution is important. Show execution is important

Live Your Culture.

At HubSpot we aren’t big on executive perks. But we are big on teamwork and cross-pollinization. To do this, we have a random seat shuffle. So, every 3 months or so, you'll be sitting in a different spot then you were before. Oh, and nobody has offices.

"We don't just have an open door policy, we have a no door policy".

That extends to me (I'm one of the founders), my co-founder, our COO, our CMO… to everyone on the team.

Would it be easy to assert that I need an office since I sometimes need to have sensitive or confidential conversations? Of course it would. But it is also easy to simply find somewhere private to talk when I need to.

Ultimately every company’s culture is, or at least should be, an extension of its leadership. (Of course if you aren’t actively creating your culture, one will be created for you – and it may not be one you like.)

Mission statements, value statements, and culture codes are fine, but if you are not seen as a living embodiment of your culture, then all those efforts will be wasted.

"You should be seen as of the culture, never above the culture"


Take blame and share credit.

With authority comes responsibility – at all levels of an organization. Want your employees to feel a sense of responsibility and accountability? Take the hits you deserve.

And then take some hits you don’t deserve.

Say a customer gets angry. Or a client complains about poor service. Or someone in another part of the organization criticizes one of your team's efforts.

Whatever the issue, regardless of who is actually at fault, don’t throw others under the bus. Throw yourself under the bus. Accept the criticism or abuse. You can handle it – even if you don’t deserve it

And, when things go surprisingly well, always share credit. Chances are, you didn't pull it off alone. Nothing breaks trust more than when a leader takes full credit for what everyone knows was a shared effort.

When you take blame and share credit, a couple of things happen. Your employees know you ultimately feel responsible for mistakes and share recognition with others when things go right.

And, when it’s their turn, they will take blame and share credit too.

The cycle will continue, because selfless acts are contagious

Trust so you can be trusted.

Things change when companies grow. More employees result in increased complexity, more mistakes, and greater ambiguity.

So in response you create guidelines and policies

And trust goes out the window – because policies implicitly say, “We’re putting this in place because, well, we don’t trust you to do the right thing.”

At HubSpot we don’t have pages and pages of policies and procedures. We try to guide our decisions with three words: Use Good Judgment.

We define “good judgment” as favoring the company over the individual, and the customer over the company. It looks like this

Customer > Company > Individual

Sound complicated? It’s not: if an action is good for you but bad for the company, it's not right. If an action is good for the company, but not for the customer, it's dubious. (In the long term, what is bad for the customer is always bad for your company.)

Trust is based on action, not words. Give people the freedom to make meaningful decisions, to operate in a way that is most effective for them, and to simply do the right thing, and they will trust you.

Why? Because first you trusted them.

BY: DARMESH SHAH
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Three Musts to Retaining Superstar Talent

In a previous post, I wrote about five tools to look for when recruiting superstar talent. In this post, I'd like to share some key lessons learned over the years when it comes to retaining your top people.

As a general rule, it's important to note that by the time your best talent comes to you and says they're leaving, more often than not, it's too late. They've long since reached the conclusion it's time to go, having repeatedly seen or experienced examples of why they no longer want to be at the company. At that point, it's going to be extremely difficult to keep them.

One of the reasons it's so hard to change a person's mind once they've communicated their intention to leave is that they may not be willing to share the truth behind their rationale. At least in the case of the tech industry, it's a "small town," so people understandably want to leave doors open vs. burning bridges by speaking hard truths. Without knowing what's really motivating a person's decision to transition, it can be challenging to convince them otherwise.

Additionally, if losing the person to another company, you'll most likely be up against a grass-is-greener dynamic. Departing employees know what it's like at your company -- both the good and the bad -- but they are being wined and dined by hiring managers and recruiters who are telling them only the good, if not the great, about what it's going to be like to join a new team.

Lastly, sometimes the person can't quite put their finger on the reason they want to make a change. They just "know it's time" or have a gut feeling it's the right thing to do. Generally speaking, it's hard to counter an argument when one isn't being made.

All of this underlies one critical dynamic when retaining talent: Start the retention process when the person is still open to staying and not after they've already told you they're leaving. From time to time, you may be fortunate enough to walk someone back from the ledge (in certain cases, I've seen people retained even after they've accepted roles elsewhere), but this is the exception rather than the rule. If you are counting on your ability to persuade people to stay after they've already made the decision to leave, you should expect to lose far more talent than you save.

So how can you prevent this scenario to begin with? In my experience, there are three critical must-haves, all of which need to be in place well before the individual comes to you saying they are on their way out: Mentorship, career path, and recognition.

Mentorship

The primary role of a mentor in this case is to help the mentee determine what it is they ultimately want to do, and ensure they are well equipped to pursue that path. Why is this so important when it comes to retention? Because the clearer your talent is about their desired end goal, the earlier in the process you can work with them to make it a reality.

Bear in mind, simply because you are someone's boss, doesn't make you their mentor. To the contrary, by virtue of your role as manager, your employee may be hesitant to share their future plans (especially if it doesn't include you), or concerns about why working for you or your team is leaving them dissatisfied. Without knowing what's on their mind, it's going to prove prohibitively difficult to make the appropriate course corrections.

Rather than assume you are the right mentor for your directs, help them find the right mentor. That means leveraging your understanding of the individual -- their strengths, weaknesses, values, sensibilities -- and suggesting the best person to complement them. A mentor can come from within your organization or outside the company. Either way, they are there for your employee first, providing an impartial sounding board that can draw upon the mentor's own relevant experiences to assist the talent in making and pursuing the right career choices.

Career path

One of the most common questions I'm asked, especially among interns and new college grads, is, "What can I do to successfully achieve my career goals?" My reply is simple: Understand what it is you ultimately want to accomplish. As straightforward as this sounds, I can't tell you the number of times I've asked this question of people who have been working for five, 10, even 15 years, and still don't have any idea what the answer is. Oftentimes, this is due to the fact their careers have largely been opportunistic vs. goal driven. Swept up in a current of promotions, raises, and job offers from the latest hot new company, these individuals steadily work their way up the ranks in title and money, only to find themselves thoroughly unhappy in their current role years later.

Three ways to avoid this scenario are for any individual to:

1. Know what they want to do (optimizing for both skills and passion)
2. Surround themselves with the right people (e.g. see "Mentorship" above)
3. Always be learning

As a manager, one of the most valuable things you can do for your top talent is ensure you are asking the right questions, encouraging the right conversations, and doing everything within your power to help them realize these three dimensions on the way towards achieving their dream job.

Recognition

Every individual you work with, regardless of their position within the organization, not only wants to be recognized -- they need to be recognized. It's a fundamental part of human nature.

While compensation is an important part of the mix, recognition goes well beyond what a person earns. It can take the shape of a promotion, a shout-out at a staff meeting, a congratulatory email, or a pat on the back. The key is taking the time to understand what motivates the individual and expressing your appreciation whenever appropriate. The more personal and authentic, the better.

Don't make the mistake of taking your most talented people for granted and assuming they know how you feel. If that's the case, more often than not you'll end up telling them, but only after it's too late. Recognize a job well done consistently and you'll not only be more likely to retain your most valuable people, you'll motivate them to do their best work along the way.

BY: JEFF WEINER
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