FIFA 13 Tournament – Microsoft Excel file to track scores & standings

Hey guys,

I wanted to organize a FIFA 13 Tournament for my MBA class throughout the school term. In order to keep track of all the scores and standings of the tournament, I decided to create an Excel file simulation. This finally gave me a chance to utilize the Excel skills I developed during my work term. I figured having a professional looking scores and standings chart would encourage more people to participate and take the opportunity to challenge one another. I was right….we had 12 people sign up for the FIFA 13 Tournament. Let the games begin!

NOTE: For privacy issues, I have replaced all the names with some of my favourite soccer players. (logo credits: Electronic Arts)

How-To-Use

There are two tabs in the file: “Rankings” and “Scores”. All input (scores) should be put into the “Scores” tab. You must enter the score of the games under both player’s names and then the file will automatically compute Goals For, Goals Against, W/L/T, and Points, which will flow to the standings table in the “Rankings” tab. You can then sort the rankings according to GF or GA, and then Points (Sort Largest to Smallest). There is also the option to change the value of a Win/Loss/Tie at the far right in the “Scores” tab. Finally, I encourage you to apply Protect Sheet for the “Scores” tab once you have finalized the number of competitors.

Happy competing! Joga Bonito!

Download the MS Excel file here:   FIFA 13 Tournament

Top 10 Active NBA Players – Future Hall of Famers

Hey guys,

I wanted to test out this new online presentation tool called “rvl.io” so I created a deck on a topic of interest…the NBA!

The software is great. It allows you to create a presentation using HTML, but you are not constrained by having to know how to code in HTML. There is of course that option to edit HTML for those who are more advanced or want to enhance/modify their presentation.

rvl.io allows you to progress through your slides either RIGHT or DOWN using the directional arrows on your keyboard.

—->     CLICK HERE for the Presentation

MacBook Pro vs MacBook Pro with SSD (via YouTube channel: ahbitheman1)

Hey guys,

A friend of mine made a video comparing the MacBook Pro vs MacBook Pro with SSD. The video offers a good comparison of the boot up times between a MacBook Pro with a traditional 5400rpm hard drive and one with a solid-state drive (SSD). All the other factors were kept the same.

 

The conclusion: the boot time is approximately twice as fast on a Macbook Pro with a SSD.

Upgrading to a SSD may be a better choice for those who need or want a faster boot up. I hope this video helps in deciding whether to go with a SSD or a traditional hard drive.

Cheers!

The value of podcasts – use your time efficiently & learn on the go

Hey guys,

While I was back in Ottawa for the weekend I finally discovered the wonderful world of podcasts! I was originally searching for audiobooks to listen to on my bus ride back to Toronto since I grew tired of listening to the same songs I had on my iPhone.

What is a podcast?

“A podcast (or non-streamed webcast) is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication. The word replaced webcast in common use with the success of the iPod and its role in the rising popularity and innovation of web feeds.”

– Wikipedia

I wanted my commute to be a productive activity and listening to music really doesn’t fall into that category. Also, I don’t like reading on the bus, so I began browsing iTunes for audiobooks and I stumbled upon podcasts. I was familiar with them but never really gave them a try. I thought I’d download a few to see what they were about since they were offered for free anyways.

I launched iTunes on my iPhone and browsed the “Top Tens” section of the podcasts. They were further broken down into categories such as Education, Comedy, TV & Film, Health, Arts, Music, etc.

Some of the podcasts I downloaded:

• Coffee Break Spanish
• The Economist
• Harvard Business Review IdeaCast
• Six Pixels of Separation
• Entrepreneur Podcast
• Tiesto’s Club Life
• A State of Trance
• CBC Radio
• Discovery Channel (video podcast)
• The Joe Rogan Experience
• TEDTalks

I didn’t get a chance to listen to all of them even though my commute was 6 hours long. Of the podcasts that I listened to, the ones that I found to be the most valuable and interesting were The Economist, HBR IdeaCast, and Coffee Break Spanish. There are a variety of podcasts out there to suit your own interests and I encourage everyone to take a look into them. Use your time efficiently and learn on the go! Make your time count!

Book Review: Six Pixels of Separation (author: Mitch Joel)

A few months ago, I considered starting my own blog, however, I did not start blogging until after I started reading Six Pixels of Separation by Mitch Joel. I want to thank my good friend, a Public Relations student (http://babatundesblab.wordpress.com/), who recommended this book to me. Reading it was really the tipping point for the creation of this blog and also for the successful launch of it (500+ views within the first week, 1000+ views within the first 15 days). A large part of the success is because I created my blog with the intention of creating value, a message that is emphasized throughout this book.

The tagline of the book really justifies the overall message of the book: Everyone is Connected. Connect your business to Everyone. It emphasizes the importance of online presence and online participation using medians such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google. One of my favourite lines in the book is “Your brand is not what you say it is…it’s what Google says it is” – Chris Anderson (editor-in-chief at Wired magazine and best-selling author of The Long Tail).

Written by a digital marketing expert, this book captures the essence of communication in the modern day. It integrates digital marketing, social media, personal branding, and entrepreneurship in a way that I find to be easy to understand and apply. The application value of this book cannot be overstated and I personally know this because I applied the concepts and ideas presented in this book in the early developmental phases of my blog. Everything from the creation of value, the importance of search engines, the use of SEO techniques, the value of targeting a niche, to the importance of trust online has influenced what type of content my blog contains and the way in which the content is written, shared, and marketed.

In my opinion, this is a must-read for anyone that wants to be knowledgeable about the present state of communication, social media, and the internet. It contains many valuable ideas and concepts with great application value.

Hidden Gem: BOSE Companion 2 Series II Speaker

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sup guys. I thought I’d do a review on these great speakers that I’ve been using for quite some time; Bose Companion 2 Series II Speaker. The first thing that pops into mind is how good looking these things are. The gorgeous, sleek design works well with almost any setting and compliments whichever laptop or desktop you may be using.

Also, the sound is simply amazing for the price that this product is offered at ($119.99 at BestBuy at the time of this post). You can enjoy the world-renowned Bose sound quality with these great, affordable speakers.

The main thing that attracted me to these speakers other than the fact that I wanted to try out Bose was that these speakers were 2.0, which meant that it was a two-piece; it was just 2 speakers and I wouldn’t need a subwoofer. Some of you may be thinking “I need a subwoofer!” but once you listen to these babies, you’ll think otherwise. The bass is more than adequate and the sound can easily fill up an entire room which is great for parties. Also, because it’s a two-piece, it was easy for me to find a place to put them and also easily transport them. Overall, I am very happy with these speakers and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to buy a great speaker system.

Check out my sound quality demonstration video below:

Cool iPhone Tricks for Beginners

Sup everyone,

I thought I’d share some of the cool iPhone tricks that will make it easier for you to navigate and use your iPhone. This guide is geared towards beginners.

1. Quick access to iPod controls
2. Type special characters
3. One-touch scroll to the top
4. Swipe to delete
5. Take a screenshot