Technology is wonderful – when it is simple and works.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways – some low-tech, others leading-edge – to simplify your tech life.

More than half of us use both a Mac and PC, either at home or work, according to a recent survey by Lab42. If given their choice, 53 percent of us would prefer to use a Mac that also runs Windows PC applications without rebooting for work, the survey revealed. Getting Windows applications to work on a Mac used to be a complicated, technically arduous process. Many users got around the issue by running a PC and Mac side by side. Today products like Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac simplify the task. The software enables users to run Windows and Mac applications side-by-side on their Macs without rebooting, thereby eliminating the need for two computers. Parallels will even move your entire PC onto your Mac so you can keep your software investments and enjoy everything you need on one computer.

For many of us, functioning without our smartphones and mobile apps would be impossible. Apps that stream up-to-date news and weather information can be handy, but the rock stars of today’s apps are ones that make our communications, shopping and financial transactions even easier. You can download apps that let you block unwanted calls, connect to Facebook and Twitter, shop at Amazon, and access your bank or brokerage to view balances, deposit checks or trade stocks.

Sure you wouldn’t dream of traveling without your laptop, but isn’t it great to know if you don’t want to carry a computer that you actually don’t have to in order to use it? It’s no longer necessary to tote around a Mac or PC to capture all your communications and any changes you need to make to files that normally live on your desktop at home or work. Remote access software allows you to connect to and work off of your Mac or PC at home or work as if you were actually there using it. For example, Parallels Mobile for iPad and iPhone lets you remotely access and run all of your Mac and Windows files and applications on your Macs when you’re on the go.

Most of us have multiple email accounts, from ones we use only for work to personal accounts associated with the various social media we use. Managing multiple email accounts can be easy if you use a desktop email client such as Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird which can do the task for you. You’ll need to remember your email addresses and passwords just once – when you enter them into the tool. After that, you’ll be able to easily check all your email accounts from.

Speaking of passwords, how often have you tried to access an online account only to realize you couldn’t remember the password? Yet you’ve also heard that it’s not a great idea to keep passwords written down anywhere. Password managers can solve the problem. The software stores your passwords and automatically places them in the appropriate field when you need them. The manager is protected by a single, powerful password and many tools can now be used from your smartphone. Even better – some very good ones such as LastPass 1.72 are completely free to download and use.

And I have all of you to thank for that.

I know you’ve probably already fielded dozens of “happy holiday” messages from your favorite marketers — and you have likely sent them straight to the circular file.

I’m not about to go all sappy and send you a sales-pitch-disguised-as-holiday-greeting message. Trust me when I say I hate them every bit as much as you do.

This is not intended to be such a message.

Since I can’t personally come and carol on each of your doorsteps, this seemed like the next best thing. And truthfully, you wouldn’t want that anyway. American Idol material I am NOT.

I’d like to help provide a little musical backdrop for your holiday celebrations. If you visit the link below, you can download (14) traditional holiday favorites on MP3. My wish is that it will bring a smile to your face, and some holiday cheer to your festivities. Please accept them with my sincerest thanks.

There’s NO CATCH, NO OPTIN, and NO SALES PITCH. No kidding.

Since the holidays are all about giving, I’d be delighted if you’d share this link with your friends and network. The more the merrier!

http://propabranda.com/santa

I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons, and warm wishes for prosperity and success in 2012.

Traci Hayner Vanover – Publisher, ESB Journal

Maintaining better brain health may be easier than you think.

Eat right. Just as your body needs proper nutrients to function, so too does your brain. Fuel your brain by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, which contain antioxidants such as vitamins C and E that help prevent cell damage. Include some good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids in your diet—found in fish and shellfish, they constitute important building blocks in the brain. And make sure you drink plenty of water to flush out toxins and keep your brain hydrated.

Exercise your body. Regular physical exercise can help keep your brain fit by promoting increased levels of brain chemicals and more efficient blood circulation, which is vital to removing cellular waste and delivering nutrients needed by the brain. What’s more, studies have found that physical exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells.

Be social. Humans are social creatures and our brains have evolved to seek out social contact. Studies have reported that an active social life appears to delay age-related memory loss. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that individuals in their 50s and 60s who engage in a great deal of social activity had the slowest rate of memory decline, and researchers at Kaiser Permanente found that women with active social lives were half as likely to suffer from dementia.

Get good sleep. Sleep plays an important role in memory formation. Your brain uses sleep to process and make sense of the day, consolidate memories and even generate creative new ideas. Poor sleep can lead to an imbalance in brain chemicals, resulting in depression or cognitive deficits in processing speed, attention, memory and reasoning. A few simple changes in lifestyle, such as getting proper exercise, cutting out caffeine, relaxing before bedtime and drinking in moderation, can often help improve your quality of sleep.

Exercise your brain. The best exercises for your brain are new challenges that use different parts of your brain and increase in difficulty as you improve on tasks. For instance, you can learn a foreign language and then use it among native speakers, or take on a new type of dancing that exercises both the body and the brain.

You can also exercise your brain with training programs such as Lumosity.com that are designed specifically to improve brain function.

Described as a “gym for the brain,” the site offers personalized training programs and engaging exercises designed to improve core cognitive processes. The site is also available on several mobile application platforms. To learn more, visit http://www.lumosity.com.