WhatsApp on Mac or Windows: Another Milestone Achieved

WhatsApp is a free to use, cross-platform instant messaging application for the smartphones introduced in 2009 by former employees of Yahoo. It is used to make voice calls, sending text messages, video calls and sharing images, videos, audio files, voice notes, phone contacts, gif files and user location to other users by using the internet on your smartphone. You can either use it for personal chats or sharing media and apps with your loved ones, or it can also be used for business purposes.

 

Key features of WhatsApp:

  • Simple Messaging: You can chat or send messages for free to anyone in your contact list located anywhere in the world for free and avoid SMS charges.
  • Voice and Video calls: By using WhatsApp, you can make video calls to your family and friends for free even if they are located in other countries.
  • Share photos and videos: You can capture beautiful and memorable moments in your phone and share them with your loved ones instantly with the help of WhatsApp.
  • Group Chats: You can make various groups including your favorite people, maximum 50 people in one group to chat with them. This feature is very profitable for business as many people join different groups and share their products.
  • Secure Environment: WhatsApp uses end to end encryption, which makes it safe to chat and share stuff on WhatsApp because that message will stay between only you and the person you are talking to. Even WhatsApp can’t read or listen to your conversations.

WhatsApp now available for PC and Mac

For any business, handling it on the Mobile phone can be inconvenient at times, especially for the people who work on their computers at the same time as well. So, WhatsApp has launched a desktop version of WhatsApp for your Mac or Windows PC. So, Windows users should not get upset about the fact that they don’t have to use WhatsApp only on the small screen of their phones only, but now, they can use their Qwerty PC Keyboard and the big screen for using WhatsApp.

How to Download and Use WhatsApp on your Mac or Windows PC:

The Supported versions of WhatsApp on Pc are:

  • Windows 8 and Higher (32-bit version)
  • Windows 8 and Higher (64-bit version)
  • MAC OS X 10.9 and higher

There are few easy steps you need to follow to get WhatsApp working on your MAC or windows PC. Let us discuss them now:

  • Open https://www.whatsapp.com/download/ from your Pc webpage and download Desktop version of WhatsApp.
  • Install WhatsApp on your Pc once the download is finished.
  • Open WhatsApp so that you can scan the QR code from your phone to get both the devices connected.
  • Open WhatsApp in your phone and click on the settings icon under WhatsApp Web to scan the QR code on Desktop version.
  • Once both the devices are connected, you are good to use WhatsApp on your PC.

Users must keep in mind while using WhatsApp on their PC that your phone should always be on and connected to Wi-Fi as well.

WhatsApp has been the favorite of everyone for a while now, and the company is always trying to make its feature list and usability better to make it more loved by users. And, by launching the desktop version of it, the company has put another milestone in its long run. This Step will sure be going to keep WhatsApp as number one app and the most loved one for a long time now.

 

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Author Bio: Pankaj Jangir is a Website Designer and Developer. He makes websites from where users can download their own videos and photos from FB.

10 Ways To Make Your Lead Generation Website Convert On The First Visit

 

You’ve invested a lot into your lead generation website to get eyes on it, but it’s not enough that people just look at it. It’s extremely important that your lead generation website is able to drive visitors to conversion, and what you might not know is that they need to convert right away. Straight North examined more than 300,000 sales leads and discovered something surprising — 84 percent of conversions happened on the first visit. When visitors came back to the page multiple times, their chances of converting plummeted.

The following presentation outlines these shocking statistics, and lays out some tried-and-true methods for re-engineering a website to drive higher conversions on the first visit. After all, there’s too much riding on your website to leave anything to chance, especially when the chances become so much slimmer with each visit.

 

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Author Bio: Brad Shorr is Director of Content Strategy at Straight North — an Internet marketing agency that provides SEO and PPC services — and has more than 25 years of marketing and sales experience. Brad has been featured on leading business sites including Forbes and Entrepreneur.

Best Drones We Used in 2016

 

Remember the time you were buying a drone for the first time? It was not an easy feat right? Having to scour the internet for what is and what not, trying to find the best value for our money  and praying with all our might that we will end up with a really cool gadget.

Thank God, that was all over.

Now, we are enjoying the pleasure of piloting drones, and probably, of every model there is in the market. So if you are one of the pilots who came so far in the drone community, take a look at our list of the Best Drones We Used in 2016. We chopped the article into 3 categories, as we aim to cater to all types of drone enthusiasts in the world.

Or, if you are a newbie and are looking for a great resource to kick start your drone piloting experience,  you found a land mine.

So head on and scroll down.

Are you into Drone Racing? Our Top Pick For The Freestyle Flying Quadcopter Category Is The Lumenier QAV250

Great things do come in small packages and this baby delivers the goods. Lumenier QAV250 is one of the most recognized racing drone today. And now with a G10 variant, you can say, breaking into FPV flying has never been this awesome.  So why do we love it?

We simply love the Lumenier QAV250 because it is exactly a G10 fiberglass frame. We like how we can tinker  around with it. This drone model offers a lot of opportunity for custom build options.

We can add our own electronics, motors,  speed controllers , HD Camera,  radio controller, FPV googles and a flight board. This means, you can customize this gadget into maximum attributes and the possibilities are just endless! If done right, and all components are working together, you have a top-of-the-line drone that will stand up to the rigors of drone racing better than any pre-assembled racing drone in the market.

How cool is that?

The downside is, it is not for the beginners  or an ideal option for newbies in drone racing. You would better be off with Arris X-Speed 250 Quacopter Racer. It is suitable for first time drone flyers. It requires a deep knowledge in electronics, soldering and freestyle flying to bring out the best capabilities of this drone. It is also expensive. The frame already costs $130. Plus, you have to buy all the other parts so the cost can reach up to around $539 or more.  But then again, for intermediate and advance pilots, we know that if investing more can get us to experience a whole new level of drone racing, then it is a dollar well spent.

Is Drone Aerial Photography More Of Your Thing? Take It Off With DJI Phantom 4

The DJI Phantom 4 offers all the exciting features of its older brother, the Phantom 3, but with better battery life (28 minutes!), obstacle avoidance and a newly designed camera lens.  I must say that, DJI Phantom 4 is a personal favorite. When I tried Drone Aerial Photography, it really  was my first choice. The specs are great  with a reasonable price. After I took it out of the box,  I guided the drone to about 12 feet high, just hovering above the ground, getting familiar with how it works, until my six year old son took over. He taps on the piloting app we have in our iPad, and the DJI Phantom began to ascend higher into the air.  My son just taps on the screen happily, shifting the drone here and there and finally led it towards a tree! To my surprise, (I thought this is going to be the end of my Phantom 4) the drone just smoothly cruised towards it, and adjusted slightly to avoid the tree.

Oblivious to the fact that I almost fall on my knees, my son just continued tapping without knowing that he is capturing shots of the tree and the surrounding. The end result was nothing short of amazing. The picture resolution is so vivid that you can almost feel the warmth of the sun. The tree is bathed with rich colors of the setting sun, enveloping even the outstretched branches of the tree.  It was more than what I expected. So I highly recommend  DJI Phantom 4 both to complete amateurs who want to start aerial photography and for professionals who aim to producing more complex and dangerous shots.

Toy Drones

We are finally at the last category, the toy drone.  If you are looking for a cool gadget to give as present, or just to experience flying a drone for the first time, then  we recommend the SYMA X5C.

There is nothing really special about the X5C. Its redeeming factor is, it looks like the Phantom 4 at first glance but you will not be getting amazing aerial shots. It comes with accelerometers and gyros, so it is pretty stable with an auto flip feature which most drones have.

So what made us say X5C the best drone we used in 2016?

With a standard spec and a cheap price, the X5C surprisingly works really good. You will have a blast flying it for the first time and you will not feel bad if you lose it on a lamp post or a tree or on the roof of your house. This is probably why, the SYMA X5C got over 4200 reviews on Amazon, a number that no other drone has ever come close to.

Conclusion

There you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading our article. If you think we miss out on a really good drone and think it is worthy of mentioning, you can suggest it out in our comment section.

Native Vs Hybrid – Demystifying the Technology Dilemma

 

All businesses face a common dilemma while deciding on mobile app development: should they choose native apps or hybrid apps. If you too are undecided about your choice, here are tips to help you decide what suits your needs best- Native Mobile Application Development or Hybrid App development.  First, you need to understand the difference between the two types of apps, unravel the mystery that surrounds these two names.

The two principle technologies used for app development are the Android and the iOS. Both these systems work with the latest hand held devices that now dominate this world. The app you develop needs to work across all platforms to meet this shift in focus. Multi-platform apps development is challenging, and at the same time it brings opportunities to develop more and more creative and impressive products.

A native app is defined as smart phone or tablet application that is developed for specific and fixed operating systems.  Such native apps have numerous advantages. They are fast and refined apps that promise great performance.  This makes these apps very suited to permanent or long term functions such as games. Users find these native apps familiar and easy to use as they are accustomed to navigate similar apps. The ability these apps have of working along with other functionalities of on the device is an added advantage. These apps are readily accessible to a target audience. What is even more interesting and advantageous is that these apps do not depend on the internet to be accessed.

On the other hand, hybrid apps are those that built on the native apps or depend on them. They are not device specific and can be distributed across platforms very fast without the need to develop them separately for the two OS. These apps are developed using cross compatible technology and ride piggy back on native apps. This makes developing such apps fast and easy. However, you will need a developer familiar with web programming to develop a hybrid app.  The cost of developing hybrid apps is considerably lower since they are not built from scratch. It also requires a single language for coding it.

Now take a look at the limitations of native and hybrid apps. As far as native apps are concerned, the limitations include high cost and the need of various expert developers with specific skills to complete the task. As for hybrid apps, they cannot provide the ease of handling and familiarity that native apps provide users. This drawback impacts the number of users interested in using them. Hybrid apps lack some of the features available exclusively to native apps. Hybrids as fall short in efficiency and they have higher chance of rejection at app stores in case of mistakes.

Select native or hybrid apps depending on your requirements and future plans for your app. Native mobile application development is appropriate for future functionalities; hybrid for more basic apps.

 

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Author Bio: EliteMobApp.com is a USA based leading mobile app development company offering native and hybrid mobile applications at affordable rates.

 

Top Trends to Watch Out For in Mobile Application Development in 2017

 

ComScore report says that the number of mobile users surpassed the number of desktop users’ way back in 2014. Gartner predicts that by 2017, more than 268 billion downloads will generate $77 billion worth of revenue. The ever increasing numbers of smartphones all over the world has also led to a surge in the number of app that people download and use. Currently, Google Play houses over 2.2 million apps while the Apple Store has around 2 million apps .

As times change and technology evolves, mobile apps evolve too. Today, apps are not solely built for smartphones alone – wearables, connected homes, smart cars and other IoT enabled devices are also a part of the mix. 2017 presents a huge opportunity for businesses to develop innovative apps and see their business grow.

Here are some of the key mobile application development trends to look out for in 2017:

Location based services

Location based services (LBS) will continue to evolve as the facilities such as GPS becomes more and more available on all the mobile devices. There are a number of places where LBS can be implemented and put to good use, such as indoor mapping, location-specific payment portal, retail offers, security features, navigation, travel and tourism and more. The Beacon technology is also becoming increasingly popular in these cases.

Augmented reality integration

Integration of Augmented reality into utility apps will be another major development in 2017. Initially these kinds of apps were viewed as too gimmicky or promotional. But today, AR tools can be used to make apps more useful and productive. For example, recognition of words and phrases can be made use of in messenger apps. If someone sends a video etc. The actionable item should pop up automatically. Other options include social media syncing, location tracking, product links etc.

Android instant apps

The Instant Apps feature was recently announced by Google. It enables the Android apps run instantly. These apps need not be downloaded and then used. You can run them just with a single tap. The run as you need concept is certainly something to watch out for in 2017.

Embedded AI

To explain this, imagine, looking at a picture that changes dynamically as your mood changes. Enabling machine learning and AI into their apps is quite an interesting feature that app developers are looking forward to.

IoT app integrations

The IoT is rapidly seeping into our lives and more and more smart and connected devices are emerging every day. For developers, this involves the use of mobile platforms and enterprise backend infrastructures that can communicate and share data with a diverse set of devices The key here is data analysis and the data itself that must be stored and accessed efficiently.

Application security

Application security is another major factor that developers will work on in 2017. With the ever-increasing connected devices and the sensitivity of the data that is shared, security becomes a priority for mobile application development.

Above all, providing users with a superior user experience will always be the prime focus of mobile application development – always.

 

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Author Bio: EliteMobApp.com is a USA based leading Mobile application development company which offer all type of native, hybrid and cross platform mobile apps development.

The War of the Processors: Where AMD Went Wrong

 

The microprocessor has undoubtedly come a long way. The leap from four to sixty-four-bit chips has been a tremendous feat. And as expected, this remarkable advancement has brought to life fierce rivalry between industry players.

Although the recent influx of praiseworthy Chromebooks has popularised ARM chips, nearly all computers are powered by what are known as x86-based processors. Technicalities aside, these CPUs are primarily based on the Intel 8086 – a 16-bit microprocessor that was introduced in 1978 – and are a result of the gradual additions and extensions made to the 8086 over the years.

As leading manufacturers of x86-based CPUs, Intel and AMD have steadily achieved global domination in the world of computer processing. Each company has been kept on its toes by the other, and we’ve all benefited greatly from this rivalry.

In the recent years, however, AMD seems to have dialed down quite significantly. Simply going through the laptops in your college class, or the PCs around the office will give you a good picture of the dwindling competition. Intel processors are in far wider use than AMDs.

Some might argue that Intel has always been ahead. Albeit only by one year, it is the older of the two companies.  Moreover, it is only as a consequence of the conditions made by IBM for its first PC in 1981 that AMD became a second-source manufacturer of the already patented Intel 8086.

So, Intel may have made AMD into the company it is now, but that doesn’t mean the latter has always been in the former’s shadow. For instance, it was AMD that designed the highly successful Am2505 in 1971, the fastest multiplier of its time.

Today, however, no one can deny that Intel has cast a gloomy shadow onto AMD. But where did a company that freely benefited from the other’s technology go wrong?

Performance

With its FX-8350’s glass-shattering 8794.33MHz, AMD is the Guinness World Record holder of the highest frequency ever achieved by a computer processor. But we have all come to the realization that more clock speed doesn’t necessarily mean better performance.

AMD has historically taken pride in its emphasis on the number of cores and clock speeds, and on paper, this would make its chips faster than Intel’s. In reality, however, it is the issue of efficiency that negatively impacts AMD processors.

For illustration’s sake, let’s take the best of Intel’s Skylake architecture, the Core i7-6700K. The chip triumphs over the AMD FX 9590, despite having lower maximum clock speed and only half the number of cores.

What Intel does better is, instead of adding cores, it uses hyperthreading to keep the existing ones active at all times. When performing tasks that require the same processing power, therefore, Intel chips have always offered better performance over similarly classed AMD CPUs.

Pricing

A while back, PC enthusiasts marveled at AMD for offering reliable processors at fair prices. However, because competition has so far heated up, this is no longer the case.

Of course, you could buy the entry-level Athlon X4 860K – a 3.7GHz quad-core processor – for around $70, which is not bad, but the performance you’ll get will be way too low to justify the money saved if you chose it instead of something like the Intel Core i3-6100.

What makes the situation even worse is the high rate of CPU pricing fluctuation. Customers are opting for older Intel processors which still perform better than AMD chips, but having been in the market for a while are now almost as cheap.

You can, therefore, be duped into thinking you’re getting better value for the money, but instead end up with a processor that throttles with even the simple tasks. Many AMD chips are cheap, but it is because pricing them higher wouldn’t make any sense. This is why Intel largely dominates the exorbitant $200 and above price range.

Too much emphasis on dedicated graphics

There was a time when the graphics processing capabilities of AMD-based computers were far superior to anything offered by Intel.

Fast-forward to today, and Intel’s integrated graphics have all but closed the gap. The 6th generation Intel chips have largely been accepted in a market that is increasingly showing its flexibility to compromise on graphics power for more portable devices.

While not built for graphics-intensive tasks such as heavy gaming, the latest Intel HD, and Intel Iris Pro GPUs have proven capable of handling some demanding titles comfortably.

Admittedly, AMD has gone back to the drawing board, and the integrated graphics on its new A-series APU processors are currently giving Intel GPUs a run for their money. But the company has evidently taken its time to realize that not everyone shopping for a computer needs it to run The Witcher 3 or Mortal Kombat X at maximum settings.

Availability and support

AMD enthusiasts might have something to say regarding all the points we’ve made so far, but they will agree that their processors of choice are simply not compatible with as many components as Intel chips.

Take motherboards for example. You can find several options for your AMD chip, but the choices are not nearly as many as with Intel. Moreover, Intel boards make a little more sense, design-wise.

AMD has their metal connector pins on the chip, rather than on the board, as it is with Intel motherboards.

AMD’s design choice is great because you can rule out the board’s faulty pins as the cause of any processor issues. However, replacing a high-end chip is usually a lot more expensive than getting a new motherboard.

Wrap Up

Despite Intel’s unwavering command over the CPU market, AMD is finally gearing up a notch. The future, therefore, looks brighter for a company that has seemingly grown tired of being known only as second-best. 2017 is particularly an exciting year for the decades-old rivalry.

We are all eager to see how AMD’s highly-anticipated Ryzen processors will compete with the latest and most powerful 7th generation Intel chips.

 

Guide To Developing A Successful Mobile App For Your Business

 

It’s no surprise that every business, large or small is building mobile apps and looking to cash in big way. Developing mobile apps for your business puts you on common grounds for competing in the new mobile market place. All customers today look for products and services today via their cell phones. The idea to get your customers to notice your app and for that you need the right approach to mobile apps development. You need the right mobile strategy in place – from day one.

Mobile apps development

The very first step is to look for mobile app development services to create a mobile application. Finding the right developer could be tricky. Find a developer with the right skills and experience so that he understands the exact requirements. Check regularly and monitor the progress of your mobile application. Discuss your scope of work and also define the milestones for completion. Discuss your budget and chalk out the most important features and make sure that the app is thoroughly tested for functionality and user experience before it is launched.

App approval and submission

The next step is to prepare your app for submission to the major app stores and approval. For this purpose, make sure that you understand the app submission guidelines and policies. Both Apple and Android have a set of guidelines and checklists for app submission and approval. Take your time to review and understand their policies. Make sure that your app complies with the maximum size requirements and other criteria outlined by the app stores. Failure to comply with the app submission guidelines will result in unnecessary delays.

App store optimization

App stores have their own way of ranking the apps in the search results. The higher your app ranks in the app stores, the better are its chances for getting downloaded. Increased visibility directly translates to more traffic and greater downloads. Hence, optimizing your app is essential. Simple changes such as including your strongest keywords in the description and using the right images and icons can greatly help improve its visibility. It’s also important to use the keywords in the title. Make sure that the keywords you select are relevant for your target audience. Secondly, place a link from your website and take advantage of your customer’s natural affinity to your website and drive them to download your app too. Furthermore, include a download link for your mobile app on your website too.

There’s no denying that we live in a mobile world and at least 80% of our potential customers are looking for our businesses via mobile phones. Especially, if you are a small business, a mobile app or a mobile presence can give the initial boost to your business and help build a strong brand in the long term. With the right strategy in place for going mobile, you can easily capture the initial mobile customers and see a significant growth in your business in the initial phases.

 

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Author Bio: Elite Infoworld is a leading mobile application development company which offering android & iphone mobile application development services aא affordable rates.

REVIEW: Redmi Note 4; The Much Awaited Xiaomi Smartphone

 

The much awaited Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is now unveiled for the buyers. Succeeding one of the most successful models by the company, the Redmi Note 3, this one has been released in three versions. The model boasts a metallic body and is loaded with a Qualcomm chip. The model is bound to give head-on competition to most smartphones in the industry today.

Let’s get a glimpse of how it looks and feels

Resembling closely its predecessor, Redmi Note 3, the Redmi Note 4 is designed with slim borders and capacitive navigation buttons below the display. Across the front is a 2.5D curved-edge glass offering a premium feel to the phone. The metallic body offers a sturdy feel with a less slippery panel as well.

The rear side of the Redmi Note 4 though is designed differently with fine antenna bands running across the body. Also on the rear side are a rear camera and a dual-tone LED flash with a fingerprint scanner. The speaker grilles unlike its predecessor have been shifted to the bottom along with a Micro-USB port, while the audio jack and an IR emitter sit on the top. On the right are the power and volume buttons which are easily accessible with fingers.

The handset is slimmer and boasts the best design ever in all smartphones released by Redmi. As per rumors two models which are available for sale in India are Matte Black and Gold. The 5.5 inch full HD IPS display has 1080×1920 pixels resolution. The sunlight legibility is great and the screen size is ideal for watching movies and videos.

Let’s dig into its features and specifications

Powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, clocked at 2GHz, it has an Adreno 506 GPU integrated. The three models available for sale are

  • 2GB RAM / 32GB storage
  • 3GB RAM /32GB storage
  • 4GB RAM/64GB storage

The hybrid sim tray supports a Nano sim and a Micro SIM or micro-SD card. Both sim will support 3G and 4G support, and defeating the Redmi Note 3’s shortcoming the Redmi Note 4 will support microSD cards of 128 GB capacity. The 4100 mAH battery is non-removable. The rear camera is 13 megapixels with f/2.0 aperture, dual-tone LED flash and a PDAF. The front camera is 5 megapixels with similar aperture as rear and a fixed-focus lens. Connectivity options include dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB OTG, FM radio, GPS/ A-GPS, Miracast, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Overall the call quality is pretty satisfactory.

The OS packed is the MIUI based Android 6.0 1 Marshmallow and a number of exciting features are added in the Redmi Note 4; Now on Tap is a highlight that has been loved by users since its introduction. The system animations too appear refreshing and neat when uninstalling an app.

The gallery app is all revamped which automatically syncs stored images and a 5GB free cloud storage is available when signing an account. Also added in the gallery app are video editing and sharing features. Other features include Quick Ball which has been seen on the previous model as well. Ensuring user privacy in mind, the Redmi Note 4, comes with Dual Apps and Second space. Another showstopper is the scrolling screenshot feature. The dialer app is now lighter and easier, another add-on is the caller ID feature with new tweaks added in the Messages app as well. Plenty of options for ringtones, wallpapers and icons are available with the preloaded themes. A one-handed mode which shrinks the display to one side of the screen has also been included in this new Redmi Note 4.

The performance

The Redmi Note 4 as reviewed by experts was able to handle everything which was thrown at it with no complaints in the processing as well. The phone ensures smooth multitasking, and offers a great media playbacks feature. Speaker quality is good and much satisfactory. For those selfie lovers and photo freaks, the camera packs plenty of exciting modes and features to ensure a wonderful experience.

The battery on the continuous video playback test lasted for 15 hours and 10 minutes offering an impressive experience. The phone lasts for up to 2 days in real-world use. The handset appeared great in latching on weak cellular and Wi-Fi network signals.

The Price

The Redmi Note 4 is available in three variants starting at $147 (Rs. 9999), with the other models at $162 (Rs. 10,999) and $191 (Rs. 12,999) respectively.

Final word

Overall the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is a complete package in itself which is bound to give all the existing smartphones a very tough time. The design, battery life and performance all score great.

So for all those who have been looking for a bigger screen, great battery performance but on a budget hunt, this one is the phone to stop on.

 

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Author Bio: Pankaj Jangir is a Website Designer and Developer. He makes websites from where users can download their own videos and photos from Instagram.

The Story of Houzz – The Home Design Platform

 

Houzz at its essence is a community of people who are passionate about home design. Many of our readers will have already used Houzz but may be unsure about the history of Houzz and its rising popularity. While its main user base is in the United States, other markets such as the UK and Australia are starting to see large growth.

The internet is built on communities, and before Alon Cohen and Adi Tatarko founded Houzz in 2009, there was no community for people passionate about home design. The husband and wife team came up with the idea for Houzz after having difficulty finding inspiration when redesigning their own home. Houzz’s expansion has been helped by the well-timed financing they received as the company was growing.

Check out this infographic from Half Price for more information on the growth of the world’s biggest home design platform.

Here’s How to Choose a Vinyl Turntable

 

Meta: Need a music-playing device to amuse crowds of people and yourself? Get a turntable and start turning heads!

Representing a blend between the good old vinyl-dominated times and a new kind of modern music-playing contraption, a turntable is a must-have for a music aficionado, as it incorporates pretty much all the things one might need to start playing hit after hit, in whatever format it may come.

In this article, we’ll try to point out a couple of important things to take into consideration if you’re about to purchase yourself a brand new DJ-worthy apparatus! More precisely, we’ll talk about what are the parts of a turntable, what kinds of it are available to buy and how can you keep it up to date once you’ve gotten yourself one.

What’s a turntable made of?

Platter – To put it simply, a platter is that thing upon which you place the record you’d like to play. Typically, it’s better if the platter on a turntable is a bit on the heavier side, as this will mean more stability for the rotating record and fewer distortions and other smaller imperfections down the road. The platter is usually powered by a small motor enabling the record to spin at a designated speed, which often can be adjusted. Modern-day turntables offer up to 3 different speeds, so you can switch them for different tracks as you like it. However, older models have only one or two speeds, and that isn’t necessarily optimal if you’re a DJ.

Cartridge – The cartridge of a turntable is usually a small part, but it’s nevertheless quite important as its job is to be in contact with the record, and produce sounds. Since it plays such an important role in the overall turntable experience, it’s advisable to upgrade it regularly lest it becomes worn out and ruin your otherwise great configuration.

Tonearm – as its very name suggests, a tonearm is a part of a turntable responsible for getting the needle to the record itself. Although it appears to be largely peripheral, a tonearm can be as crucial as a cartridge or any other part for that matter, as a wrongly designed model can make your record sound distorted and, more typically, make it play at slightly different speeds throughout its run!

Should I go manual or automatic?

To many people, it may seem rather obvious that if you’re buying a turntable, it’s going to be manual because arguably the most important part of owning one, is that you get to lower its arm on your favorite record every time you’d like to hear it again. However, automatic turntables have their own vibe going for them as they feature builds that have the majority of the button-pushing’ and arm-lowering’ work already done for you, so what you’re left with amounts to arranging the sounds in new peculiar ways and coming up with your own wacky tracks. Perfect for DJ’s!

So, the choice really isn’t a difficult one. If you’re into tweed jackets, top hats, and geography, chances are- you’re going to go for a manual one. As for the automatic versions of it, the typical audience includes lots of young and hip kids who’d like to confuse and excite everyone with some of their own creations. Of course, geography teachers aren’t necessarily exempt from these new interesting toys, and the same goes for the younger people interested in buying a turntable.

Keeping up with the Joneses – the question of turntable upgradeability

Once you’ve received your brand new turntable and are ready to knock yourself out listening to some of the blasts from the past you’ve been storing in your attic for years, it’s safe to say you’ll be pretty much the luckiest person about. For a while. The question of upgradeability especially concerns the people who go for a manual version of this exquisite piece of music-playing machinery, as the new features and editors typically installed on them get outdated pretty soon, leaving your almost DJ-worthy self in dire straits!

To avoid this unfortunate turn of events, make sure to get yourself a turntable you can upgrade later on. In this way, you won’t have to buy a brand new device, but merely a small part that became overshadowed by an enhanced version of itself.

Conclusion

All in all, buying a turntable is one of the most rewarding investments you can make. It plays music, it looks good- what’s not to love? Well, the price probably, but still, if you manage to find an agreeable model within your budget, you’re sure to have a blast with it! Actually, one of our other reviews describes the ideal of a top record player under $300, so if you chance upon it, you may get an even clearer picture of what you may want. Hopefully, this guide helped you understand the nature of these magnificent devices more closely, and gave you a better idea of what your top portable turntable might be!

 

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Author Bio: Alex Frank has worked in the sound technology industry for 10 years. Today, he is an affiliate blogger who likes to educate his international audience about sound and technology. Visit Music Instruments Center to find more about the music that you need.

CES 2017: The Harman Announcements That Matter

The Consumers Electronics Show has returned back in town, and many of the larger companies have put the time and effort into Las Vegas, Nevada, as a launch pad for their major announcements.

Harman, a leading company that designs and engineers connected products for automakers, consumers and enterprise industries all around the world, has recently announced a whopping $8 billion acquisition by Samsung, although the deal is yet to be closed.

In addition to that, the company has also announced a massive growth among OEMs such as Lexus, Toyota, Hyundai, Lincoln, Kia, BMW, Subaru and more, with a positive demand from the consumer’s point of view, mostly for advanced in-car connectivity solutions.

For instance, Harman has recently announced a collaboration with Ford, to bring the B&O Play system to its cars, sometime in the Spring of 2017.

With the growing experience in innovation and technology, Harman will continue to expand car connectivity – Intelligent, personalized and professional experience, mainly in the sound management solution products.

The company is presenting a new level of innovation and In-Car Experience connectivity:

  1. Harman Summit Next – Is the new generation of a conceptual smart audio solution that offers Harman’s highest level of acoustic performance integrated with intelligent expandable features which are targeted for the luxury market and provides an immaculate way for people to engage and interact with their vehicles and their senses. The new solutions includes: Ambisonics Escape, Dynamic Sound Stage, In-Car Conferencing, In-Car Theater, and more.
  2. Harman Voyager Next – Harman’s award-winning industry’s leading audio solution in one advanced system. Connects your vehicle to your very own lifestyle via the industry’s first all-in-one audio and connected car Head Unit solution, which has been designed to meet the needs of today’s millennial’s ‘on-the-go’ lifestyle. Voyager Next provides OEMs the ability to offer cost effective and easy to implement premium audio solutions for their entry-level vehicle market. It also provides new levels of intelligent personalization and connectivity to the in-vehicle experience through advanced technologies, including the Voyager Next connect companion app, Harman proprietary micro speaker technology, Dual-core micro sub-woofers and a Voyager Next sub.

To highlight some of the company’s milestones from recent months, Harman has won some very notable automobile awards, as well as launching collaborations with myriad of vehicles and industry brands. It is also said to enhance in-car security with the acquisition of Israeli startup TowerSec for around $70 million or so.

Moreover, the company is unveiling at CES the future of mobility and car connectivity with the latest introduction of Rinspeed Oasis Autonomous car, that features the ultimate In-Car experience technologies (HARMAN LIVS). The Oasis, a result of a fruitful collaboration with industry engineering across the pond, is basically a concept car that offers a glimpse at the future of autonomous driving and how advanced, holistic vehicle intelligence will transform the driving experience.

“More than a technology supplier, HARMAN is an inspiration partner to the world’s automakers, and the Oasis is a testament to that vision – a vehicle that is contextual, personalized and highly connected” ~ Phil Eyler, president, HARMAN Connected Car.

“HARMAN believes autonomy should not equal monotony, and this vehicle offers an integrated cockpit and bleeding edge user interface that advances mobility and connectivity while providing an unparalleled user experience. This results in a driving experience that is more powerful, productive, personalized and protected than ever before.”

The Rinspeed Oasis autonomous vehicle user experience includes a series of modes and systems that elevate both the autonomous and manual driving experience including a Full Windshield Heads-Up Display, Autonomous Drive Readiness Check (handover to Manual), Augmented Reality Concierge, Predictive Collision Prevention, Intelligent E-Mirrors.

Bringing technologies from concept to reality, the company has also presented the new Intelligent cockpit (digital personal assistant, car-to home platform. Next gen Compute Platform), with distinct modes and highly connected iOT integration.

Furthermore, the company is said to invest a lot of its own resources in advanced connected in-car services, such as HCS Cloud, HCS OTA, HCS After Market and others.

In that regard, the company is also introducing the Harman Ignite, the first fully-integrated scalable and modular cloud platform for developing, managing and operating in-vehicle applications and services, combining Connectivity, Analytics, Device Management, Application Management, and OTA Updates.

Examples of automotive use cases for the Ignite platform includes Vehicle Connect, Cloud-Based Driver Profiles, Car-as-a-Service, Vehicle Health and Diagnostics features, Content Personalization, and Vehicle Analytics.

With that in mind, the company introduces some new hardware products such as Navdy: augmented reality display, JBL Legend CP100, automotive aftermarket Platform and a handful of interesting services and products which were the front and center at the major floor event.

Mobile App Development Future with HTML5

 

In the past few years, the use of mobile devices increased drastically. The usage of smartphones and tablets became a trend among the worldwide users. According to the survey of a reputed marketing company, there are over 2 billion smart device users in the world. This increase is nearly 13% more than the last year. This is a clear indication that we are moving toward the increasingly mobile future without any doubt. With the immersive use of mobile devices, the need of seamlessly coded mobile applications also increased. And HTML5 is the best way to create mobile applications in the current technology world.

The HTML5 gives the app developers ability to work in a single code base to deploy the mobile application across different platforms like Android, Windows, iOS, Blackberry, OSX, and the web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

I have seen many developers getting frustrated while creating interactive content for the desktop and mobile devices. To satisfy the high industry demands, the shifting towards the use of HTML5 has become more essential than before. The future of mobile app development may well be in the hands of HTML5 with the consideration of the needed penetrating applications.

Why the need for a mobile app development?

By 2019, it is expected to reach the number of over 5 billion users of mobile devices which are currently of 4.61 billion. And since 2012 passed, the number of mobile devices is nearly matching with the number of users in the world. It means that it will be difficult to find an individual who is not using a mobile device and so, the need of mobile app development increased a lot.

This scenario makes more necessary for the mobile application developers to deliver more complex applications which work on different types of devices faster and better.

The use of mobile devices across the business enterprises opens the way for the app developers to create apps which work on desktop as well as on mobile devices.

These reasons and the features the HTML5 have, the use of it for the mobile app development is becoming high in popularity.

How HTML5 is beneficial?

Why only HTML or why HTML5 is preferable than other coding techniques? This question comes in the mind of a lot of people. The main reason of using HTML5 is, it is specifically designed to work across multiple and major platforms including mobile Operating Systems and web browsers. The mobile user can install the web application as an icon on any device screen if it is made using HTML5. This means if you are searching on the web through a mobile device and you find something that you want to store on the home screen of your device, then you can create an app icon which directs that web page.

html5-171876_640

Why application developers love HTML5?

As a survey made on over 3000 developers across ASIA, UK, and the USA, it is seen that more than 60% of developers are using HTML5 now for developing apps. And almost over 150 Fortune 500 companies has accepted HTML5. Comparing to other coding technologies to build the web or native apps, the HTML5 has a growth rate of 20% which is strongest among all.

HTML5 is loved across the worldwide developers due to its familiarity. It saves project development work and also decreases the overall cost of the app deployment.

Another strong reason is that the HTML5 has open standard support. It enables the application developers to design according to the need of the mobile devices, different platforms, operating systems, and form factors of the application. HTML5 allows them to deliver potentially rich content which does not rely on the Operating System or the device type. This makes it more loveable than native. Even the JavaScript programmers are shifting towards HTML5 these days.

Future of mobile app development with HTML5

Though it does not rely on the device type or OS, the HTML5 still be known as a desktop language in the future world of the mobile devices. For the mobile app developers, it is needed to run where the football is going, not where it has already been. HTML5 need to be more associated with the device hardware to make a true competition with the native application development.

But, as the business administrators, as well as normal users, are shifting towards the web browsers Mozilla and Google Chrome from the Internet Explorer which both have a full HTML5 support and the future is with the growth of Windows 10 usage and acceptance, the power of HTML5 is surely will be in full use for the business enterprises and other regular mobile device users.

 

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Author BioMandip is a graduate in Information and Technology. He is a passionate blogger, SEO Specialist, and a Software Developer. He loves to write on technology, SEO, Internet Tips and Tricks. Currently he blogs at Best On Internet. You can also get in touch with him on Google PlusFacebook and Twitter.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Kernel for PST Repair Tool

 

A Personal Folders file (.pst) is an Outlook data file that in general stores the messages and other items on your computer. In fact, this is the most common file in which information in MS Outlook is saved by home users or in small organizations. The key point to note is that as a .pst file is kept on your computer, it is not subject to mailbox size limits on the mail server. Therefore, by performing a simple act of removing items to a .pst file, it gets easier for you to free up the storage space in the mailbox. But just like any other file format, these .pst files also get corrupt in various circumstances.

There are all sorts of reasons why an Outlook PST file can become corrupt, and whenever such unwanted incidents happen; it stops working. If you work within any size business that depends upon MS Outlook, chances are you will need the services of a PST repair tool.

However, we are aware of the fact that most of the organizations depend on MS Outlook for email, calendaring, tasks, contacts. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that MS Outlook is often the heart and soul of a business. But the real matter of concern is its fragility and it can be a real big nightmare when it breaks. Outlook PST files can become corrupt and may even turn inaccessible due to different reasons. But once the outlook PST file gets corrupt then what happens. There is always a high possibility where your entire communication or work routines come to a sudden halt.

Fortunately, plenty of tools are out there that can help in keeping the integrity of that data file intact. Which ones are the most reliable and safe to use? If you or your organization relies on Outlook, then there is only one tool that I am going to talk about could save your day and time – Kernel for Outlook PST Repair.

Kernel for Outlook PST Repair

Kernel for Outlook PST Repair provide effortless PST file recovery solution when the MS Outlook PST file gets corrupted, damaged, or accidently deleted. All it takes is just a few minutes to recover and retrieve all the required data files like Notes, scheduled tasks, Calendar entries, Journal, appointments, etc. The software is very well integrated with several innovative functionalities and options that further assists in the successful recovery of the corrupt PST files from the scenarios such as abrupt shutdown of a system, MS Outlook crashes, virus attack and registry error and etc. Let us look and understand what it has more to offer:

INTERACTIVE INTERFACE

One you download and install the software, the welcome interface automatically displays the dialog box which is the handy interface to upload corrupted or inaccessible Outlook PST files. In the same dialog box, you could also view the placement of Search feature, which turn out to be very handy in situations when you are not exactly aware of the location of PST file and searching for the required PST file is taking too much time.

source-file-selection

You just require to select the folder where you want to search for the required PST file, and after selecting the required drive, click the Search button.

INSTANT RECOVERY OF MULTIPLE FILES

Situations do arise where you have to deal with multiple PST file corruption. Using this software, dealing with such circumstances also get easier. In the “Source File Selection” dialog box, you can add multiple PST files, and then subsequently select Repair Multiple File(s) option for repairing multiple PST files. In just a fraction of few seconds, you can add various Outlook PST files and perform the required email recovery operation.

“Select Output Type” DIALOG BOX TO SAVE RECOVERED FILE IN VARIOUS FORMATS

The software also offers various options to restore the recovered PST files.

select-output-type

The following list divides the saving alternatives on the basis of applications and quantity of files processed.

  • Single File Options – PST file (MS Outlook), DBX file (Outlook Express), and MBOX file.
  • Multiple File Options- EML file, TXT file, MSG file, RTF file, MHTML file, HTML file and PDF file
  • Email Servers – GroupWise, Microsoft Exchange Server, IBM Domino (Lotus Domino), and Office 365.
  • Web Based Email Clients – Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, Outlook.com, Google Apps,,Live.com, iCloud, and company IMAP account

FILTRATION OPTION

The software is also well embedded with inbuilt filter. This functionality is of great help and provide the liberty to save the restored file what you want through various email filters (From, To, Subject, Item Type, Folder Name and Date Range).

select-filter

There is an option of adding prefix to the Store Name, if you enable this option and type the required prefix in the Store name prefix text box, then the recovered Store name will appear with the provided prefix in Outlook.

FILE SPLITTING OPTION

Just in case, you are wondering of how to deal with large sized PST file, then there is an additional option to trim large-size PST file upon crossing the specified limit using Split Option. This software even provides you to opt PST Split option up to 5 GB to reduce the resultant PST File in size.

manage-recovered-pst

GENERATING FILE ANALYSIS REPORT

This software has been integrated with the facility to showcase the graphical File Analysis Reports showing the logs of four different parameters. The point to be noted is these reports are generated only after adding and repairing the PST files. To view the reports, click the required report name in the bottom of the Task Pane, after repairing the PST file. The reports can be generated on the basis of following attributes:

  • Total item types
  • Mail flow density by date
  • Mail flow density by senders
  • Interaction between users

PREREQUISITES

This software has been programmed in such a manner that it can be installed on all versions of Windows Platform, including Windows (10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, 98, NT and 95) and Windows Server (2012, 2008 R2, 2008, 2003 R2, 2003). In fact, the software can successfully repair all versions of Outlook PST files plus Outlook 2016.

For those who wants to get familiar with the working of the software before purchasing its licensed version can even download its trial version. The free trial version is embedded with an option to restore first 25 items from each folder of PST file.

CONCLUSION

The software is very advance and very easy to operate. What makes it more ideal choice for performing an effective PST file recovery operation is its ability to provide 100% error-free recovery solution in almost any situation without altering the actual properties of your data files. Moreover, the software comes with 30-day money back guarantee, and so if you are not completely satisfied with the results then you may make a refund request.

 

Best DIY Tools For Creating Apps

 

Creating a mobile app has never been easier. You don’t have to wait for months and spend a ton of cash on developers to have your app made just the way you wanted. This is especially important for those on a tight budget, as developers often charge by the hour and costs can pile up faster than you’d imagine. Fortunately, nowadays you can make a professional-looking app without actually having any coding experience yourself, thanks to various mobile app makers available online.

Now, you might be wondering what exactly are mobile app makers? To put it simply, they represent online platforms who offer development services for making mobile apps. What makes them special is the fact that they are designed to be used by individuals who have absolutely no prior coding experience. They are packed full with all the standard features a mobile app might need, such as:

  • Location-based services
  • Social network services
  • Push notifications
  • Specific seller-oriented features
  • Multiple paying options
  • Diverse templates
  • Rich customization options

What sets mobile app makers apart from the traditional app development practices is the cost efficiency. Most start-ups find it difficult to invest hundreds and even thousands of dollars into app development. This may even deter some entrepreneurs from making the experience mobile in the first place, which may save some money in the beginning, but ultimately, limit the business in the long run. This is why mobile app makers are an excellent choice for those on a tight budget. Although they could never replace seasoned developers, I tried to pick out the top six mobile app makers available at the time of writing this article.

1.      AppInstitute

AppInstitute has won quite a few startup awards and is currently the main mobile app maker in the United Kingdom. It’s the number one choice for local businesses due to its excellent e-commerce features, coupled with customizable menus, catalogs and an easy to use content manager. It also has rich booking options, which aren’t restricted only on managing appointments, but also provides the user with video events and other engaging content. The price varies depending on whether you’re looking for a monthly or a yearly subscription, with the starting package costing $8.00 per month, or $6.00 when billed annually.

appinstitute

2.      Como DIY

This app maker boosts its success with over 1 million apps powered by its platform and clients such as Coca-Cola, Burger King, and even BMW. Flashy names aside, this company provides a long list of features, including appointment scheduling, e-commerce integration, event planning and management, user reviews and even a loyalty card feature. That’s why Como is the preferred app maker of choice for restaurants, galleries, and other event-oriented establishments. There are seven available templates which can further be combined with six navigation styles. Payment plans only include a monthly, yearly or a bi-yearly subscriptions which cost $57, $48 and $41 respectfully.

como-diy

3.      GoodBarber

GoodBarber is a platform which offers the most advanced app making features available for both Android and IOS. Users can control every single detail of their app and for those who don’t, there are numerous templates available coupled with over 350 gorgeous icons and little over 600 different Google Fonts. What makes it unique is the instant visual feedback users experience when adjusting the parameters. Although it does not have an integrated online store, users do have the option of adding Shopify, Amazon or Etsy. The pricing starts at $16 for the standard package, $32 for the full and $48 for the advanced plan.

goodbarber

4.      ShoutEm

This app maker presents itself as a very refined and elegant product. It features a complete content managing system, resourceful tools for engagement and different monetization options. What makes ShoutEm great is the seamless integration with the existing sources such as Foursquare, WordPress, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter and even Soundcloud. It also supports mobile advertising, which allows the user to regain some of the finances spent on ShoutEm. It’s not the cheapest provider available, with the price starting at $19.90 a month for the Basic plan. If you wish to publish directly to the Android or Apple stores, then you need to get the Advanced, $49.00 per month plan.

shoutem

5.      AppMachine

This easy-to-use platform aims to automate the building process by importing everything the app might use from sites such as Facebook and Twitter and even your RSS feeds. The creators had the idea to use the various aspects of the platform as it were made of Lego bricks, which directly translates into the app making experience. Using the drag-and-drop interface, users move and organize the features as building blocks. These include anything ranging from pictures, videos to online stores and links to social networks. Users have a complete control of the layout with customizable icons, colors, fonts and navigation paths. Currently, they are offering a $49 Plus and a $69 Pro plan. Fortunately, there are two bundles available, one at $99 per month and the other at $300.

appmachine

6.      Appery.io

The last contender on our list is Appery.io, a leading cloud-based platform for the fast development of mobile apps. The fact that it’s cloud-based means that nothing needs to be downloaded or installed in order to make the app. Not only that but most app makers which are focused only on iOS and Android devices, Appery.io users can also make apps for Windows Phones. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to use even for the most inexperienced users. That said, Appery.io boasts a massive catalog of plugins available for both the inexperienced and advances users and it supports creating custom plugins and sharing them with the community. You can use the platform for free or pay $180 for the premium service.

appery

In Conclusion

As you can see, making a mobile app without any programming experience is possible. The platforms are all graphic in design, some using the drag-and-drop interface while the others use simple check-box type, on-off switches. Most of them are pretty straight-forward to use and if you have any issues, the app makers offer video and graphic tutorials and excellent customer support. You don’t need to worry about hiring expensive programmers in order to have a professional-looking app that reflects your business.

 

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john

By John Stone

Author bio: John Stone is a business consultant and web entrepreneur.  Through years of experience, he became a devout believer in the notion that form should always follow function and that developing the ability to think outside of the box is a prerequisite of being a successful entrepreneur. He currently advises companies about Web Design in Sydney. You can get in touch with him on Twitter.

 

How To Hold More Effective, Successful Meetings

 

If they were giving out awards for work things you loved, one of the last things to ever get noticed would be meetings. In fact, nearly half of all employees said meetings are their single biggest waste of time. But there’s no way that meetings are going away. We’re dependent on them, and we hold about 11 million meetings each and every day, consuming over thirty percent of employees’ time. The solution, however, isn’t as hard as you might think. Setting an agenda, choosing a meeting type, even limiting attendance and technology can help. This graphic can help you take control and love your meetings more.

What you should do when meetings don’t meet expectations

How to Upgrade Your Smartphone Camera Using Apps

 

Nearly all of us take photos using our phone’s camera; those who don’t are likely pro photographers with separate professional DSLR cameras and some very bulky lenses. For the rest of us, taking a good picture depends on two factors: the quality of our phone and the right apps to fill in the blanks.

Buying a good phone isn’t the harder of the two things to figure out; most of the more expensive phones come with the better cameras. Assuming you’re at the second step, you’d probably like to know which apps to use so you can take awesome photos for your Instagram account or to keep to yourself.

Look no further; here are some great apps to make your photo dreams come true.

Android Users

taking-a-picture

Camera Zoom FX

Of all the photo apps available for Android, few come with higher recommendations from professionals and everyday users alike than Camera Zoom FX. With a host of features and a friendly interface, this app helps avoid common pitfalls that default apps frequently leave our cameras suffering with, including:

  • Reducing blur with image stabilization
  • Maximizing resolution with your phone’s megapixel count
  • Dozens of filters and frames for altering a photo’s mood

Moreover, Camera Zoom FX also hosts one of the simpler control schemes, complete with voice activation and full manual DSLR options to make your camera work overtime. The professional version only costs a few dollars, and it’s sure to be a purchase worth your while. In 2014, it was Lifehacker’s choice and remains the favorite of millions to date.

Open Camera

As a huge fan of open source software, I can’t recommend Open Camera enough because it truly has the best interests of its users in mind. With full support for Android’s Camera2 API, it hosts a variety of features that seem to be growing with every passing day. Its open source nature means that the only limits the app has are the ones you impose on it.

Like Camera Zoom FX, Open Camera allows you to adjust ISO, exposure time, and focus distance manually. It also allows for GPS tagging when you take a shot and comes with a considerably better price tag: free! The downside may be that it seems to have fewer effects, but as an open source app, that’s always something that can be added down the road.

PicSay Pro

Sometimes taking the picture isn’t enough. Having a good photo editing app can complete your photographic masterpiece, and you won’t find one much better than PicSay Pro on Android.

With most of the features that a desktop photo editor has, PicSay Pro allows you to fix issues with red eye, sharpen blurry shots, and apply numerous effects and edits to spice up otherwise dull images. The free version has quite a few options as well, but with the pro version you get a much more complete package.

iOS Users

take-photos-with-iphone

Camera+

Not only is Camera+ an old staple, it also continues to dominate much of the iPhone photo world because it really does work that well. Thanks to Camera+’s manual option, you’ll have considerably more control over how your photos turn out. Even if things don’t look so great at first, the post photo touchup tools are enough to bring any picture you take back to life.

For Apple Watch users, there’s also support for controlling your camera from a distance.

Manual

Users seeking a cleaner, yet more technical, camera app might consider using Manual, as it not only allows you to take total control of your shots, but it also allows you to look at past photos to see the settings you were using at the time. This can be especially useful as you learn to make your phone’s options work for you.

Notably, Manual remains one of the easier to use apps despite having unique technical options.

Snapseed

While it might seem a tad ironic that one of Apple’s best photo editing apps is published by Google, it doesn’t make Snapseed any less powerful. Snapseed is one of iOS’s most popular apps for good reason: It’s easy to use for beginners, yet has features that can be fully put to work by more professional photographers.

Its filters focus on classic, tasteful touchups rather than cheesy effects. As with any editor, it has all you’ll need to fix up color distortion, sharpness and the dreaded red eye.

Best of Both Worlds

Just because Android and iOS run on separate platforms doesn’t mean there aren’t apps that work for both. For those with more than one type of device, it’s nice to be able to transition using the same app on both platforms.

Instagram

Despite being predominantly a social media platform, Instagram has really made strides since its inception in 2010, both as a powerful source of influence in the fashion world and as a genuinely decent camera app.

While Instagram may not be quite as potent as some of the more focal camera apps, it still offers enough filters and effects to liven up your photos. More importantly, Instagram also makes the transition to sharing your works of art with the world that much quicker. If you haven’t tried using Instagram for photos, it’s worth a shot.

ProShot

As versatility goes, ProShot has quite a bit to offer. Not only is it available for iOS and Android, but it also works for Windows devices as well. Like the other services above, it has all the manual options available (ISO, etc.) but also an in-between setting for convenience and less advanced users, which they call “semi-manual.”

While not specifically for photography, I’m a big fan of ProShot’s video options, which support up to 4K quality and even have options for dealing with audio problems.

Adobe Lightroom Mobile

It should come as no surprise that Adobe continues to be one of the best photo editing apps out there. With loads of professional options, Lightroom is especially unique because it works together with Lightroom CC, another excellent tool to use if you bounce between your camera and your PC.

But don’t let the integration keep you from thinking the app itself isn’t feature rich; most of what you’ll find in Lightroom CC is in the mobile version, from gradient alterations to dehazing. The only real disadvantage is the cost, as Adobe runs this app on a subscription.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to improve your phone’s camera. Camera apps and photo editing apps are a great way to do it on the cheap, particularly if you’re not interested in buying a third-party lens.

Just don’t forget to protect your device. Particularly if you’re using your phone in an urban setting with tons of free WiFi, you should also consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep your photos secure. Public WiFi is practically a nesting grounds for hackers waiting to steal valuable data, and your photos could be a prime target. Using a VPN ensures you won’t lose out on hard work by encrypting your internet connection and keeping criminals out.

Have thoughts about mobile photography? Tell us how you take great photos on your phone in the comments section.

 

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Author Bio: Cierra enjoys taking photos on her phone daily. Between playing with filters and settings, she also writes about internet security and how best to take care of your devices and accounts in an increasingly mobile world.

The Ultimate Guide to Choose the Right Image for Your Landing Pages

Web design is an extension of page design, and when it comes to page design, there are plenty of rules and principles for putting together a winning website. Landing pages can be tricky; they have many elements to them that require careful consideration;

  1. The main headline
  2. Subtitle
  3. The call to action button
  4. Social Proof
  5. Dedicated content
  6. The form and fields people need to fill in
  7. and of course the main hero image

While each element is equally important and cannot work without the other, the image and the colors we use on our landing page have the largest impact on our customer’s initial impressions of us, their experience and as a result, our conversion rates.

Since our brains process images much faster than text, the first thing our potential customer sees on the landing page is the image and it is all that’s standing between your customer bouncing from the page or choosing to read more or convert.

How to choose an image strategy for your landing page

The main hero image is meant to help potential customers see the value in our offer within the first couple of seconds, understand what’s in it for them and why they should take the next step in our customer journey vs. the competitor’s.

On average we see between 4000-10,000 messages a day, we’re constantly bombarded with ads, text messages, calls and content everywhere, the possibilities and options online are endless and tiring.

This is one of the main reasons potential customers easily and almost automatically navigate from one site to another without giving as much as thought for the page they just visited. As consumers we move quickly from one competitor to another until something clicks in our brain and catches our attention. That something is the value, the “What’s In It For Me?”

whats-int-for-me

To stand out from your competitors and gain your customer’s attention (therefore increase conversion rates), the hero image on every landing page, email campaign and especially your website should project immediate value to your customer.

This isn’t an image of your product, service or features, it’s an image that highlights the emotional value customers gain from being your customers (e.g increase self confidence, get appreciated by your boss or find true love). As I mentioned at Mozcon, insurance companies don’t sell insurance policy, they sell peace of mind; a happy carefree family.

While most landing pages show an image of the product, platform or service they’re providing, we’ve ran countless tests proving time and time again that value wins almost every time.

For example, this company provides an all-in-one solution for creating birthday and party invitations. While the original landing page featured images of the different templates available and featured a product focused headline: “Custom online invitations in minutes”

original-landing-page

The variation we created visualized the party scene for our potential customers. Utilizing different colors to enhance certain feelings, an image of the park, a picnic basket and a dog this variation focused on helping people envision the perfect party, which starts with a great invitation. The results: 65% uplift in purchased subscriptions!

landing-page-variation-1

Today, I’m going to show you exactly how to do that yourself.

There Are 3 Ways to Define Your Image Strategy

Before setting down to design your landing page and randomly choose your image, take some time to follow the 3 step process we use to define the customer’s value and the images we want to test:

Step 1: Talk to your customers

The great thing about talking to customers is that they have all the answers. They know why they purchased an item or service and have a clear reason for doing so. However, most customers will give you a list of tactical reasons for their purchase. This happens due to our brain’s tendency to rationalize our purchases, we may purchase on emotion but our brain quickly finds a way to rationalize that decision. For example – buying an expensive suit, or that lamp you don’t really need is then explained by attaining a good deal for it or your sudden need for more light around the house.

So a great way to discover your value and avoid technical answers is asking them how they would feel about removing certain items from your stock or certain features from your platform. This will give you a clearer understanding of the real value people find in your service. You can also ask what may have stopped them from converting and more importantly, ask them about THEM: What are their dreams, aspirations and even what scares them – get to know them so you can offer relevant, more compelling images, colors and content.

Talk to your team

Your customer success team, your sales team and anyone who talks to your customers on a daily or weekly basis can provide key insights. They know what people complain about, what their main issues are and what people find exciting. Talk to your team, interview them and learn how they view the customer, what values they believe you offer and compare these to your customer interviews.

Analyze direct and indirect competitor sites

NO I’m not suggesting you copy from your competitors in anyway. What I am saying is that you should analyse the testimonials and especially the reviews found on your competitor’s site. This comes straight from Joanna Wiebe’s research process: See what reviews customers are leaving, what bothers them and what they care about to discover what you need to highlight on your landing page and what value you should focus on.

Once you’ve compiled all this data together you’ll be able to define the image strategy you want to test. The next step,  is finding these images that highlight the value and have all of the qualities you’re looking for. Below are 6 rules you should follow once you’ve defined you’re strategy and ready to choose an image for your landing page:

6 Rules for Choosing a Landing Page Image

#1 Use Real, Relatable and Authentic Images

A successful image is one that your customers can to relate to. Either by seeing themselves in the image or someone they would want to be like, someone that reflects their challenges and values, or someone they can and want to connect to.

Use authentic images of people and avoid ones that are clearly stock photos, bought for the sake of the page. Best case scenario – use real images of your customers or your team, if you can’t use those choose your images wisely. A quick google images search can show you how many companies are already using that image. Ask yourself, is this image authentic? Will my customers relate to it? Or does it look like this (in case this isn’t clear –> this is a bad image!):

team-corporate-people-group-office-company

Mailchimp’s new homepage redesign (launched just a few weeks) ago baffles me. The image is clearly a stock photo image (if not… then bad execution) that feels cold and has no relation to their headline “Being yourself makes all the difference”. Does this image represent their target audience? The colorful background with different shapes, colors and palm leaves distracts the customer and has no value that I can personally detect.  As a Mailchimp customer, personally I don’t feel comfortable with this women staring me in the eye and telling me to be myself.  This image feels fake and I have a hard time relating to it in anyway.

mailchimp-new-homepage

Gusto on the other hand, has an image of a women sitting in front of her desk smiling. Now, granted I don’t really know if this a real photo of an HR person or a stock photo but it feels real and the connection between the image and headline is clear. I can immediately resonate with it, it’s authentic and relatable to HR personnel who do it all.  Gusto makes the main image work with the strategy of the page, makes it about the customer and as opposed to the lady staring at us from Mailchimp’s new design, this women doesn’t feel alienating – she feels welcoming, someone you might want to meet. This is the difference between using authentic images that relate to your target audience vs. images that just look nice and have a “cool” composition.

good-landing-page-example

#2 Reduce Visual Noise

“With great power, comes great responsibility” – As we’ve seen, our image captures most of the attentive mind of our landing page visitor, it’s almost always the first thing we see and it’s what determines if we should hang around a take a few more seconds to read and understand the offer. This means, that other than choosing a good strategic image, we also need to think about reducing the noise it creates so it doesn’t have a negative affect. We need to make sure it’s easy for customers to quickly see what’s in it for them and asses our services. How do you do that? By following these 3 simple rules:

  • Ensure high contrast between the image and the page content so it doesn’t “drown” out the text, making it hard for people to read, like this for example:

landing-page-examples

  • Ensure the photo is distraction “clean” as possible and helps customers focus only on the most important elements of it unlike the landing page below for example. There’s so much going on within this image that it’s hard to focus on anything. Not to mention the fact that this is yet another common image used by thousands of startups to show  another “unique” office space. This image has nothing to do with the service. How exactly does an image of random people in an office make you feel that this a “new model for talent development”? Clean images, mean using only the objects that help get the message across, remove any details that can cause confusion or stress on the eyes.

landing-page-examples-1

  • Consider the colors you use – colors have an emotional effect on us and can assist us in saying things without actually spelling them to people. For example, you don’t have to say you’re trustworthy, you could (in Western cultures) use blue for that.  Also, remember to reduce the amount of colors you use so it’s easier on the eyes and easy to take in.

#3 Use Images as Direction Cues

Our main image is there to create a certain atmosphere and feeling, but it’s also there to navigate the customer in the right direction and point them towards the next step (whether it’s subscribing, downloading something or simply reading more).  You can use your main image as a directional cue to show people what to do next like the visual below.

You’ll notice that all elements (computer, paper, earphones and pens) are placed around the call to action button making that the main focal point of the page. Granted, I’m not sure this is the best image to use to sell a UX class, since it’s only showing specific elements you’re going to use during the course, but doesn’t explain why you should actually take it. However the placement of elements is done well.

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Perhaps a better example is by ‘Here One’. As you can see they’re using their main character (seems authentic and wearing product) to point with his entire body towards the call to action button.

image-landing-page-tips

#4 Avoid carousels and auto play videos

While tempting, carousels confuse visitors and make it hard on them to focus on the action they need to take so don’t use them. This is actually a well known fact and many case studies have shown that rotating images reduce conversion rates. And so do automatic background videos! instead of reading your content and taking the next step, the visitor is now engaged in a moving video that’s distracting and has nothing to do with your goal. Have multiple images in mind? Test them, don’t use them all at once.

#5 Consider Mobile

Just because an image performs well on desktop, does not mean it will work or look well on mobile. First, you’ve got the fact that technically the image may look bad on mobile:

  • It may look stretched
  • Take too long to load
  • Completely dominate the page
  • Move all your content below the fold
  • or simply won’t make sense to a visitor on mobile.

Let’s look at the same example by ‘Here One’: it looks and works great on desktop. However, on mobile it’s a different story. The image of the guy and the colors they’re using make it hard to read the text. It’s not immediately clear what this product is and could be perceived as a hearing aid rather than advanced, cool earphones. The strategy of this image, doesn’t work well on mobile.

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#6 A/B test your Strategies

Once you have an hypothesis for your image strategy, take the time to test it vs. the one you already have. In fact, test different strategies, for example an image of your product or someone using the product vs. an customer centric image. This is not only a great way to validate your hypothesis but also a good way to show numbers, figures and facts to your team who might have a hard time getting behind this new initiative. A/B testing image strategies instead of just simple elements such as the color of the  call to action button will give you greater insights that can then be presented to your team for convincing them to get on board.

Image Checklist

Use the following checklist and process to define the images for every landing page, email campaign or website you launch:

  • Define the goal of your page (e.g – subscribe, download)
  • Evaluate current image strategy (Does it highlight the customer or yourself?)
  • Use heatmaps to determine current image (e.g – is it a focal point, are people clicking on it)
  • Conduct customer surveys
  • Conduct interviews with team
  • Analyse competitor websites for reviews and testimonials
  • Combine all data to define a customer centric image strategy
  • Choose image (using the 6 rules)
  • Launch A/B test of current variation vs. new variation

Over to You

Remember that the image doesn’t work alone, it’s part of a whole composition working with the copy, your fonts, colors and call to action button. All elements together should be geared towards helping the customer immediately seeing what’s in it for them and helping them take the next step.


This post originally published on Talia Wolf’s blog

Talia helps businesses plan and execute conversion optimization programs. She runs thousands of A/B tests using emotional targeting and persuasive design to grow their business.

 

Talia is a frequent keynote speaker at marketing conferences and was recently listed as one of the most influential experts in conversion optimization. Follow her on twitter at @taliagw and learn more about her conversion optimization training programs.

Blogging, Social Media and SEO within Google Chrome: 15 Best Extensions

 

When you’re a blogger, there are simply too many tasks you need to perform on a daily basis, from finding the right topics to link building and much, much more. However, the functionalities in your web browser can help in performing these daily tasks conveniently. Considering how Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser on the planet (according to StatCounter, almost 50% of people accessed the Internet using Chrome from October 2015 to October 2016), we’ll take a look at some of the most useful extensions, that will make your job easier.

Blogging Extensions

1. Pocket

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If you want to know just how good Pocket is, just look at its credentials: in 2014. Pocket won a Webbly award for best productivity and it now has a user base of over 15 million people worldwide. It’s a rather simple tool that allows to save numerous articles, videos and notes for later reference.

2. Grammarly

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While every version of Microsoft Word will keep your spelling in check, but when you write online, most of us make spelling and grammar mistakes regularly, mostly because we’re trying to type as fast as we can. Thankfully, Grammarly will ensure that you never make a typo again and end up looking stupid because of misplacing a couple of letters. It also scans your text for proper use of more than 250 advanced grammar rules in real-time.

3. Fireshot

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If you want something that will eliminate the mundane print-paste-edit routine, and quickly grab screenshots of websites and save them as a JPEG, GIF or a PDF from within Google Chrome, then Fireshot is the right extension for you. You’ll be able to capture both entire pages and just visible parts, and it’ll even allow you to add comments, blur selected areas and apply other effects to your captures.

4. Google Publisher Toolbar

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The Publisher Toolbar is designed to assist web publishers view data about their Ad Exchange, AdSense and DC for Publisher accounts from a single dashboard within the Chrome browser. You can also block any unsuitable creative you don’t wish to display on your site or blog. After you install GPT, all the ad units on your site will get an overlay that’ll display information like the buyer name and display URL.

5. Break Helper

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Sitting in our chair for prolonged periods of time is literarily killing us – sitting 6 or more hours each day increases risk of premature death up to 40%. Now, even if you don’t care about your health that much, you have to be aware that working at a stretch without taking a break can result in a sharp decline in productivity. Therefore, you should install Break Helper extension, and it will let you know when you need to take your next break, and let your overworked brain relax for a second.

Social Media Extensions

6. Rapportive

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Even though this part of our list is dedicated to social media, let’s talk about emails. I’m guessing many of your interactions still happen within Gmail, and while you’d like to start a conversation going on LinkedIn, you’re almost certainly stuck doing the delayed email back-and-forth with new contacts every other day. But Rapportive will provide you all the information you need about your email contacts, including their social profiles, which will allow you to easily add every contact on social media.

7. StayFocusd

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Even if you’re making money of your blog, it doesn’t mean that don’t suffer from bouts of procrastination from time to time. But even though technology is a source of distraction, it can also be a source of discipline you desperately need. StayFocusd will limit the amount of time you can spend certain site. It also lets you choose what to block – an entire website, a specific web page and even different types of content like videos and games.

8. RiteTag Social Media Optimizer

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Do you spent much time wondering which hashtag you should use for a certain story? Maybe you’re unsure whether adding a particular hashtag will add or diminish the value of your message? Thinking about these problems can be quite time-consuming, especially if you’re person that tweets more than ten times every day. However, Rite Tag provides analytics on hashtags you regularly use, which will help you save a lot of time.

9. Figure it Out

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One of the biggest challenges you face when working globally has nothing to with cultural differences or even language barriers. Your main challenge is figuring out what it is in a different geo-region without doing the math. With the Figure it Out extension, you’ll be able to add up to ten different time zones, which will help you schedule your posts and even set up meetings with people from different regions.

10. VPN Extension

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This item on our list is not only reserved for people who live in countries like China, Vietnam and Portugal, where the government blocks access to certain social media sites. It is also recommendable to anyone that likes to write from their dorm room or favorite coffee shop, because regularly block access to certain sites. Of course, there are many providers on the market and the selection of a VPN extension is all up to you, but we have to recommend ExpressVPN, because it offers a wide range of servers and unlimited bandwidth.

Search Engine Optimization Extensions

11. Open SEO Stats

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This is perhaps the most popular SEO extension for Google Chrome, marketers often use it see PageRank, Compete Rank and QuantCast Rank and get quick access to info about backlinks, indexed and cached pages, among other things. This basically means that Open SEO gives you a complete overview of any information about any website on the Internet.

12. iPage

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Google Toolbar is always great for [age ranking, but seeing how it isn’t available for Chrome, you’ll want an alternative. And luckily, iPage Chrome is just that. It allows to set your settings to show page rank in results, or show rank for individual pages and domains. All in all, it is a small, but nevertheless useful page rank checker extension.

13. Shareaholic

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Shareaholic might not be a “real” SEO extension, but everyone knows the importance of social media likes, shares and general presence in search engine ranking. So, you could easily use this app if you want to increase your ranking. The extensions allows you to share your article on multiple social media platforms at the same time, which will make your workload much quicker and definitely easier.

14. MozBar

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Moz Analytics one of the most popular analytics tools among SEO marketers, and MozBar is surely the favorite Chrome extension of almost all marketing professionals. Once you download and install this extension, you’ll instantly have access to almost any SEO tool you need, and see various metrics like Link Profile, KW Highlights, Domain and Page Authority.

15. SEO SERP Workbench

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You’ll never need to search the SERP position of any page manually once you get SEO SERP Workbench. The tool also allows you to see the ranking on the go, and it is great when you want to look up the SERP of multiple URLs. Last but not least, it supports multiple countries, so no matter where you’re from, you can check the SERP position of a particular website in your country.

While all of these extensions are great for bloggers, it doesn’t mean that you should download each and every one of them instantly. Instead, you should download at least couple of them, and see which ones suit your specific needs. After some trial-and-error, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for.

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By Adam Ferraresi 

Author Bio: Adam always loved the Internet, so much so that he knew that he knew that he was going to become a web developer when he was just 12. He also loves the outdoors, basketball and surfing are his passions, and you can read his insightful articles at wefollowtech.com

The Top Tech Billionaires In The World In 2016

 

For many companies, 2016 has been a riotous year. However, billionaires involved in the tech industry continue to be amongst the world’s richest people. From social media to computer technology, internet security to streaming services, the developments in tech continue to dominate the market. The world famous finance magazine Forbes Magazine recently accumulated a list of the top 100 richest individuals in tech. In fact, the tech industry is so successful that the minimum net worth on the top 100 list is $2.2 billion. If you were to combine the wealth of these tech individuals, it accumulates to over $892 billion.

Using Forbes findings, ERS created this brilliant infographic below. It features the top ten tech billionaires in the world. It reveals their current occupation, their tech achievements, estimated fortune and inspiring quotes. Although these tech entrepreneurs are in different sectors within the tech industry, they do share some commonalities. For starters, there are all based in either China or America. Secondly, they are all men and lastly, they are all heads of major tech companies. The infographic reveals a fascinating fact: out of the 51 billionaires living in the United States, 37 of them live in California. So who will take the top spot? For all the answers, let’s check out the infographic now!

Did you like the infographic? Which of these tech billionaires do you think is the most influential? We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!

Family and Teen’s Cyber Security [Infographic]

 

Have you ever thought about how teenagers are using the technology at their fingertips? More exposed to technology than any other generation before, 91% of American teens access the Internet through mobile devices on a regular basis. This constant use of their online devices has certain consequences including bad uses of technology such as cyber-bullying, sexting, social media addiction and inappropriate content consumption.

The team at Family Orbit, a locator, and monitoring app to keep your family safe, has gathered some surprising stats and has presented them in the infographic below. You will find out some fascinating facts about teenagers online security as well as some signs to detect Internet addiction.

Infographic: Family and Teen’s Cyber Security - An Infographic from Family Orbit Blog

An infographic by Family Orbit Blog

Vomercy Over Ear Headphones iPhone 7 Review

 

Are you looking for a pair of durable and highly convenient earphones? While the brand may not be as known as compared to other bigger models, Vomercy is a perfect choice. As an over ear headphones, it comes with a rather simple design, but with multi-functionality which can allow you to enjoy great music, while making hand-free phone calls, great for your everyday life. It is also equipped by special ear buds which are designed for small ears. They are also fit for your individual ear canals, extremely light in weight, and magnetic in form, which is great for outdoors use.

Most importantly, it is also highly compatible for use with the iPhone 7 model, allowing you to enjoy the best there is in the sound department. However, as there are a lot of choices that are currently available in the market these days, making a good decision is often a difficult task. In order to make a well-informed decision, it is best to look closer into the features of this headphones and see whether or not it is the model that you are looking for. 

Technical Details and Features 

Here are some of the technical details and features of the Vomercy Over Ear Headphones:

  • Magnetic Attraction – This capability of magnetic attraction is the one that is responsible for hanging around your neck easily, and for portable gathering as well. This model is ergonomically designed and equipped with soft-gel, offering comfort while wearing.
  • Passive Noise Cancelling Features – What makes other cheaper headphones low in quality is that they are not able to reduce, if not remove completely,  noise from the outside. This is different with Vomercy Over Ear Headphones. This model comes with soft gel ear buds that takes charge in isolating most noise coming from the outside surroundings. As a result, you can expect nothing but pure music indulgence. Its high end quality also delivers crystal clear, dynamic, and pure sound.
  • In-Line Control – This headphones’ slidable volume button for control makes it a whole lot easier to adjust the volume using perfect fingers feeling. It also has a multi-function button that can be used for answer/hang-up incoming callsand pause/play of music. All you have to do is to click two or three times in order to control the tracks. While the playback control is compatible only with iOS devices, as well as some Android devices, it can still work as a normal headphone that can be used to listen to MP3 player music from smart phones, as well as other media devices.
  • Enhanced Built-In Microphone – This enhanced microphone quality collects the sound of voice in an effective way, clearly transmitting between the caller and the receiver.

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Positive Highlights of Vomercy Over Ear Headphones

      • This wireless Bluetooth headphones comes with an active noise cancelling technology which is prefect for enjoying stereo sound and music, leaving you feeling amazed with the entire experience.
      • Its advanced Bluetooth and NFC technologies are great for smooth and quick connection to your devices, such as iPhone 7, and other Android devices.
      • No need to worry when the battery dies out. The unit also comes equipped with an audio cable that can be used for wired connection in case of need. This makes it more exciting and convenient.
      • This over ear headphones comes with super large size, as well as softer sides, making it possible for a more comfortable wearing experience. You can expect that there is no pain while wearing this on, even after a long time of use.
      • Its stereo headphones are also equipped with an adjustable headband which can be adjusted easily to conveniently fit any head size.

Some Drawbacks 

As with other headphone models, the Vomercy Over Ear Headphones also comes with some drawbacks. For instance, some users reported that while the noise cancellation feature works on this unit, it may not work perfectly when the aux cord is plugged to the headphones. However, this may only be due to a defective unit received. Also, while it has the capacity to block out outside noise, the sound from inside may bleed out immensely, allowing other people around you to hear everything.

Bottom Line

All in all, the Vomercy Over Ear Headphones is a very promising unit that you can buy. With fast Bluetooth connection, you can easily pair with your Bluetooth enabled device, and start listening to your favorite music. Everything else is also accessible using its button, including volume control, and track control. With its adjustable headband, you can also customize the fit depending on the size of your head. It also has amazing portability which means that you can easily place this headphones inside your laptop bag or backpack. A lot of positive reviews have been received about this product, which speaks a lot about its overall quality.

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Author Bio: Anh Vu has worked in the IT field and sound technology industry for 5 years now. Today, he is a blogger who likes to educate his audience more about sound technology. Visit to http://www.headphonesunder100center.com to find the headphone that you need.

REVIEW: EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro 10.5 Tool

 

The file recovery software is the most reliable tool for recovering lost files in your hard drive. The data recovery tool enables everyone to retrieve lost data quickly and safely in all storage devices. Besides, the data recovery software is affordable and works well with all storage devices.

Benefits of EaseUS data recovery wizard pro 10.5

The file recovery software’s greatest advantage is the ability to be accommodated by all storage devices, and to recover all forms of lost files quickly and without corrupting them. With file recovery software, you will retrieve all records lost through formatting, deleting, damaged hard drive, loss of partitions, and attack by a virus, raw partitioning, crashing of the OS and other human errors.

The data recovery tool enables you to recover lost data in all storage devices, such as mobile phone, memory card, hard drive, music player, USB device among others.  Additionally, the file recovery software allows you to cover all file types that you want to restore. Such files include; audio, email, graphics, document, video and others.

The data recovery tool is multipurpose software to recover hard drive partitions which have been formatted by mistake, deleted files and recovering from the raw hard disk. The file recovery software can retrieve data from deleted, formatted, lost and hidden partitions. Besides, it is quick and easy to recover all files which you had stored in different storage media but accidentally deleted emptied your recycle bin. Finally, you can retrieve any data that is inaccessible, hidden and totally corrupted using the data recovery tool. The file enables you to recover corrupted data resulting from damage to the file system, loss of partition, raw partitioning, and raw hard drive.

How to recover lost data with the file recovery software:

The file recovery software is user-friendly and requires no prior experience to use. Besides, it has three simple data recovery steps.  No previous experience required as you get a guide on the user interface.

DataRecovery

Step 1: File recovery software launch

To quickly restore any lost data, you need to download the data recovery tool on your device and start it.

Step 2: File Scanning

After launching the file recovery software, specify all file types you intend to recover and scan. Scanning gives you a preview of the recoverable files to ensure you recover the right files and safely.

Third step: Recovering files

You can now press the recover button after choosing the files you want to recover. It is easy, quick and no overwriting of data.

Download link

http://download.easeus.com/trial/drw_trial.exe

Conclusion

The data recovery software has a user-friendly interface with clear steps of recovering data. Also, lost data is recovered 100% safely in various storage devices without overwriting the original data.  Additionally, the software gives you a preview of the files you want to recover before scanning. Previewing of files ensures you specify the files you want to recover.  Finally, the data recovery software has a bootable media which solves bootable problems of your system, if your files have secondary data damage.

Data Loss and Recovery

Data Loss and Recovery. An infographic by the team at Secure Data Recovery Services

10 Apps to Help with Home Renovation

 

Thinking of doing some home renovation soon? Well check out this infographic from HalfPrice before you do. It contains some great apps that will make whatever home renovation you’re doing a little bit easier. Many of them are free as well so you can download them to see if they can help you.

We understand how much work is involved in a home renovation project and often the thought of a long project can put you off even beginning. Maybe you’re thinking of renovating a room but you’re not sure if it will look good when you’re done. Why not check out Houzz for some inspiration? You can look at other designs in peoples’ homes and maybe it will give you the inspiration you need to get going. We hope you find something useful in the infographic.

An open ICT Platform and Ecosystem is Reshaping Business  

 

New Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is slated to disrupt the hi-tech industry and impact many other industries. The future of ICT lies in its ability to enable developers to take advantage the new technologies like Cloud Computing, Big Data, Software Defined Network (SDN), Internet of Thing (IoT) and Mobile Broadband to innovate their products and improve enterprise agility, efficiency and work in a more collaborative environment.

This revolution will only be possible when developers leverage the open platform and ecosystem to build their own solutions and realize their innovations under these technologies.

An ICT ecosystem is a business network that’s aligned among ICT vendor and solution partners to help enterprises work in an efficient manner. The business-driven ecosystem is lead by the enterprises who define their needs and look to solution providers to supply the relevant resources to enable their success.

Take supermarket shopping as an example. In the current system, the supermarket owners attempts to meet the needs of the consumer, often tweaking the solution without a clear vision or focus. The future will bring a personalized consumption model, in which customers choose products, identify purchase and delivery methods, and in real time their optimized shopping experience will be enhanced for future purchases.

Elion Resources Group in China is already testing this model out. The company uses the IoT technologies to bridge a connection between the farmer and the consumer, thereby fostering a collaborative environment that connects various relevant industries. In this new process, customers are transformed to active partners, allowing them to select the type of food that farmers should grow, allows them to track the growth of the produce, and allows the consumer to select the idea e-commerce platform and delivery service.

Similarly, banks are leveraging the new ICT ecosystem. Cloud computing allows omni-channel banking services, which manages customer data to reduce unnecessary steps in the banking process. Rather than going to an ATM or bank to withdraw cash, the connected consumer will be able to search for a vendor and process payments directly to the merchant. The streamlined process reduces any unnecessary steps and fosters direct communication between merchant and consumer.

The banking industry has always depended on data and security. With the new ICT, Big Data becomes an extremely powerful for the larger ecosystems that require responsive analysis of important data. It develops a variety of innovative services and improves the bank’s service accuracy, real-time performance and customer satisfaction. Banks such as the China Merchant Bank are benefiting from upgraded big data platforms, which can provide analysis of detailed queries and offer direct results. This increased accuracy enables a faster investigation of credit history and other important financial data and can provide accurate information in a matter of minutes.

In addition to showing the actual credit score, this data will highlight consumer patterns and behaviors to identify any risk factors. In China, the People’s Bank of China’s credit system uses data from other ecosystems and sources, including carriers and utility companies, to offer a complete overview of consumer behavior. The comprehensive data analysis enables the bank to look across systems and determine an accurate credit rating that is focused and responsive to specific customer trends.

Clearly, new ICT technologies are paving the way for new forms of cross system collaboration, agility and efficiency. This innovative approach is only possible when open ICT platforms and ecosystems are formed. Driving the New ICT technology forward is Huawei Enterprise Business. Their mission is to provide an open ICT platform and ecosystem where developers can benefit from building their solution using new ICT technologies. Once a specific industry has developed an application, it can be easily replicated and deployed on a global scale.

This new process is being accelerated by Huawei, who is working on driving innovation forward by creating strategic partnership with relevant companies. The ultimate goal of these strategic alliances is to develop an ecosystem that is sustainable and mutually beneficial to all partners. As the new ecosystem is formed, other industries including government and other complex enterprises will benefit from its success.

10 Apps Every Small Business Owner Should Have

 

Business ownership is no walk in the park. You have to manage every single aspect of the company, from finance to human resources and project management. It entails a massive amount of responsibility and requires vast amounts of time, as well as an ability to cope with several competing tasks simultaneously.

If you’re running a small business, it is a good idea to draw upon all the help you can get, and one way of doing this is to stock up your smartphone with a series of excellent apps that should be part of every business owner’s collection. There are apps to help with employee communication, project management, time management, task organisation and payroll, to name just a few aspects of running a business. Some of the best apps we’ve come across include My Minutes, which keeps track of your progress for certain tasks and also allows you to set minimum and maximum time constraints; as well as IFTTT, which enables you to use one app to automatically program activity in another. How’s that for killing two birds with one stone?

This infographic from All Finance Tax profiles 10 apps that will certainly provide great benefit to anyone who owns a small business. Check out the full list below.

5 Reasons Why Businesses need Security Camera Systems

 

Don’t have any security cameras installed at your office or places related to business? If yes, think again! From strengthening safety, cross checking the stock, deterring criminals to increasing productivity –a complete surveillance system is good for real! And moreover, a business owner needs to have eyes at each and every corner of his place.

To further convince you with the benefits of an HD security system, we have listed down 5 reasons as to why businesses need to install them.

1)  Discourage Internal & External Theft

Every business whether big or small, is always under a risk of burglary and crime. And, this threat is augmented when you have employees that could add up to the list.

It would first appear shocking to hear that approximately 50 billion dollars are lost each year just because of employee theft. Such crime incapacitates small businesses. In fact, employee theft becomes the sole reason for almost 33% of the businesses to go bankrupt.

This is where you can make a huge difference to your bottom line. Install an HD security camera to curb employee theft today. A professional product like an Ultra HD system will eliminate all the blind spots, deter criminals and burglars and stamp out employee theft.

2)  Boost Productivity and Profits

When you hadn’t established your business (and probably was working for someone else) you must have come across the phrase “It’s time to play, when the boss is away”. And if you try to remember more vividly, no one ever dared to take unnecessary breaks from their work when the boss was watching over. Today, your employees might be doing the same to you!!!

If you require a set of extra eyes, an HD IP security camera can really prove its worth. You can remotely view all the nooks and corners of your office with the help of free mobile apps and software provided with such systems. All you need to have is a smart phone, tablet, or computer with working internet connection.

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3)  Protect Private and Sensitive Areas

Every business has some “restricted-access areas”. To prevent illegal entry to these off –limit areas, getting help from sleepless eyes of a night vision security camera is a wise decision. The discrete look of an IP security camera is good to trick would-be burglars and force them to think twice before committing any crime.

There are many unscrupulous individuals who leak out trade secrets or even worse, sale them for their own benefits. Every business owner should take a proactive action to protect his/her business against this trade secret theft. For that, they might get help from a professional surveillance firm to evaluate their premises and take necessary actions to protect it. 

4)  Increase Customer Satisfaction

If your customers are satisfied with your services and products, they’ll come back over and over again. Thus, they should be catered exclusively. But, you can’t be there all the times to welcome them. What you can do is, keep an eye on your employees to know how they are behaving with your customers. This will obviously help in increasing the customer retention.

Video surveillance can also help you find out the products that you sell the most and then, accordingly you can develop your marketing strategies.

5)  Protect Yourself from False Liability Law Suits

Best systems, such as Ultra HD surveillance systems, can even help solve legal/official issues to an extent. Property management firms could be the ones that can be benefited because they have to handle piles and piles of claims. Now, to curb false claims out of the pile, firm may install a cctv camera and be ready with a video proof for any and every ambiguous event.

Storage space is the next thing to be kept in mind. A crafty lawyer is well aware of the fact that after a certain period of time, data gets overwritten thereby eliminating proofs, if any. But, a system with unlimited data storage allows you to revisit the frames of any time in the past. This will surely give you the much required mental peace.

Conclusion
Clearly, there are many benefits of installing a complete system for your business. You can sleep easy when you know there are prying eyes to take care of your hard earned assets and establishments.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and get your system today!

 

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Author Bio:  Rohan Sharma is a gadget wizard, an active blogger, and an eminent speaker. With more than 10 years of experience to his credit, Rohan has always been a pertinent contributor to the security industry. He is closely associated with Revo America, a well renowned security products manufacturer and retailer. Needless to say, Rohan boasts for paramount and credible products only, with Revo’s being his favorite.

10 Disaster Apps That Could Save Your Life

 

As a society, we are becoming more and more dependent on our smartphones with each passing day. With millions of apps being created and downloaded every year, our app expectations have also increased.

Whether it’s a social media app or messaging app, these apps allow us to contact our friends and family more rapidly than ever before. Although most apps we download are for work or for fun, lifesaving apps are becoming progressively more popular.

With the vast amount of calamities that take place worldwide, from mass shootings to natural disasters, it’s important that fast and effective methods of communication technologies are developed. Luckily, in 2016, app developers are creating specialised apps to meet our needs.

Communication apps have improved both our personal and family safety. These inspired apps help us in the event of an emergency. Some can even track natural disasters before they occur. For example, ‘’Disaster Alert’’ – which was designed by the Pacific Disaster Centre – gives mobile access to multi-hazard monitoring of (and early warning for) active hazards worldwide.

‘’Life360’’ allows you and your chosen contacts to create a private network. In the event of an emergency, one tap of a button will notify your friends/family of your current location and inform them if you are safe. For all the details, let’s check out this infographic from Nature’s Water which outlines 10 of the top disaster apps. Let’s take a look!

 

Top Wearable Android Watches of 2016

 

As like with the smartwatches, the software experience is nearly identical from one Android Wear to another. So, I turned to the most subjective features which make a top wearable Android watch to stand out from the rest. Though all of the Android wearable watches do the same thing basically for most of the times and with equal quality, they need to be ranked, weighed, and presented for your approval and support. Read ahead to check the Top Wearable Android Watches of 2016 and choose the most suitable for you.

1)    Moto 360 (2nd Gen) from Motorola

moto360

After its first launch, the original Moto 360 was the top rated Android Wear watch around for some time. And in my research, it is also placed at the top place. Going to the latest version (2nd generation), the Moto 360 has a Snapdragon 400 processor, a bigger battery than the original one and comes in different sizes to fit on the wrists of more people’s wrists.

It has the refreshed processing package, a customizable design and added lugs. Basic price starts at $299.99 and as you go with an increase in customization, the price also increases.

Specifications:

46-mm variant:

  • 512Mb RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 400mAh battery
  • 56-inch IPS LCD display with 263ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

47-mm variant:

  • 512Mb RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 37-inch IPS LCD display with 233ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

2)    Huawei Watch

huawei-watch

In 2015, the Huawei watch was introduced and it did many things right on the first try. It is one of the most attractive Android wear watches in the market with easily replaceable straps and a battery with the long life cycle.

It has a price range from $349 to $799 depending on the variety of styles and colors. It is the nearest arrival of the Moto 360 Android wear watch.

Specifications:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 4-inch AMOLED displays with 286ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

3)    LG Watch Urbane

LG-Urban

The LG Urbane is a more female-friendly watch than men. Its high-end styling is a bit dressier than sporty. Any variant you choose either gold or silver, the fully round bezel is surely eye and light catching.

Currently, you can get it for just around $250 on Amazon and eBay. If you want a luxury style, then you can go for the 23k gold version worth $1200 which is called Watch Urbane Luxe.

Specifications:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 410mAh battery
  • 3-inch P-OLED displays with 245ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

4)    ASUS ZenWatch 2

asus-zenwatch

After the original ASUS ZenWatch being the best Android wear watch for some time in the market, the company has brought the latest model with a little different philosophy. From going out of tradition, the latest ASUS ZenWatch 2 comes in a square display. It is a little powerhouse on your wrist.

For the basic model of ASUS ZenWatch 2, you need to spend only $129.99 on Amazon. You can choose from a 1.45-inch model or a larger 1.63-inch model whichever suits your wrists.

Specifications:

WI502Q (18mm) model:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 300mAh battery
  • 45-inch AMOLED display with 273ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

WI501Q (22mm) model:

  • 512MB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 400mAh battery
  • 63-inch AMOLED display with 278ppi
  • 2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

5)    TAG Heuer Connected – Luxury Watch

img_attuned_to_your_touch

TAG Heuer Connected has changed the market of the Android Wear Watches. The Connected model from Tag Heuer is inspired from the company’s Carrera watch. It comes in seven different color options and made with a grade 2 titanium.

If you are a fan of luxury watches, then most probably you will love this watch. You can purchase the Tag Heuer Connected for $1500 from the company’s website. After wearing it for two years, you can get the more traditional TAG Heuer Carrera watch by paying additional $1500 only. It is enough to give you a long lasting alternative.

Specifications:

  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB Storage
  • 410mAh battery
  • 5-inch transflective LTPS LCD display with 240ppi
  • 6GHz dual-core 1.5-inch transflective LTPS LCD display

Conclusion

Choosing the best Android Wear watch from the above list is really a difficult task. It is really hard to keep track about the best because all of them are doing pretty well in their areas. The most accountable preference could be the size and the price of a particular watch for you. I have rounded up with the top wearable Android watches, now it depends on you to choose the right from this filtered list according to your budget and needs. Good Luck!

 

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Author’s Bio: Mandip is a graduate in Information and Technology. He is a passionate blogger, SEO Specialist, and a Software Developer. He loves to write on technology, SEO, Internet Tips and Tricks. Currently he blogs at Best On Internet.

This is How Uber Exactly Works & More Interesting Stuff!

 

You don’t call a cab anymore, you call an Uber. The taxi giant has taken the world by storm since its inception in 2009. Started as just another start-up, Uber has now become a synonym for taxi or cabs across the globe.

However, the fascinating part is that it doesn’t even own any taxis that run on the streets under its name.

Uber is basically a mobile application that connects passengers with drivers for here. Let’s try to find out how the app works

  • Requesting a cab: A passenger installs the Uber app on his smartphone and can request for a cab at any time through this app. A passenger has the option to either ride instantly or to schedule the ride for later.
  • Matching: As soon as the passenger makes the request, a notification is sent to a driver who is free and is in the near vicinity. The driver has the option to accept or reject the ride. If the driver accepts the ride, Uber sends the passenger’s details to the driver and the driver’s details to the passenger. The driver then reaches the location of the passenger, picks him up and drops him off at his destination. If, on the other hand, the driver rejects the ride then the notification is sent to another driver who is also in the nearby area.
  • Ride & Tracking: Customers/Passengers can track the cab when it is on its way to pick them up and the ETA is also showed to the passengers on the app screen. The meter starts as soon as the passenger sits in the cab and can be tracked by the passenger as well.
  • Payment: Once the ride gets over, the passenger makes the payment in cash or via online wallets, whichever he prefers.
  • Rating: After the ride, the passenger has the option of rating a driver. Ratings allow other people to know and trust the driver before booking a cab.

To know more about Uber, check out the fun facts filled infographic developed by Unboxing Deals below.

Uber Story

 

 

10 Apps That Will Change The Way You Decorate

 

For most of us, revamping our homes is a laborious task that requires lots of hard work and money. Every element of your home has to be factored in – from paint colors to curtains. All of the demands a house revamp requires can be overwhelming. Fortunately for us, apps exist! There are apps for virtually everything, including home décor and DIY.

With app downloads projected to hit over 260 million in 2017, we are most definitely spoiled for choice! Whether need help choosing the best furniture for your space or simply looking for ideas, apps will help you design your dream home. With our busy lives it can be hard to find the time to source the best apps available on the app stores.

How do we know which ones are worth downloading and which are not? The people at Jarrimber have sourced ten of the best home décor apps that will guarantee interior excellence in your home! It includes Morpholio – which is an app that makes it easy to create mood/inspiration boards for your DIY project. It allows users to layout, collage and illustrate their mood boards with a series of photos, sketches and annotations. For this and more, let’s check out this infographic!

Have you downloaded any of these apps? How did it go? Tell us about it in the comment section below!

10 Essential Sailing Apps You Should Download Right Away

 

Preparation is essential for any pursuit in life, but especially one like sailing where there is a large element of risk if things go wrong. Before taking to open waters, you need to be well trained in operating a boat and you need to have acquired a sizeable amount of knowledge so that you’ll know what to do, or at least be able to use a calculated judgement, if a challenging situation arises.

In fact, even the most experienced of sailors still crave every bit of information and guidance that they can access, which is why they are likely to have a large chunk of their smartphone memory taken up by sailing-related apps. Their catalogue of apps is likely to contain some that help with navigation, some that provide live information on tides, some that are great for tutorials and some that are essential for reference. The Boater’s Pocket Reference, in particular, is one app that should be on the smartphone of any sailing enthusiast, regardless of whether they’re never sailed before or have first-hand experience of all of the world’s seas.

This infographic from East Fremantle Yacht Club profiles 10 apps that are sure to be of enormous benefit to any sailor. Check out the full list below…you might just spot one or two that aren’t in your collection!

How Powerful is Instagram When it Comes to the Fashion Industry?

 

Major fashion retailers now use Instagram to source niche brands to service customer demand. Take Selfridges, the iconic British department store chain. Instagram has been key to the brand stocking its “Everybody” section, a specialist fitness brand section. Its buyer’s source boutique labels such as Kiini (which does a range of crocheted swimwear) and the Muzunga Sisters (who do a range of beach cover-ups with pom-poms) by viewing Instagram content. For Selfridges, sourcing niche brands on Instagram is about buying into a particular lifestyle to best serve its customers.

Major high fashion luxury brands now use Instagram to create brand awareness and engagement online. Take Chanel as an example. For the French brand’s Fall 2015 fashion show, Chanel erected an over-the-top set design, a supermarket with 100,000 faux Chanel products on the shelves. Audience members were given access to take ‘supermarket selfies’ on the set prior to the show. One image posted by the fashion blogger Susie Bubble, who has more than 272,000 followers on the social platform received more than 2,670 “Likes”.

For more insights into the power of Instagram and its influence over the fashion industry, have a look at this infographic created by Evoke.ie

Best Mobile Business Productivity Apps For People On The Go

 

Heard of Expensify? It is one of the best apps for quick expense reports with more than 2.5 million users around the world. Looking for mobile email that works on any device, for any email account? Try Outlook for Mobile. Acompli, the developers of the app sold it to Microsoft for $200 million, such was the demand for the app.

Need an app that will keep all of your sensitive information safe? Use 1Password where everything in your app vault is protected by a master password that only you know. Are you in the market for an app that will make meetings so much more streamlined? GoToMeeting is the top choice for when everyone involved cannot physically be in a meeting room together.

Are you a team leader or a department head? Need to keep on top of what your team are doing to report back to the ‘higher-ups’? Keep everything on deadline and easily accessible with Trello, the app that works best for delegating team work and keeping your projects running smoothly.

For a more detailed look and visual illustration of these apps, see the infographic below which has been created by the Brighton School of Business and Management.

The Future Of Video And How Powerful It’s Gonna Be

 

All the statistics that surround video as a medium tell us that it is the future and brands not engaged in video or planning to implement it are seriously setting themselves up to fail. Here is an example. By 2019, it would take one person in excess of five million years to watch the volume of video that will be crossing global IP networks every month by then. Here is another. In three years, consumer internet video traffic will make up 80% of all consumer internet traffic on a global scale.

It is not just brands and companies that are noticing. Consumers love video and they also love to hate it when it’s done badly. Let’s take this example. More than three in every four consumers say that they have bought a product or service after watching a video. The flipside is, if it is a bad quality explainer video, consumers will let you know as it turns them off making a purchase entirely. Other elements that put consumers off include how long a video is, bad animation and unclear explanations of the product or service.

For a more detailed analysis of the power of video and where it will lead us in the future, see this infographic created by the people over at One Productions.

SMS, Apps or Email? Customer Engagement Strategies Analysed [Infographic]

 

For marketing to be considered effective, it needs to prompt action from its targeted audience to enough of a degree that the brand ultimately recoups more in revenue than what it spent to initiate the campaign. Marketers need to communicate the right message in the right format at the right time, or else consumers will simply ignore the message. It also needs to be done through the most appropriate channel of communication, whether that is via an app, email marketing or SMS.

When making this decision, marketers must consider a series of factors. Do they want to communicate a lengthy or succinct message? Do they need instant reaction from their targeted customer base? What is the main demographic being targeted? If the campaign needs a swift response, the brevity and immediacy of SMS makes this an ideal option. Indeed, research shows that the general populace is far more likely to respond to a text message than an email, as people’s normal behaviour with the medium is to reply immediately.

This infographic from Neon SMS in Ireland analyses the three main marketing communication channels, picking out the main pros and cons of each one. Selecting the most appropriate medium for your campaign could prove to be the difference between enormous success and expensive failure.

REVIEW: Living with a Huawei Smartwatch

 

Even as someone who appreciates tech, coming from the West, the name Huawei is still a bit foreign to me. After testing their smartwatch, however, I’m starting to really notice their brand and their impressive value and attention to detail.   

These guys are serious in the smartwatch, wearable market. They get it and know how to take the strengths of a good device and improve it, ten fold.

For the record, it’s my first smartwatch but having read about others and tinkered with Apple watch, the Pebble, and a few others, I can say that this is a solid watch.

Let’s start from the beginning, the Huawei watch came onto the tech scene and Mobile World Congress in 2015. At the point, most of the specs were simply rumours. It wasn’t until IFA 2015, that the official watch was released. That’s when the watch skyrocketed and earned its place as being one of the best Android wearables last year.

I agree.

Great watch, solid look and feel. Priced right.   

Here’s my review of the Huawei watch after using it for about six weeks. It’s been paired with my iPhone 6 Plus with the Android Wear app.

The Huawei Watch gets lots of things right where most Android Wear watches have struggled, the design. Slick, sophisticated, simple and non-techy.

Great move for Huawei.  

Running on iOS, the functionality is limited. Getting a text on the watch means you can view it but not reply. Essentially, using an Android Wear smartwatch with an iPhone is no substitute for an Apple Watch, at least not yet. Hopefully, at some point in the near future, Apple may consider opening its APIs for a more robust integration experience with iOS apps. Till then, Apple has one thing on its mind and its selling more Apple products.

Sorry Huawei.

Taking Unboxing to a Whole New Level

Huawei clearly worked hard on the packaging. The luxury feeling of this timepiece is clear, it makes the user feel impressively regal from the moment they open the box. The box, if such things matter to you, shows Huawei is making a concerted effort to mimic the higher end watch brands. The box is decked with embossed text and a soft interior.  

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It seems that unlike some of its competitors, Huawei gets that this is not just another tech toy.

This is a device that’s meant to be used and deserves the splash of class and luxury feel that is associated with such an investment.   

Display

The watch has a round face with a full 360 display.

Well done.

This small change enables Huawei to outshine and out-display its competition- by executing on the one thing that can be a major pain point for tech gadgets—allowing users to read the display in full sunlight.

IMG_5520

Critical and a big win for Huawei.

Pairing with Iphone

After downloading the Android Wear app, the process of pairing the phone and watch took about two minutes.

Really smooth and seamless.

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Granted, functionality with iOS is limited but it’s ok. The whole idea of having notifications buzzing on your wrist takes some getting used to.

iOS Integration

Essentially, any notification that’s set up on your iPhone will come up on the Huawei. From Instagram to Snapchat to Twitter. Dismissing notifications is only a simple swipe away (it also gets dismissed on the phone).   

Thankfully, Google Now is on board, so users can use the iPhone app to allow traffic, sports, reminders and much more straight onto the watch.

Runner’s Problem

Like any smartwatch, the Huawei will count steps and offer basic metrics.

For the common person, the fitness tracking is probably extremely appealing. While the Fitbit remains the preferred tracker, at least in the US, the Android Wear option will perform similar functions and will inspire most to get out and move.

IMG_5906

Unfortunately, exercise nuts or running enthusiasts, like myself, will find it difficult to use the Huawei as a viable replacement for their sports watch. With no GPS or other more robust sports tracking metrics, the basic info just doesn’t cut it for me. Additionally, the leather band and exposed charging nodes (more on that soon) also make the watch a bit less sport, sweat friendly.

Hardware

This is probably where the Huawei truly stands out. The processor and memory are arguably the best around and the full screen display is an absolute pleasure. The AMOLED display offers a bright, crisp and sharp color.

Battery

Like every smartwatch, smartphone and smart device, the battery life is a big setback. That being said, the battery on the Huawei is pretty solid. On a full charge, I’ve been able to get about 30 hours, sometimes I was able to stretch a bit more.  That’s good considering the number of notifications I receive daily. While the watch isn’t in multi-day-Pebble level, it gets impressively close and that’s commendable.

This is 1% I’m proud to be part of #smartwatch #wearable #tech #lowbattery

A photo posted by Mordecai Holtz (@mordecaiholtz) on

A photo posted by Mordecai Holtz (@mordecaiholtz) on Apr 27, 2016 at 6:21am PDT

Speaking of battery life, I think the issue isn’t the battery life but the actual way in which the device charges. The charger is a proprietary magnetic cradle that looks like a hockey puck. The fact that the charger doesn’t use more standard charging options is a bit annoying.

Pro tip: Be careful not to lose the charger, since replacing it isn’t cheap.

Summary

So, after almost two months of wearing the Huawei, I’d say it’s wearing well. No scratches on the sapphire glass, not knicks on the finishing, and no marks on the leather strap. While I haven’t tested the full waterproofing of the device, I’ve been caught with a few sprinkles on it with no damage.

Although it’s pricey, the Huawei Watch clearly earns its position as one of the best Android Wear smartwatches on the market. Its stunning design and impressive quality make it a watch worth wearing.  With no GPS or NFC there’s certainly some room for improvement but it’s definitely a great step in the right direction.

All in all, Huawei joined the smartwatch arena a bit late but they caught up quickly. The Chinese mobile and technology company know what they’re doing. They get it. The company understands how to balance function with form.

They know how to work (or do a good job) on multiple operating systems.

The smarter the device the better the digital experience will have to be. Huawei gets that and is working hard on making the overall flow on devices better.

Well done.

Here’s a video review of the design concept of the Huawei Watch

[youtube id=”eiEeveMVTX8″]

10 Great And Absolutely Free Home Security Apps [Infographic]

 

We all want our homes to be protected as much as possible from would-be burglars and vandals, and many of us will try to deter such nefarious activity by installing CCTV cameras on our property. But what happens when we leave home for a prolonged while, maybe to go on holidays, for example? We can’t watch over our property then, can we?

Now we can, thanks to the abundance of home security apps that are available for your smartphone or tablet. There are numerous apps that you can download for this purpose, and many of these home security apps will cost you nothing to install. Did you ever think that you would be able to keep an eye on your home from thousands of miles away, simply by looking at a personal handheld device? It might seem like something out of a thriller movie, but now it has become reality, and a welcome reality at that, too.

This infographic from JMC Technologies identifies 10 home security apps that meet with the approval of a security expert and are free to download. Why live in fear when, in the space of a few minutes, you can install a series of apps that will enable you to watch out for your property at anytime from anywhere. It’s a no-brainer, really.

Is There a Real Future in TV?

 

Even though online television and streaming services have become very popular, television is still a big part of households across the globe. In fact, revenue for global television actually increased by 5% to $350 billion in 2014. This growth is being led by subscription TV revenues climbing by 5.4% to $179 billion (a little over half of the complete global television revenue).

Television is still the number one source of news for people worldwide. 53% of people choose television as their go-to-source for getting their news. Compare this to those sourcing their news from search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo (at 38%) and those utilizing the news feeds of popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (at 33%).

For more fasts facts on the future of television, how the Millennial generation is watching television and a snapshot of television viewing around the globe; see the below infographic created by Frame Your TV.

Is-There-a-Future-in-TV-IG-Final

The Future of Social Media [Infographic]

 

Since the dawn of social media, it’s been evolving and growing at a rapid pace. As we move through 2016, that trend will continue, but where is all of this going? More importantly, if you’re trying to market a business or a blog, how can you stay ahead of the curve?

Today we’ll look at the future of social media, followed by an infographic that helps you make the most of your efforts on today’s platforms.

Predicting the Future of Social Media

Over at on blast blog, I’m always looking to the future, whether it’s in the world of blogging, social media, or anything in between. I’m a big fan of staying ahead of the curve. So, let’s look at social media’s upcoming trends.

The first trend we’ll see coming down the pipeline is more integration in the workplace. For years, companies tried to keep their employees off of Facebook during work hours, but now those same social tools will become crucial to the business.

Things like Facebook For Work are allowing employees to utilize the connected nature of social media to increase their efficiency. While most businesses are also using blogs, we’re going to see a lot more people stop working in offices, and instead work from home.

Entrepreneurs are beginning to see the potential of their blog post ideas in the realm of business, and that’s leading to more bloggers promoting their content on social media. In addition, new types of content like video and virtual reality will become important to implement into your online strategies.

Becoming a Social Media Master (Infographic)

Knowing the future is only half the battle. Now you should use the infographic below to understand the how’s and why’s behind social media platforms. Let us know how it helps you in the comments below!

Social-Media-Image-Sizing-Cheat-Sheet (6)

 

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This is a guest post by Matt Banner. You can read more from him on his blog, OnBlastBlog.com

Smart Appliances & the Kitchen of Tomorrow [Infographic]

 

Some of us might be slow to adopt new technologies, while others will have the latest gadgets and software as soon as it appears on the market. People in the latter category have most likely embraced the concept of the smart kitchen, where appliances such as fridges, cookers and washing machines are programmed with unprecedented intelligence and can be controlled from your smartphone.

With the smart appliance market growing from $40 million in 2010 to $9.7 billion today, and projected to break $26 billion in the next three years, it’s clearly a market that is rapidly growing. Already there are numerous apps and smart kitchen products on the market, including the Egg Minder, which updates you on the number of eggs you have at home; and the Prep Pad, which detects the nutritional content of any food item placed on it. Meanwhile, apps such as How to Cook Everything and Jamie Oliver’s Recipes come stocked with enough recipes to suit even the fussiest eater.

This infographic from Pennywell shows that smart kitchen appliances can provide numerous benefits and make your household chores a great deal easier. If you want to learn more about fridges that can tell you what’s inside when you’re 100+ miles away, or ovens that know how much cooking time a recipe needs, then feast your eyes downwards to gaze into the kitchen of tomorrow.

Smart-Appliances-and-Kitchen-of-Tomorrow-Infographic

8 Free Apps Every Event Planner Needs

 

From social media to emails, photography to seating details, when it comes to event planning, there is a lot to manage! Even the smallest of details require a lot of your time and thought and because of this, a lot of the time, tiny details can go unnoticed. Lucky for us event planners, there are now hundreds of thousands of apps available that are designed to make planning any event easier and less stressful. Though there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, these apps will help you manage your workload with more efficiency.

Team BAWE have gathered eight of the most excellent event planning apps and created the infographic below detailing all of their features. In the event planning business, time is always of the essence. Which apps are worth your time and which apps are not? Customer reviews are helpful on Google Play and IOS online stores, but with so much choice, how do we know which ones are the best for our needs? The apps listed below are the top in their class and a must for any event planner or organizer. Let’s have a look!

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How To Troubleshoot Basic Appliances In Your Home

 

With so many appliances in our homes from your stove to the dishwasher, it’s difficult to figure out what to do when these necessities suddenly malfunction especially if you are living alone. Got a fridge that suddenly stopped working? Don’t buy a new one just yet. Read on and maybe you’ll save yourself from the extra cost with these DIY repairs!

Problem: Fridge not cooling

According to Liz Welch of Real Simple, A refrigerator not cooling can be caused by “The condenser coils found behind the kick plate at the front or the back of the unit, they can easily become caked with dust. A quick fix would be to unplug the refrigerator, loosen dirt with a soft-bristle brush, then vacuum. Another cause could be the gaskets (the rubber strips that seal the doors shut). To install a gasket, take out the old one and screw the new one in, making sure the door is properly aligned. “

 Problem: Leaking dishwasher

Are you faced with a puddle of water after using the dishwasher? A common cause is using too much soap. A recommended amount should be stated in the manual since the amount of detergent varies with each machine. Use less detergent to eliminate the production of too much suds that cause the dishwasher to overflow. Another cause could also be a broken door latch. In this case, you should have a repairman fix this. You might need to pay for labor and extra parts but this sure beats buying a whole new unit altogether.

 Problem: Noisy washing machine

There’s nothing more annoying than a very noisy washing machine. Washing your clothes shouldn’t be this rattling!

A possible cause could be that the washing machine is off balance or the floor where the washing machine is placed cannot support its weight. A quick solution to this is to put a thick piece of plywood at the bottom of your washing machine in order to level the unit. Alternatively, you may also lessen the load or avoid overloading your unit with more clothes than it can handle to eliminate the noise your washing machine makes.

 Bonus tips: 

  • Before attempting any repairs or deciding to buy a new unit, check your warranty if it’s still covered. Doing your own repairs will void the item’s warranty
  • Always refer to the owner’s manual or even try calling their hotline if in case you are unsure of the repair you are about to do
  • If your appliance needs to be replaced, make sure to dispose of the damaged one responsibly. Don’t just leave it anywhere as its wiring may cause home fires. Call your city hall and ask if they do disposal of large items or send it to the junk shop
  • Important: Before doing any DIY repairs, make sure you know what you are doing. If you are not confident in the repair, it’s best to ask a pro to do it for you or you might just cause further damage to the unit, even worse- hurt yourself.

 

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Joel EksteinAuthor’s Bio: Joel Ekstein is an eCommerce retail expert with over 12 years experience in the industry. He has had experience in buyer and inventory forecasting, marketing, and expanding customer base in new markets. Instead of the notion that offering 100% customer satisfaction hurts 20% of profit, Joel has proved that 100% customer satisfaction increases customer engagement and customer base which leads to 25% profit increase. http://protect-o.com/| twitter.com/Protect_O

 

5 Battery Myths Debunked

 

Your Smartphone, Tablet and Laptop all have one thing in common, a battery. Without it, you wouldn’t even be able to use your device. Because of this, taking care of your gadget’s battery should definitely be a priority. Here we debunk all those myths surrounding batteries and we’ll teach you the proper way to keep your gadget’s battery in tiptop shape.

Myth #1

You shouldn’t keep your gadget charging overnight 

False. I’m sure we’ve all heard about batteries expanding, overheating or even exploding but with the latest technology, this shouldn’t happen anymore. According to Popular Mechanics, “Something that’s not an issue is overcharging. Contrary to what you might think (or have been told), leaving your phone or laptop plugged in all the time is not bad for its battery. That’s because your gadgets, the batteries in them, and the chargers you attach them to are actually pretty smart about the way they do business.”

That means your device is now smart enough to determine when its battery is at capacity that even if you leave it plugged in, it will stop charging once it’s full.

Myth #2

You shouldn’t use your device while it’s charging 

False. People believe that using your phone while it’s charging will make the phone explode or even electrocute the user. An instance of this occurrence happened back in 2013 when a Chinese flight attendant died while using her mobile phone. According to The South China Morning Post, Ma Ailun died of electrocution when she answered her iPhone 5 while it was charging. Although, upon further investigation, they discovered that she was using a knock-off charger. So if you’re using the manufacturer-approved charger and battery then it should be safe to use even while it’s charging.

Myth #3

Heat will destroy your battery 

True. Actually, different temperatures can affect your battery’s health. Leaving your gadget in a warm place can overheat your battery especially when it’s charging since Lithium-ion batteries heat up when they charge. Meanwhile, storing your gadget in a cold place can also affect battery life. A cold battery can die faster than in low temperatures. The best practice is to keep your device stored within its recommended temperatures.

Myth #4

It’s best to turn your gadget off once in a while 

True. Your phone or laptop, like a machine, needs to rest once in a while. According to an article from CNET, the best way to prolong a smartphone’s battery is to turn off the device from time to time. With Apple phones, a weekly shutdown is optimal for your gadget to get its much-needed rest while Android phones can do a simple reboot to restore battery life.

Myth #5

Always do full charge before using it

False. People think that when they get a brand new smartphone, the first thing to do is to immediately charge it until it’s full. Actually, the optimal performance of any smartphone is when the battery is between 40%-80%. So the next time you buy a brand new phone or tablet, you’re usually good to go from there. Also, don’t believe it when they say that you should drain your battery before charging it. There’s no truth in that. Again, like my response to Myth #1, our batteries have now become smarter and more efficient to use.

There you have it! Now you’re more knowledgeable about your device’s battery. The next time someone tells you it’s bad to charge your phone overnight, you can definitely teach him or her a thing or two about battery life.

How about you? Any battery myths you’d like to debunk? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! To avoid battery problems, why not invest in gadget insurance? Guarantees repair or replacement for your smartphone, tablet, etc. in case of battery malfunctions. Invest in gadget insurance today!

 

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Joel Ekstein

Author’s Bio: Joel Ekstein is an eCommerce retail expert with over 12 years experience in the industry. He has had experience in buyer and inventory forecasting, marketing, and expanding customer base in new markets. Instead of the notion that offering 100% customer satisfaction hurts 20% of profit, Joel has proved that 100% customer satisfaction increases customer engagement and customer base which leads to 25% profit increase. http://protect-o.com/| twitter.com/Protect_O

 

 

Best Apps for Students – Infographic

 

Studying and revising can be a chore. Working towards achieving a qualification is the focus for many and it can be difficult to stay focussed. Keeping on top of assignments and study is challenging and it certainly requires an element of determination, concentration and perseverance.

It is important to find what works best for you in terms of study. Some people find they work best alone in a quiet room while others need to work in groups. Sometimes it’s healthy to get a mix of both. Studying in groups can be useful if for example, you are struggling on some aspect of a course and require some guidance from others. They can learn from you as you discuss the topic and you expand your knowledge and understanding of the subject.

In order to keep stress at bay when studying, it’s important to eat a balanced diet. Try not to fall into the trap of eating easy to prepare junk food because your body will need all the nutrients in order to ensure your study is good. Being organised in all aspects of your student life is really important and will stand to you in the long run. Panic studying never works well so try to plan out your study times well in advance of exams or final assignments.

Make good use of your lecturers and tutors and ask for their assistance if you are finding a particular subject difficult. Expressing interest will show your enthusiasm and dedication and they will admire this and will be willing to offer your help for those tough areas.

This infographic from Study Medicine Europe is a handy guide for students of apps that they can download to their phone or tablet that will assist in making their studying and revision work more efficient. Check it out below.

The-Ultimate-Student-App-Guide

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – Five Years Later

 

We all know how bad game was CS: GO when it first came out, when we had a show match with the best professional CS 1.6 players. Half of the players from that match retired, probably just because of how bad game it was and VALVE pressure at any cost CS: GO to alter legendary CS 1.6.

Things about CS: GO changed dramatically in the past five years. We had great updates like new guns, guns tremendous changes in the maps even tugging the maps from competitive games.

The fortunately VALVE listen professionals and makes updates to the game that balance, but there are two things that I don’t like in these updates.

  1. In order to be successful you have to follow the Meta. Example before nerf m4a1-s was too powerful and players who played with the other m4a4 were in the background.
  2. Why VALVE with each update makes the CS: GO easier and easier to play or need less and less skill. Example the last update map de_Nuke no longer need strafe jump to climb the silo.

As for the second one VALVE should perhaps consider these changes to put a special section where is unprofessional playing (competitive matchmaking).

CS: GO crosshairs vs CS 1.6 crosshair

The difference is great when comparing crosshairs in CS: GO and CS 1.6.

In CS 1.6 can be selected small, medium or large crosshair and crosshair can be set as dynamic or static.

On the other hand in CS: GO you can choose between six different crosshair styles.

All are different from each other but I will mention only two style 4 and style 5. These two styles are the best and most used.

Style 4 is completely static while style 5 spread while shoot.

If you ask anyone who has experience in both games will say that CS 1.6 has a much better crosshair of CS: GO.

Not sure why VALVE not import it crosshair from CS 1.6 but I think this has to do something with the above “balance” not be same players are on stage.

Time has shown that to some extent succeeded but it is the result of Legends players from CS 1.6 to retire and do not want to adapt to the new game.

If we look now we see that the best from 1.6 remain at the top but they have competition from new players that no one had heard in CS 1.6.

CS: GO graphics vs CS 1.6 graphics

I think everyone here will agree that CS: GO has much better graphics but need a better PC to be able to play.

If to take into account the CS: GO is a better game than 1.6 and is much improved from first time came out.

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This is a guest post by Antonio Dimitrovski. You can read more from him on his blog, GoCrosshair.

The Ultimate App Guide For Carpenters And Handymen

 

In 2016, there is an app for everything. Increasingly, apps are becoming more important in industry, in particular the construction industry. There are so many to choose from. Having a full range of tools is key for all carpenters. Luckily as technology expands, there are more and more ways that apps can help you with your job. In fact, IOS and Google Play app downloads topped over 260 billion over the past year. With your smartphone or tablet, carpenters now have a huge range of tools ready for you to use at the tap of your finger. As a result of the massive increases in app developments, consumer reviews are crucial – how else will we know which apps work and which don’t? The below infographic from Jarrimber shows us all the best apps that are available to carpenters that we should be downloading right now.

Have you tried any of these apps? Let us know below!

The-Ultimate-App-Guide-for-Carpenters-Infographic

REVIEW: SpotCam HD 720P WiFi Security Camera With Free Cloud Storage

 

Home monitoring solutions have helped to curb crime levels by a significant amount. However, a lot still remains to be done before the battle against criminal activities can won completely. There are many home monitoring solutions that are available on the market thereby making it hard for customers to choose their preferred surveillance system easily. Today, a good number of householders and business setups are currently using Wi-Fi cameras to monitor the happenings at their premises of residence. However, the use of Wi-Fi cameras based on physical servers is common today. Based on this, it is a good idea to switch to cloud based Wi-Fi cameras. There are numerous features that make such systems worth going for.

Stay connected anytime on any device. Smart phone, tablet, laptop, or PC. Receive alerts by email or mobile APP, and watch real-time video whenever you are connected to the internet.

Smart phone, tablet, laptop, or PC. Receive alerts by email or mobile app, and watch real-time video whenever you are connected to the internet.

Easily setup in a matter of seconds. Setup SpotCam is as easy as setup your mobile phone, yes, there is no setup.

Connect your SpotCam to WiFi and apply an account on MySpotCam.com, then you are ready to go!

Setup can be done easily with PC/Laptop/Mobile/Tablet.

View it now and save for later.

Choose our NVR plan to store video and review video footage as long as 30 days after it happens. Server is no longer required when you are using SpotCam.

Easily setup in a matter of seconds. Setting up SpotCam easy. Connect your SpotCam to WiFi, apply an account on MySpotCam.com, then you are ready to go!

Setup can be done easily with PC/Laptop/Mobile/Tablet…

View it now and save for later. Choose a cloud NVR plan to store video and review video footage as long as 30 days after it happens. A server is no longer required when you are using SpotCam.

Camera Spec

Dimensions: Bracket Ф 7.5cm

Body Ф 4.8cm × 14.8cm

Weight: 198g

Power Input: 12V,1A

Video: Up to 720P HD (1280×720) at 30 frame/sec

Streaming: H.264 encoding

Field of View: 110 degrees (diagonal)

Audio: Speaker and microphone

Night Vision: 12 High-power IR LEDs

Warranty: One-year

Operating Temperature: 0°C – 50°C, designed for indoor use

unnamed

Live video streaming

If you want to enjoy unlimited access to the videos that are being captured by your surveillance camera, you can take advantage of cloud based Wi-Fi cameras. You can say bye to restricted access to surveillance videos. Enjoy live streaming of videos in HD. You can use any online systems to do this provided it is compatible with the camera. The system requires any internet connection that is sound enough to facilitate the live streaming of surveillance videos. This feature can enable you to monitor your home while you are out engaging in other important life activities.

Gain access to the footage from anywhere in the world

If you want to gain access to the camera videos from anywhere in the world, you can do well to upgrade to the cloud based systems. Thanks to these systems, home monitoring has never been easier. You can enjoy unlimited access to camera footage from anywhere in the world. This feature can enable you to easily monitor the security status of your home as often as the need arises.

Cameras compatible with almost any device

In order to access camera footage, you will need to use any compatible device. With this surveillance camera, you will be free to use any device provided it has a live streaming feature. You can use devices such as smartphones, tablets, PCs and any other compatible device. Today, there are also smart watches which have a live streaming feature. Such watches can also be synchronised with the camera and used to view security footage.

Use of electric cables not appropriate

If you are using the cloud based Wi-Fi camera, you will be free to enjoy wireless connections from the camera to the audio-visual system of your choice.  You simply need to setup the Wi-Fi connections to be in a position to interface between the camera and the audio-visual system of your choice.

Highly resistant to extreme weather conditions

The Wi-Fi cloud based surveillance cameras are designed to withstand any kind of harsh weather conditions. You can still enjoy unlimited home security surveillance irrespective of the prevailing weather conditions. The cameras are designed to withstand water, strong winds and any form of precipitation.

Current Trends in Business Communication [Infographic]

 

Time does not stand still, and business communication certainly doesn’t, either. New ways of improving the effectiveness, efficiency, speed and quality of communication are constantly evolving, with the methods in which we do business with clients and customers differing significantly from even 10 years ago. For businesses, keeping on top of changes in communication trends is not an option; it’s a necessity.

This infographic by Irish Telecom (www.irishtelecom.com) outlines some of the most prominent current trends in business communication, with interesting facts dotted throughout. For example, web-based tools such as Skype and VoIP are abundant across most businesses in 2016. In its first 10 years of operation, there were 1.4 trillion minutes of Skype calls made. Another growing trend is the Internet of Things, the market share of which is projected to exceed that of PCs, mobile phones and tablets combined within the next year.

These, and other business communication trends, are explored in the infographic. The rate at which telecommunications are expanding can make it challenging to keep up to speed with its evolution, but if businesses fail to get a grip on technological innovations, it could have a damning impact on sales, marketing and customer satisfaction. That is why businesses spent an estimated total of $165.5 billion on IT support in 2015 – spending which reflects another of the current trends explored in the infographic.

business-communication-trends-infographic

The Ultimate List Of Blog Post Ideas

 

I’m sure you all have already asked yourselves where do blog post ideas come from.

Are they simply read off to us by some mysterious all-powerful being that has a list on hand? If that were true, then there could only be so many ideas before we run out.

There are thousands of blog ideas out there, but you don’t want someone to spoon feed your posts, no, you want inspiration!

Haven’t started your own blog yet? No worries! It’s never too late to start a blog.

If you already have one then we need to start thinking ahead, because we’re in this for the long run! We’ve compiled a long inspirational, multi-faceted, mind-blowing ideas that will make your blog extremely popular.

I’ve Already Used All These Blog Post Ideas. How Do I Find More?

Are you serious? You’ve done all of these? Wow, okay, well then I suppose it’s time to take off the training wheels and show you how to find new ideas yourself. As the saying goes, teach someone to fish and they’ll never go hungry. I’ve given you over 151 fish though, so apparently this is a all-you-can-eat fish buffet of ideas.

When you need inspiration and you’ve exhausted all of the ideas here, use these tools and methods to find more:

1. Quora

This website is a great place to have any kind of question you can think of answered. That means it’s a great place to also find inspiration for blog posts, or simply ideas on how to come up with them. You can log in with your social media or create a free account. Once you’re in, try to look for something like “blog post ideas”and see the results.

2. BuzzSumo 

This tool gives you the unique ability to see which of your competition’s posts are doing the best in terms of social shares. By looking at data like this, you can see what people in your niche want to read. 

buzzsumo post ideas

 

 

 

 

 

Those ideas with a bunch of shares will work as great concepts for posts of your own!

3. Keyword Research 

There are numerous tools out there for keyword research. One such example is Keywordtool.io, which is one of the best in my opinion. Head on over there and type in your subject or niche to get a list of keywords that will easily inspire post ideas.

keywords-blog-post-ideas

Right there, I’ve already found some key terms I can use to find more ideas. This is the gift that keeps on giving.  Now, on to the list!

4. Impact Inbound’s Blog Title Generator

I’ve been using this nifty tool for a few weeks now and it’s helped me take a few broad topics and transformed them into concrete blog post ideas.

Plug in the topics you want to write about, you can literally pick anything, and it will spit out a headline that you can use to help spark some ideas. Customize the headline to your liking and save it to the handy notebook they provide.

When you have an idea of what your blog post headline is going to be, then you’ll be able let the words free flow and body of your blog post will be filled in effortlessly!

Now, let’s get to some physical blog topic ideas I’ve come up for you.

Post Ideas That Will Help Increase Traffic to Your Blog

You’re interesting, write posts about yourself!

Blogs were originally online journals, so why not go back to the roots of the whole equation? Create a personal journal, talk about your crush and then invite them to read it for ultimate awkwardness. Share your thoughts, speak your mind, it’s your soapbox, so use it!

1. Start a contest

You don’t have to give away a million dollars or anything, but why not give out some hats or a custom shirt?

People love the opportunity to win stuff, and if you make it fun and exciting, your incoming traffic will skyrocket!

2. Tell a secret about yourself

While this may not be easy, people love secrets. What’s something you’ve never told anyone before? What quiet truth are you hiding from the world?

Make a whole post about it, bring in some pomp and circumstance. Build up to the reveal and make your secret known to the world (If you secret is that you love to blog, maybe skip this one).

3. Examine a quote that speaks to you

Find something that somebody said that gives you chills. Something that changed your outlook on life and the universe, and share it with the world.

Start your post with the quote and talk about what did to you, and what it means to you. Here’s a good one: “roses are red, violets are blue, I love to blog, and I’m sure you do too.” – The guy who wrote this post.

4. Try something new, then blog about it

Ever eaten a bug? How does skydiving sound? Find something ridiculous and crazy that you’ve never done before and, like Nike always says: do it.

When you’re done and you’ve let it settle in, tell us the whole story.

Blogging Ideas + Tips

5. Graph a statistic or create an infographic to start a discussion

Did you know that 70% of modern day people will always stop and look at a pie chart?

Did you know that 80% of them go and eat pie within ten minutes after viewing one?

What about the fact that I just made this all up? People like to see data mapped out in creative ways, so put together a well-designed infographic and teach the world with fancy shapes, cool font, and pretty colors.

6. Interview a famous person, your grandma, whoever you want.

If you posted an interview with someone like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, you would probably get a million hits.

Unless you know them though, that could be difficult, and you don’t want to sacrifice your journalistic integrity by making something up, so get creative? Is your great grandfather a war hero?

Did your grandmother meet the president or the queen of England? Everyone has stories to tell, all you need to do is ask, and you’ll find some great material to interview them about.

7. Create new recipes and share them with your followers

I’m not sure how I feel about your pickle and cotton candy sandwich, or your candy cane shish kabobs, but I’m opening to trying them, I guess? If you have a cooking blog, create some awesome new recipes and post them for other people to try. Just make you try it yourself before recommending it to your followers.

8. Create an in-depth guide

Share your skills with a fancy guide that teaches a valuable skill. For example, I wrote a fully comprehensive guide on how to start a blog.

Teach people valuable skills around survival, repair, arts and crafts, whatever blog post idea strikes you.

9. Do a “top ten” list

Since this is number ten, I figured it was a good time to mention this. Create posts where you rank the “top ten” of something.

Examples include “The Top Ten Blog Ideas” and “The Top Ten Blogging Websites.” You can put us at the top of both lists and go from there.

10. Travel the world, post as you go

Take a trip around the world and post pictures and updates as you make each stop. You can even sample the local cuisine or review your accommodations.

San Francisco

11. Stir the pot, bring up an old argument

Bringing up an age old argument and opening an old wound is a great way to get people talking, or yelling for that matter.

You may bring out some passionate individuals, but if one thing’s for certain, this blogging idea is sure to get the traffic flowing.

12. Respond to recent events 

Major events will always bring about a response, but you would weigh in with your own opinion.

If the president made a bad decision, or a major corporation is in hot water, or heck, if a celebrity got a nose job, you should tell the world what you think of it. Every opinion counts, and you can have your followers share too.

13. Write a joke

Since you’re looking for things to blog about, why not create a joke? It can be something simple and catchy, or one of those long ones that comes together in the end with a hilarious punchline.

Even if it’s as simple as this one: “What do you call a cow with no legs?” “Ground beef!” Ah, that’s a classic.

14. Create a poll 

People like to be heard, and they love voting on polls to see what the popular opinion is on a subject. Find something relevant that has multiple approaches and see what people like the best. Asking for their favorite color isn’t good enough, make it creative and relevant to your niche.

15. Share your goals and dreams

Do you want to be an astronaut? Is your dream to be air lifted above a giant blueberry pie and skydiving into it from a thousand feet up? Tell us your wildest goals and dreams, and you never know, someone might be able to make it happen for you.

16. Talk about your life’s successes and utter failures 

We all have ups and downs in our lives, but that’s how we learn. Create posts about the times you really pulled through in a tough spot, and then tell us about the times you fell face first into the proverbial manure.

These things define you, so share them with us.

17. Share your own conspiracy theories

Are postmen really aliens? Who is the milkman, really? Why are all grocery stores slightly different in their layout? Post your conspiracy theories about aliens, gerbils, paper clips, or whatever you think might be a cover for something far more sinister.

You never know, you might be spot on. Just keep an eye out for mysterious black vans outside your house.

18. Encourage your followers to share your blog

Create posts that people will want to share, but more than that, appeal to your followers and ask them to share your blog on their own, or promote it on their Facebook page and Twitter.

These things spread through sharing and word of mouth which is all done on the internet nowadays.

#19 Disprove a theory or myth

If you’ve seen every episode of Myth Busters and you know for a fact that they left out something, that’s a perfect blog post topic! For example, everybody in cartoons slips on banana peels, but would you really slip in real life?

Test it out, blog about it, prove those theories and myths wrong.

Camera

20. Publish comments from your followers

If someone wrote a comments on one of your posts that said “OMG UR T3H BEST” maybe you should showcase it and speculate as to why there is a “3” where the letter “e” should be.

Even if someone just comes by to bash you for no reason, why not have a laugh at their expense?

21. Invite guest posts 

A great way to keep content coming is to feature guest authors on your blog. Be sure to lay down some guidelines though, and review their topic and work before you post it though.

You can find some great bloggers out there to share their thoughts on your blog, so create a post inviting people to submit their ideas. You get more content, they get features. It’s a win-win.

22. Pose an existential question

Are there truly a finite number of blogging ideas in the world? What is the true definition of a carbon footprint? Are we really here for a bigger purpose?

There are so many questions like these that don’t have a solid answer that you could write posts about these for a long time and still only scratch the surface. You’re welcome.

23. Create a memorial for someone/something you lost

It hurts to lose something you love be it a faithful dog or a family member, but they don’t have to be forgotten.

You can write a touching memorial for them and let their memory live on not just in your mind, but in the minds of everyone who reads your blog.

24. Pick a date in history, talk about what happened on that day

Title the post with a random date in history, maybe the day that sliced bread was invented, and talk about all the things that happened that day.

You’ll be surprised how much can happen on a random day in history.

25. Reveal secrets behind your blog’s success and marketing

Help out your fellow bloggers by giving out the ingredients to your secret sauce. It may seem odd to do such a thing, but if it works, then giving it out to help others isn’t going to change that.

When it comes to blogging, everyone is in it together. That it, until money becomes involved, then it’s every man and woman for themselves.

26. Show off your personal possessions

This may seem like an arrogant thing to do, but as far as interesting blog topics go, this ranks pretty high.

Turns out, people like peeking into your life and seeing that you’ve got. Is this a scented candle I see? My, are those hand painted dishes of yours from IKEA? I see you have your bachelor’s degree hanging on the wall next to you so you never forget how smart you are.

Pictures are great in general, but having them in a blog post about your stuff is a great way to show people who you are, and makes for some great blogging material.

Mac and Glasses

27. Share the best lessons you’ve learned thus far in your life

Life is a constant cycle of mistakes and lessons, so maybe you can help out some younger or less experienced people and help them avoid a few pitfalls that you had to go through.

Case and point, sharing the things you’ve learned in life is a great way to generate some good content and help out a fellow person.

28. Create an intricate lie and make it obvious what you’re doing

Pick a truth that everyone knows and challenge it. Or, make up something ridiculous and defend it to the last word of your post.

Crafting an intricate lie and really trying to sell it is one of those good blog ideas that can either make people laugh, or set the comments ablaze with people trying to disprove your lie. Either way, it brings the traffic.

29. Talk about your dream vacation

When it comes to personal blog ideas, this is a great way to showcase your imagination. Create post where you describe your perfect vacation. It doesn’t have to be anywhere on Earth either, maybe you can describe a dip in the oceans of Neptune, or a space trip to the center of the galaxy. You can always do more than one of these too.

30. Publish your resume and experience on your blog

Putting up your resume and a CV is a smart blog post idea that will not only give you some content, but it makes your skills publicly available for potential employers or other blogs to see.

This way you can show a little more about yourself and maybe open up a nice opportunity at the same time.

31. Tell the world about your bad habits, and how you plan to break them

If you smoke too much, hit the bottle too hard, or you just bite your nails a lot, tell us about it. Then, tell us how you plan to fix it.

You can even post about it each day to show your progress and ask you fans for encouragement.

32. Publish a full biography about yourself 

The first line should be the date of your birth and the last should be the present. Tell us your life’s story despite the fact that people usually decline to listen, your followers come to your blog to hear about you, so tell them everything there is to know.

This may need to be structured though, not a single post. Not to worry though, our how to blog articles will show you the best ways to present it.

33. Show off your monthly budget, offer financial advice

We may have given you this blogging idea, but you’ll have to decide if you want to write it.

Obviously you don’t want to divulge anything too personal like bank statements, but you can offer financial advice and examples of your budget when you go to the store, that way people can create spending habits like yours.

34. Post or create Linkbait 

Linkbait is increasingly popular, but using them comes down to finding the right mixture of written and visual content.

There are a lot of ways to do this, but the goal is to create something people want to link to and share with others. The best blog topics find their success through this spread of shared links.

35. Feature your most popular posts

If a blog post idea worked once, it will work again. Find your most successful posts and throw them back up again for an encore. You will be surprised how many new viewers will see it, and some of the ones from last time will probably return again as well.

36. If you won the lottery, what would you spend it on?

Posing questions like this are good because they don’t have a single answer. This is something you can tackle multiple times as you mature and grow.

For example say you answer this question in a post before you’re married and then you answer it again after. The two posts are going to be drastically different.

37. Write some posts in a casual, conversational style

If you tend to write in a boring, stiff style, then switch things up every once and a while. Write a few posts where you’re just talking.

Nothing too fancy, no SAT words, just a nice conversational post that keeps the tone light. It will be a breath of fresh air for you, and your readers.

Productivity Ideas

38. Post the elements of your portfolio

If you’re a writer or a poet, put your work up.

That’s why you get a blog to begin with, to showcase yourself and your topic. Exposure is key and your talents need to be viewed by the world. This is the first step.

39. Teach people to protect their blogs from hackers

There are various ways to keep your blog secure, but many of them sound complicated and none of them piece together all of the possibilities.

That’s where you come in, you can explain the steps in a way that anyone can understand, and in doing so you will help them protect their hard work from people out there who just want to make everyone’s lives harder.

#40 Ask for feedback from your followers

Feedback is the best way to grow, and your followers may be hesitant to give you any, so ask them.

Create posts on occasion where you ask your followers to express their thoughts on your blog and offer suggestions on how it can improve.

41. Summarize other people’s posts, books, or ideas

Some people just don’t have the time or patience to read a whole book or an entire lengthy article, so boil it down and post it yourself, giving credit where credit is due of course. This way, people can still find the content they’re looking for, without having to spend time reading the entire thing.

42. Create a list of common mistakes in your niche

You know everything about your blog topic, but you see people doing everything wrong around you. Why not post about common mistakes that other people make in that niche and offer advice to those who are unaware of what they’re doing wrong.

43. Write and publish a manifesto

Giving away something lengthy for free may not seem like a good idea, but this is a fantastic blog idea that will grant you some serious viewership if it works out the first time. It needs to be somewhat lengthy and it needs to offer a lot of value to the reader. A good cover design will make it stand out as well.

44. Feature specific followers and dedicate posts to them 

Showing appreciation to your fans is paramount. Take some time to feature a guest blogger, or showcase a specific follower. They will appreciate it, and they’ll probably share it as well.

45. Walk away for a week, make people think you disappeared

This is risky, but apparently it has worked in the past. Take a week off, walk-away, maybe hint at something big happening and then take a week off. Rumors will circulating, people will start asking questions, and the air will be buzzing by the time you make your triumphant return.

46. Invite questions, post your answers

To create engagement with your followers, try posting some questions about anything relating to your blog topic or niche.

Once you’ve gathered up some answers, create a subsequent post and see what people had to say. This works for generating content, and it helps keep followers coming back.

47. Write a series of posts

If you start something and you know it’s going to be long. Break it up into a series of posts.

This will help keep the reading level light for people online who have very small attention spans, and you’ll also have several posts worth of content to put up.

48. Publish a short story or poem

A story or poem is meant to be seen, so put it out there and don’t be afraid of what people might say. You’re going to get good feedback, and you’re going to get jerks who can’t properly form a sentence. Still, stuff like that isn’t meant to sit on a hard drive forever.

49. Create a custom 404 page, and encourage people to find it

This is one requires a bit of elbow grease, but if one of your visitors runs into a 404 error, you don’t want the page they see to be the default, trust me. There are helpful tutorials on how to do this, and creating a page that is funny and informative is the best way to handle these kinds of errors.

50. Invite experts to review your posts and comment on them 

They may not come, but if you create posts inviting experts in your field or niche to come and comment on your blog, you may just attract a few, and with them, a lot of new followers.

51. Create an audio post

Something I like to refer to as a “noisy blog.” Doing an audio post just requires a recording device of some kind and your willingness to say out loud what you would normally write.

Doing this enables you to get a new post up quickly and offers some variety.

Audio Blog Post

52. Showcase interesting and useful people to follow

Support the community within your niche and feature other bloggers and maybe some of your followers who have blogs.

This kind of networking benefits everyone involved.

53. Post links to new and exciting technological breakthroughs

In addition to current events, posting links to exciting new breakthroughs is really fun because you get to weigh in with your opinion, and enrich the reader’s life with exciting news about the next gadget or mainstream device.

54. Rant and rave about something that drives you nuts

We all have those things that “grind our gears” so why not let off a little steam is an enraged post that goes for almost 1,000 words about something small and insignificant that drives you up a wall.

55. Create your own bucket list

A bucket list contains all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” as it were. Put one together and post it. Every time you cross something off the list, post again and tell us how it went.

56. Explain your blogging origin story

So why did you get into blogging? Did something inspire you? Was it our inspiring article on why you should start a blog today? Tell the world and they will love you more for it. People like to know all they can about the people they follow, so let the information flow.

57. Show off your most successful social media posts

Did post a tweet that had a thousand views? Was there a Facebook post you did that made the world implode? Feature it on your blog, that way you can bring those people right into your perfect trap of excellent writing.

58. Host a live event on your blog

People love to be a part of history, so put together a live blogging event or a video stream and advertise it well in advance. This way people can jump on and tune in.

59. Write a scathing review for something that doesn’t need one

This falls into the category of doing something just because it’s funny. Try writing a horrible review for something that everyone knows is bad.

You could review the common cold for example, or review a gallon of milk that expired six months ago. Take it seriously and it will be all the more hilarious as a result.

60. Enable Gravatar images in your comments

This puts power in the hands of your followers and allows for even more hilarity to ensue. Not to mention it lets your followers showcase their name and profile on your blog so you can connect with them easier.

61. Learn something new and share it with your followers

Have you ever replaced the heat sink over a processor in a custom built PC? Well, why not learn how to do it, and then share the process with your followers. Find something in your niche that needs a step-by-step guide and learn how to do it yourself.

62. Film a video post

Like the noisy blog I mentioned earlier, this is a great way to mix things up, and it allows you to show off that gorgeous mug of yours. See, everybody wins!

63. Post completely useless facts

There are some things that people just really don’t need to know. For example, did you know that it’s impossible to hum while holding your nose shut?

Go ahead and try, I did. This is one of those tempting things to blog about, so give in and do it.

64. Publish your art

I don’t care if it’s a finger painting or a red dot, everything is considered art nowadays. Post it on your blog and talk about what it means. If you have a deep meaning behind your red dot, that’s what makes it art.

65. Share your income and traffic numbers with your followers

Full disclosure is the best idea when starting your own blog. You don’t have to give out your password, but if you keep followers updated with your income and traffic numbers, they will be able to see how they can help improve it, and help give you feedback.

66. Write about common misconceptions in your niche

People always make assumptions, which lead to misconceptions. Blog about the kinds of things people say and think about your niche and prove them wrong. The community will thank you for it.

67. Showcase a small business, artist, or writer

If you have a lot of followers, help out someone who is just starting out by showcasing their work on your blog. It’s free content, and they get the exposure they need. Everyone wins.

68. Write about what you would do with a Time Machine

This is another one that can change as your perception of the world does, but why not start a series of posts where you talk about what you would do with access to a time machine.

Would you right the wrongs of history, or just go back and see what came first: The chicken or the egg? Tell us in a post or better yet, a series of them.

69. Respond to another blogger’s post or idea

Go out and read other blog posts in your niche. Find one that you love, or maybe one you hate, and post your own response to it. You may even get a shout out from the other blogger in the future.

70. Describe your dream girl/guy

Well I’m looking at mine right now, but she doesn’t know I’m writing about her. Whether you’ve found your soul mate or you’re still searching, why not describe them for the world, maybe he/she is already a follower?

71. Solve a problem

Whether it’s the issue of opening a jar when someone closed it too tight, or ending world hunger, find a problem and solve it. When you’ve figured out the solution, post it on your blog. Helpful posts are always welcome.

72. Argue both sides of a topic in one post

People may think you’re certifiable, but this is a fun way to go a little nuts. Find a topic and argue with yourself in a single post. Really get into it too, don’t hold back just because you know the author.

73. Reveal little known facts about a well-known subject

Find something that is commonly recognized and switch things up by revealing a secret about it that most people wouldn’t know. This new spin on an old subject works wonders for creating an engaging blog post.

74. Write a “time capsule” post to your future self

This is a fun one, why not write a message to yourself in the future. Maybe offer some advice, throw out a few reminders, and have fun with it. It’s not going anywhere so you can see it again in a few years. On the flip side, you can do this, but write a letter to your past self.

75. Profile your favorite company or brand

This can be done with a big company or a small one, but try and put together an entire profile of a company and see how much you learn in your search. Showcase the highs and lows, and really dig deep to make this a truly interesting post.

76. Post shocking conversation logs

You wouldn’t believe some of the things people will say when they’re on a chat. It’s like all social norms just go out the window. Find some of these crazy conversations and post them on your blog for a few laughs and an opportunity to throw in your opinion.

77. Offer advice for tough situations

Whether it’s fights with your significant other, or how to best handle a nasty love triangle, why not share your tips for handling the situations people find themselves in? Everything from a broken down car to a bad living situation, you can offer your wisdom.

City Building

78. Have your significant other write posts as well

When starting a blog, you could always bring your other half into the equation and make it a joint effort. This way you can also get a different perspective on some topics as well.

79. Publish an E-book and promote it on your blog

Your blog is a great marketing tool, so make sure you use it! You can generate a lot of buzz by writing an E-book and publishing it online for free. Then you can promote it via your blog and generate downloads plus followers all in one fell swoop.

80. Examine the origins of a major corporation or company

This is a more focused concept than previously mentioned, but you can trace the roots of just about anything back to where it started and in a lot of cases, the origin story is quite fascinating. The legwork isn’t too hard on your part, and your followers will appreciate the research you did.

81. Create a list of your favorite things

It could be anything from your favorite foods, to your favorite movie, throw it all in a list and it makes for a great post. Your followers will love the extra information and that serves to strengthen your bond with them.

82. Write about hypothetical scenarios

Make up something crazy like an alien invasion or a zombie apocalypse and then write it out. Tell everyone what you would say, do, and be willing to sacrifice in that scenario. This can be really fun for a writing blog, or anything else really.

For business, you could speculate what would happen in a crisis situation and talk about how to handle it. Creativity and knowledge is key here to make this convincing.

83. Create alternate history, show what could have happened

When you start blogging, it can be daunting to get that first wave of content out there, but don’t fret. Why not try an alternate history post? Take something like WWII and write about what would happen if, say, Japan won the war? You could talk about how different the world would be. This is something that history buffs go crazy for.

84. Offer dog training tips

If you’ve raised a few animals of your, people are always looking for help training their pets, dogs specifically, and you could offer your expertise. Free advice is always popular when it comes to online blogging.

85. Examine human behavior in specific situations

This is one for the psychologists out there. Take scenarios such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or other disasters and examine how people behaved in those scenarios. Check out third world countries and see what people will do to survive. Understanding the way that people react is a great method of handling situations like that, and a fascinating topic in general.

86. Review your favorite things

After you’ve listed your favorite things like my suggestion above, you can create some specific posts where you examine those things you love so much and tell everyone why they made the cut.

87. Examine different types of addictions

People can become addicted to all kinds of things, so why not talk about the psychology behind it, and warn people of the signs so they can stop themselves from falling too deep into that hole. Informative and useful.

88. Showcase medical research and potential cures for major diseases

We’re all looking for the cure to cancer, and while it may not be here yet, you can keep people updated on medical breakthroughs for various diseases. This is a subject many people want to stay up to date on. You can be the one to keep them in the loop.

89. Create posts about ancestors in your family tree

Research your ancestry and write about all the people that came before you in your family tree. Maybe you’re related to a general or a war hero, you never know. You can find out, and tell everyone the story.

90. Point out ridiculous laws in the world

Somewhere there’s a law where you can’t stare at a moose from an airplane window, not even kidding. Write up some blog posts about these weird and oddball laws from around the world, this could take up quite a few posts actually.

91. List stereotypes that need to go away

Stereotypes can sometimes turn out to be true, but some of them are just plain dated. Point out the old ones and start them on the track to obscurity.

92. Feature humanity’s greatest mistakes

We’re not perfect, not at all. Put together some posts about horrible decisions we have made as a species and talk about the effects they had on the people around us, and the world. Hopefully we won’t repeat these in the future.

93. Offer relationship advice

If you’ve been through a few rough relationships, you know what works, and what doesn’t. Share you knowledge for those who need help. This is an always popular subject.

94. Give tips for talking to your crush

Breaking the ice can be tough, so post some ideas about striking up a conversation with someone else that has struck your fancy. It can be nerve wracking and some people just don’t bother starting the conversation at all. Show them how to make it happen so they don’t have regrets.

95. Showcase the benefits of aromatherapy candles

Aromatherapy is a massive industry, and scented candles fall right in the middle of it. Create posts about how these scents and recipes help us relax and unwind.

96. Describe your worst mistakes and what you learned from them

Choose some of the major pitfalls in your life and talk about what you learned. By doing this, you can help other people (hopefully) avoid the same mistakes.

97. Create lists of must-see art galleries and museums

There are many museums and places of art around the world, but some truly stand apart. Create a list of them for your blog and give travelers the advice they need to make the most of their time abroad.

98. Write about haunted locations around the world

Nothing like a good ghost story to get the blood flowing. Create a list of the most haunted locations in the world for your readers to get them excited, then dare them to go visit.

99. Try to deduce the meaning of life

You could have an entire blog about this, but really sit down and try to figure out the ultimate question. You’ll come up with some profound stuff for your blog and your followers may just find themselves enlightened as well. As far as post topics go, this one is good.

100. Create an ongoing mystery, have your followers decide where the story goes

This is a cool way to turn your blog into an interactive story. Have your followers vote or comment on where they want the next post to lead and make an interactive mystery out of it.

101. Write a post series in which every section is done by a different author

You could take one of these ideas or make your own and run a series where you right the first post and each subsequent one is written by a guest author. This will create a winding road of perspectives and really stand out amongst other blogs.

Beach City

102. Publish your opinions on hot button topics

Find something that people feel very passionate about and proudly place your input into the mix.

There’s a difference between this and stirring the pot though, in this instance, you’re firmly rooting yourself on one side, or the other for the sake of proving your side’s superior nature.

103. Write everything there is to know about your favorite animal

Pick your favorite animal or animals and create posts where you describe everything there is to know about them. This is both fun for you and extremely educational for your followers.

104. Describe your dream house

It doesn’t have to make sense, but you can write about the perfect house and put in everything from hover boards to an automated system voiced by Pierce Brosnan. Make it creative and funny, or you can pick out a real life house and start saving your pennies.

105. Journal your experience with a major life event

Whether you’re recovering from a disease or you are experiencing a pregnancy, an ongoing series of posts about the situation and how you’re handling it is a great way to keep content coming, and receiving support from your followers.

106. Write about your favorite songs

If you like the lyrics, talk about that, if the band’s hairstyles are your favorite aspect that’s fine too. Talk about what makes these songs your favorite and really examine the emotional effect that the music has on you for maximum effect.

107. Feature massive collections of various things

Scour the web or your own home if you’d like and find collections that are just too large to be true. Stickers, toys, movies, you name it, some people really go crazy collecting these things.

108. Roast your favorite celebrities

If you’ve ever seen a celebrity roast, you know they can be hilarious and cruel all at once. Take your favorite celebrity and imagine you’re on stage roasting them and let the hilarity ensue.

109. Showcase cultures that do things differently than you

There are other cultures around the world that we may find odd, but it would be interesting to see an actual examination of them and their practices. This is one of those good blog topics that I haven’t see used very much.

110. Reveal your biggest fears

Don’t tell anyone where you live, because they might come play a prank on you, but revealing your deepest fears can be vindicating and exciting for your followers to read.

111. Describe your favorite memories from your childhood

It’s hard to remember some of our early years, but we all have those great childhood memories. Tell your stories in a series of posts that will make your followers feel closer to you.

112. Post funny pictures of your pets

I have two dogs and let me tell you, they can be ridiculous and hilarious at times. Catch them on camera or film them and upload these to your blog for instant success.

113. Create your own superhero or villain

It doesn’t have to be too serious, but come up with a superhero or villain and write out their whole story in a blog post. Maybe have an ongoing series with them if your followers like the idea.

114. Speculate on the mysteries of the universe

There are things like dark matter and aliens that we don’t know everything about. Why not try and come up with your own theories about what’s out there. These aren’t conspiracy theories, more like opportunities to fill in the cracks that science has yet to fill.

115. Dare your followers to do something crazy (within reason)

Depending on your niche, you can dare your followers to do something crazy or funny within reason and have them send you the results. This can make for some great posts.

116. Pretend you’ve gone insane, see how long you can keep it up

One day just pretend that you’ve snapped and start writing insane blog posts. See what happens when your followers think you’ve lost your mind.

117. Create an urban myth

From scary stories to Slenderman, a lot of urban myths still survive to this day. Why not create one of your own and spread the word of it to see if it catches on.

118. Spread rumors, even if they’re not real

Make up a rumor just for the sake of doing it and try to spread it amongst your followers and beyond. Don’t attack someone’s character, but maybe challenge an accepted norm and see how far the charade will go.

119. Start a blogging war

This may not fall into the category of good blog topics, but you could respond to another blog’s post and take the opposite stance, thereby instigating a blog war. You could also work out a fake attack on each other in the background and see how the followers react to your flying insults.

120. Create posts about your pet peeves

Watch out for people who will use this against you, but you could always write about the things that make your fists clench involuntarily.

121. Showcase the most ridiculous phobias

There are fears out there that, while real, are ridiculous. Point out some of them in a post or several and make the fear of peanut butter being stuck to the roof of your mouth (Arachibutyrophobia) known to the world

122. Write posts from other perspectives

Pretend that you’re a rock, or a dog, maybe even a microwave and write posts from that perspective. This is great for flexing the old imagination and makes for some hilarious moments.

Blogging Ideas

123. Describe the weirdest thoughts you’ve ever had

Our minds tend to have odd moments, so when you have one write it down and create a post about it.

You can pick out one of the strange thoughts that seemed to leap into your head and it makes for great material.

124. Invent your own product, share your idea

Don’t give away too many details before you patent it, but this is a good way to get feedback on an invention or product concept.

125. Criticize things that cannot be changed

Do you hate that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west? What about the fact that winter comes after fall? Try complaining about it even if you can’t change anything. It makes for a fun post.

126. Write a series of posts where you take everything literally

Try taking every figure of speech and idiom at face value and write about it in your post. This can result in some truly hilarious situations. For example, how can you do something every now, and again?

127. Try writing a post in an entirely different voice and tone than usual

In the spirit of changing things around to keep your followers on their toes, why not try changing up your tone and voice out of the blue for a post or two? You could even rhyme like I just did.

128. Chronicle your favorite plot twists

This requires a big spoiler warning, but you could point out some truly great twists in movies, books, and video games that could last for several posts.

129. Promote a cause that you feel passionate about

If you have something like a charity or a cause that you want to help promote and raise money for, blog about it and help raise money for the cause. Just make sure you have a way to show that the money is going to the right place since people will want to ensure they are donating to the cause.

130. Highlight your most insignificant accomplishments

Instead of bragging about major successes, post about all of the little things you accomplished each day. For example: “I got out of bed,” which is hard, so let the world know you’re stronger than that.

131. Describe how something extremely complex works

I don’t know how a microphone works. I can make it record my voice, but I don’t know how it does that. Try breaking down electronics and appliances into their individual parts and explaining how they do what they do.

132. Predict the future, back up your claims

Do some research and really try to predict what’s going to happen either in your life, or the world, and publish your predictions. See how close you were, or how far off you can be as time goes on.

133. Post clever “life hacks”

These are fun things that make your life easier. For example, if you place a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling water, it will never boil over. These make for great topics and there’s a lot of them out there.

134. Write about things you like that other people hate 

Everyone’s got an opinion, but there are some things that people really like that others truly hate. Find out which ones fall into your field of interest and defend the honor of it in your blog posts.

135. Take a picture of your computer desk as it is, then explain it 

Your desk may have a wallet, empty soda cans, a microphone and some bills on it but snap a shot and upload it with an explanation of why all of that stuff is on your computer desk. Make it a weekly thing and never clean your desk for maximum results.

Blog Ideas with a Coffee

136. Write about the last time you cried

If we cried about something, it had to be emotional. Recall the last time you shed tears and write about why you felt so strongly in that moment.

Emotionally charged writing is the best kind.

137. Post about people or things you wish you could switch places with

Maybe you want to be your dog for a day? You could write about taking a celebrity’s life for a week. This has a lot of possibilities to it.

138. Showcase your receipt from your last grocery store trip

Cross out the sensitive info and post a picture of your grocery store trip to show what kind of foods you tend to eat and how much you spend for you other people in your life. This could start a discussion about how to cut down on extra costs as well.

139. Write about the things you would change about the world if you could

There’s a lot wrong with the world, but what would you change if you could change anything? Tell us how you would do it and maybe someone with power will stumble across your blog and make it happen.

140. Transcribe a conversation where your grandmother describes the current generation 

You could set up a blog around this alone. Try asking Grandma to describe Facebook to you, or what a smartphone is and record her answers. I imagine they would be pretty funny.

141. Describe the world to someone who has been in a coma for 100 years

This is a good post prompt. Limit yourself to 800 words and try to describe everything that someone who has been in a coma for 100 years has missed. Good luck.

142. Answer a fundamental question in your own words

Take a really complicated question about life or evolution, or something very fundamental and scientific and answer it without the help of a textbook or fancy wording.

143. Write about illusions that we cling onto

We always imagine that things like money and power are worth something, but they’re all illusions that we’ve given value. Why not tackle some of these fickle things and see how we cling so desperately to them.

144. Create a presidential campaign, describe your platform 

Politics can be a tricky thing, but if you were to run for president, what would you fight for? Would you run as a republican, a democrat, or independent? Put your campaign together and see what your followers think of it.

145. Post a challenge and accompanying photos of your progress

Challenge yourself to grow a beard, lose weight, something that you can measure, and do daily posts with photos to show your progress. These are inspiring to a lot of people and it makes for great content on your blog to boot.

146. Describe how something we use every day is made

It’s amazing that they get all those potato chips to taste the same, but how are they made? Put together posts of common things we use and eat and talk about the process behind their production.

147. Create writing prompts for your guest bloggers or followers

You can post ideas like these on your blog and ask followers or guest writers to submit their ideas on them to you for some great content that you know is fitting for your niche.

148. Post a journal of your nightly dreams and nightmares 

Dream journals aren’t done very often, but it’s always interesting to hear what people dream about. Put together your own posts where you talk about what you saw and did in your dreams and maybe you can piece together what’s all those dreams mean.

149. Create a weekly/bi-weekly newsletter

Throwing together a newsletter of various sub-sections is a great way to keep steady content coming to your blog.

150. Show Off Unique Tools 

Did you notice that fancy image up there where I showed you the results of that Google search? That’s a new tool I discovered called Recordit. It’s a tool that let’s you capture your own recorded screenshots. Did I mention it’s free? Find tools like these and showcase them in a post to your followers!

151. Share Tips For Increasing Efficiency 

We all want to know how to write better, faster, and stronger. There’s plenty of ways to increase your concentration or keep your energy levels up while working. I for one like to use the Pomodoro method because it keeps me energized and focused.

152. Ask Yourself “Why?” Post the Answer

This may cause an existential breakdown on your part, but man, that would make for a sweet post. Ask yourself the big question in life: “Why?” It could be specific, like “why do you blog?” or “why did you pick this topic?” Or, if you’re feeling particularly profound, it can answer a much larger question about you, yourself, or the world we live in.

153. Do a Holiday Post 

There’s honestly a holiday for everything. Why not try to keep track of as many as you can? When you go to write a post, see if it just so happens to be “National Popcorn Day” or something like that, and do a post around the purpose and potential history of that day? Mainstream holidays work too, but finding the obscure or historical ones make this even more fun.

154. Do a Behind the Scenes Post 

Ever wonder what goes on in the daily life of Matt Banner? Well, too bad, I like my secrecy. Just kidding, maybe I’ll try this myself one day, but if you have a large following of fans, why give them a sneak peek into your life outside of blogging?

155. Do an Expert Roundup 

I actually posted an expert roundup of my own recently with great results. All you need to do is find a question that people are asking in your niche, and ask other key people in your sphere what they think is the answer. Compile their answers, along with your own, for an action-packed post!

156. Is a Picture Truly Worth a Thousand Words? 

Take a photo that you took, or one that speaks to you. Write about it, and see if you can make the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” happen in real life.

157. What’s the Weirdest/Funniest Thing You’ve Seen or Heard This Week?

You could make this a weekly trend if you’d like. Say each Thursday you post the funniest or weirdest thing you saw or heard that week. It can be a quote, a video, something you said or heard, anything you want!

158. Debate in The Comments 

If you’re particularly passionate about something, try writing a post where you set some ground rules and state your opinions. Then, tell people you’ll be monitoring the comments and debating your stance with them. Keep things respectful and honest, and you could really start a fire here.

159. Post Comic Strips 

This one requires artistic talent, so it’s off the table for me, but maybe you could do it! If there’s something in your niche that you want to poke fun at, try your hand at a satirical cartoon or comic strip and post it on your blog to see what your readers think!

I hope you got a few ideas for your blog from this long and comprehensive list. If you have any questions or anything else to say about the topic please let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear them.

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This post was originally published in Onblastblog blog

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