Editorial

By December 11, 2013 Read More →

Getting the Most Out of Your DSLR Camera: 7 Tips

6860378070_c0501eef67A DSLR camera is so much more than a point-and-shoot tool to take nice family pictures. With a few basics tips and a lot of practice, you can create artistic-studio quality work that you will be proud to share with family and friends. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your purchase.

Start with the Basics

Read your manual; it’s a time investment you won’t regret. The great thing about the user manual is everything you read can be applied right away. If the thought of reading the whole thing at once intimidates you, start with a chapter at a time, and experiment with what you learn. Remember to thoroughly clean the camera lens before each photo session. 

Posted in: Cameras, Editorial
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By December 6, 2013 Read More →

Anti-Patent-Troll bill passed

url4It looks as if we will hopefully see an end to these over-long and costly patent wars between the big companies. For years we have been hearing about Apple suing Saumsung, Samsung suing Apple, Apple suing HTC, HTC suing Nokia, Nokia suing Apple etc… I’m sure you get the idea.

A recent bill passed through the “House,” or “Crib” as the Representatives residing there might call it, outlines a Patent trolling lawsuits. This initially seems like a good idea, however it might not protect the average Joe inventor who needs the system to help protect their discovery. If you legitimately make an awesome discovery, your right to profit from it.

The real problem is that the patent office is totally incompetent and will give you a patent for obvious “inventions” if you dress it up nicely enough. Not just for practice uses, but for business method patents. That’s what gives these trolls the ammunition to shake down legitimate businesses.

Source: Arstechnica

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By December 4, 2013 Read More →

Business process outsourcing

repeatableWhen an individual decides to set up their own business, they will have a clear vision of what they aim to achieve. In an ideal world, this mission would be the sole focus of the business with all staff working to deliver it.

In reality, secondary issues and tasks become involved. IT issues, HR processes and finance problems can all reduce the amount of time your staff members can allocate to achieving the dream. After all, less time equals less team output. If you would like assistance with your business finances, then go to the site to contact a professional. 

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that so many companies outsource their business processes. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to doing so, as this post will explore.

Reduces pressure

As you will be aware, offices can be incredibly stressful environments. In fact, research carried out by Viking and published in the Daily Mail has found that 40 per cent of office workers are stressed to the point where their health is at risk. As this shows, the last thing you or your employees will need is added tasks on your to-do list.

One of the main benefits of outsourcing business processes is that it removes the pressure on both you and your staff. Letting another company deal with these tasks will significantly reduce your company’s workload, helping to alleviate stress in the process.

Aids time management

As we have already mentioned, outsourcing business processes saves your staff a lot of time by delegating some tasks to an external company. This allows extra time for more pressing matters within the business.

However, it can save you time in other ways too. In order to keep costs down, many companies will try and turn their hand to a number of tasks. Having a limited knowledge base and trying to do so could result in tasks taking longer than they should to complete. A specialised company will have all of the programmes and skills to carry out tasks quickly and efficiently, so are a much better option.

Privacy issues

One of the main concerns of many business owners is the privacy and security of their important data and details. Generally speaking, many people think that if they keep all of their processes in house, they are protecting them from theft and hacking. Giving their information to a third party company is unsecure, in many people’s eyes. If you need any additional information on data privacy, visit here.

However, there are ways of combatting this. Choosing a reputable business process outsourcing provider is one way of doing so. Nashtech is a good example of this. As they are a worldwide company who provide a service to millions, you know they are going to be both reliable and effective.

This post has documented just a few of the advantages and disadvantages associated with business process outsourcing. However, as many companies will agree, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, making this kind of outsourcing a vital cog in the workings of any business. As time progresses, we are sure to see even more businesses making use of this useful service.

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By December 4, 2013 Read More →

Green Computing and How It Can Help Your Business

Green ComputingRising energy costs and the stark reality of global warming have resulted in a growing movement around the world to implement more environmentally-friendly computing practices, referred to as “green computing,” in an effort to reduce energy use and environmental waste. Looking for climate action that fits your business? A reputable company like CarbonClick makes it easy to reduce your climate impact across your business.

Green computing is a must for any business in order to save money, conserve energy and benefit the entire planet, to make sure if this can help your business, consider the opinion of an expert like Bob Bratt. A recent report by the World Wildlife Fund highlighted the huge savings that can be wrought by taking carbon-reduction measures. Corporate projects to reduce carbon have generated a better return on investment for approximately 80 percent of large American companies.

Using less energy benefits a company through significant savings and helps increase the bottom line as well as being the environmentally responsible way to run a business. Learn here how you can implement green computing in your business through community organizing.

Replacing equipment

When it’s time to buy new equipment, replace those older CRTs with new Energy Star labeled LCDs that are more energy efficient and occupy less desk space. When servers need to be updated, be sure to purchase energy efficient models; nearly all manufacturers today are producing more “green” servers. The more Energy Star compliant devices you have, the more you’ll lessen your environmental impact while reaping greater financial savings.

Another thing you may want to consider is replacing faulty and broken laptop screens rather than disposing of the whole laptop. This can be cheaper than you think and you should find a replacement for most model frofm  Laptop-LCD-Screen.co.uk

Recycling computers

If computers are not properly recycled by it recycling companies uk and end up in a landfill, their toxins are released into the environment, contaminating water and soil.

Inquire about programs in your community for repurposing old equipment such as through local schools and other organizations which may be able to refurbish and put those items to good use. If this isn’t an option, do some research to find a way to properly recycle, such as through Computer Recycling Center at CRC.org. There is no shipping cost, and the national organization offers to recycle old computers or donate them for use in public charity and community programs.

Energy providers

In some regions of the country, you may be able to choose an energy company due to deregulation. This generally helps make the marketplace more competitive, encouraging suppliers to become more innovative in how they generate energy, lessening environmental impact and lowering prices which according to experts like Andy Defrancesco can help a business save on its monthly energy bill.

If your business is located in one of these markets, research the history of energy suppliers to learn about the wide range of choices you’re likely to have for providers.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting can be an important part of any company’s green computing strategy. Living Green magazine reports that it’s been estimated that as many as 40 percent of jobs held in the U.S. could be done from home, which means fewer tailpipe emissions and greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Just some of the many benefits of telecommuting to an organization include lower energy costs as well as reduced real estate requirements.

By December 3, 2013 Read More →

Manage Emails So They Don’t Manage You

emailThe convenience of email can be both a blessing and a curse: never has it been so easy to keep in touch with so many people across the world. At the same time, most of us have inboxes that are creaking under the strain of their simply being too many messages to cope with.

And once email overload starts to take a grip, it’s tempting just to ignore it altogether.

Using email should be a pleasure and/or a convenience, not a chore, and the key to improving the quality of your inbox experience lies in email management. Whether you set up a system of your own or employ a selection of apps and extensions to do the job for you, getting an organized routine in place can make a world of difference to the way you use email. Here  are ways on how you can do it:

Take control

Emails can quickly swallow up a substantial part of the day, if you let them. It’s important that you dictate how much time you spend checking messages, rather than simply responding to the volume of messages that come in. Decide how often you’re going to spend managing email, and resist the temptation to keep checking in too regularly. If you’re going to look at your emails, deal with them at the same time.

How this works in practice will be different for everyone, both in and out of work. Email communications may be crucial to your job or a distracting annoyance. Whatever the scenario, it’s crucial that you’re calling the shots and setting the ground rules, rather than reactively organizing the rest of your day around the demands of your emails.

Software and apps

If you’re at your wit’s end with email overload, don’t despair: help is available. Whichever app you’re using to access your messages, whether on the web or the desktop, you should find anti-spam and filtering tools that can help you take charge. Consider filtering out messages from all but your most important contacts, for example, ready to be dealt with at a later stage.

There are also many extra add-ons, extensions and third-party applications that you can employ to manage your email. The majority of these tools take the stress and strain out of organizing your email for you, cutting out unwanted messages and protecting you against viruses and phishing attempts at the same time.

 

Enterprise management

For those managing a business, a more comprehensive enterprise management system is required. Again, there are many options to choose from, such as the solutions offered by Mimecast, covering security, archiving and migration from other services. Pick a cloud-based service and much of the hard work is done before the messages arrive on your local system, which means you can enjoy a more optimised email experience.

Any time you take in waiting to address the issue of managing your emails is going to compound the problem and make it more difficult to untangle yourself from the mess. Get help with email management and it can transform the way you deal with emails and your communications with the outside world.

Posted in: Editorial
By November 29, 2013 Read More →

Cybersecurity: Who is Watching You Online?

Internet securityThe recent news involving the NSA and the implications for online privacy have put cybersecurity in a brand new light. Whenever you hop online with your Web browser of choice, chances are someone somewhere is keeping tabs on your Internet surfing habits. More than 85 percent of adults use the Internet, according to Pew Internet, and a variety of people are eager to collect their personal details—whether it’s to better track their shopping habits or to sell the data to a bounty of rogue marketers, debt collectors or even hackers in search of a ripe target.

Who Watches Over Us?

The vast majority of online tracking is done courtesy of “cookies” and “beacons”—tiny files that appear on your computer whenever you visit a website. While these files are intended to help your computer remember things like login details, organizations can use them to do things like create targeted advertising campaigns based on your browsing habits.

Third-party tracking files are among the most intrusive of the breed. These files assign a unique ID number to your computer, enabling the creator to build a substantial profile based on your visits to affiliated websites with the same technology. This allows retailers to provide predictive marketing based on consumer shopping habits. Forbes notes how this already resulted in one case where Target figured out a teen girl was pregnant long before her father did. Some tracking companies go as far as hiding these files in advertisements, free software and even other tracking files.

How to Watch the Watchers

Despite the growth of the digital security industry, it’s a field that generates a surprisingly small amount of interest from today’s young job seekers. A recent Raytheon poll found that only 24 percent of recent graduates have an interest in cybersecurity as a career. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t interested in enhancing their privacy by monitoring and curbing the usage of cookies and other tracking data.

Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, recently unveiled an add-on that sheds light on how first and third-party websites track and collect your data. Lightbeam creates a real-time graphic visualization of third-party entities on the sites you visit. This gives you an opportunity to see who’s collecting your data, how it’s being collected and where they connect to your online activity. In keeping with consumer desire for enhanced privacy, the data Lightbeam collects and displays is stored locally on your computer by default, according to Mozilla.

With identity theft a constant and prominent concern, companies like LifeLock provide a service to those looking to keep their credit ratings safe from fraud. For a small monthly fee, the company keeps an eye out for potentially fraudulent applications for loans, credit cards and other lines of credit and alerts customers to these attempts. The company’s confidence regarding its identity theft protection services extend to its $1 million guarantee in the event of a successful theft.

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By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Buying a New Mobile? Here Are Some Options

Set of touchscreen smartphonesIt can be challenging to renew lists of the best mobile phones available because their rate of release is so fast today. However, October saw the release of very few new phones. Now that the market has settled after the storm (or lack of, according to some) caused by the new iPhone releases, we can better assess the new phones that have been released of late.

The following are the best of the new bunch. If you’re low on funds this month, be sure to check out Virgin Media’s SIM only deals.

Google Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 promises to provide the smoothest and purest Android experience possible. You’ll be able to enjoy the new Android 4.4. KitKat and rather than waiting for the carriers to release updates, you’ll be able to download them directly from Google. There’s a 2.23GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU, along with a gorgeous 4.95-ich 1920/1080 display, with a pixel density of 445 pixels-per-inch.

There’s an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front camera. The phone comes in two options for internal storage: you can choose 16GB or double up to 32GB.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The new Galaxy Note 3 improves upon its predecessor massively. More of a ‘phablet’ than a phone, it’s the only handset that is compatible with Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear smartwatch (support for other Samsung devices will arrive at the end of the year).

Equipped with Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Note 3 has a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, a 5.7 inch 1920 x 1080 display screen, 3GB of RAM, a whopping 13MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera.

HTC One

Similar to the new Galaxy S4, the HTC One offers an aluminium chassis, a full HD screen and a simplified version of Sense 5.0 with Android Jelly Bean. Users will be able to create video highlight reels to share with their friends. There’s an ultrapixel camera that out-performs just about any other phone camera in low-light conditions.

HTC hasn’t had a great track record, but this model truly takes the cake and silences all critics. Although the battery life still leaves much to be desired, the HTC One is still the best phone HTC has released thus far.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Having just been released, the new Xperia has a bunch of new features under its hood. It now boasts the sharpest LCD panel on the market, as well as a 13MP camera that can capture HDR video.

It fits perfectly into your hand, being nice and slim at 6.5 millimetres. Still, it’s a hardy phone that features tempered glass along with a dust- and waterproof build. It can be submerged in up to 1 metre of water and still work, too.

Buying a new phone these days is tough, as the majority become outdated within a few months. The trick is to select a phone that will last a long time along with updates from the manufacturer. Resist the hype and do your research!

Posted in: Editorial, Phones
By November 28, 2013 Read More →

Top 10 Most Distracting Mobile Apps

dontdrivedistracted-568pxFrom the statistics that have recently been released, half of young drivers are reckless enough to use their mobile phones whilst on the road. Stats from a poll of 1000 drivers have shown that 50% admit to reading text messages whilst driving as well as 74% agreeing that smartphones are distracting to young drivers. As this information has come out, it is startling to know how often this is occurring. This insightful infographic has been devised by ingenie to highlight the facts as part of the #DontDriveDistracted campaign. Be sure to take part and pledge through Twitter, Instagram or Vine by using the hashtag.’

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By November 27, 2013 Read More →

The Benefits of Year-Round Cyber Security Coverage

DEU Brauchtum Liebe BrueckeIn recent years, online security has become a huge issue for casual computer users and businesses alike. While cybercrime can have a devastating effect on individuals, the effects on businesses can be crippling and even bring an organisation grinding to a halt, depending on the severity of the activity.

While most businesses are aware of the huge problems that cybercrime can cause and have various types of security software and cyber security measures in place to combat such potential attacks, many do not have proper year-round cyber security coverage and monitoring in place, which could cause problems. Nobody knows if and when cyber security threats will arise, and without constant security and monitoring, the security of your business could remain at risk even if you do have measures in place.

Why you should opt for year-round security

Many businesses carry out security testing on a periodic basis in the hope that this will enable them to avoid the risk of cyber threats. However, this actually leaves your business open to lengthy periods where threats could become an issue and new vulnerabilities could be introduced.

This is why it is important to ensure that assessments are carried out on a more regular basis and security monitoring becomes a constant rather than periodic process. Managed Data Protection is a cloud-based data security service, enabling you to quickly encrypt and protect your most sensitive data.

So what are the benefits of year-round cyber security coverage? Well, some of the key benefits include the following.

  • Increased peace of mind: there is no doubt that cyber threats have become a huge issue and problem for organisations. However, by ensuring you have access to year-round cyber security coverage, you can benefit from greater peace of mind rather than being continually concerned about the possibility of new vulnerabilities slipping through the net.
  • Increased protection: the effects of cybercrime on businesses can be devastating, affecting everything from the running and finances of the business to the security of sensitive or even classified information. With year-round security, you can ensure your organisation benefits from increased protection, minimising the risk of falling victim to cybercriminal activities.
  • Minimising on the risk of both external and internal breaches: with the right year-round security system, you can ensure your organisation is protected against both external and internal breaches, which means a heightened level of protection for your business.

By opting for managed security services from professionals with expertise and experience in this field, you can ensure that your organisation’s cyber security systems are running at optimum levels at all times. The right provider can ensure you are protected against the ever-increasing threat of cybercrime.

Choosing the right company to provide your managed security services means that you can benefit from rapid response to make sure that your network is always secure and protected. You can also benefit from the expertise, knowledge and skills of professionals to ensure that all of your company’s cyber security needs are met and maintained. https://www.sapphire.net/ are specialists in just one area, uniting subject-matter experts in the field of cybersecurity management and policy with the latest and most advanced technology to give organizations a higher level of protection. You can find out more about managed cyber security services, here.

By November 24, 2013 Read More →

Kindle Fire HDX WiFi issues

Kindle-Fire-Wi-Fi-password-promptI got my hands on a new Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ a few days ago and you may have seen me experiencing some issues with connecting to the App store during the recording of my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ unboxing video.

Since then I have been really struggling with the HDX. Despite its dual-band dual-antenna WiFi, it’s consistently dropping its WiFi connection and even when it reports connected to WiFi the connection is either poor or non-existent.

Now, it’s entirely possible that I just have a faulty unit and my Kindle Fire HDX WiFi issues could well be just a fluke. However, Googling for WiFi problems on the Fire HDX does yield rather a large number of results and there seem to be quite a few people out there with the same problem. Helpfully, one site suggests downloading the latest firmware for the Kindle and whilst there is a System Update available for my HDX, guess what, I can’t download that without an internet connection!

So as it stands, the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9″ may well be a super looking, light and powerful tablet with an incredible screen, but I’ve so far been able to do very little with it.

Obviously I’ll be speaking to Amazon support about it and will report back, but if anyone else out there has the same problems and better still knows the solution, I’d love to hear from you!

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