Technology

Consumers continue to spend more time online

How is the increase in Internet consumption affecting the world we live in? Brits are spending more and more time online. Large audiences spend up to 30 hours a week on the Internet, according to a uSwitch.com report.

The report showed that, on average, we spend 2 hours online for work and 3 hours for leisure every day, with about 3 hours per day on weekends browsing to keep us entertained. Online usage is increasing in the younger age groups, with people aged 18-24 spending 45 hours a week online.

The way we access the Internet is also changing. The growth of the mobile Internet, due to more sophisticated 3G mobile phones, is increasing the amount of time spent online. Users have more options to access the web from portable devices wherever they are.

Faster connection speeds and greater broadband coverage in Britain mean that broadband use at home continues to rise as well. Ofcom’s research into broadband speeds in Britain found that average UK broadband speeds in April 2009 were 4.1 Mbit/s and that 70% of broadband users receive average speeds. of more than 2 Mbit/s. Higher connection speeds allow for faster loading times and the ability to stream higher-quality content, such as HD videos.

The effect on ad spend

The increasing amount of time spent online is having an impact on where advertisers spend their marketing budgets. Online ad spending has now surpassed television. Increasingly, brand name advertisers are realizing the potential of the Internet as a means of reaching mass audiences.

Big brands like Kellogg’s are realizing the potential audiences it can bring online. Kellogg’s spent £58m on TV advertising between August 2008 and July 2009 and only spent just over £300k online. But this is about to change with the appointment of dedicated digital positions to devise strategy for 2010. This indicates that large advertisers are now attuned to the benefits that online customer communications can bring to a brand.

Kellogg’s seemingly late embrace of Internet ad spending is not surprising, as FMCG brands have generally found it difficult to embrace the digital landscape. This is because they have failed to understand how it can fit in with their overall marketing strategy. But the UK’s majority adoption of moving online means advertisers need to be where the audience is.

The convergence of TV and Online

More and more people in the UK are consuming television online. Catch-up TV became popular in 2008, thanks to BBC iPlayer and 4OD. Figures from Ofcom’s latest annual communications market report show that 23% of households say they watch programs online. This increases to 33% in people aged 15-24.

There are two ways to watch TV online via streaming or download. If you’re streaming, you’re watching directly from the station, just like traditional TV. Programs can often be paused and renewed (unless they are “active”), but they are not saved to your computer. Downloaded shows are saved to your computer’s hard drive and can be viewed whenever you like, though many have digital rights management (DRM) protection that blocks them after a set period of time to prevent you from viewing them again.

Is TV consumption likely to move solely online? This may happen in the future if more programs are broadcast exclusively online, as in the case of England’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, which, for the first time in early October 2009, was broadcast online without television coverage. The cost to watch the match started at £4.99 before 8 October and increased to £11.99 until the day of the match.

General consumer feedback was that this was too expensive for a match and alienated spectators and fans from pubs with slow internet connections. But there will undoubtedly be more events in the future that are not broadcast on TV and are only broadcast on the Internet.

The growth of social networks

Social media is huge in the UK with Facebook being the clear market leader accounting for 1 in 7 UK pageviews. Facebook is the second most visited site in the UK after Google, but is the undisputed leader in terms of page views due to the sticking of the site with more page views than Google, eBay UK and YouTube combined.

The success of Facebook is staggering, with an 86% increase in visits in the last 12 months. Despite recently losing press coverage to Twitter, it remains the most popular social network, accounting for almost half of all social media activity that takes place online, with no sign of slowing its growth. Social media isn’t just for a young audience, the fastest growth was in the 35-54 age group during the first quarter of this year.

Children and their time online

Most children are totally comfortable using the Internet, as they don’t know a world without it. A report from the London School of Economics found the following about Internet use by children aged 9-19. Children are very comfortable using the Internet with 40% using the Internet daily. Although time spent online tends to be shorter than with adults, 19% spend up to 10% and 48% spend between 10 minutes and an hour. The activities they carry out on the Internet, ordered by popularity, are:

  • Get information about things other than school work (94%)
  • Help with school work (90%)
  • Send and receive emails (72%)
  • Play online games (70%)
  • Send and receive instant messages (55%)
  • Download music (45%)
  • Seek information about careers and higher education (44%)
  • Search for information and buy online (40%)
  • Read the news (26%)
  • Chat rooms (21%)

I have no doubt that Internet usage will continue to grow over time. Our children use it from a young age, creating a generation of people who are comfortable doing a variety of tasks online, from entertainment to shopping. Continued improvement in Internet access lowers the barriers to entry, and increasing technologies that use the Internet to make certain tasks easier and faster will help continue the growing expansion of the Internet.

Technology

Advantages of using tiles as a floor covering

Mosaics can be a great way to create a modern finish for most rooms, but it’s always best to consider the pros and cons before making any snap decisions. As a homeowner, you’ll understand the importance of choosing décor and furnishings that are practical, durable, and look great. Here is a list of advantages and disadvantages of choosing tiles as a floor covering:

Advantages

1. Low maintenance

Floor tiles are easier to clean compared to many other flooring options. A spill can be cleaned up in a matter of minutes, making tile a practical flooring option.

2. Sustainable

Tiling lasts a long time. This is due to the hard stone and ceramic materials from which the tiles are made. Tiles will last for years if well cared for, as they are relatively impervious to wear and tear.

3 elegant

The mosaic looks great. A tile floor can open up a small room and give it a larger, lighter appearance. Tiles can also be brought in a wide variety of styles, types and colors, from glazed for a polished look, to a natural unglazed condition for a rustic finish.

Disadvantages

1. cold

Tiles can be cold to the touch which could be a problem in England during the winter. However, there are ways around this, with underfloor heating options now available.

2. It is likely to break

Tiles are more temperamental than other flooring options, such as carpeting and wood laminate flooring, as falling hard objects can cause tiles to break and crack. Other objects are also more likely to break when they come into contact with the tiles.

3. Dirt and dust

Dust can accumulate on the surface of the tile floor and make the floor look dirty and uninviting. However, this can of course be avoided by using the simple cleaning methods mentioned above.

Mosaics in general can be a very elegant and effective way to cover the floor of any room in the house. There is a wide range of colours, patterns, shapes and sizes which, if chosen correctly, can create a stunning modern interior. There are a plethora of retailers to choose from that carry a wide variety of tiles, so it’s no easy task. Hopefully, our article helps and makes the decision process a bit easier. We think tiled floors are stylish and come in a variety of designs, so good luck with your choice!

Technology

Brushless DC Motors

Motors play an important role in the lifting and running of a device. They are limited by weight, but the high-efficiency, power-capable motors can easily handle heavy-duty situations. Brushless motors are best used for quadcopters, multicopters, and drones.

Choosing engines for helicopter projects is not an easy task, so technical specifications such as thrust, power and RPM should be checked for each selection.

In general, when planning to set up your own project for the first time, you should consider the weight and then the thrust to lift the quadcopter. Thrust must be held higher for proper lift, flight, and landing. Based on general statistics, the thrust should be maintained twice the weight of the quadcopter.

Confidence is perfectly maintained, too low can create difficulties to take off and too high becomes difficult to control.

A light helicopter is more efficient and durable.

In addition, the battery is also considered an important element for a long life of the quadcopter. Lithium-polymer batteries are best suited for long-term operation, as they do not swell or heat up faster. Batteries should be charged when it reaches a minimum of 20 percent. Zero percent could reduce battery life. Brushless DC motors achieved high speed of 10000 RPM or more.

The brushless DC motor architecture sounds very simple and compact. A fixed armature is present in the brushless motor around which the permanent magnets rotate. Brushless DC motors are best suited as they produce high torque to weight ratio, increased reliability, more torque per watt, reduced noise, do not require brushes as they have long life, completely eliminate ionizing sparks from the switch and reduce electromagnetic interference. Brushless motor commutation is easily implemented using a microcontroller, analog hardware, or digital firmware using an FPGA. Brushless commutation has greater flexibility, speed limiting, holding torque when stationary, micro-stepping operation for slow or fine motion control.

Brushless motors cover a wide range of applications in the field of electronic devices including computer hard drives, DVD/CD players, refrigeration. They are also favorable to electric vehicles such as bicycles and hybrid vehicles. Users or students can use a brushless DC motor on various quadcopters, multicopters or drones by adding additional accessories for a specific function. Helicopters assist in remodeling, cargo transfer, surveillance, videography, and many more.

After improving its performance, again, both coils are energized and further improved in such a way that it pushes the rotor and energizes the coils. Thus, it results in increased torque and engine power. This great achievement is seen in this engine and it takes time for other types of engines to catch up.

Technology

Why a clean boat deck is essential for a safer boating experience

When you first bought your boat, you probably envisioned idyllic days on the water with family friends. After the reality, you most likely realized that owning a boat is not always easy, especially when you are constantly worried about everyone’s safety. The last thing you want on any boating trip is for an accident to happen on your boat deck, which would really ruin everyone’s mood.

To ensure everyone’s safety, you should always keep your boat deck clean. If dirt and grime begin to build up on your boat’s deck, especially in the valleys of its non-slip textured surfaces, you may be endangering all of your boat’s passengers. All it takes is one ugly fall to ruin a perfect day on the water! To prevent falls, you should always ensure that your boat deck is clean and free of anything on its surface. A clean deck not only helps keep everyone safe, but it also helps with aesthetics, making your boat look as new as the day you first bought it.

A mold cleaner keeps your boat safe

Any boat owner will tell you that keeping mold and mildew at bay is one of the biggest cleaning concerns when owning a boat. As a common problem, neglected mold and mildew can really leave a stinky and unsanitary environment for everyone. That’s why you need an effective boat mold cleaner to further enhance the safety of your boat passengers. Look for a boat mildew remover that is safe to use on all natural and synthetic fabrics so you can use it on various surfaces without damaging it.

Steer clear of bleach-based boat mildew cleaners that can deteriorate the seams of your boat’s vinyl cushions. Also, see if you can find a no-kneeling solution to remove mold and mildew to make life easier after a long day on the water when the last thing you want to do is clean up.

The best boat deck cleaner to ensure safety

When selecting the best boat deck cleaner, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you’ll want to make sure you select a boat deck cleaner that has environmentally sustainable formulas so you don’t pollute the oceans or lakes with residue from your toxin-based cleaners. After all, you don’t want to harm the environment in which you love to play with your weekend toy! Always choose products made with biodegradable or eco-friendly formulas to protect the environment around you.

You’ll also want to make sure the deck cleaner you choose is suitable for a variety of deck surfaces so you don’t damage them with the wrong cleaner. Pay close attention to the bottle to confirm that it is safe for all surfaces, including fiberglass, gel coat, synthetic teak, and painted surfaces.

Prepare for boating season with the best marine cleaning products

As we enter boating season, it’s also a good idea to stock up on some essential marine cleaning supplies to get your boat ready for fun in the sun. You’re already bringing your boat up to speed for safety reasons, so why not give the rest of your boat a good clean before taking it out for the first time in months? A clean boat not only looks good, but it will make a day on the water that much more enjoyable as everyone will love how fresh and great your boat looks.

But don’t think you can use just any cleaning product on your boat. Household cleaners will not provide the same cleaning power. Look for specialty marine cleaning products that are made for specific surfaces on your boat and that are formulated with biodegradable ingredients. As you prepare your boat for spring break, summer vacation and more, give your boat some TLC with the right marine cleaning products before all the fun begins!

Technology

Description of cloud computing

Cloud computing is an information technology paradigm that enables ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system resources.

It is called cloud computing because the information being accessed is in “the cloud” and does not require the user to be in a specific location to access it. This type of system allows employees to work remotely. Companies that provide cloud services allow users to store files and applications on remote servers and then access all the data over the Internet.

Different types of cloud computing

Cloud computing is not a single piece of technology, like a microchip or a cell phone. Rather, it is a system comprised primarily of three services: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS)+, and Platform as a Service (PaaS). SaaS is expected to experience the fastest growth, followed by IaaS.

(1) Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS involves licensing a software application to customers. Licenses are typically provided through a pay-as-you-go or on-demand model. This fast-growing market could provide an excellent investment opportunity, with a Goldman Sachs report projecting that by 2018, 59% of total cloud workloads will be SaaS.

(2) Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The “infrastructure as a service” of a cloud service implies a method of delivering everything from operating systems to servers and storage over IP-based connectivity as part of an on-demand service. Customers can avoid the need to purchase software or servers and instead purchase these resources in an outsourced on-demand service.

(3) Platform as a Service (PaaS): Of the three layers of cloud-based computing, it is also a cloud service. PaaS is considered the most complex. PaaS shares some similarities with SaaS, the main difference being that instead of delivering software online, it is actually a platform for building software that is delivered over the Internet.

Characteristics of cloud environments

According to NIST, all real cloud environments have five key characteristics:

  1. On demand self service: This means that cloud customers can sign up, pay and start using cloud resources very quickly on their own without the help of a sales agent.
  2. Wide network access: Customers access cloud services over the Internet.
  3. Pooling of resources: Many different customers use the same servers, storage, or other computing resources.
  4. Rapid elasticity or expansion: Cloud customers can easily scale resource usage up or down as their needs change.
  5. metered service: Customers pay for the amount of resources they use in a given period of time rather than paying for hardware or software up front.
Technology

Service overview and provisioning of toll-free calls in North America

Free Service Overview

The 800 Service Management System (SMS/800) is an operations support system (OSS) used for the creation and maintenance of North American toll free call processing records. SMS/800 is also the source of availability of toll-free numbers and reservation status information. Many users call Service Management System 800 the “National Database”.

All service providers that assign toll-free numbers for use within the US and Canada use SMS/800 to check the availability of specific numbers, reserve numbers, create customer records, and download records to service checkpoints ( SCP) of the local exchange operator to facilitate call processing.

New customer records (CRs) and changes to existing CRs are uploaded to the SMS/800 by a responsible organization (Resp Org). The Resp Org (usually a telecommunications provider) is an organization designated to manage and administer a customer’s SMS/800 records. The organizations resp. they must go through a certification process to gain access to the national database.

After creating or changing the CR, SMS/800 downloads the appropriate information to service control points (SCPs) that direct free traffic by providing routing and carrier identification information. The CR contains the call handling instructions and options chosen by the customer. These options could include choosing multiple carriers (for example, Verizon or Qwest) for different time periods or routing calls to alternate destinations.

free provisioning

Currently, there are more than 200 resp organizations. who input data into the SMS/800. There are four basic methods for provisioning (entering, changing, or creating) this data:

Machined Generic Interface (MGI)

Some MGI users are large telecommunications providers (for example, AT&T). Other organizations resp. they buy access to sophisticated front-end systems that increase the efficiency of their free call provisioning users. In each case, as the user sets up customer records, the record is automatically transferred, via MGI, to SMS/800.

The MGI is connected to the SMS/800 via a high speed (56kbps) or frame relay (64k) data link. The organizations responsible they can look up and reserve numbers, as well as create or update customer records, through MGI.

The primary benefit of MGI access is that a user can update hundreds or thousands of toll free numbers with powerful online bulk change commands (no need for tape or email to the help desk).

batch tape

Batch tape users write customer record data to digital tape. The tape is then physically shipped to the SMS/800 production site (for example, via US mail) where it is loaded into the SMS/800. The organizations responsible they can create or update customer records by batch tape, but they cannot reserve numbers by batch tape. Due to the real-time nature of number reservations, those activities are handled online.

Online access (3270 terminal emulation)

Online users access SMS/800 through a dedicated private line which is typically a 9.6 kbps link, or through dial-up facilities. The organizations responsible they can look up and reserve numbers, as well as create or update customer records through online access. Most updates are made to only one toll-free number at a time.

Web Based Access (WBA)

Internet users access SMS/800 through a dedicated line or dial-up connection to an Internet service provider. Most updates are made to only one toll-free number at a time.

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Overview of basic toll free provisioning activities

SMS/800 provides three basic support functions: 1) number search and reservation; 2) creation and modification of customer records; and 3) reporting.

  1. Toll-free number search/reservation
  2. The organization of resp. You can search for available ten-digit toll-free numbers residing in the database. Random searches and pattern matching (for custom numbers) are available. A responsible organization You can reserve a spare number for a maximum period of 45 days. Reserved toll free numbers that are not activated within 45 days will be converted from reserved status and returned to the spare number pool. The maximum number of toll-free numbers that an organization resp. you can have in reserve status at any given time is equal to 8 percent of your working numbers or 2,000 numbers, whichever is greater.

  3. Creating and modifying customer records
  4. The organization of resp. You can create and modify customer records in the SMS/800 and schedule the date and time that the records will be activated in the SCPs. SMS/800 also supports a variety of special capabilities intended to allow the response organization and the subscriber to manage, monitor, and control the traffic associated with the toll-free number.

  5. Report Generation
  6. Numerous exception and administrative reports are available.

data output

SMS/800 downloads information to Service Control Points (SCPs), as appropriate. There are approximately 20 mated pairs of SCPs spread across the United States and Canada. The SMS/800 is connected to the SCPs via data links.

Summary

This article provides an overview of provisioning toll free services in North America. Concepts covered include National Database, Customer Registries, Responsive Organizations, Service Control Points, Access Technologies (MGI, Batch Tape, 3270, Web) and Search/Reservation, RC Creation and Modification, and Reports.

Technology

America’s Favorite Foods: Some Things Never Change

Americans are an interesting mix of cultures and foodies. We love sushi, Chinese and Mexican food, Italian restaurants, and designer coffee drinks, but when you get to the bottom of it, there are few surprises. We buy the same basic products that have been around for decades, mainly because we grow up with them, they are served in school canteens and around every corner.

In general, there are no surprises here and this list has changed little in decades, so let’s start with the America’s Top Ten Favorite Foods (no vegetables in sight):

Burgers – Ever since the first White Castle opened, we’ve been hooked

Hot Dogs – American food

Fries – can’t do much to make these better

Oreo Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookie Lovers Will Disagree

Pizza: many ingredients, but the base remains the same

Soft drinks: as a nation we consume them throughout the day (technically not a food, but oh well)

Chicken Tenders: We know which fast food chain started it all

Ice Cream: Thank enthusiastic President Thomas Jefferson for this

Donuts – breakfast of champions

French fries: our favorite snack, hands down

Mac and cheese (yes, Thomas Jefferson introduced this too)

Apple Pie – Existed in Some Form for Centuries

Drinks without alcohol:

Colas – since the first soda fountain opened, they have maintained their status

Lemon/Lime Drinks – Ever since Americans discovered lemons, a fizzy twist on good old lemonade

Dr Pepper – First considered a medicinal tonic (similar to cola), it still has a loyal following.

Fruit:

Berries – since man began to gather wild berries in the forest (it’s nonsense, some surveys will argue that they are bananas or apples)

Apples: easy to grow and transport

Bananas – no washing required

Grapes – cost may vary, but still wonderful, especially seedless

Vegetables:

Broccoli: there are serious doubts here, but some surveys insist

Corn: Probably America’s First Native Vegetable and It’s Still Right Now

Potatoes – Due in large part to French fries and French fries.

Tomatoes: the base of ketchup (our favorite condiment) and many other foods

Green beans: what’s not to like?

sweet (No wonder the top five are all chocolate based):

M&Ms pretty tied with

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Snickers – peanuts, caramel – nougat – the best of everything

Hershey’s – Milk Chocolate Bar – can’t beat that

Kit Kats – crunchy and fun

Candy corn – on Halloween for sure

frozen flavors:

Cookies N’ Cream: part of the Oreo craze

Chocolate – Just a continuation of America’s love affair with chocolate.

Mint Chocolate Chip – Refreshing

Vanilla – so versatile and the base of many delicacies

Cookie Dough – a relative newcomer compared to the original vanilla

Unlike most categories, cost plays a big role with Seafood:

Shrimp, which still tops the list, would certainly be much more consumed if the price were lower.

Salmon: a distant second (but by far the most popular order at restaurants)

Tuna: beloved filling for sandwiches and also for dining out

Tilapia: Often criticized as “dirty,” it’s still cost-effective, light, and easy to prepare

Best seller cold cereals:

Cheerios – both Honey Nut and plain

Frosted Flakes – sugar already added to old fashioned cornflakes

Mini-Wheats – also shredded wheat – sugar coated and smaller in size than the original

Special K – Touted as a “diet” food, we can still fool ourselves if we don’t add sugar

and in starbucksThe Frappuccino Rule:

Triple Mocha Frappuccino – You just can’t have too much chocolate

Coffee Frappuccino – the basic that started it all

Double Chocolaty Chip Creme Frappuccino – It’s getting a little complicated here

Caffè Mocha – beats lattes – you have to have that shot of chocolate

So there you have it. As a foodie nation, we are still conservative and stuck in a rut as we cling to our old standards of convenience, cost, habit and just plain good taste. But we don’t love living vicariously when we watch cooking shows, devour cookbooks, and feel adventurous when we frequent ethnic restaurants. Although it is a diverse country of many origins and cuisines, the same foods stand the test of time. and we may not be into haute cuisine but we definitely enjoy our native foods to the fullest. And that’s fine with us.

Technology

Get out of the paycheck-to-paycheck trap

Different studies have shown that between half and two thirds of people live from salary to salary. That is quite an alarming statistic! This can be partly explained by the performance of the current economy, our own attitudes about money, and our failure to adapt to a changing world.

change your attitude

The place to start is with your mindset. Regarding the paycheck to paycheck life, you may well think that “that’s the way it is” or “everyone does it”, both of which are false. Maintaining these attitudes will ensure that your situation will never improve.

Take some time to think about what led you to your current situation. In a Celebrating Financial Freedom article titled “4 Steps to Escape the Paycheck to Paycheck Life for Good,” the author identifies the following mental and behavioral impairments detrimental to financial health.

• You’ve come to the conclusion that debt is just a part of life: Contrary to what some may think, you don’t have to be in debt to survive in today’s world. You must decide to make paying your liabilities your number one priority!

• Luxuries have become necessities: Certain luxuries, such as cable TV, an expensive car, and going out to eat, have often turned from extras into necessities. These extras will bleed your budget.

• You’re not earning enough: You may be underemployed and doing little to maximize your employment situation.

• You’re spending too much: You could also be spending more than you earn, a common trap for some people. This needs to be controlled.

• You have no plan: You basically spend your money until it’s gone with no idea where it’s going. You really need a plan.

• Money is so easy to spend – Those credit cards feel so easy to swipe and sign — it doesn’t feel like cash. However, it is, and then comes the interest.

• You have a problem with spending: You have no self-control when it comes to spending, and you may even be a shopaholic.

• The labor market has changed: indeed, the labor market has changed and continues to change. You must learn to deal with those changes. On this topic, the author recommends a book by Dan Miller titled “48 Days for the Work You Love: Preparing for the New Normal.”

With a greater awareness of how you got to where you are, are you ready to begin your journey to financial health? Here are some specific steps to take along with some helpful links.

Get out of debt

You must realize that debt is a choice. Interest and fees depleted the money you’ve earned. Eliminating your debt is the best place to start to reverse your situation.

Here are some areas where you can save money.

1) Food: Reduce the number of times you eat at restaurants. Pick up some healthy ingredients at a market and prepare your lunch. This can result in significant savings for you. More food saving tips for you. Use coupons.

2) Car: Another category of expensive expenses. If you can, download your car payment. Maybe even trade it in for a used car. Other ways to reduce care expenses include changing your oil less frequently, signing up with an Auto Club for roadside assistance, researching repair costs, and delaying your car trade-in. Consider carpooling to get to work. Evaluate your auto insurance needs. If you have an old car that is paid off, consider forgoing comprehensive and collision insurance. Keep a clean driving record and be aware of discounts for low mileage, combining multiple lines with other types of insurance, and group auto insurance plans from employers, professionals, alumni, and other groups.

3) Entertainment – ​​Consider ditching your cable TV for Netflix or Hulu. Here are some fun things to do for free. Go to the library for books and DVDs. Take advantage of free music and museums.

4) Clothes: You don’t need fancy clothes if you’re in debt, shop with sales, go to thrift stores and discount coat racks, buy second hand, order clothes for gifts, take care of the clothes you have and sell clothes you won’t wear any longer.

5) Eliminate credit card debt: Start by calling your credit card companies to see if they lower your interest rate. The average interest rate for credit cards is around 15 percent, but some can go as high as 30 percent. A study was conducted in 2002 that found that half of the participants who requested a lower interest rate received one. Consider transferring that debt to a lower interest account or obtaining a loan to consolidate your debt. If these options aren’t feasible, prioritize your debts to pay off the ones with the highest interest rates first.

6) Medical Debt: You can start by offering to pay cash, if you have it, while you are still in the hospital or doctor’s office. This can save you 5, 10, or 25 percent up front. If you end up paying more than the total bill, you’ll get a refund. If it is less, you will be responsible for the rest. When you get a bill in the mail: The part of your bill that says you “may (should not) owe” can be negotiated. Compare what the bill says your insurance didn’t cover with what your insurer’s policy says it does. If there is a discrepancy, call the doctor’s office to have it fixed. Your provider may also put your bill on hold for 30 to 60 days to prevent it from going to a collection agency. Notify your provider of any secondary insurance you may have. If you already have medical debt, ask about any partial forgiveness programs or request a 0 percent interest payment plan. Sometimes you can get a payment plan for a year or more.

7) Student Loans – There is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program that can allow those in the military, teachers, non-profit organizations, or public service jobs to get full loan forgiveness. There are other programs, like Pay Based on Income, that will allow you to pay less than your regular pay if you don’t earn enough income. If you want to pay off your balance faster, start making biweekly payments.

8) Mortgage and IRS Debt: Reduce your mortgage debt with bi-weekly payments. For IRS debt, try to arrange an installment plan with them.

In an article titled “The #1 Way to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck” by Alex Thomas Sadler, he offers three useful apps for getting out of debt. They are Pay Off Debt, Ready For Zero, and DebtTracker Pro.

Increase your income

Even with reducing your expenses as much as possible, you still may not be able to cover everything. Now you need to change your focus to earn more money. Think about improving your current situation and income at your current job, getting a part-time job or a side job, or some combination of these. Take a few job related classes and possibly get a certificate to increase your income. Your work will often fund your tuition and books. Some other ideas for you: You can do freelance work (and that doesn’t include just writing), become a virtual assistant, bookkeeping, design, and more. You might enjoy tutoring on a subject you enjoy. Sell ​​items you don’t need on eBay and Craigslist. Some more ideas to earn money for you.

Prepare and stick to a monthly budget

By preparing a monthly budget, you can keep track of where money is coming in and going out. Start by looking at your expenses from the previous month for necessary items like your mortgage or rent, car insurance, groceries, gas, etc. Then calculate how much you want to spend each month. Post that number somewhere, pay cash whenever you can, and even consider starting automatic deposits from your paycheck that will go directly toward reducing your debt. Do this so you are not tempted to buy unnecessary luxury items.

The following is a link to more valuable budgeting articles: http://www.cfinancialfreedom.com/budgeting-budget-excuses-overcome/

Here are five apps that can help you create a budget and track your spending/savings goals.

• Level Money tracks your spending and gives you an idea of ​​how you’re doing. It’s free and will probably work best for those who have relatively simple and linear financial lives.

• Mint is a very popular app that helps you create a budget and then tracks your spending, monitors your credit score, and keeps up with potential fraud by automatically downloading transactions from bank accounts, credit cards and investment. The service allows you to combine all your finances in one place, giving you a constant overview of your financial status. You can also set up alerts and automatic bill payment.

• Budget Boss is a highly visual app that uses graphs and charts to keep track of your budget and goals. It also calculates future account balances based on your current spending habits.

• HomeBudget (iPhone only) is an application that allows you to manage account balances, budgets, and bills. You can set up credit and debit accounts and keep track of balances, and it syncs data with other iPhone users and can export it to a desktop computer. Users can take a photo of the receipt and associate it with a “family sync” feature that allows household members to exchange information and work together within a single budget.

• Wally is a tool that shows you what is coming in, what is going out, what you have saved and what you have budgeted for. Wally helps you gain a better understanding of exactly where your money is going, and then helps you set, as well as track and achieve, various financial goals.

Make a plan

In addition to budgeting, come up with a more macro-level plan for how you can stop living paycheck to paycheck. Find out what their top priorities are for their short- and long-term future. These may include buying a home or car, taking a big vacation, building an emergency savings fund, or saving for retirement. Remember that paying down debt will improve your credit score for those larger purchases. Stop wasting money on the little things you don’t need so you can buy the bigger things you need later. Make your goals realistic so you don’t get discouraged. Spend time with similar people, people with a prudent and responsible mindset; spendthrifts can put you off. Finally, celebrate your successes in eliminating your debt!

Technology

Dying Influencer’s Top 5 Regrets

You’ve probably heard of the top five regrets of the dying. It’s an impressive list that was put together by Australian palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware in her book of the same name. She conducted research of patients in hospitals to identify their regrets.

The five regrets are:

  1. I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

  2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.

  3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.

  4. I wish I had kept in touch with my friends.

  5. I wish I had allowed myself to be happy.

We all have regrets in our lives, and our business lives are no different. It is an unfortunate fact that over 60% of small businesses fail in the first 3-5 years. And influencers are not immune. It is not uncommon for them to feel that everything is too difficult, that it would be easier to return to full-time employment.

But the reality is that the job landscape has changed. Organizations preparing for the future want flexible workers. Those that are not flexible can be easily replaced. So even if you decide to quit as an Influencer, you still need to position yourself and promote yourself to get the job. That job will most likely be temporary, so you’ll have to promote yourself again!

In the “last days” of their business, Influencers often have these five regrets:

  1. I wish I would have closed more sales.
    Have you ever felt like you were having a lot of coffee meetings but not making any sales? An entrepreneur recently told me that she had had 40 meetings, but had not been able to close a single sale. If you can relate to this, then your sales talk isn’t working. Your communication with potential customers should be very clear. Do they even know they are going to a sales meeting? Or do you think they’ll just meet you for coffee and a chat? If the expectation isn’t clear and you start talking about sales, they may feel cheated and you’re much less likely to engage them.

  2. I wish I had made my offer clearer or more relevant.
    Influencers want to change the world. We love what we do. It’s a fantastic space to be in, but you also need to generate income. If what you offer isn’t relevant to their market, they won’t understand it and won’t buy it. Your potential customers don’t want to change the world; all they want is for their problems to be solved. The more relevant you can make your offer to your customers’ problems, and the more specific you can be, the more likely you are to maintain a profitable business.

  3. I wish I would have worked harder at the beginning of every trading time.
    Three-month cycles are ideal for getting into the routine of setting sales targets for yourself. The problem is when you go into “hustle mode” as the deadline approaches. If you’re worried about making up for lost time, you seem aggressive. You feel fake and you risk losing the trust of your customers. By working harder at the beginning of your quarter, you take the pressure off yourself and your clients at the end.

  4. I wish I had the guarantees when people asked for them.
    To move the sales conversation forward, you need guarantees. What if your prospect says, “Great! Do you have anything I can take with me so I can talk to the board?” – and you have nothing? The client needs a vehicle to help sell you to his team. Words alone do not work. Your job is to provide collateral: a speaker kit, flyers for your shows, a show reel, your website, your blog. If you don’t have any of these, create them. Make sure you have them before you set up meetings and have sales conversations.

  5. I wish I had kept building my pipeline, even when I had big projects going on.
    It’s exciting to get a great program up and running. But make sure you don’t get so caught up in a new project that you lose sight of the big picture. If you spend all your time and energy on delivery, you stop selling. You forget to fill your pipe and the conversations dry up. If you’re delivering a program to a large organization, what happens if circumstances change? Key decision makers might leave or your strategy might change, and your program might not move forward. It is important that you do not rest on your laurels, because anything can happen. Ask yourself, “If I didn’t have my ‘great program,’ would I still have an income?”

Don’t let these common regrets become your regrets too. We all make mistakes, and we all have areas in our businesses that we could improve. The good news is that you don’t have to go on life support. You can revive it and create a flourishing practice! By understanding and learning from these five regrets, you will certainly can have a sustainable and profitable business as an Influencer.

I love knowing your thoughts…

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Technology

Near Field Communication: The Technology Behind the Shock Phenomenon

Introduction

“There’s no need to wander around the room bumping your phone against others,” said Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering, doing some digging into Android using mobile phones. Because? Because Google has equipped its Android with a technology that allows users to share content between mobiles by simply tapping! This technology is called Near a communication field and this article will tell you why it’s a game changer much to the chagrin of Monsieur Federighi!

What is NFC?

Near Field Communication or its famous abbreviation NFC is the transmission of data between devices that are physically close to each other. It goes without saying that they must be NFC-enabled. NFC is a branch of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) protocol that uses electromagnetic (wireless) fields to set up data transfer between devices.

The benefit of this is that one can have their NFC-enabled device close to another NFC-enabled entity to communicate. Companies like Samsung have coined a cool term “slam”, although users don’t necessarily need to slam their devices!

A look at history

In order to establish a standard wireless communication path between mobile devices, Sony, Nokia, and Philips joined together to form the NFC protocol in 2004. They also set strict guidelines for hardware manufacturers who want to include NFC in their phones. These include compatibility between devices regardless of NFC subscription brand, protocol security, compatibility with other wireless technologies, and intra-NFC transmissions.

outstanding features

The following points distinguish NFC from other wireless communication standards:

  • RFID based operating at 13.56 MHz
  • Effective in a range of 10 cm
  • Allows data rates up to 424kb/second
  • Sports an intuitive user interface
  • Allows other proprietary wireless network platforms to interoperate

These features are largely responsible for the popular use of NFC in various facets of mobility.

Benefits

The features of NFC translate into benefits that are unparalleled by other wireless data transfer technologies. Some of the benefits are listed for your understanding:

  • Versatile: NFC is supported for use across the widest range of industries, environments, and genres.
  • Intuitive: Most NFC interactions can be achieved with a simple touch.
  • technology enablement: With NFC wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi makes setup quick and easy.
  • interoperable: NFC is compatible with existing contactless card technologies.
  • safety ready: NFC is equipped with capabilities to support secure applications. The short communication range negates any purge or hacking.
  • standards-based: NFC DNA has incorporated ISO, ECMA and ETSI standards to illustrate its compliance.

These benefits facilitate usage and a healthy user experience.

Conclusion

Well, the excitement that exhumes this technology isn’t exactly complete until you read the following article. You may want to know how the magic of NFC works, especially in the daily life of you and me. Watch out for the next installation!