5 Things To Look For When Choosing An Apartment

Apartment hunting can be an immensely rewarding experience if you approach it the right way. While there are certainly plenty of challenges that all aspiring renters must face, the possibility of ending up with the place of your dreams is worth overcoming them. To that end, here are five things you should look for on your next apartment hunt:

1. A pest-free environment

No one likes having to live with cockroaches, rats or other unpleasant critters, but some places have a long history of dealing with such pests and, as a result, are much more likely to suffer the occasional relapse. Check for any red/brown stains in room corners, as these can be indicative of bed bug infestations. Additionally, make sure you inquire about every apartment’s history in this regard, and generally try to stay away from places where bugs have been a recurring problem.

2. Fully-functional utilities

An apartment’s utilities are by far its most commonly used features. Everything from the lighting system to the plumbing system will be subjected to heavy use day in and day out, so it makes sense to test everything thoroughly before signing that dotted line. Among other things, you’ll need to ensure that the water heats up in a timely fashion, and that all the apartment’s wall sockets are functional, without any signs of buzzing or flickering lights.

3. Your favorite features

Every renter has certain features that they cannot do without. Things like having an AC unit in every room or a particularly large bathtub so you can bathe together with your spouse may seem like luxuries for some, but they can dramatically improve your quality of life down the road. Make a list of all your must-have features and send it to your real estate agent so he can narrow down your list of options and hopefully help you make a better choice.

4. Good neighbors

No matter how awesome your apartment is, bad neighbors can sour the deal in a hurry. Don’t be afraid to ask your landlord specific questions about your future neighbors and then proceed to pay them a visit before you make your final decision. Alternatively, you could also opt for an organized residential complex. These usually boast strict admission criteria, and have policies in place to evict disruptive tenants. The Spring Gardens Apartments in Portland, Oregon are a good example of a residential complex where you can rest assured that your neighbors won’t cause you any trouble.

5. Clear lease terms

While no one will ever confuse renting with home ownership, there are different degrees to which landlords are willing to let their renters make modifications to their property. This is just one of the reasons why both parties should agree on clear lease terms from the very beginning. Needless to say, make sure you have everything down in writing, since verbal agreements rarely hold up when the going gets tough.

As you can see, there are several important things you need to be on the lookout for when it comes to renting an apartment. But it’s worth taking the time to thoroughly examine all your options in order to pick the one that’s best suited to your own needs and expectations. So arm yourself with patience and don’t give up until you’ve found the perfect place.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/michaelsanduso/5-things-to-look-for-when-choosing-an-apartment/

Thinking about Rebranding? 5 Things You Should Know About

When a business gets stuck in a rut, you’re left with two options – to close it for good or to conduct a good rebranding job. If you’d prefer this second option, you should know that the process of rebranding is a challenging task that needs to be done with care.

If you skip steps, or you try to speed up the whole process, you will only end up losing even more money and time on something that won’t function and you definitely don’t want to deal with frustrations like this. Therefore, check out the steps you need to go through in order to accomplish this process successfully.

Do Your Homework

Everything you do from here on out needs to be based on precise data that comes from thorough research. The fact that your business wasn’t very successful in the past probably means that you didn’t get to know your target audience properly and this needs to be changed right away.

So, start the new era of your company by learning about your market and creating a profile of your ideal customer. Based on this data, you’ll be able to adapt your new lines of products and services to their requirements.

Set Clear Goals in Front of You

Everything you want to change about your business needs to make it on your to-do list. Rebranding is an extensive job and it’s quite simple for something to slip your mind. Therefore – changing a logo, upgrading your website or making a new one from scratch, changing your company’s working policy, etc. – needs to be a part of a timetable where every project has its deadline.

Gather a Team of Experienced Professionals

A delicate process like this requires a company that’s in need of rebranding to gather a team of experienced professionals that include a pro developer, an advertising expert and a consultant that’s a virtuoso in handling money.

It’s quite important to direct the funds of your stakeholders into hiring people who have experience in this area, because they will decrease the chances of failure significantly, since they know how to avoid small and big mistakes, which can slow down the process.

Internal & External Development Strategies

A thorough change needs to happen and the way you did business thus far needs to be changed both internally and externally, if you want to create an actual rebirth of your company. That being said, you need to make sure that every strategy you develop is followed through by each individual you work with.

Have in mind that sensitive changes like converting your database for example need your special attention. Loss of data can really make your life difficult and an oversight like this will extend the deadlines you previously set and that’s something you definitely want to avoid.

Create an Efficient Advertising Campaign

Defending your new brand is the most difficult task you’ll have within this project. Everyone familiar with your company will be interested in finding out which changes you’ve made and why. Developing an effective marketing campaign which will have a concise answer to all of these questions is the most efficient and the easiest way to go through this transition period when your new brand goes public.

You need to find a marketing method or combination of them that will endear parts of your company to the public. The point of this campaign is to tell your new story and show your target audience which changes are made for them and how they will benefit from those changes.

You need to be prepared to withstand a serious amount of pressure from your stakeholders because there’s no further benefit from rebranding several times in a short amount of time – rebranding a business that’s already been rebranded isn’t a promising move.

Before you start this process, make sure to do your calculations and see if there’s enough funds for your company to pay for this process and all experts necessary for it to be accomplished successfully, because no one will benefit if you terminate your rebranding campaign halfway through. If you do decide to go through this transition, stay consistent, don’t give up and you’ll be satisfied with the final results.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/ivandseo/thinking-about-rebranding-5-things-you-should-know-about/

5 Travel Tips for Planning a Stress-Free Vacation

Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, rejuvenating and enjoyable, but sometimes you can end up needing a vacation from the vacation. If left unchecked and uncared for, these trips and vacations have a way of spiraling out of control, which totally defeats the purpose of going on them in the first place. In most cases, they have the exact opposite effect. Unstructured trips that have little definition to them may end up being boring or give a person the sense that they are wasting time. On the opposite end, a trip with too much structure leaves a vacationer out of breath and stressed out that they will be missing out on seeing that critical piece of art or architectural masterpiece. Needless to say, acts like these are a recipe for disaster.

Vacations as much as they are supposed to be an escape into freedom and liberation should still have substance. This is achieved by some good forethought planning, building a solid yet flexible schedule and in having a goal. Yes, the term relaxing can be a goal, but try going for something with more like learning a new recipe, language or activity. A vacation is not an excuse to fall into the abyss of lethargy but can rather be thought of as an opportunity to explore something that you may not have had the time to do during your normal life.

A stress-free vacation possible to achieve, but you have to mean it, plan it and execute upon it. The first thing that must be understood from the outset is that nothing is perfect. Life is not perfect. You are not perfect. This vacation may end up not being perfect, and that is alright. Unburden yourself from trying to create a perfect vacation. To plan as best as possible, just fix the errors along the way. Relieving yourself of this pressure, will not only make this go smoother, but may also open you up to new opportunities during the vacation that you may not have thought of previously.

 

Creating an itinerary for a vacation is a good thing. It brings structure and purpose to your day. However, having an inflexible schedule is courting disaster. By loosening the itinerary, you give yourself time and space to make any corrections that need be made. But, more importantly, you are opening yourself up to the possibility of a new experience. They crop up when you least expect them and you want to be sure that there is ample enough time to discover and explore them when the situation arises. Having a flexible timeline also means that you can react to changes that are beyond your control without totally obliterating your vacation.

Besides some much-needed R&R, what is the purpose of your trip? Is there something you would like to accomplish? Something you would like to experience? Something you would like to see? Taste? Learn? Do? Having an underlying reason gives your vacation a driving force, which will help push it forward even in the presence of conflict and the inevitable hiccups that occur on even the most well-planned trips. Furthermore, it makes you look forward to something beyond just jumping on a plane and heading to the beach.

 

Being well informed can decrease stress in almost any situation, and vacations are no different. For most people, stress and pressure begin to mount when the unexpected or unwelcome enter the scenario. By performing thorough research on the destination, activities, flights and even transports one can inoculate themselves from the stresses that these various factors may bring. Nowadays this can be easily accomplished using the internet. There are a dozen or so high-quality review sites which will give you a firsthand account of experiences, warnings and recommendations from fellow travelers and vacationers. Transportation and lodging information can be easily determined by using sites like Hotwire. com (don’t forget to pick a promo code from this page before booking at Hotwire). Take the guess work (also known as stress-work) out of the equation and educate yourself beforehand, so that all you need focus on is enjoying your vacation.
Taking less baggage with you, both literally and metaphorically. This is an oft-repeated advice, but it is surprising how few vacationers heed it. Just imagine wheeling around a large suitcase or luggage around steep cobblestone streets. The wheels getting jammed in every crevice and rut imaginable and the unbalanced load causing the whole thing to topple at every turn. This is often one of the biggest complaints about travel, and the ironic thing is that it could have all been avoided by simply leaving things behind. Keeping your pack to a minimum also means that you can pick up more things at your destination. Whether that is region appropriate clothing or mementos of your trip, there is now space for them in your bag. On a symbolic level, taking less of things that remind you of your old or normal life allows you to more enjoy the trip or vacation you are on. It is, after all, a vacation, a reprieve, an escape and a chance to experience something new.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/twitter-epicninjadaboss/5-travel-tips-for-planning-a-stress-free-vacation/

Everything In Its Place: Teaching Your Child Organizational Skills

Some of the most common parental frustrations are lost items, forgotten assignments, and general messiness – in essence, a lack of organization on the part of children. When kids are unorganized, it leads to an assortment of other issues, not the least of which is dropping grades in school. Their lack of appreciation for organization can make them less likely to care about grades and pursuing long-term goals.

As a parent, your gut reaction is to do everything for your kids. You want to clean their rooms and organize their cubbies because it’s simply easier to do it yourself than to convince them to adopt better habits. However, you’ll only stunt their progress.

They can learn organization early on if you provide them with the necessary tools, education, and encouragement to make it happen.

Supply Appropriate Tools

You would never send a man into battle without a gun, and you shouldn’t try to force organization without offering supplies. There are several things that can make organization easier for kids. For example, hooks and cubbies are excellent for storing coats, shoes, and after-school items. Labeling bins also shows children how to put their toys away in an orderly fashion both now and in the future.

Don’t set kids up to fail with inappropriate tools, either. Tools should be the right size and easy to operate for the age group. If you give a small child a backpack that’s too large, for example, they’ll have a harder time finding and tracking possessions than if you scale down. Getting a smaller, child-sized backpack and upgrading as they grow is one solution for success.

Educate on Organization

Perhaps the most important tool to offer kids in this metaphorical war is education. Despite what many parents seem to think, kids aren’t instinctive cleaners. They don’t know how to scrub the toilet properly without instruction, and they don’t now how to organize their bedrooms without a little guidance. They probably don’t even notice the mess when they’re young. A love for organization and cleanliness is a learned trait.

Spend time gently teaching kids about organization. Begin by explaining why it’s important. Then, use your tools to make it easier for kids. Explain little tips, tricks, and insights that you subconsciously use to arrange items and pay attention to detail.

For example, a kid might clean the middle of his bedroom floor and ignore things that are close to the wall or bed because those items don’t stand out. Show them how to walk near walls and furniture, checking for anything on the floor.

Reinforce with Inspections

The honor system isn’t something you can count on until much later in life when the trait of organization is already learned. For now, you’ll need to hold them accountable. Create a chart that explains what kids are supposed to do and set clear expectations for the work performed. Let kids know you’ll be checking after a certain time frame so they’ll accomplish the task and keep your standards in mind.

When your child doesn’t meet the organization requirements you’ve previously set, don’t resort to anger or harsh reprimands. Instead, use it as a teaching opportunity to show kids what they’re missing and reinforce the good behavior of putting things away in the first place.

Keep Kids on Schedule

Children naturally respond to regular schedules. When they’re asked to do something out of the ordinary or their responsibilities change from day to day, they have a very difficult time meeting expectations.

Create a schedule they can stick to. Begin with a daily routine for younger kids. It might cover regular tasks such as “make the bed when you wake up” or “wipe down the sink after brushing your teeth.” These tasks will be performed daily until they turn into habits.

There are also weekly schedules that can be used, especially as children grow and begin taking on more responsibilities. You can assign cleaning and learning responsibilities for different days. Keeping kids busy and on track builds positive habits for a lifetime.

Provide Adequate Transitional Time

No child will be perfectly organized on the first try. Most take years, even decades, to get these habits down. Some learn it more quickly than others based on personality and priorities, but you shouldn’t be discouraged – keep at it.

The more you push for organization, the quicker they’ll maintain habits and the more it will become a part of your natural routine. In time, they’ll learn the importance of maintaining organization and see the long-lasting benefits of this personality trait.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/larryalton/everything-in-its-place-teaching-your-child-organizational-skills/

How to Prepare Your Small Business for Future Tech Challenges

Setting your foot on the global business stage should be the peak of a long-term preparatory period. Once you get in the spotlight of potential business partners, rivals and clients, you have to be able to stay in the saddle and maintain your business ride. That goal can be achieved only if your business has prepared all the features necessary to survive in this tech-guided world. Here’s what small business owners should pay attention to before they officially launch their business.

Hosting research

The choice of the hosting provider will determine the destiny of your business. First of all, this decision will depend on the character of your venture. For instance, you’ll have to carry out detailed research on the data storage packages they offer, regardless of the type of your business. People often think that only IT-businesses have demanding hosting needs. However, that’s a misconception. An e-commerce business isn’t in the IT field, but they’ll still need ample space for saving their data on the server.

In addition, always first narrow down the number of potential hosting providers and try their services. Only when you’ve checked how they work in practice, should you sign a contract. For any other hosting concerns or questions, read an analysis of providers published by PC Mag. It might help you make up your mind and choose the right provider for your business.

Cloud software solutions

Modern small business owners shouldn’t bother with buying licenses for the programs they’re going to need for their work. Disclaimer: by saying this, we’re not encouraging you to use pirate software, but something legal, yet more efficient – cloud software. Over the last few years, we’ve witnessed an advent of cloud-based software solutions (SaaS). What you can do today is find a cloud provider that offers an affordable combination of cloud storage space and SaaS. Instead of wasting thousands of dollars annually on software tools that you use from time to time, you can simply “rent” a tool directly from the cloud when you need it. Here you pay only for that one-time use. That way, you save more assets for other business investments and avoid piling up unnecessary data on your in-house computers – a win-win situation for every contemporary entrepreneur.

Enhanced internal collaboration

Inexperienced business owners often concentrate so hard on features outside their business that they forget to ensure proper conditions for smooth internal collaboration. Firstly, a small business founded in this time and age needs to embrace sophisticated project management tools. If you’ve ever used Google Calendar, you get the picture what it looks like. Of course, there are dozens of more advanced solutions that will make your enterprise a perfectly organized business unit.

Furthermore, sometimes you need specific tools for internal collaboration. For instance, if you have many remote workers or outsourcers, it’s impossible to hold meetings in person. In that case, you should equip your business with an internal communication tool. Before you make a decision, get more info on various options for this purpose. Using such tools will ensure that your employees always get clear instructions about their tasks.

Global payment options

Once your business starts participating in online projects, you already need to know how you’re going to get paid for your services. Every traditional entrepreneur would give you the same answer to this question – by going to the bank. While you can use banking services for international business transactions, it would be better to turn to some other options. In spite of their recent innovations regarding those transactions, banks are still pretty slow and expensive for the fast-paced tempo of modern business.

As an alternative, see what online payment providers have to offer. This field has been dominated by PayPal for years, but there are more and more alternative payment options. They offer a variety of payment services and some of them are perfect for small businesses. Find out more about those options in a comparative guide made by The Huffington Post and choose the one that meets your demands.

When you make sure the points presented in this piece are covered, your business will be ready to start its independent life on the global market. Once you get there, play your moves in accordance with the rules of your niche and don’t get carried away by initial success. As time goes by, keep upgrading the tech hacks you use and maintain gradual business growth. That way, you’ll find and retain your place on the map of successful small businesses.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/marcusjensen/how-to-prepare-your-small-business-for-future-tech-challenges/

How Adults Can Age Gracefully

Maintaining your fitness in old age is a challenging task but it is very important to stay fit especially in old age, for this, you might have to work hard but in order to stay healthy, it’s important to stay physically and mentally fit. An active lifestyle is essential in old age and routine exercises can prevent many diseases like cardiac problems, diabetes and different types of cancer. It also helps in reducing the pain associated with arthritis.

Regular exercise is very important for a healthy heart. In young age, people usually ignore fitness but still remain trim and energetic but as you grow older, you have to be very careful about absolutely everything whether it is your diet, sleep or the kind of clothes you wear. Your everyday lifestyle must be in a check if you want to age gracefully.

Staying physically fit is very important for the human body at every stage of life but in old age our joints become inflexible, muscles become stiff and they reduce and slow down our movement. Through regular workouts and a healthy lifestyle, we can strengthen our muscles and can obtain the required flexibility even in the old age. Maintaining a daily health regime and workout can improve your health and body physique no matter what your age is it is beneficial for all ages. If you are physically fit you can absolutely do everything no matter how many candles you’ve blown on your last birthday. Many women over the age 40 are still modeling and even taking part in Olympics. Below are some of the checkboxes that need to be ticked and that actually work.

Get a consultation with your doctor before starting!

The first and the foremost thing to do before starting any regime is to consult your doctor about your plans. It’s always better to consult the health care provider before performing any exercise. So the trainer or the physician will guide you whether you can do that exercise safely or not. You can also consult your physician on what type of exercise or physical activities you can perform according to your age and health.

Activities for you!

The type of activities in which older adults can participate depend upon many factors like age, health condition and special conditions like disabilities. Following are the few exercises that people aged 65 and above can perform on weekly basis in order to stay healthy.

Aerobic exercise: Moderate-intensity aerobic activity is good for older adults. They should perform this for at least 150 minutes throughout the week.

Muscle stretching exercise: Stretching exercise is good for older adults as it improves flexibility. Stretching exercise should be performed regularly it includes shoulder, upper arm, thigh and calf stretches. Muscle stretching exercise should be done 2 or more days a week.        

Diet check please!

In older adults, metabolism tends to slow down, which causes weight gain. It does mean that you won’t burn fat the way you used to, but that just means that you need to alter the way you eat. You will simply need a diet that consists of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, fibers, proteins and lean meats. Older adults should consume almost 1800 calories daily. If you are trying to lose weight so you can reduce calories as per your goals.

In order to reduce 1 pound fat, you will have to eliminate 500 calories daily. You can do this by eating low-fat food. Don’t forget to check nutrition labels before consuming any food product. Once you establish your healthy diet routine, it’s very important to continue it on regular basis. By following a diet plan that is balanced with all their necessary components, a fit and healthy life awaits you.

Dehydration

Water is an essential component of our body. Water ends waste and provide support to tissues and cell structures and maintains the body temperature.  Water also helps in detoxifying the system. The risk of dehydration is higher in older adults because of age-related changes. The common signs and symptoms of dehydration include concentrated urine, increased heartbeats, dryness in the nose and mouth, dizziness and constipation. To prevent dehydration make sure that you are drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. Fruit juices and soups are also a good source of eradicating water drought.

Take good care of your rest!

You need to make sure that whatever the circumstances, whatever the situation your rest isn’t compromised regardless of what happens. Studies have suggested that adults who get an 8-hour night sleep and an hour in the noon are more active than the ones aren’t getting it. The room in which you sleep the mattress you use and the pillow must all make you comfortable. There are some good quality mattresses available in the market with latest technology induction that relaxes your entire body while you’re asleep. Remember to read some tempurpedic mattress reviews before latching onto any of them but make sure the thing is entirely up to the mark because you aren’t changing it again and again.

Happy Aging!

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/zyanamorris/how-adults-can-age-gracefully/

Business Owners’ Worst Nightmares

Every business owner is overwhelmed with responsibilities – there’s a ton of stuff to look out for and even more ways to make their worst nightmares come true. A lot can go wrong as a result of a tiny lapse in judgment and being aware of some of the worst scenarios is a good way to prevent them from happening.

Cash Flow Issues

So, what is a cash flow? To put it simply, it’s the movement of money into and out of a business, which comes either from payments, customers, or loans. There’s a ton of potential issues that may occur here, even if a business owner successfully handles overdrafts and bank loans. For example, interest rates can stir the pot quite a bit and invoice financing is an excellent method to free up the cash flow when the budget is tight. Essentially, a third party buys your unpaid invoices (for a fee, of course) and then gives you a percentage of the amount of invoice up front, collecting the debt that was owned to you and giving you back the remaining balance. This is an excellent way to get out of a tight spot, but you may end up losing profit from your orders, which is the very backbone of your company.

Relying on a Single Client

Being dependent on a single client is quite a slippery slope – the things may be going well, even great at the moment, but bear in mind that the less clients you have, the bigger the chances are of losing everything in a single fell swoop. For example, that single important customer that seems to be doing well fantastically, judging by the amount of cash they’re paying you, may be suffering from a bad business plan and may well be doomed for failure. On another hand, the client in question may slip out of your hands exactly because they are doing well – they may find a better deal with one of your competitors. Looking into your client’s business is not only difficult, but also causes bad blood, so the best way to make sure that the loss of a client doesn’t turn out crippling for your own company is maintaining a larger client base, just to be safe.

Not Being Popular on the Web

The key to a business’s success is getting its name out there, otherwise, you are in the risk of becoming yet another statistic. Proper marketing is crucial here. Although being present in the social media world is extremely important, having a website is a must; if you aren’t on Google, you don’t even exist! Having a properly designed website is crucial and so are user friendliness and ease of access – people won’t bother with slow or overly complicated webpages, this is just the reality we currently live in.

Worker Injuries

As a business owner, you are the one who vouches for your employees’ well-being; if you fail to come through here, rest assured things are going to get messy. Hiring a quality work injury lawyer goes without saying, otherwise, even if the cause of a potential injury is obviously your worker’s fault, you still might end up with a lawsuit on your hands; and you definitely do not want this!

Data Leaks

A company is only as strong as its data at hand and, even though the cloud has brought upon a ton of good for many business, it has brought a lot of risk to the table. This is why properly securing your online presence is so important. Don’t refrain from investing more into a quality cloud service.

These are the biggest business owners’ nightmares which can be avoided with a little bit of planning and precaution. Think about your cloud safety, pay attention to all of your clients equally, advertise your business on the Internet and hire legal help for potential work-related injuries!

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/marcusjensen/business-owners-worst-nightmares/

The Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Getaways in Europe

Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to whisk away your loved one somewhere romantic, where love is in the air all the time and where the two of you can have the most magical time of your lives. If you have run out of ideas to celebrate your love on this special holiday, planning a romantic getaway is certainly something you should consider, especially if you and your beloved have never spent Valentine’s Day away from home or have never even taken a trip together.

Planning a romantic trip for two is a huge upgrade from having a dinner somewhere out or staying in to have one at home, not to mention that it is a huge step from giving your special lady a box of chocolates and red roses, which is why you should really consider taking that step; it will undoubtedly make your loved one happy and excited.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the romantic trip for two is all you should give to your girl for Valentine’s Day. I’m not saying you should break the bank, because the trip is certainly more than enough and it is far beyond the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, but you shouldn’t underestimate the power of physical gifts

A physical gift will represent the token of your love that your sweetheart will be able to cherish forever. There are many gift ideas you can choose from to sweep your girl off her feet, so make sure you start planning right away, so that you can come up with a unique Valentine’s Day gift for her that will make her fall in love with your all over again.

Other gifts aside, take a look at the most romantic travel destinations in Europe that you can choose from in order to treat your special lady with the best Valentine’s Day that she will not be able to forget.

Paris, France

 

Is there any destination in the world that is more romantic than Paris? Paris attracts lovebirds throughout the whole year for a very good reason and, if the trip you are planning is the first ever that you are going to take with your girl, then you should definitely take her to Paris.

Paris is one of the most enchanting cities not only in Europe, but also on the entire planet, and every moment you spend there with your loved one will certainly be magical. The City of Light will mesmerize your beloved with its beauty and you can be sure that she with fall in love with every single corner of this stunning city. Don’t worry, you are her number one love and she will love you even more after the amazing travel experience you provide her with, because you will show her that you care about her and want to make her feel special.

There are many things you can do in Paris and numerous landmarks you can visit, but make sure you take romantic walks from one place to another, so that you can really take in the spirit of the city. Your girl will feel like a princess in this marvellous city and you will certainly reignite your love spark for many years to come.

Venice, Italy

 

Venice is another excellent destination for celebrating your love on Valentine’s Day and, if you choose to go there, you can be sure you and your girl will share countless romantic moments that the both of you will cherish forever. Venice offers quite a lot of options for couples, which is exactly why it is among the most romantic destinations in Europe.

You can take romantic walks through the city’s intimate valleys and discover the many hidden gems that Venice has to offer. There are so many popular tourist attractions you can visit that it can be pretty tough to know where to start. However, whatever you decide to do and wherever you decide to go in this mesmerizing city, you can be sure that your girl will be blown away by the city’s uniqueness and its infinite beauty.

Don’t forget to take a romantic gondola ride down the city’s Grand Canal, as you can witness the stunning architecture of the many palaces facing the water, not to mention that you will encounter the famous Bridge of Sighs, which is very popular among couples, as it is believed that your love will last forever if you pass under it with your significant other. What’s more romantic than taking your girl there for Valentine’s Day, really?

Bruges, Belgium

 

Bruges is definitely every traveller’s dream. If you are looking for gorgeous, breathtaking and jaw-dropping place to spend a perfect Valentine’s Day, Bruges is your way to go. This doesn’t mean the previously mentioned destinations are not great choices (because they are), but you are certainly aware that every city has something special about it and each and every one has its own soul.

Bruges is special because its soul and spirit can be literally felt in the air and, no matter where you look, you will see fantastic architecture that will resemble some beautiful fairy tale. Your girl will definitely feel like a princess there, no matter the weather or the season. Bruges is literally breathtaking at any time of year and you won’t leave the city without being completely and utterly impressed.

Wander through the city’s narrow streets, take a boat ride on its canals and explore Bruges’ wonderful old buildings that will absolutely charm you. The city’s medieval air will put you and your girl under a spell and the panoramic views of the city, especially at sunset, will leave the two of you in indescribable awe. Bruges is a destination you shouldn’t miss and, if you don’t visit it on the upcoming Valentine’s Day, make sure you surprise your beloved next year by taking her to this marvellous city.
There are so many destinations not only in Europe, but also in the entire world, that are perfect for love couples, but these three are definitely the most romantic ones that are ideal for Valentine’s Day, so do your homework and pick the best romantic getaway destination that will take your girl’s breath away.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/nmanojlovic/the-most-romantic-valentines-day-getaways-in-europe/

How to Prepare for a Great Road Trip

So you’ve decided to go on a road trip with your friends or on your own, but you aren’t certain where to start. Perhaps you think that you are ready but you really aren’t. Taking a road trip can be very exciting and it’s an amazing experience you can share with your friends.

This is a great opportunity for seeing new places, meeting new people and deepening the relationships you already have with your loved ones or your friends. But this is not a small thing, taking long road trips with a car or a bike means that you will be far away from your home and you need to have all the necessary things with you to make sure you don’t encounter major issues that might end your whole adventure.

You need to make the necessary steps in advance, both concerning the stuff you should bring along and the logistics that will make your whole trip a complete success.

Create a route

The first thing you need to do is create your trip route. You should make sure to literally create a circle in order to drive through more interesting places and simply have a more interesting trip. Simply use Google maps and set your routes; not only will you be able to have a clear overview of your whole trip, but you will also have an estimation of how long you will need to get from one place to another.

When you have everything in front of you, determining your timeline will be much easier and when you know how long you will be on your trip, you will be able to determine your budget and the amount of things you need to bring along with you. Additionally, when you save your route or put it down on paper, you will ensure that you don’t miss anything.

It can happen, and once you’ve passed something, going back can take a lot of time, which can disrupt your whole plan.

Take some navigation for the road

You should never go on a road trip without proper navigation. No matter how well you think you know the route, there are a lot of things that can confuse you along the way as things change and, in some cases, you might come across bad traffic signs that might mislead you. No need to take a map, just get a GPS or some other mobile app that can help you get real time coordination.

You will, of course, be looking to follow your timeline and avoid wasting any of your valuable time and this means that you simply cannot afford getting lost or having second thoughts of where you should go. On the other hand, you don’t need that kind of stress on your trip; the point is to feel relaxed and have fun.

Make sure that your vehicle is insured

Never go on a road trip without first insuring your vehicle; who knows what might happen on the road. No matter how good of a driver you might be, accidents happen. No matter if it’s your fault or someone else’s, you need to make sure your insurance can cover it. Making sure that you don’t lose anything during the road trip is a high priority as well.

Additionally, you can also find a car accident lawyer or a motorcycle accident lawyer who you can rely on in case of accidents. There are reckless drivers out there, and you can expect those people to be fair and admit their mistakes, sometimes taking the whole thing to court is absolutely necessary.

Take the necessary equipment in case of an emergency

Make sure that you bring a spare tire and all the basic tools that you can use to make the easiest repairs. For example, one of the most common problems people face on the road is getting a flat tire. Learning to change a flat tire is not that difficult, but it can be the difference between continuing your road trip and heading back home.

Be sure to also bring a basic first aid kit with you and all the necessary equipment and papers the law requires in your country. You don’t want to go on a fun road trip and end up going back home prematurely with a fine waiting for you at home? If you plan on hiking, take the gear you need or if you want to go on a bicycle route, make sure that you get an adequate basket where you can attach it and drive it around with your car.

Make sure you take care of all these preparations before you sit back in front of the wheel and start your car. Additionally, make sure that you pack enough food, snacks, clothes and drinks that you can carry with you and enjoy while on the road. Take turns behind the wheel if traveling with a friend and if you are going alone, take breaks and get the rest you need so that you can drive safely. Safe travels!

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/aleksandarilic/how-to-prepare-for-a-great-road-trip/

Security Camera Systems – Wise Investment or Waste of Money?

Home is a place where you feel safe and protected, but there are times when this kind of safety is not possible, may it be due to thefts, burglars or intruders; in such cases, to get the secure feeling back, you must consider a home security system. Purchasing a reliable security device will ensure you are safe and sound in your house. Rest assured that paying a bit more for a quality security system will be the best investment you can make given all the cheap systems available today that have little to no customer support.

Protecting your home with a reliable security system is not the only thing you should expect when making your decision. The seller’s responsibility continues even after you or they install the system in your house. Regardless of whether it is a small query or a big one; you need the peace of mind knowing that you are just a phone call away from your home security professional. They should also assist you in repairing and replacing the entire system if required.

With a large number of security system available in the market today, it becomes difficult to identify which of the devices are reliable and efficient and which of them are not. Nobody would want their security system to fail no matter what the reason is.

Your home security cameras should leave you feeling like the seller is keeping customers on the cutting edge of security protection with state-of-the-art alarm commercial security systems, redundant monitoring, and unsurpassed service for all business and home owners. After doing security and background checks on all your employees, the best way to protect your expensive inventory and equipment from misuse, theft and environmental dangers, is with commercial security systems designed to keep up with your changing business needs. No matter how small you start or how large you grow, you will need an expandable business commercial security system that is designed with integration and flexibility in mind.

Top commercial security systems take into consideration your building, environment, location, and individual needs. Security system retailers will need to know this information in order to design a commercial security system specific to your requirements. The flexibility of modern commercial security systems allows them to expand as your needs grow, ensuring your safety and peace-of-mind for years to come.

Make sure your surveillance camera is backed by a team of techs whose objective is to help you meet your needs. Whether it is working with your existing system or selecting new equipment, the industry leaders will want to give you better functionality and control.

The future of residential home security and home protection is ever expanding. With a wireless security system from someone like PlatinumCCTV.com, you can have the latest and most advanced wireless security system in the industry. Wireless security systems allow for quick and easy installation as well as flexible placement around the house or business. Whether your home is new or old, thanks to the flexibility of wireless security system, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your home and your business is safe and secure.

There’s a reason why wireless security systems are the most popular home security systems available: Affordability, ease of use, and reliable technology are all part of the package. If you haven’t decided if you’ll need wireless security system, then no problem, just raise your questions with the security system retailer to get a better idea about whether something like an IP security camera system would work well for your situation.

Any security system, installed in your house or work place or shop, is incomplete unless it is continuously being monitored. Self-monitored security systems should be installed in order to take full advantage of modern technology, which allows users to view their home or business from their cell phone, anywhere in the world. If you do not have an upgraded, self-monitoring system yet, then you should install one soon because it helps families in preventing unwanted and illegal intrusions, even while they are on the go. These systems are used by families and business owners because they are reliable and provide a huge convenience at no additional cost. After installing the security camera system you can enjoy uninterrupted, deep and sound sleep at night. You can enjoy your holidays by leaving your house alone without any worry.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/mike-rhesus/security-camera-systems-wise-investmern-or-waste-of-money/

Sweep Her off Her Feet: 6 Romantic Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day

It’s hard for a man to come up with an original date idea, especially because many people dare to say how everything about Valentine’s Day is a cliché. First of all, that’s not true – Valentine’s Day is an amazing cause for celebrating love and there’s nothing cheesy about that.

If you’re in love with that femme fatale in your life and you’d like to make this occasion really special for the two of you, be sure to do some research. Naturally, it all depends on what she’s like and where her interest lie. Anyhow, I’m sure that you’ll be able to recognize her personality in one of the following six date ideas.

The Traditional Date

You don’t have to go overboard in order to have the absolutely perfect date for Valentine’s Day. Book a table in a nice restaurant (the staff will take care of romantic decorations), pick up a nice present and equip yourself with your finest manners.

If you’re wondering what to get her, my suggestion is to go with something traditional but special at the same time – a rose glazed with gold will do the trick here. In an atmosphere such as this one I’m sure that both of you will have a great time.

Get Your Minds Working

If she enjoys getting her adrenalin levels up, I have a great suggestion for your date – you should visit an “escape the room” location near you. They all differ depending on which location you choose, but the point is the same – you’ll be locked in a room that has a story to tell and you need to collect the clues in order to get out of it before you run out of time. You’ll have a lot of fun with this unusual activity for Valentine’s Day.

A Sports Day for a Sporty Couple

Finding the perfect girl for some men means that she’s into sports and that she prefers a beer instead of a pink cocktail. If you’re lucky enough to find a girl like this, you shouldn’t dwell on whether or not she’d prefer for you two to dress up and be a couple that you’re really not. Go to the nearest bar and enjoy each other’s company while watching a game. Or perhaps you can make a sports day for just the two of you and plan it so that you can play various sports and go rock climbing, for example.

Take Her Dancing

This is romantic as it gets – achieving deeper level of emotional and physical closeness by taking her dancing to the charming tones of dreamy songs will most definitely sweep her off her feet. If you don’t have any dance experience, my suggestion is to go to a couple of dancing lessons and surprise her with your new moves.

Go Fancy all the Way

I’d always go with any reason to dress up and do something really fancy especially if there’s a cultural background to this story. Your options here are quite interesting – you can go to the theater and see a play, take her to a charity gala event or perhaps go to the opera. Whichever of these you decide to go with, I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun looking your finest.

Do Something Artsy

Art is fun and it doesn’t really matter if you’re any good at it or not. You can sign up for a painting class for example, and have some real fun while having your fingers in paint and not having a clue what to do with the blank canvas in front of you.

Another option here is to go with music, especially if you play an instrument – I’m sure she’ll be amused with your skills and you’ll bond while you’re teaching her about the basics. Add some candlelight and some candy and you’ve got yourself a very romantic date.
So, the only thing left now is to select a date based on her personality. The right choice will show her that you know about her likes and dislikes, which can only bring you even closer. Take your time with your decision and I’m sure the two of you will have a great day.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/ivandseo/sweep-her-off-her-feet-6-romantic-date-ideas-for-valentines-day/

Select an MBA Program with Global Recognition

Graduating with an MBA will change the course of your career, opening opportunities for advancement into management and executive roles. With over 10,000 schools offering MBA programs worldwide, it can be difficult to choose a school with high academic standards, distinguished faculty members and a reputation amongst employers. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, also known as AACSB International, exists to recognize business schools that perform to a higher standard. The AACSB accredits less than five percent of institutions worldwide. As a prospective student, AACSB accreditation should be on your list of criteria for selecting the program that will advance your career.

The AASCB requires the schools it accredits to undergo a quality evaluation every five years. This process examines the quality of their faculty, interactions between students and faculty and strategic management. As a student, enrolling in a program accredited by the AASCB means a better education and graduating with a reputable degree respected by major employers across the globe. Some companies have found that employees who graduated from schools not accredited by the AACSB even performed worse than their colleagues who had.

All of the top MBA programs in Canada are accredited with the AASCB and looking for this status is a great way to narrow down your search for programs. But when the time comes to make your decision, there are some other factors you should take the time to learn about on Lazaridismba.ca.

A school’s reputation with employers is always an important factor to consider and programs that build relationships through recruitment, internships and coop programs excel at placing graduates in leading roles. You should research a school’s performance at case competitions where students have a chance to connect with corporate recruiters who are always looking for new talent. The Aspen Institute International Case Competition, won last year by the team from the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics, is one case competition that draws the attention of corporate recruiters year after year.

If you are pursuing an MBA to start a career in finance, you should also look into programs that can help you compete your CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams. There are three stages to the CFA exams and the process is a demanding one, with each level posting pass rates between 40 and 55 percent. In order to help students prepare for these exams, schools like the Lazaridis School of Business & Economics have become members of the CFA’s University Recognition Program and exam preparation is part of the curriculum of their unique MFA with CFA designation program.

Finally, search for a school with a strong coop program, especially if you are entering your MBA directly from an undergraduate or you are changing careers. A coop program will help you build the necessary work experience alongside your MBA to take on leadership roles in your future career. The Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (or CAFCE) accredits Canadian universities with quality coop programs as part of an MBA.

AASCB accreditation, success at international case competitions, membership in the CFA’s University Recognition Program, and CAFCE accreditation are all signs that an MBA program has globally recognized. Attend a school with the right reputation to help you drive your career forward.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/michaelsanduso/select-an-mba-program-with-global-recognition/

5 Cool Ways To Make Your Tired Old Garden Look Magical Again

Are you attached to your garden at the moment? If you’re like most people you fell out of love with it a long time ago, but it’s not too late to get the spark back. If you want to feel like your garden is magical again there are tons of things you can do, but we’re going to focus in on a few important ones you should concentrate on first.

Work Around A Focal Point

How many homes have a living room with every seat pointed towards the television? It’s the default way to design your living room, and the reason it works well is because the TV acts as a focal point. Your garden will look just as good if you follow the same rules, but electronics don’t do well outside so you’ll have to get creative. Fire pits have become extremely popular at the moment and they’ll let you sit outside at night.

Always Add A Dash Of Color

Did you know Darwinism affects the flowers in your garden too? Survival of the fittest meant the colorful plants would be the ones bees pollinated, so over the course of millions of years they got brighter and brighter. They’ve worked hard to become a thing of beauty in your garden today, which means you should always have a dash of color on show. There are species out there for every month of the year.

Choosing The Right Shed

One of the first things you need to do is throw your old shed out, because it likely takes up a fair chunk of space. That would be fine if it was attractive, but it’s going to be old and falling apart. You need to choose the best shed for your garden if you don’t want to see an eyesore every time you look out the window. If you can try to pick one with a unique design it always helps add a touch of class.

Back In The Good Old Days

At one point in time you used to think your garden was stunning, but you’ve neglected it for so long. Sometimes to increase the beauty of a garden it involves peeling back the layers like you’re on an archeological dig. Hire a pressure washer to attack your dirty path and patio slabs, plus pick all the weeds out from in between them. Spend a day giving your fence a fresh coat of paint. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Grow Citrus Trees On The Porch

If you’re going to sit outside the chairs will probably be on the porch, so you need something gorgeous sitting beside you. There are a lot of options available, but nothing says tropical like a couple of dwarf citrus trees in stunning pots. Even if the weather doesn’t resemble a tropical sky, your lovely oranges and lemons will cheer you up every time you look at them. Luckily, they’re also easy to grow.

Don’t Wait Around For Another Year

When your garden looks great you’re much more likely to spend time outside. You will stop feeling stressed when you look out the window too. It’s unfortunate how many people ignore their garden, but just because it’s normal you don’t have to be one of them. Start working on the ideas we’ve talked about today whenever possible, and you should also let them open your imagination up to new things.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/twitter-epicninjadaboss/5-cool-ways-to-make-your-tired-old-garden-look-magical-again/

4 Tips to Get Rid of Your Junk and Get Organized

Junk doesn’t just create physical clutter in your home; it also breeds mental clutter. When your home is full of junk, you’ll typically feel stressed about the mess, ashamed of the disorder you’ve created, and confused about how to solve the problem. Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Follow these tips to banish your junk and start enjoying the benefits of clutter-free living.

Use Mind Power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image via Flickr by Sean MacEntee

You can’t think away your junk, but getting into a positive mindset can make tackling the problem more achievable. Thinking you’ll never get on top of the clutter can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, visualize the way your home will look without the junk, then take steps to turn that vision into reality. Take inspiration from the people you know who have tidy homes. If they can do it, so can you!

Purge the Excess

Travel room by room through your home, identifying the excess items you no longer need. You might have old VHS tapes or a VCR you no longer use because you watch Blu-rays now. Perhaps there’s a hide-a-bed sofa you had before you could afford a full-sized bed for guests. You might still have the gym equipment you bought years ago but never used. Old magazines, unused appliances, and outgrown clothes are more examples of excess items.

Once you’ve identified these items, work on getting them out of the house. Yard sales are great for getting rid of excess items. The promise of making some extra cash may even convince you to purge items you’re on the fence about. Anything you can’t sell should be donated to Goodwill or taken to the landfill. Junk removal companies can help you move large, bulky unwanted items that are difficult to transport.

Store Items of Value

Getting rid of real junk is relatively easy. Purging items of sentimental or monetary value that are no longer serving you can be much harder. Give yourself a break and put them into storage instead. Hiring storage gets the items out of your house, making space for the things you really need without forcing you to surrender your seldom-used treasures.

Adopt Healthy Habits

Junk starts taking over our homes because we get into unhealthy habits. We can’t resist the bargains we see in stores and online and fail to purge the items we already have in our home. Once you’ve gotten rid of your junk, you’ll need to replace those unhealthy habits with healthier behaviors to stay organized.

Don’t bring a new item into your house without throwing something else away. Sort through your closets every six months, purging the items you no longer wear. Deal with mail as it arrives rather than letting it pile up. Buy a filing cabinet, then file documents when you receive them. Adopting these healthy habits will make sure the clutter you’ve worked hard to remove doesn’t creep back.

Don’t spend another day allowing junk to rule your life. Follow this advice, and you’ll find that it’s easier than you might have thought to clear the clutter and get organized.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/sambradford/4-tips-to-get-rid-of-your-junk-and-get-organized/

Taking a Winter Class? 4 Things to Keep in Mind

Whether you are in high school or college, many students take a winter class to get ahead on coursework between semesters to lighten their load for the rest of the academic year. Taking a class in the winter session can be a lot to take on, so be sure you’re ready to tackle what’s ahead. To ensure you are up for the challenge, here are four things to keep in mind as you begin your winter class.

Accelerated, intensive curriculum

Ultimately, it depends on the school, but winter courses are often worth the same number of credit hours or units as your courses offered in the traditional semester. In addition, the learning objectives in a winter course offering will likely mirror that of the equivalent course in a fall or spring semester. However, you are covering the same material in a condensed time frame. Compressing a 16-week syllabus into just three to five weeks can make any course feel intensive and, possibly, overwhelming. Due to these circumstances, be prepared to attend class and study on a daily basis. To help ensure your success, you will need to set a rigid schedule allowing yourself enough time to focus on preparing for class and studying.

Limited course selection

Because enrollment in the winter session is not mandatory, and is often seen as an opportunity to either catch-up or get ahead, the course selection can be limited. You may be able to find your general studies courses, such as English and math, but it might be harder to find a more specific or advanced course. Before you get attached to a specific winter course, be sure to consult with an advisor to ensure what you’ve registered for matches your goals and will give you the appropriate credits you need.  

Prepare for distractions

Along with colder weather, winter also ushers in the holiday season. Whether you enjoy seasonal festivities or not, they can cause quite a distraction for a student enrolled in a demanding winter course. If you have family or friends in town, enjoy the snowfalls, or tend to have a lot of personal commitments around the holidays, you’ll need to prepare even more thoroughly for your rigid study schedule (see above). Although it is not impossible to take a class while celebrating the holidays and spending time with loved ones, you will absolutely need a strict plan to maintain your academic performance and not let these distractions get the best of you. Let your family and friends know you are taking a winter class so that you have their encouragement, support, and understanding. Create a detailed winter calendar to schedule class time, study time, and any leisure time or personal commitments. The best way to prepare for distractions is to have a plan and stick to it.  

Sparse financial aid

Have lot of time over the winter and can’t wait to get some credits out of the way? Before you get too excited, consider your financial situation and whether or not you can actually afford to take this class. Winter courses are often charged at the regular rate of tuition, but unfortunately, there is not always as much financial aid available in the winter. Again, this depends on the school at hand, so just to be sure, talk to your financial aid office to find out if you’re able to use leftover financial aid or if there are any specialized grants or scholarships available for winter.

There are many things to consider as you sign up for a winter class. If you aren’t sure what to do, seek advice from an academic advisor or a school counselor. They should be able to help you determine if a winter class is the right choice for you. Best of luck!

Brenna Tonelli is a contributing writer for Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/varsitytutors/taking-a-winter-class-4-things-to-keep-in-mind/

Is Unlocking Your Cell Phone Legal?

This year, two of the most anticipated cell phones were released: the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7. Naturally, some consumers want the newest, greatest phones on the market, which is welcome news for those looking to purchase a gently used iPhone6 or Samsung Galaxy S6. However, it’s hard to find a phone that works with your carrier, limiting the phones you can use. To get around this, there’s the option of purchasing or selling an unlocked phone.

“Locked” cell phones prevent the transfer of a phone from one carrier to another. They feature a software lock that makes it so the phone is only compatible with certain networks. Carriers created this software so that users wouldn’t switch carriers as soon as someone else offered a better deal.

But there are ways around it. You can “unlock” the smartphone so that it’s compatible with other carriers, but is that considered unlawful?

A New Law Makes Unlocked Cell Phones Legal

It’s actually perfectly legal, thanks to a new law change. In August of 2014, President Barack Obama signed the “Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act” into law. This repealed an action from the Library of Congress in 2012 that stated that unlocking a cell phone from a closed carrier was a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The law contradicted laws that prevent monopolies in the United States, so unlocking phones once again became legal.

This is exciting news for cell phone owners, but there are some limitations. It doesn’t prevent cell phone carriers from locking cell phones, for starters. They will likely still have rules about switching contracts that you can’t break without paying a fee.

Also, you can’t do “bulk unlocking,” which is something that people have tried to do as a business platform. They’ll purchase a variety of carrier-specific cell phones, unlock them, and try to make a profit.

There will also be a very different process for unlocking smartphones. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular are all part of the same industry cell phone unlocking standard, but they usually have small differences in their unlocking processes. For example, most of these major carriers require that you pay off your entire contract before you’re able to unlock the device.

Because the federal and state governments largely stay out of commerce, they probably won’t make a law repealing a carrier’s refusal to unlock cell phones before a contract is paid in full.

How Do You Unlock Your Phones?

As mentioned previously, there are different procedures for unlocking cell phones according to the carrier. In some instances, the carrier will unlock your device for you. You can take it to the store or even have them unlock it remotely over the phone. Either way, you’ll have to take the device to the carrier rather than getting it unlocked from the phone’s manufacturer.

Other times, the phone carrier will have a strict policy that says they won’t unlock cell phone for you, particularly if the phone has not been paid off or the contract hasn’t expired. Oftentimes, they’ll only unlock the device if it’s older. Also, when you present the phone to them, they cannot charge you to unlock it.

If your carrier will not unlock your phone, you can do it yourself by purchasing codes to unlock your phone. This is useful if you’re trying to sell the phone before the contract is up. Again, this is completely legal and may be the easier route.

Once it’s been unlocked, the phone can be used for any carrier by simply changing the SIM card. This makes it a lot easier to sell and transfer, often making it a more valuable item for you.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/larryalton/is-unlocking-your-cell-phone-legal/

2017 Plan – 4 Ways People Make Money Online; And You Can Too

If you want to find some work online, but you have no clue where to start, you’ve come to the right place. I understand that thinking about it can be overwhelming and confusing. Everyone who started considering this option was uncertain at some point and they had their fair share of fears and doubts.

Most people are used to having jobs “in the real world”, and for them, the concept of working for someone who’s on the different side of the planet is very awkward. To people who haven’t had any experience with online work, it seems strange to work from their homes and not have a workplace where they have to come to every day and talk to their colleagues and bosses on a regular basis.

However, working online has many benefits. Apart from the fact that you will work from your home, in front of your computer, you will also have the option of organizing yourself the way you see fit and do your work when you feel like it.

1. Part-time writing

One of the most common ways of earning money online is to do some writing. A lot of people think they can’t do this because they are not professional writers. Yes, you will need to have decent writing skills, but writing is a very broad area, and you can write different topics using different languages.

Ghostwriting includes writing pretty much everything you can. You can write website content, blog posts, product descriptions, commercial storylines and much more. You are obligated to write these things for a fee and you lose the rights to your work the second you get paid.

Another way to earn money is by translating texts and, of course, it requires knowing two or more languages. You can also start blogging and build a community around your blog in order to be able to advertise someone else on your blog or let people guest blog for a fee.

2. Doing online surveys

One of the quickest and easiest ways you can earn money online is by finding paid survey sites.  It’s important to find real survey websites so as not to get scammed. There are a lot of people who had bad experiences, since they didn’t pay attention to obvious red flags. Find sites that are reliable and then apply to write as much surveys as possible.

The more sites you apply to, the higher your chances of getting chosen. The registration is usually quite simple and they only require your email and basic information. After you’ve done this, make sure that you constantly check these sites for any new surveys. It’s easy work, and if you are ready invest your time, you can really earn a decent amount.

3. Teaching online

Yet another popular method for making money online is by teaching people. You might think to yourself “I never taught people anything”, but have no fear, because you don’t really have to be a professional teacher to do this, although of course you could get more money and find a job more easily if you are.

For example, there are various English-teaching websites where even an average English speaker can teach language to students. You usually get the material you need to go through, you learn it before the lesson and, depending on the platform you choose, you might have one on one courses or you can teach multiple students at once.

In most cases, these students have very little knowledge of English and you will be teaching them the basics. There will be students that simply want to talk to someone in English, to improve their pronunciation.

4. Streaming

In case you are a gamer who can play certain games really well, you have a good opportunity to make some money online. Streaming platforms such as Twitch can broadcast your gameplay, just like a TV channel, and you are the one who is supposed to be entertaining and act as the commentator.

People enjoy watching others play games on Twitch. They like watching them do anything else for that matter, because there are many streamers out there who aren’t gamers. The key here is to be interesting and to find an innovative things to do or to have an interesting approach to doing something.

When you stream, you will rely on people that visit the streaming platform to watch your broadcasts and donate money. These are small donations, but once you have 50 people that donate $3 per day, you already can say that you are a semi-professional streamer.

Earning a decent amount of money is not that difficult, but on the other hand, if you want to earn more, the possibilities are endless. Some of the top-earning streamers enjoy luxurious profits and they do this job full time.

The best place to start are some of the many freelancing platforms. Here, you can gain the knowledge needed on how making money online works. Additionally, getting some experience and doing small jobs is essential in order to learn how things go. Hell, you can even land some serious work online.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/vladzivanovic/make-money-online/

What Is A Wireless Router And How To Choose One For Your Home

The Internet has undeniably changed many of life’s mundane activities. Shopping, communicating and even transportation have changed, due to the invention of the Internet. At the same time, the technologies involved with the Internet have improved significantly over the past few years. Today, the modem router is capable of providing the consumer with lightning fast speeds.

In the past, the consumer was stuck with dial-up Internet access and excruciatingly low speeds. While the router is definitely a major improvement, it is also far more complex than plugging in a simple telephone cable. For your convenience, you will learn more about the router below.

What Is A Wireless Router

A wireless router extender is a necessity in large two-story homes, since the existing Internet router will not work efficiently throughout the entire house. If you are experiencing dead zones or intermittent interference, you will need to install a wireless extender in your home.

However, you should first begin to do your homework, by learning exactly what the wireless router is and how it functions. The device is capable of functioning in a wired local area network (LAN) or mixed wired/wireless network. Of course, this will depend on the model and brand, so delve a little further to find this information, which should be located in the manufacturer’s buying guide.

The best wifi router functions as a wireless access point, providing access to a private computer network or the Internet. It will basically direct traffic flow between a group of local computers meshed together via Radio Wave Technology or Ethernet cabling.

Hard-wired networks utilize Ethernet cabling, but these are much more difficult to set up and more expensive than the wireless network. Setting up a wireless network does not require running cables from one machine to another.

Parental Controls

The World Wide Web is a dangerous place for small children, since they are unaware of the imposing dangers of social media. There are also forbidden websites that you do not want your child to access, so be sure to invest in a router, with parental control options.

The router’s management software should be accessible by both parents and grandparents, giving full control over what content the children can access on the Web. You will also find some management software, with built-in “black lists”.

These lists contain adult websites and questionable content that may be harmful to youth. This will save you the trouble from needing to do any configuration until later on.

There are also some brands that offer live parental controls through cloud services. The parents will be able to access the cloud management service and make setting changes in the interest of their children.

Considering Signal Strength

At this point in time, most consumers should be more than familiar with signal strength. This is something that is relevant for walkie talkies, cell phones, and even routers. When attempting to choose one of the best wireless routers, it is pertinent to carefully examine the device’s signal strength and your precise application. Do you intend to utilize the Internet, while roaming throughout your home? Do you want to be able to access the Internet from your backyard?

If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, you’ll need maximum signal strength. Also, it is essential to remember that some environmental factors and home décor items can deflect the Wi-Fi signal. A better signal will ensure you experience fewer disconnects and will be able to access the Internet from anywhere inside and outside of your property.

Check The Band Or Standard

As mentioned above, Internet technologies and the associated devices have changed substantially over the years. Today, there is an abundance of different wireless standards, including A, B, G, N, and AC. The 802.11b standard was originated in July of 1999.

As the date suggests, it is slight prehistoric compared to the alternatives. 802.11b can only offer maximum speeds of 11 Mbps. Each consecutive standard improved to some degree. If you’re looking for the best router for home use, you will want to opt for a router utilizing the 802.11ac standard.

This technology is backwards compatible and works fluidly with the b, g, and n standards. It also works on the 2.4 GHz frequency and the 5 GHz frequency. On the 2.4 GHz, the user will receive maximum speeds of 450 Mbps. On the 5 GHz, you’ll be able to browse the Internet with maximum speeds of 1,300 Mbps. At this point in time, 802.11ac is the best money can buy!

Safety Features And Guest Access

With hackers become smarter by the day, it is essential to take steps to protect yourself. This is why you need to make sure your router of choice is equipped with a good firewall and effective encryption. This combination will help to protect you and your family, while preventing unknown individuals from accessing your network.

When it comes to encryption, you will typically be able to choose between WEP, WPA and WPA2. Make sure the options available are compatible with the devices that you utilize.

You should also consider guest access. If you have a lot of guests at your house, it is likely these individuals will want to access the Internet at some point or another. A router with guest access will create a separate network of sorts that can be dedicated specifically to these individuals. This will allow them to access the Internet, without forcing you to give out your username and password.

Customer Support And Warranty

While you’re at it, you’ll also want to check out the manufacturer of the router and the warranty provided. While these two factors may not enhance the overall performance of the router, they may prove to be incredibly important in the future.

You may run into a problem and find yourself in desperate need of assistance. If this happens and the company isn’t up to par, you will not be able to obtain the help you need. If the company offers excellent customer support, they’ll be able to rectify your problem rapidly.

The warranty will ultimately help to prolong the longevity of the device, while further protecting your investment. If something happens and the router becomes inoperable or defective, the warranty will help to ensure the product will be replaced or repaired for free. Always try to get the longest warranty possible!

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