6 Alternative Ways To Use Your Garage

A car is a sizable piece of machinery. It needs a lot of room to store and hence the garage was born. However, the garage is empty most of the time with no car in sight. We mostly use garages to dump old things that we do not need any more or do things that we are not allowed to do inside the house. But the garage has immense potential.

Study

Imagine this, you have tons of people over at your place. Your family is having a communion of sorts but you need a break from all chitter-chatter for a while. You can easily do this in your garage. Convert the empty space into a personal study. It could fit few book shelfs, a desk and a comfortable chair. A little work on the lighting is must though. Installing air-con is a reasonable thing to do if you are going to spend prolonged period of time in there. Throw in a mini fridge and you could probably spend days in there.

Chill

Are you at the weird age where you and your friends are too lazy to go out but still want to hang out somewhere? You could easily do so in your garage. You can put in a sofa and a carpet is a safe bet to have so people can even sit on the floor.  A television is a must have to make sure you and your friends do not get bored. A console along with that TV will greatly aid the cause. You can also have card games or even hold poker nights with your friends. This way, you won’t need to worry about inconveniencing your family while your friends are over.

Classes

An empty garage opens a world of probabilities to earn a few extra cash if you’re hard up in these tough times. Jobs are tough and competitive these days, and it is always a good insurance policy to earn a few extra bucks. Turn your garage into your very own class room. You could easily fit at least ten chairs with attached tables to accommodate your students, with a whiteboard, projector and a screen for your class. You will however need to make sure you get Wi-Fi in that room for your teaching purposes. Since this is a classroom, you will also require an air con. The initial investment is quite substantial but it will start to pay off soon enough if you stick with it.

Guests

Do you often have guests over? Do they stay with you far longer than expected? Then turn your garage into a guest room. It could easily fit a bed. A small clothes rack and a table should be enough to accommodate a guest. Since you plan to house guests, you have to paint the walls, work on ventilation and probably buy a better garage door. You can make sure that your guest has a comfortable stay and you get to retain your privacy.

Games

In this day and age, there is barely any space for children to play. Parks are limited and buildings are mashed together in this ever growing concrete jungle. Your children could benefit from a game room. Turn your garage into a game room. Fill it with toys where children can play and be physically active instead of being hunched over in front of a television. This will also give you and your wife a break from children where you can just relax for a while.

Gym

Planning to lose some weight gained over Christmas? Too busy for the gym? Well then, bring the gym to you. Turn your garage into a gym, albeit a small one. This will be expensive but no amount of money is enough to make sure you stay healthy. On the plus side, big investments compel you to work out more; otherwise the money is just a waste. You won’t need all the equipment in your local gym; just buy the ones that fit into your plan and before you know it, you’ll be rocking that summer body.
These are just some of the ways to make use of an empty garage. Use these nifty tips to make your life productive or fun. You can also implement your own ideas if you want to. Remember, the garage is just waiting to be explored.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/admin/6-alternative-ways-to-use-your-garage/

Winning Back Customers: 5 Most Effective Ways

Whether the seller is to blame or the buyer, a customer lost is revenue squandered. Shopping is no longer a hassle; gone are the days of direct customer interaction. In the world of e-commerce, e-mail is the biggest mode of communication and it is important that you make the most of it. Realizing “why” a customer left is key, and you will probably get hold of the right reasons, but we will answer “how” to overcome this. Here are the five most effective ways to retain customers.

Subject impact

Subject of the e-mail is what customers see and decide whether to invest valuable time and read. Having a short and powerful subject line can easily reconnect a customer without them questioning the content inside. Taglines such as “we miss you!” or “come back soon!” can work wonders to retain customers – this is a way of showing you care for your customers and their absence is being felt. People stop using online shops for several reasons but a bit of care and kindness can win anyone back. Many sites use tools to monitor whether a customer is only browsing the site or are detached for some reason. This helps to strategize mailing.

Get back offers

Winning customers back through several offers is nothing a new. Almost all of us have seen how companies offer crazy discounts on products just to get old breeze blowing over their skin or even attract new. You can promote your products by offering discount codes on sites like Piucodicisconto and Retailmenot and even reach new customers. The marketable content must be very appealing to customers, yet simple enough for customers to comprehend. Adding pictures to offers is an excellent enhancement.

Guiding customers to their need

A long-lost customer will only come back if your company offers something better than before. Therefore, your company has to constantly maintain email communication with your customers to let them know about the new and hip products you host on your website. Do note that these mails should advise customers to buy new products based on their previous purchases. Help your customers out with “how to use the site” emails or educational mail which details the benefits of a product to a customer can also work wonders.

Expressing your existence

This is more of the first phase of showing your desperation to retain customers as you try and seek attention through various ways. One can ask customers to fill in surveys, just a way of letting know your updates indirectly through survey questionnaires. Other ways would probably be asking customers to integrate their social media with your site. The second option sounds more effective as it actually promises to make the lives of your customers easy, assuming almost everyone visits any social media at least once a day.

Last resort

All suggestions above mostly involve customers buy products and services or makes browsing easier for the customers. When nothing else works, companies could ask for re-permission to keep customers sending e-mails or asking them to update e-mail preferences.  Last ditch, why? It’s good if customer asks for future updates but if not, then it is a clear rejection.

No matter what path a company chooses, it should waste a customers’ time. Asking for one customer to get back should not lead to losing several others due to bad reputation of annoying your customers. Send an e-mail that is short, easy to get, appealing and beneficial for the customer is quite the main mantra to regaining customers through e-mail. Simple, no?

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/admin/winning-back-customers-5-most-effective-ways/

How to Refine Your Test-Taking Skills on Test Day

As a student, test taking is one of the most important parts of your high school, college, and perhaps graduate school careers. Whether you are taking the SAT, an AP exam, the GRE, or another big test, honing your test-taking skills is crucial. Try following these guidelines to do just that:

Just breathe
When you first enter the test-taking room, take a few moments to compose yourself. Take deep breaths and ease your mind. Try to boost your confidence by thinking positive thoughts. Remember, you’ve prepared and you can do this. Do not panic!

Make a quick test plan
Once the test begins, take a minute or two to review the papers in front of you and create a plan. Consider how you are going to split up your time for this test. Approximately how long will you spend on each section? Which questions will you start with? How many minutes will you set aside for yourself at the end to review your work? Having a test plan is a fantastic way to stay organized, but ensure you also set limits. This is crucial, as you want to prevent yourself from getting too stuck on one part of the test and running out of time to review your responses at the end. If you have a solid idea of the test structure and time constraints before you come into the exam room, it would be wise to formulate a test plan ahead of time. After all, the more time you can save during the exam period, the better!

Read — and re-read — directions
Now that you have set a test plan, it is time to begin working. An obviously key part of taking a test is carefully following the directions. Do not skim over these; read each and every word. The directions give you insight into your instructor’s plan for the test, so take it seriously.

Start with the questions you know
The order in which you answer the test questions should be strategic. Build up your confidence at the beginning by answering all of the questions you absolutely know. From there, consider moving on to the questions with highest point values. After that, go back and answer the rest of the questions that remain. If you find you have a few questions unanswered during the last few minutes of the test, think about whether this test employs a guessing penalty or not, and answer accordingly — i.e. if the test deducts points for wrong answers, leave the questions blank; if the the test does not deduct points for incorrect answers, consider making educated guesses.

Review
Since you created a test plan, ideally you have at least a few minutes at the end of the exam period to review your work. Use this time to make sure you have completed all portions of the exam: check the front and back pages, make sure the scantron is accurate, and be sure you put your name on it! Next, review your answers. How you choose to do this is up to you. Some find it helpful to review the questions you were certain about so you can verify that you selected the correct answers. Others find it helpful to review those questions of the test that were moderately challenging, in hopes that a second-pass through may jog their memory about the topics.

Once you feel comfortable, turn that test in and pat yourself on the back. You did it! When you receive your score later, think about what strategies worked and what didn’t, and consider adjusting your test-taking skills accordingly for the next test you face.

Jenny Modlisz 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/how-to-refine-your-test-taking-skills-on-test-day/

7 Great New Car Gadgets You Should be Excited About

We’ve been waiting for flying cars for some decades now, but even though they seem to have been just a dream that was never meant to be there are some interesting new developments in the car industry. Over the last few years people have grown accustomed to always having a screen to tap or button to push somewhere around them, and since we spend a great deal of time in our cars it’s only natural that companies saw a growing demand for car-based gadgets and decided to offer us some incredibly interesting options.

Let’s take a look at some of the best car gadgets out there today, which may become affordable standard items sooner than you think.

Just say the words and the car will listen

Since the advent of mobile phones one of the greatest safety issues has been the fact that people like to occupy their hands with their gadgets and they don’t pay attention to the road. This is precisely why voice recognition technology has made it’s way into most modern cars, and it is now possible to simply press a button and and use verbal commands.

Cars talking to other cars

Yep, you heard that right, with a new technology called V2V your car will be able to connect to other cars on the road and exchange information. Now, this is not just a matter of checking what everyone else on the road has under the hood, but rather a feature that promises to increase safety, along with V2I that would allow cars to get precise information from things in your environment, e.g. when the light is going to turn green and the speed limit on a particular patch of road.

And this is all incredibly important when we consider the fact that cars will soon have self-driving settings and will need to be in close contact with other vehicles and the infrastructure in order to avoid accidents.

Wireless Charging

With all these new options like Wi-Fi we can expect to see the whole family bring their favorite gadget on the next ride, but this can complicate things somewhat, as charging all those devices is going to be a logistical nightmare. This is why most car companies are looking into wireless charging. But this feature will only work with smartphones that are compatible, so before you rush to get this feature when purchasing your new ride, check to see if your smartphone will support it.

More Bluetooth options

Certain technologies are becoming a necessity in every newer vehicle, and Bluetooth is definitely right at the top of the list. It’s not just a good way to connect your phone to your car and access your playlists; it can also automatically detect the user’s smartphone and enables them to stay connected all the time via the car’s app.

This way, the owners can check the car battery, preheat the cabin and start the vehicle. Companies like Volvo will also be using this enhanced connectivity to offer an interesting new option – using your smartphone to unlock your car. We can expect to see this particular feature sometime next year.

Back-Up Cameras

This might sound like a bit of exaggeration, but these cameras are probably the best thing since sliced bread, or at least since cup holders. The camera automatically activates when you put the car in reverse, so you can have an incredibly clear view of where you are going, complete with a handy distance gauge. Since most fender benders happen in parking lots, these cameras can save you a whole lot of road rage, time and money.

All the internet you need, all the time

A lot of car manufacturers are offering LTE 4G and Wi-Fi in their latest models, as long as you drop a few extra bucks for your chosen internet provider’s service, of course. However, it really is worth the investment since it’s much easier on both your wallet and your phone battery to connect to your new four-wheel hotspot than to turn on mobile data traffic on your phone.

You can have several people connect to your car network on different devices, and the whole thing kind of evokes memories of the first car phones, which were considered the apex of in-car technology once upon a time.

See through the darkness

Apart from the driver being distracted by gadgets and facing rainy and snowy roads, nighttime driving on poorly lit roads puts you at the greatest risk of bumping into someone or something. This is why an affordable night vision system for the average car is such an exciting idea. For now, this feature is limited to classy German sedans, some offering thermal vision, but we can expect to see it in more reasonably priced models in the next few years.

These were our favorite seven high-tech features that your next car simply must have. If you are not really able to purchase a car that possesses all of these features, you can always equip your current ride with some of the best gadgets of the year 2016, and make it a bit more futuristic. Technology will only continue to evolve, and who knows what we will see in the next couple of years, but we are sure that it will be pretty awesome.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/nmanojlovic/7-great-new-car-gadgets-you-should-be-excited-about/

Three Great Things You Can Learn From Eccentric Entrepreneurs

Eccentricity is what makes disruptions possible. Anything that has the potential to change the way humans live and interact with each other has stemmed from something living being even odder since time immemorial. Conventional-ism is what we tend to use when something off the mill is required. Entrepreneur is quite a recent buzzword and in laymen terminology it merely is the title given to someone who owns a business but there is lot more to that word than just plain old ownership, rather an entrepreneur is someone who tends to see or envision something that has never been done or thought of before. It’s a personality trait that ingrained in a select few who tend to look, feel and resound in a quite unique manner, different from everyone who just follow norms and what acceptable behavior is. From Da Vinci to the Wright Brothers to Elon Musk and Jobs, everyone single person who caused a whirlwind change in how we perceive or use things were eccentric. Being eccentric means embracing your weirdness to the hilt and not just giving in on how you will be judged by others in your mannerisms. Life gets just plain old boring when you remove weirdness.

Eccentricity and not necessity has been the mother of invention. Who needed Facebook or the Iphone or driverless cars? Are they a need or just a plain old outcome of eccentric people just being themselves? Eccentric entrepreneurs have some traits that have great implications in terms of being wildly successful and inspiring awe in the process of building something and aspiring others to do the same. Here are 5 traits that any budding entrepreneur can surely adopt and make his/her life and business that much easier and successful:

They Lose the Baggage of Guilt

 When you start off in the pursuit of your dreams and venture out to start your own gig, you automatically become different from everyone else who just couldn’t muster up the courage to do so. Where most people cave in is the place where they start hearing what other people have to say about what they are doing, whether it is discontinuing college or not going for the great job they were just offered, people don’t normally muster up disregard for that opinion, rather they start feeling guilty for not conforming to societal norms of what they should be rather than what they are.

This is where eccentric entrepreneurs differ, they have utter disregard and harbor zero guilt for what other people think, which makes them more focused and helps them zero in on what they need to accomplish for themselves. SpaceX wouldn’t have come into being if Elon Musk would have harbored guilt and remorse on what other people said he could have done after he got money from selling his Paypal shares. He chose to completely get rid of the guilt and focused on what he wanted and Voila! A commercially viable private rocket company was born which is now commissioned by NASA to cater to its outer space needs.

Pulled towards riskier ventures

We all like to play it safe and do not summon up enough energy most of the time to be able to venture into the unknown. Our eccentric entrepreneurs dwell in the sea of risk. They are intrinsically drawn towards things which hold high chances of ending up in failure and the chances of success are slim. But the smaller the chances of success the bigger the fruit awaits if it ends up in success. Eccentricity is about not fearing what ifs. Safer options often stop you from realizing your true potential. Walt Disney could have kept his newspaper job had his idea been to play it safe, then the world wouldn’t have got a chance to marvel at the amazing legacy he created by drawing what he felt like even though how risky it seemed.

Embodying your personality into what you build

Whenever I see Apple’s products or the brand itself, I cannot let myself detach it with the personality of Steve Jobs. Simple, elegant & powerful was what Steve’s personality was and that it also how Apple panned out as a brand and later as a company. The most successful companies and products are just like living beings because life has been instilled on them by their amazing eccentric creators. Make your brand or company synonymous with your personality or what you believe in.

Making it synonymous with yourself will give you the power to reflect it and represent in a better and a whole different manner from anyone who is doing it conventionally. From the biggest details to the minute ones, everything should carry your smell and passion, whether you are funky, jerky or quirky. If you are an artistic person, make your office aesthetics wreak of artistic infusion from everywhere, if you are a person who likes things to look tough and powerful, portray that on your logo design. The magic to making your brand seem larger than life is to connect it with your life and your audience with new innovative ideas and seo marketing techniques, the portrayal begets trust and passion on part of the maker, use it to great effect and make your work an ideology that will leave a lasting legacy.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/zyanamorris/three-great-things-you-can-learn-from-eccentric-entrepreneurs/

Security Cameras, Botnets, and IoT — Oh My!

In case you were not already aware, your security camera system could be vulnerable to attacks by hackers eager to damage business information systems. As the developed world begins to embrace the idea of the Internet of Things (IoT for short), it is certain that these attacks will continue to become more sophisticated and pervasive.

Without getting into the technicalities of how botnet attacks work, just understand that it involves a large network of infected computers that hackers are then able to harness and control remotely. The reason this is a looming problem for internet security experts is because as devices become increasingly interconnected and dependent upon the ability to gather information from users and databases, they can be exploited for nefarious purposes.

Because security camera systems were one of the weak links that allowed hackers to recently to blame for the recent attack on Dyn, which slowed Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify, among others, to a halt during the attack, it is essential to ensure your business security cameras are secure.

Thanks to Platinum CCTV for the following surveillance camera security guidelines

 

1. Disable P2P settings in your cameras

Most security cameras have enabled peer to peer capabilities, but you should never use it. P2P came into vogue in order to make IP camera setup and use easier for users. However, because P2P technology requires your camera to be connected to your internet connection, which communicates with the security camera company’s server, it makes you vulnerable to an attack because the only thing protecting the connection is the password on the camera itself, which most people never change.

NVRs and DVRs are also vulnerable to hacks as well because they often depend on the same substandard software as the cheap security camera systems flooding the market.

The takeaway? Hackers can reprogram your security camera and recruit it as an asset in their botnet. This is one reason why, instead of buying some cheap camera from an unknown seller, they should seek out experts in the field of security camera sales and support who can walk them through the steps of properly configuring their security system.

2. Isolate your security cameras at installation

While disabling P2P capabilities is a good first step, it is by no means the only measure you should take in order to protect your security network. You also must completely isolate your cameras by setting them up on a physical network that is unable to connect to the internet. There is a side benefit to the isolation procedure as well, because it keeps the IP cameras from eating up your bandwidth and slowing down your network.

The problem, however, is that many businesses that rely upon cheap security systems only allow the user to port into their internet connection, which slows their network and exposes them to security vulnerabilities that hackers exploit every day.

3. Use an encrypted VPN for remote access

No security protocols are perfect, but an encrypted VPN is the way to go if you plan to access your security camera system remotely on your phone or other device. This is an added layer of protection to the isolated camera setup discussed earlier, because the VPN provides heavy-duty encryption that is nearly impossible to crack. In this configuration, the IP camera connects to the video recorder, which then connects to the VPN. Thus, when you connect remotely to the security camera system via your smart phone, it has to undergo a series of authentication steps before granting access to the device.

 

CONCLUSION

Your business and home security system are vital to your personal safety, but knowing that these systems can be hacked via P2P exploits should spur you into action to make sure your IP and network security are up to the challenges that hackers are pursuing. As the Internet of Things becomes more prevalent throughout society, with more unsecured devices and under-informed device users coming online every day, security system owners cannot afford to rely upon substandard security measures.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/mike-rhesus/security-cameras-botnets-and-iot-oh-my/

Learn An Innovative Technique To Create Fuller Brows

Forget about flawless skin, expertly applied eye shadow, and the perfect lip colour. The most important feature of any beauty’s face is their brows. It gives structure to the face by giving much needed definition around the eyes, the windows of the soul. The biggest celebrities have dropped the thin, over-worked brow in favour of the strong, full eyebrow. Talented actresses like Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins sport the look, with strong, expressive brows helping them nail those dramatic scenes.

As the trend grows, and more and more women come into your spa asking for that “Cara Delevingne look”, you need to be equipped with the latest products, techniques, and skills in order to deliver what they want. It’s a delicate procedure that needs a deft hand and a critical eye towards the skin and hair type of your client. For those with thin hair, they’ll need help fitting a full look, while those with bushy, untamed brows, they’ll need to create definition. If you’re at a loss of how to assist these two types of clients, and everyone in between, it’s time you enroll with the industry leading training facility in North America. The instructors at the LashForever Canada facility can reveal to you the latest tips and techniques to get you on the right track. Enrolling is as easy as visiting Lashforevercanada.com and signing up for the class closest to you.

There are benefits to learning from the biggest and best name in the eyebrow embroidery game. Their technicians stay on top of the latest trends in the industry, so they can share with you innovative beauty enhancements. Learning from such established instructors means you have access to their extensive knowledge of techniques, as well as their full brand of products, including pigments and extension blends.

Microblading is by far their most popular class. Also known as embroidery, it’s a non-invasive, pain free alternative to permanent tattoos, and they can be applied to both the brow and lash line to create fuller, thicker looking hair. During your class, you’ll learn how to control premium tools to create fine, feather-like incisions and how to match your pigments to your clients’ natural colouring. In lash and eyebrow extension classes, you’ll discover how to safely apply silk and mink blends to existing hair. In any class you take, you’re guaranteed access to the brightest minds in the beauty enhancement industry, ensuring you’re equipped with the best techniques and products to help your clients.

It’s important to learn from an established facility like LashForever and not just because of their extensive knowledge of the trade. They also provide you with methods and products that meet all FDA, Health Canada, and EMA standards. All of their technicians go through training to meet the highest standards, so the end result is happy and safe clients with the brows and lashes they want. Enroll in a class and get ready to take on the biggest, boldest trend of the season: strong, defined brows.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/michaelsanduso/learn-an-innovative-technique-to-create-fuller-brows/