Category Archives: Helpful Articles

Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides

Smart Phone Accessories: Your Phone’s New Best Friends

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So, are you ready to take your trusty phone from great to “Wow, is that even the same phone?” with some seriously cool accessories? Let’s dive into this world of nifty gadgets that are not just useful, but kind of life-changing too.

Battery Cases: Your Phone’s Knight In Shining Armor

You know that sinking feeling when you see the dreaded “low battery” notification? Well, stress no more! A battery case is like having a superhero for your phone. It’s not just a protective layer; it’s a power boost when you need it most. Think of it as your phone’s secret energy snack. Plus, they look pretty sleek too!

Portable Projectors: The World Is Your Theater

Ever thought of watching a movie under the stars? With a portable projector for your smartphone, you can. These little wonders can turn any blank wall into a cinema screen. They’re perfect for movie nights, sharing vacation photos, or even giving a presentation. It’s like having a theatre in your pocket!

Camera Attachments: Your Phone’s New Eyes

Your phone’s camera is already great, but with these clip-on lenses, it’s like giving it a superpower. Snap on a wide-angle, macro, or fish-eye lens and watch your photography game soar. It’s like seeing the world through a whole new lens (literally!). Get ready for your social media to light up with likes!

Styluses: Because Your Finger Isn’t Always Enough

For the creatives out there, a stylus can transform your smartphone into a canvas or a notepad. Whether you’re sketching, jotting down notes, or just navigating, a stylus can give you that precision touch. It’s like having a magic pen that turns your phone into a hub of creativity.

Wireless Earbuds: Your Personal Sound Oasis

The right pair of wireless earbuds can totally change how you experience sound. Whether it’s for music, calls, or gaming, they create this little bubble of audio just for you. And the best part? No more wrestling with tangled wires. It’s like giving your ears a first-class ticket to Sound City. One heads up, always make sure they’re charged, you don’t want to get caught with those babies without power when you really need them.

Wireless Charging Pads: Effortless Energy

Wireless charging pads are like those fancy plates at a restaurant but for your phone. Just set your phone down and watch it charge. No more fumbling with cords or trying to plug in in the dark. They’re not just convenient; they add a touch of class to wherever you put them. And hey, for finding these treasures, places like Mobile Guru are like Aladdin’s cave. They’ve got all these cool tools that can turn your phone into something out of a tech fantasy. It’s like the ultimate playground for your smartphone.

So, what do you think? Ready to give your smartphone a makeover with these awesome accessories? Trust me, once you start exploring these gadgets, you’ll see your phone in a whole new light. Here’s to making our smartphones not just smart, but genius!

Business, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides

Three Ways To Elevate Your Business Success

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When running your own business, you should always be on the lookout for your next opportunity to grow. This will enable you to stay ahead of your competitors and become a leader in your industry while also increasing your revenue quite considerably. 

With that in mind, here are three ways in which you can begin to elevate your business success. 

Three Ways To Elevate Your Business Success
Three Ways To Elevate Your Business Success

Invest in the best equipment.

When first starting in the business world, you’ll likely look for ways to cut costs wherever possible. After all, this helps you to preserve your budget and can help you to increase your revenue. However, there are some aspects of your business that you should be willing to invest in, such as business tools and equipment.

For example, if you need to carry out underwater surveying and mapping, investing in products such as a side scan sonar can make the entire process much more straightforward and less time-consuming. Furthermore, it also means that your results are more accurate than if you were using outdated equipment or tools. As such, investing in this kind of equipment will bring forth a much greater ROI for your business.

Take care of your employees.

Taking care of your employees and ensuring their needs are met within the workplace is another great way to take your business from strength to strength. After all, when employees feel respected within the workplace, they’re likely to work harder. This means that you may notice productivity and efficiency rates skyrocket or that you reach targets much quicker than expected. It also means you won’t have to deal with too much employee turnover, which can also help to protect your bottom line. 

Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can begin to take better care of your employees. For example, you can use technology to your advantage and automate specific tasks or duties, reducing their workload quite considerably. This way, they do not feel overworked or burnt out. Additionally, you should provide them with access to plenty of growth opportunities, whether this be through on-site mentoring or training courses. This will help them take the next steps in your career, but the more skilled your team is, the better your business will perform, meaning it’s a mutually beneficial endeavour!  

Listen to your customers. 

While the phrase “the customer is always right” often sends shivers through the spine of anyone who has worked in customer service, it is crucial that you take the time to really listen to your customers when running a business. 

As such, moving forward, you should place a real emphasis on good customer service, both in-person and over the phone. After all, “81% of customers say that a positive customer service experience is what pushes them to make another purchase.” Furthermore, you should ask for regular feedback from your customers, whether this be through email or by hosting focus groups. You can take this feedback on board to make meaningful changes that strengthen your relationship and improve your business practices.

Cybercrime, Gadget Man, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Online Shopping

Truth in Ratings: How to Protect Your Business and Yourself from Fake Reviews

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Fake reviews can significantly impact both businesses and consumers, distorting the perception of products, services, and brands. They can artificially inflate or deflate ratings and can mislead potential buyers. Here are some strategies that both businesses and consumers can use to protect themselves:

Truth in Ratings: How to Protect Your Business and Yourself from Fake Reviews
Truth in Ratings: How to Protect Your Business and Yourself from Fake Reviews

For Businesses:

1. Monitor Reviews Actively: Regularly monitor and analyse reviews for patterns that may indicate fraudulent activity, such as a sudden influx of positive or negative reviews.

2. Utilise Review Verification Services: There are third-party services designed to verify the authenticity of reviews. They can help in filtering out suspicious or inauthentic feedback.

3. Encourage Genuine Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave a review by providing easy-to-follow instructions or even offering incentives. Make sure to follow ethical guidelines in doing so.

4. Implement a Review Policy: Have a clear and transparent review policy that defines what is allowed and not allowed. Make it accessible to customers.

5. Report Fake Reviews: Major review sites often have mechanisms for reporting suspicious reviews. Be sure to make use of these systems when you notice suspicious activity.

6. Engage with Reviews: By actively responding to reviews, both positive and negative, you can often build trust with customers. If you suspect a review is fake, respond professionally, indicating your concern and how you plan to investigate.

7. Educate Your Customers: Let your customers know the importance of genuine reviews and how they can make sure their reviews are counted.

Truth in Ratings: How to Protect Your Business and Yourself from Fake Reviews
Truth in Ratings: How to Protect Your Business and Yourself from Fake Reviews

For Consumers:

1. Check Multiple Sources: Don’t rely on reviews from just one website. Look at different platforms to get a more comprehensive view.

2. Look for Verified Purchasers: Some platforms label reviews from verified purchasers. These are typically more trustworthy.

3. Analyze Review Patterns: If you see a large number of reviews with the same wording or all posted around the same time, they might be fake.

4. Be Skeptical of Extremes: Extremely positive or negative reviews might be fake, especially if they lack specific details about the product or service.

5. Use Review Analysis Tools: Some online tools can analyse reviews and provide a summary or even flag potentially fake reviews.

6. Read Both Positive and Negative Reviews: By reading a mix of positive and negative reviews, you can often get a more balanced view of a product or service.

7. Trust Your Instinct: If something doesn’t feel right, or if a review seems too good to be true, it probably is.

8. Consider Professional Reviews: If possible, look for professional, in-depth reviews from reputable sources.

9. Engage with the Community: Ask questions on forums or social media to get real opinions from real users.

By being proactive and aware, both businesses and consumers can significantly reduce the impact of fake reviews. It requires a combination of vigilance, utilizing available tools and services, and fostering a culture of authenticity and transparency.

Business, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Useful Articles

Key Things Businesses With Remote Employees Need To Succeed

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Engaging remote employees is both an opportunity and a challenge for businesses in today’s digital world. The modern workplace has evolved significantly to accommodate new technologies, mobile connectivity, and alternative working environments. As such, it’s no secret that many businesses around the world now rely heavily on their remote employees to maintain productivity and keep up with the competition. But what exactly do companies need to ensure success when managing dispersed teams?

Establish Clear Communication Policies & Guidelines

Clear communication policies and guidelines are essential for any business that has remote employees. Without them, it is easy for employees to get confused about deadlines and be unclear about expectations. Having a written set of rules helps everyone stay on the same page and move forward together, no matter where people are located geographically.

Invest In Relevant Technology

Investing in the right technology is essential for businesses with remote employees. Having an IT system that can be accessed from anywhere is crucial for success; this allows workers to remain productive and collaborative even when they are not physically present in the office. Furthermore, depending on the size of their remote workforce, businesses should consider investing in external IT support services. This can help to ensure that any technical issues can be promptly solved without compromising productivity or performance.

Encourage Cross-Team Collaboration

With more remote employees than ever, many businesses are struggling with encouraging collaboration and communication between teams. Keeping everyone on the same page is vital to success, but since people are often physically separated, it can be difficult to ensure that knowledge is shared and everyone feels included. To foster cross-team collaboration virtually, businesses should consider adopting a collaborative project management platform to work together in real-time.

Prioritise Workplace Happiness & Well-Being

Many businesses with remote employees miss out on one key ingredient for success: prioritising workplace happiness and well-being. Feeling appreciated and respected by their employers is the foundation for most employees’ satisfaction and motivation to do their job. Research shows that improving employee well-being leads to higher engagement levels, the feeling of safety at work, increased morale and productivity, reduced conflicts, better problem-solving abilities, and improved performance.

Develop A Remote Work Culture

Knowing how to motivate and engage your remote employees is key for businesses with distributed teams. An important step towards effectively embracing remote work is developing a set of values and protocols to build a company culture based on open communication, trust, accountability, and security. When done right, it results in a workforce that’s more connected than ever before and allows everyone to feel part of the team. Workplace culture doesn’t have to be limited to employees who are physically present; it can be extended to everyone, regardless of where they work.

Working remotely can be a huge benefit, but it may also require some extra effort and management to ensure your remote team works as efficiently as possible. Overall, with the right planning ahead of time, your remote working setup can be extremely successful from day one and give everyone the space they need to do their best work.

Gadget Man, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Streaming

Making Streaming Services Not Suck Again

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If you have been paying attention to the ways in which we use streaming services, then you might have well noticed that they have changed a lot over the years, and not always (or usually) for the better. Aside from some top-quality shows getting cancelled, it feels like more and more content is getting gated, split off, and otherwise made harder for us to enjoy. We may not be able to return to the peak of online TV streaming, but there are some ways to make it suck less.

Don’t commit to them

Okay, so it might be a little inconvenient to think about which streaming service you’re going to be using each and every month but the truth is that being “loyal” doesn’t pay. You don’t get any bonuses for staying with any particular service for longer and, most importantly, you’re not locked down to any one service for any period of time. Most streaming services operate on a pay-as-you-go monthly basis. As such, you can make sure that you’re subscribed to whatever services are helping you watch whichever shows you’re invested in at the moment, and then, when you’re done with that, use a comparison site to find a service that’s offering a better selection for you next month.

Get access to overseas content

One of the ways that streaming sites have been increasingly gating off the content that they allow us to access is through region-locked content. This can be due to licensing issues, or not getting the rights to broadcast in all countries, but sometimes, it’s literally just because they don’t think certain media will appeal to certain audiences. If you want to learn how to watch Hulu with VPN, it’s super easy to be able to access the roster that some of your overseas friends might be gushing about. This way, you can make sure that you don’t get all amped up to watch something that you heard was available, only for inevitable disappointment when you find out it’s not available in your region.

Consider using some free options

If you’re starting to look at your budget and you’re a little distressed by just how much of it is taken up by subscription services, then it might be time for a detox. While you could switch to a method of switching sites month by month, you should also look at the sheer variety of free streaming services that are still available. Unlike a few years back, piracy isn’t your only option when it comes to watching shows that you can’t otherwise access. Most of these free streaming services do rely on ads, so you might not be getting exactly the same experience, but it’s not that bad a trade-off, overall.

With the increasing move of streaming services to a model that’s closer to traditional cable TV, we might be trying to hold back the tide. However, you can at least ensure that you get to enjoy your streaming services a little better for a little longer with the tips above.

Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Useful Articles

A Quick Guide to Creating a Productive Mobile Workforce By Leveraging Technology

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The modern workplace is evolving. With the advent of smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, more and more employees are working from home or on the go. This presents a unique challenge for business owners: how can you create a productive mobile workforce without sacrificing security or efficiency? This blog post will explore ways to leverage technology to help your employees work productively from anywhere.

Use an MDM Solution and Implement 2-Factor Authentication:

A mobile device management solution will allow you to manage and control employee mobile devices remotely. This can be useful for a number of reasons, including enforcing security policies, managing apps and content, and remotely wiping data in the event that a device is lost or stolen.

A Quick Guide to Creating a Productive Mobile Workforce By Leveraging Technology
A Quick Guide to Creating a Productive Mobile Workforce By Leveraging Technology

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an additional layer of security that can be used to protect sensitive data. With 2FA, employees must provide two different pieces of information in order to access corporate data. This could include a password and a one-time code generated by an app on their phone.

Invest in Servers and Use Encryption:

Investing in server infrastructure can be expensive, but it is worth it to maintain security and control over corporate data, so start finding affordable computer server sales. By having your own servers, you can more easily monitor and manage access to sensitive data. Additionally, you can encrypt data at rest and in transit to further protect it from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

A virtual private network (VPN) can be used to create a secure connection between an employee’s device and the corporate network. This is useful for ensuring that sensitive data is not intercepted when it is being transmitted over the internet. Additionally, a VPN can be used to give employees access to internal resources that they would not otherwise have access to, such as file servers and printers.

Use Collaboration Tools:

There are a number of collaboration tools available that can be used to improve communication and productivity among employees. These tools include video conferencing, chat apps, and project management software.

Video conferencing can be used for meetings, training, and other events. It is a great way to stay connected with employees who are working remotely. Chat apps can be used for real-time communication and collaboration. They are typically less formal than email and can be useful for quickly sharing ideas or files. Project management software can be used to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and assigned employees.

Provide Flexible Work Arrangements:

One of the best ways to support a productive mobile workforce is to provide flexible work arrangements. This could include allowing employees to work from home on certain days, providing them with flexible hours, or giving them the ability to take breaks when they need to. Flexible work arrangements can help employees feel more engaged and productive. They also provide a number of benefits for businesses, such as reduced absenteeism and improved morale.

There are a number of ways to leverage technology to create a productive mobile workforce. By investing in the right tools and solutions, you can improve communication, collaboration, and overall productivity. Additionally, by providing flexible work arrangements, you can further support your employees’ productivity.

Cloud Storage, Datacentres, Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides

Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists

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There are pros and cons to almost any type of technology. Take social media, for example; it’s a fantastic tool to help people connect with others, but it also brings out the worst in people. You can apply this line of thinking to just about anything tech-related; it will have lots of pros, but also some cons. 

Speaking of which, data centres are recently coming under fire from a lot of environmental activists. Indeed, governments are looking to clamp down on these centres because of the damage they are doing to the environment. On the one hand, data centres are excellent as they allow us to store lots of data and keep it protected. But, the flip side of this is that there are some ecological concerns…

Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists
Why Data Centres Are Coming Under Fire From Environmental Activists

Large greenhouse gas emissions

You associate greenhouse gasses with factories and manufacturing plants. But, did you know that data centres account for 2% of the total greenhouse gas emissions on the planet? That’s a massive amount and it all comes down to the sheer level of electricity produced every single day. 

Think about it, there are hundreds, thousands of servers inside a data centre that all need to be powered at all times. This uses so much electricity, causing serious harm to the planet. 

Big contributors to toxic waste

Another key reason these places are under fire is that they contribute to toxic waste. This is mainly via the sheer amount of e-waste generated by data centres. In fact, some reports suggest that e-waste is accountable for 70% of global toxic waste. 

Again, it’s a significant issue that’s leading to loads of people demanding that action is taken!

What can be done to solve these tech problems?

Like all tech issues, the problems with data centres can be solved with some clever thinking. For starters, steps must be made to improve the efficiency of data centres. This begins with the databases themselves. The goal is to maximise each system to ensure that more items can be stored on one server at any given time. One way to do this is through things like MySQL Performance Tuning. Ideas like this are designed to tune database systems to make them more efficient, ensuring they use up less energy and fewer data servers are required in any given centre. 

Performance tuning can also increase the longevity of servers within a data centre, meaning they last for longer before being thrown away. As such, less waste is generated in these facilities. 

Another obvious move is to power these places with as much renewable energy as possible. Solar panels can be very helpful, subsidising non-renewable energy and keeping greenhouse gas emissions to a minimum. 

It’s not hard to understand why people are getting angry about the environmental impact of technology, particularly in facilities like data centres. However, the good news is that steps can be made to address the issues. Thus, we get the benefit of data centres without worrying about what they do to the planet – everyone’s a winner!

Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Useful Articles

What is a pip in forex trading?

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Are you currently learning the ropes in the foreign exchange market? You’ve picked a great place to start trading for several reasons. It’s become the biggest financial market in the world , lots of opportunities to trade 24/7, high liquidity, plus comparatively low entry costs.

The aim of the game is relatively simple too. By trading two currencies, you’ll try to predict if the value of one will increase or decrease compared to the other, based on supply and demand. Plus, it’s easy to get started as a forex trader, with modern platforms allowing you to sign up from your smartphone in minutes.

That being said, it’s still likely you’ll lose out if you don’t do your research. There are several terms and ideas to get to grips with – including ‘pips’. Below we break down this idea and highlight why it’s important you understand it and other core forex concepts.

What is a pip in forex trading?
What is a pip in forex trading?

What is a pip?

You’ll typically see a pip defined as the smallest movement the exchange rate between two currencies can make. Most currency pairs are quoted to the fourth decimal place, with one pip being one positive or negative change in the fourth number after the decimal point. If a currency pair is quoted to the second decimal place, one pip would be an increase or decrease in the second number after the decimal point, and so on.

You may see some pairs quoted in fractional pips, which includes an extra decimal place for more precise pricing. Pips are also sometimes referred to as points because they relate to decimal points.

It’s a simple concept in theory, but knowing what it means in practice will save you any confusion when planning and making your trades.

Why it’s important to understand key trading terms

Almost 1.8 million Brits became day traders for the first time during the pandemic. But while it’s not difficult to see the appeal, you should bear in mind there is significant risk involved if you lack a strong foundation of knowledge before investing your money.

It’s important to understand topics such as pip pricing, as well as trading strategies and how the broader market works. The forex market is heavily driven by the macroeconomic performance of individual countries and investor confidence, which can shift in unexpected ways from one hour to the next.

Success in forex trading requires long-term commitment too, as well as the mental strength to cope with bad results. Sometimes the market will buck the trend and surprise you, and even the most experienced traders regularly lose out.

Still, while forex trading isn’t for everyone, its popularity shows there is success to be had. Now you’ve got to grips with pips, what can you enhance your knowledge of next?

Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Useful Articles

Three Benefits Of Hiring IT Professionals For Your Business

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Have you been thinking about hiring an IT professional for your business? If the answer is yes, then why haven’t you done it yet? You should really have already started this process, or already have someone on board. A lot of companies think that not hiring an IT professional is a way for them to save money, but really all you are doing is compromising your business. In this article, we’re going to look at three of the benefits of hiring professional IT personnel for your business, so keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Expert Knowledge

The first benefit that you get when you hire an IT professional is that you gain their expert knowledge. This means that if there is an issue, or if you need advice about anything to do with the tech side of life, they are your go-to person. It’s always handy to have someone who knows what they are doing, and can offer you advice that comes from knowledge rather than guesses or estimations. For example, if you need a little more information about data migration for you to be able to fully understand it, you can talk to your IT team about that. 

You will find their knowledge invaluable, especially with tech becoming more essential to business by the day.

Keep Your Technology In Good Condition

Another benefit of hiring an IT professional for your business is that they will help to keep your technology in good condition. If it needs an update, they will make sure that it gets an update. If it needs clearing out because the hidden files are full of things you don’t need, or the recycling bin is full and it’s starting to slow your devices down, they will take care of this too. Anything that has to do with the maintenance of devices or any kind of tech, and they will be able to help.

Minimal Downtime

The final, and arguably the most important benefit is that you will be able to minimise downtime if there is an issue. What we mean by this is that if one of your systems goes down and this stops the whole business from working, then someone will be on this the second that it happens. If you don’t have an IT professional, then you have to call in someone from the outside world. The more downtime your business has, the more profits that you stand to lose, and this is simply not something that you can afford.

Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the benefits of hiring an IT professional for your business. We highly recommend that you do this if you run a small business, because if you don’t and something goes wrong, you could be waiting hours, or even days for someone to be available to help you. Don’t let your business have this much downtime as you stand to lose a lot. Good luck, and make sure you get someone on your team ASAP.

Helpful Articles, Helpful Guides, Tech Tips, Technology, Useful Articles

Top Tips for Travelling with Tech

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No matter where you go you will always see other people using all modes of technology. You’ll even be using it yourself to board your plane, book your accommodation, even pay your bills while you’re away with stored credit card details. You are likely going to bring your phone with you, your tablet, and the chances are high that you’re going to bring a high-tech camera wherever you go. While it’s a nice idea that you can go on holiday and leave your technology at home, it’s not always practical.

Top Tips for Travelling with Tech
Top Tips for Travelling with Tech

The thing is, if you are travelling with technology, you need to make sure that you can keep it safe. It’s always useful to have technology on hand if you’re in a new place. Using a mapbox matrix API to be able to plan your day-to-day route when you’re travelling around a new place is helpful, but if your phone gets stolen what are you supposed to do? Electronic devices can be very useful, but you have to charge them and keep them with you at all times so that you can travel safely. Here are some of the things that you need to know about travelling with technology.

  • You’re going to need mobile phone signals and Internet access. There is no use in carrying your technology with you if you can’t connect to anything. If you’re using digital cameras to video your holiday, you want to be able to plug it into your laptop and send your videos or blogs over the airwaves. There’s no point in bringing electronic devices if you can’t connect to the Internet, so prepare for using your mobile phone abroad, your tablet and your laptop on your trip and research connectivity before you go.
  • Check your Internet security. If you’re bringing your technology into foreign places that have a Wi-Fi connection, you’re putting yourself at risk. You should never use a public Wi-Fi if you want to keep the information on your phone, your tablet, your laptop and even your camera safe. Public Wi-Fi does not protect you from being hacked, and anybody nearby with the appropriate equipment can log into any of your devices and steal your information. The best thing you can do here is to set up a trip-only email address to use while you travel, and arm yourself with a VPN.
  • Plan ahead for airport security. No matter what technology you are travelling with, you will have to take it out of your bag and scan it through security so that the airline can see what’s going on before you get on the plane. Security screeners have to examine your computer to make sure that there’s nothing on it that’s dangerous. Take everything out of the cases and make sure that you can grab them swiftly from your bags and leave them out onto the security belt.
  • Don’t forget to insure it. Insurance is important if you’re bringing technology with you on holiday. If it gets stolen or lost, you want to be able to claim on said insurance. Standard travel insurance and device cover should help.