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Showing posts from September, 2012

Top App Picks for Kids Going Back to School

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Getting back into the routine of sitting in classroom desks all day and completing homework every night can take a bit of time and effort for students who have thoroughly indulged in the freedoms of summer break. Re-establishing a healthy routine, however, is essential for academic success in the coming school year. If you, or your child, is struggling to get back into the swing of things, or if you want to avoid a struggle altogether, check out a few of these awesome back-to-school apps that will make the transition a little easier: Stanza. Do you have a novel to read, but forgot to bring home your assigned book once again? The Stanza app has you covered. With this app, you’ll have access to tens of thousands of classic titles right on your iPhone — for free! From Hemingway to Dumas, you can catch up on your required reading wherever you are, whether you have your books with you or not. Now, there’s no excuse for not being prepared for tomorrow’s lite

Andriod User? Want to Experience the Latest Update? Things are Looking up for You!

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Android is a wonderfully powerful operating system that gives people an alternative to iOS systems. It offers an impressive selection of apps that can help you find anything from forklifts Baltimore or forklift certification MD training to the best local pet groomer. The largest problem with owning an Android device has always been the inability to upgrade easily when new updates are released. That’s because the manufacturers who make Android devices typically do it by customizing the operating system. There simply isn’t an option to upgrade without wreaking havoc on your device. Until recently, the best and safest way to get an Android update was just to purchase a new device with the new version already installed or to buy a Nexus phone from the start. Fortunately, the team at Android has realized what a problem this is for users and has come up with a solution. Compatibility at Last? The Android Open Source Project has been exploring ways to make it possibl

Boredom-Busting Apps for Slow Office Days

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No matter how much you may love your Amish made furniture , there are some days you want nothing more than to get away from that beautiful desk and do something exciting. For the days you have to be at the office but you think the boredom may be your doom, turn to your smartphone. No, not for social networking or checking your personal finances, or even for listening to music. Really, how long is that going to keep you occupied? Try downloading a few of these awesome apps to pass the time away: Scrabble Free Who doesn’t love word games? And Scrabble is one of the most classic word games out there. The mobile nature of apps allows you to play solo against your phone or engage your friends, wherever they are. Since it syncs with Facebook, your friends don’t even need an iPhone to match their word wits against yours! Paper Toss Playing basketball with your trashcan is a time-honored tradition for fighting boredom, but it can make such a mess if your aim is of

Latest Version of Windows 8 Designed for Security

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How many times have you ever been at the local coffee shop, or even a Washington DC conference center , and stressed over the security of the Wi-Fi connection? While there may not be much you can do about improving security for public internet access points, you can protect your wireless devices from being breached. We all know about popular anti-virus software, but not everyone purchases it or maintains a subscription. And while this may be a fool-hardy approach to online access, it does not negate the fact that thousands of internet users are victims of malicious programs every month. There has to be a better solution to online protection tha n having to purchase and install additional software. Indeed, Microsoft has found one. Introducing the New Windows 8 Every few years, we expect the newest, latest version of Windows to roll out, anxious to see what changes and improvements have been made. This latest upgrade to Windows 8 should have virtually everyone excited

Your Portfolio: Dull or Dynamite?

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No matter what your business — whether it’s providing Christian forums or graphic designs — more clients and employers are looking at your portfolio. Maybe that golden goose of an idea really took off and now you’re considering building forums or designing logos for more clients. More important than any resume or cover letter is your portfolio. Showcasing your best work in an electronic, easy to navigate, and diverse portfolio is what helps build your career and your reputation. How can you know that you’re putting your best foot forward? Do’s of Killer Portfolios... Do consider the target audience of the portfolio. What kind of clients do you want and what kind of people does your particular style attract? Does a blog or web site work better? Build your portfolio based on who’s going to be looking at it. Keep things simple. Your samples will speak clearly without the need for additional bells and whistles. The point of a portfolio is to showcase your talent as eas

Moderating Made Simple: Top Tips for Moderating your Online Forum

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Online forums are a great way to build a community. You might want to set one up to make a home on the web for your hobby or compatriots, a place where you can all get together to share advice and information that is relevant to you. Alternatively, you might see a forum as an extension of your online business, serving as a great way to draw in traffic and increase your market and advertising revenues. Regardless of the purpose of your forum, one thing you are going to have to deal with is moderation of the content that is posted. Use these tips to make moderating your forum as pain-free as possible. Have Clear Rules and Apply them Fairly If your users don't know what kind of behavior you expect, then it's hard to blame them when things get out of hand. We all seem to have some innate sense of fairness, and nothing will turn people away from your forum more quickly than a sense you are playing favorites or otherwise unevenly applying the rules. Make sure your

Joy for Joystick Lovers!

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With the advent of game systems like the Kinect, it seems as though the old-fashioned joystick that gamers grew up loving has gone extinct. However, the controllers are still preferred by gamers who enjoy the control that only a joystick can give them. Gaming systems like the Wii and Playstation still have managed to keep the joystick intact for users, but it has changed quite a bit. Now Wii is coming out with a new game system, called the Wii U. They are doing something totally different that they hope will please motion sensor loving techies as well as old-school gaming lovers. Wii U Reinvents the Joystick Whether you’re at home on the couch or at your Baltimore conference center , it’s always a good time to play a video game! Wii will be releasing its new game system to waiting fans later on this year. So what’s the controller going to be like? It’s a far cry from the first controller most of us saw, when we bought Atari consoles in the 80s, but it’s pretty ama

Which is Better: Facebook or Google+?

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If you spend any time online, you’ve probably heard the talk about the battle of the two heavy weight sites Google and Facebook. Google and Facebook are the top two most visited sites on the Internet. Lately, it seems Google has been losing their edge to Facebook. As a result, to add a social flavor to search, and also in an effort to better integrate their other services, Google introduced Google+. So, if you’re running a business and trying to increase your sales or generate more leads, which one should you use? Is Facebook a better way to market your business, or should you double down on Google+? Let’s take a look at these two options to help you decide. Facebook Marketing With Facebook you know there are lots of users. Facebook gives you the ability to build a business page. On this page, you can share photos, videos and links to articles and posts on your website. On your Facebook business page, you can generate “likes” and comments, which spreads your co

What You’re Missing if You Don’t have Klout

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The Internet is a beautiful thing when the average people can tout their clout without getting involved in some phony oil investment scams , or pyramid schemes. One of the coolest new ways to see how powerful you are and how others stack up is through Klout, a free tool for measuring peoples’ influence online. What Is Klout? Launched in September 2009, the San Francisco-based company founded by Joe Fernandez and Binh Tran, uses a scientific formula based on your professional and personal internet connections to develop a “score” from 1-100 on how far your influence reaches. My personal Klout score is a respectable 50—but there is room for improvement. More about The Klout Score The Klout score is based on true reach, amplification and network impact. True Reach is the number of people you influence. So make those tweets and posts count. You can sync most of your social networks with Klout to boost your score and gain points from poignant updates. Hey, they

A Google Tablet? Google Expanding into the Hardware Market

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There’s no question the electronic hardware industry is booming. Everything from laptops to iPods sells incredibly well, even in today’s difficult market. It’s little wonder why Google wants to expand its company into the hardware industry. Since Google is a name that’s already known and trusted, their products are likely ones consumers and businesses will be anxious to buy. Whether you’re a pool guard manufacturing company or a furniture store, here’s what to expect from Google’s new releases. Nexus 7 The Nexus 7 is a portable tablet that Google hopes will compete with the Kindle Fire and Apple iPad. The device will have a 7 inch screen, 1280×800 HD display, 12-core GPU chip, and a quad-core processor. Powered by Asus, the Nexus 7 will also support Android apps better than the Kindle Fire and will have a longer battery life of 9 hours. It’s great for Google Play, music, e-books, and movies. The only downside is it doesn’t have as many options as bigger companies yet. At

Kick Back and Enjoy Some of YouTube's Cutest Videos

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We can all relate to how easy it is to get off task when online. There you are sending emails for work or searching for a site to buy motorized shades when an email pops up with a link to an adorable YouTube video of a kitten. Your productivity is now completely lost as you coo over some adorable videos. Well, if you want to get to work stop reading now, as here are the very cutest in YouTube videos ready for you to go gooey over. Lullaby Dogs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnAjel02lM Everyone likes to be sung to sleep, even puppies. These five little puppies have a hard time getting to sleep until they get their lullaby. Something about seeing a grown man crooning to some little puppies until they nod off just melts the heart into a puddle. Cute and the Beanstalk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A17aPRAVPGs Remember when you were a little kid and everything was awesome? Relive those feeling with this video. This two-year-old could not be more enthusiastic a

Caterpillar Heavy Equipment and Employment for Veterans

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Young war veterans are among those greatly affected by the unemployment woes in the country. Aside from the fact that there aren’t too many job openings these days, young war veterans have reported having difficulty seeking posts that are appropriate for their skills. Finding employers that would be willing to hire veterans seems to be a great challenge too. According to the New York-based support group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, while there are those who currently work part-time, a great number long to be employed in full-time jobs. Furthermore, at least 17% of said demographic is out of work as of January 2012. This represents more than a million unemployed war veterans. Assuming each individual has a family of four, there are then more than four million Americans struggling to cope due to joblessness! Amid all these economic problems, it’s then truly heartwarming and reassuring to know that there are still American companies out there that are striving