Whether through necessity or choice, more and more people are working from home. While at first, this might appear to be as simple as plugging in a laptop and having a cellphone nearby, the reality is that it takes more than that to be able to work from home effectively.
It can be difficult to stay motivated and productive when working from home, particularly if you are balancing family commitments at the same time. The right home office environment can make it easier to connect to your colleagues, but you also need the right equipment at hand. Here are five essential technologies that all remote workers should have at their disposal.
1. Laptop and accessories
You need your laptop, of course, but you should also consider other pieces of hardware for your home office environment. For example, it is often much easier to work on complex projects with multiple tabs when you have a second monitor. You should also have a headset so you can take calls efficiently and an ergonomic mouse mat to prevent your wrist from developing repetitive strain injury (RSI).
Note: While not technically technology, it is also important to invest in a comfortable and supportive work chair to prevent back injuries.
2. High-quality Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is obviously essential, but you may find that your domestic Wi-Fi speed is not enough for your work needs. To ensure you can attend virtual meetings and work without interruption or delays, consider upgrading to a more reliable, secure, and faster connection. You might also want to consider adaptive Wi-Fi, which will automatically allocate bandwidth depending on which devices require the most.
3. Virtual meeting platforms
The virtual meeting is here to stay. Emails and phone calls are fine, but sometimes only a ‘face to face’ meeting will do. There are lots of examples of video calling software to consider, but all will enable you to connect with colleagues, clients, and customers wherever you are in the world.
4. Communication and collaboration software
Of course, it is not always necessary to arrange a virtual meeting or type out an email, as often you want to be able to communicate succinctly and quickly with colleagues when collaborating on projects. This is where instant chat tools, collaboration, and project management software come into their own. The best platforms enable you to chat privately with one colleague or in groups/teams. Working from home with software like CoAmplifi enables you to share and edit documents in real-time, track your progress, and stay on top of multiple projects at once.
5. Digital/voice-activated assistant
Digital assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Echo are often thought of as a domestic product, but they have the potential to support home working as well. You can tell a digital assistant to make a call, send an email, take notes, and check facts on the internet while carrying on with another task or making a coffee. Used as multitasking tools, digital assistants can significantly improve efficiency and productivity. Click here to find out which is the best digital assistant product on the market.
5 Essential Technologies for Effective Remote Working was last modified: October 5th, 2021 by Carol Trehearn
Jungle Scout is an Amazon research tool that is designed to help businesses reach success in an easy and efficient way when selling or buying products. Small businesses, in particular, can benefit from this tool to find suitable equipment and supplies with a huge bang for their buck. In other words, Jungle Scout helps entrepreneurs get their businesses up and running. On that note, here’s exactly how Jungle Scout can make your Amazon shopping easier.
Helps You Research Keywords
No business or startup can survive without the essentials. Having products on hand that helps you get organized and get to work with ease will allow you to progress. For instance, the latest office equipment can prevent a lot of hindrances; however, searching through the many products Amazon offers can be overwhelming. With Jungle Scout, you’ll be able to research keywords that are relevant to your needs, saving you the hassle of having to do extensive research about a product’s quality yourself. Shopping is much easier when you can immediately find what you specifically need for your office or small business.
Allows You to Estimate Sales
Small businesses don’t have the resources that big enterprises have. For this reason, it can be quite overwhelming for small businesses to manually search products and create spreadsheets to analyze all the data. Moreover, most startups and entrepreneurs cannot afford to hire a big IT company to handle the analytics for them. That’s where Jungle Scout comes in. Since product research is crucial to your business’s success, you can’t overlook it. Therefore, Jungle Scout will help you estimate your sales which helps you evaluate your finances and marketing strategies better.
Allows You to Spy on Competitors
Another major part of a business’s success is being able to stay ahead of the competition. Small businesses don’t have the budget to put towards standing out and getting their brand out there. As such, use Jungle Scout to stay up to date on what is and isn’t working for competitors, and adjust your strategies accordingly. In other words, it makes competitive analysis much easier for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners alike. Amazon Agency will show you how to stand out among your competitors and effectively promote your listings.
Offers the Best Products to Grow Your Business
It’s one thing to make a list of all the products you need to shop for to grow your business; it’s another thing to ensure you’re actually getting quality products. Shopping on Amazon becomes much easier when you can turn to Jungle Scout to provide you with the best products that will benefit your business.
The competition is growing exponentially in the e-commerce market, so staying on top of the latest trends and conducting regular market research is vital. Amazon has a lot to offer, and most small businesses just don’t have the resources to ensure that they don’t miss any valuable products or information. So, refer back to this guide the next time you are shopping on Amazon to grow your business. With Jungle Scout at your service, you have the perfect business partner you could ask for.
How Jungle Scout Can Make Your Amazon Shopping Easier was last modified: July 12th, 2022 by Allen Brown
There are several forward-thinking, in-demand, and high-paying career paths in custom software development. Custom software programming is a lucrative and rewarding job field in today’s highly-technical, competitive market. In fact, it is often ranked as one of the top technology careers to pursue in the United States. With the demand for software developers currently so high, there is ample opportunity for your to work in a number of diverse sectors. If you are interested in following a career path in software development, there has never been a better time to get started. This way, you can access a comfortable work environment, unleash your creativity, and challenge yourself with a constant learning curve. To help you find your next calling, read on to learn about the top high-paying software development career paths.
Cloud Development
Cloud development is a fairly new area of custom software engineering, but rapidly growing with job opportunities. Essentially, cloud development involves planning, designing, and implementing structural architecture using cloud delivery models. Simply, it refers to the development and deployment of cloud-native applications. If you are interested in following career paths in cloud engineering, it is important that you are proficient in coding, database maintenance, and network management. Similarly, you may need to be well-versed in managing an integrated software environment, as well as cloud-based cybersecurity. Pursuing job opportunities in this area, you will be able to access diverse job opportunities with high-paying salaries. Of course, these careers often provide valuable workplace environment benefits, as well as flexibility. Certainly, cloud development is an excellent career path for high-tech software developers to follow.
Custom Software Development
Next, custom software development is one of the fastest-growing, highest-paying career paths in the current job marketplace. Principally, custom software programming involves the creation, design, and deployment of solutions configured specifically for a set of users, features, or alternative needs. Working in this innovative field, you will get the opportunity to work with a number of innovative resources, such as code servers. Using a C++ websocket server, you can accelerate build times, promote efficiency, and improve overall productivity across your pipeline. If you are interested in these job opportunities, you will need to have a working knowledge of data structures, operation systems, and coding algorithms. On the other hand, you will need specific soft skills such as organization, the ability to multitask, as well as strong communication. Indeed, custom software development is another high-paying career path to follow this year.
Full-Stack Development
In addition, full stack development is one of the most in-demand job categories by recent software employers. Full stack developers are capable of working with both front and back end application interfaces. This means that they can manage projects involving database configuration, front-end application construction, as well as user experience (UX) design management. If you are interested in these high-paying job opportunities, you will need to be skilled in web architecture, database storage, and interface design. Simultaneously, it is important to have mastered popular coding languages like HTML, C++, as well as CSS. Use one of these top apps to learn coding skills so you benefit from your career choice. After all, coding is one of the most important skills for the future. In addition, you may need to possess key soft skills such as resilience, creativity, and attention to detail. Surely, full stack development is an excellent career path to follow this year.
Software Integration
Of course, many tech enthusiasts have explored career paths as software integration engineer. As an integration specialist, you will be tasked with defining system specification, performing branch integration, and performing subset design analyses. At the same time, you may be commissioned with integrating software interfaces, developing change validation, and monitoring software performance. If you are interested in these professions, you must be seasoned in quality assurance (QA) inspection, vulnerability analysis, and software engineering principles. Additionally, it may be important to be skilled in deciphering technical data, self-management, as well as workload prioritization. Absolutely, software integration is a high-paying career to explore in the programming market.
Operating Systems Development
Then there are career opportunities in operating systems development. As a systems engineer, you will be responsible for writing documentation, drafting operating manuals, and identifying stakeholder client requirements. Then, you will be entrusted with building, code testing, and modifying these solutions to ensure they operate properly. To further inspect OS performance, you may be required to conduct routine tests and continuously monitor output. Working in this sector, you can access growing career demand, ultimate satisfaction, and a comfortable, fast-paced working environment. Simultaneously, these jobs offer you the opportunity to work abroad in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. Indubitably, operating systems development is a great job opportunity to explore in software programming.
DevOps Software Development
Also, there are a plethora of job opportunities in DevOps software development. DevOps involves the strategic combination of development and IT operations departments meant to accelerate build times, bolster communication, and enhance agility. Working in this field, you will be responsible for configuring software solutions, implementing reusable components, and managing technical requirements. Additionally, you will be entrusted with developing user interface (UI) simulators, conducting script maintenance, and planning secure software updates. If you wish to pursue these opportunities, it is important to clearly understand software security, threat investigation, and source code inspection. Simultaneously, it will help to be proficient in change management and automated build technologies. Unquestionably, there are dozens of in-demand, high-paying job opportunities in DevOps programming.
Video Game Development
Further, many professionals have followed high-paying jobs in video game development. Broadly, video game developers manage the full process of programming a custom video game. Working in this field, you are typically responsible for planning game concept, generating storylines, and creating custom visual graphics. Simultaneously, you will be required to write a functional game code, which often involves coding it’s base engine. If you want to pursue these careers, you will need to have strong skills for storytelling, critical thinking, and time management. Simultaneously, you will need to be well-versed in software programming and multimedia development software. Definitely, video game development careers are a high paying opportunity to explore this year.
WordPress Theme Development
Undeniably, WordPress theme development is another high-paying branch of software programming with ample job opportunities. Principally, theme developers are tasked with planning, designing, and publishing top-quality WordPress themes. Essentially, these themes operate as file folders that work together to create a website design. Often, this involves building stylesheets, template files, and potentially even JavaScript code files. Following these career opportunities, you will find job security, career flexibility, and tangible results. Simultaneously, you will get the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects for a number of website clients. Certainly, consider exploring career opportunities in WordPress theme development.
Software Security Engineering
Similarly, there are plenty of high-paying technical jobs in software security engineering. As a security specialist, you will be commissioned with implementing, testing, and monitoring software protection techniques in compliance with your technical infrastructure. At the same time, you may be entrusted with conducting routine security testing and static code analyses. Other important responsibilities include troubleshooting, investigating, and debugging any potential issues that arise. If you are interested in following these career paths, it is important to have mastered basic cybersecurity principles, technical aptitude, and computer forensic science. Of course, it is important to have a desire to learn, strong problem solving skills, an extensive understanding of hacking and data breaches. Surely, software security engineering is a great career path to follow in software development.
Embedded Systems Development
With the continuous rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), embedded systems development is an excellent, high-paying career path to explore. Working in this profession, you will be required to plan, design, program, and inspect embedded software systems. In addition, you will be tasked with supporting quality assurance (QA), conducting static code reviews, and delivering post-production support. Unlike traditional software programming, embedded systems engineering additionally requires you to manage hardware design and development. If you are interested in these opportunities, you will need to be talented in operating system programming techniques, IP protocols, as well as hardware interfaces. Of course, exploring these career opportunities allows you to participate in a rapidly growing, in-demand job field. Indeed, there are plenty of high-paying careers in the field of embedded systems development.
There are plenty of high paying job paths for custom software developers. First off, cloud development is a recently emerging, rapidly growing field of software programming. In addition, look for opportunities in full-stack development. Next, research job opportunities in custom software development. Of course, you may want to consider becoming a software integration engineer. Then, many professionals have followed careers in operating systems development. Also, consider exploring jobs in DevOps programming. Further, consider software careers in video game development. Undeniably, there are plenty of incredibly high paying jobs in WordPress theme programming. Similarly, consider high-paying careers in software security engineering. Moreover, you can consider the latest jobs in embedded systems development. This way, you can enter a job market with high salaries and explosive growth. Follow the points highlighted above to learn about the top high-paying software development career paths.
10 High-Paying Software Development Career Paths was last modified: March 22nd, 2023 by Scott Fluent
For every computer system and software design, it is imperative that it should address all security concerns and implement required safeguards to enforce security policies. At the same time, it is important to keep a balance since rigorous security measures can not only increase costs but also limit the user-friendliness, usefulness and smooth performance of the system. Hence, system designers have to ensure effective performance without compromising on security. A computer’s operating system must concentrate on delivering a functionally complete and flexible set of security mechanism for security policies to be effectively enforced.
An operating system’s protection and security requires all computer resources such as software, CPU, memory and others to be protected. This can be enforced by ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability in the operating system. It must be able to protect against all threats including malware and unauthorized access.
Threats to Operating Systems
Let’s have a look at the common threats faced by any operating system.
Anything that has a malicious nature and can be harmful for the system is a threat.
Malware
This category includes viruses, worms, trojan horses and all kinds of malicious software. These are generally small code snippets that can corrupt files, destroy data, replicate to spread further, and even crash a system. Many times, the malware goes unnoticed by the victim user, while the cyber criminals silently extract sensitive information.
Denial of Service Attacks
DDoS attacks run from a single IP address, while DDoS (distributed-denial-of-service) attacks are carried out via numerous devices forming a botnet to increase the chances of the attack’s success. With the growing number, complexity, and severity of DDoS attacks, it’s a good practice to perform DDoS testing to check your operating system’s resilience to them.
Network Intrusion
Network intruders can be classified as masqueraders, misfeasors or a clandestine users. A masquerader is an unauthorized individual who penetrates into a system and exploits an authorized individual’s account. Misfeasor is a legitimate user who accesses and misuses programs, data or resources. Clandestine user takes over supervisory control and tries to evade access controls and audit collection.
Buffer Overflow
Also called buffer overrun, buffer overflow is defined in the NIST Glossary of Key information security terms as “A condition at an interface under which more input can be placed into a buffer or data-holding area than the capacity allocated, overwriting other information. Attackers exploit such a condition to crash a system or to insert specially crafted code that allows them to gain control of the system”
Buffer overflow is one of the most common and dangerous security threats. To exploit a buffer overflow, attackers identify a buffer overflow vulnerability in a program and understand how the buffer will store in process memory to finally alter the execution flow of the program.
Ensuring Operating Systems Security
Operating systems security can be ensured with the following mechanisms.
Authentication
Authentication identifies every user in a system and ensures that their identity is legitimate. The operating system makes sure that each user is authenticated before they are allowed to access a system. Different ways to ensure their authenticity are:
Username and Password
Every user has their distinct username and password that needs to be entered correctly before they are able to access a system
User Attribution Identification
These methods usually involve biometrics verification such as finger prints, eye retina scan, etc. This authentication is based on uniqueness of users and is compared with the database samples that already exist in the system. Users can access only in case of a match.
One-Time Password
A one-time password is generated exclusively for each time a user wants to log in and enter a system. The same password cannot be used again. Methods include:
Random Numbers
The system may ask you for numbers corresponding to a set of pre-arranged alphabets. The combination is different every time you require a login
Secret Key
This includes a hardware device that generates a secret key for the user id, and changes every time.
Tokens
A user is authenticated with something that they physically possess, such as a smart card or electronic keycard.
Access Control
Access control specifies who can have access to a system resource and what type of access each entity has. A security administrator maintains an authorization database to specify what type of access is allowed to each user. This database is consulted by the access control function for determining whether access should be granted.
Intrusion Detection Systems
Intrusion Detection Systems monitor network traffic or events occurring within a host to identify any suspicious activity. IDS helps identify network, transport and application protocols.
Firewalls
Firewalls are important to monitor all incoming and outgoing traffic. It enforces local security, thus defining the traffic that is authorized to pass through it. Firewalls are effective means to protect local systems or network of systems from all network-based security threats.
Buffer Overflow Defense
Countermeasures to avoid buffer overflow include compile-time defense, that aims to harden a program for resisting an attack to enhance software security; or runtime defense, that detects and aborts attacks in an executing program.
Key Takeaway
Operating systems security plays a primitive role in protecting memory, files, user authentication and data access protection. Consistent protection means that the system meets standard security requirements and have the required functionality to enforce security practices.
The Role of Operating Systems in Security was last modified: September 19th, 2024 by David Smith
Traveling is a pretty rewarding experience. You get to see the world on your own terms, enjoying new cultures and events as you go along. With that being said, there are some aspects of traveling that can be a little stressful.
There are a lot of things to think about, from considering trailer options to figuring out what you need to pack for each trip. With that in mind, here are just a few of our top tips for the aspiring traveler so you can get the most enjoyment out of the experience.
Pick places and things to do that fit how fit and healthy you are. If it is hard for you to move, think about places that have easy access for staying and seeing things. Do not do hard things that could be too much for your body. Check out Fun over 50 Holidays if you are interested in holiday tours for over 50s.
Minimize the Amount That Your Pack
The first thing that we would advise to any new traveler is don’t pack a massive amount of stuff. When you’re first getting into traveling, it’s easy to think that you need to bring every little thing with you. Maybe you think you need a year’s worth of clothes, five different toothbrushes and four first aid kits.
While this can be seen as very responsible because you are preparing for every eventuality, you really don’t need to go this far. First of all, not every disaster is going to occur on your travels. Secondly, you’re going to be the one lugging your travel bag around with you all the time. It can get incredibly heavy if you’re carrying a lot of stuff with you. So what should you pack? You only really need the essential items like neck gaiters which protect you from warm weather and other insects if you are on a jungle adventure, consider checking 4inbandana and get yours custom neck gaiter today of your own choice and printing , ultimately. There’s no need to prepare for every possible natural disaster known to man – you aren’t always going counter some of the common horror stories that you hear people talk about when traveling.
Free Yourself Up For New Experiences
Sure, planning can be very beneficial. It can help you to know where to go next or what to do. But don’t travel entirely according to your itinerary. Sometimes it’s great just to have some flexibility – you may see some things that you otherwise wouldn’t have seen. Let yourself interact with locals, be friendly and have an understanding of how to be respectful in the country that you’re visiting.
If you don’t know where to start, choose a destination that’s well-known for its exciting attractions that won’t break your budget. For a beautiful stay in a small beach town, check out the best hotels in Galveston.
Get a Map
Look, we know that we live in an age of smartphones. A phone GPS can be an absolute lifesaver when you’re traveling. With that being said, you never know what’s going to happen. Sometimes you may have very little signal, or your phone could suddenly die. For this reason, it’s better to get a map so that you can find your way to where you’re going without getting lost in a foreign area. You can also ask for some directions when you’re confused – there’s no shame in that! A map is an old tool, but sometimes it’s better to go back to the basics for the best results!
Additionally, a map can be a live savior if you love exploring local communities and places on the road. For example, if you’re exploring the sunshine state of Florida by renting an RV, you can use the map to explore local communities, places that are often even hidden on GPS.
A quick side note though, sometimes getting lost is a good thing. This is because it allows you to see all new sights that you may not have seen otherwise.
Have Some Extra Copies of Important Documents
When you’re traveling, your documents are absolutely essential. Make sure that you have some copies in the event that you don’t have the originals on you and you get asked to identify yourself. This is also important if you end up getting your passport lost or stolen. Send a copy of it to your email address and make another paper copy just in case.
Take a Little Time
When you’re going traveling you should spend a little bit of time just to take in your surroundings. Try not to rush – this is for you, so you should allow yourself to enjoy it! Don’t just focus on doing things, allow yourself to truly experience the culture and the atmosphere of where you are. You don’t need to force yourself to visit every museum in Italy! Just allow yourself to take in your surroundings and you will have a good time.
Conclusion
Traveling can be a whirlwind experience, but with a little bit of knowledge and an understanding of what to expect, you can have a fantastic time. Ultimately, the goal of traveling is to have new experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life, so make sure that you allow yourself a little flexibility while also having some idea of what you plan to do. Maybe do a little bit of preparation in advance such as learning a new language. Let yourself interact with locals to understand more about the culture. Finally, allow yourself just to enjoy the journey!
Top Tips For The Budding Traveller was last modified: September 26th, 2024 by Charlie Short
The legality behind Kodi is based on the type of Kodi addons you opt to implement. Kodi is a legal open-source media player, which is compatible with different devices and hardware. It’s used to stream online content through various devices such as Firestick. Some companies use Kodi as a preinstalled app to help the user enjoy more content.
However, Kodi’s legal terms are compromised by introducing third-party apps such as addons and builds. Some addons have malware or tamper with the privacy settings on the streamed content. This exposes your Kodi software to the government, ISP, and hackers. It also causes slow connections or closure of some accounts. However, the internet has some of the best Kodi addons, which users can install on their Kodi for a better experience.
Whether Kodi is legal or not is an answer determined by many factors. Here we learn several details about Kodi, which will help users decided if Kodi is legal and safe or not. Kodi is available for various devices such as Xbox, IOS, macOS, Android, Raspberry Pi, Windows, Amazon Firestick, and more. To utilize the Kodi streaming services. The user needs to implement a good Kodi VPN to hide your identity and location.
Is Kodi Legal?
Kodi is a legal open-source; many devices use it. However, the types of addons installed compromise its safety. Kodi has inbuilt add-ons which don’t work, pushing users to install third-party addons. Some which go against copyrighted content, thus risking your device and data. However, Kodi is working with big streaming channels such as Hulu, HBO, Netflix, and others. This reduces piracy through Kodi apps making users enjoy the online streaming contents.
Kodi addons (third-party addons)
These are unique software or apps which provide Kodi with media content. Using the Kodi addons, users can enjoy live sports, music, movies, and TV shows. Kodi addons offer users free online content from different websites. The user can get the content from the Torrent site or various streaming sites from the internet.
The third-party addons try to provide premium content for free. It is risky but worth the fun; this makes Kodi legal and illegal. However, the user should use a VPN all the time to keep your data safe. It’s illegal if the users use unofficial Kodi addons. The addons assist the user in accessing high-quality online content for free.
There is an order from the European Union’s court banning some of the Kodi boxes, which are purchases with third-party Kodi addons. However, the process is safe if the users install the addons compare to when it’s preinstalled. Again ensure to include a Kodi VPN to stream at no cost and free from surveillance.
Legal and Illegal Kodi addons
Kodi software has implemented ways to help the user distinguish between legal and illegal content. To access the legal Kodi addons, the user should check from the Kodi repository. Here there are different types of addons from various online providers.
Official Kodi addons
The internet has both official and unofficial addons where some work while others don’t. It’s the user’s choice to select the best for their device.
PBS kids
Com
Nasa
Fox Sports Go
NBC live extra
iPlayer WWW
Plex
Unofficial Kodi addons
There are popular unofficial Kodi addons that provide free TV shows and movies. The addons require a VPN to hide identity and location.
Genesis Reborn Kodi
cCloud TV Kodi
Fantastic Kodi
Mobdro Kodi
Oculus Kodi
Placenta Kodi
Gurzil Kodi
Poseidon Kodi
Exodus Kodi
Covenant Kodi.
These are just a few; the internet holds a variety of working third-party addons.
The legality of Kodi addons and Kodi
The installation on Kodi addons pretty much determines the legality issues. The user should understand that Kodi cannot work without addons. It’s just an open sour media player who only functions with the help of addons. The platform allows the user to add apps or addons to help stream online. To achieve free streaming, the user should invest in a VPN for easier access.
To get the legal or official addons Kodi offers and installation package from the official repository. The repository contains the default apps and installed Kodi addons. Kodi also allows for unofficial Kodi addons. Ones that enable the user to watch copyrighted content. This might stir up legal trouble if the users don’t work on introducing a VPN.
Conclusion
The user’s choice of the installation determines the matter of legal or not legal. Kodi is legal and safe software. However, it also acts as an illegal app if installed with wrong or unofficial addons. The addons assist in streaming live content for free and sometimes tampers with copyrighted content. The user can use the addons without interfering with restricted content. One can also use a VPN to cover their tracks and enjoy the live stream. However, addons change with time; some get in the hands of authority during crackdowns, and they are shut while new evolve.
Is Kodi Legal? Is it Possible to Use Kodi Safely and Legally? was last modified: March 17th, 2021 by Emmy David
There are a lot of benefits to having a paperless office or business. These can include:
When you go paperless, it saves time. Your employees aren’t spending their time searching for and organizing paper documents, and instead, they can focus on more strategic tasks. Everyone can access a central repository for documents quickly and easily, and then, with the extra time they have, do tasks that generate revenue.
Paperless offices need less space. You may even find that you could potentially downsize to a cheaper space if you go paperless. Take a look around your office and see how much space you currently have dedicated to paper, including file cabinets, shelves, and drawers.
You’ll save money. You’ll pay for fewer resources if you have a paperless office.
You’re going to be more efficient overall without dealing with paper documents.
You can be more eco-friendly and reduce your environmental impact when you don’t use paper. You’re not just keeping paper from ending up in the landfill. You’re also reducing your use of things like ink and toners that have volatile compounds and materials that damage the environment.
You can be a more secure office. You don’t have to worry about documents being lost, destroyed, or even taken.
With those benefits in mind, how can you transform into a paperless business?
Automate Your Workflows
There are software tools you can use, such as AP automation platforms, that will allow you to automate your workflows and reduce the need for paper documents. AP software in particular is a good example because your invoice process can become touchless.
This helps you not only work toward your goal of being a paperless office, but it also helps improve your employee productivity and reduce human errors.
Another place where you can go electric and use automation is payroll processing.
Before you start choosing platforms that will allow you to automate your workflows, it’s a good idea to do a thorough audit and see where you need to start.
Take on your piles of paperwork, organize them, and identify your priorities as you move toward being paperless.
Use Google Apps
While the more complex workflow management may require software and automation, there are also simpler technology tools that you can use as part of your goal of going paperless.
Google Apps are an excellent option.
You can collaborate via Google Docs, for example.
That not only makes it easier to work together, but you’re cutting down your need for paper documents.
You can share files through Google Drive and use Google Mail for communication internally and externally.
If you don’t want to use Google’s applications for any reason, there are other options. For example, Basecamp lets you collaborate and share documents, although two people can’t edit a document at the same time as they can with Google.
If you need to store and move very large files, you can use Dropbox or something like YouSendIt.
Paperless Bill and Statements
Your business should move to paperless bills and statements. It actually also makes it easier to track your payments too.
For your customers, rather than printing their receipts, email them.
Digitize Handouts
If you have to hand things out to your employees during meetings or training, you can digitize that as well.
One tool that can help is called TeamViewer, and your employees can have remote access to office computers any time through their smartphone or home computer. You can also share files, videos, and whiteboards.
When you digitize your meeting handouts and content, then your employees can have access to it after the meeting ends, which is helpful.
Go Digital with Your Marketing
If you’re still using paper-based marketing materials, such as mailers or printed flyers, now could be the time to stop. Not only is this kind of advertising relatively ineffective at this point, but it’s more expensive than digital marketing.
You can also cut down on how much junk mail gets sent to your business. You can use the website DirectMail that lets you sign up for a National Do Not Mail List. Include your business address on the form that you’re asked to fill out.
Faxing and Scanning
Despite the fact that we have so many digital solutions available, a lot of businesses still use faxing and scanning.
You can use your camera as a scanner, and then that allows you to quickly capture documents, turn them into images and then convert those into PDFs so you can email instead of faxing.
Involve Your Employees
Going paperless is a big undertaking. You need your customers to be on board, and you need them to be accountable for their own contributions to being a paperless office.
It can be a lot for employees to take on because they’re going to have to learn to use new software and systems.
You can provide training and development on any new technology you use, and you should also encourage your employees to provide feedback as you make the transition.
You don’t need to do the full transition overnight. Do it gradually. Set goals for your business—like a 10% reduction in the first month and then go from there.
Make sure your employees know the benefits of going paperless and the positive impacts it will have on their day-to-day work. For example, in a paperless office with automation, there’s less busy work and less room for error.
Once you do transition to being a paperless office, you’re likely to see that your entire organization becomes more productive and efficient. You’re going to be spending time on creating strategies to meet larger business objectives instead of on busywork.
How to Be a Paperless Business was last modified: January 16th, 2023 by Susan Melony
Acquiring property can be a stressful process. Chances are, you’re not clued up on how to verify the quality of your house, and then there’s all the paperwork and red tape that come with buying.
With this short guide, we’re aiming to let you know that first-timers purchasing real estate have some benefits that others don’t, and we’ve also gone through some of the main points you need to consider when going through the buying process.
It helps to have your financials in order when going through the process, but everybody needs a little help sometimes. Finding an IRA custodian to help manage your finances can be a great way to manage finances and take the stress off, so consider finding the best self-directed IRA custodian for real estate that you can work with.
First-Time Homebuyers
If you’re a first-timer, you may not know that you actually have a lot of advantages that a lot of people don’t. So, how do you know if you’re a first-time homebuyer? You need to satisfy any one of these points:
You have not owned a principal residence for three years.
Your spouse owns a home but now you’re buying somewhere together.
You’re a single parent whose only owned home was with a spouse. Similarly, if you’re displaced but your spouse owned a property, you should be eligible.
Your only owned residence wasn’t connected to a permanent foundation.
Your residence violates building codes and cannot be made compliant for less than it would cost to build a new place altogether.
If you fit any one of these, you may be eligible for classification as a first-time homebuyer when going through the purchasing process. I
A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying
Now that you know where you stand as a real estate buyer, check out this step-by-step guide to buying real estate for the first time. If you are not a first time buyer, this concept can and should also be applied when growing a real estate portfolio so that once you launch and cultivate it, it starts working for you.
Question Time
Before doing anything, you need to ask yourself a set of questions to make sure you have everything in order. You’ve probably asked some of these already if you’re already researching the process but it’s handy to have a checklist to make sure that you’ve considered everything.
How are your finances? – Audit your finances to make sure you can front both the initial cost of buying and the recurring payments that will need to be made for upkeep, groceries, etc. Be honest with yourself and spare no prisoners. Take stock of your savings, trim your spending, get good credit.
How much mortgage can you get? – Back to finances, check with mortgages you qualify for with your lender. They get a say in what home you can afford too, so you need to clear it with them before getting any ideas. They’ll look at any debt, your income, and your job position and calculate that into your mortgage. Get preapproved before placing any offers on your new property.
Find A Home
Now you need to find the property you wish to acquire. Thanks to the Internet, this is easier than ever with so many listings online that you can access and sort through properties by price and how close they are to your current area or place of employment. If it’s close by, you can go and scout the neighborhood yourself. Also let people know you’re looking to buy so that family, friends, and colleagues can refer to you if they come across any buying opportunities. Research homes for sale in your desired areas, you can learn more by visiting this page.
Make An Offer
Assuming you’ve done your financial due diligence as outlined above, and you like the place, then it’s time to make an offer. Your real estate agent will help with this and relay your offer, where it’ll either get accepted or countered. You can play the negotiation game forever, theoretically, but if you’ve done the math already then you should have an idea of the highest offer you can afford.
Inspect, Then Close or Move On
Finally, you can start to think about closing the deal on your new property. Not so fast though, if you’re savvy then you want to have the place inspected by somebody that’s qualified to tell you how well-constructed the premises is from both the exterior and the interior. If the inspection reveals defects that you weren’t told about, ask for them to be solved and withdraw your offer until any problems are solved or re-negotiate a new offer with those defects taken into account. If you’re happy with the outcome, close the deal.
A Quick Guide On Purchasing Real Estate For First Timers was last modified: February 13th, 2023 by Charlie Short
Have you been in the situation when after hours of fruitful work all your data is being disappeared? It is shocking for every user. It is not a problem for only novice users. Experienced PC users may easily face the same issue. But what differs the former from the latter is that advanced users know effective tools for productivity of your computer. They don’t panic and follow working tips to resolve the issue.
Ensuring data security is crucial for every person working on the computer. Either you want to recover Word document or ensure data backup for your folders, we will help you. By reading the article, you can easily recover deleted folders on windows 10 and perform a high level of data protection.
How to Recover Lost Data on Your PC
If you use Windows, the following guide is for you. It will show you step by step how to recover deleted files and optimize the work of the operative system. Let’s get more information about the data recovery tool and backup your folders to the computer.
The first step is the most essential. You won’t be able to move further without managing the first action. You need to download software for a successful data recovery process.
When the program is downloaded you need to install it and launch it.
When you open the Disk Drill you will see a big window featuring a list of disks. Your task is to select the one with the appropriate folder, i.e. the folder you want to recover.
Now you need to search for the missing data. On the screen, you will see a blue Search for lost data button. Click on it to make the system work and process the information. With the help of working algorithms, the software will scan the data and show you possible options.
When it is done, you will see all the recoverable files. Your task is to choose those to be restored. Here is one important remark to consider. You can’t use the same place to store the retrieved file. If you do so, there is a risk for the file to be overwritten. You don’t need it. So, choose another folder other than the original storage place to back up the data.
When the files have been selected, you can press the Recover button and wait until the work is done.
The process of data recovery doesn’t take too much effort from the doer. You may spend more time depending on the number of files you want to recover. The system may simply process the information longer but the actual procedure is like a piece of cake. The time of the process is also dependent on the methods the software chooses. If you don’t want to get deep into the process, you may rely on the system. It will choose the most appropriate method for your case. For more advanced users, there’s an Arrow button to choose from a variety of methods. You can select the one that you consider to be correct.
It is also important to tell a few words about the software. You may need to restore various types of files. It can be a photo, message, Word document, or any other file. By using Disk Drill software, it is possible to restore almost everything. And the process will take minutes. So, don’t get upset when the information has been accidentally lost. Now you know working methods to get it back to your PC.
How to Optimize Your PC for Both Security and Productivity was last modified: March 16th, 2021 by Jacob Nill
Most salespeople face the challenge of finding new prospects and turning them into customers. They believe that prospecting is one of the most challenging parts of the sales process. Luckily, advancement in technology has made everything a lot easier and it offers a solution for almost every business process.
For instance, a company can keep up with or beat its competitors by keeping its pipeline for prospects full through the use of a top-notch B2B prospecting tool.
So, what benefits could your business enjoy by utilizing a B2B prospecting tool?
Reducing the Salespeople Workload
Typically, sales prospecting tools help the salespeople to comb through the internet for prospects and develop targeted lists of companies. After all that, the salesperson must maintain constant communication with potential clients to ensure they remain interested in the company’s products. However, the same salespeople who do prospecting also have other duties such as marketing the business’ products to new clients and attaining their overall monthly targets. All of these tasks can take much of the sales team’s time and leave them overwhelmed.
The good news is that when a business incorporates a good b2b prospecting tool into its sales process, it manages to automate a lot of the repetitive prospecting activities. That way, the company automatically does most of the monotonous tasks such as sending emails to prospects. And the automation reduces the salespersons’ workload allowing them to handle other sales tasks.
Increasing the Number of Customers
The primary goal of using a B2B prospecting tool is finding more potential clients to convert into buyers. It is crucial to attract more customers, given that any business loses around 15 to 20 percent of its existing customers annually through attrition. As such, if there’s no more prospecting, the company could see its entire customer base finally gone.
Fortunately, by using B2B Marketing Software, a company can increase its buyer pool and keep its salespeople gainfully engaged working with both existing and new customers. Besides, when businesses gain new clients, they manage to spread the risks of lost sales. Therefore, the company can cushion itself from issues because losing customers means potential issues in the future.
Generating More and Better-Qualified Meetings
Unfortunately, most direct sales revolve around drafting sales pitches which takes up a big chunk of the sales reps’ time, and then the proposals are sent to the wrong clients resulting in rejection. That means so much loss of business resources. But, by using a B2B prospecting tool, the sales staff can identify the right companies to pitch to and not just send pitches blindly. With proper targeting, the sales team interacts with and meets more qualified clients, or in other words, more sales-ready prospects resulting in sealing more deals and fulfilling their sales targets.
Increasing the Company’s Revenue
Using a B2B prospecting tool enables everyone to do what they enjoy because there is a dramatic reduction of repetitive and tedious tasks. Besides, the prospects receive their products on time and in a unique way, making them happy. The result is more satisfied clients, leading to more repeat sales and more customers which boosts the company’s revenue.
On top of the benefits discussed above of employing a B2B prospecting tool, the tool results in more motivated sales teams. This is because the tool removes the tedious routine tasks by automating them and helping the sales team meet sales-ready prospects, leading to greater sales numbers and attaining targets faster.
Benefits of Using a B2B Prospecting Tool was last modified: November 15th, 2023 by Bailey Merton
Before sending your electronics to computer recycling services, you should back up all of your files. SanDisk is a household name in the file storage business, but their lesser-known data recovery software is helpful to users who have lost or destroyed files. Luckily, this tool is included with a purchase of any SanDisk hard drives and SD cards. Unfortunately, this will only work on physical data, such as hard drives or SSDs, and not internet-based cloud services. These function separately.
Online Storage
Apple is a perfect example of a company that strong-arms you into purchasing digital storage space. When you get a new phone, their settings directory pesters you to set up your iCloud subscriptions. These offers are made especially tempting once you, very quickly, realize the cloud’s storage cap. Every week or so, you’ll be prompted to update your cloud, which has room for a measly five gigabytes of data. When this inevitably fills up, you’ll get constant notifications that your iCloud backup has failed, and you need to delete data from your 32gb+ device or purchase more space. Guess which one is more convenient. What’s worse is the way your information is handled.
You might be alarmed to learn what cloud services actually do with your data. All of your content is password-protected, and most commonly locked behind two-factor authentication. Most services also offer local or end-to-end encryption. However, your data is still sensitive to hacks and leaks. This is because all of it still exists on physical servers. This system of servers is built to ensure ease of access from the web, but that isn’t always the case. These machines are generally well-guarded in the real world, but these are far beyond the average user’s control, and nothing is guaranteed.
To ensure online security, services will occasionally drop in on user accounts to make sure your information is safe. These services claim the best way to know if they’ve been breached is to take a look at user accounts. Take Dropbox for example. Their TOS states, “Like most major online services, Dropbox employees have access to your data but will only use it in the most extreme circumstances.”
For the average user, with two free gigabytes of storage on Dropbox, or even fifteen on Google Drive, this is totally fine. But for a customer paying $10 a month for extra storage, these vulnerabilities might be a complete deal-breaker. If not, Google Drive is the best value for you; where $10 gets you one hundred gigabytes on Dropbox, it nets you a full terabyte of storage on Drive. Of note is Adobe Creative Cloud’s storage, which is free with any subscription valued at $20 or over.
Physical Storage
Physical storage is much better for the environment if you allow it to be. Physical storage like hard drives, SD cards and SSDs can be wiped and reused to your heart’s content. By recycling materials, like you’re hopefully doing with your discarded device, physical uploads can be eco-friendly. The average computer only uses 200 watts of power, per hour, while the average data center can burn up to a hundred times that. A reliably decent two terabyte hard drive will only set you back around $60 and can be easily transferred to another owner. This also leaves you in complete control of where your hard drive goes, removing the enigma from your physical data. Just be sure to remember where you put it!
You should organize your information into folders so it can be easily dragged and dropped into your next device. Organization and spatial awareness are the most important aspects of any storage setup. You need to know where to find every file in your library, and whether you have space to download more. It’s also important to make sure every executable file is in the same data drive as its assets; exe’s can’t function without them.
Delete your Data
Another option to deal with your old data is to simply delete it. Letting go of old files can be liberating, a metaphorical clean slate for your new device. Obviously, if your files are important, back them up. If they’re not important, let them go. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you’ll always remember where you put your hard drive, or always have internet access to reach your files. Your hard drive may get corrupted, even destroyed, or Google’s servers may temporarily go down. There are many ways storing data can go wrong, but hopefully as technology advances, storage will too.
Where to Dump Data Before Selling your Device was last modified: June 14th, 2021 by Scott Fluent
The past few years have seen a monumental increase in cybercrime. Data from multiple cybersecurity companies and government agencies shows that millions of attacks are being launched every second of every day. In this environment, anything you touch on the internet could expose you to some kind of attack or malicious software.
Malware on The Internet- How It Affects Everyone
Let’s start the discussion by talking about malware- one of the oldest and most potent attack vectors. Malware is short for malicious software and it’s any kind of code whose intention is to attack your computer in some way. It can be a virus meant to steal your personal information or infiltrate your devices and start tracking you through sustained access.
Data shows that nearly a million new malware threats are released every day. This is an ominous figure and one that should worry anyone who uses the internet. More worryingly, it is clear from recent attacks that malware is getting better and smarter as new tools and vulnerabilities are discovered.
How Malware Gets into Your Devices
The internet is the number one source for malware although you can also get through traditional means like portable storage devices and over the network file sharing. Accessing the internet in this environment of increased malware has been likened to wading through a flooded minefield.
There are several ways you can be exposed to malware through normal internet activity. Here are some of them and how you can protect your devices:
1. Accessing unsecured websites
Most browsers will either warn you or prevent access to an unsecured website. However, those using old browsers are still vulnerable meaning they can get infected by just accessing a website without any form of protection or security. An unsecured website is one without an SSL certificate as this is the first sign of a website that is run by cybercriminals or individuals who don’t care about security.
How To Protect Your Devices From Unsecured Websites
Avoid accessing websites without SSL certificates especially if you get a warning from your browser. If you happen to inadvertently click on a link that leads you to an unsecured website, scan your devices for malware. Make sure you check anti-malware removal tool options during installation that allow scanning of websites for malware.
2. Malicious Links
Clicking on a malicious link on the internet, local file, or one sent to you on email could also expose you to malware. Hackers often disguise malware links as genuine ones through URL shorteners and other methods. Once you click on the link, malware will be downloaded in the background to your device.
How to Protect Your Devices from malicious links
Avoid clicking on links that you cannot read or tell where they will lead you. For instance, you should only click shortened URLs from trusted sources. Of course, you cannot avoid all links as they help you navigate the web so having an anti-malware tool installed on your pc and browser is important.
3. Infected Files from Illegal Sources
Hackers like using illegal file download and streaming services to spread malware. By downloading that illegal movie or streaming it for free, you are most likely allowing the hackers to install malware on your computer.
How to Protect Your Devices From infected files
Make sure you scan all files downloaded from the internet before you open them on your devices. Modern anti-malware can automatically scan a file on your local storage that was downloaded from the internet. This kind of proactive security is what you should look for in your security tools.
4. Phishing Scams
Phishing refers to when a cybercriminal sends emails to individuals pretending to be someone or creates a fake website to lure victims. Phishing attacks are on the rise with Google reportedly discovering over 20 million phishing websites last year at the peak of the pandemic.
How to Protect Yourself from phishing scams
Be aware of fraudsters and internet criminals that are out to swindle you or gain access to your devices. Double-check that the information provided on a website is real and genuine especially addresses and contact information. Beware of criminals pretending to be someone known to you sending you emails and report such emails to your IT admin if you are in a company setup.
Protecting yourself against malware and phishing websites requires you to be proactive about your security on the internet. Have the necessary security tools and be aware of the dangers that lurk on the web. Also, make sure that your software is updated frequently.
The Internet Is Drowning in Malware and Phishing Scams was last modified: March 15th, 2021 by Thomas Smith
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, throughout 2020, millions of people across the globe were forced to comply with strict quarantine measures. Many of us, regardless of the country of origin, age, social status, and other characteristics were locked up in our own homes. We had to get used to studying and even working remotely.
What did it teach us? After the global pandemic, many people understand the benefits of work-from-home jobs. At the same time, we know that such activities come along with many challenges. And the main issue is productivity.
Trying to concentrate on work or studying in your own house can be tough. Not only is this place full of distractions but, on the subconscious level, it also feels like a place where you are supposed to get rest, which only complicates matters.
So, is there a solution? The situation is more favorable to students who don’t have jobs. Even if they can’t focus on their homework, they can always get professional help at EssayWritingService and delegate all their tasks. But, what if there is no way for you to give up your duties? Then, you need to create a better office space!
How Does Your Office Space Influence Productivity?
It’s no longer a secret that everything that surrounds us has a huge effect on our well-being, mood, and even levels of stress. This rule applies to large environments as a country or city where you live, as well as to small ones, such as a room where you work or study.
Thus, if you are constantly finding yourself not able to concentrate and get your tasks done, it might be a poorly organized space to blame. Think out of the box. Office equipment like vertical monitors can be great for various tasks while helping you keep a healthy posture and attitude.
Ideally, your office should have positive and creative vibes to set you in the right mood. On the contrary, if it is full of distractions or has a too relaxing atmosphere, most likely, your efficiency in such an environment will be close to zero.
What are the main issues that can get in the way of your productivity? There are plenty of them, but the key ones include
uncomfortable furniture;
bad equipment;
lack of light or too much light;
lack of fresh air;
background noise;
uncomfortable temperature;
desk clutter.
These are only a few of the many issues that can hold you back. What can you do about it? Of course, you could give up. You could postpone your work or delegate your papers to the pros from Essay Writing Service Canada to free more time for other duties. Yet, if you want to find a long-term solution, you will have to optimize your workspace.
Best Tips for Creating a Perfect Office Space
Now that you are aware of the connection between your productivity and office space, you might be wondering how to organize an effective environment. If so, you’ve come to the right place!
In the list below, we have gathered some of the most simple and yet practical tips for setting a perfect workspace at home. They will come in handy to students, freelancers, remote employees, and everyone else who is interested.
Get Rid of Clutter
We don’t need to explain this one. The more cluttered your environment is, the less productive and focused it will make you. So, our first tip is to get rid of the clutter and keep your space clean.
Invest in Comfy Furniture
One of the first things you should do is ensure that you have all the necessary furniture.
When choosing it, the most important thing to think about is ergonomics, especially when it comes to the chair. A wisely-chosen chair should reduce the damage long sitting can cause to your body. If you don’t consider this factor, you may face a variety of health issues in the future. So, spare no expense and choose wisely.
Apart from that, there is no one-fits-all recommendation we could give. Ideally, you should have a comfy office chair and a desk. But, if you feel like a bean bag chair is a better fit for you, then go for it. In other words, always consider your preferences.
Make Sure You Have All the Gadgets You Need
To make your days productive, you should have all the necessary tech. The basics are a desktop computer or laptop plus additional accessories such as a mouse, keyboard, webcam, and monitor.
You may also acquire other gadgets suitable to your needs. For example, get a tablet, headphones, printer, and anything else that will help you perform your daily tasks.
Also, make sure you have a stable and fast Internet connection.
Buy Some Plants
The quality of air has a large impact on our mood and well-being. Adding some green plants to your surroundings is the easiest way to improve the quality of air. Besides, it has been proven that just a couple of plants can make you 15% more productive and, at the same time, reduce stress and boost happiness.
Take Care of the Lighting and Temperature
Ensure you have plenty of daylight in your environment. According to studies, people who work in offices with lots of daylight are 3%-40% more productive, and they sleep better.
As for the temperature, you should decide what feels comfortable to you. However, according to the World Health Organization, the perfect temperature to maintain in the room is 64 °F (18 °C). This is the recommendation for adults with no health issues and dressed appropriately.
Minimize Distractions
Finally, the last and most important tip is to cut down on distractions. But how to do it? Here are a few things to consider when creating your work environment:
segregate it from the living area;
get a second computer to leave your personal laptop away during work hours;
get dressed even though you are at home;
follow a specific daily schedule;
reduce noises;
use special software to block distractions.
Wrapping Up
Organizing a favorable office space at home takes time and effort. However, you will see the long-term benefits of establishing an appropriate atmosphere. The outlined tips will help you create an environment where you can do your best every day!
6 Tips on How to Create a Great Office Space was last modified: June 11th, 2021 by Elizabeth Shirley
Laptop use in India has gone up by leaps, with market analysts projecting revenue in the segment of tablets and laptops to reach $8.2 million USD in 2021. Annually, the market growth rate (CAGR) is predicted to be 2.4 percent between 2021 and 2025. During the pandemic, thousands of Indians invested in laptops as they were cooped up at home.
Their homes became the new office, classrooms, and overall workspace for Indians during the coronavirus outbreak. In fact, it still is, with over 50 percent of office staff choosing the work-from-home option, even as lockdowns eased. Fearing a second wave, many people are opting to remain at home.
Laptops that offer portability and versatility in every price segment, and for all purposes, lend a great way to kill time, as they do to effectively execute tasks. For regular use, people rely on laptops with i3 processors. This is a basic-level machine like the HP 14s with an Intel Core i3 processor (10th generation).
Nonetheless, most people like to strike a balance between affordability and performance, and will opt for an Intel Core i5 chip in a laptop, such as an excellent HP laptop like the HP 14 (10th generation, core i5). These laptops will go the extra mile and do more than just basic tasks, including a good amount of browsing and a moderate degree of gaming. Batteries in such laptops will be better, offering great performance for extended periods.
Intel Processors are Premium Performers
While AMD is giving Intel a tough run for its money with its new Ryzen processors, Intel isn’t taking a backseat in its area of expertise — making processors for laptops, desktops, and other devices that count. For instance, the Asus Vivobook 14 (X409JA) has an Intel Core i5 chip, is lightweight, and comes with a decent 8GB RAM. Performance-wise, this laptop gets all your job done quickly and efficiently, combining a fabulous Intel Ice Lake chip with 10 generation innovation. At the Computer and Electronics Show of 2021, which was held virtually, Intel was the star of the show with the brand’s new processors on display for all to envy.
Premier makers like Acer, Asus and Dell laptops will have these power packages in most of their upcoming models, as will tried and tested brands like Apple and Lenovo, not to mention, HP. Intel, with its most stunning processors yet, the Tiger Lake H35 series processors (11th generation) wowed the audience, as they get ready to power future laptops which will be uber slim and amazingly powerful. These processors can run robust programmes, apps, and displays at 1440p without draining the laptop’s battery, or overheating the machine. Plus, with new and advanced batteries, these performance-driven chips will make a laptop ultra-powerful.
Intel’s Power Performers
Some of the better performing laptops around have Intel processors that can let you enjoy your laptop to its full potential. Some models in the Asus Vivobook series have great Intel processors that are 10th generation versions. If budget isn’t a constraint, you can scale up your buy to include an i7 processor (10th generation), with which you can be assured of excellent performance in areas of gaming, multitasking, writing documents and browsing. You can also watch videos and livestream content. Some of the best laptop options today include:
Dell XPS 15 (2020 Edition) – Armed with Intel’s Core i5 (10th generation) chip, this laptop comes with 8GB RAM and Intel Iris Plus Graphics. Adept at moderate gaming and video editing, this laptop is a great performer.
HP Spectre x360 (2020 Edition) – With an Intel Core i5 or i7 (you can choose the variant) processor, this laptop comes with 8GB or 16GB RAM depending on the variant you choose. Great in build quality and rivalled by the MacBook Air (M1 of 2020), this device gives pure performance with its Bang & Olufsen speakers and WLED backlit multitouch display.
Acer Swift 3 – This wonder of a “price-value” laptop comes with Intel processors up to i7 (8565U) with 4GB and 8GB RAM variant models. Famed for its superb keypad, reliable performance and overall edge, this is a laptop that compares with the new Microsoft Surface models.
Buy the best laptops with Intel Core CPUs, and choose from a myriad of brands on the Bajaj Finserv EMI Store. Pay in hassle-free EMIs with your Bajaj Finserv EMI Network Card, and get your laptop delivered to your doorstep within 24 hours of placing the order.
How to Choose a Laptop with High-Performing Intel Processors? was last modified: September 1st, 2021 by Ankit Sharma
There is a dangerously incorrect mindset that is common amongst small business owners and that is the idea that they are virtually immune to cybercriminals on account of there being ‘not much to steal’.
The reality is that, according to the U.S. Congressional Small Business Committee, 71% of cyber attacks occur upon businesses with fewer than 100 employees. More concerning still, is that a State of SMB CyberSecurity Report found that as much as 50% of all small businesses had experienced a security breach in that past year.
But why is this? Almost all cyber attacks are designed to procure personal data to be used for identity or credit card theft. According to CSO.com, it is the less-secure networks that are commonplace in small businesses that make them ideal targets. Those looking to automate attacks can breach potentially thousands of small businesses in much less time than larger targets.
Without an IT security specialist at your disposal, what can you do to prevent your small business from falling victim to a cyber attack? Here are 8 best cyber security practices you can immediately implement to better protect your business.
1. Install a firewall
The Federal Communications Commision (FCC) recommends that all small-medium businesses install a firewall to create a barrier between cybercriminals and sensitive business data. In addition to external firewalls, many companies are now also setting up internal firewalls for added protection. It is also sometimes overlooked that employees who work from home require a home network firewall as well, so consider providing support and firewall software for your employee’s home networks to ensure comprehensive compliance.
2. Document your cybersecurity protocols
No matter how intuitively or informally you run your small business, one area that is essential to document is that of cybersecurity policies. On-line training is available through the Small Business Administration (SBA) Cybersecurity portal, including checklists and general information on protecting businesses that operate online. Consider utilizing the FCC’s Cyber Planner 2.0 to help you to create your security document and also investing in Security Information and Event Management to spot and respond to security incidents.
Additionally, the C3 Voluntary Program for Small Businesses includes a detailed toolkit for deciding upon and documenting the cybersecurity best practices for your business.
3. Don’t overlook mobile devices
According to the Tech Pro Research BYOD, Wearables and IoT, as many as 59% of businesses cater for employees to use their own devices, so it’s imperative to incorporate this risk into your security plan. With wearables such as smart watches increasing in popularity, it is important to include these devices within a security policy. Norton recommends the requirement of all employees to set up automatic security updates and ensure that the business’s password policy be applied to all mobile devices that have access to the network.
4. Prioritize employee education
Small businesses often require employees to wear many hats, making it all the more essential that they are all adequately trained on the business’s network cyber security policies.
As cybercriminals become savvier, it’s imperative to regularly review and update your security protocols. For employee accountability, ensure that each employee has read a company handback and signs an acknowledgement document stating that they have received and understood the policies, as well as the consequences of not correctly following them.
5. Ensure safe password practices are upheld
According to a Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 63% of data breaches occurred as a result of weak, lost, or stolen passwords. In today’s BYOD (bring your own device) world, it’s more essential than ever to ensure that all employee devices that access the business network are password protected and that original wifi codes are also changed.
It is recommended that all employees ideally be required to use passwords that incorporate upper and lower case letters, as well as numbers and symbols – and that small businesses enforce that all passwords be changed every 60 – 90 days.
6. Backup all data regularly
No matter how well protected we are from cyber attacks, it is still possible to be breached, so protecting your data from loss is vital. It is recommended that you backup databases, word-processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, financial files and accounting records regularly and keep them in a safe, separate location in case of flood or fire. Be sure to back all of your data up in the cloud for maximum protection, too.
7. Utilize multi-factor identification
Regardless of your security preparation, at some stage it is likely that an employee will make a mistake that compromises your data. Using multi-factor identification settings is easy to do on most network and email products and provides an added layer of protection. A solid choice is to use an employee’s cell phone number as a secondary identification form, as it is unlikely that a cybercriminal would have access to both the password and the PIN.
8. Install anti-malware software
While one hopes that all employees know never to open phishing emails, reports indicate that a considerable percentage still do. Phishing attacks are designed to install malware onto devices when the unknown link is clicked, so installing anti-malware onto both the business network and all accessing devices is essential.
Cyber criminals advance in their security-breaching skills every day, making the effective security of your business data an ever-moving target. It is essential that you train your employees to prioritize cyber security and that you stay ahead of the latest trends when it comes to new forms of attack and emerging technologies that prevent cybercrime. The longevity of your business may depend on it.
8 Cyber Security Best Practices For Your Small Business was last modified: July 5th, 2023 by Kate Teng
It is tempting to rush into designing a website so your business has an online presence, especially with web builders available. However, taking the time to understand exactly what your needs are will ensure your site serves its purpose. Before you jump into the development stage, Nicada Digital suggests you consider these questions to keep your team focused.
Q1 – What are Your Business Goals?
You or a developer cannot create the perfect website without knowing your business plan. Without knowing what your goals are, analyzing the effectiveness of your site is impossible. Therefore, create an outline of what you want from your site and what the budget is. Professional designers use your brand identity and combine it with your goals to create effective webpages.
Q2 – What Function Does the Website Have?
Your business plan should cover every aspect of your company, including what role your site plays. Different functions include:
Generating leads
eCommerce pages
Classes or courses
Provide information
Connect to social media
Q3 – What is Your Target Audience?
The type of website you create varies based on the target audience. Consider your good/service and who you expect to purchase it. Developers use analytic software to watch demographics to ensure the site is effective in reaching potential customers. Webpages from ten to 15 years ago required extensive coding knowledge but still looked very similar. Now, content management software (CMS) allows a designer to make sites that are: easy to navigate, versatile and accommodating.
Q4 – How Do You Plan to Measure Success?
From the very beginning of your company creation, you will be setting milestones to reach goals. The same is true with your website. Developers want to know your long- and short-term goals so they can assist with adjustments to your site. This area ties back into the function your site will have. If you are looking to generate leads, how many a week/month are you expecting.
Q5 – What Research Have You Done?
When you decided to start a business, you likely performed in-depth research of the industry. Building a website requires studying how features affect your traffic. You want a site that is unique but competes with other companies in your trade. Visitors should visit your webpage and find the answers they need without feeling overwhelmed. Before you talk to a developer, analyze your competition, and take notes about what aspects you like.
Q6 – Who Will Manage the Site?
The complexity of your site is dependent on who will be managing the project. If you are planning to hire a development team to handle every aspect of your webpage, a complex site is no problem. However, if you prefer to handle the maintenance, then you want something you understand.
Q7 – What is Your Budget?
Finally, you will need to set a budget for your website. It is easy to lose focus on the project and incur extra expenses quickly. Set a budget for the development team to stay under. Consider the following aspects that incur costs:
Web Host
CMS
Domain Registration
Specialty themes/plugins
Development team
Any software (newsletters, social interaction, accept payments, etc.)
Site security
Once you have the answers to these seven questions, you are finally ready to begin the project.
Crucial Questions to Consider Before Designing a Website was last modified: March 12th, 2021 by Roz Malaca
