7 Reasons to Consider a Home Gym

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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For people who work out regularly, going to the gym can be tedious. The memberships cost money and (let’s face it) sometimes other gym goers can be downright obnoxious. To make you experience at the gym more enjoyable, you may want to consider a home gym.

Of course, it is daunting to make the space and spend the money on equipment, but it could be worth it for the complete control of your workouts. If going to a gym is getting old, you might want to consider the benefits of working out a little closer to home. Here are 7 reasons investing in a home gym will be worth it in the long run. 

1. Privacy 

If you are someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable working out in front of others, then a home gym is the perfect solution. Just imagine: you can wear whatever you want, grunt as loudly as you want, and use whatever equipment you want without waiting for it. Plus, you never have to worry about being judged by strangers so you may feel more free to try new workouts. You also won’t have to worry about getting unsolicited advice from gym staff, or people who think they’re gym staff. There will never be any worry about embarrassment in the private oasis that is your home gym. 

In your home gym, you will be able to watch your TV shows or listen to your music unencumbered by headphones. You won’t have to take anyone else into consideration when picking the volume of your tunes. So turn up the volume and let the music motivate you. You can even use all the chalk you want without being reprimanded. 

You may even find yourself working out a little harder since you have no one else looking at you and you don’t even need to think about how you look while working out. Additionally, not having to worry about someone taking your machine will help you feel more relaxed and not on edge about other people swooping in. 

Another bonus is that you will never have to think about crowds. Not everyone likes working out surrounded by people and it can be impossible to get the machines you are looking for at peak hours. You can take solace knowing that after work you can go home to a nice empty gym and relieve the stress of a long day, without interruption. 

2. Saving Time

Sometimes the prospect of driving to an over-crowded gym with lackluster equipment can be completely demotivating. However, it is much harder to convince yourself to skip your workout when your “commute” to the gym is about one minute. 

Depending on how far away your gym is, you probably add about 20-30 minutes to your workout just in travel time. That is time you could spend going a little harder on your workout, or even better, just being at home. 

Not only will working out take up less time in general, a home gym allows you to utilize your time more efficiently. In your home gym, it will be so much easier to use the time you have. Only have 20 minutes? You can squeeze in a 20-minute workout since you won’t have to worry about the hassle of traveling to the gym. 

Who wants to battle rush hour traffic just to get in a workout after work? It is so much easier to go straight home and know that you can take your time getting there. You will ultimately be able to spend more time with your family since you will be in your home for your workout. 

Plus, your workouts will be quicker since you will know that the exact equipment you want will be available when you want it. When you’re working out at a commercial gym, the time spent traveling to and from the gym, putting your stuff in lockers, waiting for equipment, and possibly showering can be equal to time actually spent on the gym floor. 

3. Customization

Of course you should always tour a gym before you sign up, but even if you think they have all the equipment you want now, that might not always be the case. As your fitness goals grow and evolve, so will your equipment needs. 

If you take training very seriously and tend to work with only extremely heavy weights, you will be hard pressed to find a gym that carries the weights you want. If you are relatively new to working out, the gym often has a lot of equipment you don’t need, but are paying for anyway. 

When you create a home gym you can customize it to include exactly the equipment that you want. Plus, you get to decide what the time limits are on the cardio equipment. When first starting your home gym you can buy only the equipment that you will use and then only add to it as needed. 

You can also focus exclusively on your interests when designing your home gym. For example, if you like to get your workouts in through dance, most gyms only have dance space available for scheduled classes. So with a home gym, you have the ability to leave some space for a dance floor.

Not only do you customize the equipment available, you also get to customize the space arrangement. You will no longer have to worry about cramped gym floors with no space to put your mats or do your stretches. 

Why would you want to fit your workouts to the gym when you can make the gym fit your workouts. You will no longer have to work with what happens to be available; you get to decide what is available to you. 

4. Maintenance

If you really think about it, sharing gym equipment has the potential to be pretty gross. Some large-scale gyms have upwards of 3,000 members. Just think about how many people are using the same machines as you in a day and then consider how many of those people aren’t wiping it down afterwards. 

A study done by the website Fitrated showed that gym equipment typically has more bacteria than a toilet seat. This study didn’t even take into account the public locker rooms and showers. When you think about how much you are sharing with other people it seems like home gym is better for your health in more ways than one. 

At your home gym you have total control over who is using the equipment and how clean it is. You can have some piece of mind knowing that you can work out during flu season without having to worry about catching something that will knock you out for two weeks.

Additionally, you don’t have to worry about strangers misusing your equipment. At the gym you often have to deal with equipment being out of order, missing weights, or just in bad shape because not everyone knows how to take care of the equipment. When it is just you, the equipment will last longer because it isn’t seeing as much use, and you know it is being used and stored properly. It might seem like a hassle to have to serve as the maintenance staff at your home gym, but it’s better than getting sick and dealing with broken equipment. 

5. Money 

Every commercial gym markets its memberships as affordable, but you still end up spending a significant amount of money on the monthly price of a membership alone. But, if all you are paying is a monthly fee you are lucky. Many gyms are notorious for hidden startup fees, annual fees, random price raising, and cancellation fees. 

Considering that the average gym membership costs between $50-$60 per month, you could be spending upwards of $700 a year on monthly membership fees alone. Even if you go to the gym every single day, this is a big expense on your plate. 

Building up a home gym requires an initial investment but it will pay itself off in the long run. When you’re building a home gym you’re ideally using a space that you already have, such as a basement or a garage. The biggest expense will be the equipment. 

Yes, equipment can get expensive, but you don’t have to go right for the top of the line stuff. You can take your time and search for the best deals you can get so that your home gym fits your budget. You may even start with just a few basic pieces of equipment and then gradually add to your collection as needed. 

If you use a personal trainer at your gym, you can even save some of that money by having someone come to your house instead of using the overpriced trainer at the gym. Having someone who comes to you will allow you to find the trainer who is the perfect fit for your budget and your personality. 

The initial start-up costs may seem daunting but just think about how nice it will be to not have to hand over your money every month to a gym you don’t want to go to. 

6. Convenience 

Clearly a home gym is convenient in terms of saving time on the commute and having more efficient workouts, but there are other surprising conveniences that you might not even think about. A great added bonus of having a home gym is that if you have kids, you can get in a workout while they are in the other room. There is no stress about finding a sitter or getting the kids in the car to take them to the kid’s club. 

This is absolutely essential for busy moms and dads who have trouble finding time for themselves. It can be hard for parents to stay on top of their health; having a home gym makes it a little bit easier. Plus, it will save money on the cost of the kid’s club or babysitters. 

If you happen to have older kids, you can let them use the equipment as well without any extra fees. Therefore, having a home gym turns into a good way to help keep the whole family healthy. If you don’t have kids, you can share your equipment with your significant other or roommates so that no one has to worry about gym memberships. 

Additionally, there is the convenience of not having to worry about weather. If you’re someone who likes to workout outside, a rainstorm can ruin your workout plans. If you have a home gym, you can just hop on your treadmill and get your workout in, no matter what the weather is. 

You also have the convenience of having your whole house at your disposal. So no need to worry about forgetting your shower shoes or weight lifting gloves. You can just run to the other room and grab them. 

7. Enjoyment

If you combine all the aforementioned reasons to consider a home gym, you get an overall more enjoyable and less stressful gym experience. You can train so much better when you don’t have to think about all the things you hate about your big commercial gym that is only interested in your money. It will be much easier to work out if you actually like the environment you are working out in. 

Once you are using your home gym all your excuses will be gone and you’ll have nothing left to focus on but your exercise. Before you know it you will start to see results, and your body and mind will thank you. 

Conclusion

It is easy to make excuses to skip your work out when you don’t like your work out environment. When you build a home gym you are creating a workout environment that is customized to your exact needs so you will really want to work out. There is nothing better than being in complete control of your fitness. 

A home gym eliminates all those extraneous factors that get in the way of your exercise routine. Of course sometimes there are limitations, but you don’t have to think of your home gym as a massive undertaking. It is perfectly okay to start small and then work your way up to the enormous home gym of your dreams. 

Overall, cancelling your gym membership and taking your workouts to your home will give you unprecedented freedom to make your fitness experience completely your own. Why try to fit your workouts to someone else’s mold, when you can control for every aspect of your experience to get exactly the right workout for you?

RECOMMENDED STORY: Tech Gadgets That Will Take Your Workout to the Next Level

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Three Ways to Protect Your Students From the Dangers of Technology

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Kids today live in a world where you cannot escape technology. The internet is all around you, from vehicles that use technology to park themselves to home thermostats that can be controlled half way around the world using a smartphone. 

Because the internet is such a beneficial part of our lives, kids have a hard time understanding the drawbacks behind it. It can be a challenge trying to get children to understand the concept of social media etiquette, online privacy, viruses, and phishing schemes. 

Unfortunately, these are real problems that surround the internet. You can’t rely on their parents to educate them about tech security because you have no idea how much experience and knowledge they have of it. 

As a teacher, it is important that you inform your students about the dangers of the internet and how to protect themselves from cyber criminals. This may include a combination protective measures, like using a flash key encryption device, speaking up when they see something strange, or understanding the long-term effects of posting online.

It Can Last Forever

It can be difficult for children to understand that whatever they put online could follow them for the rest of their lives. The last thing they are thinking about is how it can affect their future. It is important that you explain to them the repercussions of posting things on the internet that will haunt them later in life. If it is not something they want everyone to see, then they need to think twice about posting it online.

Express Openness

For many kids, the thought of having to tell an adult about something bad they’ve seen on the internet is scary. They may have fears that they will get in trouble if the tell the adult what they have witnessed. Ease the kids' concerns and explain how talking to an adult is acceptable. Whether they are contacted on their phone, tablet, or computer it is the same as being contacted out in public by a stranger. Encourage kids to speak with adults if they encounter anything odd while online.

Stay Protective

Many technological devices require a password just to sign on. While a password is important, children must understand the need to keep it secretive. Should the password get into the wrong hands, there is no telling what thieves can attain once they get access to a device. 

Additionally, flash drives can be a great way to transport programs and files to school and home. Unfortunately, kids sometimes struggle with keeping up with these types of things. An encrypted flash drive will help secure your information with an added wall of security in case it ever gets in the wrong hands.

Conclusion

These days you can never be too careful about protecting your information. With kids having so much access to the internet, it is a huge concern that their privacy may be compromised. The best way to combat this is by talking to kids about the dangers that lurk with technology. 

Because many parents may be ignorant about some of those dangers, it is crucial that teachers make it a point to educate students involving security issues surrounding technology. Using examples, offering additional firewalls like encrypted flash drives, and urging your students to discuss what they view is just a few of the ways you can help them understand how important security is when using any type of technology.

BE SURE TO READ: The Evolution of Social Platforms and Their Influence on Daily Life

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Spotify vs Apple Music; Where Does the Scale Lean?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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If you are one of those people who cannot live a day without listening to music, chances are that you have done so via a popular streaming music platform. As of late, the two main contenders in the arena seem to be Apple Music and Spotify. 

These streaming services are the present and future of music industry. Each has its own unique advantages; but which one will surpass the other?

Spotify

Spotify is a platform that uses streaming as its means of media acquisition. Streaming is quickly becoming the dominant choice among media consumers. It doesn’t eat up memory on the device, new music is refreshed to the package, and playlists are sharable among friends, and the world, if you wish. Gone are the days of entering a password every time you make a purchase.

Soundtracks and compilation albums have been proven money makers in the music industry. Think of the playlist as a graduated version of the variety CD. These shared playlists benefit the user and composer alike. Every time and artist’s song is played, they get paid for it. Likewise, the user gets to enjoy the music at a fraction of the price, had they downloaded it.

Apple Music

Apple Music has been the dominating force when it comes to media downloads. You have the option to download a single song or an entire album from the 45 million in the iTunes Library, 15 million of which are unavailable to stream though. Also you have the option to get the digital art if you miss the old school days of CD booklets.

Apple has about 1 billion registered users on its network as well as a reputation for continued longevity. Despite iTunes’ staying power, Apple has seen a decline in downloaded albums and songs in 2015 by 16% in nominal terms, according to music industry analyst Mark Mulligan at Canadian Music Week in Toronto. This decline is expected to increase between 25% and 30% this year, nevertheless, iTunes music downloads are still estimated to be worth $600 million in 2019. Does the decline in sales spell the end of iTunes as Apple is preparing an aggressive two-year termination timetable for iTunes store?

Spotify vs Apple Music: the Clash

With music crossing over to the digital, the industry is poised to offer better quality, at a competitive rate. One of the major down sides to having music so readily accessible is that the sound quality suffers a bit. Even on the newest devices the compression technology doesn’t offer the same fidelity and listening quality that a CD does. Although the idea of streaming is still catching on, eventually the growth will plateau. This will give the music industry the chance to introduce ‘premium packages’ in which they can charge a slightly higher fee, for better sound quality. This may seem a tad on the greedy side, but compare this to the days when you were forced to pay $13-$17 dollars for one song, and maybe a few others you might like. When the two are seen side by side, streaming seems like a much more agreeable option.

1. Subscription Plan:

When comparing the subscription prices, Spotify and Apple Music have similar competitive packages. For example if you decide to go with either Spotify Premium or Apple Music Membership, the cost is $9.99 a month (with a 3-month free trial on both platforms), or you can sign up to a Family Plan for $14.99 a month, for up to 6 different people. Most people opt for the $9.99 option, so the actual cost is $120 a year, but that’s still pretty good. Apple Music also offers a Student Membership for $4.99 a month, which is quite cheap considering its benefits.

Another advantage that Spotify has is that you can listen to an entire album the day of its release, rather than just samples. A major downside to this service is that it doesn’t have all songs available. That ends up being true with both services because even Apple Music has a few bands that you won’t be able find in its libraries.

2. Compatibility:

In terms of beating the competition in providing digital services, one major factor comes down to compatibility issues. Spotify adhering to this concern, is compatible with a number of devices and even supports older versions of iOS. It also has native clients for Windows, Android and Linux. A strong advantage, Spotify’s web player will work almost on any operating system. 

Apple on the other hand, has taken a leap of faith by working on different operating systems, including Android. However, it is still not possible for users of older iOS devices to enjoy Apple Music, as it is not supported on iOS 8.4 or less. In addition, Apple Music has the disadvantage of not working on a web player and needs iTunes to play on a desktop. Practically, it is therefore inconvenient to play Apple Music for example when you are not using your own computer and have to install iTunes.

3. Sound Quality:

Music is all about the sound quality, right? Both Spotify and Apple Music bring decent audio quality to your ears. Spotify premium offers an adjustable rate with extreme quality as it calls it reaching a peak at 320 kbps Ogg, whereas Apple Music uses 256 kbps ACC. Hearing the experts’ viewpoint on the matter, findings from a listening study conducted by CNET comparing Spotify and Apple Music audio quality, it seems that Spotify wins this battle over their rivals.

4. Music Discovery:

This list of examining the pros and cons of each music streaming service, would not have been complete without looking into the discovery features of each platform. 

Spotify has a number of options to find songs and artists or albums. Spotify’s “Discover” feature is perhaps not as effective, and does not recommend playlists but only artists, albums and individual tracks. However, its more recent addition “Discover Weekly” is a great way to browse new releases, as it offers a custom playlist of up to 2 hours of the hottest hits each week according to your preferences. There is also the “Now section”, a smart feature which recommends songs based on the time of day and day of the week using a grid instead of Microsoft’s hip tiles. 

Their competitors, Apple Music shares a similar feature with the “For you” screen, a cool layout offering a mosaic of music suggestions inspired by Windows Phone’s live tiles. The feature allows you to find playlists, individual tracks and artists though it might take a bit longer to incorporate your preferences to know what suits you. There is also its “New” section which indicates suggestions of what other Apple Music users are listening to, and current playlists to enhance your music experience. 

Spotify has a “Browse” section serving for similar purposes, yet it seems to have a more user friendly interface with top lists, genres and moods, as well as news.

5. Free Music:

Spotify is an exclusive streaming music service provider of free in-demand music. Users can enjoy any song or album for free, although intermittent ads subsidize the streaming. This free service feature has been heavily criticized by artists who claim that there is little gain money-wise. Nonetheless, Spotify claims that their free service prevents piracy and artists do get compensated through Spotify. 

On the other end of the scale, although the impression is that Apple Music does not allow users to listen to songs for free, the reality is that Apple Music is available for free, including the Beats 1 station. This feature is available although interfered by advertising and you can enjoy up to 6 songs per hour. 

6. Voice Control:

As far as apps is concerned, perhaps not surprisingly, Apple has the upper hand. On iOS for instance, only Apple can use Siri with apps, a feature that has been integrated into Apple Music. This digital assistant can handle requests like playing songs, albums or artists, and even locate and play the top playlists from a given year. 

Spotify on the other hand, does not offer this type voice control or digital helper. You can enhance your overall Spotify experience with third-party apps like Vela, yet they are not integrated into iOS.

Conclusion

It’s tempting to look for a winner-looser situation when it comes to rivalry services or software. 

The above comparison, was not meant to be exhaustive. In a perfect world we would just be able to combine the services, and then use it as we saw fit. Some songs that you like may not be on Spotify, and likewise, Apple Music may not have the songs you’re looking for either. There are people who use both services and cherry picking the features they like. People like the convenience of access to songs on the go, as well as being able to download and save them once in a while. Both services have their advantages and disadvantages. Who knows? Maybe soon the companies will merge and then we can enjoy all the benefits. 

Until that happens, the answer to the question of which is better, Spotify or Apple Music, boils down to personal preference. If you like owning your music and having the files physically on your computer, Apple Music is the way to go. If you don’t want to be hindered by computer memory loss and have access to a ton of songs at any time and virtually from any device with decent sound quality and different discover music options, then check out Spotify.

COULD BE OF INTEREST: Best Apps for Music Lovers

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Yes – Burglar Alarms to Work

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Around 10 PM on August 15, 2014, police in Moorestown, NJ responded to an activated burglar alarm on the east side of town. When they got there, they found a shattered window but no suspects inside. Police concluded the burglar alarm scared off the would-be thief or thieves before anything was stolen.

Police in Lake Forest, Illinois responded to a similar call around 12:20 PM on August 19. Again, there were no suspects in sight when police and the homeowner arrived minutes after the burglar alarm was activated. They found a rear sliding glass door shattered but nothing missing. Police believe the burglar alarm also scared away the thief or thieves in this case.

Although these two cases occurred hundreds of miles apart, they prove an important point: burglar alarms do work for their intended purposes. Some critics of home security systems argue their burglar alarms are no defense against the determined burglar or home invader unafraid of being caught. And that may be true. However, there is no means of self-protection that can guarantee 100% success.

Burglar alarms are intended to be part of a larger personal security solution that aims to cover all potential security breaches. In particular, the three primary purposes of the burglar alarm are:

-  Deterrence

- Making Noise

- Securing Help

Deterrence

FBI crime statistics from 2012 suggest a home burglary occurs at a rate of one every 12 to 15 seconds. The numbers clearly show that burglars are alive, well, and doing business throughout the United States. In most cases, they are looking for items that they can grab quickly and sell easily. The one thing that all burglars all have in common is the desire to pull off their crimes without being caught. That is where burglar alarms come into play.

A burglar alarm increases the chances of being caught by way of noisy alarms and 24-hour monitoring services. All things being equal, is the burglar more likely to hit the house with or without the alarm? The answer should be obvious. If a burglar knows an alarm is being used on a particular house, he or she would most likely move on to a home without an alarm.

Making Noise

As evidenced by the two news stories above, making a lot of noise is a great way to scare away burglars that might otherwise be undeterred. Noise prevents a burglar from completing his or her mission inconspicuously, something that the average burglar hates. A burglar wants to get in and out completely unnoticed.

Securing Help

When a home security system includes 24-hour monitoring, the burglar alarm also becomes a method for securing help. As soon as an alarm is triggered, the monitoring center quickly springs into action to evaluate the situation and contact the appropriate authorities. The lack of an alarm system could put you in serious jeopardy should your home be burglarized while you are occupying it.

In cases when a home is not occupied, securing help is still an important advantage. In both the New Jersey and Illinois cases, the noise of the burglar alarms likely scared away the burglars because they knew help was on the way. They had no intention of being there when police arrived.

No, burglar alarms are not foolproof by any stretch of imagination. However, they are an important tool in safeguarding your property against enterprising thieves that would seek to break in. A burglar alarm acts as a deterrent, makes a lot of conspicuous noise, and, when coupled with 24-hour monitoring, gives homeowners quick access to help in time of need.

RELATED READ: Will You be the Next Victim of Laptop Theft?

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The Battle between Windows, Chromebook and Mac

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Chances are that you’re already quite familiar with all the options that the technological world provides us when it comes to computers and their operating system.

In stores, you have a choice between 3 operating systems: OS X by Apple, Chrome OS by search engine giant Google, and Windows from former software monopoly Microsoft. Each OS has their own pros and cons, and when choosing the right fit for you, there are a few things to consider for each one of them. 

Windows

Everyone has probably used a Windows computer at least once in their life. Windows is still the most popular operating system out there, used by companies, governments, and individuals worldwide. Because of its huge user base, Windows has an advantage over the other OS’s, as almost all software on the internet is made for Windows. Another pro of Windows is its usability. Just about everyone is able to use a Windows computer. A final pro is that you have a wide variety of choices when it comes to the computer that runs the OS. 

But on the con side, Windows needs a lot of extras when it comes to security. Its big user base makes it a target for hackers, and it’s incredibly easy to get a virus when surfing the web. Physically, Windows computers are quite heavy when you compare them to Chromebooks and MacBooks. Finally, most of the best working Windows computers are above the $400 mark. This doesn’t exactly make it the most affordable computer out there.

Chromebooks

When comparing Chromebooks and Chrome OS with that of the big guys (Windows and Apple), Google’s computer is still in diapers. Nevertheless, it is growing rapidly in popularity. Chrome OS is based entirely around Google’s web server, Chrome, and this is both a gift and a curse. It’s a gift in that everything goes directly into the cloud, making it impossible for you to lose files even when something happens to the computer itself. Another reason it’s a gift is its usability. Even your grandmother could handle a Chromebook! It’s nowhere near as frustrating as using a Windows computer can be for the older generation. A Chromebook is also highly affordable, with most computers sold at under $400. The screen quality is way better than that of a MacBook. 

However, as I mentioned before, the way the Chrome OS runs is also a curse. You are unable to download any software or hardware onto your Chromebook, and while you are able to make a lot of apps available offline, it definitely can be a pain in the ass. Another definite con of the Chromebook is that you can’t fully download Skype. If you want to use Skype, you have to make do with the IM+ messenger, which comes without the option for video calls. For those of you who can’t live without video calls, there is the option of Hangouts, Google’s very own version of Skype. Google Hangouts comes with a few extras, like free group calls and the ability to draw on the person you’re calling with. 

MacBooks

When Apple decided to make the MacBook Air, they were aiming for something portable and high performance, with a great design and usability. An Apple MacBook is often the first choice for designers, graphic artists, and anyone else who has made it their job to bring you high quality media. All of your files, pictures, etc. get stored into iCloud, which makes it incredibly easy to transfer a file from one device to another. MacBooks are lightweight, which makes them great for travel or just moving about at home. 

The biggest con of MacBooks is their price. Apple has always been about the exclusive feel that you get from their products, and the MacBook Air is the perfect example of this. Prices range from $800 to $3000. So, is it worth the price? Yes, it can be. Contrary to popular belief, Mac OS X is not immune to viruses. The threat just isn’t as big, because like stated before, most hackers focus on Windows computers. Just as with Apple’s other products (like the iPhone and the iPod), it is nearly impossible to make any changes to the MacBook itself, which can be a little impractical when it comes to having to change the battery or upgrading the internal storage space. 

So which one is the best?

That is up to you to decide. Don’t mind a computer that’s completely based around internet and Google? Then the Chromebook will be a great choice for you. Are you a gamer, or do you like to mess around a bit? Then the obvious choice for you is a Windows laptop. A designer or artist? The MacBook is your perfect match.

*by andreascy*

Why Curved Screens are the Next Innovative Trend

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

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Between televisions, smartphones, tablets and laptops, most consumer electronics share one distinguishing characteristic: their flat, rectangular displays. It looks like technology is changing that though with a newer trend called curved screens. 

Unlike previous similar wavy displays that featured a contoured glass over a flat display, these new devices and electronics actually use an innovated curved display that offers a variety of benefits from being more ergonomic to improving the multimedia experience.

About Curved Screen Technology

Deemed the new flat screen, curved technology using displays based on OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology, which has made it simpler for manufacturers to enhance or improve two-dimensional screens. Curved screens, which are flat panels that are bent after the fact are also flexible, which means they can be bent with a certain amount of pressure. 

Curved screens are made possible because of a newer flexible glass called Willow, which is manufactured by Corning. It is about as thin as a piece of paper and is chemically coated to enhance transparency and conduct electricity. The thinner the glass, the more curvature you can get. The OLED displays are placed on this type of glass. Televisions with these types of curved and flexible screens can bend on demand by using a remote control. 

Samsung was one of the first to market both televisions and smartphones with the curved screen technology. In 2013, the Samsung Galaxy Round, which is a tablet/smartphone hybrid, was released with its concave screen. The telecommunications giant also introduced a 55-inch OLED TV, which not only had a stunning picture with its 4,500mm curvature radius, but an almost $10,000 price tag to go with it. LG also came out with a 55-inch OLED television, which has a 5,000mm curvature radius.

Besides the Galaxy Round, the LG G Flex from T-Mobile also uses the curved screen technology. Because the curved screen contours to your face, the design reduces the distance between your mouth and the microphone, thus enhancing voice quality. The OLED display also provides a bright, vivid panoramic experience and reduces the glare. In addition to these two devices, it is also rumored that the Apple iPhone 6 is designed to use the same concave screen technology.

Benefits of Curved Screen Technology

Curved screen technology will take some getting used to, especially as more manufacturers create products with it. However, there are several benefits to using it:

- More ergonomic: Phones with curved screens fit more comfortably in your hand.

- Improved multimedia experience: Similar to an iMax experience, the curved screen enhances multimedia viewing by negating the distortion of the screen’s edges and create an image that is perceived as flat. 

- Increased battery life: The LG G Flex has a “tap to life” function that allows users to tap twice on the phone to wake it up instead of picking it up and turning it on. It also has a 3500mAh battery, which produced a longer life than typical smartphone batteries.

Wave of the Future or Just a Gimmick?

Curved screens may just seem like a marketing gimmick, especially when it comes to televisions, since mounting and viewing may require extra attention. However, researchers strongly believe that curved screen displays are the next innovative trend in electronics.

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Smartphones with curved screens offer reduced glossiness typically found in flat displays, and improve screen privacy. That, coupled with the subtle concave of the screen, has opened up the doors to improving on this technology for other products and for future generations.

*by andreascy*

BYOD in Call Centers: Innovation or Disaster?

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Bring Your Own Device policies have been a source of debate in businesses around the world since mobile technology first became commercially viable, and especially since phones and tablets have become so multifaceted. 

The modern era of multitask devices brings this conversation to a new height, with industries in some cases moving to ubiquitous and exclusive tablet PC usage. BYOD becomes tempting to a myriad of businesses, and certainly, there are gains to be had, as ACM Digital Library claims. But do such policies bring more pros or cons to the call center industry, a field where customer privacy and employee morale both play major roles?

Pros of BYOD

Productivity. Having access to personal devices can make life much easier for your employees, especially if you have an abundance of tech-savvy individuals on your staff. BYOD brings flexibility and employee ingenuity to new heights in a way that is quite simply impossible with standardized company equipment.

Modern call centers can benefit from a number of CRM packages and various apps for iPads and other tablet devices - applications which prove most useful when customized and used in an equally familiar, customized device.

Costs. BYOD lets you attain many of the benefits of company-issued technology with a fraction of the costs. You lose the benefits of standardizations and risk a few downsides. However, if you lack the budget for a major tech overhaul but have employees with their own devices, the solution creates itself.

Morale. There are several ways a BYOD policy works to benefit morale. Using a familiar device just 'feels' better to many people. If your workforce is self-motivated and has proper self-control, the 'fun' factor available from personal devices also lends itself to morale boosts.

Being able to relax and read an e-book or play Angry Birds on break can be a benefit, especially in an industry as focused on customer-employee interaction as call centers. Keeping up employee morale can be the single hardest task in running a call center, so anything that helps is worth considering.

Cons of BYOD

Productivity. Personal devices mean problems that your IT guys will never figure out; people manage to screw up their personal machines in ways that are unfathomable. Hours will be lost resolving issues which don't exist, and can't exist, within standard employer-issued systems.

There's also the 'fun' factor. If your workforce lacks self-control and self-motivation, a BYOD policy will lead to people goofing off on the clock. It's impossible to prevent savvy users from finding ways to waste time on their own devices. That often means you risk productivity issues from one angle or another.

Security. Personal devices offer as many avenues of attack as you have unique employee devices. The headache for your IT security team may be too high and the risk not worth the potential gains, especially if you have employees lacking the savvy to safeguard their own devices. Standardized systems offer standardized solutions and a fraction of the risk.

Data Management. Data management is the biggest con to consider as a data center, as Science Direct explains. Your employees deal with sensitive customer data every moment of their work day, and BYOD policies open massive holes in typical data control schemes.

It's trivial to walk away with sensitive information, and it can be difficult to keep track of which devices should and should not have access. You run the risk of a device interacting with your data in an unintended manner and causing disastrous losses.

Overall

The feasibility of a BYOD policy in a call center in many ways depends on your employee base. A self-motivated, tech-savvy population will see gains across the board with little risk. If you have problems with motivation, untrustworthy employees, and IT ignorance, then BYOD may only serve to compound your problems.

MORE ON THE TOPIC: Making BYOD Work For Your Company

Be sure to read more articles for more information. 

*by andreascy*

The Multiple Benefits of Owning a PDF Converter

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

One of the greatest things about the constant evolution of technology is that it makes our lives easier in many ways. This is especially true when it comes to our professional lives. As the workplace shifts more and more towards computer-related activities and the Internet, there is a constant influx of products entering the marketplace that are specifically designed to make your job easier, lighten your workload and increase your productivity. 

One tool that falls into this category is, without a doubt, the PDF converter. The PDF is a document format that is incredibly popular in today’s business world. There are two main reasons for the popularity of the PDF. Firstly, it is a universal file formats. That means that it looks exactly the same, no matter what platform you are using. So if you have created a PDF on your Windows computer and you send it to someone who is using Linux, the PDF will look exactly the same on both computers. This is a very important feature in the business world when it comes to convenience. 

The second big reason for the popularity of the PDF format is the fact that it is very compact. It allows you to include a lot of data into a reasonably small file size. That’s what makes the PDF great for not only sharing data, but also archiving it. 

The one thing that the PDF does not have going for it is the fact that it is virtually uneditable. So if you receive data via PDF that you have to manipulate and work with further, you can see why this would be a big problem. And that’s where the PDF converter comes in to play. 

There are many types of PDF converters available. There are online PDF converts that are used by people who might only need to convert a PDF into another file format every once in a while. Most are not incredibly accurate and often make you wait a while to get your converted file. But people who need to extract important data from PDFs on an everyday basis tend to go for a professional PDF conversion software solution. One such tool is Investintech.com’s Able2Extract PDF Converter. 

While there are plenty of PDF conversion tools to choose from on the market, Able2Extract’s most recent version 8 has a lot of features that you just won’t find anywhere else. Let’s take a look at what they are:

A huge variety of conversion options

Able2Extract is designed with just about every type of professional in mind. Are you a bookkeeper or auditor that is constantly working with numbers and tabular data? Able2Extract allows you to accurately convert PDF tables into Microsoft Excel. Are you an architect or interior designer? Convert PDF plans into AutoCAD formats so that you can edit the designs further. Are you a content writer and receive lots of great ideas in PDF format? Convert them into Microsoft Word and begin writing immediately. And that only scratches the surface of Able2Extract’s conversion options. It also supports PDF to PowerPoint, HTML, a variety of image file formats, text, and much more. 

Pin-Point accuracy when converting 

The whole point of purchasing PDF conversion software is to save time. You’re not going to save any time if your converted file is formatted incorrectly and requires further editing upon conversion. Able2Extract provides you with accurate conversions that almost perfectly reflect the original format of the PDF you are extracting the information from. The software even has special custom Excel conversion options, because the makers or the software realize how problematic it can be to convert tabular data accurately. Able2Extract allows you to convert your files and then immediately start working with the information that was earlier trapped within your PDF. 

Fast conversions every time

Have you tried online PDF converters and you’re sick of having to wait for your file? Most online tools in this niche require you to upload your PDF, enter your email, and then wait at least a half hour before you can download your converted file. Able2Extract allows you to perform each conversion in mere seconds. 

Cross platform capabilities

As mentioned earlier, the PDF is a cross platform format that works on any computer. So why should your PDF converter be any different? Able2Extract works just as well on Windows, Mac or Linux. 

Batch conversions

Have you received a zip file containing dozens of PDFs that need to be converted into an editable format? Instead of converting them one by one, you can use Able2Extract’s batch conversion option and convert them all in just one process. 

Ability to convert scanned PDFs

The professional version of Able2Extract also includes the industry’s best OCR technology. OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition, and this technology enables you to convert not only natively created PDFs, but scanned ones as well. So if you are looking to use text found in a PDF of a scanned magazine article, the OCR capabilities of Able2Extract can decipher the scanned text and convert it into an editable Word, OpenOffice or text file for you. 

On top of everything, Able2Extract also has a very sleek graphical interface that is very user friendly. Even if this is your first experience with PDF conversion software, you’ll be able to start using it immediately. 

If you want proof of just how easy it is to use, check out this tutorial video. And if the video intrigues you further, head over to Investintech.com to download a free 7-day trial version of Able2Extract and test it out yourself.

*by andreascy*