Blog – Page 54 – Phoenix Website Design

8 Reasons Why a Touchscreen Laptop is NOT a Good Buy

August 24, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Touchscreens: Aye or Nay?

As a laptop user who is used to a keyboard, you will wonder why manufacturers are flooding the market with touch screen laptops. If you are a graphic artist, this may be ideal for you so you can have more control of your design. But if you are a plain housewife, a college student or a businessman, you might think twice. So, let us find out the advantages and disadvantages to help you decide.

Here are the advantages:

With a touchscreen display, it will be easier to apply any of the image editors available.
Designing using graphic apps like CAD will be easier as it gives proper dimensions.
If you are addicted to games, a touchscreen laptop will make it easier for you to play games.
Microsoft has made their operating systems compatible to non-touch and touch based laptop can increase your productivity.
Touch screens makes it faster and easier to interact with your PC compared to using a mouse or track pad and a
If you have a pen (stylus) input, you can draw or write on the screen with excellent precision. Windows 7 & 8 can translate anything you write on screen into text. So, if you are not too fast in typing, this is a time saver for you.

This being said, touchscreen laptop will garner your yes in buying one, but there are a lot of disadvantages. Read carefully the list because it might just change your mind.

Here are the disadvantages:

Touchscreen display can consume your battery power compared to the normal display as the touch digitizer is always on whether you are using it or not.
It has additional mechanisms and sensors which adds 0.2 to 0.4 more pounds and thickness. This will affect its ergonomics and portability which defeats the purpose of being handy.
Touchscreen laptops affects the brightness and the viewing angles. It also shows reflections as it uses glossy material.
The touch screens links and buttons are small that clicking them can be difficult especially when you are filling out forms and shopping.
You will surely have more smears on your screen and getting out the microfiber cloth could be bothersome to most people.
Since a touchscreen laptops are priced higher than the normal ones, it can affect your budget. It surely is NOT cheap and affordable.
Try holding your arm for two minutes and surely your hand will fall off. What about using your touchscreen for hours? You will really feel your hands and arms getting tired. A good touchpad is more helpful than a touchscreen. It offers helpful movements like two finger rotation and more and three-finger swipe. A touchpad can navigate Windows 10’s desktop as easy as with a touch screen.
Research shows that touchscreen eventually will give us shoulders and back problems due to a lot of reaching out.

In conclusion, the touch screen functionality does not meet any necessary needs. Spending so much on an elegant laptop is totally fine, but putting your health on the line is too high a price to pay.

How to Pick the Best Portable PC?

August 24, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

There are lot of portable devices out there. It has become a trend worldwide. People are gradually giving their desktop computers up. There are endless of choices presented, and buying one device that fits your needs is tougher than you think. You have to choose between an all-purpose laptop, netbook, ultrabook, and a hybrid. Choosing the right device can be so confusing. This guide will help to decide on what device you should get.

Hybrid (or convertibles, 2-in1 PC, laplet.) If you are after mobility, go for a fusion between a PC and a tablet. Know that these hybrids are mostly “tablet-first” meaning they are basically tablets with optional keyboards. They are usually detachable like the Microsoft Surface series and the ASUS Transformer Book series. These additional accessories – keyboard, pen, tablet cover – are not free with your purchase. They may have limited apps depending on their respective app stores, and limited storages options.
Chromebook. If you want an operating system that is NOT Windows, you might want to give Chromebooks a chance. This devices runs Google’s ChromeOS. Like the Microsoft Surface Pros, they are dependent on the web apps available at its app store. They are not compatible with third party applications and you can only rely on the Chrome Web Store for applications. It does not support expandable memory and storage. You cannot find a Chromebook with a storage more than 32 GB. Instead, you will have a free cloud storage of 100GB. The only good side with these web-centric Chromebooks is that they are cheap. Notable examples are HP Chromebook, Samsung Chromebook 3, and Acer Chromebook 11. Both brands have them under $200.
Netbook. These are small, highly portable, lightweight computer. It is a perfect choice for people on the go and on a tight budget. Most of the manufacturers discontinued netbooks because of the new ultrabooks, but you can still see online deals. Netbooks might not be as powerful as an ultrabook, but they can handle daily computing tasks, and perform the majority of the functions of a laptop. Another good feature is that they have a long battery life, and definitely better than most laptops. They can last over 5 hours on daily use.
Ultrabook. If you are looking for fast, and sleek computers, this is it. Ultrabook is a high-end, elegant, and ultraportable notebooks. The most notable example is Macbook Air. In recent years, various PC manufacturers released their own line. If you are a Windows fan, you can choose from ASUS Zenbook, HP Envy, Toshiba Protégé, and other popular brands. Like netbooks, they are lightweight, and they can last long in terms of battery life. Ultrabooks are powerful and can handle Full HD videos, and some heavy games. On the downside, they may have limited ports due to the slimmer design and they are really expensive.
Laptop. If you need a more flexible computer, you better spend your money on a standard laptop. If you need to plug in different USB devices, SD card reader, HDMI port, and you need a CD/DVD drive, look no further. Others might be portable and great for travelling, but this is your all-around computing machine. You can check out laptops from the Acer Aspire E, and Toshiba Tecra C series.

Email Etiquette

August 21, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Emails and real life conversations are two different worlds. One common practice in real life might not be necessary on emails. What should you do regarding emails? What is the proper approach? Here is a list of tips for you in order to construct that reply, and write that much needed email.

The general rule is you have to reply no matter what. Communication is key. You just have to click that reply button and acknowledge that you have received the email. If you are given an urgent task, reply to the sender that you got the email and start working on it. If you cannot do it within the day, explain on why that is the case and give a time estimate on when you will be able to complete the given task.
Prioritize the emails with action items. Before you go on acknowledging all the emails you got. Reply first to the emails that needs your immediate attention (e.g. you have to send a document file, confirm a meeting by giving out the restaurant reservation details, and so on.)
Yes, you have to acknowledge an email. Read first the contents because there might be exceptions to the rule. 1) The sender might have included an NTN (or No Thanks Needed!) Obviously, it means that you do not have to reply. 2) You are just on the CC line. That is why you have to read carefully. Only the people on the TO line will do this specific task unless, of course, if someone specifically asks you to join and help. When you are included on the CC line, this is just to keep you informed.
Attach the attachments. Sometimes, you are in a hurry to reply and send your email that you forgot that the attachment is still uploading. Make sure that the file you are attaching is actually included in the email you are sending. Do not forget to check if the attachments are 100% complete and that no file failed in the process.
Be clear with your answers. Yes, you should be concise with your replies, but you also have to be direct. Replying ‘Yes’ to a question is not enough. Repeat the questions you are answering (e.g. ‘Yes, the blue roses are great.’ or ‘Yes, we prefer the blue ones.’)
Make use of the subject line. The subject line is often neglected when in fact, it provides a summary of the email. Is the email for information purposes only or is it regarding a scheduling request? Be specific when writing a subject line (e.g. For Approval: Budget for August 2017, or FYI: New ID System.)

At the end of the day, it all depends on your work environment. These are just general guidelines to help you manage your emails. Every rule has exceptions of course! Some business keep their emails strictly for important matters and thank you emails are no-no. Some are encouraged to converse and chat. If you need more tips on online etiquette, you can check out this article.

How to Create Good Passwords

August 18, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Passwords are there to protect your online accounts. It is not meant to be easy. You should be able to create a password that is difficult for hackers to figure out. Hackers do not magically conjure your passwords. They use cracking software to guess a password. Here is a list of guidelines to help you secure your online accounts.

DO NOT:

Do not use “password” as password or any other common password. One of the common passwords is the word password. Before hackers using their cracking tools, they try to use the common passwords first. Avoid using passwords like ‘pass’, ‘123456’, ‘qwerty’, ‘1111’, ‘monkey’. Avoid any sequences, whether it is a keyboard, an alphabet, or a number sequence. Refrain also from using popular sports, movies, books as passwords. Do not making it easy for intruders to guess your password.
Do not use your name, your family member’s name, or your pet’s name. You always post pictures of your family and friends. People online, more or less, are familiar with their names. Also, you probably talk about your pet all the time. Passwords after their names – or your name – are very predictable.
Do not use information that can be easily obtained. People know your email, birthday, mobile number, license plate, address, and other information that is probably on your social media accounts. If your password is one of these, it is very easy to guess. Whatever you are protecting is also very easy to get.
Do not click on “yes”. Every time you log in on any account, the website will ask you if you wish to save your password so that logging in will be easier next time. No, do not store your password. Type it every time you log in a website. It important to remember this tip especially if the computer you are using is available to everyone.
Do not use the same passwords for all your accounts. If one account is compromised, all your accounts are at risk. Create a unique passwords for all your accounts especially if that account involves your money, your credit card, or any important online transaction.

DO:

Use alphanumeric characters. Your password should included uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and even special characters. The more randomly you add them, the better.
Passwords should be at least 8 characters long. If possible, do not settle for the minimum. If you can make it to 14 characters, then, do it. The technique here is to create a phrase, or pick out a line from your favorite song.
Do choose a password that you will remember. Choose a password that you know you will remember like a favorite song lyric, movie line, book excerpt. If you cannot remember it, the tendency is that you will write it down. If you write it down, others will know about it sooner or later.

I have mentioned above that you should get a line from your favorite song and adjust it. For example, the line is: you are as cute as a button. Translate some of the words into your local language. Cute in Mandarin is Ke Ai. So, it is going to be: you are as ke ai as a button. Add numbers, special characters, and mix them all together. Now, it will be: Y0u!4R3asKeAi4$aButT0n. Norton also has a password generator that might be useful in case you are out of ideas.

7 Types of Viruses You Need to Know

August 17, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Virus alert, virus alert! There is a basis for being alarmed as a virus could steal your file, delete them, and make use of your email to spread itself to other people’s computer.

Viruses are a type of malicious software and are able to spread through email attachments. Never open an email attachment unless you know who sent it. They could disguise themselves as a friendly greeting card, funny and cute images, audio and video files, but viruses rely on human interaction. Always be careful in downloading anything on the internet. It may seem harmless at first, but it might be unsafe for your computer.

Here are the list of viruses you need to know about and where they usually attack:

Boot Sector Virus is an example of the most dangerous. They could affect the master boot record, encrypt or destroy the code. The hard part is that, it is difficult to remove it and a full system format is required. An example of this is Parity Boot.
Resident Viruses is a permanent virus that stays in the RAM memory and could cause interruption of the operations that the system has executed. This leads to corrupting files and programs. Examples are CMJ, Mr Klunky, Randex, and Meve.
Non-resident Viruses is a kind of virus that does not stay or complete itself from the computer’s memory. Aside from that, it is also a finder module. It can infect files once the module is executed.
Multipartite Viruses will spread in multiple ways and distributed via the infected media. It remains in the memory and then slowly moves to the boot sector of the hard drive. They can simultaneously infect both the executable files and the boot sector and then spread quickly. These attacks will make the multipartite viruses very hard to remove. Cleaning the program files will be useless if the virus stays in the boot sector. Once you open your computer, the virus reproduces.
Overwrite Viruses is not dangerous to your system, but it can delete the files which it infects. To get rid of this virus, delete the file and its contents. This virus can infect the entire pieces of software and standalone files. It spread itself through email. Notable examples: Trj.Reboot, Trivial.88.D.
Direct Action Virus is a file infector and it works by connecting itself to a specific kind of file which is usually .COM or .EXE files. When the file is executed the virus will look for other files in the directory and starts spreading itself. An antivirus program can remove the virus so make sure your antivirus program’s virus definitions are always up to date.
Stealth Viruses can trick antivirus software by stopping the request of the operating system. They can hide itself making it hard for some antivirus program to detect them.

These are just a few of the viruses out there waiting to get to your system. The only way to protect ourselves from these viruses is to know about them, where they attack, and know how to get rid of them. You can apply these safety tips. Lastly, find a great antivirus program and always scan your computer for potential threats.

Online Shopping Guide

August 17, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Tips on ensuring a great shopping experience.

Websites has been a trading ground for online businesses and it is the easiest way although there are fraudsters out there studying how they can take advantage of you. They either sell you something that does not exist or sell you something that has poor quality. Either way, you have been scammed!

An online seller could ask you details of your identity or your financial information to defraud you. Fraudsters could also give you a website that seems to be an auction site, but in reality, it is their way of getting your payment details. You should investigate and check the URL. They probably changed the address a bit just to make it look real.

To save yourself any further problems. Be aware of the following:

Fake sites is set by a scammer. Since they know the designer sites, they will add something maybe a word or a different spelling. Check the web address to confirm their authenticity or better yet type the correct web address yourself.
Pay on the auction site, but do not click any links neither should you use the money transfer mode. Use services like Paypal, which will protect your money.
Know the auction sites, terms and conditions, as well as their dispute resolution policy.
Fraudsters like opening in good accounts like eBay. They will buy stuffs to get good feedback and therefore they will also get a positive feedback scores. Check their profiles thoroughly and go to through the real comments from real buyers. If they do not have it, you are being targeted as their next victim.
No photos? Then, you do not know if the product actually exists. Do your research and check Google to know if it is just a duplicate. That should set a warning alarm.
Less details? Scammers will hardly write a detailed information. Ask questions and ask the seller for pictures so they will panic and give you a picture which you could also check later.
Low price? Most fraudsters do this as a bargain tactic and they will use a good online marketplace like Gumtree or eBay just to look real. The truth is, it is either a fake item/s or worst, there is no such product. And if you have sent your money, there is no way you can get your money back.
No contact number? This should make you wonder. If someone is selling, they should be readily be contacted by their buyers. Sometimes they will put a contact number that does not work. This is a tale-tell sign.
Contacts outside the official system? Be wary when the seller insist that you call them in their mobile number or contact them through email. Do not continue the transaction.

Take note of these tips before you buy anything online. To be sure, go to the official websites of the products you wish to buy. Be careful in buying from other people. You cannot be certain of their quality and authenticity.

Guide to Finding the Right Podcast for You

August 17, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

What kind of podcast should you choose?

Podcast is like an internet radio. You can use your computer to listen to it. Podcast is not just something you can listen to but it can also be a video. You can learn more about it by clicking this link. If you are still confused on what type of podcast you will use in sharing your commentaries to the world, just follow this guide.

The success of a podcast lies in the format. Here are the types of podcasts:

One person talking in front of the camera or in a microphone. The topic could be news, tutorial about a certain subject matter, or an opinion. The concern in this solo podcast is the voice and the quality of how it is recorded. The challenge is to hold the interest of the audience.
An interview is more interesting because it has two people talking giving their own opinions. The challenge here is to make sure that both will be present to record. The quality of the microphones is important to enable clear deliverance. Editing will surely be a challenge as the audio should be perfect.
Another type of podcast is the more conversational show. It has two or more persons talking giving their views on a certain topic. This is more interesting than a solo podcast. The problem here could be scheduling the people involve in the recording and making sure that one does not overlap another person talking. The more people you have in the recording, the more time spent on editing.
A video podcast speaks for itself. It has an audio and a video, therefore, it gives a feeling of a closer and more personal relationship with its audience. The requirement is greater in a vodcast or vidcast. It requires more planning time and scheduling just like any production project. When it comes to file size, it needs a high bandwidth connection due to its big files, which is higher than 100 MB each. And this depends on its length. The format for this video is .m4v or mp4 H.264 which can be done by Window and Mac users.
Another type of podcast is a combination of audio podcast with synced images which is almost the same as a narrated slide show. An enhanced podcasts has multiple still images and still add a live URL links to websites. It also has a chapter marker so you can skip the podcast. This is an audio file in .m4a format. The file of enhanced podcasts is just like an audio podcast. It cannot be played in Windows Media Player.
A recording of your computer screen accompanied by an audio narration is called a screencast. This helps show a certain process rather than just instructing. This is good for students who are more visual.

Once you have decided on what kind of format you want, you need to be more creative to come up with a unique and interesting show. It will also help if you think of how long and how many segments. If you plan very well, you may just come up with something listeners or viewers would be interested in. Most of all, do not forget have fun!

Where to Sell your Photos Online?

August 17, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Thinking of selling your photos?

If you have taken a number of photos of good quality, why not sell them online and earn good money from it? There are a lot of options online. Many companies have means to help photographers in selling their photos. If you are looking for a place to sell your art, look no further.

Here are 9 great sites you can try:

Shutter Stock is the leading sites for photographers. Each image cost $0.25-$2.85 but this rate can be higher for excellent images. Images here undergoes a strict scrutiny. Thousands of photos are added every day.
iStock Photo Be a member and then apply as a contributor. The royalty rate is 15% for every download. An exclusive contributor gets a royalty of 45%. This company which is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada offers millions of illustrations, clip art, photos, video and audio tracks. Almost half a million of works are added each month in this site.
Fotolia This New York based company, is a micro stock agency. It is a great platform to sell your photos. A photographer is paid based on ranking and image exclusivity. Range of payment is from 20% to 63% for each download. There is just one thing, its subscription plans are a bit complicated.
PhotoCrati is a website for photographers and visual artists. You can quickly sell photos with the Photocrati theme’s built-in ecommerce galleries. It integrates easily with Paypal so you do not need to worry about the collecting money.
Tour Photos This site is dedicated to tour companies. It features amusement parks, northern lights excursions, cruise ships and many more. It also has photos of activities like diving, paragliding, scuba diving, and rafting. If you are into these things, this is the site for you. You can choose to sell your photos, or make them available for free.
Smug Mug gives a photographer a storefront that comes with an e-commerce galleries with just a single click shopping experience. It is a site where you can display your photos, greeting cards, digital downloads, prints, and sell them too. You can decide on the prices and the royalty is 85%.
Photo Shelter offers you everything you need. You can choose from the nine website templates available and you will be able to build your own site in minutes. No coding required for this. Just upload your work to the provided online storage. You are given an unlimited file size and supports various file types if you have a Standard or Pro account. The plans starts from $9.00 per month but can go up $49.99 per month.
Alamy is the world’s most diverse stock photo collection according to its website. This photography agency was launched in 1999. It offers over 105 million stock images and images are from 60,000 individual photographers. You can sell any of your photos here.
Snapped4U features events like festivals, gigs, parties, weddings, and etc. This is a website where selling photos are really simple. Sales of the photos raises money for good causes. Should your photo sells at more than $5, this site will charge a commission of 10%.

Stock Photo Secrets also shared more about the various Photo Sharing Services for Selling Photos. So, you can check them out if you need further information about selling your photos or making them available for download.

The Online World of Photography

August 16, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

How to turn a hobby into a business venture?

Photography is not a small time business. In fact, it is fast becoming a lucrative business these days as there will always be people who wants to buy photos online. All you have to do is to take clear and interesting photos. And then, upload either on your site or upload in other websites.

First, ask the question, what photos do people buy? The large number of people who buys photos are those who has either their own websites or they are bloggers. The in-demand photos are:

Work situation like office
Cities
Close-up photos
People
Travel
Things like books, computers, tools, bag, dress, jewelries
Animals
Nature

It is a good idea to check which image is in-demand in different websites.

Let’s face it, to come up with good photos, you’ve got to use a good camera. A DSLR camera is a good choice. You will also need a tripod to make sure that the camera is steady. You can also check on photography kits in dependable websites. Lastly, do not skip on storing your photos online. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can use their free online storage. There is also Carbonite who can do that for you.

To make a larger surface for your photo, use backdrops. There are good vinyl backdrops that can do an amazing job. A reversible type is also available in the market. You can try using a light tent to soften the glare of the sun. You can likewise use your table top for small items.

When your photos get sold, you start earning money. Another way is not to sell your photos. Instead, give a license to buyers who would like to use your photos. This means that you have the copyright of your photos and letting the same photos be sold in as many times possible to different customers. The amount earned may not be as big, but if your photos are sold many times, it could be a handsome amount. This is the reason why stock photography can be lucrative.

You can opt selling your photos as prints too. Just upload your photos to different printing websites where buyers can order your printed photos. You can also choose to sign up at different websites like society6.com, Redbubble.com, Etsy.com, and more. The website then collects payments for you. It is not much, but it is a good start. The advantage here is that, you do not have to do the printing, the shipping, and the asking of your payment.

If you need info on where, be sure to check out Stock Photo Secrets. They collated a list of Photo Sharing Services for Selling Photos. It’s not complicated to make your photos available for sale or making them available for download.

If you want a quick budgeted way, buy a portfolio website that contains ready-to-use templates. The internet is a very good platform. It can open doors of opportunity. With the many websites available and blogs adding to the number, images will always be in-demand. There will always be a room for every photographer. Time to turn your hobby into a business!

Tips in Protecting your Original Content

August 16, 2017/in Blog /by Carmel

Writing

If you have been blogging or starting to blog for an online magazine or content websites, chances are you will experience your content to be stolen. Your content will surely be reposted on other article websites, personal websites, and other blogs without your consent or knowledge.

There are times when your writing are copied from your website to another person’s website. The article could also be altered to make it look original. There will be instances that your content will be reposted with proper attribution, but no permission from the writer. It may or it may not be harmful to you but if you want your content to remain in your site, then remove the duplicate content.

Despite all the situation, the good thing is that, you can prevent it. Here are some things you can do:

Google Alerts can help you find your stolen content. Go to the website and then place a part of your article, indicate what kind of websites to be searched. Give your email address so that you will know the result. You can be notified every day, weekly, monthly, or when it happens.
Know if there was an abuse on your site. Check your site logs and server. Did you have a dramatic rise in your bandwidth for referrers or hosts? Know the numbers of your server logs to evaluate the possibility.
Copyscape is not free, but it is all worth it if you write and publish many content. Copyscape is an online plagiarism detection service you use and you will be informed about the sites that are reposting your work.
Use trackback notifications. This is provided by WordPress, Movable Type, and Drupal. They will inform you if anybody is linked to your post.
Get in touch with the website service that hosts the site who took your content. Go to a lookup website like Who Is. The website will provide you details like the official registrar, registrar URL, creation date, and more. A registrar abuse contact email and number are also provided. You can call them or send an email.
Report a complaint against a site that stole your content at Google Webmaster Tools. The site who copied your material will be banned from using Google’s search engines. If the thief is using your content and is making money from it using Google Adwords, the account will be closed and the thief can no longer open another account.
If you are active in online posting, set up Google Search Authorship. This will show that you are the real creator or writer of the content. Google will guide you on how to claim the content that created.
Make a copyright notice and include a terms of use page on your website. This will tell people that you are the rightful owner and that no one can copy it without your permission. You can also indicate if you will allow portion of your content to be used, but with proper attribution.

For as long as you post whatever you have written or created, content thieves will always be there to get your work. Know what to do and be vigilant in guarding your content.

8 Reasons Why a Touchscreen Laptop is NOT a Good Buy

How to Pick the Best Portable PC?

Email Etiquette

How to Create Good Passwords

7 Types of Viruses You Need to Know

Online Shopping Guide

Guide to Finding the Right Podcast for You

Where to Sell your Photos Online?

The Online World of Photography

Tips in Protecting your Original Content

© 2017. All rights reserved. Phoenix Website Design • Sitemap • (602) 388-8622
20 E Thomas Rd #2200, Phoenix, AZ 85012

Serving: