Low Budget Smartphones Are Best

The manufacturers in the smartphone domain face the temptation to pack their products with all the latest technology, their most powerful processors, and their largest displays. The mobile phone market is invaded by over four inch wide displays and quad-core processors that could power a PC.

It is easy to understand the strategy because any company needs a bigger profit so they give people what they think is best. After the regular client sees an advertisement that induces the idea that "bigger is better", the client will automatically want the fastest, largest, best packed with features smartphone of them all.

What they usually forget or simply ignore is the fact that the latest, most powerful set of features and hardware also cost more than a regular, not so heavily promoted device.

When looking for the perfect smartphone, the possible buyer should not go for the first product that is presented to him. The best advertised product is not necessarily the best choice. A smart possible client will always look for alternative solutions because you can never know what you can find until you have a glance. Maybe the right product is just a click away and is waiting to be discovered.

The producing companies in this domain and in many others have the habit to promote their most expensive devices because these are the ones that will probably bring them their largest amount of profit. The cheaper alternatives in the smartphone domain are probably only promoted by the carriers when they are trying to get a contract signed.

The point of this article is to bring to the surface a certain fact that is probably ignored by most of the people interested in this kind of device. The high-end, latest technology smartphones that we all see all over the internet and TV will usually cost more than five hundred dollars and this is why it is very important to know that those devices are not the only ones on the market.

There are devices that will do every regular smartphone chore that the super expensive devices claim they can do, but in some cases for even only a quarter of the price. The only difference between these two categories of products will be a couple of seconds in the processing speed and less than an inch on the display's width.

People should think about this and decide if those highly advertised products are worth the money or not. The hardware inside a decent smartphone that will work properly does not have to be able to do 3D Hollywood special effects programming. A processor with a frequency of 800MHz will work just fine with any smartphone applications. Those applications that are made for smartphone operating systems are designed to work on the most poorly equipped smartphone so that every user can run it. A smartphone also does not need 16 or 32 GB of free space because almost anyone owns a PC at home that will be better at storing the files. The display can be more than enough even at 3.0 inches wide.

There are many low budget smartphones that will do their job perfectly for a fraction of a Galaxy SIII's price, but people simply need to look for those devices, not just say yes to the first offer.

How To Saving Money Building Custom Homes

Designing a new house is exciting as endless creative ideas can be transformed into a reality, however being mindful of a budget can save unnecessary expenses and much heartache down the line. Constructing houses from the ground up involves experienced architects, designers and knowledge of building regulations to produce functional and appealing results. A beautifully developed and affordable home can be achieved when mindful of savings.

Significant expenditure goes into the creation of customized homes from the impact of economic markets to the costs for design teams, labor and materials. Without strict planning and cutting back where necessary, a budget can soon become out of control leaving many people out of pocket before project completion. Adhering to a few cost saving strategies may assist in saving and minimizing exorbitant finances.

The first step is to think about what you will need in a house. Large and extravagant properties involve complex design processes, lengthier project completion and a higher price tag. Opting for quaint, comfortable homes that are easier to maintain without losing on a revised and modern appeal are more cost effective and improve the odds of obtaining financing from a bank.

Calculate the cost per square foot to provide an idea of ​​the total finances involved in the size of a custom house. Assess present living requirements and whether a property plan offers flexible design for future expansion. A smaller house will prove more affordable in comparison to a significantly larger plot.

Costs for wooden features and structures can be reduced by purchasing reclaimed wood. Recycled materials suitable for use in construction can cut expenses for particular developments without compromising on quality. It is a popular means of supporting an environmentally friendly or green approach to building.

The selection of flooring or stairwells includes an assessment of upfront costs and long term investment potential. Always determine the value that a particular installation can deliver over time including maintenance so you will not have to replace configurations and hike expenses. Consultation with a professional design team can determine construction solutions that are affordable and valuable.

Custom home design must include a detailed plan of house style, size and budget requirements. Reliance on a building professional and modern technology can produce cost effective solutions in the development of a dream home. Working with experienced and knowledgeable architects and doing your homework can contribute to significant financial savings without losing on desired form and function for the new property.

How Helpful Custom Web Development Solutions May Be for Specific Business Needs

In the competitive world we live in today, mostly all companies have specific business needs and / or requirements. These requirements could be either huge in nature effecting long term business goals while other requirements could be minor and may involve day to day maintenance work. In the online space, the demand for custom website development is increasing every day. In fact, it has now become an integral part of any online marketing activity as it can promote sales and revenue figures. And, if you can hire a SEO company that can get you strategically positioned on search engines then you would be at an added advantage.

If you look around you should be able to find many companies offering custom web development services at competitive rates. Such setups do strive to understand the business needs of the organization they are catering to and then would device strategies and plans accordingly. Since the needs of each company varies from one another so that adds to the challenge of providing a quick solution. This is where custom website development plays a crucial role. Depending on the client's business model and / or long term / short term requirement, the web development company would provide tailor made applications.

Companies offering custom web development services play a critical role in making a strong presence of any business website on the internet. If the web development company has hired experienced professionals or web experts then they can best understand business requirements in less time and can offer a wide range of solutions that can help attract visitors online and keep them engaged. Any company offering custom website development services would have offered to offer solutions that are unique and innovative. This is most essential if they want to remain competitive and build a name for themselves. Out of the given solution, you as the client can decide which functions to go for and which which can really benefit the end user.

Small to large setups are trying to make the most of custom web development services as being offered by different website development companies. This is for the simple reason that their services can prove to be really useful and effective in making new customers and retaining old ones. Custom web applications can help streamline business processes and to be able to help businesses function in an organized manner. Not only that but in many instances it has been seen that custom web development services have also assisted in enhancing efficiency and reduce overall operational costs.

While looking for a custom website development company, try to seek recommendations and compare prices. You would not want to end up paying more than the market rate and getting no value add in return. It is also recommended that you do check the portfolio of the company you are about to hire for web development services. This way you can save on costs and the opportunities of engaging a professional Web Development Company increments considerably.

Free Reverse Cell Phone Lookup - Do They Really Exist Online

A free reverse cell phone lookup is something that is proving to be more and more elegant with every single day that passes.

If you think about it, using a reverse cell phone directory to trace a cell phone number should be a fairly easy process, right? You find one online, enter the cell phone number, and they all of the information appears. At this point, your wife or husband stops cheating on you and all of the prank phone calls come to a screeching hault!

If you think this is what really happens, you are living in a fantasy world.

In reality, a free reverse cell phone lookup is something that you have to do a little bit of leg work to accomplish. What I mean by this is, there are a couple of things that you can try in order to trace cell phone numbers free though, none of them are guaranteed to work.

1. Use Search Engines

2. Try a voluntary cell phone directory

3. Search through blogs and forums

The three methods listed above are the only proven ways to trace cell numbers for free. If you are unable to use them effectively you may have to blow the cobwebs out of your wallet and rely on a reverse cell phone directory online. These types of directories guarantee results in the sense that if they do not work you do not pay.

How much do they charge to trace a cell phone number?

In the grand scheme of things, believe it or not, it is only a couple of dollars, but if they get no match for you, you are not charged a dime. Now there are some people out there that simply refuse to pay for results. Under no circumstances will they allow a professional database to produce the report for them.

What do you say to these people?

Listen, there is no fool proof method to do a free reverse cell phone lookup online. If you can not find answers through the couple of avenues that are listed and refuse to come off of a couple of dollars, there is only one thing you can do. You can let your spouse continue to cheat on you without knowing the details because you do not want to pay to use a reverse cell phone directory. You can allow the prank calls to continue to pour in because you can not part with a few bucks. At the end of the day there are free methods that you can try to lookup a cell number and then there are methods that are guaranteed to produce results. It is entirely up to you to decide weather the information is worth a couple of dollars or not. No one else can make that decision for you.

Super Computers for Our Earth

If you stay up on the Scientific Magazines and Journals you will know that NASA has come a long way in their research to study our Earth. They now have more data than ever before and can use this data with the aid of super computers to process it. In the past computers could not crunch the numbers fast enough to handle the massive data sets and numbers of data sets. Now super computers have changed all that, now we can develop models to answer questions, which help us know the future. To many these models appear like magic.

Such modeling can help us understand the effects of an asteroid or god, forbid a comet hitting the earth and what will be the most likely outlet of such. Which regions will be devastated by the blast and which regions will receive its long-term effects and where life will survive conquer and adapt.

We can use such modeling to predict pollution coming from Fires in CA or China and how they affect the entire Earth Atmosphere Grid. We can know the currents of Volcanic Ash as it sweeps and dissipates around the planet. We will even be able to predict what this ash will most likely do to the current and near future weather patterns and what such a chain reaction will do to our surface plants and animals long term. We can also understand the climate changing effect of burps of Earth through volcanic activity and the amount that space weather, solar flares and our own pollution contribute or take away from the whole of the atmospheric earth system. Super computers are making this a reality today. Think what this means to the future of mankind?

7 Ways to Increase Your Market Value

Why is it important to increase your market value? With today's increasing demand for better efficiency, diversified skill sets, and creativity, and with companies on a down-sizing frenzy, if you're not constantly upgrading your skills, you may soon find yourself disposable and obsoleset by most companies. In order to stay ahead of the market and increase your income, you must constantly increase your market value.

Here are 7 things you can do to increase your value in the market place.

1. Increase Your Writing Ability

This is a skill that can be a great asset to your palette of expertise. Today, everything is about communication. You must be able to communicate effectively in order to get your message clearly understood. The ability to write well is something the majority has yet to acquire so if you can master it, you will have a tremendous advantage over the competition. You can take a writing class or study and emulate the writing styles of great authors.

2. Increase Your Public Speaking Skills

As mentioned earlier, the ability to communicate effectively is one of the most important skills you can develop. The fact is that most people are uncomfortable with public speaking yet it is often a skill that is essential in positions of leadership. If you want to be in such a position, improving the ability to communicate well through speech is absolutely critical to your success. A great way to improve your speaking skill is to join a Toast Masters club.

3. Increase Your Technological Skills

If you have not already, master the basics of using a computer. These things include being able to type at least 30 words a minute, using spreadsheets, creating power point slides, using a word processor, and being able to do research efficiently on the internet. If you have internet access, you can learn all of these skills through online tutorial videos for free.

4. Increase Your Network

You know the saying, "It's not what you know it's who you know." In today's economy, with rising unemployment and everyone fighting over jobs, knowing the right people can get you into doors you never even knew existed. If you ask random people how they got into the company they work for, you'll find that many of them were referred by a friend. Expanding your network will also lead to great business opportunities as well. You can do this by simply making the effort to get to know more people.

5. Increase Your Knowledge

If you're not constantly reading and soaking up new information, then you will quickly fall behind your competitors. Developing the habit to read daily is one of the most valuable habits you can develop. I'm not talking about romance novels by the way. I'm talking about nonfiction works on a variety of topics such as leadership, motivation, and the latest cutting-edge technology in your industry. Reading keeps your mind alert and improves your ability to learn quickly, which are things that will definitely increase your market value.

6. Increase Your Vocabulary

Research shows that people with the best vocabulary get the best jobs. The reason is because, as stated before, communication is everything. Words are tools to express our thoughts. The larger your vocabulary the better you can express yourself and when you can express yourself more more clearly, you will get your message across more effectively. You can start by simply learning a new word a day and actually use it in your everyday conversations.

7. Increase Your Confidence

People are attracted to confident individuals. When you are confident in yourself and your skills, you portray a message that says, "Leave it to me, I'll get it done." You can increase your writing skills, speaking skills, vocabulary and any other skill, but if you portray a lack of confidence in yourself, you may not even be given a chance to showcase your skills.

Confidence is nothing more than a feeling of certainty. You must be certain in yourself and in what you have to offer. This can be accomplished by just standing upright with relaxed shoulders. When you speak, use a firm tone of voice, not one that conveys uncertainty. Be prepared and know your stuff. Just remember that there's a difference between confidence and arrogance. One will get you places while the other will just get people annoyed.

Invest your time, energy, and money to increase these skill sets and you'll be well on your way to increasing your market value which will result in an increase in your income.

Bitcoin: What Is It, and Is It Right for Your Business?

OK, so what's Bitcoin?

It's not an actual coin, it's "cryptocurrency," a digital form of payment that is produced ("mined") by lots of people worldwide. It allows peer-to-peer transactions instantly, worldwide, for free or at very low cost.

Bitcoin was invented after decades of research into cryptography by software developer, Satoshi Nakamoto (believed to be a pseudonym), who designed the algorithm and introduced it in 2009. His true identity remains a mystery.

This currency is not backed by a tangible commodity (such as gold or silver); bitcoins are traded online which makes them a commodity in themselves.

Bitcoin is an open-source product, accessible by anyone who is a user. All you need is an email address, Internet access, and money to get started.

Where does it come from?

Bitcoin is mined on a distributed computer network of users running specialized software; the network solves certain mathematical proofs, and searches for a particular data sequence ("block") that produces a particular pattern when the BTC algorithm is applied to it. A match produces a bitcoin. It's complex and time- and energy-consuming.

Only 21 million bitcoins are ever to be mined (about 11 million are currently in circulation). The math problems the network computers solve get progressively more difficult to keep the mining operations and supply in check.

This network also validates all the transactions through cryptography.

How does Bitcoin work?

Internet users transfer digital assets (bits) to each other on a network. There is no online bank; rather, Bitcoin has been described as an Internet-wide distributed ledger. Users buy Bitcoin with cash or by selling a product or service for Bitcoin. Bitcoin wallets store and use this digital currency. Users may sell out of this virtual ledger by trading their Bitcoin to someone else who wants in. Anyone can do this, anywhere in the world.

There are smartphone apps for conducting mobile Bitcoin transactions and Bitcoin exchanges are populating the Internet.

How is Bitcoin valued?

Bitcoin is not held or controlled by a financial institution; it is completely decentralized. Unlike real-world money it cannot be devalued by governments or banks.

Instead, Bitcoin's value lies simply in its acceptance between users as a form of payment and because its supply is finite. Its global currency values fluctuate according to supply and demand and market speculation; as more people create wallets and hold and spend bitcoins, and more businesses accept it, Bitcoin's value will rise. Banks are now trying to value Bitcoin and some investment websites predict the price of a bitcoin will be several thousand dollars in 2014.

What are its benefits?

There are benefits to consumers and merchants that want to use this payment option.

1. Fast transactions - Bitcoin is transferred instantly over the Internet.

2. No fees/low fees -- Unlike credit cards, Bitcoin can be used for free or very low fees. Without the centralized institution as middle man, there are no authorizations (and fees) required. This improves profit margins sales.

3. Eliminates fraud risk -Only the Bitcoin owner can send payment to the intended recipient, who is the only one who can receive it. The network knows the transfer has occurred and transactions are validated; they cannot be challenged or taken back. This is big for online merchants who are often subject to credit card processors' assessments of whether or not a transaction is fraudulent, or businesses that pay the high price of credit card chargebacks.

4. Data is secure -- As we have seen with recent hacks on national retailers' payment processing systems, the Internet is not always a secure place for private data. With Bitcoin, users do not give up private information.

a. They have two keys - a public key that serves as the bitcoin address and a private key with personal data.

b. Transactions are "signed" digitally by combining the public and private keys; a mathematical function is applied and a certificate is generated proving the user initiated the transaction. Digital signatures are unique to each transaction and cannot be re-used.

c. The merchant/recipient never sees your secret information (name, number, physical address) so it's somewhat anonymous but it is traceable (to the bitcoin address on the public key).

5. Convenient payment system -- Merchants can use Bitcoin entirely as a payment system; they do not have to hold any Bitcoin currency since Bitcoin can be converted to dollars. Consumers or merchants can trade in and out of Bitcoin and other currencies at any time.

6. International payments - Bitcoin is used around the world; e-commerce merchants and service providers can easily accept international payments, which open up new potential marketplaces for them.

7. Easy to track -- The network tracks and permanently logs every transaction in the Bitcoin block chain (the database). In the case of possible wrongdoing, it is easier for law enforcement officials to trace these transactions.

8. Micropayments are possible - Bitcoins can be divided down to one one-hundred-millionth, so running small payments of a dollar or less becomes a free or near-free transaction. This could be a real boon for convenience stores, coffee shops, and subscription-based websites (videos, publications).

Still a little confused? Here are a few examples of transactions:

Bitcoin in the retail environment

At checkout, the payer uses a smartphone app to scan a QR code with all the transaction information needed to transfer the bitcoin to the retailer. Tapping the "Confirm" button completes the transaction. If the user doesn't own any Bitcoin, the network converts dollars in his account into the digital currency.

The retailer can convert that Bitcoin into dollars if it wants to, there were no or very low processing fees (instead of 2 to 3 percent), no hackers can steal personal consumer information, and there is no risk of fraud. Very slick.

Bitcoins in hospitality

Hotels can accept Bitcoin for room and dining payments on the premises for guests who wish to pay by Bitcoin using their mobile wallets, or PC-to-website to pay for a reservation online. A third-party BTC merchant processor can assist in handling the transactions which it clears over the Bitcoin network. These processing clients are installed on tablets at the establishments' front desk or in the restaurants for users with BTC smartphone apps. (These payment processors are also available for desktops, in retail POS systems, and integrated into foodservice POS systems.) No credit cards or money need to change hands.

These cashless transactions are fast and the processor can convert bitcoins into currency and make a daily direct deposit into the establishment's bank account. It was announced in January 2014 that two Las Vegas hotel-casinos will accept Bitcoin payments at the front desk, in their restaurants, and in the gift shop.

It sounds good - so what's the catch?

Business owners should consider issues of participation, security and cost.

• A relatively small number of ordinary consumers and merchants currently use or understand Bitcoin. However, adoption is increasing globally and tools and technologies are being developed to make participation easier.

• It's the Internet, so hackers are threats to the exchanges. The Economist reported that a Bitcoin exchange was hacked in September 2013 and $250,000 in bitcoins was stolen from users' online vaults. Bitcoins can be stolen like other currency, so vigilant network, server and database security is paramount.

• Users must carefully safeguard their bitcoin wallets which contain their private keys. Secure backups or printouts are crucial.

• Bitcoin is not regulated or insured by the US government so there is no insurance for your account if the exchange goes out of business or is robbed by hackers.

• Bitcoins are relatively expensive. Current rates and selling prices are available on the online exchanges.

The virtual currency is not yet universal but it is gaining market awareness and acceptance. A business may decide to try Bitcoin to save on credit card and bank fees, as a customer convenience, or to see if it helps or hinders sales and profitability.

Are you thinking about accepting Bitcoin? Do you already use it? Share your thoughts and experiences with us.