Technected - Your Connection to the World of Tech

What are the benefits of an external hard drive?

Posted by Technected on May 6th, 2012

External hard drives are proving to be one of the fastest selling computer accessories in the market at the minute. Even though they have been around for many years, people didn´t really recognise how important external hard drives are and how many benefits they can give you. But you only have to have one computer malfunction due to a virus or other factor to know that investing in an external hard drive before the inevitable happens will save you a lot of time, frustration and heartache. Take a look at why investing in an external hard drive has many benefits.

Classic view of an external hard drive.

External Hard Drive Backup

A hard drives greatest benefit is for backup. It´s the most obvious reason to buy an external hard drive, but is also the most important especially if you use your desktop computer or laptop for work purposes. Investing in an external hard drive on which you can back up all your data will save you an absolute fortune in time and money having to redo lost files because your system has crashed or your files were corrupted by a virus which caused the data to be irretrievable.

But it´s not only professionals who will benefit by backing-up data on an external hard drive. Just about everybody today downloads their photographs straight from their cameras on to their computer systems. Imagine how you would feel if you lost years worth of holiday snaps and memorabilia shots of your children growing up. That´s right, gutted! So don´t take the risk.

Security

Another great advantage that an external hard drive will give you is security. Providing you don´t constantly keep your external hard drive plugged into your computer turned on you can safely back up your files from your computer without the risk of it being attacked from malicious malware or other viruses that are fed by predators through the Internet. The best way to use an external hard drive is to back up your data at the end of the day, or just after you have loaded some important material to your computer, and then either unplug it from your system totally or simply turn it off.

Portability

Because they are small, compact and light-weight, external hard drives can easily be carried around with you allowing you to save information from one computer and retrieve it from another machine. This is very useful for professionals who take their work home with them and use different a different machine in the office, or if you want to share files, such as holiday photographs and music, with a friend. Simply save them to your external hard drive, pop it in your bag and laugh at your white bits over a bottle of wine. One thing you should consider when carrying your external hard drive around with you however is that they can be quite fragile so keep it secure and don´t let it be bashed around where it is more vulnerable to breaking.

Close-up of an external hard drive.

Hard Drives with Excessive Memory

External hard drives are available with lots of memory, some up to 1TB, thus they can be used for a number of reasons. Say you watch a lot of films and download streams from sources like UTorrent. Your computer memory can only hold so much before it runs out of room; therefore you can save and store them on your external hard drive and free space up on the built-in hard drive of your computer which allows you to download new films and music. External hard drives effectively become your portable media library.

Flickr Image Credits: nowin and eltpics.

Portable External Hard Drive (1TB,Black)(cf780126.typepad.com)

Visualisers: a teacher’s best friend?

Posted by Technected on May 1st, 2012

The days of blackboard and chalk – or even whiteboard and pen – in the classroom are a thing of the past. The integration of modern technology into common practise in primary education offers a new realm of functional learning for pupils. More and more schools now understand and embrace the everyday use of information technology such as visualisers to aid the practical learning of children in the classroom.

What is a visualiser ?

Essentially, they are a contemporary adaptation of a classic overhead projector with hugely increased functionality. A visualiser – sometimes known as a document camera – is a piece of equipment that allows a teacher to display an image or document to a whole class or group of children through a computer and projector.

It projects anything placed under the camera onto a screen. From students work, books and images to even 3D objects, allowing teachers to instantly and visually share almost any piece of classroom learning collateral with their pupils.

What are the benefits in the classroom?

- Visualisers offer schools cross-curricular usage for all age groups and subjects.

- Particularly in large classes, teachers can easily share information with the entire group to engage the children to participate and interact as a collective.

- The facility of taking screen shots, recording videos and split screens, facilitates the process of reviewing, evaluating and revisiting material at the click of a button.

- They allow teachers to highlight and explain more intricate pieces of information, which can be especially valuable in subjects such as mathematics, science and art.

- Visualisers are a great way to instantly share student work with the rest of the class to encourage pupil engagement and feedback.

- They can also be used outside of the classroom in staff meetings for assessment and training.

Are they difficult to use?

They are extremely easy to use and to integrate into everyday teaching; even for the least IT-savvy staff member will be able to use them confidently. In addition, the engagement of children in the controlled use of the visualiser can help to aid their proficiency and understanding of IT equipment.

Are they expensive?

It’s particularly well documented that public sector budgets can be rather restrictive. Thankfully the cost of visualisers can range from around £250 – £600 dependent upon the desired level of functionality, so are a viably affordable and hugely effected piece of equipment for any classroom.

Effective Email Marketing=Reliable ROI

Posted by Technected on April 25th, 2012

This guest post was written by Liam Tarry

If you are a business with an online presence, you’ll know that effective email

Email marketing provides reliable ROI.

marketing can help to sell your products, sell your services or raise brand awareness. A targeted and professional email marketing campaign can see you improve not only your bottom line but increase the number of people who know about you through Social Media.

However, just how achieve a positive return on investment (ROI) through email marketing? From the time taken to produce an email newsletter to the offers you include in it, there are many hidden costs.

Is effective email marketing all about sales? What about things like subscriber numbers, open rates, click-throughs or Social Media shares? Believe it or not effective email marketing is not all about money….

With that in mind we’ve put together five ways in which you can make your email marketing more effective to demonstrate a positive ROI through more ways than just pounds dollars and pence.

Tip #1 – Deliverability is key

By far and away the most crucial factor in providing a reliable and measurable ROI from your email marketing efforts is to make sure your emails are seen. After all, why go to the bother of sending out thousands of emails if no-one is reading them?

If you are serious about getting your emails read, there are a few things you can do.

Start off by reducing complaints by reducing the amount of people who report your emails as spam. Make it clear at the start how often they will hear from you, don’t set off content filters by using spammy keywords and monitor your delivery. The more your emails are relevant, the less spam complaints you’ll get.

Tip #2 – Target your emails to suit

Behavioural targeting is a great way of increasing the effectiveness of your email newsletters.

Say you’re a florist business. Why go to the extent of sending out a generic Valentines’ Day newsletter to your entire subscriber list when 50% (virtually all the ladies on your list!) are unlikely to buy from you?

Segment your lists depending on your offer or promotion and you’re bound to see an increase in effective (and save yourself money through wasted credits too)

Tip #3 – Increase your click-throughs

Effective email marketing is not all about making money. If you’re getting people to visit your website you’re not only showing them what you sell you’re raising brand awareness at the same time.

If you’re serious about increasing the amount of people who click-through to your website, make sure your message is credible. Talk about the benefits your product or service offers your readers. Communicate urgency but don’t be pushy. Restate or expand on your guarantee and make sure your links are easily viewed.

If you can encourage people to click-through to your website half of the battle’s been won. Encouraging them to click “buy” is only part of the story.

Tip #4 – Be personal

One thing that effective email marketing does, unlike generic adverts or flyers, is that is can be highly personal.

With email marketing you can send a reminder to people who have visited your website that a sale is about to end. You can send a post-sale email to request a review. You can use date of birth data to send personal birthday wishes – in fact the possibilities to be personal with email marketing are endless.

As such, email marketing is a great way to speak to your customers and make them feel that you respect them. By sending them information relevant to their browsing history, their age, their gender, their location or their previous purchases, you will demonstrate a level of customer service which can’t be found through traditional marketing channels – and can you put a price on that?

Tip #5 – Go Social for a positive a return

You’ve spent hours writing your email newsletter content.

You’ve spent hours segmenting your list.

You’ve clicked send and now you want the money to come rolling in.

However, you need to look past the amount of money you make to demonstrate a return, as if your email newsletter content looks like a sales pitch or spam it will only end up in the trashcan. By providing value to your readers however, you will increase the likelihood of them buying from you – be it today, tomorrow or months down the line.

Make sure your content is useful. Give tips. Give advice. Give information. Appeal to your recipient’s sharing mentality and plug your content through Social Media – the more your email is useful the more it’s likely to be shared and so increase awareness in your brand.

If you tailor your offers to a season and be personable you are on to a winning combination.

To sum up…

So there you have it. Effective email marketing is more than a money on a balance sheet – it involves lots of hard work and seeing value in things which can’t easily be tracked. But if you get the basics right and appeal to your different lists you’ll see the benefit in the long-run.

What you should know about your laptop, Ergonomically speaking

Posted by Technected on April 18th, 2012

If you work with a laptop, you have the ability to work anywhere you want and it also becomes increasingly difficult to adhere to ergonomics. Because it is so easy to take your work anywhere you want, it becomes easy to pay no attention to your posture and the total time you are spending in front of your laptop.

Have you ever been working for a few hours, only to find out that your back is in pain? What about your neck, does it often feel strained after you have been using your laptop for quite some time? You are not alone. Another common complaint is the feeling of fatigue after working for a few hours. To the surprise of many it is not because work is wearing them out or putting a strain on their body. Rather a poor ergonomic workstation is the real culprit for their grief.

What We Forget About Laptops

Laptops are so convenient for everyone. You take it with you wherever you go. You can work; browse the internet, watch movies, whatever you want. In fact most people assume that the only problem with laptops is their limited battery life.

This is not true. Laptops are actually not ergonomically designed to work on for more than a few hours each day. Yet that is what we do – we work for hours on end. Students take them to class and to their dorm rooms, and ultimately people end up using them several hours each day.

The design on a laptop is going to strain wrists, shoulders, fingers, and neck if it is used for too long. Because we cannot separate the keyboard from the monitor, it means either our wrists are extended or our necks are stretched out trying to peer down. It becomes important to change our posture or change the set-up of our system.

The Main Ergonomic Problems with Laptops

The spacing: if you are in front of a laptop right now just check it out, the keys are often quite cramped and some keys are located in weird positions. This leads to repetitive stress injuries and hand cramps.

The size of the monitor: unless you have a thousand dollar plus laptop, the screen is probably relatively small. The smaller the screen, the more the eyes are going to have to strain to be able to see. Prevent eyestrain by hooking your laptop up to a desktop monitor.

The placement of the monitor: as we mentioned before, on a laptop you cannot move your monitor. This can cause issues with your back, your hands, eyes, and especially your neck. You can reduce these problems with good ergonomic monitor setup.

The small pointers: when you look at most laptops they generally have a dot or touchpad integrated into the laptop to serve as a pointing device. While these work for a little while, they are not very easy or comfortable to use. If a person uses these too long, it can result in wrist related injuries.

Dock It!

That is why it is highly recommended that a docking station be used when a laptop is used for an extended period of time. A docking station instantly raises the keyboard to a more comfortable position. This will lead to neck, wrist, and lower back pain relief.

In order to be more ergonomically sound, it is a good idea to use a separate mouse and keyboard. With both a separate mouse and keyboard you have much more free range of motion. This means that you are not as restricted in your movements and do not have to worry about repetitive strain injuries.

One final suggestion (if you can afford it) is to get a separate monitor for the docking station. This does not mean that you have to buy a 2000 dollar monitor. It simply means that you have a monitor that can be adjusted and that does not strain your eyes quite as much. Though it is an investment it is one that pays off in the end.

About The Author

Melissa Cameron, works as a freelance writer and has been writing for more than 10 years, She is currently working on series of articles with the help of a chiropractor that received many excellent Sacramento chiropractic reviews detailing how people can ergonomically use their laptop to find lower back pain relief. Melissa currently lives in Austin, Texas, with Dave, her husband, and their 2 children.

Reasons why some businesses avoid using Social Media

Posted by Technected on April 6th, 2012

I heard a wholesale business executive recently saying, “I don’t need social media.” I believe it’s like saying I don’t need water to live. Despite the fact that Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are massive social media players there are still many businesses, who think social media is not for them. According to recent research, around 67% of internet users in the US will use social media by the end of 2013 and this percentage is expected to rise further with time. Around 16% of businesses throughout the world are currently using social media for customer service.

Facebook has currently more than 800 million active users whereas the number for Twitter is 100 million. These are the users who frequently use these mediums to connect to hundreds of people, events and groups. Google+ was launched in June 2011, but by December 2011, it had successfully enticed 62 million users into signing up for its social network. Google+ also reported that 625,000 new users join its platform with every passing day.

Despite this huge popularity of social media, I wonder how some businesses manage to survive without utilising these platforms. While discussing the same topic with a fellow businessman who has not been all that fond of social media, I learned what exactly his reasons for avoiding social networks were. Following are some interesting things I learned and would definitely like to share them with my readers.

Social Media is primarily for young

Many businesses having target audiences of middle aged and senior citizens believe social media is not suitable for them since its users are all youngsters. It is true that when people think of Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, they think of teens using these networks preferably via their smart phones to communicate with their friends but this is not the complete truth.

According to a report, 37% of Facebook users and 53% of Twitter users are mostly under the age bracket of 35. This means you can expect to find countless mature people as well as under 35s. Secondly businesses must not forget that the remaining 63% users of Facebook and 47% users of Twitter include many middle aged and senior citizens. Therefore, we definitively cannot say social media is only for a younger audience. It has the potential to cater to every type of business.

Social Media is only an advertisement tool

According to a research, almost one fifth of the businesses consider social media just an advertisement platform where they present their special offers, feature company news, display products and offer coupons. This is only half the truth because the key purpose of social media is not advertisement. It is used to encourage a two-way conservation between customers and businesses. The primary reasons of joining social media are to build an audience, engage them using your business pages, teach and learn from them.

Social Media is hectic and time consuming

Many big businesses think that keeping a tab on your social media pages is very hectic and time consuming since the network of customers grows and you need to refine your plan continuously according to their needs. The fact is that success from social media is not dependent on time. It rather needs consistency. Keep on engaging customers, reply on others posts, invite them to ‘Like’ your page and build credibility. The key to success lies in spending less but quality time on social media platforms and consistently.

Social Media rewards on quantity of posts

Some businesses steer clear of social media because they believe that in order to generate more sales through social networks they must publish more posts. It is true that Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ need fresh content but never take updating to the extreme, because it is not a game of numbers. Success from social media depends on the interactivity and the quality of posts rather than on the quantity. If you are successful in generating the same number of sales with only three posts per week, there is no need to waste time in publishing 30 posts. That is because it is the power of well-planned content, which matters in the end.

If you too have been avoiding social media because of the above mentioned reasons, clear your misconceptions and start making the most out of these tools, now!

Author Bio:

Sasha Gibbs is a B2B wholesale trade and B2B marketing expert. She writes frequently on the topics related to wholesalers, Drop Shipping, distributors and trade suppliers.

What Employers Look for In a Sales Rep

Posted by Technected on April 4th, 2012

Sales representation is perhaps one of the most challenging and stressful careers available today. Salesmanship is about the bottom line, which, being cut and dry, tends to make the salesman a very cut and dry profession. There is little room for flowery extras or excuses in a sales position – a salesman either makes money for the company or he doesn’t.

As the truth of salesmanship is very bare, it takes a specific type of personality to be a salesman. Employers have found many ways of testing potential employees for this personality type; however, what an employer finally looks for in a sales representative tends to be the same across the board.

Here are some of the more common traits that employers look for in a sales rep.

1. Experience.

The catch 22 of all salesmanship is that the number one way to choose a successful salesman is to pick the person with the most knowledge about the product. But then how can you gain knowledge about the product until you get picked? Well, some employers have found a way around this quandary, and it is simply this:

They will vet for product knowledge during the interview process.

The experienced salesman knows that his job begins the second he walks into the door at the first interview – the first thing that he has to sell is himself. The easiest way to do that is to study the product and company before the initial interview and express this knowledge by asking insightful, detailed questions to the interviewer about the product and company.

Employers have learned to screen for this trait with a simple, “Do you have any questions for me?” at the end of the direct vetting portion of the interview. Note to the potential salesman: The longer that the interview lasts beyond this point, the better chance you have of landing the job. Study beforehand and show experience by asking questions about the company and having an in depth conversation with the interviewer about the product.

2. Emotional stability.

Salesmen must learn not to take “no” for an answer. Many times, “no” is more of a knee jerk reaction by potential customers to solicitation in general. The best salesmen know how to work around initial resistance and open up the customer to reveal his or her problems and allow the salesman to solve them.

Opening up to someone requires that that person have emotional stability. No one wants to open up with a problem to someone that has more problems than they do.

Employers have learned to vet for this quality by asking “What do you like least about yourself?” or “What are your worst traits?” They are not looking for you to actually rattle off a list of your weaknesses; what they want are stories of how you quickly overcome shortcomings.

Employers also use personality tests such as Jung and Briggs Myers, The Big Five Personality test, and Rorschach tests to determine emotional stability. No matter which test is used, a potential salesman should know to always choose the answer which exudes calmness through calamity and clear thinking.

A review of Teste de Velocidade

Posted by Technected on March 30th, 2012

Introduction

“Teste de Velocidade” is a Portuguese language website which enables users to test the speed of their Broadband Internet connection. The website like other speed test websites features a graphic in the centre of the screen which displays a speed clock measured in megabytes per second.

A screenshot of Teste de Velocidade

The photo above shows a screenshot of the “Teste de Velocidade” website.

Functionality of the site

The graphic is simple in the essence that it clearly shows you where the ticker stops after the test is 100% percent complete. Where the ticker stops reveals the users Internet broadband connection. This speed test website is very simple and easy to use, all users have to do is press a button under the two speed clocks and the test begins automatically.

Firstly the test will test your download speed and simultaneously will test your upload speed. This is fairly standard functionality for the majority of Broadband speed checker tools websites on the Internet. The website graphically is very clear and avoids being “over simplistic” or “over complicated”, the graphics are fine for the end users needs. “Teste de Velocidade” does contain adverts which are presumably how the site enables the Broadband speed checker tool to be provided for free.

The logo for the website is quite fitting and is in the shape of a circle, it appears as a speed clock with a thick red bar showing more speed. The website calls the speed clock a speedometer. There is a second speed clock on the website which fills up as the test is ongoing and when the test is complete it will reach 100%. The graphic under the button you have to press to start the test shows that the test is between your router and one of the servers used by the tool.

Download to other sites

There is a section of the website which allows you to provide the speed test tool on users own websites for free. All users have to do is copy and paste the code which the website gives you onto their own website. Users can configure the tool to the look and feel of their own website, e.g. make changes to the background and style of the test tool.

Contacting the site

There is a contact page on the website which gives users a form to email the website with where users can include the message and send to them any problems or recommendations you have for the website. Also there is an address which you can post to if you want to. The company that runs the website and other speed test websites like this is “Download Safe Limited” who are located in the Isle of Man.

Conclusion

Overall this website is a nice and simple tool for quickly and efficiently checking your Internet connection speed which is vital in ensuring you are getting your money’s worth from your Internet Service Provider. As with all speed checker tools, users should be aware that it may be necessary to conduct more than one test to obtain an absolutely accurate and reliable gauge of Broadband Internet speed.

Managing Your Website’s Performance

Posted by Technected on March 19th, 2012

Image by Leonid Mamchenkov

Perception is everything, and if your website isn’t performing at its best at all times, then someone will notice. It might not seem like a big deal to you at first, but it could turn into a real problem that could have serious ramifications for your business. Even the slightest performance issue could deter people from buying from your site, and with the economy the way it is, every sale counts.

If you lose one sale to a competitor, then chances are you’ll be losing more soon too. Even the smallest problem can evolve into an issue that could have serious negative effects on your business. In order to identify these problems and work to keep them from costing you sales, you need to be proactive with your website maintenance and make sure that your back end has the support it needs to accommodate the traffic and operations required of your site.

By monitoring your analytics and doing regular maintenance, you can identify and avoid most major issues, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, or don’t understand how to read this information, then there are other people who can help. Your business shouldn’t suffer because you don’t have the knowledge to keep up with the demands of your site and all of the other variables that come into play when working on the internet.

With SOASTA load testing, you can do all of this and more for your site without having to take away from the needs of the rest of your business. It can also save you valuable time and money in the future, helping you avoid any number of major issues that may have surprised you in any other circumstance.

The same goes for mobile apps. Even though they aren’t viewed in the same capacity, their infrastructure isn’t all that different and SOASTA mobile app testing can provide you all of the same great services you get with your regular web site. Just as important, your mobile app can reach potential customers on a whole different level, with completely accessible at the touch of a button, wherever they go.

Whether for your website, your mobile app, or both, you should be prepared for anything. Make sure your site can handle everything you throw at it now, because if it were to experience problems, or even crash, then it could cost you quite a bit, so be proactive, and prepare yourself now while you can.

Where To Buy Fiber Optic Modules

Posted by Technected on March 19th, 2012

Are you in the market for new transceivers or fiber optics for your office solutions? This is typically the job of your IT department. If you are new to the field or don’t have an IT department and need to purchase them on your own, you will need to know where to begin. Buying fiber optic transceivers is relatively easy, as long as you know what it is your system needs. Since fiber optics are produced under industry guidelines, you can usually count on getting quality products, every time. A good idea is to get these products from someone who understands what they are and how they work, so that you can get professional advice.

One of the most obvious places to search for fiber optic transceiver vendors is the internet. With one quick search online, you will find hundreds of retailers and vendors that sell transceiver products. This can be a good way to read information on products and what type of services they perform, so that you know you are getting the right product. The only downside of buying transceivers online is the inability to speak face-to-face with a professional.

If speaking to an optic transceiver professional face-to-face is ideal for you, do a search for vendors or retailers in your local community. You may be able to find a place that sells a large selection of GLC-T , or Cisco brand SFP transceivers. With a local vendor, you will be able to see firsthand the products they are selling. You will also have the opportunity to speak to a professional who can help you purchase the right things. It is also much easier to buy locally so that you can return or exchange anything that doesn’t work.

If you are uncertain who to buy your transceivers from, look for reviews or recommendations. You want to be certain that you are buying products from an authorized retailer who is selling fiber optics that were produced under industry guidelines. This will ensure that you get high quality products. Do a quick search online to read ratings and reviews on various vendors. This is always the best way to decide what retailer you may want to buy products from. You should also be able to tell if you are using a quality vendor by looking at what other types of products they sell. An authorized dealer will not be selling random items. You will be able to find other fiber optic products as well.

Wireless Charging Technologies and their Implications

Posted by Technected on March 12th, 2012

Technology is improving, and it seems like every month we are offered a new device that is smaller and faster than the one previously released. It is a pretty exciting time, but soon we won’t have any more outlets to plug all these devices in. This is where technology comes in, once again, to save the day with new wireless charging devices.

Wireless charging has the potential to be huge. The technology powering it is still fairly new and has only been around for a couple of years. Many companies are hard at work attempting to develop it further. It seems unreal that phones can be charged by being laid down a flat board, but it is a bit more involved in that.

Power board

These mats/boards that provide the wireless charge to your devices have more going on than meets the eye. There is a magnetic attraction between the devices and each access point on the mat. These access points have magnetic charges that provide the amount of energy necessary to fully charge the device before powering it down. Continuing to charge devices after they are fully charged affects the battery life.

What lies ahead

This type of technology could be useful and beneficial to a number of different companies across various fields. Ford and Chrysler are working to develop this wireless technology for use in electric vehicles and hybrids that need to be plugged in. General Motors has invested $5 million in Powermat, a fairly new, wireless charging company, to assist them in developing the technology for their vehicles. This is a big move for GM after going through the highly publicized bankruptcy a couple of years ago. Now they are back and making a move by pushing the envelope for innovation.

Wireless charging technology is set to become the norm in the future as companies are looking to add it to refrigerators, coffee makers, blenders, and most other household appliances. But that is not all. New wireless technology is being developed for travel purposes and in the office space for businesses. Photographers both amateur and professional would appreciate wireless charging ability for camera batteries. The possibilities are endless and the future is on the path towards more wireless technology.

At the moment

Currently the wireless chargers available work with a number of cell phones and iPods. All of the most popular smart phones can be charged wirelessly including Android, iPhone, and the Blackberry. If you lay your phone down on the mat it will not charge. You need to replace the original battery pack with one that is compatible with your wireless mat. This goes back to the magnetic attraction between the device and mat that was mentioned earlier. The power packs that come with the mat are the same size as the original battery packs so no additional pieces need to be purchased, simply swap them and let the wireless charging begin.

What are the benefits of an external hard drive?