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Coding on your morning commute

December 16, 2019 by

Many find that coding on the train during their commute is an excellent way to get some extra work done. Dev Randhawa suggests it’s also a great way to earn freelance income while you travel. However, there are security risks to be aware of. Consider three common risks and the measures you can take to mitigate them.

  1. Hacking via public WiFi

This is one of the biggest risks to coding on the train, as hackers will often try to use public WiFi to connect to your device and steal your information. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce the risk. If possible, use a VPN when connecting to your business network. Only visit websites that offer SSL connections. Turn off sharing when connected to a public network, and keep your WiFi turned off when not in use.

  1. Breach of confidentiality

A less common but nevertheless real risk is that someone looking over your shoulder will view confidential information on your computer or mobile device. To counteract this risk, avoid working on anything sensitive when in public (if you can help it). You might also consider privacy shields, which come in a variety of models and often help prevent snoopers from see things they should not.

  1. Physical theft

This is perhaps the least likely risk, but it is one to be concerned about nonetheless. Never underestimate the damage that can be done if your laptop or other device is stolen out of your hands. Keep it within sight at all times, and use a strong password in case the worst happens.

Filed Under: Technology, Travel Tagged With:

Top Things You Might Not Know About Google Maps

November 8, 2019 by

Article by : Pierre Zarokian

Summary: Google Maps provides users with access to functionalities that you might not have heard of.

Most of you are already familiar with Google Maps. And, most of you probably use it to calculate the fastest route for your trip or view a panorama from the street. What you might not know is that Google Maps can let you travel in time, calculate global distances, and walk through foreign cities as if you’re actually touring the area. Here are some hidden features that you can play with the next time you’re using Google Maps.

Time Travelling Features

You’re probably already aware that Google Maps has Street View, which allows you to look around the designated area in a 360-degree panorama from the street level. Since 2007, Google has added millions of locations from across the globe.

So, you’re probably wondering how you can go about with time travelling. Well, if you search for a specific location and click on the Street View, Google Maps allows you to click on a time frame at the exact spot from year-to-year (it may not be up-to-date to the latest year). By doing this, you’ll be able to take a look at the location from back to 2007 all the way to the present time.

Measure Distances Globally

Google Maps also allows the users to measure the distance from between two points on Earth with a click of a button. Simply select Measure Distance and drop a new point on the map. Next, click on another section of the map and the distance between the two points will be calculated. You can tap on the map to add more dots. A footnote at the bottom of the map will also show you the total area and total distance in both US and Metric measurements. It’s essentially a customized map that you can edit freely at any time.

About the Author: Pierre Zarokian is a digital marketer that runs and SEO company and social media marketing company. He is a contributor and Search Engine Journal and Visibility Magazine.

Filed Under: Technology, Travel Tagged With:

The Benefits of Portable Power Supplies

October 22, 2019 by

Long gone are the days when you had to be glued to the wall in order to use a laptop or other electrical equipment.  Today there are many options with solar chargers and portable power supply products.  Therefore, you can easily use personal electronic devices outdoors or while on the public bus or train.

The power source creates power storage and eventually power use.  You have to have an original energy source to charge a battery pack.  Next, the portable battery pack stores energy and then you can easily use an electronic device which can also be recharged.

There are various power sources that can be used to charge up a power storage unit.  You can use AC power (a wall outlet), a 12V DC (car charger), a USB (any source: wall, car, or computer), a solar panel, kinetic motion or hydrogen fuel cell.  When far away from wall outlets or some of the other outlets like a diesel electric hybrid gpu, you have to have a pack that can be charged in a different way.

Today, solar energy packs are a great source of off-the-grid power.  Solar energy is a great choice for long trips if you need to recharge a device multiple times.  There are a few variations when it comes to solar chargers.  You can select one that only has panels (rigid or semi-flexible), panels with integrated storage batters, or panels with independent storage batteries.

When selecting a solar panel, you should pay attention to the size.  Larger solar panels can collect sunlight quicker which translates into battery power being converted quickly.  Smaller panels can take longer to charge.  Solar panels chargers can take anywhere from 4 to 16 hours to charge.  Solar panels are measured in watts.  The higher amount of watts, the more electricity is generated.

While solar energy can store battery efficiently, it’s not always best to use to charge the electronic device directly.  The reason for this is that these power sources don’t always contain the proper circuitry which helps to control the flow of electricity into the electronic device.  Sometimes these power sources can actually lead to damage of the device.  It’s a good idea to always check the manufacturer’s guidelines before using a product with a specific type of charger.

When selecting a charger, pay attention to the storage capacity, the power output and the battery technology.

 

Filed Under: Electronic, Goods and Services, Technology Tagged With:

Important features to look for a shopping cart

February 16, 2019 by

Article by Total Merchants.

Here are some important features that should be a part of any shopping cart services you select for your e-commerce operation:

Payment options

Consumers are no longer hesitant to use their credit cards online, and every shopping cart system supports cards. However, what you need to look for a is a system that supports other online payment methods. PayPal and Google Checkout are just two examples of services that consumers like to use as a security precaution against credit card fraud. Some providers can give you a merchant account in as little as 24 hours.

Search

When you use a shopping cart system, the user moves off-site and is within the store. Any search operations are now part of the store and not the main website. The quality of the search engine is important since there should be as little friction as possible for customers to find what they want.

Reviews

Studies show that sites with user-generated reviews generate more sales than sites do not. The increase in sales does come at a price. When users can enter their reviews, the system is then open to abuse. Preventing comment spam and abuse requires comment and review moderation teams. If you have the time and resources, then user moderation is a killer feature.

Real-time inventory

The worst thing that can happen from the perspective of a customer is to find a product, go through the long process of placing the order, only to be told that the product is no longer available. The chances are that customer will never return and encourage people to avoid the site for that same reason. Real-time inventory management is critical, especially for larger stores.

 

Filed Under: Business Services Tagged With: