Author Archives: Guest Post

7 Key Considerations When Shopping for a New Web Host

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Lengthy, frequent periods of downtime, painfully slow access, and unreachable tech support are enough to make any webmaster’s blood boil. But why deal with bad service when there are other web hosts keen for your business?

Consider these points carefully when you’re shopping for a new web host.

Does It Have a Good Uptime Record?

Image via Flickr by Marco Bellucci

When your website is down, it affects your reputation and your bottom line. If it starts to become a consistent pattern, your search engine rankings will dive and brand loyalty will suffer. So it’s vital you choose a web host with a good uptime record. No web host can actually guarantee 100 percent uptime, but it should offer at least 99 percent.

You can’t trust the marketing spin, though, as web hosts will always try to present themselves in the best light. Instead, look to unbiased, data-driven reviews for a more reliable web hosting uptime analysis.

Does It Offer Good Customer Service?

While you’re reading those reviews, pay attention to any comments about the customer service that a web host provides. Independent testimonies will tell you whether a host provides responsive and knowledgeable service.

It’s also worth researching their customer service hours. The Internet never sleeps, especially for businesses with a global customer base. If you have a problem with your website outside traditional business hours, it’s comforting to know that a 24/7 support team is just a phone call away.

Is the Control Panel User Friendly?

Most of us would prefer to spend time managing our website ourselves rather than troubleshooting with tech support, though. A user-friendly control panel can make website maintenance stress-free. A web host’s control panel lets you manage your services in one convenient place. Control panels should make performing basic tasks like uploading and editing web pages, creating email accounts, installing web-based applications, and accessing and reviewing website statistics easy for everyone, no matter what their tech knowledge.

DirectAdmin, cPanel, and Plesk are some of the most common control panels. Research which control panels the web hosts you’re interested in use, and look at them closely to decide which works best for you.

Does It Meet Your Needs?

There are plenty of web hosting options on the market, including shared, virtual private server, dedicated, and cloud hosting. But what do all these terms really mean? Rather than putting the power into the hands of web hosts, businesses should educate themselves on the different hosting types to ensure they sign up with one that best serves their needs.

Does It Give Your Site Room to Grow?

As businesses grow, they tend to receive much more website traffic. Can your web host handle that? Many web hosts will offer you a better deal if you sign a long-term contract, but you don’t want to find yourself locked into a deal you’ve outgrown. To avoid this, look for web hosting providers that allow you to upgrade your plan to accommodate growing traffic.

How Much Bandwidth Do You Need?

Bandwidth is the amount of data that flows from your web host’s server to a visitor’s computer in a set period. The more web traffic you have and the more large files people download from your site, the more bandwidth you’ll need.

For example, if you’re a small retail store with a local audience and a simple website, you’ll need far less bandwidth than global music site iTunes, which customers rely on for delivering large audio and video files. Most web hosts have a variety of bandwidth options. They should be able to advise you which plan will best suit your needs.

Is It Within Your Budget?

Price shouldn’t be your only consideration, but it’d be naïve to suggest businesses shouldn’t think about web hosting costs. Basic shared plans won’t work for big corporations that get a lot of traffic, but they can work well for small businesses that experience a relatively small number of hits. Larger companies will find the added expense of a dedicated or managed hosting service is worthwhile.

No matter what your size, make sure you consider set-up fees, ongoing annual costs, and the price of buying a new domain if appropriate when calculating whether a web host’s service is within your business budget.

There’s no need to put up with bad service when there are so many great online providers. Consider these points carefully when shopping around to ensure you find the best web host for your business needs.

What Google Fiber’s 10Gbps Speed Increase Could Mean for the Internet

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Google Fiber

Google Fiber currently offers an Internet speed of 1gbps, which is the fastest Internet speed available in the US. Right now, that Internet is only offered in three cities. But Google recently announced an even bigger plan than 1gbps speeds. Google Fiber is currently working on a 10gbps connection. Google’s CFO is optimistic about the timeline for this faster Internet speed, saying that the goal is to have the 10gbps connection available in three years. Though it’s hypothetical right now, a connection this fast backed by powerhouse Google would have many ramifications for the Internet and for Internet service providers.

Higher Speeds Mean Better Applications and Software

The average Internet speed in the US is 9.8 megabits per second. With Google’s proposed 10gbps speed, running Internet software and apps that require a lot of data will be possible. At that speed, you could download an HD movie under one second. Internet apps, software, and cloud storage will be able to adapt their designs to consume more data, translating into faster and more complex performances. This may seem like a speed needed only by big businesses with big data to manage, but that soon might not be the case. With the introduction of 4k streaming on Netflix and other sites, current bandwidths might be stretched too thin to do the high quality justice. Google 10gbps can handle 4k just fine.

Hardware Changes

The speed of an Internet connection isn’t the only thing that affects how fast you can download information. It also depends on servers and the computers themselves. If Google manages to roll out their faster speeds in three years like they’ve said they plan to do, and if they offer those speeds widely, the devices we use to log onto the Internet might see some upgrades as well. Cell phone providers like T-Mobile offer unlimited data plans, which is especially great when you can connect to a wi-fi network with your phone, but phones themselves can’t currently survive at speeds that fast. Japan was able to transmit 10gbps from a mobile device in 2012, but the device itself wasn’t a smart phone. It was a van full of antennae and battery power.

Breaking up Monopolies

The recent merger of Comcast and Time Warner caused quite a stir in the ongoing discussion about cable companies and their power as ISPs. BY creating an entity almost twice as large as it was previously, Comcast has an extreme amount of power when it comes to negotiating deals with tv networks, Internet companies, and the like. Though there are multiple ISPs, the United States is essentially divided into areas with only one or two service provider options. If Google expanded as an alternative ISP with better data speeds than anyone else, the de facto monopolies ISPs have would change drastically.

The Possible Impact on Net Neutrality

As cable providers grow more powerful, their resistance towards net neutrality will only grow. Large Internet service providers charging Netflix and others more for fast streaming is a cost that’s likely going to end up on the shoulders of the consumer. Since the large companies are against net neutrality, a distinct possibility exists that their sheer size will allow them to muscle their way into achieving the results they want. Google as a company is in favor of net neutrality.

If Google becomes a major player as an ISP, their stance on net neutrality becomes a very important one. Since they won’t put restrictions on how and what they stream, Internet quality for Google 10gbps users won’t suffer, the way it might if an ISPs network gets bogged down or has certain sites or content providers restricted.

Though it’s hard to imagine needing 10gbps Internet right now, a faster connection in the average home isn’t the only effect Google will have when they develop this technology. It could impact the cable company monopoly, net neutrality, and the devices we use every day. While the average American home might not have access to Google Fiber in three years, considering their 1gbps is only available in three cities, the specter of Google Internet is on the horizon and promising changes.

How E-Readers are Changing the Online Education World

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Kindle Paperwhite 2013

Technology is constantly molding the world around you – and education is no different. Here are six ways how E-Readers are changing the online education world.

E-Readers Save Students Money

Image via Flickr by epSos .de

It costs students an average of $1,168 a year to carry around over-sized textbooks and related materials, according to the Huffington Post. Compare that to the price of a Kindle at $139.

While there’s a lot to consider when buying an E-Reader, such as finding the service that has the type of textbooks you’re looking for, E-readers like the Kindle offer much less impact on your wallet than paper textbooks. The books themselves are also much cheaper, with some eBooks boasting 20 to 30 percent or more in savings.

Apps Make E-Readers Easy to Use

Technology makes life easier, and that’s exactly what mobile apps do for students. CourseSmart’s app isn’t only free, but it gives students access to more than 90 percent of higher education texts in North America, which adds up to 60 percent savings when compared to brand new hardcover textbooks.

It also offers instantaneous downloads, and there’s no need to take any trips to the post office when a class is finished. And don’t forget that an E-Reader weighs a fraction of a textbook, yet can hold thousands of pages of information and more than 1,500 eBooks.

Students can Take Online Classes On the Go

There are more nontraditional students going to college these days, creating a rise in demand for education. And with 7.1 million students taking at least one online class — many times while still maintaining a full-time job — time can run a little scarce.

E-readers are taken on the go, have Wi-Fi capabilities, and aren’t as bulky as text books. Students can take their classes anywhere: on the job, at home, or on the bus to school.

Teachers Love Them

Many universities are incorporating eBooks into the curriculum, with some offering degrees completely online. Monash University ranked in the top 1 percent of world universities according to the 2013-2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Monash University is known as a supporter of digital learning materials such as E-Readers and tablet computers. It has brought the world closer together by offering online college master degrees for more than 280,000 alumni who have utilized technology to earn their degrees.

E-Readers are More Eco-Friendly

Image via Flickr by epSos.de

There’s no concrete proof that E-Readers or physical textbooks have either environmental benefits or drawbacks. However, it’s easy to discern that E-Readers are more eco-friendly because they use less raw materials, such as paper and ink distribution.

Amazon was the first to report that eBooks outsold traditional books in 2011, where the online retail sold 105 eBooks for every 100 physical books. And eBook sales have continued to rise since then. E-Readers are only getting better with more memory capacity, clearer pictures, and color screens. It might not be long before students in every classroom have an E-Reader in the palm of their hands.

Getting a degree online or in the classroom has never been easier than with the help of E-Readers, tablets, and eBooks. The students that use leading technology of today will be the innovators of tomorrow.

How to Maintain Your Hybrid Vehicle

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Hybrid car 1

Owning a hybrid car means you reap the benefits that come with having an efficient vehicle that uses a combination of fuel and electricity. As with any car, hybrid drivers need to follow their owner’s manual to ensure maximum performance and longevity. The manual should include a schedule for regular maintenance as well as upkeep procedures that are unique to hybrids. Examine this list of seven ways to ensure you’re doing a good job of maintaining your hybrid car and its systems.

Image via Wikimedia

Focus on Tires

First, consider putting tires with low rolling resistance on your hybrid. These special tires don’t grip the pavement with as much strength as other tires. That means there’s less work for the engine to do in getting the vehicle moving. Tires with low rolling resistance also are less demanding on the engine during acceleration and let you maintain your speed for longer periods of time when you’re cruising. The bottom line is that changing to these tires improves your hybrid’s fuel efficiency.

Next, put yourself on a schedule that requires you to check your hybrid’s tire pressure at least once a month. If your tires aren’t inflated to the recommended pressure, give them more air and watch your gas mileage improve right away.

Change the Oil and Filter

Whether you drive a traditional automobile or a hybrid, oil changes and replacing the air filter are important aspects of the car’s routine maintenance. These days it’s not just hybrid vehicles that bank impressive fuel efficiency.

The new Mercedes GLK class SUV is rated for 33 miles per gallon on the highway – a far cry from its bulky ancestors. While the manufacturers of many traditional vehicles, including Mercedes, recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles or so, hybrids usually need an oil change every 5,000 miles. It all depends on your driving habits and the road conditions. Make it a habit to check your oil often and replace it when it begins to get dirty.

If you want to change the oil yourself, remember that many hybrids have different oil weights, so check the specifications of the recommended oil before heading to the store. Another consideration for the do-it-yourself crowd: Because hybrids have a gas engine and electric motor, you need to be careful to avoid touching parts that could shock you. Typically, those wires and parts are encased in bright orange covers to warn you of the potential danger.

Keep Tabs on Your Brakes

Like any vehicle, a hybrid has a brake system that needs routine checks. These vehicles use a type of brake that’s different from other cars on the road. Regenerative braking captures the kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost as it turns into heat when you slow down. Not only do the brakes collect the energy, but they use a complex system to convert it into electricity that increases your battery’s charge.

Because there’s less heat produced when a hybrid slows down or stops — the brake pads, rotors, and other elements of this system last much longer than they would on a traditional vehicle that relies exclusively on friction to brake. Hybrids do have traditional braking as a kind of alternative that kicks in when regenerative braking doesn’t give enough stopping power. So, it’s important to have the entire braking system checked on the schedule your owner’s manual recommends.

Monitor the Battery Pack

Image via Wikimedia

Batteries for hybrid cars are far more expensive than batteries found in non-hybrid vehicles. They can cost upwards of $2,000. Because of the key role they play and the expense, batteries for hybrids are made to last for most of your car’s life. Still, the ability of a hybrid to deliver exceptional fuel efficiency relies on optimal performance from the battery. In some cases, hybrids need to have their batteries conditioned or even rebuilt. Through this process, the battery can regain some of its capabilities.

While traditional cars rely on engines to give them maximum power, hybrid systems rely more strongly on power generated from the battery. For this reason, it’s important to think about the impact an aging battery has on your hybrid’s fuel efficiency and decide if it’s time for a rebuild, a conditioning process, or even a new battery.

Fuel Injector Cleaning

Gasoline vapors leave residue in the fuel injector. These deposits can form a hard varnish that may eventually clog the injector and compromise its performance. One way to combat this problem is to clean this part of your car to reduce build up. Though this is a process you can do yourself, it requires some specialized tools such as a fuel catalyst. For this reason, you may find it’s more cost effective to let a professional handle the cleaning process.

Schedule Tune-Ups

Make sure you take your hybrid to a mechanic who has the experience and specialized training for working on hybrids. These vehicles have a complex drive train that brings the transmission, electric motor, and gas engine together. So, a mechanic needs to know how to handle these interconnected elements to avoid creating problems. A tune-up may include changing spark plugs, replacing the transmission fluid, and checking major systems for potential problems. Adhering to the recommended schedule for tune-ups decreases the chances you’ll encounter more serious problems in the future.

Evaluate Cargo for Unnecessary Weight

Image via Wikimedia

From time to time, it’s a good idea to look at how much extra load your hybrid is carrying. The more weight your car carries, the harder it has to work to move. For this reason, avoid leaving heavy items in your car, on your car, or in the trunk.

Common items people keep in their vehicles that add weight and reduce fuel efficiency include tools, donation items, and baby equipment such as strollers. It’s one thing to put these items in your hybrid for a single trip. It’s another thing to carry them around with you all the time. Promptly remove bikes you attach to the top or back of your vehicle once you’re done with them since they add weight. By evaluating your cargo on a regular basis, you’ll ensure you’re getting the best fuel efficiency possible.

By performing the proper maintenance, you extend the life of your hybrid and enhance its ability to provide outstanding fuel efficiency. Failing to follow the recommended maintenance schedule puts your car’s sophisticated systems at risk, creating potential problems that impact gas mileage and overall performance.

 

5 Fancy Dress Ideas Inspired by LEGO Brand Toys

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When a popular toy has stuck around for as long as the LEGO brand has, it’s only natural that it inspires things like clothing.  Go to any unique t-shirt place like TeeFury and there will be a number of designs that borrow the iconic toy look.

That’s fine for every day use, but what about when you need to dress up?  For guys it’s simple, they can pretty much slap on a bow tie onto anything and feel good.  Here’s a tutorial from LEGOLAND Discovery Center Chicago on how to make a spinning one out of LEGO pieces.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRKvdcJc-w)

However ladies and girls have to work a bit harder before they’ll make an appearance where they’re expected to look their best.  They even have to work harder if they want that LEGO style thrown in the mix.  For that reason, here are some fancy dresses made for such an occasion.

Wedding Dress

What better day than your wedding to wear something one of a kind.  This dress was designed by the Japanese artist Rie Hosokai for the exhibit Piece of Peace.  As gorgeous as it looks, it is completely stiff.  Perhaps some wheels can be added to the base, but it may take a bit to build you into the piece.

Roksanda Ilincic

Most of the time, a nice dress is as good as the name on the label.  Here is a designer who used her daughter’s toys as a bold way to create a dress.  Roksanda Ilincic uses the bright color pallets of the standard bricks in her 2012 Fall line.  You can imagine the bricks leant themselves to geometric shapes.

Fergie’s LEGO Dress

Sometimes to make a certain fashion popular, you need a celebrity attached to it.  So at the 2011 Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards, Fergie wore a LEGO dress.  Its primary design came from chunky black LEGO bricks.  Of course she followed this up with matching accessories.

JC de Castelbajac’s 

If you’re concerned that other designers haven’t thought this was a good subject for inspiration or that there is a lack of history, then meet JC de Castelbajac.  This designer in 2008-2009 created an entire spring line of LEGO inspired clothing.  This included everything from dresses to hats.  They even made a brick built animation of the fashion show.

LEGO London Dress

Now the only question remains, “Is this fashion modern?”  In 2013, a dress was designed by Anne-Sophie Cochevelou co-designed with Yueer Zhang for the London fashion week.  It took over 5,000 pieces and 350 hours to blend the fabric and bricks together in this memorable piece.  The end result is something you can wear and move in.

 

Author:

Carlo Pandian is an adult fan of LEGO and freelance writer, and has previously published on The Brick Blogger, Bricks of The Death, and The Rock Father. Connect with him on Twitter @carlopandian.

Credits

LDC Chicago Bow Tie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRKvdcJc-w

LEGO wedding dress

http://technabob.com/blog/2013/06/27/lego-wedding-dress/

Roksanda Ilincic – Pre-Fall 2012

http://www.vogue.com/fashion-week/pre-fall-2012/roksanda-ilincic/review/

http://dustyburrito.blogspot.se/2012/06/roksanda-ilincic-pre-fall-2012-lego.html

Fergie’s LEGO dress

http://www.mydaily.co.uk/2011/04/04/fergie-lego-dress/

LEGO fashion runway

http://fashion-design.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/lego-fashion-hits-runway-0113643/  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKmicahAyk

London LEGO dress

http://cycleinheels.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-lego-dress-for-fashion-week.html

Real Game-Changing Technology

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Television 1

For many years, turning on the television for March Madness could incite another type of madness as frustrated viewers found that their favorite matchups were not being televised.

Television 1
For years the network had to deal with opening rounds that featured 16 games a day and attempt to decide which one was most worthy of their air time. Fortunately, some innovative broadcast arrangements have remedied that situation. The 2014 edition of the NCAA tournament once again finds CBS Sports utilizing a number of basic-cable outlets to provide additional options for viewers. Fans can navigate their way to preferred games via on-screen scoring updates, which, in addition to the score, also keep the viewer informed as to where the game is airing.

WiFi

It’s a far cry from tourneys of the ’80s and ’90s, but even with their current arrangement, complexities like the staggering of start times, unexpected late-game developments, and the simple preferences of viewers make it impossible to provide everybody with the game they want to see–or wish they had seen. There just aren’t enough networks to go around.
And as everyone slides, spins, and jumps there way around Sochi at the Winter Olympics, we are reminded again of what the limitations of TV are. Because Sochi is several hours ahead of the continental U.S., a prime time event there is during working hours for most American viewers. And just as with the NCAA tournament, there are multiple events in different locations that appeal to completely different groups. There’s no way a single network can overcome the complexities involved and get everyone the programming they want to see, and it’s always been that way.

That was until streaming online video reached a high level of performance.

For years, much of the infrastructure of the internet was too slow to keep up with real-time video. It jumped, it froze, it shut down. It just couldn’t move the data fast enough to keep a quality picture and clean sound. Without a sharp picture and clean sound, networks wisely stayed out of online broadcasts, preferring to wait until they could field a product on par with their actual TV offerings, and their advertisers agreed that the delay was best.

But in time, systems have been updated and the information flows much faster these days. Broadcast networks were able to conquer the poor quality that had prevented prior online ventures; their desire to send out images and sounds that met their high standards can finally be fulfilled.

More devices are using the content as well. Super-fast mobile networks even permit live television on your smartphone, and any laptop or tablet can provide a great sports experience from anywhere that wi-fi lurks.

HDMI 1

The main limitation at this point was size. It’s tough to have friends over to watch a game that’s available only online; even a big laptop lacks a screen sufficient for ten or twelve people. And there was bound to be a lot of ear strain as viewers attempted to catch the play-by-play.

That hurdle is now behind us as well. Many new television sets are compatible with devices and can wirelessly receive the video, and you can capture the audio through your stereo to get that applause-in-the-ears feeling you always had with TV-only broadcasts.

The impact for the viewer is that there’s no longer a need to miss a game, watch it on a delay, or view it on a tiny screen with scratchy sound. The same flexibility goes with movies, news, and regular episodes of popular series. The only limitation is the viewer’s available time for watching.