Tuesday, February 28, 2017

3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

Having a hard time looking for faucets that best match your bathroom style? Luckily, we have some tips for buying bathroom faucets, such as: knowing the different styles, choosing the quality and matching with the number of mounting holes.

Below are 3 tips for buying bathroom faucets:

Knowing the Different Styles
Widespread: Most commonly found on pedestal sinks, widespread faucets are made for sinks with three pre-drilled holes that are 8″ apart. When purchasing a widespread faucet you’ll receive three individual components: two handles and one spout.
Vessel/Single-hole: On single hole faucets, the handle is attached to the spout and is for use on a sink with 1 pre-drilled hole. If you are in the market for a vessel style faucet but have a sink with 3 pre-drilled holes, it’s sometimes an option to purchase an additional deck plate to cover the existing holes on the sink. Contact the faucets manufacturer to see if that is an option before buying.
Wall-mounted: Ready for it? Wall-mounted faucets are mounted to …the wall! Normally, your water supply lines come up from the sink, but in this case they’ll need to be installed into the wall. One thing to be aware of when purchasing these types of faucets is that the spout is actually long enough to reach from the wall over the sink basin.
4″ Centerset: These faucets are found on sinks with 3 holes set at 4″ apart. The components sit on a deck plate that connect the handles with the spout body, and can also be found with single handle components.
4″ Minispread: Similar to centerset, these faucets fit 4″ configurations on sinks with 3 pre-drilled holes. But instead of purchasing a faucet with a 4″ deck plate, a minispread faucet looks more like a widespread faucet with three individual components: two handles and one spout. Source: ApartmentTherapy

Choosing the Quality
You’ll have to pay for it up front, but buying quality now means you won’t be paying during the life (or lack thereof) of your faucet. Look for an all-brass body, as opposed to brass- or chrome-plated. And keep in mind that the tub faucet has a larger flow rate than other household faucets, which means you can’t use a kitchen faucet or your tub. Bathtub faucets should have a 3/4-inch supply line, as opposed to 1/2-inch for the rest of the house. Some tubs hold up to 60 gallons of water, so you’ll want a faucet that can get the job done in a timely manner. Source: HGTV

Matching with the Number of Mounting Holes
Most sinks come with mounting holes pre-drilled for faucets and accessories such as side sprays or soap dispensers. If you’re keeping your original sink, you’ll need to match what you have or get a base plate to cover any extra holes. The base plate sold with your new faucet can be used to cover holes in your countertop, but don’t buy a faucet that requires more sink holes than your sink has; it’s not a good idea to try to drill additional holes in an existing sink or countertop. Get additional information on how to best match sinks and faucets.  Source: ConsumerReports

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Tips for Buying Bathroom Faucets appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.



from Perfect Bath Canada http://ift.tt/2lmNNnQ
Posted by at No comments:

Current Mortgage Rates for Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Welcome to the Total Mortgage Current Mortgage Rates Blog. There’s a decent bit of economic data out today, but first, your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.

Where are mortgage rates going?

Markets holding until Trump’s speech tonight

Financial market participants aren’t making any bold moves this morning. President Trump will address Congress for the first time tonight at 9:00pm, so everyone is basically in wait and see mode until then.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 28, 2017).

No one knows exactly what he’ll say but investors are certainly anticipating that he will divulge some details about his policies, including specifics on his “phenomenal” tax plan, infrastructure program , and healthcare reform, and business regulations overhaul. He’s been talking the talk for well over a month now, and investors are growing weary. They want to keep believing in the pro-growth environment that he’s been promising, but without a clear strategy that this will come into existence, hope is sure to sour into lingering pessimism.

Fed officials continue to put pressure on near term rate hike

Dallas Fed President Patrick Harker said during an interview with CNBC yesterday that the Fed should raise rates “sooner rather than later.” He went further, stating:

“I actually think we’re now much closer to meeting our employment and inflation objectives… Once you’ve decided that, you need to take advantage of those windows when they present themselves.”

His comments did bolster investor opinion on the matter, bumping up the CME’s Fed Fund futures (which reflects the market’s belief in upcoming rate hikes) for the March meeting to 33.2%. That’s still a far cry from an optimistic outlook, but it is steadily gaining traction. The meeting takes place on March 14-15, so there’s only a couple weeks left to sway the markets into believing it will happen. Generally, the FOMC doesn’t like to hike if investors mostly think a rate hike won’t happen. It will be interesting to see how Trump’s speech tonight affects market sentiment toward the March meeting.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 28, 2017).

What does this mean for me?

Mortgage rates are still holding at historically low levels. This is good news for anyone looking to refinance their current mortgage or make a purchase on a home.

Today’s economic data:

GDP is Unchanged

The second estimate for fourth-quarter GDP, at 1.9%, is unchanged from the first estimate. Consumer spending is up slightly, however, government spending slipped, keeping the report from rising. Economists had been expecting a growth of 2.1%.

International Trade in Goods

The U.S. trade deficit widened to $69.2 B in January. That’s notably more than the prior revised reading of $64.4 B and the consensus prediction for $66.0 B.

Home Prices Rise in S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller HPI

According to the latest S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller HPI report, home prices continued to rise across the U.S. in December. The 20-city, SA (seasonally adjusted) index rose 0.9% for the second straight report. The 20-city, NSA (non seasonally adjusted) rose 0.3%, up one tenth from the previous report. That puts it at 5.6% year over year.

Chicago PMI  Beats Expectations

The Chicago PMI came in hot for February at 57.4. That’s well above the consensus for 53.0 and is even outside the top-end consensus range of 54.5.

Consumer Confidence Remains High

Consumer confidence for February is at 114.8. That’s up from the prior reading of 111.8 and above the consensus for 111.3. That’s actually the highest reading since July 2001.

Fedspeak

  • Philly Fed President Patrick Harker speaks at 3:00pm
  • San Francisco Fed President John Williams will speak at 3:30pm
  • St. Louis Fed President James Bullard will talk at 6:30pm

Notable events this week:                                              

Monday:    

  • Durable Goods Orders
  • Fedspeak

Tuesday:     

  • GDP
  • International Trade in Goods
  • S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller HPI
  • Chicago PMI
  • Consumer Confidence
  • Fedspeak

Wednesday:   

  • Personal Income and Outlays
  • ISM Mfg Index
  • EIA Petroleum Status Report
  • Beige Book
  • Fedspeak

Thursday:  

  • Jobless Claims
  • Fedspeak

Friday:  

  • Fedspeak
  • ISM Non Mfg Index

Rates are still near record lows.  Contact us today to see if we can save you money on your home payments.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2m9jYeW
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, February 27, 2017

Why is Python Vital for Developers?

Python is extremely vital for software development. While there are faster, more powerful and popular languages, python brings together lot of things in a way that no other programming language has done so far.

Python identifies that lot of time is spent on reading code rather than writing it and its focus is on driving developers to write the code to be readable. It is attainable to write much complicated code in python but the simplest way in writing the code is in a way that is sensible, code that easily depicts a purpose. If you learn python, you can work with any type of python with very little attempt.

Libraries that append functionality known as “magic” can be written in python which is readable (Collate this to interpreting the execution of spring framework in java). Python recognizes that rate of growth is extremely vital. Terse and readable code is an element of this, and and approach to keep away monotonous iteration of code. Python is extremely popular today and utilized python for it’s powerful programming features.

The number of people learning python is increasing day-by-day due to the job opportunities being created with this language. Comprehensive python training is essential as companies are preferring experts in python.

Tool Making is where python excels. Large projects  has automation requirements and automation in python is much quicker than utilizing more established languages.  Developing tools for the purpose of automating and arranging order save a lot of time.

Development of Python/Django

Development of custom tools is very easy and it hints at other powerful features, development and maintenance. While the large framework known as Django might be an extremely popular web framework of python, there is also a host of accomplishing micro and small frameworks.

When you are working with programming languages that are extremely powerful and have a wide array of third-party and standard libraries, you will not have the need to accept the mandatory trade-offs when utilizing any off-the-shelf or large frameworks. It specifies that you can develop precisely the software which your customers need rather than informing them that “this is how its carried out and we are sorry”.

The post Why is Python Vital for Developers? appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2lhiTNq
Posted by at 1 comment:

Comprehensive Overview Of SAP BASIS

What is SAP BASIS?

BASIS(Business Application Software Integrated solution) is a mix of tools and  middleware programs of SAP.

It acts like an interface with Operating System, Database, communication protocols and business applications such as MM, PP, FI, CO etc. SAP applications like MM, PP, FI, CO etc can operate and interact with each other across different databases and operating systems with the help of BASIS.

In today’s tech world Basis is also termed as Netweaver. SAP Application Server Technology is Basis and SAP Web application Server is Netweaver. SAP Basis Training gives all the necessary skills required to kick start your career into SAP Basis.

Basis offers services such as database communication, web requests, runtime collection of application data, communication with the OS, exchanging business data, memory management etc. Basis supports various databases viz Informix, DB2, MS SQL Server, ORacle, MaxDB etc and operating systems like z/OS, Microsoft windows server edition, Unix flavors, AS400 etc.

Functionalities of SAP BASIS:

Components of BASIS:

  • Client/Server Technology
  • Internationalization
  • ABAP Workbench, Java IDE and Infrastructure
  • Database Interface, Database Platforms
  • BW Service API
  • Virtual Machine Container tcodes
  • Upgrade
  • ABAP Runtime Environment
  • Enterprise Service Infrastructure
  • Security
  • Exchange Infrastructure
  • Business Server Pages
  • Basis Services / Communication Interfaces
  • Musing Tools
  • Change & Transport System
  • SAP NetWeaver Mobile
  • Guided Procedure tcodes

Important Keynote of SAP BASIS:

  • SAP R/3 Introduction
  • ERP Introduction
  • Oracle Directory Structure
  • SAP Versions
  • SAP Directory Structure
  • User Administration
  • RFC
  • Operation Modes
  • SAP Upgrade (SPAM/SAINT)
  • SAP Profile
  • Client Administration
  • SADBA/BR TOOLS
  • Transports
  • System copy/Refresh
  • Kernel Upgrade
  • Backup/Restore

The post Comprehensive Overview Of SAP BASIS appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2lhcnGB
Posted by at No comments:

Doctor VR Will See You Now

VR has revolutionized the way healthcare operates now a days. It lets the professionals to learn & enhance their skills without actually operating a patient. It has eminently raised the training methods to a different level from theoretical & video training. It helps to learn new procedures &simplify the usage of medical tools, equipment’s in risk free setting.

VR helps the Doctors to diagnose without the surgery or real cuts. It also helps in remote surgery, i.e., when it’s difficult to get the professional in time at operation location. Through remote telesurgery, a surgeon performs the procedure which helps save a life in dire need.

VR has so many benefits and can be used in varied sectors, not only for the training purposes of Dentists, Nurses or different types of Surgeries, but also to treat phobias, post- traumatic stress, Autism etc.

Here is an Infographic which elaborates the usage of VR in Healthcare.

The post Doctor VR Will See You Now appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2lhgm5P
Posted by at No comments:

How CCTV is used for Criminal Investigations

Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage can be absolutely critical in the investigation of crimes, with footage caught on camera often proving to be a decisive piece of evidence. For the investigating officers, its a time-consuming process, but one that can be crucial to the conviction of perpetrators.

Common Uses of CCTV for Police Patrol vehicle in-car cameras Training Robbery investigation Crime scene processing Undercover surveillance Tactical operations Vehicle collision investigation Interrogation Video line-up

Common Uses of CCTV for Police
Patrol vehicle in-car cameras
Training
Robbery investigation
Crime scene processing
Undercover surveillance
Tactical operations
Vehicle collision investigation
Interrogation
Video line-up

cctv3

Immediate Benefits of CCTV in an Investigation Identifies suspects, witnesses & vehicles involved Identifies forensic A opportunities Indicates entry & exit Points from the scene of an incident Identifies behaviour before, during & after an incident Verifies witness/ suspect accounts Establishes a timeline of events Provides evidence of reconnaissance by a suspect

Immediate Benefits of CCTV in an Investigation
Identifies suspects, witnesses & vehicles involved
Identifies forensic A opportunities
Indicates entry & exit Points from the scene of an incident
Identifies behaviour before, during & after an incident
Verifies witness/ suspect accounts
Establishes a timeline of events
Provides evidence of reconnaissance by a suspect

Outcomes of CCTV in an Investigation

Outcomes of CCTV in an Investigation

Process for Retrieving CCTV Footage Check time & date on the system If relevant, either secure the tape as evidence or get the disc copied View the footage Determine whether or not the material is relevant Intelligence sys ems Make notes as to why it is/isn't relevant Finish and pursue other lines of enquiry

Process for Retrieving CCTV Footage
Check time & date on the system
If relevant, either secure the tape as evidence or get the disc copied
View the footage
Determine whether or not the material is relevant
Intelligence sys ems
Make notes as to why it is/isn’t relevant
Finish and pursue other lines of enquiry

Steps in Disseminating CCTV Footage

Steps in Disseminating CCTV Footage

Guidelines for Using CCTV Footage as Evidence There must be proof that recorded footage was handled continuously from moment of recording to production in court. The video recording medium must be the original recording. There must be no evidence of editing, interference with or manipulation of recorded footage. The recording should have a time & date. It should also be long enough to establish the facts that it is intended to prove.

Guidelines for Using CCTV Footage as Evidence
There must be proof that recorded footage was handled continuously from moment of recording to production in court.
The video recording medium must be the original recording.
There must be no evidence of editing, interference with or manipulation of recorded footage.
The recording should have a time & date. It should also be long enough to establish the facts that it is intended to prove.

cctv9

Originally posted 2016-02-01 19:04:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The post How CCTV is used for Criminal Investigations appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/20jSzoT
Posted by at No comments:

Current Mortgage Rates for Monday, February 27, 2017

Welcome to the Total Mortgage Current Mortgage Rates Blog. Here’s your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.

Where are mortgage rates going?

Trump’s speech on Tuesday could put pressure on mortgage rates

Mortgage rates have basically remained flat for about a month now. On January 26th, the Freddie Mac PMMS showed the average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage to be 4.19%, while last Thursday it came in at 4.16%. Surprisingly, the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note has fluctuated much more than mortgage rates (last week was largest weekly drop since December). Normally, mortgage rates would have followed suit, but they just aren’t being swayed as easily right now.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 27, 2017).

There is the potential for a big shift tomorrow night when Donald Trump addresses Congress for the first time. Financial market participants have been eagerly waiting for well over a month to get some details about Trump’s economic policies, and patience is running low. If Trump doesn’t give any specifics (ideally numbers and deadlines) about the nation’s budget and his “phenomenal” tax plan, some serious steam might be taken out of the Trump rally.

That would most likely put downward pressure on mortgage rates. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but generally when the markets take a hit rates move lower. On the other hand, if Trump comes out and clearly outlines some of his plans, that could send the markets and mortgage rates higher. There’s so much uncertainty anytime President Trump speaks, which makes it very difficult to hand your hat on any given outcome.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 27, 2017).

Folks over at the Federal Reserve will no doubt be tuning in to see what Trump’s policies mean for their own monetary policy plans. The upcoming March meeting still doesn’t seem likely to contain a rate hike (Fed Fund futures give it about a 25% chance), but that could change if the markets really like what Trump has to say.

What does this mean for me?

Mortgage rates continue to remain at levels that are very low historically. That’s good news for anyone looking to refinance or purchase a home. Every week it seems there is a threat to send rates higher, but so far that hasn’t happened.

Today’s economic data:

Durable Goods Orders

There was a lot of optimism about the factory sector heading into this report, but unfortunately, the air has been sucked out of that balloon. Core capital goods fell 0.4% in January, and unfilled orders also sunk 0.4%, and have now been in the negative for seven out of the last eight months. Until foreign demand for U.S. factory goods picks up, we can’t expect much to change here.

Fedspeak

Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan will speak today at 11:00am.

Notable events this week:                                             

Monday:    

  • Durable Goods Orders
  • Fedspeak

Tuesday:     

  • GDP
  • International Trade in Goods
  • S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller HPI
  • Chicago PMI
  • Consumer Confidence
  • Fedspeak

Wednesday:   

  • Personal Income and Outlays
  • ISM Mfg Index
  • EIA Petroleum Status Report
  • Beige Book
  • Fedspeak

Thursday:  

  • Jobless Claims
  • Fedspeak

Friday:  

  • Fedspeak
  • ISM Non Mfg Index

Rates are still near record lows.  Contact us today to see if we can save you money on your home payments.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2l4Hryh
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Top Three Reasons Businesses and People Should Consider Using a VPN

VPNs or virtual proxy networks have grown in popularity among individuals and also businesses in the last few years. There are numerous reasons why and we’re going to look at three of them in the piece of content below.

What is a VPN

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a network that is constructed typically usually the Internet to connect to a private network, such as a company’s internal network. It is also a method of adding security and privacy to private and public networks.  VPNs are most often used by corporations to protect sensitive data, however, they are also becoming more popular to obtain a new IP address from any gateway city that hosts a VPN.

VPN Connectivity Overview en.wikipedia.org

VPN Connectivity Overview en.wikipedia.org

Security

In today’s interconnected world, security is one thing that’s of major concern. As soon as you connect to the internet using your smartphone or PC, you become a target for hackers, viruses, malicious programs and different new threats that are seemingly appearing with every passing day. At the same time, the information you receive and send might get intercepted, read, and altered.

Sadly, standard security solutions like firewalls and antiviruses aren’t sufficient enough to protect you. That’s why it is becoming increasingly important to have separate external solutions to protect your information as you communicate with the outside world.

That is where VPN comes into the picture. A VPN, like those offered by LiquidVPN works by securing insecure connections between you and the outside world and is the best solution to use if you frequently access the internet using public networks like WiFis. However, as a general rule of thumb, no network you connect through should be considered secure since communication flow passes through multiple points/routers – creating enough access points through which an attacker can compromise your communication channels and information flow.

The good thing about using VPN to connect to the internet is that even if your communication channel has been compromised, you can’t be harmed, or even if you are, the damage is never that significant. This is because VPN connections are encrypted and can’t be decrypted – making it hard to read information passing through the channel. When a cyber-attacker captures information passing through a VPN, he or she will only see unintelligible characters from you going to a VPN server. As such, he or she won’t be able to see or even identify the remote resources (chats, sites, etc.) you are connected to.

Privacy Protection

Privacy is another factor that is presenting serious challenges today considering that one can be easily identified when they are online. What this means is that anyone from aggressive marketing companies and curious people to government officials can easily find your location, address, and name with very little difficulty.

Every time you are connected to the internet using your mobile phone or even PC, you leave information traces that can be used to identify your internet service provider and even your IP address. At the end of the day, these clues reveal essential and personal information about who you are and where you are. Sadly, you cannot rely on internet service providers or official regulations to protect you from such undesired disclosures – it’s entirely up to you to take the necessary measures to ensure your personal information stays safe.

If you really want to protect yourself, then consider using VPN. Why? The main reason why is because when you use a VPN to listen to online radio or to visit different websites, you’ll be identified with your VPN provider; that is, his location, IP address and so forth – your personal details and IP address remain hidden.

Using a VPN connection as a privacy protection measure is more than just recommended considering that it makes it harder for your personal information to get into the wrong hands. If you are a political activist or a person who doesn’t want your identity to be disclosed, then VPN is an absolute must.

While there are plenty of other options like web proxies available to protect against identity information theft, the sad thing is that they aren’t as efficient as VPN technologies. For instance, proxies normally send data about the original client’s IP, making them quite useless when it comes to privacy protection.

Access to Limited Resources

Sometimes, service providers like online TVs and radios restrict their content to clients within specific geographical areas or who are subscribed to specific ISPs. In some cases, company policies will prevent employees from connecting to generally available resources or sites like Facebook and Twitter. In such instances when you see no reason why there should be restrictions, then a VPN is what you need to bypass these restrictions.

VPNs have numerous points of presence in different geographical regions. Since you are only identified with a VPN provider makes it possible for you to circumvent all geographical restrictions.

VPNs are particularly popular in countries like China where access to resources/sites is heavily restricted. In such regions, accessing anything you want online becomes easier when you are connected to the internet using a VPN.

It is interesting to note that VPNs can also be used to create access restrictions. For instance, if you run an organization and want to limit access to certain resources like private files to a certain segment of your network then a VPN could be the best solution to accomplish this. A VPN is essential for a security point-of-view since authentication is, often, not enough when looking to protect vital and highly sensitive information. With a VPN, it becomes easier to allow specific members within the VPN’s network to access resources that are sensitive and private.

Originally posted 2016-10-03 18:14:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The post Top Three Reasons Businesses and People Should Consider Using a VPN appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2dMWrcY
Posted by at No comments:

Bruins By The Numbers: This Week’s Good and Bad for 2/25/17

Well, I suppose they were going to lose at some point. After winning their first four games under their new head coach, the Bruins finally faltered on Wednesday night, but not before at least temporarily reversing some of their recent troubles out West. Also happening this past week were a milestone assist, a milestone games [...]

The post Bruins By The Numbers: This Week’s Good and Bad for 2/25/17 appeared first on Boston Sports Then & Now.



from Boston Sports Then & Now http://ift.tt/2lUtrqi
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, February 24, 2017

Starting a Website for your Business

Every business needs a website.  To be competitive, you have to do what the competition is doing and do it better. The truth is, a Facebook account won’t cut it if you’re serious about growing and expanding your business. You need a website to stay competitive, to earn trust, and for marketing and search visibility.

So where to start?  Here helpful list to help you make smart decisions.

Find a Good Web Host

Web hosts are a dime a dozen.

If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t have the budget to hire a programmer to code your website. Search for web hosts that offer modular, user-friendly design features.  There should be enough variety so that your website doesn’t end up looking cookie-cutter. And if you do eventually want to hire a programmer to customize your site, make sure the web host service is just as useful for professionals as it is for novices. Look for mention of a script library and raw access logs at the very least.

When doing your research, keep in mind and look for these features and services:

  • Are there hidden fees?
  • Is there tiered pricing, scalability and room to grow?
  • How are the load times?
  • If you are inexperienced, is there a free site builder?
  • How long has the company been in business?
  • Does the web host have a dedicated customer service department? Are they easy to reach?
  • Is their contact info displayed prominently, and is there an option to both call and e-mail?
  • Does the web host offer help pages and resources to guide you through the process of setting up your site? Try calling the customer service phone number just to see how easy it is to reach a real person.

There are many large hosting companies, but sometimes large doesn’t always necessarily mean better.  They may have issues with having too many customers or insufficient staff.  A host like webhost.pro, for example, provides flexible packages, no hidden fees, fast load times, monitoring, installation, tuning, a 24/7 support team and has been around since 2001.

Choose a Memorable Domain Name

When you finally find the right web hosting service, the first thing you’ll have to do is choose a domain name. Above all, make it memorable and uncomplicated (avoid hyphens, numbers and unconventional spelling, for example) to ensure your business can reap all the benefits of word-of-mouth advertising.

Choose a Responsive Design

When done correctly, responsive design can improve user experience. Online retailers utilizing responsive design are generally seeing consumers respond positively to the new, more user-friendly experience with decreased bounce rates and increased page views from mobile and tablet sessions.

A fully functional responsive designed site done right can boost conversion rates. Responsive sites make it easier to view products and content. Almost every person these days has a mobile or tablet device, and receive online store emails on these devices.  As users and key site traffic stats such as page views increase, consumers are more likely to complete transactions on mobile and tablet devices, especially when the check-out process is catered to these devices. Studies show that major brands have noticed a mobile and tablet conversion rate increase of over 20% since making the switch to a responsive designed site.

One of the major challenges with websites was the need cater to various size screens, sometimes having to develop multiple websites to cater to these devices and resolutions. With a responsive designed site, the same content is utilized for desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, scaled to the resolution of the device. All traffic via mobile and tablet devices through a responsive designed site will utilize the same, thus increasing the total site traffic and backlinks to that URL, boosting rankings on search engines.

Search Engine Optimization

High-quality content has always been regarded as a white hat SEO technique that improves your website position in search engine rankings. Topics you might cover include informational articles about your products or services, interesting images, and reviews that gives more data about what people can expect from your services.

Content should be audience-friendly and engages your readers. Make the best use of your skills, creativity, and inexhaustible talent to assist you in promoting your services, products and brands in an engaging way, by embracing an accessible writing style.

Hire a legitimate search engine optimization company or do it yourself.  Search engines have a very complex system for determining the value of a given link, but they do all agree that links are among the most important factors in determining the relevance of a particular site to a given query. That’s one of the reasons why, for example, websites that have been around longer are given more weight, but even links from new sites can be beneficial. Obtain links to your site through guest blogging, social media, directories, local directories, or simply ask for a link.

The topics mentioned above are great places to start.  The work doesn’t stop at simply just building a website however.  Use other websites and platforms to your advantage.  Create accounts on various social media platforms, create content, share, optimize for higher volume or niche traffic.  Do anything and everything to make your business marketable, convert visitors into customers, etc.  The sky is the limit.

The post Starting a Website for your Business appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2lNXEGT
Posted by at No comments:

Free Chat Plugin for WordPress

It’s pretty much every business’s goal to convert a visitor in to a customer.  An important element to that is easy interaction and communication.  How do you make your business available 24/7 and automated so that your visitors and employees can communicate in an easy and effective way?

Every respected company spends a lot of time and money for their personal websites. They hire experienced developers and designers to make such platforms handy and beautiful at a time.  WordPress sites gained crazy popularity over the past few years. They are adjustable for most of business needs starting from visit card and ending up with an online shop.  Those firms who prefer leading their sales online are usually looking for proven WordPress CRM plugins that ease their job.

Such software lets them control their sales management activity, the number of sales and all other information. Think that one can stop bureaucracy, when if looking for certain data one had to browse through hundreds of documents, including personal reports.

With CRM services finding any data is easy as mouse clicks. All updates are in front of our eyes. Sales managers will not deny some help anyway. Handle a requisition is way easier with one of such plugins.

Bitrix24

Bitrix24 – is a system that gains unbelievable popularity among popular online shops and big enterprises. It handles half off deals letting departments work twice more productive.

Once it appears on your website, you notice all benefits of such software.

CRM

It means that we receive powerful database with all the customer’s data and products catalogs. All information is carefully folded in our free virtual storage and is available on any request.

Any changes are highlighted in the timeline and can be quickly sorted to our needs.

Working with clients

Add your logo to customers form for making it look more solid. Clients will love cute greetings or just bright icons.

Bitrix24 adds multiple currencies and counts all discounts automatically. There is no need to worry about conversion or any other counts. The software will do it for us.

The handy interface lets clients complete all the operations fast and double check any stage of it.

Unlimited free quotes and invoicing is available with automatic taxes, discounts, multiple currencies, payment information and more.

Email marketing

We all know it as one of the most profitable methods companies use for years. Attracting new clients and keeping old ones interested in our products in all possible forms – from texts to videos.

Firms email about their updates, sales or discounts. With Bitrix24 we can send such emails directly from CRM. Feedback allowed as well.

Their bright templates make it easier for us and exciting for or clients. If you are not satisfied with the given ones – feel free to create your unique samples.

Phone marketing

What can be better than your tiny call-center? Unlimited database with millions of numbers from local to international ones. Develop your business calling people from CRM.

Use call recording function to control staff or just check the manner they speak to clients. Options o forwarding or transferring is available for all calls.

One more nice thing here is that you can send voice messages with greetings or short announcements. There is no need to pay to telephone companies who offer such services. With Bitrix24 it is all under your control.

The post Free Chat Plugin for WordPress appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2mfUGMt
Posted by at No comments:

Selling a House to a Family Member: the 4 Things You Need to Know

They say not to mix family and money.

Sometimes, though, the stars line up perfectly and selling your house to a family member just makes the right kind of sense. Maybe it’s an old home that has sentimental value, or maybe you just want to give a leg up to a younger relative.

Regardless, having a buyer for your house already lined up keeps your home off Zillow and puts you in a great position.

1. How to agree on a price

In a standard real estate transaction, the buyer and seller are on opposing teams. They both want to come out on top—or at least with most of their demands met. When your buyer is a friend or family member, though, you don’t have the luxury of thinking like that.

If both parties value the relationship, it’s a smart idea to get everything in writing and have both an inspection and an appraisal done fairly early into the process, preferably as soon as the buyer gets pre-approved by their lender and knows their spending limit.

An inspection protects the buyer from ending up with a lemon. It’s generally one of several contingencies put in place with the initial sale contract, but when the seller and buyer are friendly, it’s an easy thing to skip, potentially at the cost of hurt feelings.

An appraisal, meanwhile, will be required by the buyer’s lender to make sure the home is worth more than the loan amount. Sometimes, the numbers come in higher or lower than expected, especially if a realtor with knowledge of the market wasn’t involved in the pricing, as is common with sales to relatives.

Though the result doesn’t always have an impact on the sale, it would be wise for both parties to be flexible once the results come in. Otherwise, things may get tense.

2. How to sell your home to family below market value

In some situations, the seller might want this transaction to look less like a sale and more like a gift. This can be more complicated than it seems, though.

Sell the home more than 25% below market value, and it’s likely the buyer will get hit with a gift tax courtesy of Uncle Sam. There are a few alternative options, though:

  • Sell the home at only a slight loss, but give the relative the maximum allowable tax-free gift ($13,000) each year until the agreed upon amount is reached.
  • File a quitclaim deed to add the buyer’s name to the title. These are the simplest way to transfer property, but they’re generally not used when money is exchanging hands. If the seller still does want to be paid, the buyer will have to take out a home equity loan to pay the seller.
  • Go the seller financing route. This option cuts out the lender entirely and puts the seller in their stead. While it can mean excellent rates and terms for the buyer,

3. Staying on the IRS’ good side

The IRS likes to keep a close eye on transactions that take place between relatives, and for good reason. When the buyer and the seller are on the same side, it’s a lot more likely for funny business to go down. That funny business often takes the shape of fake tax deductible losses or fake short sales.

As far as the IRS is concerned, you can sell your property at a loss to a family member all you want, but you can’t take a deduction on the loss, and you can’t sell the property for less than you owe to the bank.

For some helpful examples, this is a good resource.

4. Swapping your realtor for a lawyer

While you can probably skip the realtor, a qualified real estate attorney is going to be your best friend if you’re planning on selling a house to a family member. A lawyer will be able to fill in the gaps in the process that a realtor would generally have helped fill for you, like getting the right paperwork and lining up the title search and transfer.

They’ll also have a much clearer idea of your options and be able to make recommendations with your goals in mind.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2l84CTt
Posted by at No comments:

Current Mortgage Rates for Friday, February 24, 2017

Welcome to the Total Mortgage Current Mortgage Rates Blog. Here’s your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.

Where are mortgage rates going?

Treasury yields are falling again this morning for the third consecutive day. The yield on the U.S 10-year Treasury note began the week at 2.45% and is now at 2.34%. Typically, mortgage rates trail behind the 10-year yield, which would mean that they are also on the downturn. However, that has not been the case for the past two weeks. The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) yesterday showed that mortgage rates actually rose this week.

  • The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage ticked up one basis point to 4.16% (0.5 points).
  • The average rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose two basis points to 3.37% (0.5 points).
  • The average rate on a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage dropped two basis points to 3.16% (0.4 points).
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 24, 2017).

Clearly, the increases weren’t substantial, but the fact that the trend goes against conventional wisdom is noteworthy. Financial market participants are dealing with so much uncertainty, from the Fed, the White House, the French Election, etc., that things just aren’t operating as they normally do. It’s fair to wonder when this trend might reverse itself. With the Fed not really giving super clear forward guidance, the French Election not taking place until April, and the Trump Administration not exactly showing signs of settling down, it might be a while.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 24, 2017).

What does this mean for me?

Mortgage rates have basically been in a holding patter for the past two weeks. That’s good news for borrowers because rates are at historically low levels. So if you’re looking to refinance your current mortgage or purchase a new home, right now is a great time to do it.

Today’s economic data:

New Home Sales are Volatile

New home sales for January came in 26,000 lower than expected at 555,000. However, that’s still up from the previous reading of 535,000. Notably, November was revised 26,000 lower, putting the 3-month average down 23,000 to 255,000.

Consumer Sentiment

The consumer sentiment index for February is at 96.3. That’s a solid number that points toward optimism about the U.S. economy.

A Look Back:

Here are some key moments from this week:

  • Fed officials came out stating that it might be appropriate to hike in March, echoing what Janet Yellen said last week,
  • Treasury yields slid based on the latest French Election poll that showed right-winged candidate Marine Le Pen gaining traction with voters.
  • The FOMC Minutes showed that Fed officials are grappling with much uncertainty. The report failed to bolster much confidence about a March rate hike.

Notable events this week:                                            

Monday:    

  • Markets Closed for President’s Day.

Tuesday:     

  • Fedspeak
  • PMI Manufacturing Index

Wednesday:   

  • Existing Home Sales
  • Fedspeak
  • FOMC Minutes

Thursday:  

  • Jobless Claims
  • Fedspeak
  • EIA Petroleum Status

Friday:  

  • New Home Sales
  • Consumer Sentiment

Rates are still near record lows.  Contact us today to see if we can save you money on your home payments.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2ml8tOO
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Being A Patriots Fan: Pretty Sure I Am Off The NFL’s Survey List Now (PHOTO)

The Patriots winning the Super Bowl in EPIC fashion was SWEET POETIC JUSTICE! It was PURELY ORGASMIC to see the G.O.A.T. deliver a big ole fiery dumpster of KARMA to Crooked Roger and the other 31 JEALOUS owners. Or could it? I just received this email today…   Are you shitting me!?  I am already twisting my [...]

The post Being A Patriots Fan: Pretty Sure I Am Off The NFL’s Survey List Now (PHOTO) appeared first on Boston Sports Then & Now.



from Boston Sports Then & Now http://ift.tt/2miVEUX
Posted by at No comments:

5 Things Chat Bots Tell Us about Mobility and Mobile Computing

Have you ever been involved in an online chat session and thought something isn’t quite right? It would seem as though you are chatting with a real, live human being, but the responses you get from the other side of the screen do not seem as fluid and engaging as they ought to be. Well, perhaps you are not really chatting with another human being. Perhaps it is a chat bot answering your questions and attempting to solve your problems.

Chat bots are more of a novelty now than anything else, but the goal is not to let them remain as such. The development of chat bots is just the first step in finding new ways to use artificial intelligence in the online world. As such, they tell us quite a bit about mobility and where it is headed.

Here are five things app developer iTexico says chat bots tell us:

1. Artificial Intelligence Is Not Fading

There is no shortage of critics who claim that the demand for artificial intelligence in the mobile arena is fading. They point to the limits of PDAs such as Siri and Alexa as evidence. Yet chat bots are, if nothing else, a rather basic implementation of artificial intelligence. And they are not being developed as toys. The point of the chat bot is to interact with customers online without having to maintain a full staff of helpdesk employees. There is no way the need to reduce labor costs is going to fade, so the chat bot and its artificial intelligence are here to stay.

2. Users Are Okay with It

Just ten years ago, the average consumer was unhappy about having to deal with an automated telephone system when calling the cable company or tech support. The acceptance of modern chat bots suggests that users are warming up to the idea of interacting with technology. In fact, modern web application development is more oriented toward removing the human component than ever before. As long as users are okay with interacting with machines, you can bet app developers will continue exploring ways to make it happen.

3. Support Can Be Automated

The usability of chat bots has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to automate certain aspects of customer support. While automation is not yet at the point of being highly personal, it can be used for basic customer service support functions like booking appointments, taking payments, and helping to troubleshoot common technology problems.

4. Better Voice Recognition Is Necessary

Web application development involving chat bots requires looking at the other end of the communication as well. In other words, how do users input information during online communication sessions? The chat bot of the future will involve users speaking to their mobile devices rather than using virtual keyboards. We already do this, but the current state of voice recognition technology is nowhere near what it needs to be. Thus, chat bots are making it abundantly clear that we need to do better in this arena.

5. A New Stream of Data Is Available

After years of developing games for stationary consoles, there is a tremendous amount of data available to the mobile game app development community for their use. Today’s mobile games would be nothing without the knowledge gleaned from years of studying console games.

In the same way, chat bots open a whole new stream of data that will be used by app developers for years to come. With every chat bot interaction, there is data to be harvested, analyzed, and used to better serve end-users.

The post 5 Things Chat Bots Tell Us about Mobility and Mobile Computing appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2l4szuU
Posted by at No comments:

Current Mortgage Rates for Thursday, February 23, 2017

Welcome to the Total Mortgage Current Mortgage Rates Blog. Here’s your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.

Where are mortgage rates going?

Mortgage Rates up in Freddie Mac PMMS

The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) got released at 10am this morning and it revealed some more incongruity between mortgage rates and the 10-year yield.

  • The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose one basis point to 4.16% (0.5 points).
  • The average rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose two basis points to 3.37% (0.5 points).
  • The average rate on a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage fell two basis points to 3.16% (0.4 points).
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 23, 2017).

Typically, mortgage rates follow closely behind the 10-year yield. However, the 10-year yield fell nearly ten basis points (one basis point = 0.01) since last week. It’s a very unusual situation for these two rates to be traveling in different directions. The deviation began last week and with it continuing this week, it makes it one wonder how long it will persist. The answer could be for a while. There’s just so much uncertainty right now in both domestic and global markets, and until a clear path emerges the markets are likely to be volatile.

Uncertainty in FOMC Minutes

The big news yesterday was the FOMC minutes from three weeks ago. Everyone and their mother got out their detective hats and magnifying glasses to look for further clues about the next rate hike. The quote that financial market participants really ran with was that it might be appropriate to raise rates “fairly soon.” The stipulation was there that inflation will have to continue rising, and the labor market must continue to post robust numbers. On the other hand, the minutes also showed us that there was a lot of debate about how the new administration’s fiscal policies would impact the economy.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 23, 2017).

Some Fed officials thought that they would have pr-growth results which would put more pressure on the Fed to raise the federal funds rate more quickly. That’s definitely what a lot of investors have been counting on since Trump was elected, and it’s played a big part in the optimism we’ve seen in the markets these past few months. However, other Fed officials actually stated that they think that investors may have jumped the gun a bit, as they see the potential for several of Trump’s policies to either never be implemented or to take much longer than previously thought.

It’s an interesting admission, and one that could mean a rate hike is actually further out than we’ve been led to believe. In the end, the Fed minutes were a mixed bag of pessimism and optimism. As for the upcoming March meeting, the Fed Fund futures (22.1% chance of a rate hike) are telling us that it’s still a long shot for any action to be taken then. That number is up about 5% from where it was pre-fed minutes, but it’s nothing that you want to hang your hat on. For now we just have to sit back and wait for the economic data to roll and tell us where things are going.

What does this mean for me?

The path ahead is uncertain. There is bound to be market volatility, tipping the scales one way or another. The good news is that mortgage rates are still at very low levels historically, and they don’t seem poised to surge significantly higher anytime soon. That means that right now is a good time for anyone looking to refinance their current mortgage or purchase a home.

Today’s economic data:

Jobless Claims

Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits came in at 244,00 for the week of 2/18. That’s right in line with economists’ expectations, and 6,000 higher than the previous reading. The four-week moving average is now at 241,000. The February jobs report isn’t that far off and it’s shaping up to be a decent report.

Fedspeak

  • Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart spoke this morning, with the focus of his remarks being the need for looser regulations in the banking industry.
  • Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan will speak at 1:00pm.

EIA Petroleum Status

For the week of 2/17:

  • Crude Oil: 0.6 M barrels
  • Gasoline: -2.6 M barrels
  • Distillates: -4.9 M barrels

Notable events this week:                                            

Monday:    

  • Markets Closed for President’s Day.

Tuesday:     

  • Fedspeak
  • PMI Manufacturing Index

Wednesday:   

  • Existing Home Sales
  • Fedspeak
  • FOMC Minutes

Thursday:  

  • Jobless Claims
  • Fedspeak
  • EIA Petroleum Status

Friday:  

  • New Home Sales
  • Consumer Sentiment

Rates are still near record lows.  Contact us today to see if we can save you money on your home payments.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2mph6XK
Posted by at No comments:

What if your Camera Security System Itself is Not Secured?

Though a camera security system is installed to pare down the risk of burglaries and protect family and business assets from criminals. Home automation, alarm systems, Wi-Fi home surveillance systems are the powerful technologies that apart from protecting our possessions, also raising the standard of living. Auto-activation of the alarm system when someone tries to march into your home, automatic door locks and there many other features of home security systems that can keep you free from worries when you are gone. With a Wi-Fi home surveillance system, you can access the footage of any camera installed in your home or office.

If you wonder how a real-time footage from Wi-Fi home surveillance system can be a savior act for you, imagine a situation in which your property is intruded and you are not there to safeguard it. However, when you have seen the intruder and you have automatic door locks; you can remotely lock the intruder in your home and call the police after re. Real-time remote monitoring is indeed the best feature of modern security camera surveillance systems. However, you cannot take a sigh of relief if the home security system itself is not secure.

Security Camera System Vulnerability

It is like a double-edged sword of Damocles hanging over your head. Be it a traditional or a cloud-based video system, it is vulnerable and can be exploited by tech savvy person with evil intentions. It can put your home, office, data and even life at risk. Your internet security system should be protected from physical and cyber attack.

Cyber Attack

With some simple hacking tools and tricks, a hacker can gain the access to the security system, deactivate alarm system and disconnect the internet. It means no real-time footage and no notifications. Even the mobile app installed in your Smartphone can be hacked. It is also revealed in studies that the camera – app combination is vulnerable to a wide range cyber attacks especially when a weak encryption algorithm is used. After hijacking the security camera system, the attacker can easily get away with your valuables.

Physical Attack

If cameras, wires, routers and other components are detectable, the security system is prone to physical attack. The intruder can break cameras and cut wires to paralyze the entire system. A physical attack can be foiled by installing covert wireless cameras and routers.

Tips for Protecting the Internet Camera System

There are some simple tricks and techniques that can protect your security camera system from cyber attacks.

Strong Password
By setting a weak password, you are actually giving the key of your home to a thief. The modern hi-tech security camera systems enforce strong password. A strong password has a minimum length and it is a combination of numbers, upper case, lower case, and symbols. However, any guessable password is a weak password even if the system accepts it as a strong password.

Secure Router
In a Wi-Fi camera video surveillance system, a router is an important component. Here are some simple and helpful tips for protecting Wi-Fi router from hacking:

  • Say no to default network names. Use strong SSID network names.
  • Enable Wi-Fi Protected Access
  • Use Logging Feature
  • Protect the Router with Firewall
  • Use Strong Password
  • Use VPN
  • Turn off Universal Plug and Play protocol

Install an Anti-Virus
Install antivirus software and keep it updated. Firewall, intrusion detection system and antivirus are helpful in detecting and removing threats like malware and viruses. It also projects sensitive files from getting corrupted due to malicious programs.

Encryption
Encryption might not be a new term for you. The importance of encryption is already known to you. However, the strength of the encryption algorithm is the most important aspect of the encryption. A message encrypted with a weak algorithm can be easily decrypted.

Do Not Connect To the Public Wi-Fi
When you are accessing your home security system remotely, it is always recommended to connect using a secured network only. If you are accessing the system remotely using a public Wi-Fi, you are subjecting it to hackers. You are putting personal information like username, email id and password to risk.

Change Password
Never use the same password for long. Most of the Hi-Tech systems enforce a unique password every time, a password that is never used earlier. However, if your system does not enforce the same, you should use a unique password ever time. Do not share the password with anyone, not even with your kids.

Keep an Eye on Camera Logs
Keeping a check on logs is helpful in protecting the system from being hacked. With logs, you can find out when and using what IP address, someone tried to hack your system or the mobile app.

Keep the System Updated
Companies providing home security systems have special research and development to continuously enhance the performance and safety of their products by adding new features.

By implementing these simple tips and tricks, you can easily outwit hackers. You are safe when the camera security system is secured.

Gord Harrison is a technical expert at Select Security Systems Ltd. He has been in this industry when modern CCTV cameras and video surveillance systems were newly introduced in the market and that is why he knows most of the Hi-Tech CCTV cameras and video surveillance systems from inside out.

Originally posted 2016-08-15 04:08:18. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

The post What if your Camera Security System Itself is Not Secured? appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2biF6qU
Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

3 Things to Consider When Choosing a Vanity

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

The vanity is one of the first things you notice when you enter a bathroom. In addition to its aesthetic value, what’s also important is how the vanity will fit your needs. There are also many other factors to consider as you choose which one to buy. Check out these 3 tips to help you in your decision-making.

Determine the Number of Sinks
You’ll need to find a vanity style that can accommodate the number of sinks you want.
If they had their choice, most homeowners would prefer double sinks. Unfortunately, there often are space restrictions.
Vanities smaller than 60 inches wide usually have only one sink. The sink can be in the center, to the right or to the left. Your sink cabinet can have drawers or standard cabinet doors.
Vanities more than 60 inches wide can comfortably accommodate two sinks. However, if one sink is enough, you can use the extra room for additional counter space. Source: Forbes

Which mounting options are available?

  1. Free Standing:Also known as standard, this is the most common bathroom vanity. It resembles a chest or buffet, and is your best option for maximum storage space.
  2. Wall-Mounted: Most wall-mounted vanities hang or float on the wall without legs touching the ground. This modern style opens up floor space in a small bathroom.
  3. Corner-Mounted: If you need to save space, this is the best option. Corner-mounted bathroom vanities have a 90-degree angle at the back so that they fit perfectly into a corner. Source: Wayfair

Plumbing
If you need to change your bathroom’s plumbing to install your new vanity, it’s going to account for a chunk of your budget. Even switching from a traditional floor-mounted vanity to a wall-mounted version will mean rerouting pipes and drains.
“Locating the vanity far from other bath fixtures requires a higher cost for rough plumbing,” says contractor David Lawson of Ironwood Builders. Source: Houzz

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

The post 3 Things to Consider When Choosing a Vanity appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.



from Perfect Bath Canada http://ift.tt/2lNga2F
Posted by at No comments:

Can Playing Chess Make you a Better Computer Programmer?

Programming is a computer language of data structures, algorithms and efficient strategy.  It’s an ongoing mind exercise, motivating the developer to always strive for perfection, else, one little mistake, and their work may not compile.  As such, chess is a game of strategy and competitiveness, and for competitive programmers, it can be a useful mind and strategy exercise for brain development. Both require pattern recognition and logical reasoning to succeed.

But, chess is not exactly programming; so what might it help you with? While chess is not exactly programming and probably wont put you ahead of other programmers, it can help with training the brain to react and develop. It can help put you in the right mindset. You will not become a good programmer just by playing chess, but like chess, experience and knowledge of theory of problems that have already been solved by others will help you to understand and be conditioned to finding solutions.

Here are some ideas:

Chess Teaches Problem Solving

Chess teaches you problem solving skills, with efficiently using different tools in your arsenal to achieve certain goals. It conditions, teaches and trains you to know that are many ways to tackle a problem, just like in programming.

Chess Helps with Time Management

With chess, you often have time limits, which help condition a player or programmer to budget on time spent thinking. You will use time spent efficiently to identify which moves are good and which moves are critical and worth the time to find the best move. Same with programming; apply that logic to algorithms and you have similar thought conditioning. When programming competitively, this is often a useful skill to have.

Chess Helps with Improving Observation Skills

Programming is full of making observations to better your code. Conditioning yourself to pay attention to detail may get you in the right mindset to help when thoroughly observing which strategies to take, or where to look in both improving code or finding errors in programming. In chess, you are punished for not thinking rationally and rewarded for being on top. An experienced chess player will have the ability to ignore irrational thoughts at will. That’s very useful for a programmer.

Conditioning yourself

Like all things, practice makes perfect.  Conditioning yourself to be a better chess player or programmer takes time, knowledge, and experience.  In both chess and programming, you should want to be good at the opening phase of your game or project.  Repetition training is important to get things down and right.

Chessable, by Learn Dash, for  example, is a great way of how chess players can create an online learning program by finding a niche.  Techniques include spaced repetition and scheduling, dopamine and declarative memory, testing and practice effects, imitation and implicit learning, avoiding labor in vain and explicit learning.

The post Can Playing Chess Make you a Better Computer Programmer? appeared first on Information Technology Blog.



from Information Technology Blog http://ift.tt/2kO3w3F
Posted by at No comments:

Fed Minutes Show Rate Hike Could Happen ‘Fairly Soon’

According to the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Federal Reserve officials think that a rate hike might be appropriate “fairly soon.” Here is the main quote that financial market participants have picked up on:

“Many participants expressed the view that it might be appropriate to raise the federal funds rate again fairly soon if incoming information on the labor market and inflation was in line with or stronger than their current expectations or if the risks of overshooting the committee’s maximum-employment and inflation objectives increased.”

Much of the discussion during the Fed’s two day meeting was focused on what kind of influence potential policy changes from the Trump would have on the U.S. economy. That makes sense when you consider that this was the first FOMC meeting since Trump was sworn into office. Several Fed officials argued that deregulation and corporate tax cuts could stimulate the economy and usher in the need for the Fed to raise rates.

However, not everyone was so optimistic. Some Fed officials felt that the policies that are being talked about might not even come to fruition, meaning that there would be less pressure to raise rates in the near term. Clearly, the Fed is still grappling with the uncertainty brought about by the Trump administration.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 22, 2017).

With so much talk recently about a March rate hike, many investors were hoping for a strong hint in the minutes. That did not happen. Instead, they got some classic fedspeak. Because when it comes down to it, the Fed saying that it might be appropriate to raise rates “fairly soon” is something that doesn’t mean much. After all, they were saying that all last year and only wound up hiking rates once in December.

That seems to be what investors are thinking, as the odds of a March rate hike via the Fed Fund futures are actually unchanged from where they were before the minutes, at 17.7%. That means that if the Fed were to go ahead and raise at their March 14-15 meeting, it would catch the markets off-guard, and cook cause a bit of mess.

Of course, there is still time between now and then for the Fed to bolster rate hike sentiment, but time is definitely running out.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2l0Dx4w
Posted by at No comments:

Current Mortgage Rates for Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Welcome to the Total Mortgage Current Mortgage Rates Blog. Here’s your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.

Where are mortgage rates going?

French Election and FOMC Minutes Moving Markets

A few weeks back Treasury yields took a hit as the latest poll about the French presidential election caused investors to grow nervous that the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen might come out victorious. Well, the pattern repeated itself yesterday afternoon as treasury yields fell when another poll came out showing Le Pen gaining more traction with the French citizenry.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 22, 2017).

She now trails the independent front-runner Emmanuel Macron by 16%. That number had been closer to 30% just two weeks ago. The possibility that she might win has investors worried about France leaving the E.U., which could prove disastrous for the euro. Thus, anxious investors have moved more into safer assets such as government bonds, pushing yields lower.

There is still a long way to go (the first round of the vote is on April 23, the final run-off is on May 7) before financial market participants hit the panic button, but the situation is real enough to elicit some jitters. It’s kind of a situation where the outcome is unlikely, but it’s potential impact is so great that any momentum towards its fruition is unsettling. Generally, when there is nervousness in the markets that pushes down mortgage rates.

The tide could certainly change today when the Fed releases their minutes from the FOMC meeting three weeks ago. Any indication that the Fed is willing to hike in the upcoming month could send yields and mortgage rates higher. The report gets released at 2:00pm, and its influence will be felt soon after that. The written statement from that meeting was considered to be very dovish, but strangely, nearly all of the fedspeak since that meeting has been on the hawkish side, including several remarks from Fed Chair Janet Yellen.

Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Feb. 22, 2017).

Just yesterday, San Francisco Fed President John Williams stated that it might make sense to raise rates in March, as did Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker. However, all of this jaw-boning from the Fed is having little-to-no effect on investors, as the Fed Fund futures for March have been holding steady at 17.7% chance of a rate hike for a while now. If the minutes do show that there was more debate than previously thought, it will be interesting to see if the Fed Fund futures ticks higher.

What does this mean for me?

Mortgage rates have basically been flat this week. With the potential for rates to swing once the FOMC minutes get released at 2:00pm, borrowers should make sure to check in and see what happened. Depending on the results, it might make sense to lock in a rate.

Today’s economic data:

Existing Home Sales

According to data out from the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales in the U.S. surged 5.690 million in January, which is a 10-year high. That’s a 3.3% rise from the previous month’s reading of 5.490 million. Year over year existing home sales have increased by 3.8%.

Fedspeak

Fed Governor Jerome Powell will speak today at 1:00pm.

FOMC Minutes

The minutes from the Fed’s meeting three weeks ago will be released today at 2:00pm.

Notable events this week:                                            

Monday:    

  • Markets Closed for President’s Day.

Tuesday:     

  • Fedspeak
  • PMI Manufacturing Index

Wednesday:   

  • Existing Home Sales
  • Fedspeak
  • FOMC Minutes

Thursday:  

  • Jobless Claims
  • Fedspeak
  • EIA Petroleum Status

Friday:  

  • New Home Sales
  • Consumer Sentiment

Rates are still near record lows.  Contact us today to see if we can save you money on your home payments.



from Total Mortgage Underwritings Blog http://ift.tt/2kZO0go
Posted by at No comments:

“Cash Me Outside” Cardio Calisthenics Workout

 

In late December 2016, the Dr. Phil television show aired an episode that featured a mother’s troubled relationship with her 13-year-old daughter. One particular clip has gone completely viral, and… actually, it’s easier if you just watch for yourself.

As the girl’s mother explains in the clip, the now infamous phrase (she’s actually saying “catch me outside, how about that”) essentially means there’s trouble a-brewing if you happen to catch this girl outside.

Since then, “Cash me outside, how bout dah” has become a pop culture sensation, weaving its way into our everyday vocabulary. If you say to a person “Cash me outside, how bout dah,” chances are good they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about, despite the fact you’re barely using real words.

However, in all of the uproar this little gem has caused, no one is asking the question that needs to be asked:

What about those of us who aren’t able to “catch” anyone o utside?

What about those of us who aren’t able to “catch” anyone outside?

To solve this issue, we’ve created the “Cash Me Outside” Cardio Calisthenics Workout. This is a circuit of bodyweight exercises designed to increase your cardiovascular endurance (as well as improve strength and agility), so that if you ever need to catch anyone, you’ll be able to do so without running out of breath.

Because if this whole thing can inspire a bevy of memes, parodies and even a song, there’s no reason it can’t inspire a workout!

Thanks to this brave and outspoken teenager, we’ll never again suffer the embarrassment of being unable to cash someone outside. Now how bout dah?!

your_workout_2

The Workout

Do each exercise for the specified time, then immediately move to the next exercise. Repeat until the entire circuit is complete. Rest for 1 minute, then begin again. Do 4 total rounds.

Remember, make sure you download the “Cash Me Outside” Cardio Calisthenics Workout Follow-Along sheets to your phone or computer for FREE — By Clicking the button below…

 

button

calisthenics workout sheets

Download the “Cash Me Outside” Cardio Calisthenics Workout Follow-Along Sheets Here (FREE) <==

Exercises

Jump Lunges — 30 sec.
Mountain Climbers — 30 sec.
Single Leg Burpees (Left) — 30 sec.
Spider Push Ups — 30 sec.
as — 30 sec.

Increase Difficulty

Perform each exercise for 45 seconds instead of 30, or add a 5th round.

Where to Do This Workout

Outside, obviously.

 

The post “Cash Me Outside” Cardio Calisthenics Workout appeared first on Body Weight And Calisthenics Exercises & Workouts.



from Body Weight And Calisthenics Exercises & Workouts http://ift.tt/2l7Qj1O
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Buying A Steam Shower? Don’t Make These 3 Common Mistakes!

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

 

help with choosing a steam shower to buy

Ah yes, the life of luxury. That’s where it’s at! All you need is your very own steam shower – complete with aromatherapy dispenser and chroma lights. (Because, if you’re going to buy a steam shower, why not go all out, right?)

But, before you get to the part where you relax in your steam shower, you’re going to need to know something super important. There are 3 mistakes that can end up costing you a lot of money. Do your research now. Save some headaches and possibly money later.

  1. Measure, measure, measure. Believe it or not, many of us think we know how large our bathrooms are. We walk into a store and buy a steam shower only to discover that it’s an inch or more too large for the space. Looks can be deceiving. But so can tape measures. Give us a call, and we’ll help you figure out exactly how to ensure that your steam shower will fit along with any electrical and plumbing needs that factor in. The delays and extra work can end up adding thousands of dollars to your budget
  2. Know thyself. There really are a whole lot of different kinds of steam showers available to you. Consider whether you want it to include a whirlpool tub with a combo steam shower and bathtub. Do you want it to accommodate two people? How about accessories, like Bluetooth? Will pets or children use it, too? Once you start looking at all the possibilities, it really is easy to get carried away! Start with a firm budget. Then determine who will be using and how often. Talk with one of our experts to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.
  3. Running hot or cold. Does your existing shower valve protect you from water temperature extremes? You’ll know the answer if you’ve ever turned on the spray only to be met with ice cold or scalding hot water. If you are building your own tiled shower to Make sure you ask the plumber to install a thermostatic valve. That little device will automatically mix hot and cold until the water is the perfect temperature. All steam showers sold at Perfectbath come standard with thermostatic control valve.

Contributed by:

Perfectbath
Calgary, AB.
Phone 1-866-843-1641
Email info@perfectbath.com

 

The post Buying A Steam Shower? Don’t Make These 3 Common Mistakes! appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.



from Perfect Bath Canada http://ift.tt/2lJCBWu
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)