3 Services That Will Help You Build a Website Easily

There’s no arguing with having your own online presence in the form of a website despite being able to use Facebook, Tumblr or even Twitter.

The reason why this is so important is because you now have a website that is completely under your control.

Best part: it’s simple to do this as well.

So, here are 3 services that can help you build a website rather easily:

#1: WordPress.com

By using this service, you can easily reduce the amount of coding that might be necessary to especially if you use it via Automattic. Instead of using WordPress itself, Automattic helps you create a WordPress site by hosting it on their servers.

The first thing that you need to do is pick a theme and then start adding posts. The best part about WordPress is that you can create a landing page that visitors can see before they look at your posts.

#2: Tumblr

Tumblr is a blogging platform that is simple to use and which works for both mobiles and PCs. It’s the best option if you want to use your site for short posts, videos or images. Much like WordPress, Tumblr also offers a number of themes – most of which are free of cost but some which cost a few dollars. The only downside is that it gives you less control over your site than other platforms do.

#3: Pancake.io

Among the three options, this one requires you to know a bit about CSS, HTML and JS. There are two ways you can build a site: either by using Jekyll which is the static site generator or by simply uploading files to Dropbox. Between the two, the latter is the simplest option.

3 Outlook Organizational Tips To Save Time

Microsoft Outlook is probably as indispensable as a tool can get even if it isn’t loved at all. It can be a headache having to sift through emails all day long answering them or even responding to meeting requests.

That said, here are 3 Outlook organizational tips that can help save time in the process:

#1: Use custom folders

Using Custom folders will ensure that you won’t have to perform a manual search. Simply put, it’s like using a file cabinet. Not only are they easy to create, use and search for but there are no limits to the amount of space you can assign. When using these folders, be careful not to overdo things as it can slow down Outlook as a result.

#2: Use Quick Steps

This is an Outlook feature that helps you automate a series of tasks into one step. Simple tasks such as deleting, copying, forwarding and moving can be automated using this step. Using this feature can really cut down on checking emails especially if you receive a lot of emails daily. Once you define a Quick Steps task, then select the task from the Quick Steps menu. Outlook does the rest. You can even assign a shortcut key to these automated tasks.

#3: Email Templates

If your work involves sending the same email to a number of people, then sending an email using a template wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. In fact, this speeds up the process considerably. For starters, all you need to do is save this letter as an email template. To open it, click on New Items> More Items> Choose Form. After this, select User Templates and the saved the email. The rest is simple to carry out.

4 Types of Must-Have Software For Your PC

If you own a Windows PC, there is a list of software that are must-haves and without which, it will be useless to have one in the first place.

Keeping this in mind, here are 4 types of software that you must have on your PC:

#1: Antivirus

Probably the biggest mistake you can make is connecting to the internet without any protection, in the form of an antivirus. It’s like leaving your front door open while on vacation with a sign saying ‘Expensive stuff inside. No one is home.” That said, there are a number of free antivirus programs that you can use to protect your data in the background. Best part: a number of them are free of cost.

#2: Malware scanner

Let’s accept the fact that an antivirus isn’t perfect at all. So, for your PC’s safety, it is a good idea to get a malware scanner to add a second layer of protection. One such option is Malware Bytes Anti-Malware. Scan your drive without fail every week or so.

#3: Backup program

A number of people don’t care about backup programs until they lose all their files due to a crash. There are a number of backup programs that are available online and for completely free of cost.

#4: Browser

Almost everything that we do these days has to do with browsing. While Windows offer Internet Explorer, there are a couple of other options such as Maxthon, Firefox and notably, Chrome that are free of cost and have been designed to enhance your browsing experience greatly.

Fastest Channels for Scaling a Lead Generation Business

Lead generation is one of the most common methods of affiliate marketing, and the business has become competitive. Smart marketers and newbies would do well to take advantage of channels that can quickly scale a campaign, building on your early success. Here are some of the fastest growing channels in lead generation.

Banner Advertising

It’s no secret that display advertising is a major contributor to successful affiliate campaigns. There was some debate as to whether CPM was still a relevant metric, but consider that major companies like MasterCard have listed CPM as one of five metrics that represent a clearer picture of the success of marketing campaigns. Display advertising is highly targeted, allows for retargeting, and is still available at budget prices for newbies looking to get in on the ground floor.

Email Marketing

Growing right out of banner advertising is email marketing. Because banners are targeted so well, marketers are able to capitalize on the lists they create through those efforts. You will not need to guess at the demographics of your list, nor will you need to gauge their motivation. This makes it easier for you to choose new campaigns to email to your existing list.

Scaling Tips

Once you have found the formula for success in buy-side platforms, you can branch out and explore other networks to build more traffic. Also consider SEO, which can bring you long term boosts for a minimal effort over time. Although paid advertising should be your largest source of leads, it doesn’t need to be your only opportunity.

Bio: Based out of Los Angeles, Ted Dhanik is a display marketer. Ted Dhanik began his career with MySpace.com and has also worked for LowerMyBills.com. Ted Dhanik teaches the concepts behind successful banner advertising campaigns online, through blogs and various media channels.

Building MEMS with E-Beam Evaporation

MEMS are an exciting new development in the world of microscopic machines.

MEMS stands for microelectronic machine systems, and they are tiny machines with a ton of purpose. MEMS are created from materials that measure between 1 and 100 microns in size, and generally get as large as about 20 micrometers. Thanks to techniques like e-beam evaporation, MEMS can be “grown” and manufactured fairly quickly.

Materials Used

The materials used to create MEMS are not unlike the same materials used to make semiconductors. Essentially, layers of copper or nickel are laid onto a silicon circuit board. Ceramic is also used sometimes, because of its high resistance against biocorrosion. Polymers also come into play when the device is intended for use in biomedical applications.

Physical Deposition

During the process of physical deposition, materials are removed from one substance and placed onto another. A thermal evaporation system is often used to evaporate one material, and layer it onto another. Extreme precision is required during this process, lest the heat damage one or both materials. Vacuum chambers are designed with this in mind, and use the enclosed space allows materials to deposit onto the substrate at the optimal temperature.

Final Thoughts

MEMS are a long way from becoming the futuristic nanomachines that sci-fi hints at, but they are seeing wider use in the medical world today. MEMS are already in use in disposable blood pressure sensors and other biosensors. This technology will soon monitor our bodies, and hopefully make repairs, all at a microscopic level.

Related Story: Medical Device Coatings Explained

Related Story: What is MEMS Technology?

Denton Vacuum, LLC sells optical coating systems for use in precision optics and laser coating. Shop for advanced manufacturing devices online at Denton Vacuum, LLC.

3 Ways to Access Your PC Remotely

Just because you have files on your PC, that doesn’t mean it is stuck and cannot be accessed on the go.

No matter where you are, there are a remote desktop solutions that you can use to access your files. Here are 3 of these solutions:

#1: Remote desktop

Remote desktop software such as TeamViewer allows you to access applications on your desktop over the internet. This software will work with tablets and phones too.

Set up a remote desktop server using TeamViewer as it is cross-platform, free of cost and is easy to use as well. Make sure you set it up for unattended access!

#2: Remote file access

You can TeamViewer too so as to access all your files no matter where you are. Select file transfer when you are connecting to a remote PC and you can access files either from your phone or your PC depending on where the files are located. Since the iPhone, iPad and Android apps have file transfer, you can download files from your PC to your tablet or smartphone too.

#3: Using Documents in the Cloud

Users can upload documents to Microsoft’s OneDrive, which is completely free of cost, and then use OfficeOnline to edit these documents. OneDrive has been integrated into Windows 8.1 and is also free for download for other versions of Windows too.

Take note that while Office for iPad will allow you to edit your documents easily, the same isn’t true for Office for Mobile since you would need to register with Office365.

How Cooling Helps IT Maintenance

 

IT workers worry about a lot. They worry about employees who bring their own devices into the corporate network, and introduce viruses from an unsecured connection. They worry about privileges for all levels of employees, and they manage all traffic that goes in and out of servers. IT maintenance is a big job, and to top it off they also need to do some of the work of an HVAC specialist. Data center cooling is an important part of IT maintenance, and it’s a major factor in keeping Internet infrastructure up and running.

Heat Generation

Computers naturally generate heat as energy is transferred from one place to another. The circuit boards generate ambient heat, which usually triggers fans to respond in order to try and cool things off. If there are many computers clustered together, like a server room, that heat can be difficult to dissipate. If too much heat accumulates, computers will shut down before they melt their internals. This is especially problematic for server rooms, which house computers that are perpetually up and running.

Server Cooling

There are several strategies to cooling a server room. A portable room air conditioner, for instance, is perfect for smaller companies that house less than ten server clusters. More robust cooling systems must be installed in larger server rooms, possibly incorporating fans for spot cooling purposes. Removing ceiling tiles is another method, but it’s more like a temporary fix than a solution you want to rely on.

Software Measures

Software installed on these servers can report rising temperatures to administrators, who can then make adjustments on the fly. It may not be a situation of residual heat, so much as it is related to complications with the machines themselves. When a machine becomes overloaded, it generates more heat as it attempts to clear out the processes it works with. Software would help to catch these problems within the operating system, and slow down the consumption of power.

Final Thoughts

Portable air conditioners are the most common form of server cooling you’re likely to find in the field. They are large enough to cool a small server room, and they can be moved to the areas that need it most. Used in conjunction with fans and other methods, and you can effectively cool a server room without spending too much on the prospect. Larger companies, however, will need to evaluate their needs and either host off-site or consider improvements to meet challenge of cooling several clusters of computers.

 

3 Ways to Share Files Using Sync 1.4

Just recently, Bittorrent released Sync 1.4, an peer-to-peer sharing app, that make sharing files and folders with others rather easy.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with Sync 1.4, here are 3 ways by which you can share files across your devices:

#1: Photos

Placing your photos on Google, Microsoft and Facebook and so on and so forth is easier when using this app. First, create a folder with a name of your choice and then add it to Sync 1.4 as well by selecting the Select folder and Add folder options. Make sure that whoever you share this with also has Sync 1.4 on their device.

#2: Music

If you don’t use Spotify or Google Drive for your music, Sync 1.4 can come in handy as well. Create a new folder and add it to Sync. Hover the mouse pointer over the shared folder and select QR Code. Leave it open.

Now download VLC from Google Play and open Sync from your Android phone. Go to Settings and Advanced and uncheck the Simple mode. Scan for the QR mode that was left open earlier while also adding the folder on your PC to your Android phone. From here on, any music you drop into that folder will also be available on your phone.

#3: Messages

You can also set up a basic messaging system using Sync where you can share files, messages as well as documents too. For this, start a folder titled “[Your Name] Inbox”. Add that folder to Sync and share it with friends and family. Just remember that whoever you share your inbox with will have complete access to its contents. In order to avoid this, you can create a number of folders for different people or use OpenPGP to encrypt these messages.

3 Common Ways to Keep Your Desktop as Clean as Possible

There are a number of ways by which you can use your desktop optimally but if you ask users, almost everyone of them will give you different answers.

 

Despite this, let’s look at 3 of the most common ways by which you can keep your desktop as clean as possible:

 

#1: The Taskbar

It’s best for you to hide the taskbar so that it appears only when you truly need it. For this, move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the taskbar and right-click to get the Properties window. Select the ‘Auto-hide the taskbar’ option accordingly and click Apply and OK.

 

#2: Files and shortcuts

First and foremost, all the shortcuts that you have on your desktop aren’t needed at all. You are better off pinning them to the task bar. As for files that cannot be categorized, create a junk folder where you can store these files too. After that, delete these files so that you can get a cleaner desktop.

 

#3: Recycle Bin

Not only can you clear up your desktop but hiding all icons from view by going to View>Show desktop icons but also clear up space by eliminating files from the Recycle Bin. First, you have to right-click a file and select Delete. Once this is done, then you can visit the Recycle Bin through File Explorer and Empty Recycle Bin as always.

 

Another way of clearing up space is limiting the amount of files that your Recycle Bin can hold – say, for example: 2 GB. The only thing you need to watch out for is deleting files that exceed that size.

4 Common Search Terms that You Can Use Google For

Using a couple of search tricks, which depends on how you enter your search terms, you can get certain types of information instantly from Google.

Bing has these options too but Google, as usual, has much more to offer in this regard.

That said, here are 4 common search terms that are useful on a day-to-day basis:

#1: Weather

If you’re headed to a particular city in your country or elsewhere and want to know how the weather is, all you have to do is type in the name of the city along with the word ‘weather’. Based on your findings, you can decide what kind of clothes to carry as well.

#2: Time zone

If you want to know what the time is in a particular or city, then all you have to do is type the city or country name along with the keyword time, and you should have it. Of course, if you two timezones at the same time, then you can add them to your taskbar instead.

#3: Calculator

Not only can you use Google Search as a calculator by typing simple mathematical operations but you can also find that entering simple questions about what you want to calculate also helps. In fact, people go as far as being lazy to type in question such as “What is 5 times 19.62 billion?” and get the right answer.

#4: Currency conversions

If you are traveling abroad, Google can also give you a good idea as to how much your currency is worth at the destination you are headed to. All you have to type is 100 USD to/in Indian currency. You can do this for any other type of recognized, and that includes BitCoin too.