3 Powerful Photo Editing Tools That You Have To Master

Every year few new photo editing software are introduced into the market. Each of them tries to give users new features, reduce complexity (or seem less technical), add effects and so forth to challenge rival photo editors. Here are three of the top photo editing tools which are used by veteran photographers and graphic designers.

1. Adobe Photoshop CC

We all got used to the yearly releases from Adobe where a new version number was generated and improvements made. But Adobe did not continue with this trend after Photoshop CS6; they gave us Photoshop CC. Photoshop is a giant among photo editors and it still reigns supreme among photo editing tools. However, Photoshop CC wasn’t received with open arms like its predecessors. This is because of Adobe’s policy to make the software available only via ‘Creative Cloud’ subscription service. The subscription will cost $9.99 per month but with it comes Adobe Lightroom and connects with Behance.

As much as some people were fuming at the compulsory subscription, Adobe Photoshop CC did not disappoint. It keeps getting better and better. Users now can enjoy Behance services directly from the app. Behance is a portfolio tool that helps artists, photographers and designers to promote themselves as well as their services. It is a product of Adobe. It uses an amazing DIY application called ProSite which helps creative photographers to build their own portfolio websites. With Photoshop CC, you can connect to Behance by simply going to File>Share to Behance. This way you can upload a finished project or a work in progress straight from the app. There are other amazing features in Adobe Photoshop CC such as:

Generator Technology

Those who have used Photoshop as their preferred photo editing tool will love this new feature. Generator is designed to enhance workflow and it makes it possible to create image assets as you work. It is as simple as adding a file extension to the name of the layer that you have created. Photoshop will then create a JPG, PNG or whatever other extension from that layer and when you change anything in the layer or layer group, it automatically updates it. Talking about efficient editing! This new helps you work faster and complete tasks in a shorter period.

3D Tools For 3D Image Editing

Previously, you have to pay more to get the Photoshop Extended Edition which has 3D editing capabilities. But now with Creative Cloud, you can access the Extended Edition. It has faster 3D tools and for the first time, it comes with downloadable sample 3D documents to kickstart your work.

Features such as the Fuse CC application are just mind-blowing. You can create human bodies and faces and customize up to 380 attributes (of the face). Adding clothing and textures to the generated images is also infinitely easier.

Good Tools For Web Designers

Web designers have a lot to gain from the new feature of Photoshop CC: the ‘CSS from layers’ feature. It is possible to generate CSS code for web design elements and copy and paste the code to your preferred web design software e.g. Dreamweaver. Just right click a layer (e.g. a shape) and select Copy CSS from the Context menu. It is also now possible to import colors from web files such as HTML and CSS. That color scheme that your favorite website dons can now be yours with this feature.

Additional Features For Efficient Editing

Upsampling just got easier. Low resolution images can be a nuisance to graphic designers. Changing the size of the image can lead to quality loss. In the past, one had to use external plug-ins to upsample an image. However, with Photoshop CC, you can do this directly from the app. The Filter Mode in Photoshop CC allows you to select multiple shapes and paths. It is also easier to pick layers from a multi-layer image.

2. GIMP 2.8

GIMP is a free open-source image editor that has been in existence for years. Linux users are familiar with GIMP which actually stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It competes with Photoshop on the same level but lacks some of Adobe Photoshop’s features. GIMP 2.8 was released after three years of hard work. Here are some features that make GIMP 2.8 the go-to photo editing tool for Linux as well as Windows and Mac users;

Friendly User Interface

For years, people have complained that GIMP is too technical and difficult to use. This has prompted them to adopt an all new user interface. You will find it easy to use with your everyday algorithms for photo editing. The panels for brushes, layers, paths, tools and so forth now look like the UI in Photoshop. How is this useful? Imagine that your subscription to Adobe’s Creative Cloud has expired and you need to do some quick work before you renew your subscription. It becomes very easy to do so with GIMP. Furthermore, you can remove tabs that you do not like by entering a command on the palette menu. Changing the UI is advantageous as it gives you what you want, where you want it.

Still on the topic of UI, there is the revolutionary feature that will put a smile across all editors’ faces. GIMP 2.8 incorporates a single-window mode which is optional. You can switch to either the default multi-window mode of the single window mode. This is achieved by putting the dialogs and images that can be docked in an image window with multiple tabs.

3D Editing With GIMP

Unlike in Photoshop Extended Edition, GIMP does not have 3D commands. It requires the use of special scripts which are included in the Generic Graphics Library (GEGL). These scripts help GIMP to become a super 3D editing tool. Photoshop can alternatively be scripted but most of the image transformations come from built-in commands. Having an open platform for 3D editing scripts makes GIMP a godsend for image processing experts.

Raw Editing With GIMP

Now this is where GIMP drops a few points. It does not have a feature for RAW processing. It requires you to download an external converter to do this. The best converter to use is UFRaw which is a plug-in. Currently UFRaw has been developed to be an application and is updated every now and then. UFRaw is very effective and has a lot of options for RAW photographs. The regular updates are to keep it in check and support new cameras that are being introduced. It is a bit more difficult to use than the Adobe Camera Raw but it offers the same functionality.

3. Photoscape

Photoscape is a favorite among photo editors and with an array of awesome features; it is easy to understand why. For instance, you can join photos into a strip or grid using the ‘Combine’ module. It is also possible to choose a grid layout for your photos. Photoscape has a page module which gives you over a hundred different layouts to choose from. After selecting the grid you like, you simply drag your photos into the partitions to make a collage.

Furthermore, almost everything in the collage can be adjusted. You can move an image, resize it, scale it, change the size of the layout, add rounded corners, margins and also add frames to your liking. Other modules which make Photoscape a good tool for editing include;

Photoscape’s Editor

Image adjustments are done through the editor module. It features a lot of adjustments that can be found on other image editors. Adjustments such as noise reduction, changing the color and tone are diversified to provide almost any possible transformation to an image. It also has a built-in converter for RAW files unlike GIMP where you need a separate one. Apart from this, it also incorporates a Color Picker which enables you to pick any color from the screen.

Here To Help

One outstanding quality of Photoscape is the simplicity it offers. It has many preloaded clip arts as well as cartoon animations and adjustments. One example is the batch editor which allows you to apply changes in the editor to many files at the same time. This is applicable to most of the functions such as resizing, frames, changing tone and color and many more. However, it also offers functionality e.g. with the superb crop tool which has the option to make a circular crop!

Extra Editing Tools

Most people who have used Photoscape are awed at the editing capabilities packed into the software without compromising on the quality or the ease of use. For instance, Photoscape has one of the best text editing tools of all editing software. Other features such as the AniGif are useful for creating GIF animations by combining many photos. The splitter is also another cool feature which allows you to cut an image into a grid with multiple images. Apart from having a printing feature to print picture layouts, it also has a useful feature to capture an image. It can capture the whole desktop or a section of your screen. This particular feature is useful for showing work in progress to a client.

 

Tips for Choosing Help Desk Software

 

A lot of small industries start off by running customer service through an email account. In any case, you don’t have that many patrons and you don’t have many hold up inquiries. Several companies can eke out a living with just a help desk that’s routed into a Gmail inbox—and personnel who constantly checks it as well as give support.

As time passes by and when the company grows, it takes more than a few recruits to keep an eye on the inbox and take action to all the requests. Now that’s when a business in general starts turning into an email management problems or a help desk. It takes time to respond to clients especially during peak seasons, and every now and then they receive multiple questions or sometimes none at all.

While creating folders on your desktop can be used to sort out a variety of requests, these folders don’t tender a way to allocate emails to agents, or show a high and low priority level or just run information. A starting company has no means to monitor the usefulness of its support processes as a result Things start to break down.

Don’t wait for this to happen! Using a help desk solution early on in your company’s life cycle can have an enormous payback later. Here are some few tips in choosing your help desk software:

1. Reporting – One of the main differences in managing your support in the course of email and organizing it through a support resolution is that you can with no trouble get the data you need. Observe how your agents are working, and obtain data like C-SAT, scores and consumer health indicators. You can furthermore track customer wants and preferences, so that you can use this information to make improvements to nearly every aspect of your company.

 

2. Multi-Channel Support.There’s without a doubt, we are existing in a new world of social media. Patrons don’t just call or email you if they need any help. They are also fast to log in to their social media accounts, like twitter and Facebook when they need an answer. You need to be flexible enough to know this, and be able to lend a hand from any channel of support. It’s in reality very significant to have a help desk solution that conveys email, phone, web, and social media sites into one comprehensible console so that you can flawlessly run cases from various channels.

 

 

3. Knowledge Base. A high-quality customer service elucidation will let you combine all of your help support knowledge in to a commanding knowledge database. It’s paramount to have a knowledge database that can be simply updated just by transferring content. Your support team can renew solutions without hiring a web programmer, and each person has the answers they need in any given situation.

 

4. Self-Service. Clients today are fond of using their phones and laptops to find information online, that’s why so it’s no shock that 72 percent would, to a certain extent use self-service than to pick up the phone or use email support online when they themselves can just find the solution online with just one click of a button. You really don’t need to be a big business with lots of assets to build an immense support portal. You just want a support system that allows you to allocate your knowledge base with clients.

 

5. Linking the apps that run your company feels like something that only huge businesses with expandable budgets can do. That’s not true! Nowadays using cloud-computing elucidations, it’s trouble-free for even just an undersized businesses to attach their customer service with a CRM scheme, or with everything from e-commerce to survey software’s to bug tracking. When you allocate serious data around your industry, everybody is a winner.

 

How to Master 5 Basic Cooking Skills That Everyone Should Know

Cook pasta, cook rice, or chop an onion are just some of the few things that one must know how to learn and do it in a kitchen. Preferably, I know that you would like to know how to master those skills so as not ruin the pasta, burn the rice, and cry while you are dicing that onion. Gordon Ramsey was able to show us the procedures or methods on how to master kitchen skill. It may seem a bit easy, but when you are doing it on your own, just make sure you remember all those tips.

How To Chop An Onion

 

Leave the root on because when you cut it, it will absolutely make you cry. Slice going forward and wait for the knife to do its work. Place your three fingers on the onion: one in front and two behind. Point the knife towards the root and try to get as close to the root as possible. Get a nice and long stroke when cutting the onion and then push the onion back together. Push the knife half-ways in and slightly near the root of the onion: one at the top and one at the middle. Next step would be to grip the onion like a tennis ball and hold it together in place while you are cutting the onion towards its roots.

 

How To Cook Rice Properly

 

Start off with 400 grams of rice. Rinse off the dust and starch with cold water. Place the rice into the pan. Cook the rice in a saucepan large enough to allow the heat evenly dispersed. Watch the clock or timer. Once the rice is done cooking, you should allow it to stand for at least 5-6 minutes with the lid on.

 

How To Skin And Debone Fish

 

Pick up a flexible knife; lift up the base of the tail and then just nick a little bit of the end of the tail. Twist the knife almost as if it is horizontal underneath the skin of the salmon. Pull the skin and you slice just underneath the skin. Get the skin and pull the salmon towards you while you are cutting it through. Once finished, just run your knife down and use a pair of tweezers to get the bones off the salmon.

 

How To Sharpen A Knife

 

The secret behind keeping a sharp knife is to sharpen it before and every time you use it. Sharpen it with a nice long stroke so that you can sharpen the whole knife. Start at the bottom of the knife until you reach the top.

 

How To Cook A Perfect Pasta

 

Bear in mind that pasta can be easily undercooked or overcooked. First, place water onto your nice and large pan. Add salt and olive oil in to keep the pasta from sticking together. Bring it up to a boil and then place your pasta into the pan by gentle twisting it while it softens. To test it, lift a little strand and see to it that it’s neither crunchy nor too soft inside.

Identity Theft Is No Small Problem: How to Protect Your Business

Identity theft in itself sounds pretty bad, but a lot of people do not have any idea what consequences they will receive once their identity has been stolen. It turns out that identity thefts steal not only personal identity such as name and address, but also credit card numbers as well as passwords of your email and social media accounts. To make the concept even clearer, they can control your access to the aforementioned platforms and in some occasions, identity thieves dig further to gain access to a lot more important things such as your social security number as well as your financial statements. After seeing all these facts, there is no doubt that identity thefts bear pretty serious consequences and you need to protect yourself as well as your business from such risks.

Here are a few tips on protecting your business (and yourself) from identity thefts:

Choose and Educate Your People

Choosing the right people apply to any size of businesses, but it will be more necessary to do in small to medium scale enterprises. Bear in mind that, employees in small to medium scale businesses often are given multiple jobs or tasks to do. They may be positioned in a specific job title, but because there are so many things to be done they will end up getting their hands in a few different numbers of fields. Some of them are being left to do work online, and the longer they are online it gives the higher chance for identity theft criminals to attack. You need to educate about the concept of identity thefts to the employees that spend a lot of time online, even if they are only posting updates on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. You can also remind them that posting the wrong things which are seemingly harmless online, such as “our clients come from a diverse background with an income range of approximately $250,000 per year”. Even though they are not essentially leaking your clients identity online, but they are now providing information that are alluring to identity theft criminals and hence you are more prone to be attacked.

Pick Secured Usernames and Passwords

Amongst a lot of things that can be done to protect your business from identity thefts, securing your username and password is one of them. Serving as the basic of enhancing your overall protection towards internet attacks, safeguarding your usernames and passwords can also help you to secure the more important information that are stored in your online accounts (that can be accessed with the aforesaid usernames and passwords). Moreover, you need to also make sure that you are not writing passwords on post-its for everyone to see, and you need to also grant only a limited number of employees for access to more vital online accounts such as to your bank statements or financial and billing services.

Examine Your Security Procedures

Last but not least, you need to reexamine your security procedure. Regardless of the fact that you have never been attacked by any identity theft criminals in the past few years, there is no harm in mapping up your security procedure game because prevention is always better than cure. In order to do so, you can always spend a bit of your income to install a strong cyber security tool, but internally you need to also educate and discuss with your employee regularly about identity thefts and its possible attacks (so that they will not leave a loophole in your online accounts or system). Moreover, you need to also obtain sufficient information and give them to the relevant employees, for example learn about tips and tricks on how to prevent Twitter or Facebook accounts from being snooped on and ensure that the employee who handles your social media account is aware about these tips and tricks.

 

Use Spotlight to Skip iTunes When You Want to Just Play a Single Song

A lot of Mac users are aware that pressing the Space button will launch any type of documents directly in the Finder search results without having to use any application. Pressing the Command button alongside the Space button? The Spotlight search box will appear and this too can also be used to search and launch various documents without having to open it in its corresponding applications. Spotlight is a desktop search feature which exists both in Apple OS X as well as iOS, where it essentially serves as a system-wide selection based search which will create an index of everything that is contained in the system.

Nevertheless, additional features in the newest OS X El Capitan include a Spotlight search that can be used to get weather reports, online videos, sports scores and schedules as well as stock quotes and stock market prices. Aside from these newest searches, Spotlight can also be used to search for a Wikipedia article as well as the address of the Apple Store that is nearest to you. These new “beyond the system” capabilities make Spotlight search even more powerful and worth using, as it now covers similar information that in the past can only be obtained by browsing in a search engine.

In addition, Spotlight is actually really useful when it comes to playing music in your Apple gadgets. If you need to play a song from your hard drive quickly without having to browse it amongst 5 thousand other songs in iTunes, Spotlight will be your hero. Although you can essentially play songs from Finder search result or with the Quick Look, these two platforms do not really provide the functionality to keep a song continuously playing in the background. However once you search for a song in Spotlight search of Mac OS X, you will be able to play it without having to open iTunes and it will continue on playing until you press the stop button.

The first thing that you need to do in order to carry out this process would be to make sure that the song you are searching for is part of your iTunes library or is contained in your Mac’s drive. Next, open the Spotlight search by simply pressing Command + Space, and then type the song’s title into the box. The search result will present you with an album art cover with a “Play” button in the middle, and you need to press it in order to play it. Once you press the “Play” button, the music will start and the button will turn into a “Pause” button, which you can always press whenever you want to pause the song. You can exit out of the Spotlight search and the song will remain playing in the background and you are now free to do other things with your Mac. Once you want to stop the song, return to the Spotlight search and then press the “Pause” button prior to exiting the Spotlight search. Another surprise for you, Spotlight can be used in a similar way for playing videos as well.

 

Gain a Competitive Advantage With Social Analysis Tools

On this new era of virtual technology where social media and other web development sites are ever evolving, going out your way by creating original content and advertisements as a way for your viewers to stay in touch with you online, has over the years grown to be a challenge for everyone. Right now, it is an essential part of advertising for brands both in big and undersized companies. A well maintained online social media site can well be a deciding factor to your business!

Hello and welcome everyone! This is Zeal Howen once again bringing you a view on how to gain a more competitive advantage by using Social Analysis tools! Let’s begin!

1. Facebook Analyzers

 

• BuzzSumo – first in our list is BuzzSumo, this site has a handful of tools that you can purchase for free or for a purchase price. One of its more important tools that you can use is its Facebook Page Analysis. You can use this tool to get a thorough assessment between your own Facebook page and that of other competitors. This tool gives you an option to add a whole list of pages to evaluate side by side, enabling you to get access on various pages at the same time.
• Fanpage Karma– This tool, Fanpage Karma, also gives its users a free version of its services. The free version is easy to use and it includes a feature that allows you to check your page and those of your competitors.
• LikeAlyzer – The next is this tool, this tool is somewhat more unique than the others because it offers something other tools don’t, and that is real explanations. The tool would actually tell you if your site is a little weak in a given area, it tells you exactly is lacking in that area and shows you on how you can improve it. if you want to compare your page to other competitors, just have a page of that competitor analyzed.

 

2. Tools for Twitter

• Twitonomy – Now for those people out there that just love to use Twitter, here is the app for you. Twitonomy is an Easy to use and very detailed, program (Twitonomy) that combines all the systematic data you require into one report dashboard. With this you can follow both your opponent and your own page, so you can always keep track on its activities. In addition, you can get insights on a whole lot from your twitter followers’ wants and desires to your own expansion.

 

• Tweetdeck – Next on the list is Tweetdeck, thisis a free tool and is one of the finest Twitter Tools around. With this you can keep an eye on a number of accounts and keywords through personalized boards.

Well if you are not an enthusiast of desktop apps, don’t worry; here are some tools you can use to find a substitute.

3. Analysis Tools

• Cyfe – This is a versatile advertising dashboard which is the most prominent social analysis tool used today. With Cyfeyou can position a different dashboard to pay attention to your competitors by means of the following widgets:
• Google Plus search
• Google alerts
• Twitter search

With its cheap paid version, you can insert an infinite number of widgets for numerous competitors and dissimilar search inquiry. With a bit of luck you probably you’ve heard about Cyfe and arranged your business with at most the 5 free widgets they offer.

• Klear – Part viable investigation tool, part analyzing software, Klearis probably one of the more complex of tools on this directory. The program is aimed to supply information on advertising which is immense for Twitter users. Nothing like other free campaign apps, Klear gives its main features for you exclusive of having to upgrade or buy their premium service.
• SEMRush – and finally, SEMrush afreshly added Analysis Tool that permits you to evaluate your social media sites with the pages of your foremost competitors. The greatest part: you can put up weekly information to be emailed to you, in order for you to keep track your development against your competitors.

Three Myths About Sparkling Water, Debunked

Bubbles make something that is relatively boring and monotonous to become more exciting. With the rise of home soda makers, a lot of people are favoring fizzy bubbly sparkling water rather than the still. A lot of experts have expressed their concerns with regards to regular consumption of sparkling water, but it cannot be denied that the effervescent attribute of sparkling water makes it more refreshing and delicious compared to regular still water. Moreover, sparkling water is seen to be a healthier alternative to its sugary counterpart – sweet and colorful soda drinks.

However, numerous myths that revolve around sparkling water and its detrimental effects are completely baseless and fabricated. For that reason, here are three sparkling water myths debunked and explained so that you do not have to feel guilty about drinking it any longer:

Culprit of Calcium Depletion

There is a famous saying that carbonated drinks of any type, which include sparkling water, can actually leach calcium from your bones. Nobody knows how this myth got popular, but eventually some people really believe that carbonated drinks can leach calcium from the bones and hence increase risk of osteoporosis. A study conducted by Harvard Medical School has shown that cola soft drinks are interrelated to low bone mineral density in older women, but this does not apply to other types of carbonated beverages such as sparkling water. As a conclusion, carbonation cannot be blamed as the main culprit of calcium depletion of the bones because the men in the study did not experience similar effects.

Moreover, another study conducted by the Creighton University School of Medicine also confirms that carbonation is not the prime suspect of bone calcium leaching process. The ones to blame for the calcium depletion process were actually caffeine and phosphoric acid contained in cola drinks, making sparkling water to be completely safe for consumption when it comes to calcium in the bones. One disclaimer though: replacing other calcium-rich drinks such as milk with sparkling water obviously can cause you to be calcium deprived; so as a conclusion, sparkling water should be drank in moderation together with other healthy drinks.

Does Not Hydrate, But Rather Dehydrate

Sparkling water – also known as carbonated water, soda water or seltzer water – is basically plain water added with an infusion of carbon dioxide. It is slightly more acidic than plain still water because the process of dissolving carbon dioxide into the water will produce carbonic acid as a byproduct. Pure sparkling water is not added up with sugar, calories, caffeine, minerals or vitamins, but a lot of other carbonated water types such as tonic water and club soda may consist of additional aforementioned elements.

Sparkling water is known to be a great alternative for people who dislike the plain and slightly tangy taste of tap water. The debate, however, lies on the topic of whether sparkling water can actually keep you hydrated throughout the day. Some people have stated that sparkling water actually does the opposite: it causes dehydration rather than hydration. Nevertheless, this myth is completely baseless and untrue because sparkling water can be just hydrating as regular still water.

Erosive Agent To Your Teeth Enamel

This myth is actually true, because sparkling water does erode the teeth’s enamel but it is not as bad as what has been reported in the internet. What causes sparkling water to be a bit erosive to the teeth would be its carbonic acid – the byproduct caused by dissolving carbon dioxide into the water through low temperature and high pressure. As a result, sparkling water is indeed more corrosive than normal still water because of its lower pH acidity level, but it is not as acidic and corrosive as soda. In spite of that, sparkling water is no more damaging than orange juice. So unless you consume sparkling water for a very long period of time without brushing your teeth, you do not have to worry about your teeth being significantly eroded by the consumption.

 

Get More Out of Your Museum Experience by Avoiding “Museum Fatigue”

Going to museums is not that fun and enjoyable if you have to spend most of your time inside the museum itself. To make it more fun and enjoyable, what you need to do is to spend lesser time inside of the museum and spread it out in some other time so that you can avoid museum fatigue. According to Jeremy Anderberg of the famous Art of Manliness, the so-called museum fatigue is something like a phenomenon which normally occurs after you have been exploring and viewing a museum for several hours. This is why Jeremy Anderberg recommends to most people who are visiting the museum that they should only spend a few hours inside the museum. It is highly recommended that one should take several visits instead of just one so that you can really experience and absorb the things and knowledge which the museum offers.

Below are just some of the tips which can use so as to avoid museum fatigue during your trip.

 

Purchase Tickets Ahead Of Time

 

When you are on a trip, you should always remember that when you have “visit the museum” schedule on your itinerary, purchasing your tickets ahead of time will give you more time to choose and fix your schedule. Purchasing your tickets, especially online, ahead of time or before you leave the comfort of your home will help you avoid the hassle of long lines just to purchase a ticket. You can even avoid any sticker shock when you buy your tickets online. However, you must bear in mind that when you purchase tickets online, the downside here is that you will have to incur expenses on the processing few which would probably cost you a few dollars. It’s between comfort or convenience and spending a few dollars, it is your choice.

 

Avoid Crowded Times

 

When you are planning to have a museum experience, it is probably best that you should visit the museum or purchase tickets during the dates which are not the most crowded times. You should remember not to purchase tickets with dates falling on a weekend since this is the busiest times. Most families go to museums during weekends since it is the only time that the family is complete without any worries about work or school. In order to avoid museum fatigue, it is highly recommended that you should avoid the most crowded times so that you can fully experience and take in whatever knowledge the museum can offer.

 

Plan Every Detail

 

In order to avoid museum fatigue, you can plan every detail that you can and fix the time and date to visit the museum. Divide the portions or alleys of the museum so that you won’t miss and portion of the museum. Aside from avoiding museum fatigue by spending less time inside and going back another time or day, you will be able to fully absorb and feel the real museum experience without any stress or fatigue. By planning every detail you can think of, you can also find discounts on your tickets; see special exhibits, programming, and other events. You can even ask for a guided tour so that you won’t be getting a hard time on which way you need to proceed.

 

No one can deny the fact that there are museums which can be very intimidating. There are even museums which are frequently sprawling and expensive. This is why Emilee Richardson of the Science Center of Iowa gave the above-mentioned tips to maximize your museum visit. The most important tip so that you can avoid museum fatigue, intimidation, or hassle in visiting museums is that you should plan ahead of time.

 

 

“It’s Better to Want Than to Owe”

All of us have experienced those impulsive shopping time where we seem to buy (usually) expensive things that, to be honest, we do not really need. Even though it is okay to go with what your impulse desires every once in a while, you need to be able to control your shopping urges. One of the things that you need to always remember would be that “It’s better to want than to owe”, because a lot of time people stretch their finances thin to buy stuff that they extremely want regardless of whether they need it or not. If not controlled carefully, this spending habit will definitely cause financial trouble, and to prevent that from happening, here are some tips which you can refer to whenever you are in doubt:

Think About Financial Margin

If you are one of those persons who seem to always be spending the time trying to sort out how to pay credit card bills (especially which one to pay first while figuring out plans to pay the others perhaps within a week), you may consider cutting back on your spending habit in order to feel something that is called a financial margin. Having a financial margin in your life is actually really nice and relaxing. Instead of living from one paycheck to another, you will understand that it is possible to spare some money out of your monthly salary and be worry-free when it comes to handling emergency expenses and needs because you have this reserve money on hand. It actually helps you to reach a financial freedom, where you will be able to manage money efficiently regardless of how much you may earn per month.

Deal With The Urge Knowingly

Remember that, even though you are the biggest cause and contributor to those impulsive shopping sequences, there are different kinds of strategy that stores use to trick your brain into buying their products. This includes placement of product and color selection amongst others. Stores choose attractive and eye-catching popping colors not only to their products but to the price tag as well. You may realize that most of the time the price tags incorporate red color, which has been proven to increase the chance of taking action and hence it is commonly used for sale signs and advertisements. Stores also put their products in such a way that you will have to walk around to get the stuffs that you really need, where they put items on platforms that are easy to reach which will encourage you to actually touch them. Take note that, once you pick something up, you will become more associated with the object and hence it is more likely that you will buy it. Resist these tricks, and deal with your urge consciously for example by bringing a shopping list.

Calculate Your Total (Impulsive) Spending

Go through all of the stuffs that you have (which also helps to declutter), and put aside things that are resulted from your impulsive shopping trips or the things that you did not really need but ended up buying anyway. Start writing down how much you spend for each of the time, and if you do not remember the exact price you can always estimate and after you are done with all these stuffs, add the numbers together. You will then see how much your spending habit can actually cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually. To make it more painful by counting down your hourly salary and then divide your previous total spending amount by your hourly salary to really see how much time it took for you to actually “earn” these things.

 

 

Six Car Safety Sensors You Should Always Keep Clean During Winter

You want your car to be in perfect condition year after year; however, like any other vehicle or device, a car also needs regular servicing to keep working smoothly. A car’s safety sensors are like your heart – they are an indicator of things going wrong within the car, and smart drivers want to know the safety features a car has to offer. Car safety seniors warn you of hazards and then activate accident avoidance processes such as air bags. And what about sensors and the use of radar? Nowadays with cruise control you can adjust the throttle and brakes so that you always keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.

Car safety sensors such as the cruise control, when not working, can’t contain a constant speed? Dust, snow, water – these are common problems that can prevent your cruise control system from functioning properly. Designed to make highway driving less tiring, it is important that this car safety sensor is working properly as it allows you to choose a speed and then remove your foot off the accelerator pedal.

 

A car has many sensors, and there is plenty of information on the role of the sensors and how they work and what ranges they operate in and most importantly where to find them when you want to clean them. Left to their own devices year after year, and particularly in winter with all that sludge, without maintenance, you render these important safety sensors useless. We take a look at another 6 safety sensors you should at least be keeping clean by using safe cleaning fluids during winter and summer.

Blame Dirt for Many Malfunctioning Car Parts

The Oxygen- or O2 sensor is a component of your car, and part of the emissions control system. It helps to reduce the emissions your car is giving off. Oil and coolant can build up and cause the sensor to malfunction. When it is dirty, it can also reduce fuel efficiency. You also get the wheel speed sensor, and a dirty ABS wheel sensor can result in the system triggering the ABS light with the ABS computer’s self evaluation cycle.

The Coolant sensor is found on the cylinder head and if it is using more gasoline than usual or you’ve got a smoking exhaust, these are indicators of a defective coolant sensor. The Mass airflow sensor can also have dust and contaminants coming into contact with the heating element and preventing it from working. Lastly, the Throttle position sensor transmits information about the position of your throttle to the electronic control module. Dirty and malfunctioning, it will relay bad data to your car’s computer and result in poor fuel economy.

New Season – New Beginnings

Remember, that when you’ve been driving on slushy roads, your car needs to be cleaned and it is recommend you take it to a professional mechanic and really have it cleaned – for safety’s sake.