Category: Technology

How to Beat Internet Latency in Rural Areas

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Latency can be one of the most aggravating things to experience while using the Internet. This is especially true if you work from home or enjoy online gaming. Rural town residents are likely familiar with the bothersome delays and lagging caused by latency. Rural areas are prone to latency for several reasons.

First, the distance between a device and an Internet service provider’s servers can play a factor in latency. Because of rural areas’ separation from major hubs of tech and industry, this distance can play a part in the ping rate. Secondly, satellite Internet service providers are among the most popular companies selling Internet for rural areas. Even the best satellite Internet service providers use satellites in the atmosphere to provide Internet signals for their customers. Because of the aforementioned distance issue, nearly all satellite providers suffer from high levels of latency.

If you’d like to avoid latency issues interfering with your work or entertainment, there are several things you can do. First, you can switch from a satellite Internet provider to a mobile rural Internet service provider. Since mobile Internet providers such as UbiFi use cell towers scattered abundantly throughout rural America, they can overcome the distance issue and greatly reduce your Internet connection’s latency. Second, you can switch from a wireless to a wired connection. UbiFi and other mobile Internet providers provide equipment that is also compatible with wired connections. UbiFi specifically allows up to 4 devices to connect to its network through LAN cables. Lastly, you can check if any obstructions or interference are blocking your Internet device from accurately receiving a signal. Sometimes, the most practical solution is the best one.

What is the pillar content strategy?

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Blog provided by Electric Kitten

The most common feature amongst the most successful content driven websites are pillar content. Take any website you like that has a focus on content and you will find large expansive articles that focus on a single high-level topic. That is an example of pillar content. Early blogging courses online laid out a plan for beginners that always insisted on at least four pillar articles before launch. Leave out pillar content and you stand to lose out on a lot of traffic and revenue. Adopting a pillar content strategy is a lot of work but is both easy and rewarding.

Begin the process by picking a topic, and most importantly, find out absolutely everything that people want to know about that topic. This part is critical. We do not want an expansive article that covers everything. We want it to cover everything that people look for online. Basic keyword research will get you a list of sub-topics.

Now create the pillar content with a basic intro and then cover each subtopic in as much detail as necessary for it to be useful to the visitor. Always include the links, citations, and credit for any supporting information used for your conclusions and statements. Creditability increases greatly when claims are backed by studies or reputable sources.

Now that you know what pillar content is, it is time go out there and put it into practice. With the right pillar content, you will see increases in traffic, revenue, and user engagement.

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Threat modelling 101

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Blog provided by Electric Kitten

At its most basic level, threat modelling is the process of going through all IT systems in an organization, listing threats, and coming up with mitigations. In a sense, it is about identifying all possible issues and putting things in place to make sure you can recover quickly or prevent them altogether. Let’s look at a more detailed version of the process.

Step 1

The most important part of the process is identifying all systems. If you miss one, you leave a potential gap for future failure that can affect one or more of your other systems. Part of how you negate that risk is to include people from all departments as part of the first step. The systems in question can be internal or external, physical, or virtual, hardware or software. Get this step right and this process will be a success.

Step 2

Now that you have a list of systems, start looking at all the threats and risks associated with that system. You could have a web app to handle transport requests. That could potentially be attacked, hacked, or defaced. Those could be three different threats for each with the result being a denial of service.

Step 3

Now that you have a list of threats, start putting mitigations next to those. If you have mitigations in place, that is great, if not list possible mitigations. When organizations do this process the first time, the list can be quite large, so it is important to prioritize your mitigations. Commercial enterprises can assign dollar values to the threats to make it easier and less political when assigning priorities.

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Look for These Entertainment Financing Deals on Cyber Monday

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Blog provided by Curacao

Hi-tech entertainment products may be pricey, but Cyber Monday can be the perfect time to save on these products through online shopping. If you’re looking to finance products through monthly increments, here are a few things to put on your entertainment shopping list.

Streaming Media Players

Streaming media players such as Apple TV or Google Chromecast can provide hours of movies, TV shows, and other great content for your viewing pleasure.

Video Game Consoles

If you’ve always wanted to dive into the world of console gaming, Cyber Monday can be a great time to look for Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch consoles and games. Check GameStop for Cyber Monday console deals.

Gaming Computers

Game consoles aren’t the only high-powered machines capable of providing a quality gaming experience. Look for gaming desktops and laptops from brands such as Acer, MSi, and Dell’s Alienware brand.

Televisions

It’s become a Cyber Monday tradition to look for the latest televisions at a discount. You’ll be able to find high-definition TVs, smart TVs, and other cutting-edge flat-screen televisions during the online sales.

Wireless Headphones

If your preferred method of entertainment is listening to music, a pair of Beats wireless headphones or Apple Airpods may be the most worthwhile purchase on Cyber Monday.

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Habits That Will Bring Balance to Your Work Life

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Summary: When you are in the office you want to be able to work at the top of your game. A lot of what goes into becoming more productive comes from what you do outside of the office.

The workplace can get stressful and it can seem like each day you are presented with a new set of challenges to take on. Keeping that in mind, being able to work smarter is a skill that can ultimately make your work life more manageable. Develop these habits outside of the office to become a more efficient employee.

Leave Your Work in the Office

Constantly thinking about work might seem like a good way to become a better employee but it is surprisingly counterproductive. If you are still thinking about the challenges you faced at work and brainstorming what you will do tomorrow, after you have already justify the office, you will not have a chance to let your mind rest. By leaving work-related materials and thoughts in the office you are allowing your mind to recharge. This can actually help you come up with more creative and effective solutions when you return to work.

Exercise Regularly

Staying active is one of the most underrated things you can do out of the office. Working out can increase blood flow throughout the body, strengthening your muscles and mind. Lifting weights or jogging for as little as twenty minutes can drastically boost your mood and critical thinking abilities.

If you live close to your office, try walking or cycling to work a few days out of the week. This might be slower than simply driving to the office but the exercise can energize you. This is especially important if a good portion of your work day is spent sitting behind a desk.

Blog submitted by Constant Technologies, Inc.: Network operation center desks are sophisticated and can drastically simplify certain aspects of your organization’s workflow. If you are interested, get in touch with ConstantTech.com today.

Workflow Tips for Laptop Users

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Summary: Laptops are perfect for the employee on the move. Finding a way to incorporate your laptop into your workflow can make you a more productive person.

One of the main goals of a business is to make a profit. There are so many different ways this can be achieved, from the kinds of products and services you sell to the techniques you use during regular operations. Finding ways to become more profitable is essential to any business because it will influence how big your company will grow, the kind of products you will be able to offer, and the kinds of opportunities you will have.

If you are constantly traveling then having a laptop can be tremendously helpful. Having the freedom to work anywhere can help you make the most out of your busy schedule. Following some workflow techniques can be just what you need.

External Monitor

When you are out of the office you are confined to your laptop screen. When you are in the office your laptop screen might not be big enough for the work you need to do. Fortunately, most modern laptops can connect to external monitors via an HDMI or Thunderbolt 3 port. This can allow you to instantly increase your screen real estate, allowing you to work with bigger windows or have multiple apps visible at once.

Portable Battery

One of the main benefits of working on a laptop is having the freedom to move around. You could be working at your desk one moment and taking care of business at a cafe the next. You can buy a large portable battery that you can store in your backpack, allowing you to charge your laptop whenever.

Blog submitted by Constant Technologies, Inc.: Video wall integration has never been easier. ConstantTech.com can help you incorporate high-tech solutions to improve your company’s operations.

What Purpose Do Command Centers Serve?

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Summary: Command centers are much more than just another room in an office. These centers serve as central hubs for large and small businesses.

In order for any company to succeed, plenty of things have to be on the right track. Any sustainable business needs much more than just a good idea. Communication and execution are arguably more important, as solid cooperation can lead to flexibility when challenges inevitably arise.

A key component of executing a vision and working towards a goal is keeping team members both informed and on the same page. Command center consoles are high-tech environments that can do just that via provide streamlining solutions.

Increased Productivity

Today, many businesses operate online and carry out their operations through digital means. As a result, it is not uncommon to be working with a lot of information. Analyzing the data and statistics on a company can give employees an idea of how the business is doing. A command center can act as a central location for critical information coming from many different sources, making it possible to stay up-to-date with ease.

For example, a command center for a broadcast company may have an LED video wall with all of the camera feeds. Having this all in one location can make it easy for employees to pinpoint any issues with the broadcast and ultimately make informed decisions.

More Collaboration

Another benefit of having a command center in your office is that it encourages and facilitates the process of collaborating with coworkers. These centers, provided by professional providers, can put crucial information from all departments at anyone’s fingertips. This type of availability and transparency can lead to individuals working together to tackle problems brought to their attention.

Ergonomic Furniture: Does it Improve Efficiency?

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Summary: Ergonomic furniture has its pros and cons. But, is it useful in the tech industry?

One of the many questions business owners are asking is whether or not ergonomic accessories are worth the investment. There’s no simple yes or no answer. It actually depends on the type of environment that you have in your command center.

Improved Posture and Improved Comfort

Ergonomic chairs are designed for users that require a more comfortable chair under their operations center desks that keeps their spine aligned and postured. Does it directly impact performance? It may, depending on the user. For instance, if an operator were to suffer from chronic back pain and used an ergonomic chair, it may reduce the overall amount of pain he or she is suffering from, therefore impacting his concentration levels.

A Happier Environment

A psychological factor that plays a large role in efficiency is the happiness of your employees. If they’re treated fairly and spoiled to ergonomic chairs, it may increase their productivity. However, there’s no guarantee that it will, but studies have shown that happier employees are prone to higher efficiency when on the job.

While it may be great to provide you employees with something new every once in a while, you have to consider limitations as well. The purchase itself isn’t going to turn your company into a powerhouse, but it’s the gesture that helps. Listening and changing their environment may make them happier, but you also have to combine this with a solid work plan to go with it. Most A/V integrators claim a more efficient workplace will improve employee productivity. The less tools the employee has to work with, the more sluggish he or she will become.

How to Increase Efficiency Through Staff Management

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Efficiency has to be one of the most important factors when it comes to operating and managing a command center. However, today’s centers are plagued with poor management, improper equipment like a poor video wall with 24/7 monitoring that doesn’t even work, and ineffective staff management. Now, all of these problems can be solved relatively easily – assuming the situation hasn’t spiraled out of control. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Make the Unpopular Decision

There are times where you need to evaluate the situation and approach it in a manner where you have to take control of your staff. Are the specialists performing their duties in an efficient manner? Do they require additional training? Is your organization finding success through the command center? There are thousands of questions that you could ask, but when it comes down to it, you’ll want to make sure that your specialists are doing their job.

If they’re not, you might have to either make the decision to provide additional training or even go as far as replacing them with someone that’s more efficient. Yes, it may be the unpopular choice but you have to consider the fact that one mistake could be detrimental for your entire organization.

Devise a Training Schedule

If you’re implementing new hardware and software and are not looking to hire new employees, you might want to consider creating a training schedule that covers every aspect of the new operation that you’re implementing. Now, while you’re at it, you could cover other topics that need to be addressed, which will give you a chance to essentially retrain your specialists. Additionally, you can also opt for the route of completely revamping your command center by contacting an A/V integrator to assist in any modifications that are needed.