Infographic: A Look Inside the Accounting Industry

Although dying industries such as newspaper publishing and sales CD recording struggle to survive, the accounting industry continues to grow. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the accounting industry projects 22 percent job growth in between 2008 and 2018. Small businesses and large corporations need accountants to reconcile transactions and sales to generate year-end fiscal reports for the tax season. Troy Group, a provider of QuickBooks check printing software, has created the following infographic to take a look inside of the world of accounting.

This infographic shows that there are at least 89,000 accounting firms established in the United States with most them providing auditing services. Since individuals and businesses are always in need of an accountant for financial purposes, it’s not surprising to see that there is an average of five employees working in most accounting firms with revenue of $154,500 generated per employee.

Thanks for checking out this infographic, and please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or questions with us.

© 2013 TROY Group, Inc.

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Signing Mobile Contracts - What You Need To Know

If you're looking to get a new mobile phone, then you're going to need to choose a mobile service operator. Knowing which operator to go for, what kind of contract to sign and all the ins and outs of how mobile service works can be important in saving you money. So today we're looking at everything you need to know about signing mobile contracts. If you're just getting started in this process, then read on to find out what your options are.

• Decide on an Operator

There are plenty of mobile service operators on the market in the UK. Many of them are similar. The first thing you need to do is find out who has good coverage in your area, if you don't have good coverage you'll find that you have call quality problems and your phone might not function at all. Go to the OFCOM web site and check out their coverage map. After that, you can choose an operator based on which company offers you the best price for the kind of plan you want.

• Choose a Calling Plan...

You have a few options here. If you're a light mobile user, calling for around thirty minutes a week, sending three or four text messages a day and using mobile internet just for email and looking up directions, then you'll be best off with a pay as you go plan. Just go to a mobile operator who has good coverage in your area (prices are fairly similar for pay as you go amongst all operators) buy a SIM card and put credit on your card, and you're ready to go. But more moderate and heavy users will need to choose the best calling plan. You need a good estimate of the amount of calling minutes you use per month, the amount of text messages you send per month and the amount of mobile data you need. If you have old mobile bills you can use these to find out what your monthly usage looks like. If you don't, you might want to consider getting a pay as you go plan for a couple of months, just to see how you use your phone and what kind of calling plan you're going to need.

• Incentive Plan or SIM Only Contract...

Now you need to decide if you want an incentive plan or a SIM only contract. An incentive plan will give you a calling package with calling minutes, text messages and mobile data, and will also give you a mobile phone, usually for free but sometimes for a small down payment. A SIM only contract will give you just the SIM card you need for service and a calling package. Monthly prices for incentive contracts will be more expensive than monthly prices for SIM only contracts, since this is how the operator can afford to give you a free or discounted mobile phone. If you already have a phone, or wish to buy one yourself, then you should look at SIM only contracts. If you don't have a phone, and don't have the cash to buy one for full price immediately, you'll want to look at incentive contracts. You don't usually save money buying a phone over an incentive contract, in fact, you often pay more for the phone over your contract than you would if you bought it yourself. But incentive contracts offer the convenience of buying a phone through an installment plan.

• Smartphone Deals...

If you decide not to sign an incentive contract and you don't already have a phone you can take advantage of one of many smartphone deals to get the phone you need more cheaply than through a mobile operator. The best smartphone deals tend to be either refurbished phones- which you can buy direct from the manufacturer's web site of the phone you want, or simply going to a phone retailer that has a good sale. There are a lot of good deals and good prices around if you do a little research and spend some time choosing what you want.

• Contract Length...

When you sign a mobile phone contract you'll be given a choice over the length of time you want to sign up for. Most companies have both twenty four month and twelve month contracts, and some companies also have eighteen month contracts. SIM only contracts can sometimes be signed for just thirty days, but this option will not be available on incentive contracts. Usually, the longer the contract you sign the cheaper your monthly price will be. But remember that signing a long contract ties you to using one network, and often one calling plan, for a lengthy period of time. You can end a mobile contract early, but you will pay a fee for doing so. Generally, mobile operators charge a fixed fee multiplies by the number of months that are remaining on your contract in order to terminate that contract. So if you think you might want to switch networks, or you're not sure that you've chosen the right calling plan for you, then you might want to think about signing a shorter contract.

• Be Sure You Are Eligible...

In order to sign a mobile contract you must actually be eligible to sign contracts in the UK. This means that you must be a formal UK resident (not necessarily a citizen) and over the age of eighteen. Most major mobile service operators will also require that you undergo a credit check. They will allow you to sign the contract, but should you fail a credit check they will then rescind the contract. If you won't pass a credit check then you won't get a mobile contract, it's that simple. For people who are ineligible to sign a contract, you will have to use a pay as you go programme to get service for your phone. This will mean paying slightly higher prices, but you will have no other option if you can't sign a contract.

Finding great smartphone deals is very easy for Phil Turner.  All he does is turn to uSwitch, the price comparison service that shows him just how much he can expect to pay with each provider.

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Do You Really Need Optical Fibre Broadband?

Fibre optic broadband is something that more and more people are considering getting. However, you have to consider whether or not you actually need to have fibre optic broadband. To determine this you need to know what fibre optic broadband is. You also need to know about the benefits and drawbacks that come with it.  Once you know this you will be able to determine whether or not this type of broadband connection is the right one for your needs.

What is Fibre Optic Broadband?
The first point that you need to know is what fibre optic broadband is. The most common type of broadband in the UK is ADSL. This runs on the copper cables of the telephone network. Fibre optic broadband is different because it runs on separate cabling, which is the fibre optic cable network. This is often linked to the TV cables that enter the house; think Virgin Media. This is the reason why optical fibre broadband is also known as cable broadband in the US and sometimes in the UK. There are two ways that you can get fibre optic broadband, and they are FTTH and FTTC. FTTH means that the fibre optic cable that the broadband connection runs on will be travelling into your home.

The FTTC connection means that the fibre optics runs to the cabinet in the street and then the broadband connection will be brought into the house using the copper cables of the phone network. It is important that you find out which of these connections you are going to be getting. When you do this you will be able to determine the costs of the broadband and the full benefits that you are able to get.

The Benefits of Fibre Optic Broadband
There are a number of benefits that you are able to get from fibre optic broadband that you need to know about. The first benefit is that you will be getting faster speeds with the broadband connection. Fibre optic broadband does not degrade over long distances like ADSL.This means that you are able to get the speeds you need regardless of the distance your home is from the phone exchange.

Another benefit of fibre optic broadband is that you are going to be getting a more stable Internet connection that is more suited for heavy use broadband. The ADSL copper wires were not made with broadband in mind. This means that the connection is not as stable as it should be. Fibre optics was created with the idea of fast and stable data transmission in mind. This means that the overall broadband connection that you have will be more stable than any other. The last benefit that you should consider with fibre optic broadband is the fact that you will not need to have a phone line if you have FTTH. This can save you money as you will not have to pay for a phone line.

The Drawbacks of Fibre Optic Broadband
While there are a number of benefits that come with fibre optic broadband there are also a number of drawbacks that you need to know about. The first drawback is the cost of the package.  Fibre optic broadband will generally cost more per month than ADSL broadband.  Of course, when you take into account the phone line rental then the fibre optic package may work out to be the same. However, this is only accurate when you are getting fibre optic broadband that does not require a phone line. Another drawback to fibre optics is that the network infrastructure is not as far reaching as it should be. Around half of the country will not be able to get fibre optic broadband. There is a roll out plan that will have most of the country covered, but this will take time. This means that you may not be able to get fibre optic broadband in your area.

Should You Get Fibre Optic Broadband?
Fibre optic broadband is not something that all consumers actually need. You need to carefully consider whether or not this is the right option when you look at the broadband that you are able to get.  When you consider the connections and packages you have to look at a few things. You need to consider whether or not you need the speeds of fibre optic and you need to consider why you are looking at this connection to start with.

The primary attraction of fibre optic broadband is the speed that you are going to be getting. However, fast speeds cost money and you need to determine whether or not you actually need this. To determine your speed needs you have to look at the number of broadband users who are going to be connecting to the broadband. You also have to consider what they are going to be doing with the connection. The more people using the connection, the more the speeds are going to be distributed. This means that if you have a lot of people connected you need to have high speeds so that everyone is able to connect properly. Of course, the speeds that you need will depend on what the people do online. If you are doing graphic design on your Mac, broadband may need to be fast to deal with the software and upload requirements of the activity.

Why you are looking at fibre optic broadband should also be considered.  If you are looking at this broadband because you are unhappy with the speeds that you are getting then you first need to determine if you are getting the speeds that you should be. It could be that you can improve your existing connection. You also need to see if fibre optic speeds are what you really need.

If you are looking at fibre optic broadband because you are dissatisfied with the service you are getting then you should consider some of the other packages. The service that you get may not be linked to the package you have and more to the provider that you are using. Upgrading to fibre optic may not change the service that you are getting. Fibre optic broadband may not be the best option for you. There are a number of factors that you have to consider when you look at this connection and whether or not you should be getting it. If you decide that this connection is right for you then you should use a comparison website like uSwitch to find the best deals.

Phil Turner has multiple computer devices in his home so he needed to find a heavy use broadband package. He visited sites such as uSwitch.com for more information and found a great deal.

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The Burning Question: How Can I become an iPhone Developer?

If you are in anyways related to the programming or development filed and are planning to move to towards iPhone development, and then there are some other considerations also other than having grip over basic programming skills. As you know that the iPhone applications and software market is booming significantly, and new updates and additional plug-ins are launched almost every day. If you can quickly compare the iPhone application of today with that installed in iPhone 2 or 3, then you will surely find a significant difference in many respects.

It is because of the fact that not only the exterior and interior hardware of the device is changing, it’s processing and adaptability is also changing significantly and speedily. For this reason, programmers with obsolete knowledge of applications and games are no more welcomed in the field of developing, and they are required to upgrade their programming toolbox and knowledge. Some of the basic things, from the many, that you will require to get command over for becoming an iPhone app developer are as under:

Get a Mac Device

Mac is a type of operating system that all Apple devices use, including the iPhone. It is like a backbone of Apple, and therefore, you need to have command over this operating system, and not just the one you are using currently. Windows is a common operating system and it is able to perform almost any job using this operating platform, but iPhone development. All your programming and other development skills will be tested on the Mac operating system and you will have to be aligned to all upgrades in the Mac OS.

Command over SDK

Do you think that object oriented programming is enough to be an iPhone app developer? Think again then. There is a command toolkit for every device that carries a set of programming protocols. This can be considered as the special language for that particular device, which carried some codes and variables that apply to the particular device only. For this reason, other than your command over C language, Java or any other programming language, you will have to learn the software Development Kit (SDK). For testing and implementing the language protocols, you will need the Mac system, and this gain defines the importance of having a Mac device.

App Submission

You app will not be registered until you sent a file of it to the Apple app store for submission. The company wants to ensure that your application does not have any offensive or inappropriate content or images that can dilute the repute of the company. There are a number of applications that have been released without permission of Apple, but such applications can be banned at any time, and the developer or the sponsoring company can also be charged for it. For this reason, it is important that you follow the parameters set by the brand you want to target and generate your revenue from.

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The Best Mobile Tracking Software of All Times

Mobile technology came into an evolution and mobile spy software has become a trend in the recent years. Many of the mobile consumers have become very interested in using mobile spy software and with the growing numbers of the services that are made available online, the choices are numerous. In order to give the mobile consumers the ability to make an informed and wise purchasing decision on which mobile spy software to subscribe to, here is the best mobile tracking software of all times that you can choose from.

Netspysoftware

If you need a reliable spy software program that can help you monitor your loved ones and employees and to extend a more efficient parental control over your children anywhere they may be, the Netspysoftware provides you a monitoring application that offers reliable tracking features at an affordable subscription rate. The spy software can help its users to remotely track down calls, messages and multimedia files with innovative features that perform its tasks on a silent mode. The mobile spy app has great functionalities that are capable of monitoring your children’s mobile browsing activity and you can selectively restrict the access to some websites not suited to your child’s age. It is capable of sending you alerts on important activities that you want to closely monitor on the tracked phone too. The app also has a GPS feature that can track down the monitored device’s location in real time which is perfect in monitoring your field employees and love ones’ whereabouts, giving you reliable spy software and tracking program that works to your satisfaction.

Mobistealth

If you need mobile spy software that will not falter in its performance even without GPS connectivity, Mobistealth is a good spy app to consider. It is powered with surveillance tools and features that can track down the monitored phone even without an internet connection. In the absence of a WiFi connection, the app will continue to track and record the activities that are taking place on the monitored phone which helps the user not to miss important tracking data. The spy software tracks the web browsing history on the monitored device and you can listen on every call that is received or made from the phone including the sound from its surroundings. Among the other features from the spy software include SIM change notification, retrieval of the multimedia files and documents, call log, and messaging tracking.

mSpy

This is powerful mobile tracking software that can provide its users the ability to monitor a target device on a stealth mode. The spy software tracks down all the activity in the monitored phone and sends feedback immediately to the remote account that is connected to the spy software. Even when the history of the monitored calls or messages sent and received from the device have been deleted, the spy app has already made a detailed report on the tracked mobile phone that you can later on retrieve from your mSpy account. You can also remotely control the monitored device using your mSpy account and have the capability of deleting the mobile data stored in it or to remotely password protect the phone.

My Mobile Watchdog

This mobile application is tailored to deliver parental control features. The app provides parents the ability to block certain mobile applications including the camera and mobile browser on the phone. You can also block other applications on the device like social networking apps, mobile games and instant messaging. It also helps to limit the time that children can spend on using the device. Its monitoring features include GPS tracking, call log and messages reports and sending alerts about specific activities that are of primary concern to parents. It is easy to access control over the blocked applications on the phone by locking it down with a password and you can grant temporary access to those apps as well.
  
Xnspy

This is a small yet powerful app, it has great stealth features and is discrete from the get go. Using little resources this app ensures that the device owner does not face slow device performance and battery issues. Having extensive monitoring and tracking features such as location tracking, call recording, remote app blocking, usage scheduling and many others make this app useful in a multitude of scenarios from concerned parents wanting to watch over their kids to smart employers wanting better management and productivity to personal data security and partial backup. Xnspy provides smart features to automate your monitoring and tracking tasks, leaving you to work on other important things. It has powerful failsafe features that can prove invaluable in worst case scenarios of loss or theft of the device – remotely lock the device or wipe all data preventing anyone from viewing the private and confidential information stored on the smartphone or tablet. This app works hard so that you can take it easy.

Stealth Genie

This mobile spy software is capable of running on a monitored phone silently. As it records the surroundings of the target phone and all calls that are being made and received, no traces of tracking software can be detected. It is a good monitoring spy app on mobile that you can use to silently track down employee productivity and even cheating spouse’s activities. It gives you a 360 degrees view on the saved bookmarks from the mobile browser as well as the internet browsing history on the device.

Spy Bubble

The application has a geo location tracking capability and live call monitoring specialty that runs stealth, leaving your spying activities undetected. The app usually sends the latest updates on its features and functionalities to its users to further enhance their mobile spying experience. It has an auto logging feature that keeps track and record all mobile activities in real time with detailed reports that you can retrieve later on from your Spy Bubble account.

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Top 5 Most Popular Free Games In Nederland

All games have come a long way over the years. Nowadays you can see people from all walks of life playing games in public vehicles and in waiting rooms trying to beat their best scores. In Nerdeland, gratis spelletjes have become popular. The market is also flooded with a variety of games and more games are still developed every day to keep the pace of the market demand. Here are the top 5 most popular free games in Nederland.

Angry birds

This is the most interesting and popular game which is available for free on Androids. The most important reason of its popularity is about its addictive nature and easy in playing. it has a mixture of humor and cute graphics with well designed physics. This has made it to be the most popular in Nederland among all gratis spelletjes available. It involves some angry birds as the name suggests where by a gamer tries to destroy pigs and angry birds. It was developed by Rovio, it has been downloaded over 100 million times and it has been rated 5 out of 5 for its fun experience that makes you to play again and again. 

Fruit Ninja

Fruit Ninja is also one of the top 5 most popular games in Nederland, just close to Angry birds and it involves swiping over the screen and cutting the fruits thrown into the air. The more you swipe them and not allowing them to fall down the more points you get. It is not free although not expensive. If you have a certain penchant for slicing fruit, it can be great for you. You only need to be cutting the fruits by swiping across the screen. It can sometimes sound dull but after the inclusion of bombs and other elements you can be addicted to it and continue playing. This game was developed by Half Bake studios and it has been downloaded over 20 million times and it gets a rating of 4 out of 5 because of its popularity.

WordsWithFriends

This is another popular game that lets you to play with friends and opponents with or without Android operating system. For instance you can use Android and play it with a friend using an iPhone. It is the only game with this feature and it is free to download.

Doodle Jump

Doodle Jump is one of the hottest mobile games. It is simple and easy to play by just tilting your phone from left to right without pressing any button and trying to jump to different platforms while being attacked by enemies. You therefore avoid these enemies as you jump from one platform to another. It is a real fun game and addicting.

Bejeweled

Bejeweled is another popular gratis spelletjes in Nederland but very difficult to defeat. You are required to match the gems, making horizontal and vertical lines during a timed play that adds pressure element. It has been in the market for quite some time and it has a rating of 4 out of 5.

Other than the above mentioned most popular free games in Nederland, you can also get other games which are equally interesting, depending on your desire. You can explore the different types of games, compare them, get informed about the newest trends and other advanced games being released. There are several free games in Nederland you can choose from. However, let’s face it, you will get some favorite and fall for them. You might therefore be having a personal preference of gratis spelletjes, because there are thousands of free games in the market.

Shopon is an online game enthusiast and programmer. He is also a blogger and works to popularize online game. He was awarded for his contribution in the field of online gaming industry.

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Ways to Keep Your Personal Information Secure

It is estimated that 10 million individuals each year are victims of identity theft. In order to eliminate theft and fight back against fraudsters it is important to take all of the steps possible to protect your valuable information. Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse and never have a slip of paper on you that lists out your passwords to help you remember them.

All this does is give a potential hacker direct access to your accounts and information that will allow them to take advantage of you and ruin you financially. Be sure to collect your mail promptly each day so there is no opportunity for people to swipe bills and other account statements. In addition, it is a good idea to check with your various creditors and businesses you have an account with to see what they are doing to help protect your information. You can get more tips on how to prevent identity theft by reading the infographic below.

Created by Britni Zandbergen, Senior Director of Marketing at Idology.  Britni has years of experience in identity management as well as dynamic SaaS solutions.

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Can You Really Get Something For Nothing? Free Gifts With Broadband

Free gifts are always tempting, especially when you're already thinking about buying something and you're getting something else for nothing. Broadband internet providers often offer broadband with free gifts, and in this article we're looking at whether or not you're really getting something for nothing. Wondering whether those free gift contracts are worth it? Read on to find out.

Where You Get the Goodies
There are plenty of online offers for free gifts, and you can check out any broadband comparison web site, such as uswitch.com, to check out what's on offer. You'll obviously need to sign a broadband contract to get your gift, so you'll need to be in a position both to get a new contract (i.e. you're not currently under contract elsewhere) and to legally sign a contract, so you'll need to be a UK resident and over the age of eighteen.

Routers and Tech Stuff
By far the most common free gift offer that you're going to find is for a free router. You'll probably want a router, since this will mean that you can access your internet connection wirelessly rather than needing to be tied down to a cable all the time. Most providers will give you a router for nothing, though you will need to be a bit careful about this one.

Whilst this isn't a scam at all, you will need to make sure that you're really getting a free gift. Not all providers are actually giving you a router, most are simply lending it to you, and you'll be required to return it in good condition at the end of your contract or if you cancel service. Ensure that the router is yours before attempting to make any changes or modifications to it.

If you're bundling your services, which means that you're combining say a land line phone or a cable television service in with your broadband service the same rules will apply. Particularly for cable television services you will probably be offered some form of set top box or DVR, which may or may not actually belong to you. Are you getting something for free? Yes, as long as you own it, but most likely you're just saving on rental costs and will need to return equipment when your contract expires.
 
Free Service
The next most common free “gift” is some kind of discount on services. You might get a few months free of charge, or a couple of months at half price. As long as these offers are coming directly from the broadband provider themselves, you're absolutely getting something for nothing, and you should snap these offers up. They're relatively common and constantly changing though, so make sure to check those comparison sites for the most up to date deals.

Offers of Computers and Other Devices
Right now, we're only talking about offers made directly by broadband providers, we'll come to third party offers in a moment. These deals are less common than they used to be, some providers still offer electronics such as iPods, iPads and even laptop computers to people who sign up for service. These computer deals especially are most common with mobile broadband plans, though some ADSL and cable providers also occasionally offer them.

Are you getting something for nothing? The answer is probably not, though you might be. You'll want to check out the monthly cost of the plan that you're looking at and compare it to the same plan with the same provider but without the free gift. You'll probably find that you're paying a little extra each month, especially if you're getting a computer.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't take the offer, and if you need a new laptop this might be the way to do it. Just make sure that you're getting a device that you really want, rather than paying extra for something that you don't need. Unlike third party offers, deals like this through major broadband providers generally offer good quality products, so you shouldn't need to worry about that issue.

Third Party Offers
Now we come to an area that's a little more problematic. Some broadband providers allow other companies, usually web sites, sell contracts for them. These third parties will get a commission from each contract that they get signed. Some third parties will offer lower monthly payments than the broadband providers themselves as an incentive for you to sign with them rather than with the provider, and sacrifice a little of their commission. Others will offer free gifts.

You should be extremely careful about accepting these free gifts. They are generally offered as something generic, such as a “seven inch tablet.” You'll be given no brand name or model number, so you won't be able to research the product. When your gift arrives you'll probably find that it's a low quality or outdated model, which is why it's being given away for free.

The basic rule for accepting free gift offers from third parties is that if you don't know exactly what you're getting, down to the model number, then you should turn down the deal, since there's no guarantee that you're going to get a useful device. Even if you do know exactly what you're getting you should take the time to look online for customer reviews to make sure that other people have had a good experience with this particular offer before committing to signing a contract.

Can you get something for nothing? On today's market where there's so much competition and providers are vying for new customers, yes you can, but obviously some deals are just going to be better than others. It is possible to get a great free gift, but you'll have to know who it's coming from and know that it's something that you're actually going to use. Free service offers in particular are always a good idea, but you might get lucky and get a great new iPod or that wireless router that you really want.

Phil Turner advised his friend to check out any deals he found for broadband with free gifts. Even being careful though he found a few great deals on uSwitch.com.

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Is Social Media Killing Christmas Cards?

What would Sir Henry Cole think if he could see us sending our social greetings to one another via social media? Sir Henry is the chap who sent the first Christmas card in 1843 and kicked off the tradition, selling his creations for one shilling a piece (that's 5p or 8 cents to you and me!). When the cost of sending these fabulous creations became affordable for the masses in 1870, the tradition spread and it is only in the last few years of this century that we are starting to see a decline in Christmas card sending. Why? Because of the internet - and more specifically, social media. How easy has it become to wish a happy Christmas to everyone we know - all at the same time? Even sending personalised messages has become much more simple with the advent of social media. Just a few taps of the keyboard, a click of the mouse and your greetings are with their recipient, awaiting an instant response.

Perhaps this simply means that we are lazier than we were 5 years ago, or maybe there is simply an expectation that this is how things are done these days. Either way, there is no disputing the evidence. In the study depicted in this infographic, LoveMyVouchers have found that their newsletter subscribers are definitely sending less Christmas cards, and friends are the most likely group of people to receive social media messages as opposed to traditional cards. 

This infographic shows the results of a survey conducted by www.LoveMyVouchers.co.uk in which participants were asked about their Christmas card sending habits.

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The 5 Kinds Of Online Forms You Might Want To Look Into

If you want your online business to succeed, then you will need to learn a bit more about website development overall. The best way to do this, though, would be to turn to apps to help you out. This way, you can save as much time as possible while building up your website at the same time. One of the key elements that you should focus on when it comes to this would be online forms.
 
Every day, online forms get filled up all over the World Wide Web. As a matter of fact, these forms play vital roles in a lot of online interactions, including checkout processes, community sharing, feedback collection, business leads gathering and research. Here are the 5 kinds of online forms you might want to look into.

The Contact Form
A contact form is the most basic online form available out there. It usually contains three fields or less: name, email address and message. Naturally, this can be changed as needed, though. Generally speaking, a contact form can make a website look professional while providing two particular benefits. First of all, you can keep yourself safe from spammers; and second of all, visitors will have an easier time getting in touch with you when they have to.

The Event Registration Form
If you plan on organizing a conference, but aren’t sure how many people will actually attend or which capacity hall you should book, the easiest way to get your answers would be to simply ask your readers directly. One easy way to do this would be through an online event registration form. This type of online form will basically collect the contact information of the attendants, but you can also make your form more flexible by adding the ‘Attending’, ‘Not Sure’ and ‘Not Attending” options for a clearer picture overall if you want.

The Lead Generation Form
People who own and maintain blogs know how important it is to have a mailing list. After all, while tweets and Facebook updates are easy to miss nowadays, emails will almost always get noticed at some point. In fact, this is why a lot of big online businesses work so hard to grow their mailing lists nowadays. Naturally, in order to do the same thing, you will need an online form maker to gather people’s emails first. This can be done through an online lead generation form, which you can use on your website’s landing page to get more contacts for sales. If you want, you can even offer incentives in exchange for their contact details, such as free downloads or trials. This way, you won’t just nurture your mailing list, but you can potentially make yourself stand out in people’s minds, as well.

The Order Form
If you want to sell products or services online, you will need to come up with a framework that your customers can use to make their orders. This is where an online order form would come in. This type of online form will basically let you sell your products and services online sans the ‘shopping cart’ in case you don’t have a lot of merchandise to sell to begin with. The best part is that you can easily integrate this kind of form with your choice of online payment gateways as needed.

The Survey Form
It is common knowledge that businesses need market research in order to succeed. Otherwise, they could end up losing a lot of energy, time and money. Well, thanks to the survey form, you can now survey potential customers before actually wasting any time or money on product manufacturing – easy peasy!

David Miller is an educational researcher who has vast experience in the field of teaching, LMS Systems and online training. He is associated with prestigious universities and many leading educational research organizations. He’s also an ed-tech veteran, currently pursuing research in new eLearning developments, and is a contributing author with ProProfs.

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Dropbox Chat 1.1

Hey guys, 

Here is another software release. I've been working on this for 2 days, this is version 1.1 of the application and should work well without any bugs but if you do happen to find anything wrong be sure to let me know. 

About/Using:

Dropbox Chat is an application that you, and your friends use while sharing a dropbox folder. You add a text file to a shared folder, and each person has that file linked to the chat application. Using this we can chat to everyone in that shared folder. 

The first time you run the application a First Time Wizard will be displayed taking you through the steps of setting everything up. You need to enter a display name for when you're chatting, and the text file which must be located in the shared dropbox folder. 

After you've used the First Time Wizard you can use the program to chat by entering a message and pressing enter or clicking the send button. If you need to change the settings again in the future you can right click and select Settings, you can also choose to delete the chat log, but this deletes everyone else's chat too. 

Image: (cause we all love images!)

Requirements:

You will need .Net Framework 4.5 to run the application
You will need an internet connection to run the updater, and to update the chat. 

Download:

This is a direct archive download from my dropbox. 

Click here to download Dropbox Chat 1.1

Since 1.0 I added the automatic updater, designed a new setup wizard and a few bug fixes. Please be sure to let me know what you think of my program, and tell me all of your suggestions

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The Importance Of Web Design For Small Businesses

In the modern world, firms and individuals are increasingly using the internet to enhance their businesses. Website design/development is one of the most essential services required on the internet by both individuals and firms. Web design and development requires special skills because potential customers can be disappointed by the layout and design of the website. There are several firms offering website design in Toronto and in other parts of the country. However, not all the firms provide quality and professional website development.

A good working website should not only have an incredible layout and design but also provide the relevant information about the services and products your business offers so that it can attract more traffic and potential customers. Business owners and individuals should hire website designers who will create user-friendly websites that are easy to navigate. While hiring website designers, it is important that you see their portfolio and you should determine whether they have experience in website design.

Website design is a process that involves strategic planning, meeting customer needs and demands, actual site designing and development, testing, publishing and re-evaluation. Designers should involve customers at each phase of the process so that they can provide their input or suggestions. Website design is a vast field made up of services such as search engine optimization, graphic and logo design, website development and maintenance, web applications, internet marketing and custom software development.

Website Development
Website design requires dedication, a sense of purpose, creativity and professionalism. Experience is also very essential in web development. The process of web development entails designing a website, creating web content, liaising with the client and scripting. Web development may also include a non-design element known as coding. The input for website designing should come from a team of experts like an interface designer, an online marketing strategist, an information architect and a creative strategist. The team is responsible for developing a great website that will improve your business.

Website design may fail for several reasons such as lack of trust-building elements, message mismatching and website design shortcomings. If website visitors do not trust your capability, then they will not transact with you. Some examples of trust-building elements include use of original images, professional-looking design and third party validation. Online marketers and interface designers are responsible for determining what works or fails when it comes to trust-building components. Web designers can create a site that does not provide the relevant information to customers. If the information does not meet the expectations of customers, then the website will not achieve the business objectives.

Website development has its shortcomings especially if the designers take shortcuts. Some of the shortcomings may make the website to be incompatible with some browsers or mobile phones or web pages may take a lot of time to load and some links may be broken. Such websites may require redesigning which is expensive. Website designers should create fast, amazing and interactive websites. The designers should also create perfect websites on budget and time.

Graphic and Logo Design
First impressions mean a lot to business owners. A website may require illustration, animation, freehand drawing and photography. These forms of graphic designs will determine whether your business flourishes or sinks. Logos and graphics speak directly to potential clients about the brand you are selling. They also inspire trust, familiarity and reliability. Logo design is the foundation of branding because logos capture the essence of the firm and its core values. In today’s competitive business environment, firms must have logos and graphics on their websites and other products.

Internet Marketing
Having a running business website is just half the battle. A website should have ample traffic. To achieve this, a business may consider hiring internet marketing services. Internet marketing can take the form of search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click or link building. SEO improves the ranking of your website on search engine results thereby increasing traffic to your website. Pay per click (PPC) is highly efficient in increasing traffic to a website although it comes at a cost. Internet marketing requires creativity and dedication. The marketing team should be able to mix aspects of web design/development with advertisement, for better results.

Each and every strategy used should not only increase traffic to a particular website but also increase business sales. By hiring a full set of web solutions and services, a firm or individual will have a web presence and better platform for marketing their brands.

This post is written by Larry Smith, the Director of Marketing at Cloud SEO, who is an expert in Online Advertising and SEO and a specialist in the management of Google AdWords Advertising Campaigns.

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The Evolution of Music and Video Content Consumption

Question: How many ways are there to consume music today?
Answer: More than you can guess. The way we consume content, including music, has undergone a few changes in the past decade or so. As recently as the years between 2000 and 2005, we connected to the Internet at a speed of about 56 kbps. Today, Internet connection speeds average about 2.6 mbps. What seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread in 2000 would seem so frustratingly slow that today’s users would be utterly appalled by the length of time it took to load a single web page. Thanks to the speed at which we can connect to the world at large, we’re consuming a great deal of content in new ways.

Desktop PCs, while still used in business and office settings, as well as many homes, are often a last resort to mobile users. We prefer to connect on the go, without being chained to a desk, using devices such as smartphones and tablets. We’re consuming the majority of our content today digitally. Whether it’s music, video, news or even books—we turn to the World Wide Web first. Take a look at the infographic below for more details on how content consumption has evolved over the past 10 to 15 years.

TorchBrowser is a free and unique software that offers you powerful browsing together with built-in media downloading and sharing features.

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Four Of The Best Productivity Tools

Most of us carry our smartphones with us every day, so it makes sense to use them for more than just making calls. Here's a quick look at six of the best productivity aids for busy office workers.

EverNote
EverNote is a free to use productivity suite which includes mobile apps, a browser plugin and a web app. Use EverNote to store notes about almost everything in the cloud, and access those notes from any device with an Internet connection.

HootSuite
Manage multiple social media accounts in one handy interface with HootSuite. Share access to your accounts with the premium package, which starts at £7.19 per month.

Remember The Milk
Remember The milk is a free mobile app that makes managing to do lists easy. Upgrade to the Pro version for $25/year to enjoy the ability to get push notifications about urgent tasks, sync your apps anywhere, and use widgets and badges to be reminded about upcoming To Do items.

Basecamp
Basecamp is the ultimate project management tool for large and small companies. You can try Basecamp for free for up to 60 days, and full accounts start at just $20/month. For that fee, you can run up to ten projects at a time, and take advantage of 3GB of cloud storage for those projects.

A Name Badges International Infographic

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How to Make Website Blocker In VB.NET

Add 1 Button And 1 Text Box

Button 1 = Block

Full Code :

Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1

    Dim path As String

    Dim sw As StreamWriter

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

        path = "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts"

        sw = New StreamWriter(path, True)

        Dim sitetoblock As String = (Environment.NewLine & "127.0.0.1 " & TextBox1.Text)

        sw.Write(sitetoblock)

        sw.Close()

        MessageBox.Show("Website Blocked")

    End Sub

End Class

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How To Make Auto Clicker In VB.NET

 Add 3 Buttons And 1 Text Box And 1 Timer

Button 1 = Start

Button 2 = Stop

Button 3 = Test

Full Codes :

Public Class Form1

    Declare Sub mouse_event Lib "user32.dll" Alias "mouse_event" (ByVal dwFlags As Int32, ByVal dx As Int32, ByVal dy As Int32, ByVal cButtons As Int32, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Int32)

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click

        Timer1.Start()

    End Sub

    Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click

        Timer1.Stop()

    End Sub

       Private Sub Button3_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles   Button3.Click

        TextBox1.Text = TextBox1.Text + 1

    End Sub

    Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Timer1.Tick

        Windows.Forms.Cursor.Position = New System.Drawing.Point(Windows.Forms.Cursor.Position)

        mouse_event(&H2, 0, 0, 0, 1)

        mouse_event(&H4, 0, 0, 0, 1)

    End Sub

End Class

________

: )

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From Freedom to Walled Gardens - The Evolution of The Internet

The Internet has given people from all over the world unprecedented ability to communicate with each other. Anyone can create content and share their thoughts and opinions with the world. The Internet is not controlled by any one central body, and this is something that many governments are uncomfortable with. Ideas posted online may be stored on a server thousands of miles from the place where the content creator lives, and can be copied, shared and archived by an unlimited number of users.

As this infographic shows, some governments, including those in mainland China, North Korea and the UAE have taken measures to restrict the kind of content that users can access online. Those countries restrict content that is political or religious in nature. Other countries, including several in Europe, have started to filter content too, blocking websites that contain illegal content such as child pornography or copyright file sharing sites.

The original creators of the Internet wanted information to be free, and love the widespread sharing of ideas, no matter whether they agree with those ideas or not. Freedom of communication is under threat, and the threat may be closer to home than you think.

Infographic provided by CWCS

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4 Questions To Ask An SEO Company

Ever wondered why your site never received as much visitors as your competitor's or why your ranking never improved? Well, you'll be glad to know that you aren't under some evil spell and that you could be getting as many visitors as your competitor or even more but only if you get the right SEO company to work for you. By 'right company' am referring to a company that is all about taking care of your business' needs and ensuring you achieve your goals. Didn't think companies like that exist, did you? Well they do and this read is going to help you find one for yourself.

In the midst of all the struggle to get the best SEO services, a number of quacks and incompetent SEO agents have cropped up. These breed of unscrupulous and unprofessional crooks prey on unsuspecting webmasters who are looking for a quick fix. Better hope you don't fall for their tricks; you'll be in for one rough ride. Enough about the crooks, how do you find a reliable SEO company? Here are some few questions to ask your prospective SEO agent;

1. Who are your current clients?
If you are dealing with a reliable company, then you will be provided with a list of clients. This shows that they provide high quality services and thus easily attract clients. Along with the list of current clients, you should also ask for samples of previous or current projects. An agent that refuses or is reluctant to provide any of the above should be avoided or better yet scrapped off the list of potential SEO companies.

2. What are the tactics that you employ?
Unless you want your site penalized and/or banned, you are best off keeping away from SEO agents that use dubious strategies and techniques. And since few agents will be willing to admit that they do use these unethical methods, such words as 'trade secrets' will be flung around to avoid or change the subject all together. Do not fall for this trick, keep firm and get a precise answer.

3.How regularly will you send reports?
You may not be able to interpret the graphs or make sense of the figures produced but your agent has an obligation to provide regular reports on the progress of the optimization project. Not only are you part and parcel of the project, but you also deserve to be kept in the loop. As for the reports, they need to be comprehensible; even if it means creating reports that have been made more comprehensible for you.

4. How long will it take before I see the results?
While some companies will go about claiming to provide results in the shortest time, let's not forget that good SEO takes time. Professional company however will provide you with a time frame for each different technique. For instance, while paid ads may provide results almost instantly, it takes longer for SEO to yield results. An experienced SEO agent is aware of this and won't be afraid to explain what to expect and why.
In the SEO world, the more you know, the better for you. Hopefully this read will come in handy on your search for the best SEO company.

This post is written by Larry Smith, the Director of Marketing at Cloud SEO, who is an expert in Online Advertising and SEO and a specialist in the management of Google AdWords Advertising Campaigns.

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How To Submit Software, Mobile App and Game On Softpedia

Softpedia is a site where you can find computer programs and technology based articles. It's owned by SoftNews NET SRL, a Romanian company. It was launched in 2001. My programs have been reviewed by the Softpedia editors thrice. I submit my programs whenever they are ready to be released.

I have been asked a few times about this(how to submit..). It's pretty easy to submit your programs to Softpedia all you have to do is fill the form fields and submit.

They have different pages to submit for different platforms such as Windows, Linux, Mac etc.

Submit Windows Softpedia

Submit Games and Tools

Submit Mac OS Software

Submit Linux Software

Submit Mobile App

NOTE : you can submit your java programs in any section except Mobile.

Make sure you go to the right page, if you have a PAD file for your software already just fill the PAD form fields and submit if not fill the regular submission forms and submit. Don't forget to give your regular email address they'll send you an email when your program has been published.

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How To Read A Text File Hosted Online To A String

 

So I got a email asking how to do this, I haven't done this before so went through some Google searches and found how to do this. It was pretty easy. I'll just share the code here maybe it'll be useful for someone.

You need these namespaces :

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Net

Event :

Dim TXT As String = "http://www.ultimateprogrammingtutorials.info/robots.txt"
Dim WC As WebClient = New WebClient()
Dim Read As StreamReader = New StreamReader(WC.OpenRead(TXT))
Dim STR As String = Read.ReadToEnd
TextBox1.Text = STR

• Replace the TXT string value with your .txt link. 
• You can also write into a richtextbox or whatever you want(I used textbox1 for example) 

I hope you learned something from this snippet.

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Your Action Plan for PPC Ad Text Optimization

When you are composing an ad text, it's important to get organized. First, you need to clearly understand what is behind your message. If that's something that appeals to a large audience and doesn't require much consideration to be bought, ordered or signed up to, then your ad should be catchy and creative. Apply alliteration, humour and your poetic talent to create something legendary.

If you sell something specific and unique, pay more attention to how your value proposition is formed. Find out your customers pains and gains and skillfully leverage them when formulating your message. A clear motivation behind the ad text will provide additional targeting and more responsive visitors.

Obviously, in both cases running your campaigns should be followed by proper testing. Don't forget that in case you are looking for conversions, CTR is not the best parameter to track. Check the number of absolute conversions brought by this or that ad message and make the required adjustments.

Tory Woods is an enthusiastic blogger behind REACH Network. She enjoys exploring the PPC world and sharing the findings with her readers.

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Elements Of Modern Construction Software Solutions

Technological advances have led to increased utility in the field of construction software. For small to medium-sized companies, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions can reduce the initial cost of implementation and can provide added support and stability for these advanced technological systems. Understanding the basic elements of construction software packages can provide increased insights into the most effective uses for these systems in boosting productivity and supporting your company's ongoing construction projects.

Dashboard

The primary interface for SaaS systems is the dashboard, which typically allows access to the most commonly used applications and may provide a convenient display of current project information. Secure login technologies allow staff members to work from home or from anywhere with a high-speed Internet connection. Drop-down dashboard menus allow users to obtain additional information about specific projects or work activities.

Cloud Access

Most SaaS systems allow users to access their dashboards and applications securely through cloud computing technologies. Customized logins can ensure that each staff member has access to the specific applications and data necessary for his or her job duties; this can boost productivity and reduce security risks in the workplace.

Scheduling Applications

Shared calendars and email alert systems can ensure compliance with contractual obligations and can prevent scheduled events from slipping through the cracks. Establishing tiered access levels can ensure that only authorized personnel can edit or delete items already in place, guaranteeing optimal protection for these critical scheduling applications.

Centralized Data Storage

Most construction software platforms incorporate searchable data storage for contracts, documents and other business-oriented digital information. Creating hierarchies and categories within these storage systems can allow a greater degree of control over access and editing privileges in the workplace environment.

Contract Management

Contract management is a critical element in managing construction projects effectively. Tracking and monitoring contractual obligations and ensuring that all deadlines are met can protect the company's reputation for reliability and can allow a greater measure of control for supervisors and managers in the corporate structure.

Punch Lists

Punch list applications are designed specifically to allow access via mobile devices while on the construction site. Mobile apps intended for professional use have become immensely popular in recent years; it is estimated that as many as 200 million workers perform at least some part of their job duties using a mobile device. Punch lists are ideally suited for adaptation to the mobile environment and can provide added convenience on the construction site.

Technical Drawing Programs

Drawing management software is designed to streamline the drafting process and to help construction firms manage multiple sets of plans and track changes as they occur. By maintaining a historical record of previous project iterations and revisions, construction firms can more effectively manage the demands of the client and the requirements of the project.

By incorporating the power of advanced SaaS arrangements in managing the computing needs of your construction firm, you can provide your staff members with the tools they need to succeed. Construction software solutions can enhance productivity and ensure on-time completion of projects in progress to create added profitability and improved market position in the housing industry.

Elements of Modern Construction Software Solutions

Grant runs a small construction company, where he uses a software system to handle many of his business needs. He has found that technology developed expressly for the requirements of this industry has made his business run more smoothly and more securely, and recommends these solutions to others.

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