Category Archives: Technology

Tablets Useful as a Second Monitor

As the use of tablets overtake smartphones, publishers are enjoyiong the great benefits of this mobile device. With this new portable technology, they can do their work wherever they may be.

In fact, this gadget also serves busy bloggers, writers and business owners very efficiently. It can be used a second monitor in wired workstations whether at home or in the office. Oftentimes, these people need to work on several browsers and having a single monitor may not be enough. But thanks to the tablet, they can work better and thus, be more productive.

To use your iPad as a second monitor, your first step is to download a second display app. There are Android and iOS app that somehow informs your desktop that another external monitor is connecting to your system.

Some of these popular apps are easy to configure, you can do it in a few minutes. And they’re very affordable ranging from $1.99 to a high of $9.99.
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Originally posted on November 7, 2012 @ 7:32 am

Why an Online Business is the Way to Go Today

Aspiring entrepreneurs planning to start a business today need not have a huge capital. They don’t even have to set up a physical store and rent a commercial space in order to sell and promote their products and services.

The best solution to business-minded people with a limited budget is to start an online business. And why not? There are many benefits to be enjoyed if you opt for this.

Firstly, the internet is free to use. Millions of people use it every day to search for and share information without paying any fee.

A second benefit is its global reach. Unlike a physical store which has a limited target market, an online business allows an entrepreneur to offer his products and services to potential customers around the world.
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Originally posted on October 2, 2012 @ 6:07 am

Going Beyond Mobile-Friendly Sites to Mobile Apps

Last week I discussed the importance of having a mobile-friendly version of your site. If you want to get a bigger chunk of the ever growing mobile market though, I suggest that you don’t stop at a mobile site, but develop a mobile app for your users.

There are many different kinds of mobile apps you can offer to your users including games, productivity apps (i.e. specialized calculators, to-do lists, etc.), educational apps (i.e. industry dictionaries, reviewers and exercises, trivia, language tutorial, etc.), lifestyle apps (i.e. ticket store, real-time train/plane schedules, recipe book, yoga, etc.), and more. The point is that whatever industry you belong to, whatever topics you usually touch on, you’ll probably be able to think of an app that would be useful to your users.

The problem with this, however, is that it does take significant investment to come up with a good app. If you don’t have the resources to deliver a good app, do rethink your options before going ahead because you might be better off with a much simpler app that delivers in terms of quality (no buggy apps please!) instead of a potentially excellent and innovative app that ends up half-baked. Remember, first impressions last and you want your users to tie your name with a sound usable mobile app so that when you do release a bigger mobile app, you won’t be hard-pressed selling the idea to your existing user base, and hopefully in selling it to other users who most probably be basing their decisions on the feedback from your users now.

 

Image credit: Mobile App Developments

Originally posted on November 28, 2011 @ 11:22 pm

Optimizing Your Blogging Costs with a Calling Card

After you’ve been in the blogging game for a while, you’ve probably developed a good monthly, or even weekly plan to follow in order to keep growing and developing your blogs. This also includes all the various expenses you’ve got related to the operation of that blog, which can sometimes grow quite large – though if you’re running your blog properly you should have no trouble offsetting those costs through your revenue. It’s always good to cut down on costs whenever you can though – and a good calling card can let you do exactly that, believe it or not.

Calling cards hold benefits for everyone, not just for travelers, as they’re mostly considered. The design of modern calling card systems makes them highly versatile and applicable to a wide variety of situations and needs. If you need free calls, for example, a calling card is exactly what you need to get those sweet benefits. Bear in mind that every type of card would come with its own specific conditions though, so make sure you get one that suits your needs – e.g., figure out who you most often talk to and which cards offer deals for their carrier, and so on.

The free calls you’ll be getting from your calling card can often net you a lot of money in savings – but be careful with how you use those cards, as it can easily turn out to be a pointless venture if you’re not using their potential to the fullest.

Originally posted on February 16, 2011 @ 11:54 am

3 Reasons You Should Host Your Own Blog

Everyone and their mom is blogging these days – what sets you apart from the rest of the pack? This is not an easy question to answer, and the chances are that you will have to put a little more effort in order to get that edge. One of the things that you ought to do is to seek out a good data center service provider to host your own blog instead of relying on the hosting provided by a free blogging platform.

Take a look at these three compelling reasons why you ought to do so.

Control Appearance/Design

When you host your own blog, you have the advantage of gaining more control over its appearance and the design. Naturally, you want your blog to be as professional as it can be, and you want to have your own mark stand out. With a free blog network, the chances are that you will face restrictions in this regard.

Generate more revenue

Free blog networks come with a lot of stipulations. While you will be able to run a “full” blog on them, you might not be able to have as much access as you can from potential revenue sources. Hosting your own blog will open up so many more opportunities.

Promote your brand

This is linked directly to the first advantage. If you have your own domain and your own host, you will be able to establish your brand more fully. Compare this to having a generic URL and template/design attached to a free blog platform.

If you are serious about gaining that blogging edge, you really ought to get your own blog host. With all the choices available, it will not really cost you that much. More so, the benefits that you gain will outweigh the cost.

Photo via andyp

Originally posted on October 26, 2010 @ 2:33 am