I had the opportunity to try out the ErgoGrip for tablets (by ErgoGrip). It really is a fabulous, easy-to-use tablet accessory.

Comfort First

The basis for the development of the ErgoGrip, according to the manufacturer, was to create comfort grips for the user to hold onto during those long periods of using the tablet. It makes sense, especially when picturing the use of the tablet as a reading device. The tablets can become slippery and hard to hold onto, especially after hours of use.

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The ErgoGrip or ErgoGrips can be moved on the tablet according to the orientation of the tablet (landscape versus portrait). That is because they are so easily removed and re-attached wherever the user wants to place them. They can be peeled back and then reattached in another location. This is made possible by the suction cups that function as the attachment mechanism for the grips.

ErgoGrip on the iRulu

Safety for the Tablet

Another thing to keep in mind, is the safety of the tablet. Picture using your tablet for many, many hours, past the point of fatigue setting in, with the use of that tablet. That is where the tablet is in the most risk of being dropped. Fortunately, with the ErgoGrip(s), there is less chance of losing your grip. Also, if you do start to lose your grip, there is something to grab a hold of, before the tablet falls and breaks.

For some, it may be advantageous to have two grips for either side of the tablet. But, then, others will find that one is enough, and maybe using it at the top of a portrait-position tablet is adequate. Also, ErgoGrips come in many colors, for each desired style.

ErgoGrip on the iPad

Drawback

There really isn’t anything negative about the ErgoGrip. Even the price is very doable (less than $10 at amazon). The only drawback may be that one cannot use it with a cover on the tablet. But, that is not a fault of the ErgoGrip, that is more of a case of preference, where the user needs to decide if they want the fancy cover or the ErgoGrip.

Some of my peers have complained that 1) the ergogrip doesn’t stick; and 2) it isn’t universal.

The argument that the ergogrip is not universal is generally related to item number 1, that it does not “stick.” This is true. The ergogrip will not stick to porous or textured tablets. I guess, by some definition, that means that it is not universal. However, the question would be, what other word should be used, in place of “universal” to describe how this product works with so many different tablets and devices. Basically, it works on all of them that are not textured or porous.

In my not-so-humble opinion, these reviews do not do justice for the product. It would be like you live in the United States and you are planning a trip to Paris. You buy a brand new sports car and then you are upset that it does not drive on water to take you across the Atlantic ocean. If you realize what the product is, and what the target audience is (or in this case, the target tablet), you will realize that the ergogrip truly is universal and it truly is an exceptional product. Just don’t try to use it to walk or drive on water!

My recommendation is to get a couple of these. Even if you do not use them all of the time, they are so easy to add and remove that having a couple in the drawer of the desk is helpful for those nights or trips where the tablet is getting more than the usual amount of use.

Get yours on amazon! Be careful when you search for this on amazon. All sorts of unrelated items show up in a search for ‘ergogrip.’ It is helpful if you include ‘tablet,’ or, simply click on this amazon link to go directly to the right product.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ademero. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sooner or later, in most businesses, there comes a point where documents are everywhere. Even with a good staff, it is possible for a document to get mis-filed or not filed at all and, it seems, that is the one document that needs to be found. Add to that, the clutter of paper documents and the overflowing file cabinets, and a paperless office starts to sound appealing.

The value of a paperless office, where the documents are managed in a "document management software" (DMS) is desirable whether you are a large business or a small business. The advantage to doing it while you are a small business is that you will already have a DMS in place, as you grow, and will not have to interrupt your operations to implement a DMS after you have a dilemma with that document that you just can't find.

This is where a company like Ademero can help. They can help you while you are at that stage where you are a small business, getting that first DMS set up, but they can also help you when you are large company. Speaking from experience, this is very important. In our DMS set up, where we did not use Ademero's streamlined solution, we had to:

  • learn the system.
  • implement the system.
  • hire temporary, untrained staff, to scan documents (hoping they did it right).
  • or, stay extra hours and take time away from current duties to scan for ourselves.

Ademero handles that hassle for you, implementing the DMS. They also offer services to migrate from an old, inefficient DMS.

Ademero offers the following services:

  • Full-Service Document Imaging
  • Solution Implementation
  • Solution Migration / Conversion
  • Hosted Document Management

Why Do I Need It?

Many people and companies start out thinking they can replicate a professional DMS themselves with a simple scanner and a file system. They may start out with good intentions, but sooner or later, it becomes too much work to remember to put the paper in the scanner, grab it from its default location, and label it correctly, and put it in the correct file location, and ensure that all the steps are performed and performed correctly. Then, unless there is a separate database, one is relying on the OS of the computer to find the document again. That requires that the filename contains the information needed to search for the document, or it is easy to find, hierarchically, or, you have the time and CPU for the computer to index the contents of the file (assuming it can be indexed). All of this adding to the time aspect such that it may have been easier and more efficient NOT to scan the document at all and just leave it in the file cabinet. About that time, a related email is received and now that email is printed and, you guessed it, filed in the file cabinet with the other docs, hopefully, in the right file. All of this hassle could be saved with a proper DMS.

Has anyone considered backup and recovery? A paper document, not scanned, is subject to fire and water damage. However, another advantage to having a computerized version is the ability to back up the data and store, securely, off site, so that the data is protected (and recoverable).

Centralized Management

The scenario described above, with an ad hoc scanning system, at best, illustrates the need for a centralized management tool. You and your company need something that makes the process of getting that document into the DMS, foolproof, not to mention, easy. Ademero has that type of tool.

Ademero's Centralized Management Application has the following features:

  • quick deployment.
  • controlled & logged access.
  • remote connectivity.
  • centralized management.
  • converts scanned image to searchable PDF.
  • accessible via any browser (or OS) on the network.

Ademero doesn't stop there, and drills down even deeper into the functionality and usability of the Content Central Application, including:

  • multiple import sources: not "just a scanning app," allowing compiling of project docs (i.e. emails).
  • version control: rollback capability.
  • approval processing: added "checks and balances" for sensitive documents.
  • editing: document editing capabilitlies.
  • integration: integrating with desktop tools (i.e. email programs).
  • and so much more…

Don't take my word for it, check out Ademero, yourself, and give it a try, testing the robust document management and workflow solutions that Ademero makes possible for you and your company. And, from my experience with solutions like this, the pricing structure is also attainable, always music to my ears!

 

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Computers are incredibly well suited to helping us plan and track our finances. Computers of course like to work in numbers, and at the same time they are great for looking for patterns and remembering things. This means that we can use a variety of software to input information regarding our finances and spending and we can then rely on our computers to keep track of these figures and ‘remember’ them for us. At the same time we can then apply algorithms and other functions in order to find patterns and to predict future changes based on these.

The main way many of us accomplish this using technology is through the use of spread sheet software such as Excel. Here we can enter our data into a range of cells, and then simply apply an equation in order to manipulate those cells.

This is a very basic form of programming, and particularly where the spreadsheets allow you to use ‘IF’ and ‘THEN’ statements. Still though it is not programming ‘proper’ and it has its limitations. If you really want to keep track of your finances then and avoid over spending or losing information, then even better is to program your own financial management software. Here we will look at how to do that and why you should.

Benefits of Programming Your Own Financial Management Software

Using a basic programming language it’s very easy to accomplish all the things you might accomplish using a spread sheet – in other words you can calculate totals, you can subtract totals and you can multiply these numbers over a series of days or months in order to see how changes might affect you going into the future.

However what you can also do with these programs is to make things a lot slicker and improve the interface to suit you. For instance what you could do is to have a window pop up with an input dialogue to ask how much you spent today. Simply answering that question would automatically update the internal spreadsheet you’d created and then tell you whether you were in positive figures for that day. At the same time you would this way be able to request just specific data – by clicking on ‘earnings for the year’ for instance, or you could automatically back up the information as you go.

This then means that rather than looking around a spreadhseet for the right column or row and praying you don’t accidentally delete the wrong thing you can now simply answer a series of questions that are specifically tailored to you and you can have all that information organized instantly in the way that you need it.

At the same time this allows you to add more functions and to do more complicated things. You can go a lot further with those ‘IF’ and ‘THEN’ statements and start introducing ‘AND’, ‘OR’, ‘WHILE’, ‘WHEN’ and more – so that your new simulation of your finances could also take into account costs that only happen every few months, or even charges that occur when you go above a certain total in your bank account. Likewise you can get the software to alert you when you go below a certain amount or when you aren’t going to make rent and much more – again you simply have more options and it’s all tailored to what you need.

How to Do It

The thing is, that if you are currently using a spreadsheet with algorithms then you’re just one step away from programming already and it shouldn’t be too hard to learn. All you need now is a cheap (or better yet free) programming option such as Visual Basic, QBasic or Perl, and a ‘For Dummies’ guidebook. Learn how to store files, manipulate variables and input strings and integers and pretty much you’re ready to start making your very own financial management software that will do precisely what you need it to.

home buyer guide infographic

Infographic by Loans Canada. Would you like to host this infographic on your site? Click Here to get embed code for your site.

Buying A House Online: Really?

Have you bought a house online yet? It is convenient and much easier than one may think. You can do all of these things from the comfort of your computer, and in your bathrobe:

  • Find a realtor.
  • Find a home, look at photos, panoramic view, videos.
  • Process real estate paperwork.
  • Find a mortgage banker.
  • Process mortgage paperwork.
  • …and much more!

Do you have to buy a home online? Of course not, but it may be something that you may want to consider, especially with the convenience of the internet, the geographic limitations, and the cost of gas. Speaking from experience, some transactions performed this way have been the most profitable. 🙂

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With the constant evolution of modern technology, the usage of modern gadgets is also increasing, which is easing the standard of living. One such gadget is a laptop, which is a portable computer that stays with you wherever you travel. Even for small technical operations laptops are needed, where children of the present era use laptops for their schooling to the high professionals using them for business deals; irrespective of the age group people are addicted to the latest gadgets. There are many types of laptops that are available on the market, they are:

  • Desktop replacement: These laptops are used to replace the existing desktop; which utilises a huge amount of space in any room. They have most of the power with but a limited battery life; they are also known as gamer’s laptops.
  • Ultralight: For the people who are always travelling, these laptops will be the best choice. They are similar to normal laptops but are of lighter weight and easily portable with comparatively smaller size. These laptops have a smaller display screen, providing longer battery life; which is useful for you in longer tours. Lesser hardware features with a minimal number of ports offers them a modern look.
  • Notebooks: They are the laptops that specialise in wireless communication and internet access to communicate with people easily and fast. They are also light and power efficient with advanced web accessibility features.
  • Tablets: Tablets are the laptops with a touchscreen graphical user interface (GUI) that offers easy typing and operations that can be performed on the gadget. You can operate it with a stylus or a digital pen that offer minimal power. Though these gadgets are expensive, they are the most users friendly; especially for those who are not used to the mouse and keyboard of a normal computer.

According to your requirement you can select the laptop that best suits you. When the financial requirement comes into consideration you can afford them as follows:

  • Personal loan: You can opt for a personal loan; this is the traditional loan for buying any of the laptops that are mentioned above. These loans offer you with the required cash for buying the gadget, applying necessary rates of interest. It has a long term loan repayment period that may be a little hurdle for you.
  • Payday loan: The payday loans are the short-term loans that provide you with quick cash, which is required to meet your expenses. The amount that is received from a payday loan will be sufficient in affording the laptops with short loan repayment period. There is credit check performed.
  • Office allowances: You can even ask for an extra allowance at your working place that supports you in affording a laptop for official use. This will be advisable for the people who use gadgets only for official usage.

With the use of the internet, VoIP, or the voice over internet protocol, has come into existence. VoIP basically uses the internet signal to provide its users endless possibilities to communicate.

Because of the boundless possibilities, it is one of the best tools to boost profit in any business, especially the investment firms. With the most up-to-date services VoIP can offer, business sectors are starting to grab this new technology.

What are the possible roles of VoIP to Investment Firms?

Obviously, the role of VoIP is communication. However, if you really try to maximize its potentials, you would agree that VoIP increases productivity. Since it was created with internet as its base of connectivity, the range of its coverage is also worldwide. With this, investment firms are now extending their services worldwide without any additional capitalization.

Compared to wired telephony system, VoIP offers magnificent services that create significant increase in productivity for businesses in the following ways:

  • Accessibility
    As what we have discussed in the first part of this article, VoIP is internet powered. It means that you can make use of the VoIP services 24/7 anywhere. This is the best part of it because you can now update your business anywhere. Or, you can check your emails, your voice messenger, and most especially, answer important calls. VoIP is indeed the most accessible means of communication in business.
  • Integration
    You can now integrate VoIP in any of your business web pages. For instance, instead of spending too much in call cards you can save by putting your Skype contacts in your web page, social media sites and advertisement pages. Most of the VoIP are now available in most of the smart phones. So anywhere, with fast internet connection, you can now contact anyone without spending too much.
  • Flexibility
    The flexibility of using VoIP phones can be appreciated by its presence in most of the gadgets available in the market. Most of the VoIP are equipped with functions that can be easy to manipulate in different consoles. For example, you can use Skype in most of the smartphones and tablets. With this, you can actually go mobile without worrying about your business that’s left in the office.
  • Functionality
    Of course! What would be the edge of VoIP if it does not exceed the services in your old fashion telephone? VoIP has more functions like call forwarding, voice recorder, call waiting and the shocking part, video calling.
  • Cut costs
    You can pay your expensive internet connection, but never to a telephone bill, which only offers one service of voice call. Now, most business firms prefer the use of the internet as means of communication because it really saves. Imagine paying only one bill when it can offer you everything in this world.
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Staying on top of finances and monitoring our budgets is more important than ever in the current economic climate and anything that can help us do this is always going to be worthy of attention. As an iPhone owner, you are blessed with having the tools you need for managing personal finances just a few clicks away in the iOS store. Here are the top 5 apps for managing personal finances on the Apple iPhone, some are free and some are available at a small price, but all are useful.

Bill Assistant

Not paying bills on time and the charges that are passed on to you by the company’s that you owe can be a big drain on finances. Bill Assistant can help you avoid these charges by sending you alerts when bills need paying and providing you with information such as how much you owe to a certain company. This app will also keep a record of you past payment history for future reference. You can pick up Bill Assistant for just £0.69.

Account Tracker

This clever little £1.99 app can help you remain in full control of multiple bank accounts by providing you with the platform to monitor each of your accounts at one. Each account is given an icon that will change colour in relation to the financial health of your bank balance. It can also be set up to give you alerts about your money and the incomings and outgoings of your accounts. Well worth having.

Saving Goals

One of the hardest parts of managing personal finances is saving. Amongst paying for basic living expenses and various household bills, saving the money for a holiday or a new car can be tough. Saving Goals is a free app that can help you save realistically by allowing you to enter a target amount and a date that you wish to reach this amount. It will also create a very useful saving schedule and tracker to ensure you keep to keep to your target.

Money Lover

Money Lover is another free app that allows you to easily budget your money across weeks, months and years and in various different currencies. There is nothing flashy about this app, but it is simple and very effective. The financial calendar lets you keep tabs on all of your transactions and set up alerts so you are aware of where every single penny of your money is going.

Expensify

Expensify is an app that allows you to sync with various credit card and bank accounts to track business-related purchases. You can also take pictures of receipts and turn them into digital copies to send to colleagues as well as compiling reports in PDF form to send to your boss. A great app that is easy to use.

Review: Top-Down Network Design

Top-Down Network Design (3rd Edition) by Priscilla Oppenheimer

This is an exceptional book for Systems Programmers, or Systems Administrators wanting to dig deep into the Network Design aspect. In many cases, the Systems person may not feel that they need to know more about network design because they either 1) know it all already (Come on people, we always have room to grow!), or 2) do not plan to delve into the network side of technology and would prefer to stay on the “Systems” side of the equation.

As a primarily “Systems” person, I found this book very invaluable. Ms. Oppenheimer’s approach to the discussion of network design is an approach that works for the way a “Systems” mind operates, at least in my opinion. And, it isn’t just an overview, it does dig deep, as deep as any other book on network design, covering such topics as:

  • Logical Network Design
  • Physical Network Design
  • Testing (Very Important!)

For the Know-It-All

This book is an asset as a reference guide, even sitting on your library shelf, awaiting an instant look-up. The table of contents lays out the flow of the book well enough that it is almost quicker to find the answer in the book than to use Google to try to find the answer.

For the Hesitant Systems Specialist

Even if you do not plan on delving into the network side, you never know when this information will come in handy. And, considering the state of our economy at times, having this knowledge may make the different between getting a job or contract and not getting a job or contract. You never know when someone is looking for a Systems Programmer with networking experience/knowledge, and you don’t want to be left behind.

So, there you have it, my favorite “Network Design” book for Systems people: Top-Down Network Design by Priscilla Oppenheimer.

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