Email spam filtering is much better than it used to be, especially if you’re a Gmail user. Every now and then, there are emails that fall into your inbox.

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So, how does one know which email is suspicious and which one isn’t. While there are a number of tips that can make up quite a list, here are three that can prevent you from getting scammed:

#1: Addressed as “Dear Customer”

If you see an email titled ‘Dear Customer’ that asks you to follow a link so as to fill in account details, you can be sure it is a phishing scam. This is because spammers use this old feature known as mail merge when sending emails out to victims that automatically fills in customer names among other types of information. But this is not to say that any authentic emails sent from corporations to you won’t use your name when addressing you.

#2: Links look suspicious

If you’re not sure about an email, hover the mouse over any link that is found in the email but don’t, under any circumstances, click it. When you look at the lower left-hand corner of your browser or email client, you’ll find the exact address that you’re hovering over.

You can easily determine whether that email is a scam or not by reading the link until the first backslash. Now, go back from that point to the first period and you’ll see the address that you are actually heading towards. In most cases, it will not be the URL that it looks like at the beginning of the link.

#3: Contains an attachment

If they can’t get you to follow a link, the next thing is to send you an attachment. For this, make sure that you never download an attachment that you don’t expect from anyone. In some cases, you may be expecting some people to send you some attachments. Use discretion when trying to do so.

Metallizing Plastic

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Written by: Denton Vacuum, LLC

Summary: The metallization of plastic has completely revolutionized the costs associated with manufacturing.

Plastic is a great material to use for manufacturing, but its uses are limited when it is left in its original state. But, what if we could metalize it and change its properties entirely? That’s no longer in the realm of “what if.” Through the process of vacuum metallization, manufacturers are able to fundamentally alter the makeup of plastic, turning a simple plastic piece into a high-performance metal piece without adding significantly to the cost of production.

How it Works

The vacuum metalizing process takes place in two phases. The first phase involves superheating the materials used in coating. Typically, these materials include items like copper or aluminum. The heating would damage the substrate, so the piece is inserted only after the metal has been converted into gaseous form. The chamber is cooled as the substrate is put inside, creating the perfect conditions for materials to settle on the face of the substrate and coat t evenly. The particulates bounce off the walls of the chamber as the interior is cooled to a specific temperature. Occasionally, other apparatuses are used to rotate the substrate, making sure it receives an even coating on all sides.

Applications

Vacuum deposition systems aren’t just for making plastic into metal, although the aerospace industry benefits greatly from these advancements. The same process is also used in the construction of joint replacement devices, creating a more durable piece that lasts longer. Optometrists and manufacturers also utilize this same technique, replacing the metal with chemicals, to create lenses with scratch resistance.

Related Story: Using E-Beam Evaporation for Medical Technology

Related Story: How to Metallize Plastic

What You Need to Know (and do!) Before Purchasing RAM

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The reason why your machine is slowing down might or might not have to do with your Random Access Memory.

However, the more RAM you add, the faster your system will get apart from the fact that it it easier to install compared to installing a solid state drive. This is for the reason that with the latter, you will have to move the operating system.

Yet the question remains that you not only have to know what type of RAM your system will accept but also how much of it too.

Now, if you want to make sure that you actually need more RAM, select Task Manager and the Performance tab. At the bottom left-hand corner, you’ll see the amount of RAM that is available and if it is less than 25 percent, then it’s time for an upgrade.

Another aspect that you must consider is to determine the most effective arrangement for your RAM in terms of using the available memory slots. In most cases, they are arranged in pair whether two or four.

In order to understand this, check your motherboard’s manual. One thing that you should keep in mind for better performance: add RAM to different slots that use different memory channels.

Ultimately, if you are not sure about what you need or what you’ve got, then use the Crucial System Scanner. Download the program and run it: the results should tell you how many slots are filled (and with what!) and how many are empty. It will also tell you what kind of RAM to purchase as well.

How to Fix Your Retargeting

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Retargeting is a huge benefit, if you know how to use it. If you don’t, you might end up paying more money to actually lose customers! Retargeting tries to match your messaging with customers who have visited your site. It’s great for branding too. Retargeting often costs less than using standard targeting methods, but it’s very easy to break your retargeting efforts. If you find retargeting isn’t delivering the response you had hoped for, you might want to try adjusting a few parameters.

Frequency

The biggest change you can make is to the frequency with which your ads show. If your ads are presented to users too often, your “effective” messaging comes across as intrusive badgering. Be sure that you set a frequency cap, or a limit to how many times your display advertising will show to a certain person on a certain day, so that you’re not bothering people with your ads.

Messaging

The best kind of display advertising, especially on mobile, is succinct. Think about what you want your advertising to say, like benefits of your product or service, and highlight that in banner form. Try to distill what you want to say into one sentence, or even better, just a few words. Also, be sure that you adjust your messaging. If you are retargeting customers who bought from you already, for instance, showing them the same banner would be redundant. Instead, try to focus on a new benefit or product they have not seen and you might score an upsell.

Bio: Ted Dhanik is the CEO of engage:BDR, a digital marketing company that offers real-time bidding. Ted Dhanik has been in direct marketing for over 15 years. Find out how to generate leads for your business with advice from Ted Dhanik.

3 Services That Will Help You Build a Website Easily

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There’s no arguing with having your own online presence in the form of a website despite being able to use Facebook, Tumblr or even Twitter.

The reason why this is so important is because you now have a website that is completely under your control.

Best part: it’s simple to do this as well.

So, here are 3 services that can help you build a website rather easily:

#1: WordPress.com

By using this service, you can easily reduce the amount of coding that might be necessary to especially if you use it via Automattic. Instead of using WordPress itself, Automattic helps you create a WordPress site by hosting it on their servers.

The first thing that you need to do is pick a theme and then start adding posts. The best part about WordPress is that you can create a landing page that visitors can see before they look at your posts.

#2: Tumblr

Tumblr is a blogging platform that is simple to use and which works for both mobiles and PCs. It’s the best option if you want to use your site for short posts, videos or images. Much like WordPress, Tumblr also offers a number of themes – most of which are free of cost but some which cost a few dollars. The only downside is that it gives you less control over your site than other platforms do.

#3: Pancake.io

Among the three options, this one requires you to know a bit about CSS, HTML and JS. There are two ways you can build a site: either by using Jekyll which is the static site generator or by simply uploading files to Dropbox. Between the two, the latter is the simplest option.

3 Outlook Organizational Tips To Save Time

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Microsoft Outlook is probably as indispensable as a tool can get even if it isn’t loved at all. It can be a headache having to sift through emails all day long answering them or even responding to meeting requests.

That said, here are 3 Outlook organizational tips that can help save time in the process:

#1: Use custom folders

Using Custom folders will ensure that you won’t have to perform a manual search. Simply put, it’s like using a file cabinet. Not only are they easy to create, use and search for but there are no limits to the amount of space you can assign. When using these folders, be careful not to overdo things as it can slow down Outlook as a result.

#2: Use Quick Steps

This is an Outlook feature that helps you automate a series of tasks into one step. Simple tasks such as deleting, copying, forwarding and moving can be automated using this step. Using this feature can really cut down on checking emails especially if you receive a lot of emails daily. Once you define a Quick Steps task, then select the task from the Quick Steps menu. Outlook does the rest. You can even assign a shortcut key to these automated tasks.

#3: Email Templates

If your work involves sending the same email to a number of people, then sending an email using a template wouldn’t be a bad idea at all. In fact, this speeds up the process considerably. For starters, all you need to do is save this letter as an email template. To open it, click on New Items> More Items> Choose Form. After this, select User Templates and the saved the email. The rest is simple to carry out.

4 Types of Must-Have Software For Your PC

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If you own a Windows PC, there is a list of software that are must-haves and without which, it will be useless to have one in the first place.

Keeping this in mind, here are 4 types of software that you must have on your PC:

#1: Antivirus

Probably the biggest mistake you can make is connecting to the internet without any protection, in the form of an antivirus. It’s like leaving your front door open while on vacation with a sign saying ‘Expensive stuff inside. No one is home.” That said, there are a number of free antivirus programs that you can use to protect your data in the background. Best part: a number of them are free of cost.

#2: Malware scanner

Let’s accept the fact that an antivirus isn’t perfect at all. So, for your PC’s safety, it is a good idea to get a malware scanner to add a second layer of protection. One such option is Malware Bytes Anti-Malware. Scan your drive without fail every week or so.

#3: Backup program

A number of people don’t care about backup programs until they lose all their files due to a crash. There are a number of backup programs that are available online and for completely free of cost.

#4: Browser

Almost everything that we do these days has to do with browsing. While Windows offer Internet Explorer, there are a couple of other options such as Maxthon, Firefox and notably, Chrome that are free of cost and have been designed to enhance your browsing experience greatly.

Fastest Channels for Scaling a Lead Generation Business

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Lead generation is one of the most common methods of affiliate marketing, and the business has become competitive. Smart marketers and newbies would do well to take advantage of channels that can quickly scale a campaign, building on your early success. Here are some of the fastest growing channels in lead generation.

Banner Advertising

It’s no secret that display advertising is a major contributor to successful affiliate campaigns. There was some debate as to whether CPM was still a relevant metric, but consider that major companies like MasterCard have listed CPM as one of five metrics that represent a clearer picture of the success of marketing campaigns. Display advertising is highly targeted, allows for retargeting, and is still available at budget prices for newbies looking to get in on the ground floor.

Email Marketing

Growing right out of banner advertising is email marketing. Because banners are targeted so well, marketers are able to capitalize on the lists they create through those efforts. You will not need to guess at the demographics of your list, nor will you need to gauge their motivation. This makes it easier for you to choose new campaigns to email to your existing list.

Scaling Tips

Once you have found the formula for success in buy-side platforms, you can branch out and explore other networks to build more traffic. Also consider SEO, which can bring you long term boosts for a minimal effort over time. Although paid advertising should be your largest source of leads, it doesn’t need to be your only opportunity.

Bio: Based out of Los Angeles, Ted Dhanik is a display marketer. Ted Dhanik began his career with MySpace.com and has also worked for LowerMyBills.com. Ted Dhanik teaches the concepts behind successful banner advertising campaigns online, through blogs and various media channels.

Building MEMS with E-Beam Evaporation

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MEMS are an exciting new development in the world of microscopic machines.

MEMS stands for microelectronic machine systems, and they are tiny machines with a ton of purpose. MEMS are created from materials that measure between 1 and 100 microns in size, and generally get as large as about 20 micrometers. Thanks to techniques like e-beam evaporation, MEMS can be “grown” and manufactured fairly quickly.

Materials Used

The materials used to create MEMS are not unlike the same materials used to make semiconductors. Essentially, layers of copper or nickel are laid onto a silicon circuit board. Ceramic is also used sometimes, because of its high resistance against biocorrosion. Polymers also come into play when the device is intended for use in biomedical applications.

Physical Deposition

During the process of physical deposition, materials are removed from one substance and placed onto another. A thermal evaporation system is often used to evaporate one material, and layer it onto another. Extreme precision is required during this process, lest the heat damage one or both materials. Vacuum chambers are designed with this in mind, and use the enclosed space allows materials to deposit onto the substrate at the optimal temperature.

Final Thoughts

MEMS are a long way from becoming the futuristic nanomachines that sci-fi hints at, but they are seeing wider use in the medical world today. MEMS are already in use in disposable blood pressure sensors and other biosensors. This technology will soon monitor our bodies, and hopefully make repairs, all at a microscopic level.

Related Story: Medical Device Coatings Explained

Related Story: What is MEMS Technology?

Denton Vacuum, LLC sells optical coating systems for use in precision optics and laser coating. Shop for advanced manufacturing devices online at Denton Vacuum, LLC.

3 Ways to Access Your PC Remotely

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Just because you have files on your PC, that doesn’t mean it is stuck and cannot be accessed on the go.

No matter where you are, there are a remote desktop solutions that you can use to access your files. Here are 3 of these solutions:

#1: Remote desktop

Remote desktop software such as TeamViewer allows you to access applications on your desktop over the internet. This software will work with tablets and phones too.

Set up a remote desktop server using TeamViewer as it is cross-platform, free of cost and is easy to use as well. Make sure you set it up for unattended access!

#2: Remote file access

You can TeamViewer too so as to access all your files no matter where you are. Select file transfer when you are connecting to a remote PC and you can access files either from your phone or your PC depending on where the files are located. Since the iPhone, iPad and Android apps have file transfer, you can download files from your PC to your tablet or smartphone too.

#3: Using Documents in the Cloud

Users can upload documents to Microsoft’s OneDrive, which is completely free of cost, and then use OfficeOnline to edit these documents. OneDrive has been integrated into Windows 8.1 and is also free for download for other versions of Windows too.

Take note that while Office for iPad will allow you to edit your documents easily, the same isn’t true for Office for Mobile since you would need to register with Office365.