3 Ways By Which You Can Reduce Clutter

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A hard drive that gathers much clutter tends to be slow but most of all, is a security hazard. Especially if this pertains to software that has been installed and used only once.

This means that if you rarely use it, there’s every chance that it isn’t patched or updated leaving your computer vulnerable.

That said, here are 3 ways by which you can reduce clutter:

#1: Applications that aren’t used

In using Windows, go to Control Panel, Programs and hit ‘Uninstall a program’. What you will see is a list of application that are currently installed on your PC. Look for unwanted applications that are taking up too much space by sorting this list out by size. You can use the uninstaller that Windows offers or even a more comprehensive tool such as Revo Uninstaller.

#2: Services that aren’t required

Windows services are usually programs that, while not being used, run in the background. Among the many functions that they carry out, performing core system functions and helping software applications to interact with Windows are two important ones.

Yet a number of them need not run and identifying these services can be a bit of a challenge. Look for services that aren’t required in the Services panel by opening the Charm bar, and remove them. For example, Bluetooth devices or even Remote Desktop services among others. Look for assistance over the internet for this.

#3: Obsolete data

All of us are guilty of having duplicate copies of videos, music and other files on our system. This slows your system up for the simple reason that your RAM depends on unused storage space affecting its performance due to too much clutter. You can do a Disk Cleanup or even defragment or optimize your hard drive. You’ll find it in the Tools section.

Why Google+ is the Best Social Network for Photo Sharing

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It was in October that Google claimed that its social network, Google+, had 300 million active users.

While critics laughed it off, there is some truth to the fact that the two-year old social network does have some loyal fans.

While no one is leaving Facebook for Google+, a number of people aren’t hesitant to open a Google+ account, considering how tied it is with popular services of Google such as Gmail, Maps and Google Drive and so on and so forth.

Much like any other social network, Google+ only works if you build up a profile, and which using the ‘Circles’ option can control who sees what information of yours, there’s very little between these social networks except for a few tiny things.

However, there’s one aspect that sets it apart from the rest – photo sharing. It is for this reason that almost 1.5 billion photographs have been uploaded to Google every week.

Not only is it really easy to upload the photos via Chrome but you can drag and drop them onto Google+ as well. In fact, the Android and Google+ iOS apps lets you enable a feature of auto-backup for your images which are saved in a private album every time you take one.

But that’s not all – once your photos are on the network, you can use Lightbox to edit your photos, and which are better than most photo editing tools you’ll find on any other social network.

All in all, even Google+ has too many options, it still is the best social network if you’re looking for an excellent place to share your photographs.

What You Need to Know About Cleaning Up Your Public Profile

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Removing private information from a people search site isn’t difficult yet there is no doubt that you will have to deal with a lot of hassle in order to get it done.

For starters, you’ll have to visit the site, and look for your information there and after which, you’ll just have to read and understand the site’s privacy policy. Of course, that part isn’t so easy not unless you are a lawyer…

One of the most popular sites is Intelius, where the section “How to remove your information from the Intelius Public Records Databases” runs into about 611 words. Once you’ve read the information, you’ll have to fill up an online form.

Not only will they require you to photograph your driver’s license while crossing out the license number and uploading the photograph for confirmation to the site. An email address is also requested.

There’s no doubt that the first step is a bit of a headache to get done (use a Post-It to cover the license number) but once you’re through, you’ll receive a confirmation email soon enough.

With another site like Spokeo, the process is much more simpler: you’ll have to provide a profile URL and an email address and filling out a CAPTHCA to prove that you are human.

As soon as you click the ‘Remove this listings’ button, you’ll be asked to check your email further instructions. However, all you will receive is a notification that your private information has been removed.

That said, if at any point of time, if any information you’ve posted has gone viral, it may be more difficult to clean up your public profile than you think.

How You Deal with Email Privacy

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No email you send is secure and especially when it comes to Google’s Gmail. This is because they’re using keywords from your emails to target advertising.

While it’s true that Google employees aren’t reading your email, the potential of skirting the rules  (much like the NSA in recent times) always remains.

If you’ve thought of not using Gmail, there’s no point because all email is not secure. The protection that it offers users (SSL, in Gmail’s case) only protects your information during the first leg of its journey as it passes through a number of servers and reaches the intended recipient.

However, there does exist a standard which offer protection from end-to-end namely OpenPGP which needs universal acceptance from email service providers and clients too. Of course, this isn’t going to happen since it isn’t the best interests of Google, the US government or even Microsoft.

So, what do you do?

It’s simple, really. Keep sensitive information out of emails as much as you possibly can. However, as a second resort, you can use encryption if you want to prevent the cops, corporations or the crooks to not read your emails.

But there’s a problem with that: not only will the recipient require your password but also compatible software yet most of all, they might not be as tech-savvy as you are.

That said, there’s another solution that you can try and which involves the use of Sendinc where both recipient will need free accounts that are offered by this service. Also, you need to have strong passwords but don’t need to know each other’s passwords.

Why You Shouldn’t Worry About These Mysterious Files

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If you’re scared of files that start with a “~$” and for good reason, the first thing that you need to know is that there is no reason for you to be scared when you see this file.

That’s probably because you haven’t created the file yet and it still appears in your Documents folder.

In most cases, besides the strange punctuation, the file name looks familiar but can be opened with a common application. However, when you try to open it, an error message is obtained causing the confusion as to what this file might be.

So, if you’ve wondered what this file really is, it’s really a temporary file and which has been created by Microsoft Word or Powerpoint. This is why, in most cases, the file goes away as soon as you close the file that you have just opened.

These temporary files have almost the same name except for the “~$” that replaces the first two letters of the file. For example, if the file that you have created is StackOverflow.docx, then its temporary file would look like ~$ackOverflow.docx.

As for opening these files, you can’t because they’re not normal .docx or .pptx files.

There are other times when you’ll see one of these temporary files without actually opening a document and this is because a file in either Powerpoint or Word did not close correctly due to a Windows crash.

Actually, you’re not supposed to see these files because they’re meant to be hidden and which means that someone has set up Windows to display these files. All you have to do is hide or display hidden files in the View tab which is located in the Folder Options dialog box.

The Benefits of Live Banner Ads

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By Ted Dhanik 

Banner ads are one of the most popular forms of display advertising that are used online today.  Study after study has proven that these ads are typically successful at growing a company’s client base and potential sales.

Due to the sheer number of ads that consumers come across every single day, it’s crucial for advertisers to use ads that stand out among the crowd.  Unfortunately, if ads don’t have a unique, eye-catching appeal, most viewers will not remember the ad.  If a client doesn’t notice or remember an ad, they’re less likely to think of that brand when they need to purchase an item.

There are a few things that companies can do to make their ads more memorable and engaging.  One tip is to avoid static banner ads.  Today, the most successful online ads are live banners.  Banner ads that feature animation and videos tend to be more memorable for viewers than static ads.  Banner ads should be dynamic and interactive.  Many businesses still rely on static banner ads which means that a live banner will stick out.

While it is often more expensive to use dynamic banners, they are undoubtedly more successful at achieving their intended goal.  The goal of any ad is to eventually lead to sales.  However, advertising has more to do with growing brand recognition and creating an idea in the minds of potential clients.  In order for ads to bring in new clients, they have to create interest for the ad viewers.

Author bio: Guest post is provided by Ted Dhanik, CEO of engage:BDR, supplier of high performance marketing solutions. Ted Dhanik is a passionate blogger who helps form trends in display advertising.  Visit www.teddhanik.com for more information on Ted Dhanik.

One Click For All Your Marine Needs

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Shopping for marine parts can be quite difficult if you are using older marine engines or one that is uncommon. You can never be certain if shops carry the parts you need, and the best way to find out is to go to their store personally. Going from one marine store to another can be exhausting, but at the time, this was one of the very few ways to find parts and to be able to see exactly what you are buying. This method is slowly being replaced with something called electronic shopping.

Electronic shopping refers to the purchase and acquisition of products through the use of the internet and a credit card account.  The e-commerce industry has boomed in a lot of countries and it has made shopping easier for everybody. Thankfully, the marine industry followed suit shortly after and now you can see the actual part that you are buying without even having to leave your chair. There are plenty of online stores that sell pretty much everything. Products vary per store, but generally, most parts can be found online. Their enginerange includes, but is not limited to, Evinrude, Mercruiser, and Suzuki. They also carry various mercury and Suzuki marine parts to suit your needs.

Traditional methods of shopping for such products are slowly on the decrease as the technology develops in the industry of e-commerce. It is only a matter of time before everything that we need can be purchased with a single click and delivered to our doorstep.

4 Tips to Consider When Conducting a Search Over the Internet

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While the first thing that you need to find the right information that you are looking for on the Web is a search engine, a little know-how goes a long way in helping you find what you are looking for as soon as possible.

So, with this in mind, here are 4 tips to consider when conducting a search over the internet:

#1: Learn how to search from the search engine itself

If you are using Google, then the best way to learn how to search can be done by using Google’s “Basic search help” as well as “Tips & Tricks” pages. You can be sure to find a number of tricks and shortcuts too.

#2: Look for a phrase

If you’re looking for an exact phrase and not pages that contain each of its words, then the best way to do this is by putting the phrase in quotation marks. You’ll find that the number of searches it throws back are far lesser (since it looks for an exact phrase match) than otherwise.

#3: Be as specific as possible

Let’s say you are looking for articles that show you how to manage bookmarks on an iPhone running Safari on iOS 7. Don’t just type “manage bookmarks” in the search bar but type as many keywords as possible such as “manage bookmarks iPhone Safari iOS 7” to find exactly what you need.

#4: Try the ‘advanced search’ option

If you’re not able to find what you are looking for from Basic Search, then it’s a good idea to try narrowing your search by using ‘Advanced search’ in the process. You can do this by clicking the gear icon that you can find to the top right hand corner of your screen.

3 Ways to Keep Your Data Secure

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Let’s face it: data security is not easy whether this pertains to mobiles, tablets, smartphones or even laptops.

It shouldn’t be surprising that these devices are goldmines of personal information to thieves and which is why they are popular as well.

So, keeping this in mind, here are 3 ways you can protect your data:

#1: Encrypt everything

One of the easiest ways to protect your data is to make use of the in-built hardware encryption on your Android or iOS device. If enabled, you can be sure that without a passcode, noone will be able to read anything on your mobile. While iPhone and iPad users will be pleased to note that their data is already encrypted, Android users will have to go through a lengthy but easy process to encrypt their data.

#2: Watch out for malware

Android, unlike Apple, is far more vulnerable to malware since Google does not check apps before they go live on Google Play. It’s for this reason that malware creators has begun to offer free device wallpapers as well as games so as to infect one’s device. For this, make sure you check what’s on offer by Lookout, Avast and Kapersky in the form of antivirus and security apps to help secure your phone.

#3: Protect your data from border agents

Border agents are allowed to confiscate any devices you are are carrying and even copy its contents. Since these checks are done to prevent terrorism, there’s nothing that you can do to avoid them. However, instead of allowing them to download sensitive information, you can actually leave your hard drive behind and instead boot your system with an SD card or a USB.

How to Increase Website Traffic

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Online business owners are always searching for new ways to increase website traffic. The idea is that more traffic means more sales. If you can get enough people to your website, there is a chance that at least some of them will purchase your products and/services. But just because you have created an attractive website doesn’t mean consumers can find it, let alone buy products from your online store. This is why many online business owners invest in internet marketing campaigns, or search engine marketing tactics designed to improve your search engine results and get more people (traffic) to your site.

But there is one problem. Online marketing campaigns are long-term investments. They are also expensive. Whether you want to invest in search engine optimization or search engine marketing, professionals in the field will tell you that you won’t see the results you’re looking for overnight. You have to be patient. A typical search engine optimization campaign can take anywhere from six months to a year to yield satisfying results. The same is true for internet marketing.

Since online marketing requires a lot of time and money, many business owners end up cutting corners by purchasing traffic generation services that rely on black hat techniques, or search engine marketing tactics that are against Google’s quality guidelines. The internet is brimming with companies that offer these services. However, you don’t have to resort to black hat techniques to get more traffic to your site. Here’s how to get more traffic to your website without investing in a long-term internet marketing campaign.

Purchase clean and organic website traffic packages. If this seems like a simple solution to your problem, it is. Certain internet marketing companies are offering online business owners the opportunity to buy website traffic. It’s as simple as buying a package. How many visitors do you want? Depending on your budget, you can purchase a package with a certain number of targeted visitors. For example, you can purchase 100,000 targeted visitors for your website for $115. Do you have a larger budget? You can buy 500,000 premium visitors for $650.

How is this possible? Your campaign is run on high-quality sites, making your website visible to high-quality targeted visitors. The real question is: Does Google allow this type of service? It depends. It’s important to find a company that works within Google’s quality guidelines. Make sure that the company is known for using white hat techniques. Also make sure that the company you go with offers “clean and organic” traffic. Finally, it needs to be safe for AdSense.

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This article was sponsored by Trafix Tech, a company that offers premium website traffic solutions, including guaranteed methods to improve organic traffic to websites. Visit the website to learn more about website traffic generator services.