Three Great Browser Games

October 31, 2012

It’s no secret that browser games make up a large portion of the casual gaming market. They are fun, addictive and incredibly convenient to play. There’s no need to download or install anything, all you have to do is sign up for an account and begin your adventure. There are, literally, tons of browser games out there. I’ve picked out some of my absolute favorites – enjoy!

Battlestar Galactica Online1. Battlestar Galactica Online

Battlestar Galactica Online is a browser MMO game based on the popular Battlestar Galactica TV series which came out in 2004. The game was released into open beta last year and quickly hit an impressive 2 million registered user milestone.

The game features impressive 3D graphics and is more of a fly simulator/action game than an RPG, even though you do get to pick your character, customize some stats and select a starting ship. In order to play Battlestar Galactica Online, users are required to download some game content before playing, but the actual game is played in the browser. Click here to sign up and start playing!

Imperion2. Imperion

Imperion is a completely free, sci-fi space strategy game. The game has been in open beta testing for a long time and a full version was just launched a few months ago. Overall, Imperion has by far the best graphics of any space strategy/simulator that I have ever played.

The gameplay is tons of fun, too. You get to choose what kind of player you want to be (defensive or offensive), form alliances, mine, raid other players/planets and so on. There are no downloads required as the game runs 100% in the browser. Go here to try out Imperion.

3. Zombies Online

Zombies OnlineZombies Online is a browser based action/RPG game. The game features very impressive graphics and tons of action, all of which is available directly in your browser (nothing to download). You can customize your character in any way you like. There are tons of quests to do, most of which can be done in co-op mode. You can sign up here.

As you can see, the games listed above are very different in style/gameplay, which was sort of my goal when writing this article. I have personally spent hundreds of hours playing each game and can almost guarantee that no matter which one of the three games above you pick, you are going to gave tons of fun!

Filed Under: Games

Ways to Unlock Your iPhone

December 28, 2012

You probably know that most phones (including the iPhone) that come with a contract are “locked” to a single provider. The process of “unlocking” an iPhone frees it from any such restrictions, allowing the user to use any GSM carrier, anywhere in the world.

Now, many people believe that the only way to get an unlocked iPhone is to actually purchase one from the Apple store. Unfortunately, while Apple does sell new iPhones that can be used with any carrier, they are significantly more expensive than buying with a contract. In fact, most early termination fees are much smaller than what you would pay for an unlocked iPhone from the Apple store.

So, are there any other options to get an unlocked iPhone? It turns out that there are indeed ways to unlock an iPhone, no matter what iOS, provider or iPhone model.

Safety

Unlocking an iPhoneNow, there are many different iPhone unlocking solutions out there. Some are software unlocks, while others use special SIM cards or other methods to unlock the phone. It’s very important that you understand the differences between these methods and only use those that are safe, won’t break your phone and won’t void the warranty (if you still have one).

In general, both SIM card (such as Gevey) and factory unlocks are safe, while many software unlocks and other solutions should be avoided.

Gevey SIM unlock

This method is actually very simple and can be used to unlock iPhone 4S devices. Note that at the moment this method doesn’t work with iPhone 5 phones – although they are already working on a solution. Here’s how it works:

  • Use a trusted provider, such as unlockaniphone.org, to order a Gevey Ultra S SIM card.
  • Once you receive the card, put it into your iPhone and follow on-screen instructions to unlock it.
  • That’s it. Note that this method doesn’t “jailbreak” your phone and is completely safe.

IMEI unlock

IMEI unlocks are full factory unlocks that work with any iPhone/iOS version. Because IMEI is a factory unlock, there’s no need to repeat it after updating your iOS version.

IMEI unlocks are (by far) the best solution out there. The whole process is quick and extremely safe. You don’t have to worry about losing your warranty or breaking anything. Here’s how it works:

  • Go online and place an order (you’ll need your IMEI number).
  • You’ll receive an email saying that your iPhone has been unlocked (normally within a day or so).
  • Connect your phone to iTunes (you may have to reset it to factory settings first) and you’ll get a message that your phone has been unlocked. That’s it!

Remember to always use a trusted, established provider. Most cheap solutions found on eBay and similar websites will not work, and can even break your phone.

Filed Under: Mobile

Mindfulness: Reduce Stress, Improve Your Mood and Increase Mental Performance

December 21, 2012

In this busy day and age it is very easy to lose track of time and get disconnected from the needs of our mind by focusing on work and solving mundane everyday problems. The fact that so many aspects of our lives have been “improved” by technology doesn’t help, either. Instead of making life easier, technology is actually making us increasingly more stressed and disconnected from our true nature with every passing day.

So, what should you turn to when the burden of daily stress and anxiety becomes too much to handle? Mindfulness meditation is the answer.

mindfulness meditationWhat is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness is the ability to be in the present moment and fully enjoy it without the need to analyze or criticize anything. To be mindful means to be open minded about your surroundings without being judgmental.

Mindfulness is achieved through meditation and requires some training. There are many mindfulness clinics in the world and they all have a slightly different approach to mindfulness meditation. Many experts describe mindfulness as exercise for the mind. It helps to keep your thoughts fresh, creative and well structured. It can fight or completely eradicate anxiety and chronic stress. If practiced regularly, mindfulness meditation leads to significant improvements in all areas of an individual’s life, including improved mental wellbeing, better performance at work and the ability to make better decisions.

Is mindfulness for me?

In my opinion, every individual out there would benefit greatly from regular mindfulness meditation. With that said this practice does require significant commitment and most people give up before they can see results. In general, mindfulness can help people who:

  • Experience constant stress and anxiety. If you often find yourself feeling confused, overwhelmed and anxious, mindfulness meditation can help.
  • Feel unhappy and think that their life lacks meaning and clarity.
  • Find that, as time progresses, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to focus on daily tasks and get things done.
  • Are constantly moody or sad.
  • Lack self-confidence and self-belief.
  • Are under extreme stress due to an ongoing illness.
  • Find it difficult to make clear decisions, often doubting themselves and asking others for advice and reassurance.

what is mindfulnessDepending on your situation, there might be different mindfulness meditation approaches available. For instance:

  • People who lack self-confidence may gain the most from mindfulness training that focuses on building up self-esteem.
  • Individuals with emotional overeating or weight problems might benefit from mindfulness-based eating awareness training. Such programs are also great for people who want to switch to a healthier overall diet.

There are many different approaches to mindfulness meditation and the easiest way to identify a path that’s right for you is to consult with a professional from a well-known mindfulness clinic, such as mindspaceclinic.com.

Mobile apps for mindfulness practice

Believe it or not, there are dozens of great mobile apps to help people with their mindfulness meditation goals. These range from simple meditation timers to fully guided relaxation and meditation programs.

Filed Under: Services

Guide: How to Use a Proxy for Web Surfing

December 21, 2012

These days more and more people are searching for information on how to change or hide their IP address. There are many reasons for this, although the fact that many big websites use visitor IP data to serve content is the main driving force behind this incredible demand for fast and secure proxy services.

VPN servicesWhat is a private proxy or VPN service?

Both proxies and VPN servers work in a similar way and can appear to be identical to most non-tech users (check out proxyusa.com for more info about this). In essence, a proxy server works as a back-and-forth forwarder between your computer and some online destination (such as BBC Iplayer), while a VPN server actually creates a traffic tunnel from your computer to the actual server.

Most people prefer to use VPN services, because they are more flexible, offer better speeds and are generally pretty reliable. When you sign up for a VPN service (most of which are very reasonably priced), you’ll have to download and install a small “control” program which will enable you to quickly connect to or switch between VPN servers (and at the same time change your IP address) with just a few clicks.

What can VPN services be used for?

With so many great media websites around these days (such as YouTube, Hulu, BBC Iplayer and many others), being unable to use such sites due to your physical location can be really frustrating. This happens because most websites have to follow strict licensing laws, which often prevent certain content to be displayed in some countries/regions. For example:

  • Video streaming from Hulu is only available in the US.
  • BBC Iplayer programs only work when you access the site from a UK IP address.
  • Many YouTube videos are only viewable in certain parts of the world (again, based on your IP address).

Iplayer servicesNow, imagine that you are going abroad to somewhere like Spain or Italy and decide to watch your favorite BBC Iplayer programs on your laptop – oops, you’ve been blocked.

So, how do you overcome this problem? The answer is very simple – find a good VPN service, sign up and install their app on your computer. After that all you have to do is select “UK” from the list of available locations and hit “connect”. Head over to BBC Iplayer and enjoy any program you want! There is a great write up on how to watch BBC Iplayer abroad over on proxyusa.com – check it out.

Lastly, I want to give you some tips for choosing the best VPN service provider:

  • Cheapest doesn’t always mean the best. Remember that video streaming requires a decent connection, which is not something that all VPN services can offer. Always check out a trial offer first (if there’s one available).
  • Look for a provider that allows users to sign up using easy to cancel payment methods, such as PayPal. Canceling a credit card subscription can often be tricky, but that really depends on how reputable your VPN provider is.

And don’t forget to tell your friends about this – IP-based content availability can be a very frustrating issue.

Filed Under: Services

Revolutionary Online ID Card Design and Printing Service

December 21, 2012

ID cards are used everywhere – from membership ID’s to employee cards, gift cards and so on. Now, the traditional way to get ID cards done is to contact a local printer, get a quote for design and printing and collect your cards once they’re ready. This process isn’t ideal, because many printers charge large design fees or simply do not have professional card printing and encoding facilities.

ID creatorDesign your own ID cards

What if I told you that there is a way to design your own ID cards completely free of charge, and without having to buy or download any software? Sounds good, right? That’s exactly what the guys at idcreator.com are offering – a way to quickly and effortlessly create your own stunning ID card or name badge designs, all completely free.

How does it work?

The concept is very simple. All you have to do is go to their site and sign up for a free account (although you can try out their online builder without an active account). You will be able to customize things like:

  • Card design – use a premade template or start from scratch.
  • Customize your designs by inserting text, images, various shapes/figures and even barcodes.
  • Submit data to be encoded to the card (for building access, etc).
  • Preview your designs and either export them for printing at home or pay to have your ID cards professionally printed and shipped to you overnight!

As you can see, you have total freedom to make any ID card you like, and it’s all completely free (as long as you have a printer at home). If you want your designs printed using the highest quality printers – that’s also an option! Simply choose how many copies you want to order, pick any extras you need (such as protective laminate or back side printing), select how you want them shipped and proceed to checkout!

Filed Under: Services

Looking for Work? Use a Resume Submission Service!

December 20, 2012

Are you looking to get a job, but do not know where to start? There are tons of ways to get noticed by potential employers, including going to conferences, signing up with recruitment agencies, applying for work directly and so on.

resume submissionSubmitting your resume to various job sites can also be of big help, however, this process is often overlooked due to the amount of effort involved. Luckily, with services that can submit your resume to dozens of popular job sites for a low one-time fee, time constraints are no longer an issue!

How does it work?

Resume submission services are normally offered by companies that have created time-efficient ways of creating accounts and submitting resumes to numerous career sites. Such services are very easy to use and can save you a ton of time while at the same time putting your resume in front of thousands of potential employers. Here’s how it works:

  • You sign up with a resume submission service and fill out all required information (keep in mind that you only have to do this once).
  • Hit submit, pay a small fee and have your resume sent out to dozens of big job search websites.
  • Once your submission is complete, you’ll receive all details (login/password) required to modify your resume on any of the sites.
  • If you don’t yet have a professional resume, some of these services will be able to help you out with that, too.

Now, it’s important to remember that your resume can’t be changed after it has been submitted. You can, however, log into each job site directly and edit any details you like. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep your work history and other information up-to-date on all popular job sites.

So, are services like this really worth the effort? In my opinion – absolutely. It only costs a dollar or so per job site and will save you 10 to 20 hours worth of work.

Filed Under: Services

Wholesale VoIP Termination Services: a Good Choice for Your Business?

December 19, 2012

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are quickly growing in popularity. Millions of businesses around the world are quickly realizing that switching to wholesale VoIP services for most (or all) of their telecommunication needs can give them a huge competitive advantage over rivals. In this article, I’m going to talk about some of the main reasons why you should consider using wholesale VoIP termination services for your business needs.

wholesale VoIP terminationWhat is VoIP termination?

The term VoIP termination is becoming increasingly popular among tech-savvy people across the world. With that said, it can sound a little misleading to someone who is new to using VoIP.

In simple terms, VoIP termination is the process of transferring a call made via a VoIP service to a normal land line device. This means that your call will originate on the Internet, but will eventually be transferred to the Public Switched Telephone Network (this is what regular telephone companies use) in order to reach the recipient. That’s exactly what VoIP termination means – calling a regular land line phone from a VoIP service.

Wholesale VoIP services are designed for businesses (or individuals) that spend a lot of money on their communications needs and are looking for the best possible VoIP pricing/deals. Buying wholesale services is the easiest way to save money.

What are the benefits of wholesale VoIP?

Wholesale voice services, such as those provided by commpeak.com, give businesses a much needed competitive edge in today’s cutthroat economic climate. Here are some examples:

  • Wholesale VoIP services allow businesses to save significantly on all of their communication costs, including customer support, savings on international calls and so on.
  • Wholesale VoIP services allow companies to hold effortless conference calls on a global scale, without having to worry about the costs.
  • wholesale voice servicesVoIP services can be used to communicate with clients and colleagues, no matter what VoIP or land line service provider they use.
  • VoIP services are extremely reliable and offer superb call quality. Many large VoIP companies are able to process any number of incoming or outgoing calls and can scale on demand.
  • Such services normally come with superb analytics and tracking tools that can be used to monitor, optimize and plan your work schedule.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of VoIP is being able to offer instant support services to your customers through innovative use of instant messaging and many other extras that VoIP can offer.

No matter what kind of business you run, if you spend a significant amount of money on your telecommunications needs, switching to VoIP can be a huge money saver!

Filed Under: Services

Android Apps: from Idea to Launch

December 18, 2012

Google’s Android operating system (OS) has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years and its market reach is increasing every day. In fact, Android OS is by far the most popular smartphone platform out there, running on more than 75% of all smartphone devices in use today. The immense popularity of Android is set to increase even further, with numerous product manufacturers using it to power their gaming consoles, smart TV’s and various other gadgets.

These days, having an Android app developed to help market your business seems almost natural. After all, some of the more popular apps reach millions of downloads within months – just think what that kind of popularity could do for your business!

How to choose a good app development company

Android app developmentThe Android app development market is expanding extremely fast, with thousands of companies offering app creation services for all needs and budgets. However, with so many app developers around these days, it can be really hard to choose a company that is both knowledgeable and provides good value for money. Many app developers are extremely inexperienced and don’t have a lot of business sense (which is absolutely crucial in this business). So, how do you choose a good Android app development company to work with?

1. Look for a company that provides full, end-to-end app development services. Your aim should be to find a provider that has a lot of experience with business app development and can help you devise a powerful mobile marketing strategy (since apps are a form of marketing).

2. Avoid one-person companies where the same individual does both app design and coding. Good design and user experience are absolutely crucial to an app’s success.

3. Ask to see examples of past work. This should, ideally, include all kinds of Android apps – from mobile games to business planning tools. See if you like them and how well they perform. Ask to see some of the developer’s most successful projects and find out how popular they are on Google Play and other app marketplaces.

4. You’ll probably need to agree to some sort of app maintenance solution – ask what’s on offer. Google updates Android OS every 6 to 9 months, and you should make sure that your app runs smoothly on all Android powered devices after every major update.

If you‘re currently looking for a full service mobile app provider, check out this Android app development company.

Filed Under: Mobile

What is Sustainable Management?

December 12, 2012

You may have heard the term “sustainable management” used in a conversation somewhere and wondered whether it’s just another useless buzzword designed to get people excited about yet another simple, unoriginal idea. Well, let me tell you this – sustainable management is extremely important and will soon become an integral part of every long-term business strategy, no matter how big or small. Let’s have a closer look.

What is it?

sustainable managementSustainable management blends concepts from two different disciplines – sustainability and management – into one. The idea behind sustainable management is to create micro systems (within businesses) that fully satisfy all economic requirements and are designed to run indefinitely, without running out of resources. Aside from being environmentally friendly and self-sufficient, sustainable management strategies must also remain fully economically viable at all times.

Why is it important?

With the global population growing at incredible rates, sustainable management practices are more important than ever before. It is crucial for people to understand that sustainable management is not just an added cost, or a way to “do good” while sacrificing business profitability. Here are a couple reasons why sustainable management is important:

  • Sustainable management can significantly reduce uncertainty in any business, guaranteeing strong long-term profitability. Businesses that employ sustainable management practices face lesser risks when it comes to their future profits. With brand value becoming an increasingly important factor in business evaluations, sustainable management strategies are absolutely the way forward.
  • It is believed that new businesses that are built using 100% sustainable strategies will (in the future) overtake large and established companies that are currently ignoring the future needs of everyone around them.

By definition, any company that doesn’t focus on building a sustainable foundation for its products and services is doomed to fail.

Want to learn more about sustainable business practices?

From undergraduate degrees in sustainable management to prestigious MBA or Executive Certificate qualifications (such as those offered by Presidio Graduate School), sustainable management is quickly finding its way into educational systems all over the world.

It’s a complex discipline that demands solid economic skills and a good understanding of environmental and social systems. Every company out there should make it their goal to integrate sustainable management strategies into their business.

Filed Under: Business

Lone Worker Protection: Simple, Integrated and Affordable

December 5, 2012

Every business that has lone (or mobile) workers must have proper lone worker protection measures in place. This means that everyone on your workforce, including people who work without any direct supervision or completely on their own, must have a quick and effective way to request emergency assistance.

LoneResQ mobile worker protectionNow, there are many different ways to ensure lone worker safety, with some solutions costing more than others. If you run a small business, you are going to need a solution that is affordable, easy to integrate with existing technology and provides ample protection for all of your staff. That is exactly where integrated lone worker protection systems (such as LoneResQ) come in handy.

How does it work?

There are many simple worker protection systems out there. With that said, simple and flexible doesn’t mean bad – in most cases the simplest solutions are also the most effective, because there’s very little room left for human error. Worker protection services like LoneResQ make use of the fact that pretty much everyone owns a mobile device that can be integrated with a mobile monitoring system. This way every employee has access to emergency assistance and protection services with just a push of a button. Here are some examples of lone worker protection schemes:

  • If you already have a worker monitoring system in place, then a mobile worker tracking solution along with a central monitoring portal should be able to integrate nicely into your existing setup.
  • If you need a full worker tracking and protection solution, most lone worker protection companies should be able to set up a secure web-based portal that you can use to monitor the status of all your workers. This will, of course, require that your workers use a mobile monitoring application that works with their phones or smart phones.
  • Depending on your needs and which company you choose to go with, you may be able to set up a fully managed mobile monitoring and priority response service which provides 24-hour emergency protection for all employees.

As you can see, worker protection solutions such as LoneResQ can be customized to fit your business needs and budget.

Filed Under: Services

Protect Your Online Identity With a Private Proxy

December 1, 2012

You have probably noticed that an increasing number of internet based services, such as video streaming sites, are starting to use geo-targeting techniques to serve people content.

Some people say that this is absolutely the way forward, because it enables companies to provide more personalized services to their clients. I, however, find the fact that I’m being forced into using certain online content rather annoying. Luckily, using a private proxy application can quickly solve all of your online privacy problems. Let’s have a closer look.

IP-based targetingExamples of IP-based targeting

Never mind the fact that all of your online activity (including every site you have ever visited) is being monitored by your ISP, thousands of companies are also using your IP address data to manipulate the way you act online. Here’s how:

  • Have you ever wanted to watch a video on Youtube, but were presented with a “this video is not available in your country” message instead? That’s geo-targeting.
  • Did you know that companies like Google manipulate their search results to serve you geo-targeted content? In some instances this can be great. However, more often than not geo-targeting simply hinders the user experience.
  • Major video streaming services, such as Hulu and BBC Iplayer, limit access based on IP address data.

Those are just some of the most obvious examples of IP-based targeting. There are thousands of companies, products and services out there that limit access or serve personalized results, all because of the location of your IP address.

So, how do you overcome these annoying (and very common) IP targeting issues? The answer is very simple – sign up for a VPN service. A professional VPN service will only cost you a few bucks each month, and will give you complete privacy when browsing online. You’ll be able to use any website you want (such as Hulu), even when you are on vacation in a country where access to such services is limited.

And always remember that using a professional private VPN service has countless benefits that extend far beyond being able to watch BBC Iplayer whenever you like. Check out http://www.theninjaproxy.org to learn more about the benefits of using a VPN service to protect your online identity.

Filed Under: Services