A Million Lives

A million lifestyle hacks...unlimited possibilities

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Online Video Content Trends You Need To Be Aware Of

Online video is now more important than ever for businesses and even site owners that run a personal blog. Brand film has the possibility to draw in audiences and will actively influence decisions. As internet speed is faster than it ever was, video should be a huge part of basically anything you do online, from social media to blogging. This brings us to some trends that should be mentioned concerning video production.

Online Video Content Use Is Growing

Various studies suggest the fact that video investments are constantly growing, with businesses investing large parts of their budgets into video creation. We see much more than just a use of an MP4 cutter. Software like Movavi Video Editor is now used by people from beginners to professionals in order to create content that is as attractive as possible for visitors. People prefer video so video use is constantly growing.

Live Video Stands Out

Live video streaming is definitely not new but ever since the evolution of the internet and social media, we are looking at a revolution, a change in how users consume content. The brand new format is now driven by the natural ability to instantly stand out. It is different than content that is pre-recorded and brings in authenticity.

From now on we will see live streaming becoming much more interactive and popular. Brands want to exploit live experiences and use them to reach out.

Mobile Video Optimization Is Now Expected

People that use the internet now use mobile gadgets more than desktop computers. This practically means that video should be optimized in a highly responsive way. Mobile optimized video is so big that Facebook even recommends using a 1:1 ratio for mobile users, as opposed to the traditional ratio of 16:9.

Pivot To Video Is No Longer A Thing

Some time ago we saw content creators move towards video content but this changed as people figured out how important text is and will always be. Big websites that moved towards high use of video content, like Mashable and Buzzfeed, moved back from this trend and got back to text. This is mainly because pivot to video is very hard to implement properly and online publications get better results when using text.

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Great Ways To Make Money Online

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Have you been wondering how you might be able to afford that next amazing getaway to a far  flung and tropical locale? Or maybe you have been thinking about ways to make some money online or off in order to afford that great new toy or even put some extra money toward your car payments. Check out some of these great suggestions for some truly unique ways to make a bit of extra money on the side for whatever you want to put it toward.

Freelancing

If you have any kind of marketable skill such as graphic design, writing, website coding, coding of any kind or artistic skills like photography, freelancing can be your best friend when it comes to making money online to put towards any kind of item, trip or more. Freelancing can be easily done through third party websites such as Elance, Fiverr, Upwork, People Per Hour amongst others. These days freelancing is gaining ground in terms of being a legitimate job, what with job security amongst big corporations beginning to become more and more unstable. For more information and to get started, consider visiting one of the aforementioned sites to get in on this great option for making money.

Online Games

When it comes to working and playing online nothing beats making money by having fun while you’re doing what you normally would. With online games you can make a killing through placing bets, playing slots and more. You can check out the party casino review online before signing up to play some unique and fun games in your downtime. After all, what better way to spend a couple of free minutes than playing games online and making money while you’re at it?

Sell Online

If you have an attic or basement full of old things you never use, why not consider selling some things online? With some selling websites such as eBay or even others these days it is entirely possible to sell old CDs, DVDs, books and clothes online for a decent profit. Electronics like mobile phones, TVs and more can fetch a great price as well. Check it out – you might be surprised at the gold mine you have hiding above your head!

There you have a couple of great options if you’re looking for fab ways to make money online to save up for any number of events, trips or even just to replace an old furniture set. How will you make money this month online? The world is your oyster!

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The fundamentals of cybersecurity

Both individuals and companies, face significant threats to their data, systems and networks on a daily basis. If you’re interested in learning about cybersecurity and how individuals and companies can take precautions in order to safeguard their data, systems and networks, simply continue reading to discover the basics of cybersecurity from James Scott ICIT.

What is cybersecurity? Simply put cybersecurity is the protection of digital data and systems from unauthorized individuals and dangerous programs such as spyware and malware.

Tips on protecting your data, systems and networks:

  1. Consider hiring the services of a professional cybersecurity company

If your knowledge on cybersecurity is limited, it’s definitely well worth considering hiring the services of a reputable, highly rated cybersecurity company, who’ll be able to ensure that your data, systems

and networks are all protected from the very real threats of hackers and malicious programs. The latter of which are designed to falsely gain access to your files and systems, without your expressed permission.

Keep in mind that your digital security budget should reflect the sensitivity level of your data and systems. As an example, in general an everyday individual will require less expensive security measures than an entrepreneur who wants to protect their fledgling business’ website from getting hacked from a dangerous third party.

  1. Make sure that all of your important data is backed up

In this day and age you’d be surprised by the percentage of individuals and business owners who fail to adequately back up all of their important data. Options to back up your data include investing in

professional grade hard drives and signing up to a cloud based service. The latter of which you could use to quickly and effortlessly transfer your new data on a daily or weekly basis!

Just be careful to choose a reputable, secure cloud service which is unlikely to be hacked and to refrain from storing sensitive data such as financial data on a cloud based storage service.

  1. Consider using encryption software in order to protect sensitive information

One simple, effective way to protect highly classified, sensitive information is to use

encryption software in order to ensure that all of your sensitive information is unreadable, if it ever becomes hacked by a third party. If you’re unsure of how to go about downloading trustworthy encryption software, it’s well worth talking to a cybersecurity expert, who’ll be able to guide you the process of using encryption software as part of your long term digital security plan.

  1. Make sure that your website has a firewall in place

If you have a personal website or you’re the owner of a business which has a professional website, it’s well worth having a cybersecurity specialist install a firewall, which will significantly decrease your

chances of your website being hacked.

Hopefully after reading the above article on the fundamentals of cybersecurity, you should have a clear understanding of exactly what cybersecurity is and how it can be effectively used in order to protect individuals and businesses digital data, systems and programs. As if you don’t have a cybersecurity program in place, your information will be highly susceptible to being hacked!

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Review of useful sites

These days the internet can be a weird but wonderful thing especially with the ability to build and use websites that cover just about every facet of human existence. Whether you want to challenge yourself on quiz sites, play online games on casino sites, or just want to check that something is the truth in our world of readily available and shared ‘fake news’, websites have come a long way and now provide a whole multitude of services. Here are a few of our favourites that you may or may not have heard about.

Tin Eye

Ever see a photo circulating social media that depicts something that is being passed off as something else? This happens a lot these days where an old photo makes the rounds on the premise that it’s from a new event, usually created by groups of people who have a vested interest in whipping the masses up into a frenzy over something. Simply pop the photo into the reverse search site, and bingo – you get the original source, and the original story.

Snopes

Another great site to help you get the 411 on that viral post that seems to have everyone’s backs up. Snopes works as a line of defense in terms of checking out the validity of both rumours and purported news stories. While Snopes has the occasional blip where it gets something wrong or only partially right,  one thing is for certain – it really helps separate the chaff from the wheat in terms of news and rumours you can and cannot trust.

Casino Billions

If you’re a fan of online betting or gambling in any way, or you’re thinking that you might like to get started, look no further than Casino Billions. With so many casino sites on the web these days, Casino Billions makes getting used to the way different games work in different locations super easy and prepares you for what to expect. They tell you all about payment methods, useful apps, tips and tricks and generally about the games themselves. With Casino Billions as well, you can check out games throughout the world as they operate in a number of countries to help introduce you to the concept of gaming online.

Sporcle

Sporcle is great for those brief times when you find you have a few spare moments but not enough to truly get into something new. Sporcle is home to numerous types of quizzes from TV show and film trivia to world map quizzes, and all sorts of other challenges and games to play. Check out their huge database see if you can get the high scores or quickest times. The best way to spend a few minutes waiting for a friend or a bus.

So there you have a couple of great sites that are way more useful than you might think. So what are you waiting for? Check them out today!

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Awesome Ways To Make Money Online

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Are you planning to head out on an awesome trip to end all trips soon and you aren’t sure how you might be able to save as well as make some money on the road to help prolong your travels? What if we told you that it’s easier than ever in the digital age to make money online and you can utilise the internet to make money in a whole number of ways? Awesome, right? Check out some of the most popular ways that people just like you are making money every day.

Freelancing

Freelancing is one of the most popular ways these days to make money online and for good reason. Freelancing provides freedom and the opportunity to do something you truly enjoy for work instead of having to do something traditional such as office work or a trade. Freelancing can be done in a variety of fields – all of which must be in some way easily converted to online work or be done online. Graphic design, coding, website design and more are all popular choices for freelancing, as is virtual assisting, medical transcription amongst others. Many freelancers end up being location independent, meaning they can take their work with them around the world to far flung places and work poolside for a number of hours a day.

Work Remotely

Working remotely is another popular option, but unlike freelancing, working remotely mainly involved working within your established career in office professions such as medical transcribing or even web hosting and other IT jobs, with having the option to work from home or from another location you choose. Working remotely often still requires you to be “online” for 8 hours a day acting as though you’re in the office, however you are able to do it away from the office and often still get paid the same wage. Check to see if your current role supports working remotely – the freedom it can provide purely from just not having to commute to the office every day can be surprising.

Playing Online Games

Did you know that playing online games like the international lottery games available can be a great way to make and save money? Sure, you need to win in order to make the money but through online subscription options you can put aside say fifty dollars per month to play with, which wouldn’t eat into your savings or travelling money and still provide you that ever so important ticket to a potential windfall. Remember, you have to be in it to win it, and online lottery games are some of the best ways to stay in the game. You can also choose from a variety of different types of lottery games to play, making this a popular option for many travellers on the road.

So if you’re looking for ways to keep making money when having the time of your life abroad, look no further than some of these options. Even if you’re looking to just get out of the usual mundane rat race, some of these suggestions can go a long way to providing options you never knew you had. So get those bags packed, good luck and have fun!

 

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Keep up to date with Internet Security

Internet security is becoming more and more important, as cybercriminals find ever-more ingenious ways to access our data and accounts. You may think you are already protected, but as threats change over time, so does the recommendations on the best way to stay secure, so it’s worth checking you are doing everything you can to keep yourself safe online.

Stop anyone getting in

Anti-virus software is still essential for basic security. It may not be a guarantee against attacks, but it will deal with any existing malware and virus threats and will take care of pretty much everything for you, with only the newest and most ingenious codes getting past your defenses. Password security is another oldie, but goodie, and the more complex and unpredictable your password is the harder it will be to crack. Websites are increasingly requiring better passwords with longer strings of characters containing upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters. If you are hopeless at remembering passwords, use a password manager service rather than writing your security information down. You can also use lock-down security measures like two-step authentication, where the website you are accessing sends you a code via your cell phone that you must enter onto the screen. The technology for this is evolving too, with external key devices and pre-set cell phone key authentication methods now available. Biometrics are finally starting to make their presence felt, and are a sound way to stop anyone except yourself accessing your devices.

Use smart systems

Make sure your software is up to date so that any security upgrades are active. Software companies release patches or new versions of their programs as soon as they can combat a new threat, so you need to update your system to protect yourself fully. New security threats are proving more difficult to detect as the malware is using familiar code to bypass the anti-virus software, so don’t take any chances – apply your patch as soon as you get it. Proxy servers can be useful in certain situations, for example, you can set them to block known malicious sites and provide encryption services, particularly useful for businesses. Using a proxy can also keep your IP address and location private, making your Internet use more anonymous. You can find out about proxy servers at tech specialist sites like White Summary, but make sure using a proxy is right for your circumstances as they do have their own pitfalls.

Keep up to date on security developments and be aware of new threats to your system and how they are transmitted. Backing-up your files may be boring, but it is essential. A few minutes taking care of this every day could mean you will avoid the possibility of losing everything on your hard drive, should you suffer an attack. Ransomware is being more widely used, where the criminal takes control of your computer system remotely and threatens to delete all your files unless your transfer money to them. If everything is backed up, you do not need to worry, as their threat is pointless – even if they wipe the computer you have all the files on a remote hard drive or secure cloud storage so that you can restore everything very easily.

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The Good and the Bad of Pay Per Click (PPC) Marketing

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Nowadays, businesses rely on digital marketing campaigns to get their products and services out in the market. One of these successful marketing campaigns is called pay per click or PPC, which is a popular way of advertising across different platforms, whether that’s through search engines, web pages, or within applications.

If you’re interested in performing a PPC marketing campaign, then here are a few things you need to know. Here are the pros and cons of PPC:

PPC Marketing Pros

  1. PPC usually comes with remarketing.

Remarketing or retargeting is a digital marketing strategy that uses the information of your website’s past visitors in order to show them your ads when they browse the web. This is how remarketing works. When a user visits your website, they get tagged based on the categories that you set up, so that when they perform a similar search online, your ads will appear as sponsored links on the search engine or as banner ads, whenever they visit a different website. Remarketing actually drives up customer/audience retention.

  1. PPC is more effective than SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) heavily relies on keywords to target users. However, it is not as accurate as pay per click in terms of the amount you pay as the advertiser. With SEO, you likely have to pay a monthly subscription fee, whereas PPC only charges you with a certain amount when a person clicks on your ads. Hence, the term “pay per click”. At the same time, the return on investment on a PPC marketing campaign is usually bigger than that of SEO. Because only people with real interest in your products and services will likely click on your links, there’s a higher chance that their clicks will get turned into actual sales.

PPC Marketing Cons

  1. PPC is not beginner-friendly.

Pay per click can be a bit complicated because it requires a lot of technical knowledge about digital marketing. If you decide to release this type of marketing campaign, you may want to consider hiring a pay per click agency to help you with the complex stuff. A pay per click agency will guide you through the technical side of digital marketing, so that you can allot your budget in a way that maximizes results.

  1. PPC comes at a cost.

For small businesses that are only starting to learn about digital marketing, they may get discouraged with the costs that come with a pay per click marketing campaign, even though it is comparatively cheaper than other forms of digital marketing. Aside from hiring a pay per click agency, there are other costs that you need to consider. Competitors may even drive up the cost of your campaign by deliberately clicking on your ads—this means that each click will not be translated to an actual sale. Therefore, even though a pay per click agency will come at a cost, it is smart to hire one, so that you have someone who knows how to strategize, given the current market competition.

With any business decision, you need to consider the pros and cons. While PPC isn’t all good, it’s clear that the good outweighs the bad. For new businesses, this may be a good way to start a digital campaign.

marketing campaign.

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Online Versus In Store – Which Shopping Option Is Better?

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With the Christmas season right around the corner it’s easy to get wrapped up in the rush to get gifts ahead of the crowd and to make sure that nothing is sold out before you get there. Then you have the option of whether you do your shopping online or in store. Which is better? Many people will use a combination of both and it seems to work well for them and for good reason. But what are some pros and cons to online versus in store and how do they influence how we buy?

 

Online

Shopping online can be such a great way to get the things we need and want without leaving the comfort of our sofa. You can also sometime score a good deal and save some money online too. With online stores offering multiple ways to pay as well as various delivery or pick up options too, it’s easy to see why online shopping is becoming the more popular option. But sometimes you may find yourself strapped for cash before the holidays, or have a low credit card limit due to bad credit but you desperately need that special gift you found online now? SwiftMoney can process your payday loan quickly and you can borrow for up to a year too meaning you can do more shopping online right now and worry about it later when you have more money at your disposal. Perfect for the Christmas season when costs seem to get on top of us. Another benefit to online shopping is the fact that with multiple options to shop from such as Amazon, you can almost always find that product you want in stock somewhere at any given time.

In Store

The benefit to in store shopping is that you can physically see things before you purchase them. This can be a problem online in the sense that sizing in clothes can be off or that lamp you bought your mother for her birthday can actually fit in the palm of your hand. Unlike shopping online as well, shopping in store means you can have the item today instead of having to wait on shipping and then potentially missing the delivery if you aren’t around and then having to organise a time to go and pick it up. In store can also be more enjoyable and get you out and sociable with others rather than just sitting inside clicking “Add to Cart” alone in your house. In this sense, store shopping is better than online. Plus sometimes you go to your favourite shop and find they’re having a sale and you end up saving much more than you would online!

So which is better? While they both have pros and cons everyone has their own preference. With online shops like Amazon offering just about everything on the planet these days though, online seems to be slowly overtaking the high street in terms of available items and preference for shopping – especially around the holidays when you can have huge queues of in store shoppers to deal with and patience wears thin as the days flick by to December 25th!

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