by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
The festive season is fast approaching, and it is a well-deserved opportunity to celebrate with friends and family. However, the joy of the holidays can quickly turn tragic if you are not careful. Emergency rooms visits and the number of calls to first responders see a sharp increase during the final few weeks of the year. It is possible to avoid a holiday disaster by following a few simple guidelines to help safeguard you and your family.
Ways to Stay Safer During This Year’s Holidays
Avoiding Decorating Disasters
Inspect your holiday decorations before putting them out. Even if you took the time to double check your decorations before storing them, look again. Check for frayed wires, loose connections, broken bulbs, and other fire hazards.
Ensure outside decorations are weather-resistant. Never assume that all decorations are suitable for hanging both indoors and outdoors. Look at the tag and make sure that the item has an outdoor rating from Underwriters Laboratory (UL) before using it anywhere it may get wet.
Don’t put yourself at risk for injuries. While decorating your entire home in lights and figures may look amazing, don’t try to do more than you can do safely. Make sure you know what you are doing before you try to climb a ladder or secure a holiday scene to the top of your roof.
Stay away from candles. While no one can deny that real flames add a magical warmth to your home, burning candles can significantly increase the chance of a house fire. You are more at risk if you have young children or pets at home. There are many LED candle lights which offer a similar, but much safer, candlelight effect.
Don’t leave your decorations on the entire night Besides saving energy and money, using a timer switch to turn your decorations off at a reasonable time each evening can prevent a fire from breaking out while you sleep. Homeowners who have plans to go away for the holidays should completely unplug decorations until they return home.
Don’t Cook Up a Disaster
Keep kids out of harm’s way. Cooking with your kids during the holidays can be a great experience. Prevent little ones from being injured by ensuring they stay away from the stove and never allowing them to use sharp knives. Instead, give them simple, safe tasks like kneading dough or decorating cookies.
Watch your food temperatures. Many cooks only cook large roasts or whole turkeys during the holidays. For cooks with less experience, it is easy to undercook the meat resulting in serious illnesses. Always follow a recipe and use a meat thermometer to ensure the food thoroughly cooked.
Make sure your stove and oven are off. It is easy to become distracted and forget to turn appliances off. Do yourself a favor and double check before going to bed for the night.
Keeping Healthy and Secure During Holiday Travels
Give yourself plenty of travel time. Driving during the holidays often means huge delays, so leave early enough so you won’t need to rush to get to where you are going on time. Take the time to plan out food and bathroom breaks before hitting the road. This step is particularly helpful if you are traveling with children or other passengers who may need special considerations.
Always use seat belts and properly installed car seats. Seat belts and car seats save lives, so there is no excuse not to use them correctly. Buckle up even if you are only heading down the street to pick up a last-minute gift.
Never use a cell phone while driving. Increasingly people are depending on driving apps to find the best way of getting to their destinations. Although these apps work well, they can become a distraction if you need to interact with your phone physically. Set your destination before leaving or have a passenger handle the navigation and concentrate on the road.
Be extra careful when driving in neighborhoods. During vacations from school, expect to see more children outside at all hours of the day and night. Reduce your driving speed and stay alert for people who may dart out in front of your vehicle.
Even one drink may be too much. If you are planning to attend holiday parties where they serve alcohol, imbibe responsibly and never drive unless you are completely sober. It is always a better idea to have a designated driver or use an alternative means of getting home to avoid a life-changing accident.
Keep these tips in mind this holiday season, and we wish you a joyful time full of beautiful memories.
by Felicien | Nov 21, 2018 | Education
Google launched its Google Maps web mapping service in February 2005. The service stood out as innovative for the times, providing users with detailed satellite overviews of countries, cities, and streets. It provides a “bird’s eye” or “top-down” view of an area using satellite imagery as well as aerial photography taken from between 240 and 460 meters. Images used in Google Maps are no more than three years old, with frequent updates performed.
The core functions of the program includes an API (application program interface, a set of building blocks used by programmers to create a program such as Google Maps) that allows maps to be placed on external websites (such as those of an Australian business) and a locator service for companies to provide information, including URL (uniform resource locator – web address).
Interestingly the initial program for Google Maps was developed by a pair of Danish brothers, Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen and their company Where 2 Technologies. Where 2 Technologies was a start-up mapping related business that is based in Sydney. The company’s mapping technology, which became the engine for maps, was acquired by Google in October 2004.
Google Maps as a Social Network
Social networks, such as the popular ones like Facebook and Twitter, and business-oriented networks like LinkedIn, provide a perfect avenue for facilitating communication locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. The ability to cross borders in a seamless matter allows businesses a way to broaden their appeal, gain additional market share, and extend boundaries for their products and services.
The thought of a mapping service as a social network entity is not as far off an idea as you may think as your business’s IT thought leader. More than half of smartphone users (either iOS or Android) have used Google Maps and its companion service Google Earth. This makes the service one of the most widely used apps by mobile users and a further indication that its use as a social networking medium should be strongly considered by businesses.
Add also Google’s Local Guides service and businesses can use the functionality of maps to post information about just about anything and everything that there is to know about the company. The service provides a real-time (or near real-time) way to interact with maps users, post searchable links, and provide users with valuable information about your business, products and services.
Social Network Usage in Australia
Consider these metrics when deciding if the use of Google Maps is an appropriate consideration for you doing business in Australia. Facebook is the most extensive social network used by Australians. It is reported that more than 60 percent of the population are active Facebook users and that more than half of the country’s population logs into the platform at least once in a day. Based on information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, this number of active users represents a population of about 25 million.
Other platforms popular in the country (based on monthly active or unique users) include YouTube, the video sharing platform, with an estimated 15 million monthly active users and Instagram, the photo-sharing platform, with also an estimated 15 million unique users. These numbers are good signs for those businesses engaged primarily in delivering their goods on a business-to-consumer (B2C) basis. For business-to-business (B2B) providers, there are approximately 4.5 million monthly active Australian users.
How Australian Businesses Utilize Google Maps as a Social Network Tool
Using Google Maps as a social network tool should receive strong consideration by businesses across Australia. The tool’s design as a locator service provides businesses with a way to direct potential customers to their doorstep and provide imagery and other enticing data points to bring in more business. Maps are designed to create a greater interactive experience with a higher-level prospect as the user who accesses this service primarily for information or directions.
Whether B2B or B2C or both, tapping into the potential Google Maps offers as a social network platform unleashes unlimited potential. Linking maps with your other social media outlets, such as the popular Facebook and Instagram apps for B2C contacts or LinkedIn for your B2B connections, provides business with a dual messaging threat. Information supplied via casual social network contact on one of the country’s popular platforms can direct users to maps for specific company information, driving instructions, and real-time location-to-location mapping. In these terms, Google Maps indeed represents the potential to become the next great social network for Australian business.
by Felicien | Nov 20, 2018 | Education
Tax compliance is a matter that many people try to adhere to in Canada. That means that when one receives a call asking them to immediately clear apparent tax deficits or face arrests, they merely comply. It is often impossible to tell apart the scammers from real CRA employees as they use masking technologies that make it seem like you really are getting a call from the CRA. This problem is so rampant that millions of dollars have been transferred to these scammers leaving many unaware Canadians cheated.
Over the years, many individuals have come forward to make complaints on their losses. This has however posed a rather unique problem to the Canadian police force. This owes to the fact that these scammers are international and not being Canadian citizen’s makes the law unable to cater to these woes. These scammers have gotten away with it for so long that at this point there are several call centers established in many towns in India.
These scammers have been getting away with this matter for many years even with a government that is aware of what is happening. With corruption a big problem in the Indian police force, there is no doubt that some of these scammers have merely paid off the police officials to keep away and let them proceed. The result is a scam that forces many unsuspecting Canadian citizens to lose their hard earned money thinking they had tax deficits.
How they scam Canadian citizens
This is a very large operation in India. As there are so many scam call centers in India, you find that they have narrowed down their targets to either the elderly or immigrants who are yet to get acquainted with how tax collection works in Canada. This unfortunate matter is conducted in a manner that has kept the operation alive for several years and expanded the operations.
The scammers generally call using a robot. Most of them mask their numbers that they appear as a CRA number. After the person on the other end picks up the call, they identify themselves CRA employees. These then progress and they firmly inform you that you owe a certain amount of money. They then begin pushing and prodding asking that you send the money.
They don’t always ask for money, sometimes they ask for apple gift cards as well as an incentive. People get threatened that they will face jail time or lose property by auction to cover their costs. They will target anyone that they think might not be aware that it may be a scam. One businessman admitted to having been scammed over a hundred thousand dollars from his business.
How they collect and hide the money
The scammers hide the money in different ways. Most of them are known to use financial cartels from overseas who are usually given around 40% of the cuts. They also tend to use different cartels to keep their operations as untraceable as possible. The operation is an extensive network that originates in the streets of Mumbai and other Indian towns. The popularity that the call centers get by the locals has made many more young people venture into scamming as a primary source of income.
The biggest motivators and continuers of this are young people in their twenties usually. They are people hoping to make a lot of quick money for they quickly try to make pacts with local cops who are generally happy to receive a bribe to ignore the illegal activity. Since the call centers are the only place to trace where this scam originates, it is difficult for a Canadian citizen to know who scammed them or for these scammers to be linked to specific cases.
Efforts to stop the phone scammers
In the past, there has been little to no effort to prevent this kind of scam. Canadian citizens have learned to ignore or easily recognize a fraud. The people who are most likely to be victims of this are people who are not well versed with how the CRA works as they actually communicate by use of mail. This makes elderly people who may be unaware of changes to be victims as well as newcomers.
There has however been a recent progression in solving this. The local Indian police in cohorts with the RFPD have begun to search for these call centers. They have been identified and raided on national TV to show these people that the time to end these operations has come. This raid has led to many operations being revealed and there is hope for this massive operation to be brought down once and for all. Many Canadians have fallen victim to these scammers and more will continue if the word is not given to them.
by Felicien | Nov 20, 2018 | Education
As individuals, we’ve been using 4G LTE to connect to the internet for years. 4G LTE can benefit all school districts, and it is a particularly good choice for districts with schools in a wide or rural geographic area. It also offers a type of flexibility that wired connectivity doesn’t have. But how can this mobile wireless technology benefit school districts, from students to faculty and staff?
How Can 4G LTE on School Buses Strengthen Districts?
Some school districts are installing 4G LTE on their school bus fleets with program names like “WiFi on Wheels.” Each bus in the fleet receives an in-vehicle LTE wireless solution that can be used while students are riding the bus to and from school.
The most prominent results from “WiFi on Wheels” initiatives are coming from school districts in widespread, poor, and rural areas. One California school district’s 100-bus fleet covers 1,250 square miles.
Many of the district’s students lacked internet access at home and also had long bus rides. After implementing 4G LTE on district buses, students became more academically engaged. In one year, graduation rates in the district increased from 70 to 80 percent.
4G LTE on buses has also been shown to increase student safety and reduce incidences of violence and bullying. From a resource management perspective, 4G LTE on school buses supports telematics to improve cost-efficiency and GPS that shows the location of buses at all times for fleet management.
Can 4G LTE Strengthen School Communications and IT Support?
Districts with widespread facilities and campuses can use 4G LTE to manage digital signage and communications. Instead of localized programming, district-wide messages can be sent instantly.
Remote tech support and troubleshooting can also be improved by 4G LTE technology. Wireless 4G LTE networks can enable remote solutions and inter-school conferencing.
If your district uses sites that aren’t typically connected to the internet, like gyms, sports complexes, and temporary classrooms, 4G LTE enables these buildings and locations to be flexibly included in the school network as needed.
How Can 4G LTE Benefit Campus Safety and Security?
In the same way that districts implement “WiFi on Wheels” on buses, campus safety vehicles can use 4G LTE for communications, monitoring, and reporting. Security and real-time communications for students, faculty, and staff can be supported through 4G LTE cameras and other monitoring devices.
Because 4G LTE technology is wirelessly delivered, security within the system is also important to prevent intrusion and hacking. 4G LTE technology enables districts to isolate their own data and cloak any personal information that’s going through the district’s devices. The district can define its own information perimeter using software, limiting the network’s use to authorized students and staff.
How can Wireless WANs Support Parents and Student Volunteers?
Parent groups who are holding music, athletic, recreational, cultural or theater events can use the network remotely to process credit card payments. Student leadership groups can process payments for dances, campus events, and year-end activities. 4G LTE technology enables these transactions and events to be conducted safely and securely.
There are many good reasons to consider 4G LTE technology for school districts and campuses. From improving school bus safety and increasing student academic performance to connecting remote campuses and enabling remote IT support, connecting a district and all of the people in it with 4G LTE can be an effective, efficient communications choice.
by Felicien | Nov 20, 2018 | Education
Look around you. Your desk lamp, your headphones, that smartphone in your hands — everything you own and use daily was created in the mind of an entrepreneur.
Sure, it may be mass-produced now, but at one time, every item in existence had to be thought up, created, and marketed for the very first time. It took the innovative and productive mind of a special entrepreneur to do that.
Today, entrepreneurs still exist as they always have, but because of mass production, globalism, big box stores, and yes, the Internet, they’re not as celebrated as they once were. Entrepreneurs’ Day is bringing back the much-deserved admiration and appreciation of the entrepreneur.
Below, learn exactly what Entrepreneurs’ Day is, how it started, and how you can celebrate this 2018!
What Is Entrepreneurs’ Day and Why Is It Special?
Entrepreneurs’ Day is a day that celebrates the men and women in this country who are able to build something out of nothing. Entrepreneurs certainly think up, produce, and market the things you use, collect, have fun with, and eat on a daily basis. But they’re much more than that.
Entrepreneurs are special because of their innovation and creativity, but they also create jobs and spur the economy. Many entrepreneurs help small- and medium-sized towns grow and develop. They give opportunities to those that might not otherwise have them, and they donate to and care for their communities. Entrepreneurs have built what you see today.
Sadly, there are fewer new business ideas sprouting up around the United States today than ever before. Often, this is because small businesses who make an attempt to get off the ground aren’t able to earn enough to maintain their footing. Building a business out of nothing is certainly no easy task.
Entrepreneurs’ Day aims to change all of this by uplifting and celebrating entrepreneurs. It’s a day to pay tribute to these amazing businessmen and women — and maybe even become one yourself.
When Is Entrepreneurs’ Day?
Entrepreneurs’ Day is always on the third Tuesday of November. In 2018, Entrepreneurs’ Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 20th.
History of Entrepreneurs’ Day
The term entrepreneur was first coined by French economist Jean-Baptiste Say in 1800 to denote someone who “shifts economic resources out of an area of lower and into an area of higher productivity and greater yield.” Entrepreneurs’ Day began in 2012 when President Barack Obama declared the month of November in the United States to be National Entrepreneurship Month.
Top Ways to Participate in Entrepreneurs’ Day
When you’re an entrepreneur yourself …
1. Get together with other entrepreneurs in your area.
Form a club or organization where local entrepreneurs can share their ideas and new concepts they’d like to bring forth. Even if it’s just an informal get-together, it’s a way to begin an important dialogue among entrepreneurs in your community.
2. Mentor another entrepreneur.
If you’ve successfully gotten off the ground as an entrepreneur in your own industry, consider mentoring someone else who is just beginning. Give them advice, shout out their product or service on your own social media pages, or just give them a pat on the back and some inspiration and motivation to keep moving forward.
3. Have a celebration!
If you own your own startup small business or are just starting out with a new product or service, celebrate Entrepreneurs’ Day by offering your customers and clients special discounts or a fun event. Even if your budget isn’t up for deals and sales quite yet, you can have an open house with cookies and punch or do a small giveaway of some sort to celebrate the day.
When you’d like to support entrepreneurs …
1. Shop with entrepreneurs in your area.
Shopping for holiday gifts or birthday presents? Looking for new clothes or items for your kitchen? Don’t go to the big box stores or the Internet this time. Shop with local entrepreneurs. Alternatively, if there aren’t any start-up small businesses in your community, you can certainly connect with entrepreneurs online who aren’t part of big-box chains.
2. Thank an entrepreneur
Know someone who has started their own business in the past or is hoping to in the future? Give them a shout out “thank you!” on social media, or thank them in person.
3. Talk about it!
Finally, remember that Entrepreneurs’ Day exists and persists largely by word-of-mouth, so spread the word! You can use social media on the days leading up to Entrepreneurs’ Day to tell your friends, family, and followers about this day — and of course, use the suggestions listed above to celebrate yourself when November 20throlls around!
by Felicien | Nov 20, 2018 | Education
National Broadband Network outages or NBN outages are usually focused on coastal Australian areas, which means all our major cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Camberwell, Ryde, Marrickville, Parramatta, and Windsor according to Aussie Outages. If your business services are affected by NBN outages on a regular basis, there may be technology steps you can take to prevent them, or at the very least get your network services up and running faster.
Of course, NBN has to prioritise reconnection of certain essential services in an outage, including:
Hospitals
Fire
Police
Emergency services
Community infrastructure such as:
Traffic management
Sewerage
Power utilities
Water utilities
In an NBN outage, the NBN will also prioritise reconnection of business services essential to community recoveries, such as banks, petrol stations, and supermarkets. If your business services fall into one of these categories, you’re in luck in the Lucky. If not, you may want to educate yourself about options.
What Causes NBN Access Network Outages?
NBN access network connections may occur for different reasons, such as cyclones, severe storms, bushfires, car accidents, or tree branches falling onto power lines in your neighborhood. While NBN has a dedicated emergency response team that prepares for, responds to, and recovers network connections in emergencies, its priorities may not be yours, leaving your business services in the lurch along with your clients and your income.
What Can You Do About NBN Outages?
Although NBN outages can be crippling, technology services companies may have the solution business services owners, C-level executives, and managers have been searching for. A better modem is that solution. Recently released modems allow customers like your business to keep using landline phones and internet during fixed-line broadband outages. With these newly updated modems, phone and internet landline services are automatically diverted to the technology services company’s mobile network following a fixed-lined business broadband outage.
How Can Telstra Help During NBN Outages?
Technology services companies’ updated modems essentially keep your business services in play through the use of another mobile network. For instance, if your employees are on the phone when the NBN is disrupted, they can resume making and receiving calls as soon as the internet connection switches across to the telco network. These new modems still require battery backup during a power outage, but your business should not pay extra for mobile data use during the fixed-line outage. Speeds are generally capped at 6 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up. Voice calls are charged at standard rates for landline phones.
With these new modems, landline calls take advantage of the mobile Voice over LTE standard and use Quality of Service to reserve necessary bandwidth for voice — call quality will not suffer when the internet is being used. Whilst running over the telco’s mobile broadband network, your business will not lose income or clients.
How Can My Business Obtain a Telstra Gen 2 Modem?
New, updated modems are available from most telcos if your service is NBN, DSL, or cable, and should be on sale now. Keep in mind older modem models will receive voice fallback via a firmware upgrade in 2019, anyhow. There are over 600,000 older modems in Australia, and voice fallback will only be available to NBN customers.
What are the Benefits of Using a New Modem?
The best benefit is that new modems will not kill your landline. They also allow telcos to meet obligations to provide interim broadband service to customers when NBN connections are delayed, and when telcos are unable to reconnect Australia’s business services with their legacy broadband connects. Essentially, a new modem can save your business headaches later and preserve your telco connection while you serve your clients.
