In the age of the smartphone, there is an app for everything, so if you are a landlord you might find these top mobile programs useful when it comes to managing your property portfolio.

Image Credit

The Landlord App

It may not have a funky name, but this app does exactly what it says on the tin and lets you stay on top of most aspects of the job, from keeping tabs on rent payments and expenses to scheduling important events. Since all of this information is easy to export to a PC, it is also flexible and convenient, even if the buy-to-let era may be on its last legs.

Zoopla

If you want to invest in more property in your area, the best way to get ahead of the game is to install Zoopla’s app on your phone. You can get up-to-the-minute information when homes hit the market and can also check on prior sale prices so that you can stay competitive. Right Move is similarly effective in this respect.

Image Credit

Inventory Pro

If your properties are fully or partly furnished, keeping an inventory of the contents which is sharable with tenants is vital. This app makes it straightforward, allowing you to add images and videos to create a comprehensive picture of the contents of a house.

This may also help when looking for cheap landlords insurance from sites like https://brokersdirect.co.uk/, as you will get a better idea of how much protection you need.

WhatsApp

You may already be a hardcore user of this popular instant messaging app, but if you are not already, then your tenants definitely will be by this point. You can set up a group message shared by multiple tenants of a single property to make it easier to stay in touch about important issues without having to handle a voice call at an inconvenient time.

Scanbot

With landlords still bombarded by paper documents on a regular basis, this app can make cataloguing every piece of important correspondence much less difficult. Just harness your handset’s built-in camera to capture a digital copy of documents in the file format of your choice.

Frontpoint

If you have a Frontpoint security system installed at your property, then this app will be a huge help, letting you monitor and protect it remotely.

Camera systems are becoming increasingly common both in cars and commercial vehicles. But why should you install one? Here are some of the benefits.

Image Credit

1. Evidence of Accidents

In the event of an accident, having a car or truck camera installed means that you’ll always have an impartial witness to what happened. Cameras can capture video before and after an incident, so it’s possible to see the build-up to events as well as the accident itself.

2. Monitoring Drivers

For fleet managers installing a camera also allows monitoring of drivers. This has a dual benefit: it can offer evidence of bad driving, but it also puts drivers on their best behaviour since they know that they are being watched. This means they’re less likely to make errors, and they will take better care of their vehicle. Some cameras have two lenses to observe both driver and road.

Image Credit

3. Cutting Fraud

We’ve all seen in the press news about insurance fraud via cash-for-crash scams. These are costing the industry millions of pounds every year. Having a dashcam from a supplier such as Backwatch safety products installed means that you have evidence of any suspicious incidents, which in itself may cause the fraudsters to look for a softer target.

4. Insurance Benefits

Insurance companies like dashcams because they provide clear evidence of any accidents or other incidents that occur. They may therefore give you a discount on your premium for having one installed.

5. Protection While Parked

The latest cameras often have a sleep mode so that they monitor the vehicle when stationary. If someone breaks in or another vehicle hits yours while it’s parked, the camera will come to life and collect details of the incident.

6. Location, Location

GPS tracking is now included in many cameras. This means that you automatically have a record of where the vehicle is all the time the camera is active. This eliminates any dispute about where incidents took place and also means that you have a record of the route which the vehicle has taken.

7. Speed Matters

Recording the speed the vehicle was doing at the time of an incident is important, and many cameras can do this too. They also include accelerometers to measure changes in speed that occur such as from heavy braking.

Think WordPress is just for blogs? Think again.

Image Credit

WordPress Is Easy

Because it was designed for bloggers, WordPress had to be easy for non-technical people to use in order to succeed. This means your staff will easily be able to get the hang of it.

WordPress Is Open Source

WordPress is run by a community, meaning it’s not owned by anyone. This means you don’t have to worry about the company that controls your website code going out of business, getting taken over or suddenly doubling their prices.

WordPress Is Powerful

With proper planning you can easily scale sites with WordPress, growing them to thousands of pages, images and files.

Image Credit

WordPress Is Free

Because it’s open source, you’re free to download WordPress, install it on any hosting service you like, such as https://happy2host.com, and off you go. Of course, you may well want to seek the help of a London WordPress web design agency, but you’re not going to be tied into anything.

WordPress Has Lots of Plugins

Want to turn your site into a shop? There’s a plugin for that. Gallery? You can automatically update it with every picture you post to Instagram. In fact, there are over 50,000 and counting.

WordPress Is SEO-Friendly

There are also many great plugins to help you with SEO. Yoast’s plugin, for example, will score each page of your site and suggest tips to bump pages up Google’s rankings.

WordPress Is Flexible

Fancy a complete redesign? With just a few clicks you can give your whole site a new look with a new template.

WordPress Has a Vibrant Community

Because WordPress is so popular, there are a lot of people familiar with it. If you run a website using a CMS created by one company and your main designer leaves, you’re going to spend a lot of time and effort finding a new one. With WordPress, you have access to a global pool of talent.

WordPress Is Built in PHP

If PHP is good enough for sites like Facebook and Google, it’s good enough for you!

WordPress Plays Well with Others

If you use cloud services like Salesforce or Mailchimp, you’ll want them to connect with your website so you can transfer data. With WordPress, all of these connections already exist.

One of the reasons VoIP adoption is picking up is because customers are finally confident that they can pick up a VoIP handset, and it will ‘just work’ in the same way a traditional telephone would – regardless of whether they are calling a landline or VoIP line.

Image Credit

This seamless functionality is because of VoIP termination. Termination refers to the entire process involved with completing the call – the origination, transfer over networks, destination, and all fees and operators involved.

With termination involving so many critical factors, knowing a bit about how VoIP calls are terminated is important to make informed decisions about your service, so here is a basic rundown of concepts involved in VoIP call termination.

Call source and destination

Fairly self-explanatory, but none the less important, are the calling and called party. Clearly, the calling party is the initiator of the call, whether from a landline, mobile, or VoIP device. The called party is the endpoint that the call must be routed to, again, whether it be landline, mobile, or VoIP. This routing is handled by the network operators.

Network operators

Usually referred to as providers or carriers, the network operators are the organisations who run the VoIP networks. They could be Tier 1 providers who are licensed to operate an internet telephony network, a Tier 2 provider who leases services of a Tier 1 provider, a Tier 3 provider who utilises the services of either, or a wholesale termination provider such as www.idtexpress.com. Ultimately, your network provider is responsible for the quality and termination of your call.

Image Credit

Call origination

While this sounds the same as the source, it isn’t. Call origination refers to which type of infrastructure the call comes from. VoIP providers need to be able to communicate seamlessly with mobile and landline telephone networks, both passing calls to them in correct formats, and being able to receive and route calls that originate on these other networks.

Control of fees

Depending on the source and destination of the call, termination will involve some degree of cost. These costs can be kept very low for VoIP to VoIP calls, as data is cheap. Costs increase, though, if the call needs to break out to traditional carriers – landline and mobile calling being more expensive.

Countless manufacturing and processing operations depend on efficient mixing of solids, gases or liquids, (and combinations like slurries and foams). The objectives of mixing vary – sometimes it’s to optimise chemical reactions, sometimes to disperse heat, or produce products consistent in colour, texture or flavour.

Image Credit

While simple in principle, mixing technology is critical. Modern societies rely on it for manufacturing, water purification and food production. As scales increase, mixing efficiency becomes ever more important, enabling higher production, lower costs and better product quality.

The term “blending” is sometimes used for gentler degrees of admixing. Although maximum homogeneity is the usual objective, in some cases, lower degrees of blending are preferable. For example, overworked pastry gives a harder, less desirable, baked result, and levels of irregularity in concretes alter their structural qualities.

Types of mixing equipment

Solid powders usually require a different approach to that used to mix viscous fluids. Dynamic stirrers and tumbling equipment are power driven, whereas with fluids, static mixers are often a better option, with the energy to perform the mixing imparted by the flow of the fluid, driven by pumps or blowers (occasionally by gravity or convection) over mixing rods or profiles in continuous process pipelines and ducts.

Image Credit

The former group includes solid/solid mixing equipment, like tumble and double cone blenders, vertical screws, plough and paddle mixers, and fluid/fluid agitators, including flow impellers, and pitched blade turbines.

Static mixers include pipe, channel and duct mixers, gas dispersion units and heat exchangers. One advantage of mixing in pipelines is that samplers and injectors can constantly monitor and tune the results achieved at different points in the line.

In gases and liquids of moderate viscosity, flow turbulence is a key factor in how the blades induce mixing. In heavier fluids, viscous drag equations are often used. However, not all fluids exhibit simple Newtonian behaviour, which means that flow calculations can be complex. Specialist advice is available from statiflo.com.

Typical applications

In the chemical industry, thorough mixing is required to ensure top quality end products like polymers, fertilisers, explosives, ceramics, and rubber compounds for car tyres.

In the pharmaceutical industry, the blending of drugs with stabilisers and bulkers, like cellulose or lactose, is a common requirement.

In food production industries, good quality mixing is important for the dispersal of spices and additives, and in the preparation of dough and cake mixes.

A scrum master must possess a set of specific skills to create the right balance and ensure that the scrum does the best it possibly can for the business. Here are 10 essential skills that every scrum master must have.

Image Credit

1. Be able to facilitate meetings

The scrum master is someone who facilitates a scrum meeting, reminding the team of its goals and how it has chosen to meet them.

2. Be prepared to protect the team

The scrum master is tasked with the job of protecting his or her team. This means they ensure the team members do not over-commit themselves to what can be achieved, while also stopping them becoming complacent.

3. Find ways to resolve conflicts

The scrum master must do all they can to make meetings stay on target; as such, they need to find suitable ways to prevent conflicts getting in the way of progress.

Image Credit

4. Be able to coach agile practices

The scrum master should be trained in agile practices so that they can coach the team successfully.

5. Have a good knowledge of agile estimating and planning

To get a good grip of agile estimating and planning, professionals can attend a scrum master training Dublin course from a provider such as https://www.althris.com/courses/scrum-master/.

6. Be good at forecasting

While the scrum master does not make decisions, his or her position is to guide the team towards progress; therefore, knowing the implications of not achieving a particular goal is paramount.

7. Be able to remove impediments

The scrum master is responsible for doing everything possible to help the team to progress, which means working with the product owner to get the backlog in good shape.

8. Be a channel of communication

The scrum master can be anyone, but the key to this position is that he or she must be a communication channel for the team and the key stakeholder or product owner.

9. Be prepared to be a servant leader

Although the scrum master is like a coach, the individual has no authority other than that granted to him or her by the team.

10. Be strong enough to enforce rules

Despite balancing a position of leadership with one that has no authority, the scrum master must be dominant enough to enforce the rules of the scrum.

People living in areas such as Gloucester often look at the London lettings market with horror and are not surprised to hear of rogue behaviour in the capital. However, it’s not quite the jungle it seems from the outside, and recently Trading Standards has been intervening on behalf of both tenants and landlords by going after rogue agents who are flouting the law on lettings.

Image Credit

By law, letting agents have to publish their fees online and give the same information in their branches so that landlords and tenants who are thinking of using the services know from the beginning how much they are paying and what the fees cover. Letting agents that are not complying with the law can face fines of up to £5000 for each offence.

Working to Improve Standards

There’s actually a body that works to improve the professional and ethical standards in the lettings business – the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS). They’ve developed a training course that can be taken online which focuses on enforcement action against agents for not displaying the fees and also not making it clear whether they are a member of a scheme that protects their clients’ money or can arbitrate in the case of a dispute.

Generation Rent Fed Up with Sky-High Deposits

The Financial Times reported recently that as well as the proposed ban on agents charging fees to tenants, the government was looking at placing a ceiling on deposits, setting up an enforcement agency and making non-compliance a criminal matter.

Image Credit

There are two million people renting in London, so clearly there are lots of votes involved. The Mayor of London is very keen that the government should move quickly to implement these changes.

However, a senior officer at Camden Council also added that most of the lettings industry went out of their way to do things correctly. Certainly, most letting agents in Gloucester, such as http://www.alexclarkglos.co.uk, deal fairly with both tenants and landlords. The fact is that in places other than London reputation is very important and agents want repeat business. The best way they can do this is by making sure that both parties in the letting are happy.

The problem with removing fees from tenants is that somebody has to pay them, and landlords tend to pass increased costs on as increased rent.

Now is traditionally the time of year to tie up all the odd jobs around the house to make sure it is ready for winter. Whilst power tools are very handy for dealing with those jobs, they need to be used with care. Electricity kills! Also, other injuries such as falls can be caused because of an electric shock. If you look at the DIY sector where many power tools are sold, they are responsible for about 70 deaths and 250,000 injuries each year. About 100,000 are injuries which mean a trip to the hospital. Many of these accidents are caused through carelessness or a lack of knowledge. So it is best to be prepared.

Image Credit

Where to use power tools

Check the voltage – the lower the voltage, the less risk there is of a serious electric shock. Where possible, portable electrical tools should be battery operated or supplied through a double wound 110V transformer. Portable tools of 240V or higher should not be used outside. Check your location before beginning to use power tools to make sure you are not near any flammable liquids – sparks can fly and cause untold damage. Similarly keep power tools away from water. Check the voltage and frequency are compatible with the electricity supply too.

Safety first

You should use personal protective equipment such as gloves and safety glasses for protection. Never carry a tool by the cord or hose and do not disconnect them from the mains by pulling at the cord or hose. Always disconnect tools when they are not in use or before changing accessories such as blades or cutters – https://ohsonline.com/articles/2010/03/19/power-tool-safety-tips-from-osha.aspx.

Image Credit

Cordless v mains-powered?

Mains-powered tools have more power but the cordless ones still have plenty of power, are more portable obviously, and are safer electrically. Portable power drills are widely used but you need to check their capacity limitations in the owner’s manual for safety reasons. If you are looking for new tools, then you can find out about their voltage and capabilities through an online DIY store such as https://www.gofixdirect.co.uk/.

Hold on tight

It is important to hold power tools securely so you are not in any danger of slipping. Brace yourself against suitable stationary objects such as walls. Not only is it safer but it is likely to result in a better job too.

There is a lot more to TV antennas than meets the eye, so here are a few more facts about them that you might not know yet, as well as some things to consider when you install one.

Image Credit

Outage Advantages

It is very rare that traditional TV broadcasts suffer from service interruptions, unlike modern alternatives which rely on signals received via satellite or cable. Because of this, an antenna can be a great backup option that will ensure you can still keep up to date with current events even if other broadcasting services are taken offline for any reason.

The same goes for people who love streaming, even in an age of Netflix securing 100 million subscribers. An internet connection can be much less consistent than TV broadcasts.

Individual Setup Requirements

It is not simply enough to buy an antenna and stick it to the side of your property, you need to position it appropriately depending on the location of the nearest broadcast tower.

Looking up tower locations and coverage levels in your area before you buy is important. Contacting specialist firms like http://aerial-installations-bristol.co.uk/, which offers Bristol aerial installations, will mean you avoid relying on guesswork.

Overcoming Obstacles

Digital TV frequencies can penetrate solid objects, but the best results are only achievable if your antenna is not blocked by any significant structures. This includes natural elements of the landscape like trees and hills, as well as man-made things like buildings. Raising an antenna as high as possible tends to deliver the best results, hence why they are mounted on the tops of roofs where there is nothing to get in the way of the signal.

Image Credit

Additional Hardware

Having a digital antenna is not enough on its own to provide you with access to free TV channels – it must also be paired with a compatible set top box or television set. The good news is that any model sold in the past 10 years has been able to decode digital signals, so only older sets will need a separate box or to be replaced altogether.

Design Variety

The main thing to remember about TV antennas is that they are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather consist of many different model which offer varied features. So tailoring your choice to your needs is essential for the best experience.

Summer is the season of the year when we all strive to look a body, but excesses during holidays can cause havoc. For although summer is characterized by the consumption of fresh foods such as salads, fruits, creams or cold soups to mitigate the heat.

The truth is that we often abuse copious meals, alcoholic drinks and snacks during the holidays. An unbalanced diet that, in many cases, is linked to the abandonment of physical activity.

The Basic Keys to Fat Loss

When the scale reveals those extra pounds, the usual tendency is to find a quick solution to get rid of them as soon as possible. However, choosing diets that abuse certain foods and are based on excluding others, and even based on bars or propose replacing meals with “miracle” shakes, can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

Rapid weight loss will be effective in the short term, but in the long run, it not only contributes to the appearance of medical problems, also, by leaving the diet, the weight can start to rise to exceed the initial.

The key to losing fat is …

The first step to lose fat progressively and effectively is to establish a daily routine of physical exercise.

The best exercises to losing fat are:

First, you have to become familiar with cardio exercises. They help your body burn the excess fats, so they are basic if you want to lose weight. It is not about killing yourself to do “pushups and crunches“, there are many other exercises with which you can get your body toned at home and boast of figure and be in shape.

Every day look for a little time to make the following table in the living room of your house. Put on the meshes, your favorite music and for all!

The first thing to do is to take a deep breath, place your back with your shoulders back and tighten your belly button against your back. Maintaining proper posture will prevent injury.

Presume an ass and legs without cellulite thanks to cardio exercises to lose weight and tone your body.

Give four jumps and when you fall for the fourth time, let your feet line up because you have to do a squat. Lower well down and back behind, as if they were pulling you. Put your hands close to your chest to keep your balance. Repeat this exercise 15 times. When you are finished, continue to squat a few seconds longer and hold the squat tight!

Now work on the inner side of the thighs. Stretch your left leg to one side with your foot facing the front. The right leg flexed and the body slightly thrown forward. Place your hands at chest height to maintain balance.

Touch to start moving! Raise up on your left leg, which you have stretched, and raise your right knee as high as you can as you take the elbow of your right arm towards it. And now it’s time to go down again! Continue with this exercise for 15 repetitions and then change your leg. In addition to helping you tone your legs, you can mold your waist.

Cardiovascular exercises help you lose weight and tone your body

With your feet together, do a squat again. Remember to keep your culet as far back as possible and the body thrown forward, otherwise doing so could hurt your knees. Well, now when you go up, he kicks the air. In order, not to lose the stability in any moment, lower with the hands united to the height of the chest and separate them when you go to give the kick. Change your leg every time you raise it in the air. Count 20 kicks.

Now you need some space to move. This exercise consists of jumping to one side on one leg and picking back the one that lies in the line you have described. If you have jumped to your right, you should flex your left leg, as if you were a skater.

Have you got it? All right! Now jump to the other side and again make a big jump up, as if you had to put a basket. Try to fit 15 baskets!

These exercises will help you to lose weight and tone the whole body in a simple and fast way. As you burn calories you strengthen your body. With the squats, you can get a back ten free of cellulite and legs of infarction.