Category: Lifestyle

We all know the feeling of trying to get some work done – especially when there is a deadline for it – only to find that our laptops are running slowly. Even having to wait just a few extra seconds can cause problems since we’re all so used to having anything and everything we want immediately. With around two-thirds of the adult US population stating that slow-running computers are one of their biggest modern-day frustrations, at least you’re not alone with this problem, but that still doesn’t help to do much about it. 

Luckily, there are some useful techniques to put into practice if you feel your computer has started running slower than usual. In fact, even if you haven’t noticed any difference, there might still be things happening that will eventually slow the device down, and taking note of and using these strategies before that happens can save a lot of time and, of course, frustration. Read on to find out more. 

Stop Programs From Auto-Starting 

One of the biggest reasons for a computer to become slow is that several different programs are running in the background, taking up memory. This in turn means that everything you do will take longer. You probably aren’t even aware that most of these programs are running, and perhaps you’re not aware of any of them, as they are programmed to start up once you log in. 

Some of these programs will be necessary and include firewalls and antivirus software which would be potentially dangerous to remove or shut down. However, there are sure to be many other programs that are simply not needed, at least not needed in terms of running in the background; they can stay on your computer, but if you need them, you can choose to run them. By disabling the automatic start-up function on these non-essential programs, you will find that your computer becomes much faster. 

Uninstall And Delete Unused Programs 

Have you ever opened up the uninstall dialog box to see just what is on your laptop? If not, you should try it; you might be surprised at the results. You’ll find a plethora of programs you either didn’t install (because they came with the computer when you bought it) or that you did install but now don’t use or need and had forgotten all about. 

Before you uninstall anything, make sure you know what it is and are sure you don’t require it on your computer. If you don’t, you can uninstall it and not only free up a lot of space on your computer, but help it to run more quickly too (especially if some of those programs were auto-starts, as mentioned above). 

Clean Up Hard Disk Space 

You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes to the smooth running of your laptop when you clean up some space on its hard drive. The less free space you have, the slower your computer will be, and if you have under fifteen percent free space, you will have some serious problems to contend with – your laptop might even freeze or stop working entirely, causing you to lose work and become even more frustrated than before. This could be an expensive problem to fix, as the ultimate solution will usually be a new laptop. 

Simply cleaning up the disk space and ensuring that large files are compressed and temporary files are removed when they are no longer required can be enough to not only help your laptop run faster but also prevent you from having to buy a new one when your current one is perfectly fine. Of course, if your storage isn’t full or even nearly full and your computer is running slowly, then you may have more significant operating system issues, and that could result in a new computer – however, it’s best to check your storage first, as this could save you a lot of money. 

Use An External Drive 

We know that when your computer gets full, it will slow down. We also know that you are sure to want to store your digital photos, videos, and various documents – more so if you use the computer for work and your personal use – on the hard drive. This means that, over time, the drive will fill up, and you won’t always be able to delete unused and unwanted items because they are all important to you. In this case, rather than filling your computer’s hard drive with photos and other items, use an external drive. In this way, whether you choose to plug a separate hard drive into your computer or you intend to use cloud storage instead, your personal items will be kept safe and secure, and you won’t use up any of your computer’s space, meaning that it will continue to run quickly at all times.

It is safe to say that every internet user has come across a streaming service at least once. This is because a variety of reputable companies such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter have adopted the core concepts of online streaming and integrated them into their platforms. So, a technology that picked pace from its popularity on YouTube, is now a defining feature for a variety of social media platforms and serves as a significant factor in their revenue generation.

This is why young and aspiring content creators need to jump on the bandwagon and become part of this transition in the early stages. This will only help them accelerate their careers and create a bigger audience.

Online Streaming – How to Prepare for it?

Since the origin of online streaming, the dynamics of content consumption over the internet have changed dramatically. For all the young online creators who are planning to start their streaming journey, here’s a myth-buster for you. Live streaming is not always about being impromptu. While the literal meaning might seem like you can afford to go impromptu, but all your popular streamers, whether they are gaming or showing whatever skills they’re showing, are not always impromptu.

• Always plan your content strategy regarding your topic and your timing of hosting your live stream.
• Figure out the areas of interest in which you want to create content and approach the niche aggressively.
• You need to have realistic and short-term goals to keep the process intuitive for yourself.

How To Stream Your Content Online?

Since streaming your content online has become extremely common and is widespread now, it is about time that you be equipped with the necessary information to start your online streaming channel.

Establishing a Streaming Setup

1. Stable Internet Connection

Since a live stream purely depends on the internet connection of the host, you need to have a stable internet connection with minimum latency and ping to ensure you do not have a laggy stream.

2. Audio and Video Source

If you’re a beginner stepping into the realms of online streaming, you don’t need to dent your wallet with expensive purchases on your microphone and camera choices. You can afford to start with an ordinary camera that has the recording capability of 720P at least to ensure your video is crisp. However, you would want to invest in a good microphone.

3. Streaming Software

You can find a variety of free encoding software that can help you transmit the audio and video input to your desired streaming platform.

Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Live Stream

Step 1: Establish a connection between your Encoder and Audio/Video Source

If you’re using a free software-based encoder, you only need to connect your audio and video sources to your computer and launch the encoding software for it to detect the inputs.

Step 2: Your Encoder needs to be configured

You can easily configure the audio and video settings based on the capabilities of your input devices to make sure your streaming quality is in line with your preferences. The most important configurations to keep in mind are to keep a high frame rate and high resolution and maintain a balance between them. Having an outrageously high resolution with a ridiculously low frame rate can easily destroy your stream quality. So, find your balance.

Step 3: Configure Your Streaming Destination Settings

Now login to your streaming platform and set up the stream settings to connect your platform with your streaming software.

Step 4: Enter the required URL and Stream Key from your CDN into your Encoder

Upon setting up, you will get a URL and stream key from your streaming platform that can be entered into your encoding software to establish a connection between them. This will allow you to use your audio and video input for your live stream.

Step 5: Step into the world of Streaming by clicking “Start”

Lastly, after rechecking all of your settings you can finally hit start and begin your live stream with the huge load of creativity that you have gathered to share with your audience.

Where to Stream Your Content?

While you’re figuring out the essentials for setting up your live streaming setup and hosting your first live stream, you should also start thinking of a platform that you will be using. Although the internet is full of general CDN that provides fresh live streamers a starting point for their streaming careers, you need to figure out which platform suits you best. This helps you create a dedicated audience that will value your content and follow you in case you switch platforms.

Advantages of Online Streaming

For an online creator, the advantages of streaming online content can be hard to track with great publicity and a prominent platform to showcase its skills. However, there are a few benefits that help the creators gain and sustain a stable audience.

• Goodbye to Download Time

Due to the advancements in internet technology, streaming platforms can broadcast media on their platforms without having to worry about the download times. Unwanted and elongated download times were a major turnoff for many content consumers. So, platforms identified the issue and resolved it with online streaming.

• Instant Playback

Unlike the tedious cycle of downloading a piece of content and then waiting to start watching it, with online streaming, you can instantly watch your desired content. This not only saves you time but also saves you from the unnecessary irritation that was bundled with the tedious download periods.

• No Worries of Shortage of Storage Space

Since there is no need to download media on whichever device you’re using, the need to have vacant space for storing the downloadable content has diminished. Now, people can relax with the current storage capacities of their devices.

It must be apparent that live streaming is not a simple topic to be summarized with ease. However, the gist of the discussion is to emphasize the significance of creating online content and understand the essentials for streaming it on a specific platform, if not multiple. This will allow you to showcase your skills on an audience-ridden platform that is hungry for creative content.

As you spend years working hard to make ends meet, you’re also contributing towards your retirement benefits. This builds your financial safety net when you are preparing for retirement. Thanks to this Social Security, you can enjoy a monthly income after you retire.

It’s essential to know and understand social security benefits in detail. Different factors contribute to the estimated figure you are likely to receive as your benefits. Some of these factors include;

• Years worked
• Monthly payments

With a detailed understanding of the topic, it becomes easy to plan your retirement like a professional. 

The fact that this topic is broad and complex, this article will continue to share the most important things you ought to know about the topic. Enjoy reading!

What Are Social Security Benefits

People who benefit from such a program are retired, disabled, spouses, children, and survivors. The program is a federal benefit in the US aiming to provide partial income to those faced with difficulties or retired. It has a regulation that you need to meet for you to benefit.

Many people who meet the requirement to benefit from this program are sometimes denied. This happens mostly to disabled people. When such happens, you need to take legal action to file a lawsuit appealing to your claim.

It’s good when you know the process to handle your denied claim. However, it would help if you had an attorney specializing in the area. Legal practitioners at Terry-LawFirm.com often say that having an attorney will not only make things formal but can assist a long way when it comes to preparing your case. Attorneys in the sector understand the ins and outs of such cases, and this means that by hiring one, things will be solved sooner than you can expect. They are dedicated to helping you get full benefits that will support you and your family.

It is essential to pay into the Social Security program to gain 40 credits that qualify you for the benefits. Even a spouse can claim this based on the spouse’s work record. Please note that the service is taxable depending on your tax filing status.

When is the right time to collect your benefits?

When the time for your retirement comes, you qualify for your Social Security Benefits. Collecting the benefits can be done either before or after you fully retire. Whatever plan you consider has its pros and cons.

Suppose you decide to start collecting your benefits before retirement? Choosing this plan means that you’re likely to receive a 30% reduction of your benefits. This may seem like a perfect idea when you require cash early, but the benefits are less than when you request your benefits after retirement. 

After full retirement, you will get close to 100% of your benefits. According to statistics, only one in four retirees receives 90% of their retirement benefits.

Sometimes you need an increased retirement credit to meet your needs. You can get up to an 8% annual accumulation of your benefits when choosing delayed retirement credit. This is available after your retirement age is 70 years. The problem with this is that you will collect your benefits for a short period.

How to Calculate Your Social Security Benefits

A large number of the population in the US relies on social security after retirement. According to statistics, not many retirees get 90% of their retirement income from the program.

Although you may be depending on your savings after retirement, it’s crucial to have a rough idea of how much you can expect from the program. If you qualify for social security, your monthly benefit is based on two factors, which are;

• The amount you have earned during your working career
• The age you have chosen to start getting payments, as mentioned earlier

As hinted earlier, social security considers 40 credits over your working career for qualification. However, they use 35 years of your work history to calculate the monthly payment. So, if you worked for less than 35 years, the SSA will use zero for some years.

This, therefore, means that the higher your earnings over those 35 years, the higher the benefit you will receive. Unfortunately, getting the actual figure isn’t as easy as it may sound. So, if you are curious about the estimates, it’s better to request them from the SSA. This should give you an estimate at age 62 and age 70, depending on your work history. Additionally, you can make use of the SSA’s calculators to plan your retirement and find out the best age to start claiming your benefits.

How is social security taxed?

It’s essential to know how social security is taxed.

You should know that the taxation on your benefits varies with the income level. That said, it means that;

• If your income is between $25000-$34000 for an individual, or $32000-$44000 for a couple filing jointly, 50% of benefits are subject to taxation. Below that level, your benefits won’t be taxed.
• If your income is more than $34000 for both an individual and a couple filing jointly, 85% of the benefits are taxed.

If your child receives social security or survivor benefits, the payments aren’t subjected to taxation. That money can only be taxable if the child has enough income from social security or other sources to file a return on his name.

How does Social Security Spousal Benefit work? 

When it comes to social security, marriage brings couples an advantage. That is, your partner can take up to 50% of your security benefit (spousal benefit). Say, for instance, if your benefit is worth $4000, but your partner benefit is only $1000, he or she can collect benefits worth $2000. This will bring in $1000 more income per month.

Calculating and claiming your social security benefit is a daunting process. To overcome these circumstances, you need to consult your financial advisor with experience in Social Security benefits analysis. This will help you understand more about Social Security and the right time to claim. The above-shared ideas can also be of great importance when it comes to understanding the topic in detail.

Certain events have such a profound and deep impact on us that they bring life to a complete and grinding halt. These events often leave behind deep scars, not those that can be seen, but those that can be felt and impede each and every activity we partake in. Losing a loved one in a road accident is the epitome of such an event. It happens suddenly and without warning. 

A loved one that’s lost always leaves behind a void, one that is difficult to fill up. When it happens so suddenly and unexpectedly, you do not even get the opportunity to prepare and brace yourself. However, what can be even worse is to have a loved one killed by a driver under the influence of alcohol.

It would be wrong to call a road incident caused by a drunk driver an accident. One cannot call it an accident, it is a crime, an unforgivable crime caused due to negligence, carelessness, and lack of self-control. A drunk driver should be held accountable for his actions and punished accordingly. 

Unfortunately, fighting for justice can often be harder than expected, drawn-out, and quite an arduous process to finish. However, if you know the processes that must be executed and the steps that must be followed, fighting for justice can become a successful endeavor. Here is how you can fight for justice if your loved one is killed by a drunk driver.

Register the Details

In order to be able to fight for justice, the first thing you need is to find out the identity of the offender. A large proportion of drunk driving incidents end up turning into hit-and-run cases. If you are not present at the scene of the crime, there is not much that you can do. However, if you are present on-site, it is important to gather as much information as possible within a brief span of time. 

Every piece of information that you are able to register and put together will later prove useful in identifying the person responsible for the incident. Details like the name of the vehicle, the color, its make, the type of vehicle, and the license number can prove very useful at a later stage. Given that we all carry a smartphone nowadays, quickly grabbing a picture or recording a video can prove invaluable.

Contact the Police

If you or someone you know is ever involved in an accident, even one that is not caused by a drunk driver, calling the police should be right on top of your priority list. Contacting the police allows them to note down all the relevant details and ensure that proper procedure is followed. The police can also check if the driver responsible for the accident is under the influence of alcohol or not. To add to that, a police report will also add credibility to your case.

Gather Evidence

To fight any case, or even take a case to court, supporting evidence is needed. The same applies to a case involving drunk driving as well. However, gathering relevant evidence can become quite challenging, especially if it is done at a later stage. If you are present at the scene of the accident, you should take as many photos as possible; not of the victim of course, but the other vehicle, the driver, and the extent of the damage. 

This can later help in building your case. You should also approach the other people who may have witnessed the accident and gather their contact details. This can later come in handy in case witnesses are required to testify.

Seek Professional Help

Reading through the various nuances that our legal system contains can become quite overwhelming. For regular people, it can become quite difficult to understand what their rights are and how they can fight for them. 

This is where seeking professional help can prove beneficial. A personal injury lawyer can help you chart out the best course of action for your particular situation. The experienced legal team at https://www.dsslaw.com/ suggests that before you make a decision regarding the services of a personal injury lawyer, you can even ask for a free evaluation. A free evaluation can help you decide if the services offered are in line with your requirements. A big advantage of seeking professional help is that if the defendant is not found guilty initially, these lawyers will also represent your case in the courtroom.

File a Civil Lawsuit

A civil lawsuit is quite different in comparison to a criminal lawsuit. In a criminal lawsuit, the drunk driver would be held responsible for any damage that was caused and any laws that were broken. In a criminal lawsuit, you would not be fighting for your rights in court. To fight for the justice of your loved one, you will have to file a civil lawsuit against the drunk driver responsible for the accident. 

In some states like Texas, you can also sue the bar, club, or establishment that served alcohol to the drunk driver despite knowing that he could be a danger not just to himself but also to others. While these laws, which are part of the Texas Dram Shop Laws, can help increase the compensation that is offered, they can also make fighting the case much more complicated as there would be more defendants and higher opposition.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. Even though time is a great healer, it takes a long time to come to terms with it. The impact of such a loss is even greater if it is not an accident, but is rather due to the negligence, carelessness, and indifference of a person driving under the influence of alcohol. 

While in such a case, the guilt and responsibility of the incident lie with the drunk driver, the path to ensuring that the driver gets convicted and that justice is done by your loved one is full of roadblocks. However, making sure that you follow the steps that have been explained here can help you fight for justice for your loved one.

From mail order bride sites where you can buy wife online to apps like Tinder, the dating market is riddled with match-making apps and dating platforms. This fact makes it a little hard for new apps to sell themselves to an already overwhelmed audience. New players in the dating industry face stiff competition from leading companies and customers may not take to them as quickly as they expect.

When you come up with these apps, there is a chance that the market will be interested in them at the beginning. However, as is natural with these things, people return to their old apps soon enough. The goal is to ensure that those who come aboard the app in the first stages stay on. The saturation of the dating market creates a need for marketing solutions to promote your dating app. Here are five of these marketing solutions:

Finding your target audience

The major problem with the marketing process of some of these apps is that they are not exactly streamlined. They try to reach diverse audiences at once, thereby stretching their resources thin or messing up their branding. For example, you should not advertise an app that helps people order a bride to those looking for hook-up partners. People come on the former to find brides and go to the latter for just the vibes and sex. 

When marketing a marriage-themed app, you should categorically state that the app will help people find a wife online, and for the latter, state its purpose too. Knowing your target users enables you to tailor your marketing efforts to them, ensuring you attract the people who need your services. Doing things differently could still get many people to download your app, but they may end up unsatisfied and then delete it. So, find your target audience and stick to them. 

Carving out a niche

Some people are looking for love, and some are not. And because you cannot give everyone what they desire, find what you can and stick to it. Promising to give everyone what they are searching for will only complicate things. We recommend finding your niche in the market and addressing the needs of its customers.

Although Tinder is the most popular dating app, gay people still prefer Scruff and Grindr because it’s dedicated to catering to their sexual preferences. You have to choose your niche, and when marketing, make it a major part of the campaign. This approach goes hand-in-hand with focusing on a target audience because when marketing a niche, your target audience comes easy. More often than not, people tend to gravitate towards what they can relate to. 

Prioritizing simplicity 

One of the reasons Tinder will always find its way to the top of the list is simplicity. The app can be operated by a 7-year-old if they understand the concept of attraction. Tinder is designed like a colorful cute game, easy to understand, and easy to navigate; all you have to do is keep swiping till you find love.

The only places you’ll see people go through long processes to update dating apps are in movies. No one wants complicated apps in real life; they want something simple and seamless. People need to know that they wouldn’t have to go through stress to understand your app. Also, when designing the app, focus on simplicity and navigational ease, using them as strong points when marketing. 

Focusing on stories 

When you can, get testimonials of people who used your app and found partners and other forms of satisfaction. They give a face of trust to your brand and make it easier to get signups. People love a good love story; getting the accounts of those who found what they wanted on your app and telling them does you good.

A way you can get these testimonials is to add some kind of reward for telling their stories. If your app is not free, you could unlock a feature for a testimonial or offer something else. But be sure to look out for real proofs like pictures and videos that validate their stories. 

Leveraging on emotions 

People are lonely, so capitalize on that when marketing your app. Say something emotional about finding love and fulfillment, and then proceed with the fact that we often stay indoors, which makes it hard to find a partner. Doing this solves their pain points, and you cannot sell a product without solving your customers’ needs. Make them believe that you are their final chance at love, after being through other dating apps. Find the right words to make them open their hearts to you so that you can sell your app to them. 

Final thoughts

Getting the right app out to those searching for love may seem like an easy task until you realize you are not the only one gunning for them. These are tough times, and people desire to be loved.  While this opportunity creates a large market for you, you must remember that you have thousands of competitors, some of whom have been in the game for decades. 

The people you need to beat have had long strategy sessions on how to remain in the game. When you faithfully follow these strategies, they will give you an edge and place you above your competitors.

Note: This post is contributed by Jamie Polster. He is a seasoned relationship counselor who has been in business for over a decade. He has helped people deal with relationship issues and assisted others in finding their significant others. Jamie has a workshop that guides people to find the love of their lives, and most of them are happily married now. He also works at YourMailOrderBride with a team of relationship specialists.

Regardless of the kind of games you play, having the right accessories can drastically improve your in-game performance and the level of enjoyment you get from gaming. While most of these accessories are meant to provide you with higher quality performance, the various style options that they are available in means that you can find a piece that suits your aesthetics and reflects your personality. 

Where you are probably spending hundreds if not thousands of dollars on the gaming setup itself, why not spend a bit on its looks and create something which is visually appealing to you? If you enjoy the minimalist look and would prefer a setup that looks completely stock but is tough competition even for pro-rigs, you might want to consider these options for a serious performance upgrade. Here is what you need to take your gaming to the next level. 

1.  Headset

Poor sound quality completely ruins a good game. Regardless of how high your FPS is and how vivid the visual display is, if you can’t hear well, you can’t play well. With a better quality headset that delivers a surround sound experience, you will feel a lot more immersed in the game, and it gives you a much better idea of what’s happening in the game. Many gamers would say that high sound quality can compensate for low graphics quality, but not vice versa. There are plenty of wireless options that have enough battery time to get you through even the longest of gaming sessions. Top-tier headsets incorporate high-frequency mics that make communication crisp and easy, adding more value to multiplier games. With things like surround sound features and high-quality sound canceling, these headsets are great for listening to music, watching movies, and getting great audio output for everyday tasks.  

2.  Mouse

If you are playing shooter games or even strategy games, accurate mouse movement is critical. In racing games, the mouse isn’t that important, but it would still feel much better to have a high-quality mouse. The latest gaming mice options have programmable buttons which are extremely useful when you want to customize your layout and the different RGB lighting options make for a fantastic visual experience. Some gamers give a lot of importance to the weight of a mouse, modern gaming mice give you the option to customize this aspect of the device as well. 

3.  Playmat

With your gaming mouse, you need a quality surface on which you can realize its accuracy, smoothness, and weight advantage. The folks at yourplaymat.com suggest creating a custom-made playmat so that you can get the exact size and image of your preference. There are multiple fabric options you can choose from and of course you can get them designed with your custom image or a theme to suit the rest of your setup.

4.  Keyboard

The second thing to go on your play mat and arguably one of the most used gaming devices is the humble keyboard. However, gaming keyboards are far from humble, with tons of options there are so many features that you could choose to have in your ideal gaming keyboard. This completely depends on your style of play, the games you play, and what you consider an aesthetically appealing keyboard. Modern gaming keyboards also incorporate displays that keep you updated with vital system stats without you ever having to toggle away from the game and eliminates the need to have an on-screen window to display the information. With these things displayed on the keyboard itself, you can dedicate your entire screen to the game.  

5.  Monitor

If you have invested in a solid rig with top-of-the-line specs, it wouldn’t do it justice to use a 1080p monitor to visualize the experience. It would be better if you saved some money on the internal components and invested that in your display setup. Modern games make use of high-resolution screens and blink-of-an-eye refresh rates. Without these things, not only will you get limited gameplay in terms of graphics, but you will also experience a significant difference in the feel of the game. Some of the latest titles make great use of 4K screens, however, if you choose to invest in a 6K or 8K option, that wouldn’t be a bad decision. Some of the upcoming game titles will efficiently use these super-high output monitor features and also make use of multiple screen setups.

6.  VR Headset

If you are ready to take the plunge to the next level of immersive gaming experiences, then VR headsets are what you need. It delivers an unbelievable gaming experience, something that simply cannot be emulated on a monitor regardless of its size or specs. The only catch is that you will need to ensure your system is compatible, if it is, then this is definitely the most valuable upgrade you could make.

7.  Seat

Gaming seats are designed not only for comfort but also to maintain good posture and help keep your back healthy. A lot of people are using chairs designed for gamers to use in their day jobs that require them to sit in front of a computer for several hours on end, just like a gamer. If you can invest in a good-quality gaming chair, it will most likely have proper orthopedic and chiropractic research that has gone into it to make it perfect for long hours of use. Combined with the fact that they are highly customizable, you can adjust them to exactly meet your height and sitting style. They can be pricey, but well worth it.

Sure, you can game with just a standard setup and the average chair and table, but that stands equally true for the components that you used in your rig. While you could get by using a simple processor with inbuilt graphics to play even the most graphic-intensive games, the only difference would be you wouldn’t really experience the game the way it should be experienced. The same thing applies to all external equipment that you can add to your gaming rig. Combined, it enhances your gaming experience many folds.