Home insurance is a policy that protects an individual against financial losses in the unfortunate event of fire, theft or flooding. Any responsible home owner will have taken out a policy, protecting both the house and personal belongings. However, insurance doesn’t come cheap, especially at a time of economic crisis. There are simple steps that can be taken to ensure that belongings are protected as well as a bank balance.

Potential discounts

Many companies will offer discounts to those who combine their car and home insurance together within the same company in return for loyalty. It is definitely worth contacting your current provider to discuss the potential discounts available. It isn’t uncommon for those that do to experience a 10-15% deduction on premiums when combining separate policies together.

If features such as fire alarms and extinguishers, carbon monoxide alarms and security systems, are present within the home, the policy holder may qualify for a much lower premium rate, along with retirees and students.

Know your zone

A huge amount of people in the UK are spending large amounts of money on protecting their homes from unnecessary factors. For instance, there is little point in applying for jewellery cover if you don’t own any or pay for earthquake cover when you are located in an area that has never once been hit. Although it is a desirable to protect yourself against any threat, it is also impractical to spend valuable and hard earned cash on unnecessary and unrealistic occurrences.

Possessions

It is important to avoid purchasing items and objects that will significantly increase your premiums and seriously affect your policy. These items tend to be those that cause a potential risk to those in and around the home. Particular breeds of pets, swimming pools and trampolines are all items that pose a huge liability risk, reflected in the premium costs.

Insurance providers regularly base their premium and policy prices on the credit score of an individual. Attempts to improve your credit ratings will have a significantly good effect on your policy as providers are confident that payments will be promptly met. Those with poor credit history will be hit the hardest.

It may be worth increasing your deductible to save more money. According to a recent survey of insurance rates, increasing the deductible from $2000 to $4000 on a homeowner’s insurance policy can save nearly $200 a year from a policy’s principle. The majority of homeowners choose not to claim small amounts of damage, choosing instead to pay for small disasters out of pocket. This means that increasing the deductible should not have a great impact on an individual or family’s finances.

1. Opt for an economical plan as per the area of your residence

The alternatives available to people in terms of private health insurance plans and the insurance premium to be paid depends on the region of residence. In the same country, the number of plans available to people in one state can be substantially higher than those available in another state. The premiums are also likely to vary. A person thus needs to gather information on various plans available in the region. Such information is available by the plenty on the internet. Zero in on the plan that meets your needs.

2. Get private health insurance for your family members

Employees can choose to avail private insurance coverage for the family members, through plans that offer all the benefits with relatively lower premiums, while keeping the employer’s insurance for themselves. Perform a comparative analysis of the health insurance benefits available to you and your spouse in case both are working. Opt for insurance coverage for both through a single plan. Make a similar assessment for medical insurance for the kids.

3. Choose a no-frills private health insurance plan

The various private health insurance plans compete on several factors. A plan that covers a larger network of hospitals and specialists charges you for the facility on offer by billing the cost to the premium you pay. Avail and pay only for the benefits that you need. Do not pay for benefits that pile on the costs without bringing any significant benefits to you.

4. Go for long term insurance coverage with a private health insurance plan

Insurance costs can cover immunization, tests for diagnosis and visits to specialists. These costs add substantially to the premium you pay. Try to make such expenses a part of your monthly budget. Opt for a private health insurance plan that covers serious illnesses and hospitalization due to an accident. The premium for such a plan is likely to be considerably cheaper.

The insurance plans that organizations make available to their employees carry certain unique benefits. Employees need to be clear on the tradeoffs, they are making, in order to reduce the cost of insurance. An employee is offered health insurance irrespective of his health condition. Also, the same is not discontinued if the employee undergoes treatment for an ailment. Continuity is also not an issue when a person switches jobs. People in the higher age group may thus prefer to stick to the medical insurance offered by the employer. The availability of numerous private health insurance plans allows for flexibility. It is indeed possible to avail medical insurance coverage at substantially lower costs. All it calls for is a methodical approach. An informed choice in the form of a private health insurance plan may just be the perfect solution for you.

About the author: Margaret is a writer by profession. She loves writing on Health and Parenting. She is herbal freak and prefers home remedies for natural cures. These days she is busy
writing an article on Learning Toys for Toddlers.

When you want to just stay home and treat yourself, there is nothing better than pampering yourself with some luxury items that will make you feel as if you’ve died and gone to spa heaven. With an abundance of bath salts, body moisturizers and clay treatments available for sale in department and specialty stores, bringing the same kind of spa products home is easier than ever before.

Before the big at home spa day, buy gift baskets filled with relaxing or invigorating scented candles, bath pearls and salts as well as moisturizing lotions to keep skin feeling soft and supple.  Gift baskets help to keep all necessary items close at hand for the ultimate in relaxation, and some specialty stores have baskets premade and ready to go with spa lotions and potions to complete the special day.

When your spa day arrives make sure to create a quiet environment. Turn off your cell or home phone so there are no outside distractions. Then put on relaxing music and light candles to create a soothing atmosphere that will calm nerves and prepare your mind and body for a day away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Spending time alone while tending to your beauty needs is an excellent time to reconnect with your inner self and forget about everything else. Being quiet while also luxuriating in the scents and feel of lotions and treatments can also bring clarity at the same time.

At home spa days are special times when you are alone, but they can also be shared with other important people in your life. Sharing a relaxing time with a friend or family member can be a great way to strengthen a relationship and just enjoy time together away from crowds.

Whether you create a spa day just for yourself or for a friend or two, taking time to relax and invigorate your senses from the usual stresses of living is a splendid way to pamper your mind and body while also recharging for a new day.

Getting your art noticed by a wide audience is easier than ever before thanks to many options offered on the Internet for networking.  Blogging, social media and more all make it easier to showcase your art online and get the word out to those who are interested.  Any artist can create a strong online presence with a few simple tips.

Open an Etsy Shop.

Etsy is one of the premier places people go to shop for art online, and features all kinds of home and handmade art, jewelry, clothing and more.  No matter what the type of art you create, you can find a home and a buyer for it on Etsy.

Opening an Etsy store is free and places you among a community of other artists who are working to create a stronger online presence for their creations.  Items sold on Etsy are often featured in magazines which can help you to get noticed and sell your art.

Use Social Media Outlets.

It costs you nothing to share your art online through social media outlets like Facebook.  Set up your own free Facebook page and then invite all of your friends to join.  Ask them to share the link to your page with others on Facebook.  Consider a giveaway drawing when you reach a certain milestone number of friends; this will encourage people to share the link and invite others to join.

Post regular status updates on Facebook and also on Twitter to keep the buzz going and ensure people don’t forget about you!  Make sure to include information on where to find your art locally and how to contact you to make it easy.

Start a Blog.

Blogging is a great way to keep up an online presence and also get people interested in your daily life as an artist.  Remember to keep it interesting; funny anecdotes and tidbits of information will keep people reading and have them sharing your blog with friends.  Keep blog posts short and relevant and make sure to post frequently enough to keep people reading – but don’t overload them with blog posts either!

You can start a free blog and even have it hosted for free through one of many free blogging interfaces including Blogger, Tumblr, and WordPress.  Buy your own domain and redirect the blog there for a more professional appearance.

Network with Other Artists.

There are a wide variety of artist forums and website where you can get in contact with other artists and find out what has worked for them.  Some of the best places to discuss art online with other artists just like you are artistforum.com and wetcanvas.com.  You can upload your art, get advice and critiques in a safe, friendly place, and find out more about the online artists’ community.

You’ll also get helpful information about selling your art online and tips for saving on supplies, getting your art noticed locally and more.

The internet offers artists a wide variety of helpful ways to share their work, find interested buyers and connect with other artists.  Take advantage of all of the opportunities the internet provides for your art to shine.

Author’s bio: Art Historian, Donovan Gauvreau lectures about art therapy with a focus on creativity development. He educates and inspires people to take a glimpse into an artist’s life to better understand the meaning behind their work.

Phrases, mixing good and bad news have been a staple of comedy for years, but it is not the same when it comes to daily communication. In business, delivering bad news to employees, customers or clients usually makes both parties feel uncomfortable. In today’s trying economy, company leaders frequently announce layoffs, budget overruns, low returns, etc. In our private life it is also burdensome to bring your close friends, or beloved ones bad news.

No one likes bad news messengers and there is no easy way to lighten bombshells, but there are techniques to make the delivery of bad news more effective. Let’s go through them.

Manage your expectations in advance : Start by analyzing the audience and the situation and then identify how to present the information so that it can be correctly assumed. In life, bad news may come unexpectedly and unfortunately, we cannot foresee sudden accidents. However, in other situations we can measure the risks and prepare the recipient beforehand. Be careful about guaranteeing results, or promising that a particular outcome is 100% sure. Outline all the risks and potential issues that might prevent the desired result.

Set up the right moment: Don’t deliver bad news casually, or in passing. Set up a right moment and context for the conversation; do not just spring the news. “Bad news is often serious and people need respect,” says Dana Bristol Smith, the founder of Speak for Success. Just like being dumped from a relationship, no one wants to hear bad news in the corridor or via e-mail.

Be clear and get to the point: “I’ve never known bad news to improve with keeping.” was Alec Guiness’s memorable line from the movie “Little Lord Faunleroy”. People tend to preface the bad news delivery with long background details, circling around the hard truth in the middle. It is better to keep the message brief, direct and without sugar coating. “The audience is wondering what the hell is going to happen. If you give too much information, you lose the directness of message,” says David Javitch, organizational psychologist and leadership specialist. When used to lessen the impact, soft language impedes the receiver to understand the full meaning of the announcement.

Repeating the hard truth several times “helps it sink in”, explains Javitch. He also recommends framing the message by starting with a positive fact, followed by the negative news and then a change statement that explains the changes which will occur  as a result of the bad news.

In business, many managers nowadays skip this step, because they don’t want to look their employees in the eye, or hear their disappointment. If an announcement affects a large group of people, breaking them into small groups is the right tactic. This will prevent rumors or disinformation to spread throughout the company and will allow people to feel more comfortable about asking questions and clearing the situation. Usually, employees judge their boss’s actions in both good and bad times. Handling the bad poorly sabotages the future productivity. A good measure in delivering bad news is to make a question- and- answer session after the announcement. Take suggestions for how to improve the situation, “let them be problem solvers”, not side observers.

Make sure that the participants in the cumbersome dialogue are sitting, the experts recommend. Firstly, because the other person can even faint (because of the shock) and the chances of injury are decreased; and second – if the discussion happens while seated, the chance of getting emotionally out of control is less than when you are standing.

Be genuine and honest about the role you have played in the development of the case. This will help you diffuse your own emotional state; the audience will see that you assume responsibility and the negative predispose will decline. In case it is not your fault, be prepared to get shot and keep your stress under control by reminding yourself that the other party is not upset at you personally. (a typical example here is a help desk analyst who informs a client that the system won’t work for a few days) To reduce the chances of being the shot messenger, express your sympathy, let the other person know you are aware of his/her emotional reaction. “I am sorry , but I have to inform you that..”; “I understand you..” can make wonders.

Famous leaders delivering bad news

President Obama’s upbeat tone marked his campaign a few years ago, before he took office. Nowadays he seems dour in his public communications, due to the severity of challenges he is facing. His governing style was described by Mark Shields, a commentator on PBS’s NewsHour as “campaign in poetry” and ”govern in prose”. Politicians excite the audience by speaking about possibilities, but when these possibilities become problems, they have to figure out how to solve them and how to represent them in front of the nation. Obama’s three main principles in delivering bad news are:

-       Say them right ahead

-       Discuss what needs to be done

-       Urge for support and initiative

-       Challenge others to join you

This does not include being too downbeat and pessimistic. President Jimmy Carter has been criticized for his famous “malaise” speech in which he said that the US nation had lost its way. It sounded more like a sermon, centering on themes of confession, redemption and sacrifice. Carter’s tone was apprehended as preachy and instead of inspiring people, it turned them off. Obama follows the footsteps of Ronald Reagan. Many people recall Reagan’s optimism, but in fact he did not always pull his punches. Back in 1981, during his first speech to Congress, he addressed the nation’s struggling economy with high rates of inflation, high interest rates and lack of employment.

Gain: strategies to prevent and detect them

Transactions completed by credit card have gained popularity with the introduction of online shopping and banking. Unfortunately, the number of credit card frauds has also increased with the introduction of newer technology. Credit card counterfeiters use embossing, encoding and decoding devices to read, change and implant magnetic information on counterfeit credit cards.

In one year in Canada alone MasterCard and Visa generated a sales volume of $190.6 billion, gathered of the circulation of about 56 million credit cards. Statistics show that about $3 million was lost due to fraudulent use of these two card brands. Totally, credit card fraud costs cardholders and credit card issuers about $500 million a year. To protect our savings of fraudulent abuses, we need to know what to watch out for.

Types of credit card fraud

Identity-Theft Fraud accounts for 4% of all losses. Criminals apply for a card using someone else’ identity and information. One of the main subtypes is the account takeover: the criminals steal the victim’s documents and information and call his/her credit card company, requesting a change of address. Then, the thieves impersonate the victim by submitting “proof” of identity and request a replacement card to be sent to a new address. Some card issuers request photocopies of the card in question and its monthly statements in order to thwart thefts, but others don’t, which makes this form of credit card fraud extremely problematic.

Tax preparation fraud is another common double-dealing, which consists of social security information theft. Criminals use temporary shops where companies prepare taxes for people and look for areas of poor security. Sometimes they use their real names and steal information from companies as happened in New York, where the office manager of H&R block was stealing financial information. Criminals also may pose as IRS Agents and state that they are auditing the victim. Usually, they send out a number of emails hoping that someone is going to fall into the trap. It is important to note that the IRS will never contact you via email about an audit.

Counterfeit credit cards  make up almost 40 % of all funds lost through credit card frauds. Thieves use the newest technology of “skimming” information contained on magnetic stripes of cards and other security features such as holograms. Skimming can also occur when a dishonest clerk interferes in legitimate transaction that victims make. He records the card data and takes a spending spree on your tab. This fraudulent abuse is difficult to detect as merchants are the last people defrauded consumers suspect and for that reason, they are less investigated.

Phishing attacks are a modern form of credit card robbery. Rather than swiping your wallet at a busy street, Internet hackers lead their victims to an authoritative-looking website that claims to be their bank or credit company. Once the victims land on the phishing websites, they are asked to transfer their credit card details as a part of a “security check” procedure. By clicking the “Submit” button, victims put all their card information into the hands of ruthless identity thieves. Read also: “Detecting phishing websites”.

Card not present frauds: Be careful with orders placed via Internet, as they are a frequent target of credit card frauds, because the physical card is not required for the completion of the purchase. With this technique, phishers are not taking the risk of being caught on security cameras or apprehended by police. Those who suffer are the customer and the merchant who has processed the fraudulent order, because card not present orders are, again, no immediate “red flags” that distinguish stolen card orders from legitimate ones.

Lost/ Stolen Cards are the oldest form of credit card fraud. Cards stolen from either cardholders or lost by them account for 23% of all card frauds. Consumers are susceptible to theft in any location: gyms, busy streets, metro stations, etc. Pickpockets are trained to detect signs of distraction and move in for the kill when we are not paying attention. If the theft goes undetected, the criminal can: make expensive purchases, apply for new credit cards, and in some extreme cases, take out hefty loans in the victim’s name.

How to protect yourself 

To reduce your exposure to most of credit card fraud, leave your card at home. This will reduce the number of physical card transactions you make. Another option is to get a credit card with a low limit. This way, provided that the scammer does not possess any additional information about your bank account, the worst that may happen is spend what the card allows and your finances won’t be devastated.

• Use virtual credit cards: they have a different number than your regular credit card and expire after one use. They are not attractive to criminals, as they are looking for viable cards. Most banks and credit card companies (including PayPal) now offer virtual cards for little or no cost.
• Place a security freeze on your credit report, designed to prevent a credit reporting company from releasing your credit report without your consent.
• Request an initial security alert to be added to your credit report if you have doubts that the information on your credit report is inaccurate due to fraud. It asks potential creditors to verify the identification used by an applicant before granting credit in the consumer’s name.
• Shred all documents like bank statements and utility bills, before you toss them into the trash. Professional identity thieves do stoop low and do empty you garbage can to find.
• Do not commit credit card numbers and sensitive information to bank emails, no matter how credible it appears to be. Most banks and credit card companies never do such requests such as “routine security check”. Actually, they explicitly state that they will never approach you for this kind of data in any such manner.
• Do not shop from fly-by-night shops, stake on big-name corporate chains – they have security procedures that are difficult (almost impossible) for staff to circumvent.
• Check your billing statements and bank transactions periodically. That’s how you will catch any improper movements and you will be able to cancel your card before the disaster befalls you.
• Don’t sign blank credit card receipts. Always verify the amount you are signing. If there is a blank space, simply write $0 there. Otherwise, the cashier could overwrite an amount of money and send the purchase to your credit card issuer.
• Consider also using online banking services, provided from your card issuer. They enable customers to conduct financial operations and keep a sharp eye on their defrayals on a secure website. There are two security methods for online banking that prevent frauds: PIN/TAN system, or signature based online banking (where all transactions are signed and encrypted digitally).
• Contact the issuer of the card if it has been lost or stolen (there are toll free numbers and a 24 hr service for customers to deal with such emergencies). In accordance to the law, once you report a lost or stolen card, you can’t be held responsible to pay for the fraudulent charges.  You can be held liable for a maximum of $50 per credit card .

There are no surefire, guaranteed cures for a cold and flu. That’s the bad news! Sure, Cold FX purchased through your favorite online Canadian drugs store might help a bit. However, on the flip side of the coin, preventing a cold and flu from rearing its mucus-filled head is a whole lot easier with natural remedies. Once the colder weather sets in cold and natural flu prevention tactics are your key to having a happy, healthy winter. No one likes to be sick over the holidays, and a solid proactive approach to banning colds and flu symptoms is to adopt the following natural, cold-fighting prevention habits into your daily routine.

1. Wash your hands frequently

The majority of cold and flu viruses are spread via direct contact. For example, if I have the flu and accidentally sneeze into my hands—I might go get a cup of tea with honey to ease my scratchy throat. If you come along and use the tea kettle after my germ-ridden hands have touched it, you might catch my flu bugs. This is why washing your hands every time you sneeze, use a tissue or touch your face is vital when you have the flu. If no sink is available, keep a bottle of alcohol-based sanitizing gel on your desk and use that as your backup.

2. If you have access to a sauna, take advantage of it

Saunas and steam rooms are big in Germany. That’s because in 1989, a German study linked those who enjoyed a twice weekly sauna to getting less colds. The theory behind the study was that the hot air (exceeding 80 degrees F) inhaled in a sauna will actually kill cold and flu viruses.

3. Get your sweat on

Running on a treadmill, cycling, aerobic classes…all of these have a few things in common:

• These forms of cardio exercise encourage the body to pump larger quantities of blood
• They increase breathing frequency, transferring oxygen from the lungs to the blood
• They make you sweat and expel toxins
• They all encourage the body to naturally kill off germs and viruses

4. Get your zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s

Are you an A-type personality that feels guilty taking it easy when you’re starting to feel a little under the weather? Well, what you consider self-indulgent—staying in bed, lying on the couch with a warm cat under a blanket, drinking tea and honey—all actually helps strengthen your immunity. If you keep up a fast pace even though you’re getting sick; you will just get even sicker and the healing process will take a lot longer.

5. Don’t take it all on by yourself

If you’re a busy mom who does all the cooking, cleaning, child caring, appointment making and more all alone without any help—you chance running down your ability to fight off flu viruses a lot more quickly. Instead, give yourself a break when you start to feel a cold coming on by calling in some favors. Ask your spouse to pick up diner on the way home from work or ask an older child to make lunches and make sure them and their siblings clean their own rooms for the week. Running yourself ragged despite a cold will just prolong your illness.

6. Eat your fruits and veggies

The natural nutrients and photo chemicals in plants give your immunity a big boost, especially when you’re coming down with a cold. So instead of popping vitamins and Cold FX—eat some colorful vegetables and fruits.

7. Go yogurt

Studies show that a daily cup of low-fat yogurt will decrease your risk of catching a cold by 25%. It’s the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may that boosts the immune system and helps it fight an oncoming flu.

Read this if:

Gain: Important knowledge about prevention measures against a wide-spread scam practice with payday loans. Follow them so you don’t regret bitterly later.

One of the fastest growing scams in North America has been the payday loan scam. Payday loans are usually small, short-term, high-rate loans that have a variety of names including cash advance loans, payday loans, post-dated check loans, check advance loans, or deferred deposit check loans.

A huge number of people feel desperate because of the loss of a job, unpaid bills, etc and when a seemingly easy solution shows up, it’s tempting to go for it without even doing the necessary research. What is the price it eventually comes at?

Three types of scenarios

   *  A financial company offers individuals with bad credit history a loan. Often these loans are “guaranteed” no matter what the client’s credit history is, even if they have a bad credit or no credit they will get the loan. The only requirement is to pay an upfront “security deposit” for the loan because of their bad credit history. The problem is that the promised money never arrives in the client’s bank account and the security deposit is lost.

* A person has never applied for such loans but receive constant calls accusing them of not paying back a payday loan. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other Internet check-cashing services. They relentlessly call the victim’s home, cell phone, and place of employment and try to pressure or threaten people into sending them money via MoneyGram or Western Union (because these are untraceable and irretrievable methods of transferring money.

    *   The payday loan company has really lent money to the client but he can’t pay it back on time due to the ridiculously high APR  – 500% or in some cases it can reach 1000%. People are being threatened with physical violence or jail if they don’t pay back on time.

Bad personal experience with payday loans

Take a look at the way people became scam victims:

“This company took my $3000.00. I was a desperate person looking for a loan after I got discharged from Bankruptcy and was suprised when this company called me and said I was approved for a loan. They did tell me I had to put up $2500.00 for insurance that would secure my loan. I was stupid enough to fall for it and now I am out $3000.00 and they are laughing at me. People out there do not have a heart and take people for their savings when they know the person is desperate.”

A lawyer shares a story of a scam victim he was trying to help that sounds both funny and sad as you see that some people don’t want to learn their life lessons:

“I tried to assist a lady from South Carolina who was victimized by a Toronto-based fraudster advertising in a local paper down there using the name “Wotson Whyat”. She was taken for $3,500 US that she gave as “security” for a $10,000 loan. When she called me, she wasn’t so concerned about getting back her $3,500 deposit, but she just wanted her $10,000 loan advanced to her. Unbelievable .These stories do not have happy endings.”

A possible solution offered:

“Hi I am a recent victim of the payday loan scams. I had 10 existing loans that were basically taking my paychecks away from me. I researched the net and found out there is a way out. I contacted legal-aid.org and talked to a lawyer about my situation. She informed me that you can close your account like I did and open a new one. I’m in NC and she told me that these loans are illegal here. The best advice that I can give is to contact legalaid.org there’s one in every state I believe and they can help you. Just contact legal aid and let them know about the high interest rates like I did and you too can be rid of these scams because she did a search for me and every loan I had was on the scam alert list. The best thing is that I don’t even have to pay these back but the law may be different in other states.”

How to avoid payday loan scams

Most importantly of all – make thorough efforts to find the money you need in other ways and avoid taking paydays loans but if you’ve decided to do it anyway, observe the following rules:

• Learn the specific laws in your state regarding payday loans. In many states they are illegal.

• Only use a registered company. Check with the Better Business Bureau, call your state Attorney General’s office or your state’s Department of Banking or Financial Regulation to see the company’s record. Type the name of the company into a search engine along with the word scam. The results may reveal a history you didn’t expect. Try to visit their office, if it is local.

• If the company wants a “security deposit” upfront, be sure it’s a scam as such practice is illegal.

• If they promise you a loan without checking your credit history or contacting your references, reject that offer.

• Check the terms and conditions before agreeing to them. Keep your eyes open for fees that are not disclosed clearly or hidden charges.

• Avoid lenders who ask you to wire money

• Check your bank, credit, and debit card statements regularly to make sure that there are no unauthorized transactions. If anything looks suspicious, contact your bank and all card issuers.

• Make sure that your browser is up-to-date and security patches have been applied

• Check the repayment process.

• Check the terms and conditions for extending the repayment time.

• Don’t ever give out personal information or agree to a loan over the phone or via the Internet (bank account information, SIN, date of birth).

What to do if you’ve already become a scam victim

• Don’t believe the caller that you’ll be arrested and put into jail. This has nothing to do with the laws in the US. Actually, collectors’ threatening or harassing behavior is not permitted according to Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

• Contact your local law enforcement as soon as possible.

• Notify your state Attorney General and the FBI if the company was from another state or country.

• Inform the Better Business Bureau so that they can alert other consumers about the trap.

• Notify your banking institutions.

• File a complaint at www.IC3.gov .
  

You may use USB Flash Drives to store and transfer your data. We have all had moments when we load a presentation or another important file to a flash drive and then when it comes to use it, we don’t have a slightest clue about where the little gadget is. Moreover, we cannot review our presentation before we enter into the conference room.  For this purposes we can use our  iPad or iPhone. But how can we transfer files to them? The procedure is absolutely infuriating. Let’s check it out:

iTunes

As an iDevice user probably you know that iTunes software offers different applications that help you manage the media content. The straightforward method of transferring files with iTunes is:

First, connect the iDevice to iTunes (you don’t need syncronization)

Click on your device, listed on the left side of iTunes, under the “Devices” header

Click the “Applications” tab on the top and scroll down, where you will see the “File Transfering” section with a list of applications.

Select an application you want to transfer the file to and click the “Add” button; then choose the file. There is a progress bar at the top of the iTunes window, which will show you when the transfer process is done.

The different applications offer multiple ways of for copying data and all come with instructions. Bear in mind that if you want to copy documents with iWork apps – Pages, Numbers and Keynote – just getting the document on your iPad or iPhone is not enough. You will also need to import them before you can view them. For example in Pages: tap the folder icon in the toolbar and you will see a list of available documents, then select a document and import it. If you update a file on your PC and you want to send it back to the iDevice, you must export the changed file back into iTunes, before you move it back to your PC. Tap “Documents” (or My Presentations, My Spreadsheets,etc.), open the document and tap the send icon. Then, tap “Export” and choose the relevant file format. Finally tap “Replace” and the app will export the file.  If this process is too awkward for frequent use, there are alternative ways for data copying.

GoodReader ($1) is one of the applications, which does not require the import/export procedure and displays many file types such as MS Office files and PDFs.

Cloud storage with Dropbox apps

Dropbox’s apps (  for free up to 2 GB storage) for iOS devices are very useful for keeping data in synchronization and for data transfer. Dropbox let us easily access any data stored on our iDevice in an iOS-fiendly format. Moreover, it offers us the option of opening our synced files in their compatible iPad/iPhone apps.

Once you install the application and set up an account, anything you place in the Dropbox folder gets automatically copied to the Dropbox servers, as well as to any other computers you have set up with Dropbox account. Whenever you make a change, it is reflected in your Dropbox account and in the folders on your computers. It may sound like the iDisk feature of Apple’s MobileMe service, but it is  faster, more secure and more reliable because:

-          files stored on the Dropbox servers are encrypted and are transferred using SSL.

-           the process of copying files is smarter:  it copies the parts of each file that have been changes and compresses all data for the trip;

-           better about handling sync conflicts—if the same document is modified on two computers at the same time, Dropbox keeps both copies, adding a “conflicted” message.

-          It is able to move folders;

On the iPad you can get files from Dropbox into an application, but you can’t send them back to Dropbox when you finish editing. The solution here is to use  DropDAV   in order to interact with our Dropbox files. With Dropbox-compatible apps such as  Elements (text editor), DocumentsToGo (full-fledged word processor),  DropVox (audio note app), etc. we can open and save documents directly to and from Dropbox.

iPhone Transfer/iPhone Magic for Mac

Another method for data transfer, easier than iTunes one is Xilisoft iPhone Transfer for iPhones (and iPhone Magic for iPad correspondingly), which makes your idrive a portable hard disk, by opening it with Finder. Once installed, it automatically finds all of the idevice-compatible files and presents them in lists. You can pick up which files to synchronize to your computer and then point iPhone Transfer to a destination folder. There is also an option to export your data to your  iTunes library, in case you want to use Apple’s software  to operate them or to transfer them to another mobile device. Xilisoft’s app also moves files for our PC to our iDevices by opening a Windows Explorer-like widow that lets us access the files we want to copy. It supports iOS 4.2, iOS 4.3 and iTunes 10 now and is capable of working well with many  iOS devices simultaneously.

E-mail transfer

To move data without connecting your iDevice to a PC, then you can use your email account. The advantage over the iTunes model is that emails include date-stamps, so you won’t be guessing whether you are working on the latest version of your document or not. You can organize your messages in folders with names so that  the mail app on your iPad or iPhone show them arranged under the same names.

Tips on how to transfer files from a PC/Mac through your iPhone/iPod for free:

Over WiFi:

 Via USB (in case you don’t have an Internet connection)

 DiskAid is a fast and reliable alternative to SSH without jailbreak and third party installers. It accesses iOS File System and exports all our files and folders and even complete file trees to our iPhone, iPad or iPod instantly, without hassle. We no longer need licenses or registration to file transfer. DiskAid 5 replaces TuneAid and includes an intuitive music and videos transfer wizard. With the additional application PicsAid our photo libraries get synced easily.

Read this if:

Gain: Saving frustration and money by not wasting between $2,500 and $15,000 (as of March 2011) on a product whose purchase you are very likely to regret later

People’s desire to achieve more with less is natural and 100% reasonable as we have many duties, goals and interests and want to distribute our resources of energy and time as efficiently as possible. Anotherway.org is devoted to discovering the optimal way to attain our aims. However, this human desire should observe the principle of reality. Otherwise it becomes a weakness which makes us vulnerable to the scams marketers create when exploiting this natural aptitude.

Imagine having flat abs without effort – no crunches, no cardio, just sitting in front of the TV with a belt around your waist. It sounds so tempting that a lot of people prefer to believe it and pay thousands of dollars rather than try to find enough information whether this really works or not. If you want to avoid paying not only the financial price but also the cost of disappointment and realization that you’ve been deceived, consider what these experts say before buying such products.

What the Federal Trade Commission has to say

FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris states that: “Unfortunately, there are no magic pills, potions, or pulsators for losing weight and getting into shape. The only winning combination is changing your diet and exercise.” The FTC filed three separate complaints against the following brands: Ab Energizer, Ab Tronic and Fast Abs for making false claims. These false claims included the following:

• The ab devices cause fat loss and inch
• The ab devices will give users well-defined abdominal muscles (e.g., “rock hard,” “six pack” or “washboard” abs)
• Use of the ab devices is equivalent to (and, for AbTronic and Fast Abs, superior to) conventional abdominal exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches.

Experts’ opinions and results from a study

Dr. Venu Akuthota of the Center for Spine and Sports at the Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago says that in order for any of these machines to produce real muscle growth these machines will need to send such powerful pulses that you will not be able to stand the pain they inflict on you.

Tommy Boone, professor and chairman of the department of exercise physiology at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn, says that these machines are more gimmick than anything else.

An 8 week research study was done by the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, led by Dr. John Porcari in which they investigated the real effect of Ab Belts. They didn’t find any significant results: no changes in weight, body-fat percentage, strength or overall appearance.

Users’ experience

These users’ opinions raise perfectly logical questions whose answers aren’t in favor of vibrating belts:

“The best rule of thumb: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If losing fat just took electro-massage sessions EVERYONE would be fit and this product would be in heavy demand.”

After 30 days of using Slendertone – absolutely no change in abs:

“People get conned by all kinds of health products because they want something that is easy and do not take the time to learn the science behind how the body processes food.”

“I was in a Shopping Mall today and went in for a free trial. I was told that my 6 minute session was the same as doing a 45 minute cardio and weight training session at a gym – and I didn’t even break a sweat. They forgot to mention that they also broke many of the laws of physics, thermodynamics and just plain common sense.  I’ll admit that I might have burned 2 or 3 extra calories per minute to stay balanced, but a pound of fat has 3,500 calories.  It would take over 20 hrs on the machine and that costs $25 for 10 minutes!

Why don’t professional athletes do this? They could stand on the machine for half an hour and have the same benefit of many hours of training?  The answer is simple, they know that gimmicks like this DO NOT WORK.”

A boy shares the reason why he wouldn’t have bought Flex belt if he could go back in time:

What about the issue of safety?

Most of these machines don’t get FDA approval because of their claims of inducing abdominal fat loss and because some of them may not be safe when set to a high intensity electric pulse. There are some ab belts that do have FDA clearance, such as the Slendertone Men’s System Abs Toning Belt. Bear in mind that FDA approval means that a product is considered safe but that doesn’t mean it works. If you still want to try such a machine despite its questionable efficiency, make sure that you choose a belt which is FDA cleared.

Why this user returned Contour Ab Belt and asked for a refund. Watch what he is experiencing while using it:

Beware that overuse (more than 15 minutes at a time) could damage your back and other muscles due to extreme muscle fatigue.

There are some specific cases in which vibration technology should be avoided. These include, but are not limited to, pregnancy, advanced heart disease, if you have a pacemaker, if you have just had surgery, if you have hip or knee implants, severe diabetes, epilepsy, severe migraines, or recently placed IUD’s, pins, or plates.

Finally for die hard fanatics, the FTC advises:

Always read the fine print. The advertised results may be based on more than just the use of the machine; they also may be based on restricting calories. The fine print may explain this. Even if it doesn’t, keep in mind that diet and exercise together are much more effective for achieving a healthy, toned body than either tactic is alone.

Be skeptical of testimonials or before-and-after pictures from “satisfied” customers. Their experiences may be deceptive or atypical: Just because one person had success with the equipment doesn’t mean you will, too. As for those popular celebrity endorsements, they, too, are no proof that the equipment will work as claimed.