Web Designers: Macbook Pro or Macbook Air

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If you are a designer looking for a new Mac book which is best for you? MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air  is a big debate online. But for me its a simple decision.

As web designer – what is important for you in a laptop?

In terms of operating system you’ve obviously already decided that a Mac is the best option for you. I can understand that – as most designers use Adobe software, most of which is optimized to run under MacOS.

If your new Mac is going to be your main work computer, then, particularly if you are working with video or photos, you probably need the Pro’s faster processor.

However, most designers will have more than one computer, if your main work horse is a Mac then it makes sense to stay with a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro for your portable machine.

But of the two which is the best range: Macbook Pro or Macbook Air? What are you going to use the laptop for? I suspect for many web designers it will be presenting to potential or current clients. In that case you need a combination of a light, and easy to carry computer, and a computer that will show off your designs to best effect.

That’s tricky because a larger screen is better for showing off design, but that obviously makes the machine heavier and larger to carry.

If your clients are sophisticated companies that have their own conference facilities then you can probably go for a compact and light 11″ Macbook Air or 13″ Macbook Pro (if you need an optical drive) or Air (if money is no object). Plug our MBP or Air into the client’s projection system and you are good to go.

If however you are pitching to small businesses you may have to get a larger MacBook Pro – say the 17″ and live with the weight! That’s because small businesses, particularly if they are more trades orientated, may not have a projector! At a pinch a large external monitor will do – but it can be a pain – particularly if the company has one of those old dinosaur CRT monitors!

Whichever you buy – the Macbook Pro and Air ranges are very nice machines which suit your graphic design requirements to a T. Choosing the right one though is very much up to you individual circumstances: what you need the machine for, what your budget is, and which other computers you already own!

Website Design And Why Simplicity Trumps

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When you are surfing on a website, what in your opinion is the number 1 turn-off? Well, to me it’s pop-ups. No matter where you scroll to or where you click on, these little annoying screen clutters are just everywhere. And you would think that by now web designers would know better and start to ease down a little on flashy ads and buggy links. Unfortunately, the vast major doesn’t which makes me think that their strategy must still work. The writer of this article about the PacSun website seems to agree with me.

On the other hand, there seems to be a trend that follows the exact opposite approach: More content and structure, but less ads and “buy-me-now” links. One of my favorite examples that exemplifies this new trend is the Tory Burch Outlet. There are no advertisements, just plain – but informative – product descriptions. In addition to that, you can find your way around easily via the well structured navigation bar. Now if Tory Burch, a famous clothing designer with billions of revenue year after year can do it, why can’t others follow her lead?

I would much rather shop on a site that allows me to find the product I am looking for within a few clicks, rather that clicking on the little “x” in the upper right hand corner of a pop-up all the time.

Why Electricity is Way Cooler Than Fire

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Here is a little break from design work to have some fun. I hope you like the experiments ElectricianOklahoma.org found.

Before the introduction of electricity, our ancestors primarily relied on fire for heat, and while fire still is one of the more versatile elements there is, electricity can be way cooler.

In order to prove our point, and partly just for fun, we have scoured YouTube for wild electric experiments that can make you see the light and believe in the power of electricity. A word of caution, though, this experiment is not for kids or the faint of heart, and you should absolutely never try this stuff yourself. Enjoy the show and don’t get fried.

1.    The Power of Speakers

Technically speaking, speakers are perhaps one of the least dangerous electrical devices at home, and as far as we know, they haven’t killed anyone yet. So, why not add a little danger by taking the volume of your speakers to a whole new level? How? Well, the curious minds of enterprising peeps on YouTube have done just that.

What They Used:

PVC Pipe

MP3 Player

Soldering Skills

Watch it here -

http://youtu.be/cEeWtBAE5LY

How Did They Do That?

What these dim-witted yet somehow genius electric freaks did was use the electric signal a speaker typically converts into sound to create an arc of electricity that then moves the air molecules. The amazing effect is awesome sound mixed with a little light show (that you definitely don’t want to touch).

2.    Pickle Lamp, Anyone?

Have you ever thought of making a lamp out of a pickle? Neaither have we, but believe it or not some folks have, and even more surprising is the fact that they were able to bring this idea to life.

What They Used:

Pickle

Electrical Wire

Power Source

Stick

Frame

Watch it here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMhXCG6k6oA

How Did They Do That?

The procedure is simple enough: instead of a bulb, use the pickle and set it on top of a frame. Plug it in, and lo and behold, it glows! The explanation is also simple; as the sodium in the pickle is used to complete the current. The ends of the pickle are quickly dried up due to the electric current, but the result is a pretty incredible glow while it lasts.

3.    Stealing Thunder

Besides cooking your favorite popcorn, your microwave oven doesn’t do a whole lot. But did you know that it can also create its own thunder? Of course, you can’t eat it, but it will surely be fun to watch.

What They Used:

Plasma Ball

Microwave Oven

Watch it here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s1ZVRtDkrE

How Did They Do That?

It’s actually quite simple, just put the plasma ball inside your oven, turn it and wait for your own lighting show to appear. The plasma ball begins to fill with electricity, which is then discharged. And when you that happens, all hell breaks loose and you come up with intense levels of electricity that can rival a thunderstorm.

4.    Blow Things Up

While electricity has been known to fry a few things, its power to blow things up has not been clearly established…until now.

What They Used:

Capacitor

Electric Wires

Potatoes or Apples

Watch it here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqgxQG1PyfM

How Did They Do That?

Simply hook the wires to the capacitor and stick them into your potato or apple. When adequate electric current has been pumped into it’s moist insides, resistance ensues, resulting in one of the most powerful potato mashers ever.

If you are not convinced of the awesomeness of electricity at this point, then there is just no help for you. Just remember to leave the dumb experiments to the pros, and make sure you hire a professional when it comes to real electrical work.

Obviously, the boys at Electrician Oklahoma like to have a little fun, but their main purpose is to connect homeowners with the best Oklahoma City electricians, so they get great service and professional installation and

repairs.

Buying An Electronic Cigarette On The Internet

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When looking to buy electronic cigarettes there are plenty of things to take into consideration but the most important is probably how much money you want to spend on this tobacco replacement. As with most other things in this life, you pretty much get what you pay for when you buy one of these devices so the more cash you can spare the happier you will be with your purchase over the long term.

Prices start at about $50 for an electronic cigarette which will function acceptable and give you the nicotine fix you are looking for. There are quite a few products in this price range such as Breathe Fresh and Apollo. I always advice those who can to spend just a little bit extra and opt for the Safecig micro e cigarette which can be yours for the bargain price of $60

The most you can spend at the moment is around $250 which will get you a kit from White Cloud who are the top of the range manufacturers of a great tasting e cig.

The mid range of the market is where you will spend anywhere from $70 to $110 for a starter kit and this is where most of the big brands live. All of the products in this price range offer an excellent customer experience and you are not going to be disappointed with any of them.

I especially recommend the Green Smoke which comes in at about $100 for a 2 battery kit. this company offers the best vapor production of any brand on the market, and they have some great tasting carts in their Flavormax range.

Which ever e cigarette you decide to buy you will probably be quite happy with it thanks to the fact that standards have risen dramatically over the past couple of years. Just make sure you buy from one of the better known brands and you really can’t go too far wrong.

Using The Internet To Find a 1000 Loan For Bad Credit

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If you are looking for a bad credit 1000 loan, then you don’t even need to get off your couch to find it (assuming you own a laptop).  I recently did some work for a company that offers what they call a loan matching service, with the main goal to provide their customers with the cash they need, as soon as they need it, without having to leave their own homes.

I kind of thought this was a unique concept, and had a fun time developing their website (or at least consulting on part of it, they are still working on the other part).  I also learned a few things about payday loans that I didn’t know before.  I learned the following:

  1. The costs are very high (I already knew that), but they actually aren’t as high as some other short-term funding situations.  Late fees of credit cards, utility bills, and bounced checks all cost more on an absolute dollar amount.  The difference is that banks aren’t required to put those costs in terms of APR (something that drove my client nuts).  
  2. Anyone can qualify, even if they have very bad credit.  Yes, you will need to show proof of income, have a checking account, and be able to pay the loan back, but the lender won’t care if you have a very bad credit score – kind of nice for a lot of folks these days.

As you can tell, my eyes were opened up a little bit through this project, although I still wouldn’t recommend this type of financing unless you really are in a bind financially.  If you want to learn more about payday loans, you can go to immediatecashloans.org.

Use the Computer to Find Work At Home Jobs

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Just 20 years ago, finding a job was a hassle. Having to print out dozens of resumes and cover letters, putting them into envelopes and mailing them out to potential employers was quite inefficient. Fortunately, we live in the computer/internet age where with one button, we can send our resume to dozens of companies. Along the lines of finding work, you can use the internet to look for work at home jobs as well. Many stay at home moms want to generate some extra income in their free time and since their responsibilities at home won’t allow them the time for a full-time job, working from home is the next best thing.

There are several good sites that can match you up with potential employers such as Odesk.com and Elance.com. You need to be aware that there are many sites out there that should be avoided. Don’t fall for those sites that claim you can make tons of money. They show pictures of some middle aged, stay at home mom and claims that she makes $245.32 a day or something. Funny how they actually go down to the cents. Anyway, these are almost always scams that require you to pay some sort of fee for training materials and what not. Go with the legit sites such as the ones mentioned above.

Get The Kids Off The Computer

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A lot of our children are now spending a crazy amount of time on their computers. It seems they want to spend their life playing games and surfing the web.

There is a way to get them playing away from the computer screen though and this is by getting them some cool toys to play with. The Xia Xia pets here are a great way to get them using their imaginations and playing with their friends in a much better way. It is not virtual play it is real play where they can interact.

The xia xia hermit crabs are simply a great way to encourage children to play in a way that stimulates them. With all the different options and the playsets they will be amused for hours and off the computer that they used to spend so much time on. We can choose from 4 different options and we can choose from a number of different shells as well. It means that they can change how they look and it means that they can also swap shells with their friends when they want a change as well.

And with them currently being so cheap to buy now is the perfect time to get them and buy something really rather exciting for the kids this year.

 

Mom Figurines

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I treasure every moment I spend with my mother. A few years ago she tried to “resign” as my mom! She decided that I was old enough (in my 50′s) that we should be just friends. I told her that no way did she get to do that. I could always find a new friend. But I only had one mother – ever!

So now it’s become a joke – the day she tried to resign – and every chance I get, I give her a gift that has Mother or Mom on it. Sometimes the gifts are humorous and sometimes they can get quite sentimental. Other times I just love giving her beautiful and artiful gifts. Lladro figurines are definitely in that category. They are sentimental, but never sweet. They have long graceful lines and soft muted colors. And they have lots of Mother themed figurines.

If you’re looking for a new mother gift, there are many Lladro mother figurines that show a mom with a baby and with older children. My favorite one is Lladro 18115 called I Love You Mom. It shows a child of 5 or 6 years hugging her monther around her waist. The mother’s hair is blowing in the wind. Just like so many children run to hug their monther as they get off of the bus.