5 Modern Reading Lights for Any Reader

Paul Marantz, a lighting professional at Jules Fisher & Paul Marantz Inc., said that the major problem with lights today is that lights are so personal. It is very vital to note that too much light[ing] is just as bad as blunt light[ing].

Dr. Faye said that when light shines from highly reflective surfaces, it’s fatiguing and especially inconvenient for older people with cataracts and eyes problems. Shaded lamps cut the flash and focus and modulate the light.

What to Look for in Reading Lights

• Brightness: This is the first reason you are getting a reading light, so you must ensure that it is going to stand up to the test. When the lights are low, you need to be able to see the pages on the book, no matter what the size of the letters are on the page. The brighter, the better (but not to the point that it will have a harmful effect on your eyes).
• Durability: The manufacturing of the light will make a great difference based on its longevity. You do not want to lose out on quality reading time because the light is bad.
• Flexibility: The light should be flexible; it should allow you to twist it to where you want it to point, and it should easily hold onto the pages.
• Battery life: The amount of time you get out of the light matters when you love reading. You want to be careful not spend too much money on batteries because they may not last that long. The longer the battery life, the better, as the less money you’ll be pulling out of your wallet.

LightingEVER LED Rechargeable Reading Light

LightingEVER LED Rechargeable Reading Light may be one of the best reading light options.

Gently clip the light to the book that you’re ready, and turn the pages under the little lamp provided. The LED lights are soft and will most likely not affect your eyes; it is bright enough so you’re not straining your eyes to see the front of the pages. This puts more enjoyment into reading in bed.

It is non-flickering and has a stable base so you can ensure that it is standing firm on the pages while you read. It is also portable, so even if you stay somewhere else besides home, you can still read in the dark without having difficulties. Charge it, and you are good to go.

LuminoLite Rechargeable Extra Bright LED Reading Light

Since it is made with LED light, you will enjoy enjoy a more natural light while reading even the finest of prints. The neck of the light is completely adjustable with the settings of brightness on the light.

One of the biggest advantages of this light is that you can recharge it anytime, so you’re not going to spend much money for batteries. The clip goes right on the book, or anywhere near you that you want the light to hit while reading. It is advisable that you have the right focus when using it.

The light is also portable, making it easier to bring to wherever you’re going to be going. All of the cords that you need for charging come with the light, so you do not have to worry about buying add-ons.

WITHit Rechargeable LED Book Light

You will be able to read in the dark like a superhero using the WITHit Rechargeable LED Book Light.

The light comes in four different colors and styles, so you can choose something that looks the best, but also works. It clips on easily to the book or to any other surface that you’re going to be reading next too. This gives you more options when it comes to reading in the dark by not having to hold a flashlight all night long.

It is entirely portable and completely rechargeable. One of the best things to take into consideration is the fact that you are not going to spend lots of money buying batteries to keep the light going.

Featured photo credit: Jez Timms via unsplash.com

The post 5 Modern Reading Lights for Any Reader appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2l58Y1J

How to Pick the Perfect Set of Swim Goggles

Ready to take the plunge into the sport of swimming? The benefits of the sport^[1] have been shown over and over again to be effective over other types of physical activity. It’s strength training, cardiovascular in nature, low impact, and can be done with a minimal amount of gear.

One of the things you do need, however, is a good pair of swim goggles.

Why You Should Always Wear Goggles When Swimming

There are two reasons that you should always be hitting the pool with a pair strapped to your head:

1. They will help you see under the water. This sounds obvious, perhaps silly, but goggles will help you see better under the water. This is important because for starters you need to be able to see where you are going, and secondly, it will help you better see and avoid other swimmers in your lane.

2. They protect your eyes. You know how from time-to-time you go to the pool and emerge with red, itchy eyes? For most of us (myself included), it was assumed that this was because of the chlorine getting into our eyes and irritating them. This is partially true. The reality, as it turns out, is far more disgusting.

As the CDC notes,^[2] when chlorine and things like sweat, pee, and uh, other human stuff, interact with chlorine it produces something called chloramine. This is what is causing your eyes to go crazy with redness. While a pair of goggles probably won’t ever remove the mental image I just gave you of what is actually happening in the water, it will help prevent the eye irritation.

How to Pick Out Swim Goggles

Okay, so now that you are sold on why you should always be wearing them when you go swim some laps, here are the key considerations when picking yourself out a pair:

The anti-fog doesn’t last.

No matter what the packaging says or what the clerk at the swim store tells you, the anti-fog on swim goggles^[3] always falter at some point. Two weeks of regular swimming is usually about all I’ve been able to get out of my goggles, and that is with having the discipline to not use my thumbs to wipe away errant beads of sweat and water from the inside of the lens. Don’t buy the hype, no goggle is truly anti-fog. What matters more is the color of the lens (which we will discuss next).

The tint of the lenses matter.

Dark and mirrored lenses look cool. There’s no disputing that. But with the darkness comes a serious pitfall—it compromises vision when swimming in older, indoor pools. This becomes especially apparent once the anti-fog starts to wear off. Having to wipe the inside of your darkened goggles at the end of each length because you can barely see the wall, the pace clock and other swimmers is no way to go through your workout.

Simply:

• Dark/mirrored lenses: For outdoor swimming, well-lit indoor pools.
• Clear to lightly tinted lenses: Indoor swimming.

Insure a good fit.

Springing a leak in your goggles is no fun. Half the point of your swim goggles is to keep water out of your eyes and to keep your vision unobstructed. When goggles don’t fit properly, whether because the straps are too loose, the nose-piece too wide or too narrow, or the lenses don’t “suction” against your face, water is going to get in there. You want to spend your workout swimming, not perpetually stopping to adjust and readjust your goggles.

For this reason, check the following when you are down at your local swim store:

Get goggles with an adjustable nose piece.

No two faces are built the same. Goggles that come with an adjustable nose piece allow you to not only customize them to your face, but it also means you can cheaply replace the nose piece instead of the whole set when it inevitably breaks.

Check the padding around the lens.

Next, check to see how the goggles feel on your face. Whether the goggles have some sort of padding around the lenses will go a long way in dictating how they feel. The Speedo Vanquisher strikes a great balance between form and function, and can be used by beginner and advanced swimmers. The rubber coating around the edges of the lenses sit comfortably against the eye socket. More experienced swimmers will lean towards the “Swedes” type of goggles, which have no padding on the lenses. Beginner swimmers would do well to avoid these when starting out—they will leave your upper cheeks and eyes ringing with soreness after any kind of extended time wearing them.

Happy swimming!

Featured photo credit: Flickr via flickr.com

Reference

[1]	^	Lifehack: Ten Benefits of Swimming You May Not Know About
[2]	^	CDC: Healthy Swimming/ Recreational Water
[3]	^	YourSwimBook: Swim Goggles: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

The post How to Pick the Perfect Set of Swim Goggles appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2lG7qsg

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Health Policy

Most employers don’t offer 100% free health insurance, which means that a portion of your income is going toward your healthcare plan every single month. If you’re in good health, you’re probably not using a majority of the health benefits you’re paying for. However, there still can be a lot of different benefits for you. All you have to do is a little bit of research to help you learn more about your plan. Here are five ways to make the most of your health coverage so that you feel like you’re getting something in return.

1. Find out what freebies are offered

Since you’re paying for your health insurance, nothing is truly “free,” but there are likely perks that you won’t have to pay extra for. Many preventative healthcare services, like screenings and tests, are available thanks to the Affordable Care Act. There are additional freebies for women and children as well. Be sure to ask about any freebies that your business may have to offer. You may never know about it if you never ask.

2. Ask for a price cut

If you have a plan with a high-deductible, you may be able to get a break when you visit your dentist or doctor. If you pay with cash, some offices will take a bit off the price; just make sure to let them know that you have a high-deductible plan. If they can’t reduce the price for you, ask if they’re able to put you on an installment payment plan.

3. Don’t over-spend on medications

When your doctor is prescribing you a medication, find out if there’s a generic (i.e. cheaper) version that you can take instead. If there is, hunt around for the pharmacy that offers the lowest prices on generic medications. This way you can still get the medication you need without spending too much. You may even want to ask your pharmacist about good medications for you that fit within your budget.

4. Add on a health savings account

Some health plans come with the option of adding a health savings account. This means that you can create a savings account with non-taxable money. You’ll earn interest on the money that remains in the account and the savings account total will roll over every year. Sometimes, employers even contribute a certain percentage of what you contribute to your health savings account. This is a great way to have money set aside, specifically for healthcare and medical bills. It is really nice to have some money set aside for things like this that doesn’t have to come directly out of your checking account.

5. Price-shop for the right hospital

If you have to have a procedure done, don’t assume that all hospital price tags are created equal. Compare hospital prices by calling them up, telling them what you have to get done and giving them the name of your insurance provider. There are even some online tools that let you compare prices from several hospitals depending on their health management programs and expertise. Taking the time to do some research can really help save you money in the long run. You may even want to take time to tour different hospitals to find your ideal place for medical care.

Whether you have a high-deductible insurance plan or you just want to make the most of your affordable health care plan, there are ways to maximize on its perks. Take advantage of what you’re paying for by figuring out freebies, asking for price cuts and saving on medications. Find reliable caretakers that can meet your health needs at a price range that fits your financial expenses.

Featured photo credit: Crew via unsplash.com

The post 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Health Policy appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2l5dNaY

13 Ways to Handle Grief After the Loss of a Loved One

Grief and loss are never easy to deal with. But by doing some or all of these simple steps, you will discover that life has a way of healing your pain. Living with and loving someone for many years, through the joys and difficulties, has already made you stronger than you realize.

1. Pray for Strength

Grief is one of the hardest things anyone can face in life. It is very painful and can take a long time to process. This is why you must rely on your faith to carry you through. Pray when you need help and strength. Trust that your prayers will be answered. God will give you the strength you need to face anything. All you have to do is ask for help and you will be helped.

Know that you are loved every minute of every day, and you are never alone. Whatever your religious beliefs are, now is the time for faith. Ask for help in dealing with your sorrow, and pray for the strength you need to endure.

 2. Cry When You Feel Like it

Pain is something that hits you on and off, no matter what you are doing. No one expects you to act like nothing has changed in your life. If you need to cry, just cry. It’s ok to let your feelings out, and it’s healthy to express your emotions. Understand that your sadness will lessen as time goes by and allow yourself the time and space you need to cry about what has happened.

3. Keep a Journal

Whatever you are feeling, it’s a good idea to write it down. Buy a nice journal and make it part of your day to spend time thinking and writing about what’s going on. It’s amazing how much it helps to express your thoughts, and then if you need to, you can read over what you have written.

It will help you to process your emotions and sort out what you want to do next. Try to think positive and surround yourself with positive thoughts and prayers that you like. Pin positive thoughts on the wall around the house.

4. Call or Write to Friends and Family

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to just talk to your friends and family. Make some phone calls or write to the people in your life that you are closest to.

Avoid being isolated from friends. You need to see them and they need to see you, to know that you are okay. Talking with your friends is a good way to talk about all the good memories you have made together, and that will make you feel better.

Find ways to do things for your friends and family, because that will make you feel good. Help someone else, and you automatically help yourself.

5. Remember to Stay Busy

One of the most important steps you can take is to just stay busy. Fill your days with activities. Do the things you enjoy. Find new things to do. Spend time doing the things that need to be done around the house. Organize your belongings. Clean out closets. Go through and sort out things that need to be sorted. This will give you a feeling of accomplishment, which will raise your spirits. Avoid spending time being inactive.

6. Set Simple Goals

Every day, or every week, you can make a list of some of the simple goals you want to do for that week. It can be anything at all. Ask yourself what you would like to do. Decide what is important for you to get done. You can even list things that might be easy, like doing some exercises, or planning your meals.

As long as you have goals, you will have things to look forward to. Life goes on, and this way you will feel like you can do what needs to be done to take care of yourself.

7. Go Somewhere New

Think of somewhere you would like to go. Getting out of the house is a great way to help you change your focus. Think of places you want to see and make some plans to go somewhere you have never been, but always wanted to go. Take a trip, when you are ready, because traveling lets you explore new places and experience new things and feelings.

8. Live in The Moment

It is very important not to let yourself get stuck in your past memories. The past is over and gone. The only thing real is right now, this moment, and what you are doing.

Let yourself experience the moment. Slow down. Stop to experience the beauty of your surroundings. Find something to appreciate, whether it’s listening to your favorite music, watching the birds, playing with your pets, or watching water flowing over a fountain. Things like watching the flames in a fireplace, or enjoying beautiful scenery, are great ways to live in the moment.

Get outside and breathe the fresh air. Go for walks in some of your favorite locations and you will learn to live in the moment and appreciate the beauty of life. The simple things in life are some of the most beautiful and the most soothing to your soul.

9. Be Good to Yourself

This is one of the most important things you can do. Just be good to yourself. Find simple ways to appreciate who you are and love who you are.

This can be as simple as shopping for a new pair of shoes, or going out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Reward yourself, because you deserve it. Love yourself because you are loved. Be good to yourself in even the smallest of ways, and it will help ease your sorrow, and help you learn to live without the person who has passed away.

You took care of them, and now it’s time for you to take care of you. Grief comes from trauma, so you need therapy, and being good to yourself is good therapy.

10. Start a Creative Project

Find something creative that you like to do. Start a new hobby, or take up an old hobby that you enjoy. Do something that requires your attention to be focused.

This doesn’t have to be something complicated or hard. In fact, the simpler it is, the better it is. Just do something to stay busy. Make something, bake something, or create something fun. Art is great therapy. Choose something you like and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Being creative is an excellent way to stimulate the feel good hormones in your brain. Plus, you will have something to show for your efforts when it is finished.

11. Learn Something New

When you feel ready, you can take another step that will help you tremendously: learning something new. This can be anything you want to learn. Whether it is learning to play a musical instrument like the piano or guitar, or taking a class of some sort, or learning a new computer program. Whatever you do, it will benefit you in more ways than you can know.

When you get into learning mode, it allows you to focus your energy away from your pain and onto something else. Don’t make it something hard. Just make it something you really want to learn. Then your desire and your ability will help you get the positive motivation you need to accomplish your goal. All you have to do is decide what your goal is and get started.

12. Treasure Your Memories

Take the time you need to treasure your memories. For instance, you can organize all your photos of all the time spent with your loved one. This will help you feel good about everything in general. Plus, it can be enjoyable too review photos.

But, do this only when you are ready to do it. If you do it too soon, it will be too painful, so wait until you are really ready to see the photos. Treasuring your memories will help you feel grateful for all the good times you spent with your loved one. Gratitude is a very beneficial attitude.

13. Spend Time With Loved Ones

Getting out and doing things with your family and friends is a very important way to deal with grief. Understand that everyone who loves you is willing and ready to help you get on with your life.

This will take time, of course, but just making the effort to spend time with others will keep you active, and help you face any emotions you need to express. Reach out to everyone around you, because you need those connections.

You are loved and needed by your friends and family. This never changes, and the good feelings that come from spending time with those you love are the most wonderful feelings in life.

Everything you do from now on needs to be focused on taking care of yourself and learning to move on with your life. Remember to pray for strength, cry when you need to, keep a journal, call or write friends, stay busy, set simple goals, go somewhere new, live in the moment, be good to yourself, be creative, learn something new, treasure your memories, and spend time with those you love. These simple steps will help you deal with your loss and move ahead with your life in positive and constructive ways.

Featured photo credit: Photo by Karen Bresnahan via facebook.com

The post 13 Ways to Handle Grief After the Loss of a Loved One appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2lG9Nvk

The Problem With Wanting Life To Be Easy

This isn’t intended to be a post in support of drudgery or making life difficult for yourself. I’m all for doing things in the most straightforward and simplest way, however, believing that life should be inherently easy and straightforward is often a fast pass to dissatisfaction, anger and depression.

Sometimes things will come easily to you and it’s important to enjoy the parts of your life that seem to slot into place. However, when people assume that things should come easily and believe at some level that the core aspects of life such as relationships and work should generally be plain sailing, it often leads to feeling cheated. Also, it can feel as if there’s something wrong with you if you find certain parts of life challenging whilst other people seem to sail through; finding things difficult can somehow become a fault or character defect.

Understandably this often leads to people giving up or can contribute to a perpetual sense of failure. Relationships end because they feel ‘too difficult’, careers are cut short when it gets too hard, family rifts that could be resolved go unmended and challenging opportunities aren’t taken.

So, where does this belief that life should run smoothly come from?

One reason that we sometimes feel that life should be easy is that we compare ourselves to other people and tend to compare our insides to other people’s outsides.^[1] If other people seem to find things easy we assume that we should too.

As with most beliefs in adulthood, they often stem from our childhood experiences. Having a sheltered childhood that involved a lack of exposure to difficulty and challenge often means that when we face any level of adversity in adulthood it feels unfamiliar and intolerable. On the other hand, having a childhood of emotional or practical hardship can leave us exhausted and can create a sense of wanting to make it to the metaphorical finish line; we often survive difficult childhoods using the hope that one day it’ll get easier. As we come up against roadblocks in adulthood it can be easy to slip into wondering ‘am I there yet’ as if you’re waiting to enter the hardship free zone of life. Of course, life isn’t all bad, and over time with the right combination of focus as well as hard work and luck, you will hopefully experience life as being easier than it has felt in the past. However, even if life improves it is rarely easy….unless we choose to stagnate and stop growing.

So, this offers some idea as to why it’s common to feel that life should be easy but more important is to consider the consequences of continuing to believe this. Here are some of the problems that believing that life should be easy might create for you…

It creates pressure on certain areas of your life. 

It can be common to acknowledge and accept that certain areas of our life require concentrated effort. However, all too often a double standard is applied to other areas and we expect them to be plain sailing. For instance, you might accept that in order to thrive physically you need to consistently make an effort to eat well and exercise, yet you might simultaneously feel that ‘relationships shouldn’t be hard’. You might acknowledge that effort and hard work is required for success in your career, but also feel that friendships should be automatically maintained over the years with ease and without effort.

This in-balance often places pressure on the areas of your life that are meant to be easy… If you focus on working hard at your career but think that relationships should be easy you’re likely to have a very low tolerance when you find yourself in a relationship that looks like it requires some hard work. Relationships are likely therefore to become more and more frustrating and feel harder as time goes on because your tolerance for hard work in that area won’t have developed. Try to recognise that all areas of your life will need attention for it to thrive and be maintained and all areas have the potential to be hard work. Use and apply the skills of resilience and perseverance that you can apply to certain areas of your life across the board.

The ‘should’ becomes the problem.

Telling yourself how things ‘should’ be is one of the quickest routes to distress. Believing that relationships, outcomes, feelings, people, careers and events should be a certain way is one of the reasons why it becomes a road block when you find something challenging.

So often I work with people who are stuck; perhaps depressed or frustrated with people who have disappointed them, careers that haven’t worked out, goals that haven’t materialized. Invariably, however, the issue becomes less about the events themselves and more about their belief that things ‘shouldn’t’ be that way. That people shouldn’t disappoint them. That a successful career should come naturally. That they should have achieved their goals.

Having the mindset that things should and shouldn’t be a certain way becomes the problem. The original issue often has a minor impact in comparison to the mindset which inflames and elongates the problem.

If you believe that things should generally be easy, the problem isn’t likely to be the difficult project at work or the relationship that is demanding your attention and effort – the problem is the layer of ‘should’ that you put on top. By changing the ‘should’ mindset you can lessen the impact when something is more challenging than you thought it should (or would) be.

When we aim for an easy life we stop growing.

When we try to eliminate challenge from our life and aim to create and live an easy life we naturally start to lose focus on areas of our life that need deliberate and specific attention in order to. Most aspects of life generally require on-going effort to grow and be maintained. Aiming for ease and therefore avoiding challenges will mean that you can’t make progress, and in fact often can’t maintain what you have. Maintenance is vital in all areas of life—from careers to financial stability, and from relationships to fitness. Aiming for an easy life is likely to end in hardship as you risk losing what you currently have.

It’s often said that ‘nothing grows inside your comfort zone,’ and of all of the motivational quotes you might come across this one certainly is true! The belief that life should be easy directly flies in the face of the barriers you will need to overcome if you want to grow – whether it’s in your emotionally, professionally, physically, financially or any other area of your life.  Being comfortable with being uncomfortable and running towards challenges instead of away is the only way to keep growing.

Overall, it’s natural to want things to go well, but ‘going well’ doesn’t have to mean that it comes easily. And remember, being prepared for challenges doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy yourself. Problems are an inherent part of life and there’s no reason why any of it ought to come easily.

There’s no glory in making things hard for yourself, but there’s danger in hoping for everything to be easy.

Featured photo credit: Denys Nevozhai via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]

^

The Skool Of Life: Don’t Compare Your Insides to Somebody Else’s Outsides

The post The Problem With Wanting Life To Be Easy appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2l523VY

9 Handy And Helpful Micro-Tools Everyone Should Have

Every conventional handy-person has to be geared up with the best micro-tools. And with your trusty tools put in place, owning a readily accessible range of nuts, bolts, hammers, measuring tape, and multipurpose tools can make any chore or home repair circumstance a lot easier to handle.

Most people know or have a handy friend. If repairing objects simply does not come naturally to you, it’s okay; I’ve provided a list of fasteners and tools it is necessary to have on standby all the time.

Fasteners and fixings come in different sizes and materials. Here are some of the more familiar micro-tools you ought to have available.

1. Screws

Screws are a simple substitute for nails for plenty of home repair. They are simpler to put in place and also remove, are not as likely to bend, and provide a stronger hold. Be certain that the screws you buy fit the screwdrivers or drills that you have available.

2. Nails

There are a number of various nails. Most can be used for very simple woodworking, while some enable you to mount insulating boards, fix roofing, repair shingles, or install floor boards.

3. Bolts & Nuts

Based on the type of bolt, these are used on things that require further sturdiness. Nuts usually are used with a bolt or screw to lock them down against materials and provide further hold.

4. Dime Micro-Tool

This should be the most helpful tool on the list. According to a user’s review, the Gerber dime micro-tool doesn’t only come handy, it is 100% helpful and efficient. It is a must-have on the list – your first pick for every option and a perfect keychain for daily use. Gerber is the one you turn to when in need of a sharp knife. It’s easy to carry around, and does all the basics. It’s small and not so heavy, made out of solid stainless steel.

5. Hammer

Believe me when I claim you will have to use a hammer at some stage in your life. It may be to nail up photos or picture frames, pry up old or used nails, or even to strike your broken gutters away from the garage area. A dependable hammer is necessary because will be used eventually.

6. Pliers

Pliers also come in all types of varying sizes and shapes. Some are used to cut wires, while others are used to get a grip on something that your hands or fingers just can’t grip. While it is good to have just a normal pair of pliers in the house, you may want to consider having a few pairs that are made to do different tasks.

7. Wrench

If you were to get just one wrench for your home, it should be the one and only adjustable wrench. This will allow you to loosen and tighten most nuts that are fastened to bolts. If you have car problems, an adjustable wrench is a handy tool to have. You may also need this to install new items in your home, like a new table or chairs.

8. Measuring Tape

This should go without saying, as you probably already have this in your household, but it must be included on my list. Among other reasons, you can use a measuring tape to center pictures, measure distances for new furniture, or use it to make sure you have room to fit things through doorways and openings.

9. Cordless Drill

This one covers a gambit of tools because you can insert different bits to be used for different tasks. A battery-operated cordless drill can be used to pre-drill holes, screw and unscrew screws, and it will make assembling items much easier. A cordless drill will help you reach those hard to reach screws and make the job much easier since you can be in an area that isn’t near an outlet. Find one that gives you a long battery life, and one that has a bunch of different bits like the Phillips, flathead, auger, and bore.

Featured photo credit: Brian Lynch via flickr.com

The post 9 Handy And Helpful Micro-Tools Everyone Should Have appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2lG7Qiy

Apps to Save Time and Increase Sales for Retailers

With so many retail apps out on the market, it’s hard to decide which one(s) to pick. Luckily this quick guide can help. Check out the latest retail apps to better streamline your business, saving you time, and increasing your sales:

POS Systems

We’ve been told that POS (Point Of Sale) apps are the future of retail.^[1] There is a number of apps claiming they are for point of sale systems, but all are not created equal. And truth be told, the software you select will depend on your operating system and personal style.

Among the top picks are:

Vend

Cloud-based, Vend is available for iPads, Macs and PCs, and is a simple system that allows retailers to operate anywhere using varied printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners. The software features inventory management, reporting and analytics, customer loyalty tools and sales insights.

Revel

Revel is designed specifically for iPads and offers a cloud-based full point of sale system for retailers of all types, from bakeries to bookshops. It features inventory management, multiple user capability, customer relationship management and detailed analytics.

 ShopKeep

Featuring sales management, staff tracking, inventory reporting and customer information, ShopKeep is also cloud-based software designed to manage retail stores either remotely or in-house. ShopKeep is available across Apple, Windows and Linux platforms, and offers retailers features such as a portable register via iPad, and alerts when stock items run low.

PayPal Here

Blurring the lines between point of sale and payment processing is PayPal and their POS app Paypal Here. Available for iPhones, Smartphones, iPads and Android tablets, PayPal Here is free to download, charging per transaction instead. It allows retailers to accept payments via credit card, debit card and check using either swipe or chip card reader hardware. Meanwhile, the app boasts a series of features including inventory management, multiple user capability, and sales reporting.

Square POS

Square is also a crossover between POS app and payment processor. It allows retailers to take payments using a swipe card reader that accepts chip and pin payments from credit and debit cards, or via a contactless card reader that handles contactless payments including Apple and Android Pay. Like PayPal Here, the app is free to download and fees are incurred per transaction. It features inventory management, sales data, staff handling, and receipts.

Shopify POS

Shopify started out in the online realm but soon made headway into brick and mortar stores courtesy of Shopify POS. Available for iPads, iPhones and Androids, it handles inventory, orders and sales history in real time while providing detailed analytics, and also accepts payments.

Accounting

So you’ve picked a POS app, set up your iPad, secure tablet enclosure and all…now it’s about the dollar at the end of the day, which is why accounting software is the next important app to tick off on the download list.

There are a plethora of software companies and apps devoted to accounting including the big names like QuickBooks Online and MYOB On The Go, but cloud-based app, Xero is also a great alternative. Many of these heavyweights allow for easy integration with your POS app, so read the fine print to see who’s compatible with whom.

Staffing

Sick of drawing up schedules, crossing out names and engaging in the weekly battle of who can do what shift at what rate and when? Well, this is where apps like Deputy are here to help. Available for Android devices, iPads and even the Apple Watch, Deputy enables managers to create staff schedules and share them with their workforce via text, email or the web. Staff, using the system, can check their roster, request leave, indicate unavailability and even swap shifts, while another feature lets staff know when there is a shift open for work. It can also record shift starts and finishes, and track breaks.

Marketing

Every business requires marketing of some sort whether it’s a web presence, social media or Facebook page. The sector is catered with a host of apps including standouts like WordPress for website creation, but a great app for e-marketing is undoubtedly Mailchimp. This is a web-based app that doesn’t require downloading software and is dedicated to email marketing campaigns by assisting users to send bulk emails to clients, customers and interested parties.

The Final Word

Finding the right app to suit your retail business is no small undertaking, as the market is filled with different tools to make running a shopfront simpler. Using these apps can certainly improve your retail business, and these trends are changing retail for the better!^[2]

Featured photo credit: Rami Al-Zayat via unsplash.com

Reference

[1]	^	Forbes: Are iPad POS Systems The Future For Retailers?
[2]	^	iLock: Treads That Changed Retail In 2016

The post Apps to Save Time and Increase Sales for Retailers appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2lFY8wp

Streaming or Downloading: Which Is the Best Use of Your Mobile Data?

When it comes to enjoying audio or video on your mobile device, you may be presented with an option regarding how to proceed: stream it or download it. But choosing an option may not be as obvious as it appears, depending on how you intend to use the content and when.

To help you make the decision about spending your mobile data on streaming or downloading, here are some important points to consider.

Downloading and Streaming Are Functionally the Same

Both streaming and downloading involve a file being sent to the device. The key difference is that a streaming file is simply played as it becomes available, while a download is stored onto memory. Both processes involve the act of downloading, but only one leaves you with a copy left on your device that you can access at any time without having to receive (or download) the data again.

If you access a downloaded file later, you do not have to use more mobile data to play it. However, if you choose to stream a file again, you will have to download the information again (and again every time you choose to access it).

The Amount of Data Transferred is (Typically) Equal

Another thing you need to understand is that the size of the file itself is often the same regardless of whether you stream it or download it, as long as it is offered with the same level of quality for both selections. For example, if an MP3 of a song is 3.5 MB, that fact doesn’t change whether you download it or stream it.

However, certain options may differ depending on available quality. If you have the option of streaming a video at 480p but can download it at 720p, the 720p file will be larger than the 480p counterpart. This means it takes more data to download the 720p file than stream the 480p version.

Additionally, some streaming services, like Netflix, offer the ability to adjust data usage settings, allowing you to choose a lower resolution option to save data.

Intended Use of the File

Since many of the factors are similar, whether you choose to stream or download a file needs to be based on how you want to use the file.

If there is a particular song you love, and you can imagine listing to it every day, then downloading the file is the better option. By choosing to download the MP3 to your device’s memory using a music downloader, you use data during the initial download. Then, if you want to listen to it, you can simply access it from your device’s memory. You only use the data once, and you can replay the song indefinitely.

This approach is also necessary if you want to access the file at a time when you don’t have a connection to the internet, since you can’t stream music or videos without an active connection.

However, if you aren’t interested in using a file more than once, you might want to stream instead. Unlike downloading, streaming doesn’t place the file in your device’s memory. That means you can enjoy the song or video and won’t lose any storage capacity. This is especially ideal if you are in an area with a strong signal and want to access the information immediately.

Stopping, Starting, and Choosing Not to Finish

It is important to point out when you stream a file and can’t finish it, you may not be able to start the audio or video from the exact spot in which you left off. Some systems are pretty good at letting you restart the playback from where it was paused, but others will automatically start over. In those cases, you may have to download certain sections of the file a second time, raising the total amount of data used.

In contrast, if you start an audio or video file and decide you don’t want to finish it, streaming results in less data use. Downloading requires the file be retrieved and stored in entirety before you can enjoy it, while streaming allows it to play without the entire file being loaded. So, walking away in the middle of a streaming file saves you the amount of data that you don’t listen to, while a downloaded file does not.

Watching Your Data

While this may seem like a lot of analysis for choosing between streaming or downloading a file, if you are using a device with a limited data plan, these can be important considerations. So, review the file size and consider how you intend to use the file. Then you can make a choice based on what is best for you.

Featured photo credit: https://pixabay.com via pixabay.com

The post Streaming or Downloading: Which Is the Best Use of Your Mobile Data? appeared first on Lifehack.

from Lifehack http://ift.tt/2lFZJCu