Smart Technology Hacks For A Smarter You!

Now days, digital world is full of life hacks or technology hacks. But, are you one of them who are wondering, what the heck is a hack? Hacks are basically smart tricks or game changing ideas which makes your life easier.

If, you want to know how to keep your phone cables from getting tangled or to fix your broken your keyboard, there is a hack for it. We have compiled some of the brilliant technology hacks, which you can use in everyday life and feel ‘Like a Boss’.

1.  Extend battery life of your phone.

Do try this hack when your phone is running out of battery!

2. Dropped your phone in bathroom?

Placing your phone in rice to remove moisture from your phone is an old trick. Try this new one and share with others.

3. Annoyed with the tak-tak sound of broken leg of your keyboard? Fix it.

4. Make your laptop more efficient with this easy trick.

5. Keep your phones in zip pouches and connect it with Bluetooth headset.

Use the above trick only when urgent.  Follow traffic rules & be safe.

6. Never throw those unused Velcro!

One of the no common sense tech hacks that makes your life easier.

7. A tiny spring can make your life easier.

Save your phones and chargers with a tiny spring & voila, you are sorted.

Hope these were useful. If you know other hacks, do share with us.

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5 Ways You Can Make Every Day an Environment Day

Planning to contribute for the upcoming Environment Day?

Err… Wait. Let us ask you a question, why this environment day only? Why not every environment day or how about making everyday an environment day?

World Environment Day is celebrated on 5th June every year to raise global awareness to protect environment and save planet earth.

But we think, every day is environment day. Here we are listing down some ideas which you can adopt in your life routine and make possible everyday an Environment Day.

A) Embrace  Five R’s to Go Green:

1. Always think twice before making any purchase decision. Reduce the use of hazardous substances, a threat to environment.
2. Consider to Reuse, Recycle, Re-purpose and Repair before disposing out waste from your home.

B)      Choose a smart alternative:

1. Replace your plastic or metallic packaging materials with recycled paper packaging. Say no to plastics.
2. Opt for refurbished /post-user/recycled electronics and gadgets; they are as good as new.

C)       Plant more trees:

1. Always wanted to do a good deed? Plant a tree! Make it a lifestyle and pass this habit to your upcoming generation too.

D)      Conserve Natural Resources:

1. Use energy efficient appliances to save electricity.
2. Try carpooling or shared taxi ride to save fuel. Travelling will be fun with chatting   and riding with co-commuters.
3. Keep a check on your water faucets and assure they don’t leak.

E)      Consume locally produced, fresh & organic food:

1. Food travels thousands of miles, before it reaches your plate resulting in consuming more fuel and polluting air particles in mid way. Also, pesticides and insecticides used in producing that food not only affect ecology but also your health.

Do remember, change begins at home. Dream green, act green and live green! Join GreenDust in making everyday an environment day and make this world a safe place to live.

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Why buy refurbished?

You know it’s supposed to mean more bang for your buck, but for some, the term “refurbished” stirs up more questions than confidence: “Am I buying someone’s hand-me-down computer with a few new parts thrown in?” “Will the software on my remanufactured desktop be out-of-date?” “Are the ink cartridges of a refurbished printer less than full?”

Fortunately, these and other common questions about remanufactured products are easily answered, allowing you to make the smartest buy for your technology needs. In this article, we’ll discuss what refurbished products really are, where they come from, how to buy them, and why refurbished is sometimes the best choice.

What is “refurbished”?

At HP, a refurbished solution is offered on just about all product lines: printers, notebooks, desktops, servers, and more. They are products that have been returned to HP for a variety of reasons and then put through a rigorous re-manufacturing process.

Where do refurbished products come from?

HP refurbished business products can originate from a variety of sources, including:

– Customer returns and cancelled orders – Fully-functional products that leave the HP warehouse and     therefore can no longer be sold as new.
– Damaged products – Products returned because of cosmetic flaws or damage during shipping.
– Overstocks – Items that are returned by the seller to make room for newer product lines.
– Demonstration – Products have been used as HP demos.

Depending on the product line, most refurbished equipment starts to show up in HP’s re marketed inventory pool about 3-18 months after their introduction date. For instance, a desktop model that was originally entered the market over 12 months ago may be considered obsolete and not worth the cost to re manufacture, while a server could still provide a lot of value and ample performance 18 months after its initial launch.

How is a product re manufactured?

Every HP refurbished product is restored by HP to its original condition and performance. Each item is thoroughly tested, broken or defective parts are replaced, and then test results are re-verified.

All HP refurbished products are upgraded to meet current performance specifications. For example: ink cartridges in refurbished business printers are replaced with “full new” cartridges; and the latest software patches are added to computers..

What should I look for when I buy refurbished?

There are a number of things to keep in mind when you buy a refurbished business product. Here are a few tips:

Buy directly– Be sure your product was refurbished by the original manufacturer. Brokers looking to recoup losses may refurbish a product cheaply and resell it without an adequate warranty or policy.
Buying directly from HP or an authorized HP dealer ensures that your product has been remanufactured and tested to meet stringent HP standards.
Check the warranty– Does your seller guarantee the quality of its remanufactured products? Products remanufactured by HP are covered by HP.
Ask about return policies– If for any reason, you are unsatisfied with your refurbished product, the HP business outlet provides a return policy.
Act now– HP refurbished product inventory turns over quickly and the tried and true workhorses go first. Unlike new, if you miss out on a product you want, re-stocking or back-ordering is not an option.


source : http://www.hp.com/sbso/buspurchase_refurbished_whybuy.html?jumpid=ba_r329_hhoaffiliate&aid=38293&pbid=je6NUbpObpQ&aoid=35252&siteid=je6NUbpObpQ-aMt0Zt4Upy_ZfASOC0UONg  

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Organization for a Great Big GREEN World! Re-purpose your unwanted electronics and technology

Going green is not just the “politically correct” thing to do these days – it’s the planet-saving, RIGHT thing to do. And it’s no exception in our home-planning and organization. In fact, there are tons of ways to get green in your organizational plans!

In the first in a series of “green organizing” articles, we’ve got the goods on how you can bring some ecology-friendly organizing to your home in the area of electronics and technology.

Here are some scary statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency (see www.epa.gov):

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 2.6 million tons of e-waste ended up in landfills in 2007 — while only 13.6% (408,000 tons) was recycled.

In 2007, Americans were holding 99 million TVs “in storage” — and had “discarded” nearly 27 million TVs; but only about 18 percent were recycled.

Between 2004 and 2007, the number of TVs that entered the waste stream increased by 14 percent.

With more than 100 million cell phones no longer in use in America, recycled the amount of energy saved would be enough to power approximately 24,000 U.S. households for one year.

On their website, the EPA share lots of handy information on the hows and whys of recycling and/or donating cell phones, computers, and TVs, including facts like:

Recycling helps the environment by saving energy and keeping usable materials out of landfills.

The precious metals, copper and plastics used in cell phones and PDAs require energy to mined, as does the manufacturing process. Recycling enables these materials to be turned into new products.

The re-use of computers contributes to communities by sharing valuable technology. Donating your old but still working computer to a school, charity, or non-profit is a good use of valuable materials – sharing the technology that is so necessary for education and communication.

Lead, copper, steel, and aluminum that can be recovered through recycling your old TV.

Recycling technology helps save and re-use natural resources and energy, and reduces the pollution that comes from mining and processing the resources that have to be taken out of the earth.

Enough said! Organizing is all about ridding yourself of unwanted or unusable items — but it’s also all of our responsibility to discover the best options for getting rid of things.

So here’s some tips to get you on road to “green organization”:

If you’re like most people, your last three computer screens are sitting in your garage. Not to mention the towers, the old toasters, out of date radios, and other unusableelectronic equipment. Or maybe you’ve just tossed it in the regular trash with hopes of not being found out (don’t feel bad, we’ve all been there). After all — you are a good green recycler of glass and plastic, right? (We’ll leave that there for now.)

In our wild and crazy e-world of e-phones, e-marketing, e-samples, e-games, e-computers, and e-everything, recycling takes a different form: it’s time to go eGREEN! And it’s not as hard as you might think. You’ll feel good about cleaning out those unused electronics in your home and garage — and “doing the right thing” …by giving a happy “push” to the BIG GREEN EARTH movement!

Check out the EPA’s site – the ultimate resource to check out when it comes to recycling those used, unwanted, or semi-or-completely-nonfunctioning electronics:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm#localThis excellent EPA site offers so many alternatives — including local, brand name, and online receivers of your unwanted electronic. And much of what you turn in gets recycled for some other use. Keep this site handy so when your next e-game bites the dust, you are ready to send it down the correct “green” brick road…

Just about everything you need to know is there, but just to make sure our GREEN gets GREENER, here are a few more sites you might find helpful.

http://www.simplesteps.org/home-garden/stuff/what-do-about-e-waste.

Learn more about where waste goes, the certifications to watch for, and thinking through what you do with your electronics.

http://www.recyclenow.com/how_is_it_recycled/index.html.
A great general site about recycling — great for teaching your children the basics!

Look for more info on our “big green earth” as we share the goods on kids toys and clothing, adult wear, home décor, party planning, holiday helpers, and so much more! Stay tuned in…and don’t forget to pass along our great information to your friends and families!

Paris Love is a Productivity and Organizational Consultant serving overextended professionals in rejuvenating their quality of life. Paris has written articles for NAPO News, Star Lee Magazine, Baldwin Parent, San Diego NAPO News, Organizing A to Z, BrownSKin Magazine, Online Organizing and Home Base Quarterly. Her most recent book, Fifty Tips to Get You Organized in Ten Minutes or Less, along with more information on her life’s work and business can be found at www.organizewithlove.com or by calling 770-722-2748.

source : http://hopeforwomenmag.com/uncategorized/organization-for-a-great-big-green-world-re-purpose-your-unwanted-electronics-and-technology

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