With the crisis that we are suffering from due to the global pandemic, people are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible.

 

That is why it is even more appealing to either build your own gaming PC or purchase a game console. But of course, you will still need some games to play as well.

 

I’ve scoured the internet to find out the best games that you can play amid the pandemic. I only get data from gaming reviews sites so you know that you get topnotch information.

 

Without further ado, here are the best games of 2020 so far:

 

 

• DOOM Eternal

 

This is by far the best game that was released in early 2020. DOOM Eternal has been consistently recommended by video game reviews and rightfully so.

 

While DOOM 2016 is really good on its own, it lacked a lot of story elements that people love. That changed in the latest installment in the franchise.

 

The game is not only full of lore, but it also retained some aspects that we love about the 2016 reboot: More, in-your-face action unlike any other.

 

 

• Call of Duty: Warzone

 

The game is just a battle royale spinoff of the newly released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. While CoD games have been amazing from a PVP standpoint, this one takes it up a notch.

 

Fast-paced, thrilling, electric- three words that I would use to describe this amazing spinoff. Its adrenaline-pumping action ensures that you’ll always be on your toes to kill the enemy.

 

Even though there is no lore in this game, you have the original modern warfare to get you covered.

 

 

• Half-life: Alyx

 

A lot of fans were clamoring for a new Half-life game and although we didn’t get the 3rd installment in the franchise, what we got was something better.

 

Half-life: Alyx is actually a virtual reality game that was released by Valve as a means of quenching our thirst for a new installment.

 

It is a prequel story that talks about the struggles of Alyx Vance in fighting against the alien invaders.

 

Although you need a capable PC to run this game, you will not be disappointed.

 

 

• Final Fantasy VII Remake

 

One of the best RPG games released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII was a masterpiece- both from a story and gameplay perspective. Websites that write PS4 game reviews can collectively say that this one is going to be another interesting installment of the classic.

 

Square Enix wanted to bring the amazing game back to life and they have delivered on that promise.

 

The Final Fantasy VII Remake is great. It has a new and more exciting battle system, amazing graphics, and its story is almost similar to the original one (with some minor changes here and there).

 

This game is released on consoles and will soon be released on the PC, but if you ask me, I would grab one right now. It is really that good.

 

 

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

 

This cute game is something that both kids and adults will surely love. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not only a huge success but it has also become a cultural phenomenon- which is something rare in modern games.

 

People that love to explore and discover new things will definitely love ‘New Horizons’. In fact, both the story elements and the actual game are just too amazing to put into words. You just have to try it out for yourself.

 

 

• Resident Evil 3 Remake

 

The original Resident Evil 3 was pretty good. It’s got the story down really well, though a lot of fans clamor for an installment with better controls. The good thing is that Capcom listened.

 

The Resident Evil 3 Remake is a fitting one simply because it mostly retained its lore but the game mechanics and controls have vastly been improved.

 

If you want to beat Nemesis’ ass once again, you can do so in HD.

 

 

• Gears Tactics

 

Who would have thought that slowing down a Gears of War game and turning it into a turn-based classic makes it more appealing to a lot of people?

 

Gears Tactics still provides a really fun experience, but do not expect to bring out your machine gun and shoot at aliens like there’s no tomorrow.

 

Instead, you are going to fight the alien invaders with the use of strategy and that is what this game provides.

 

People who miss that kind of action will be treated with delight with this one.

 

An extremely large percentage of small to medium-sized businesses tend to use managed services in their operations. These companies usually have fewer than 100 people working at them, so they can’t always hire their own professionals to manage various tasks. It would not be economically feasible. If you are reading this article, there is a good chance that you are in the same boat as well. Every dollar coming in and going out has to be accounted for and hiring others to manage certain services, such as IT, can actually save you some serious money. Listed below are three reasons why you should realize managed IT is important for your company.

 

Time and Money Efficient

Sometimes it just makes perfect sense. Whether your business has less than a hundred or more than a hundred employees, managed IT services can save you serious dough. Rather than hire one IT person for a smaller company or a team of ten for a larger one to operate your network among other things, trust in an IT company that can manage all of your needs. Outsourcing IT will provide you a whole team of IT experts for you to draw knowledge from. They can remote monitor and manage your network, back up files and programs, handle recovery issues in case of emergency, and facilitate cloud computing so you can access all of your information at any time and from any place in the world.

 

They Provide the Security

With the amount of hackers out there that would just delight in stealing your data along with all of your customers’ info as well, you always need up-to-date security tech for your software and hardware. IT companies always have the latest and best programs to keep your network virus free and safe.

 

Cost Effective

This is a huge point for those business owners that are struggling with making enough of a profit to keep the doors open. There is a cost savings to outsourcing your IT needs rather than trying to hire professionals within your company to handle the daily needs. The amount of money you would be paying these IT people to bring them into your company permanently would be immense. Plus, you would have to provide them benefits on top of it. You would be better off money wise to choose an IT company instead.

 

From huge potential savings to greater scalability of systems and everything in between, there are numerous reasons as to why businesses are switching from the traditional phone systems to the cloud.

Cloud solutions allow users to make phone calls over the internet or local area networks. The modern technology can convert analog voice signals to digital packets of information which can then be sent online, allowing for conversations to happen remotely irrespective of the location – as long as there is an internet connection.

If you are running a business, but are keen on getting efficient yet cost-effective solutions for your communications, it might be the right time to consider a telephone switch, or conmutador. But if you are still on the fence about that, here are some reasons to make the switch:

It is scalable

Traditional systems are easy to outgrow – imagine you had six workers but now have 12 workers. You would need to add more extensions or telephone lines with need costly hardware modules. Worst still, you could need a whole new phone system to accommodate your growth. But that’s not the case with cloud systems. A standard PC can easily accommodate a huge number of phone extensions and lines, so all you need to do when expanding is to add more phones to your network.

Better productivity and customer service

With cloud systems, you can have better productivity and deliver incredible customer service. The system allows you to integrate phone functions with the business application – for instance, you can view customer details when they call. You can also place outbound calls directly from your system, negating the need to dial the phone number.

Easy installation and configuration

A cloud call system runs as software on a device and can take advantage of the advanced processing power of a computer, along with its features and interface. Any tech-savvy individual can install and manage an IP telephone system. On the other hand, a traditional phone system usually requires a trained technician to do the installation and setup.

The web/GUI-based configuration makes it easier to manage

An IP telephone system can be maintained through a GUI or a web-based configuration interface, enabling you to easily manage and adjust your phone system. Traditional phone systems come with hard-to-use interfaces that can only be used by trained technicians.

Cut out the need for phone wiring

Phone wiring comes with its own share of logistics that translates to more cost. But with the IP PBX, it is possible to connect hardware IP phones to a basic computer network port. It also allows for easier addition or removal of extensions.

Its cost-effective

The fact that IP telephone system is software-based makes it easier for enhanced feature sets – a majority of these phone systems come with extensive features including voice mail, auto attendant, advanced reporting and ring groups. Some even allow for audio and video conferencing, support presence, and free calls through the data network. So, basically, you get twice the phone system features as the traditional systems, but at about half the price.

 

The USB-C cable is the next generation of USB (universal serial bus) cables. Even those who can’t recognize it by name can likely recognize these cables by sight, being used in just about every personal and business computer application you can think of both for connecting peripherals to computers, transferring data, and charging various devices. More and more embedded engineers are making the move to try and incorporate connectivity/compatibility in their designs. But why go to such efforts when so many older USB items are still in use? Let’s take a closer look.

 

The Basics

 

To understand why so many are excited about USB-C, we need to take a moment and rewind back to 1996, and the release of the first generation of USB, USB 1.0. In those days, there were serious issues when it came to communication protocols for peripheral devices, and hardware compatibility was a commonality. Imagine needing one type of port on your computer to connect the monitor, one to connect the printer, and another type for your keyboard. USB 1.0 changed everything by letting all these devices connect via one connector type. Manufacturers, needless to say, were very happy with the change.

 

Fast forward to the modern day, and you have USB type-C. This first came to pass in 2014, but with more and more consumer products using it, it’s begun to extend outside the tech world in terms of prominence. At the core of the USB-C design is a reversible connector with 24 pins as well as a set of full-duplex communication capabilities.

 

With the history lesson over, we can begin to discuss why exactly USB-3 is so popular, so quick, from both a user and manufacturer perspective. For one thing, the timing was great. Around the release of USB 2.0, smartphone developers were in a race to try and make their devices as small as possible. This caused trouble for manufacturers, though. Many wanted to stick to the basic USB Type A 4.5 mm port, however, some of the smaller devices being put together were too small for the actual port. This led to variations like the Mini B and Micro B port.

 

However, the USB-C addition allows a new standard at a smaller size, making it easier for manufacturers to have the best base compatibility without having to compromise on size. Along with this increased compatibility comes replacement of other existing connection methods. Many manufacturers have gotten around compatibility problems by developing connectors suited to their specific needs. For example, Intel created the Thunderbolt, and Apple created the Lightning cable. USB-C offers a whole new level of versatility. In addition, despite only being slightly larger than the USB micro-b connector, it supports several alternate usage modes, including backward compatibility. When used with USB 2.0, you can see data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbits.

 

One feature that’s quite useful, but doesn’t get the attention of some of the others, is the fact that USB-C cables have an inherently reversible design. Picture trying to fumble with the cable on your computer or adapter to either get that charge before your phone dies or quickly access a portable hard drive, only to be delayed because the cable was upside down? This reversible design makes that annoyance a thing of the past. You can plug a cable facing either way and have no loss of functionality. As a result, USB c to USB connections, legacy systems, and setups are that much easier to put together.

 

What Should Engineers Know?

 

Many major electronics manufacturers started to adopt this standard for release soon after USB-C came to prominence. These include Google, Nokia, and Apple. Apple is probably the largest backer in this regard, with several of its most popular consumer products featuring USB-C ports.

 

A lot of these factors, like how to take care of your USB C adapter or other peripherals, are mainly for recreational users who may want to take care of some rudimentary issues. However, for some people, like engineers, the advent of USB-C has a more far-reaching impact than they may expect.

 

This mainly applies to embedded systems, and the engineers tasked with using them to design future products. For examples=, your connector for USB-C measures exactly 8.25 mm wide and 2.4 mm high. As a result, it makes it possible for product designers to make products even smaller than they have in the past, without the fear of being too small for USB integration. Another thing that bears mentioning is that current USB-C cables will also support all USB versions, from 2.0 to 3.2. Note that devices with older designs won’t work with these new connectors, but the core connectivity/communication is still backward compatible. This means, in theory, you could use a USB-C cable with an older peripheral device if you’re willing to use a physical adapter.

 

What does this mean for engineers? For embedded designs, it’s essential that the engineers be able to test not only how USB-C and older cables work with their designs, but whether or not a USB adapter is also compatible.

 

Ultimately, when it comes to USB-C, there’s a lot to be excited about. Many tech professionals have been hoping for a greater deal of standardization and hardware compatibility across all devices, and this innovation may be able to lead the charge. Particular features that people should keep in mind are the high-speed transfer of data, power supply at high wattage, as well as a reversible design that’s quite user-friendly.

 

For embedded engineers, making the switch to this new standard sooner rather than later makes it easier to enjoy charging capabilities and data transfer speeds well above what we have seen in the past. Overall, the popularity is clear, the question is, how long will it take before we have a true new industry standard?

 

Usb-c usb-c cable usb type-c usb c adapter usb c to usb

 

 

 

If you encounter the need to mount a television or computer monitor on a wall or another surface, you will surely also encounter the term VESA, and most likely will not know what it refers to or its importance.

Basically, VESA is an international standard that defines how to mount a monitor or television in a safe and adequate way by using a support. It refers to the hole pattern, which corresponds to the size and weight of the panel, which is located at the back of the TV, and that also coincides with the holes in the support.

Currently, the VESA standard is widespread, and it is practically impossible to find a television or computer monitor, be it LCD, LED or any other technology, that does not have a set of holes in its back to allow it to be mounted on some type of support such as those provided by www.unicol.com.

When was the VESA standard created?

Actually, the standard for the supports that allow us to mount a monitor or TV display on the wall is called “Flat Display Mounting Interface” or FDMI, which is part of the family of specifications promoted by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), which also sought to standardise other types of technologies.

Specifically, the FDMI standard was created in 1997 and included everything necessary for manufacturers to begin adding to their panels the set of holes needed to hang it from a support, which corresponds in distance to the weight and size of the television or monitor.

VESA supports for monitors and televisions

That is why, today, we can find all kinds of supports, specifically designed to fit a specific type of monitor or TV display panel. Although most of the supports include several sets of holes, which allows a certain flexibility, this does not mean that we can hang a television or monitor of 22 inches on a support prepared for a device of 42 inches.

How do I know if my TV or monitor is compatible with VESA?

As mentioned, it is practically impossible to find a monitor or TV screen that is not prepared for VESA support, however, it is possible to prove it unequivocally: if the back of your device has a square or rectangle formed by holes for mounting with screws, it is compatible with VESA.

What kind of VESA support do I need to mount my TV or Monitor?

Fortunately, the answer to this question is simple; it is sufficient to measure the distance between the holes of the mounting screws. If the distance equals 75 x 75 mm, you must buy a support that corresponds to that measurement, however, it never hurts to ask the seller about your specific needs regarding model and size, since they can advise you best.

Contemporary people have a great number of different devices for communication. Each person has a smartphone, personal computer, and other items. Certainly, everybody knows that in this era of digital technologies, it is quite easy to learn everything about a particular person with the help of social networks and spy apps. Hence, the majority of users try to protect their privacy rights and are reluctant to use different programs like an iPhone tracker. Of course, it is not good to know that someone may spy on you using your own smart phone. However, this situation has a flip side as well.

Different Situations for iPhone Tracker Usage

Special tracking apps can be used not only by criminals or nosy people spying on you but by yourself and members of your family as well. However, what are the situations when an ordinary person may need to use such apps installed on smartphones? iPhone trackers may be necessary in the following cases:

1. To have the opportunity for parental control. Everybody knows that teenagers are very rebellious and may pull any trick they want. Moreover, the majority of them don’t want to communicate with their parents because they think there is no necessity for it. However, you are still a parent of such a troubled teenager, and you have to control your son or daughter because it is your parental duty. So, by using a good spy app for iPhone, you will be able to keep your nose to the wind. One of such apps available at https://www.mspy.com/iphone-spy.html will help you to cope with possible difficulties if you don’t know exactly where you children are right now.

2. To find a lost cell phone. Sometimes, you lose your smartphone accidentally. With the help of a tracking app installed on your cell phone in advance, you will be able to locate the position of your smartphone on a detailed map. At least, you will know where your telephone is even if you may not have an opportunity to get it back.

3. To control your employees. Another sphere where tracking apps can be very useful is business. If you are a founder of your own company, your business should have some special trading secrets that ensure its success. You will certainly want to keep these secrets safe from your competitors. Hence, the use of spying apps is the best safety measure you can imagine. With the help of a tracking app, you will learn whether your employees are talking about their work with outsiders and will be able to take measures if necessary.

4. To learn the truth about your spouse in case of any suspicion. You may find yourself in a very delicate situation if you suspect your spouse or significant other is having an affair. In this case, it is much better to talk with each other first. However, if simple conversation doesn’t help you, you may use the chance to learn the truth by yourself. The use of spyware apps is like the work of a private detective. Hence, you will have all necessary information about your spouse to prove or reject your suspicion.

5. To find your smartphone after robbery. It is much better to turn to the police in this case, but the use of a tracking app to locate the smartphone will be an invaluable contribution. There were many cases when tracking apps helped to define the location of criminals, and they were arrested by the police.

The use of tracking apps is necessary in all these situations. Hence, you should not think about violation of privacy rights if your life, family, or business are in danger.

Most people tend to understand RAID as a type of technology that enables you to backup data automatically. While this is partially true, it is by no means the whole picture – and the first step to understanding what RAID is all about is realizing that there are several standardized ‘levels’ involved that are unique in their own ways.

While RAID levels technically extend from 0 upwards – the most common varieties in use are RAID 0, 1, 5, and 6. Knowing what the advantages and disadvantages of each of these levels are could help you to choose between them.

• RAID 0

Contrary to what you may expect, RAID 0 has no redundancy whatsoever, so there is no backup of data and if a disk fails then all data will be lost. However because it uses striping it provides superior read and write performance – better than any other level.

• RAID 1

Unlike RAID 0, RAID 1 mirrors data exactly across the drives so that there is always an exact backup remaining. In terms of speed it is similar to that of a single drive, but because all data is written twice it will only ever utilize half of the total storage space available.

• RAID 5

Essentially RAID 5 utilizes ‘parity’ to provide a backup of data that is stored on it. It does not mirror data, but instead spreads parity data across all drives allowing it to recalculate the data on any other block if it fails. In a RAID 5 system at least 3 drives are required, and it can withstand a single drive failing without losing any data. However while the read speeds are fast, the write speeds tend to be slower as the parity needs to be calculated each time data is written.

• RAID 6

Basically RAID 6 is very similar to RAID 5 but the parity data is written twice – providing a backup of itself in a way. Because of the double parity, RAID 6 setups require at least 4 hard drives, but can withstand up to 2 hard drives failing without losing any data. Just like RAID 5, it has fast read speeds but slow write speeds due to the parity.

Now that you understand the differences between the various RAID levels, you should be able to quite easily find the best compromise between redundancy, performance and cost. Of course RAID systems can still be subject to data loss under certain conditions, but there are RAID recovery options that you can pursue if you suspect a RAID array failure. On the whole using RAID drives is a lot more secure, and will provide your data with a certain amount of safety.

Retirement is a next level of age period where the person isn’t associated with company or business after the age level. By continue to receive the financial benefit every month, the life goes on smoothly. However, it depends on the condition of home and other circumstances. Many people after retirement keep travelling or visit any place to reside permanently and keep doing things. Moreover, many prefer considering to follow the passion which wasn’t completed during the period before retirement. One such passion is blogging. For many, blogging is passion, but for others it is a source of income.

You can blog about your experience of life till date, travel, casinos, food or any other activity you love to do. Tracy Luttrell is one such retired blogger who loves blogging and share experience of her life. An adventurous in nature, she loves travelling, running and other activities. Her blog describes about her life in 20s which is inspiring.

Let us check the benefits of blogging:

Pursuing your Passion:

One of the benefits of blogging after retirement is to follow the passion of sharing and helping people. Whether you blog about food, travel or your life experience, it is one way of pursuing passion. You’ll be getting feedback for your write ups that can be helpful for your further writing.

Continue to Indulge:

Even if you are retired, it is better to stay indulged into blogging activity that help your mind to keep thinking that rather than staying empty mind. Your mind will keep running on next topic and how it should be authored.

Visibility:

Blogging helps in increasing your visibility among followers and unknown people. This is one way of influencing your work to others and making them to follow you.

Getting an Expert Status:

It is witnessed that writers who post regularly about different topics are regarded as experts in the field. It is good to post and share knowledge among readers.

Source of Earning:

One of the benefits of blogging is to earn extra. Many blogs which post on specific niche are approached by companies for ad space, which is a good way to earn money. After retirement, apart from regular pension, earning blogging is one way of extra source that can very beneficial.

Sharing about your golden years with followers and readers will allow them to get inspired by a good life you had. In fact, if you love travelling, then showcase why golden years is the time to travel. According to Tracy, travel as much as you can and share the experience with people around you, to help them follow it during their golden years.

Live a good and happening life even after your retirement that will help you to keep going for long term.

Many small business entrepreneurs find it challenging to deal with the numerous financial management tasks required to keep a company operational. These include bookkeeping, accounting, invoicing and managing the payroll.

In spite of its obvious challenges, financial management is a vital skill for every business owner. How you manage your business’s money can make all the difference between success and failure. Thanks to technology, you now have a wide range of tools that can go a long way towards helping you manage your business finances. These tools can save you both time and money, whilst keeping your firm in smooth operation.

We have come up with the following financial management tools and software for your small business:

• Accounting software

When looking for good accounting software, look out for one that carries out basic functions such as expense tracking, quote and estimate creation, payroll processing, budget creation and tax preparation. The really good ones also allow multiple-user access as well as mobile access, allowing you to easily integrate credit card processing, point-of-sale software and other apps into the system. Traditional accounting software such as QuickBooks are gradually giving way to newer ones. Xero is one such modern software designed to provide small firms with a simple system for handling their business accounts.

• Invoicing tools

Professional-looking invoices can improve your standing with your suppliers and can ensure that you get paid more reliably. An online invoicing tool such as Invoice Home allows you to easily create and customise business invoices using attractive templates. Check out the numerous invoicing templates available at https://invoicehome.com/.

• Payroll management systems

As your business grows, you will have to deal with payroll management, which can be quite tedious and time-consuming. Thankfully, you can use software such as Gusto to streamline the payroll process. Gusto has a provision for processing payroll cheques as well as managing withholding taxes, making the whole process a breeze.

• E-commerce tools

Your business will need a reliable e-commerce solution that enables your customers to instantly pay for your products. You need to ensure that the payment system you use is secure to prevent your customers’ financial data from landing in the wrong hands. You can use tried and tested e-commerce tools such as PayPal, Square or Apple Pay to get the job done.

• Expense tracking software

All the hassle involved in running a small business can easily make you lose track of your company’s expenses. These can quickly pile up and create problems if they don’t get tracked. Tools such as Xpenditure and Expensify allow employees to use their mobile devices to scan receipts or add cash expenses and then upload them to a central system. You can then import all this information and use it to balance your accounts.

From the examples above, you can see that there are tools and software for literally all the processes involved in financial management. Find those that you can integrate into your business and use them to efficiently manage your finances.

There are three categories that exist within reputation management. These three categories are building a reputation, managing a reputation and recovering a reputation. Usually, when you hire a reputation management expert, they will concern themselves with each three of these three elements, but particularly the one that is most important at any given time.

Why Reputation Management Matters

We live in a world that is almost fully online now. Furthermore, everybody knows that it is vital that you shop around for the best deals and the most trustworthy companies. This is why it is vital for any business to be portrayed online as a go-to source for a certain product or service. It is also a known fact that businesses with a positive reputation can increase their prices and that they are worth more on the stock market.

Reputation management is about far more than simply recovering a destroyed reputation. It is about being preventative and proactive. It helps to create a positive reputation and to maintain and even improve it. All online activities that involve the business have to be monitored very closely and they must be addressed. A true expert in the field of reputation management will be able to look at each piece of information that appears online and know whether to promote it, or whether to undertake SEO (search engine optimization) efforts in order to hide that piece of information.

There are many strategies used in order to build and maintain a reputation. This includes creating content through social media, blogs, forums and more. Promoting information that is already out there is also an important way of growing a good reputation. If a reputation is damaged, this will be noticed in decreased sales, lost partnerships and opportunities and more dissatisfied customers. If not handled correctly, this could actually mean the end of a business.

The way people perceive a certain business affects investment and sales alike. If this perception is negative, it could truly cripple a business. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to have a piece of content taken down from the internet. In fact, this is unsuccessful in 90% of cases. This is why it is far more important to work on having this information pushed back so far that people simply cannot find it anymore.

Quality of a Reputation Management Consultant

Good consultants have a number of qualities. These include:

• They understand your situation.
• They can help you build, maintain and repair your reputation.
• They will get back to you very quickly.
• They offer custom solutions specific to your needs.

A reputation is nothing something that you can just ‘have’. It is something that you must work towards earning and then you must work towards keeping that reputation. This takes a long time and a lot of effort. A reputation can also not be forced. It is created by perceptions and conventions. Destroying all your hard work, unfortunately, takes just a few minutes. This is why it is so important to work together with an excellent consultant.