Whether you're moving, renovating, or simply doing some long overdue cleaning at and around the house, you may need some help to get rid of all the unwanted stuff.

Sooner or later you'll find yourself at odds with what to do with some unneeded items lying around. Those may be too bulky, or too heavy, for a garbage truck to pick up: such is the case with the old furniture, worn out appliances, construction or garden waste. Put them out at your curve, and they'll probably be ignored by the garbage collectors.

Some items are specifically prohibited from disposal in the regular trash: the specific items which are hidden by law to simply toss out vary from place to place, but in general, chemicals – including paint – are on that list.

Junk is not only an eyesore, but can even pose a health treat. For instance, old tires can collect rain, making them a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Oil from old car parts can poison your pets!

Getting rid of junk can indeed seem like a daunting task. Luckily, there are professional services that specialize in junk removal. Let them handle all of the mess!

Junk removal services will have the right vehicles and the work at their disposal to rid you of your unwanted stuff safely and efficiently. They will come to your place and haul away any junk that the recycling companies and garbage trucks will not take.

Before calling a junk removal service, be clear on what exactly is in your junk, and how much junk you have. Make sure that all items are empty and clean.

A good money-saving tip is to first call a free recycling service (if it is available in your place) for the recyclable items, and then use a junk removal service for the rest of the items.

Many services also offer cleaning up of the site after the junk is removed. A professional junk removal company will have their trucks and drivers insured.

They will give you a quote based on how much space your junk will take up in their truck.

Sometimes the price can be lowered if there's an option for you to haul the junk to where it can be easily accessible by their truck. You can arrange for them to do all the work without needing you to be present at the site.

Let the professional junk removal service address your mess!

Source by Anita Bern

Diabetes is a very serious chronic disease suffered by millions of people worldwide.

If you are diabetic and fail to control your blood glucose levels you are likely to end up with one or more serious medical conditions, such as heart disease, kidney failure and damaged nerves among many others.

Pre-diabetes is a condition in which your blood glucose levels are higher than they should be but not so high that you are diagnosed as diabetic. Research suggests that up to 70% of persons with pre-diabetes go on to develop full type 2 diabetes.

But this means that 30% manage to halt the development of diabetes before it becomes a chronic disease. So, if you have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, developing full-blown diabetes is not inevitable.

You can not change your past behavior, your age or your genes but you can change your lifestyle … how you waste yourself and what you eat and drink.

How your digestive system works

The foods you eat are mostly a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in various proportions. A piece of meat, for example, contains mostly protein and fats. Vegetables such as potatoes contain lots of carbohydrates.

When you digest a bit of food, it is broken down into it main components … carbs, proteins and fats. These components are then broken down further in your digestive system and released into your blood-stream which delivers them around your body.

Your energy comes from glucose. Glucose is just a simple sugar. But it is your body's primary source of energy.

Most glucose comes from digesting the sugar and starch in carbohydrates which you get from food such as rice, pasta, grains, bread, potatoes, fruits and some vegetables. The glucose produced by digestion in your stomach is absorbed into your bloodstream which delivers it to your body's cells.

Glucose is the fuel for your cells … it powers your movements, thoughts and just about everything else you do.

In order to power your cells, glucose has to get into them. It can only do this with the help of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone (a type of chemical). It is produced by your pancreas. The pancreases releases insulin into your bloodstream where it travels around your body and meets up with glucose on the same trip. The purpose of insulin is to enable glucose to enter your cells.

To do this, insulin attaches itself to a receptor in the surface of the cell. This causes the cell membrane to allow glucose to enter the cell. The cell can then use the glucose as its fuel.

This glucose-insulin system has to work properly if you are to be healthy.

If the insulin does not do its job of 'opening the cell door' for glucose, the glucose will not be able to get into the cell … and the cell will run out of fuel.

Diabetes is a condition in which the glucose-insulin system does not function correctly.

There are two major types of diabetes: (a) type 1 and (b) type 2. More than 90% of diabetics have type 2 diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce any insulin or, at best, very little. Type 1 can not be cured. The only way these diabetics can survives is by taking regular shots of insulin.

In type 2 diabetes , the pancreas does produce insulin which is released into the bloodstream. But when the insulin arrives at a cell it has trouble attaching itself to a receiver. So it can not admit the cell membrane to open and allow glucose to enter the cell.

Insulin resistance is the condition in which insulin is unable to attach itself to cell receptors.

Imagine a key trying to slide into a lock in a door. If the lock is jammed … say, with a bit of chewing gum … the key can not get in. There is nothing wrong with the key and nothing wrong with the lock. But before the key can get in, the lock has to be cleaned out.

One of the main reasons for insulin resistance is having cell 'doors' that are jammed with fat. The only way to 'unjam' them is to eliminate all fat as far as possible from your diet for four to six weeks (at least) until the cell receptors are free of fat.

So what do you have to do to prevent type 2 diabetes developing from pre-diabetes to the full-blown chronic condition … with its elevated risks of heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney transplants, leg amputations, and other dreadful conditions?

Change your lifestyle using:

• Exercise, and
• Diet

Here are 12 things you can do:

[1] Avoid sedentary behavior

A sedentary lifestyle is one in which you sit most of the day and undertake little physical activity. The link between sedentary behavior and the risk of diabetes is well proven.

An analysis of the results of 47 studies found that people who spent most of the day engaged in sedentary behavior (eg, office workers) have a 91% risk of developing diabetes.

If you work in an office, there are several ways you can change your sedentary habits:

• Stand up from your desk and walk around for a few minutes every hour.
• Stand instead of sitting when talking on the phone.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Park far away from the supermarket so you have to walk a good distance to get inside.
• Go for long walks in the evening (easy if you have a dog).

The best way to reverse sedentary tendencies is to commit to specific actions you can do every day.

[2] Get plenty of exercise

Research indicates that physical exercise increases the insulin sensitivity of cells … when you exercise, less insulin is required to enable your blood glucose to enter your cells.

Many types of physical activity reduce blood glucose levels in pre-diabetic adults who are obese or overweight … including aerobic exercise, strength training and high-intensity interval training.

One study of pre-diabetics indicated that high-intensity exercise increased insulin sensitivity by 85% … while moderately intensive exercise increased it my more than 50%. But this effect only happened on the days that they actually worked out.

Another study found that to improve insulin response in pre-diabetics, they needed to burn at least 2,000 calories a week through exercise … but that is not too hard to do if you set your mind to it.

The trick is to find a physical activity you enjoy and can undertake regularly, and then stick to it for the long-term.

[3] Quit smoking

Beside cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, colon, oesophagus and digestive tract, as well as emphysema and heart disease, research indicates that there are strong links between smoking (and exposure to second-hand smoke) and type 2 diabetes.

Smoking increases the risk of diabetes by 44% in average smokers and 61% in heavy smokers (more than 20 cigarettes a day), compared to non-smokers according to a meta-analysis of several studies that together covered more than one million smokers.

But quitting reduces this risk over time, not immediately.

A study of middle-aged male smokers indicates that five years after quitting their risk of developing diabetes was reduced by 13% and after 20 years it was the same as people who had never smoked.

[4] Lose weight

The majority of people who develop type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. In addition, people with pre-diabetes tend to have visceral fat … ie they carry their excess weight around their middle and abdominal organs such as the liver.

Studies have shown that excess visceral fat promoters insulin resistance, increasing the risk of diabetes significantly. This risk can be reduced by losing weight, especially around the middle.

One study of more than 1,000 people found that for every kilogram (2.2 lbs) they lost, their risk of diabetes was reduced by 16%. This study also found that the maximum reduction of risk was 96%, ie a loss of 6 kilogram (13.2 lbs).

There are many healthy ways for losing weight … exercise … dieting.

You have many dietary options to choose from: Mediterranean, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian. The best, sometimes, is the Beating-Diabetes diet.

[5] Reduce the fat in your diet

As you already know, the main cause of type 2 diabetes is fat gumming up the receptors in your muscle cells, so the insulin can not open the cell membranes to allow glucose to enter. The "cure" is to unblock the receptors.

As you are pre-diabetic it is likely that fat is already beginning to gum up the receptors. You can unblock the receptors by minimizing the fat you ingest in your diet.

To minimize the fat you eat:

• make sure that less than 10% of the energy in any food you eat comes from fat (read the labels), and
• reduce your consumption of meat, eggs and dairy products as much as possible, and focus on foods based on plants (fruit and vegetables).

It's that simple.

[6] Reduce the refined carbs you eat

Refined carbohydrates are refined sugar and grain products that have been milled. The process removes dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals from the grains.

Examples of refined carbs include white sugar, granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup and so on, as well as white flour, white rice, white pasta etc. These are digested more quickly than unrefined carbohydrates.

Many studies have shown a link between the frequent consumption of sugar or other refined carbs and the risk of diabetes.

For example, an analysis that looked at a total of 37 studies found that persons with the highest intakes of refined carbs are 40% more likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest intakes.

This is because simple sugars and refined carbs are digested very quickly and are quickly absorbed in the bloodstream. This results in a spike in the level of glucose in your blood.

But, as you are pre-diabetic, your body's cells are resistant to the action of insulin. As a result the glucose spike stimulates your pancreas to produce more insulin.

Over time this leads to higher and higher blood glucose and insulin levels in your blood until you develop full-blown diabetes.

To avoid this you need to stop putting sugar in you tea and coffee, and stop drinking sodas and other sugary drinks.

You also need to start eating natural foods such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and uncooked vegetables, all of which are top sources for unrefined carbohydrates.

[7] Eat a high fiber diet

Dietary fiber is the indigestible portion of plant foods. There are two types of fiber and eating plenty of both types is cruel for preventing pre-diabetes turning into the full-blown variety.

Soluble fiber is fiber that dissolves in water to form a viscous gel-like material that slows the rate at which food is absorbed, reducing the likelihood of sudden spikes in blood glucose.

Insoluble fiber can not dissolve in water but does absorb water which makes your stool more bulky, easing its passage. It too is linked to reductions in blood glucose but how it works is not clear.

The main sources of soluble fiber are … legumes (beans, peas, etc) … grains (oats, rye and barley) … vegetables such as broccoli, carrot and artichokes … root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and onions … and the insides of some fruits such as prunes, plums, berries, bananas, apples and pears.

Insoluble fiber is mostly found in … whole grains … wheat and corn bran … nuts and seeds … potato skins … flax seeds … fruit such as avocados and bananas … some skins such as on tomatoes … and vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, courgettes (zucchini) and celery.

Some plants contain significant amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and you will get enough fiber to prevent your pre-diabetes developing into diabetes.

[8] Minimize your intake of processed foods

Processed foods, such as bacon, sausage, paté, salami, breakfast cereals, cheese, tinned vegetables, bread, savory snacks (crisps, sausage rolls, pies and pasties), cakes and biscuits, microwave meals and so on, are full of oils , added fats, added sugar, refined grains and all sorts of additives.

Processed foods are linked to all sorts of health problems, including diabetes. One study found that poor-quality diets that are high in processed foods increase the risk of diabetes by 30%.

So to prevent your diabetes developing into chronic diabetes, you need to cut back on processed foods. Eat vegetables, fruits, nuts and other plant foods instead.

[9] Restrict portion sizes

Once food hits your stomach, it all starts to be digested at once.

Thus, unsurprisingly, eating too much at one sitting has been shown to cause higher blood sugar and insulin levels in people who are pre-diabetic.

A two-year study of pre-diabetic men found that those who reduced the amount of food they ate in one meal had a 46% lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who continued to eat large amounts.

Another study of people with re-diabetes concluded that those who practiced portion control lowered their blood glucose and insulin levels significantly after 12 weeks.

So, to prevent the onset of diabetes, you need to practice portion control.

[10] Drink lots of water, coffee and tea

Water … lots of it … should be your primary beverage.

Sticking with water most of the time means you will be avoiding beverages that are high in sugar, preservatives and other questionable ingredients.

A large observational study of 2,800 people found that those who consumed more than two servings of sugar-sweetened beverages a day had a 99% increased risk of developing LADA and a 20% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

LADA , latent autoimmune diabetes of adults , is a form of type 1 diabetes that occurs in people over 18 years of age.

Some studies have found that increased water consumption (as opposed to upping the quantity of sodas or fruit juices you consume) leads to better blood glucose control and insulin response.

One 24-week study, for example, showed that overweight adults who replaced diet sodas with water as part of a weight-loss program experienced a decrease in insulin resistance and lower levels of blood glucose and insulin after fasting.

So drink plenty of water, at least 2 to 4 liters, a day to stop diabetes developing.

Make sure you avoid the sugar-filled sodas and energy drinks. Instead, when you need a pick up or energy booster, go for coffee or tea.

Coffee and tea contain polyphenols , antioxidants that may protect against diabetes. Green tea also contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a unique antioxidant that has been shown to reduce the release of blood sugar from the liver and to increase insulin sensitivity.

Several studies have shown that drinking coffee on a daily basis reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by anywhere from 8 to 54%. The greatest reduction in risk is seen in those who drink the most.

An analysis of several studies, that included tea as well as coffee, found similar results. This review also showed that the risk of developing diabetes was reduced the most in women (of all sizes) and overweight men.

So it's plenty of water, tea and coffee for pre-diabetics who wish to avoid developing diabetes.

[11] Take a daily nutritional supplement

The term nutritional supplement covers micro-nutrients such as vitamins, dietary minerals and fatty acids.

Vitamins are vital for health. All vitamins fall into one of two main groups … water-soluble or fat-soluble.

Water-soluble … are all the vitamins vitamin plus C. These vitamins are not stored in your body and you get rid of excess quantities in your urine. So they can not build up to toxic levels in your body.

Fat-soluble … are vitamins A, D, E and K. To absorb these vitamins, you need a little fat in your diet. Any excess amounts are stored in your body fat so they could, theoretically, build up to toxic levels. But this is extremely rare.

Minerals are divided into two groups … major minerals and trace minerals.

Major minerals are the minerals you need in amounts of 100 milligrams (mg) or more each day. These minerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sulphur, potassium, sodium, and chloride.

Trace minerals are needed in amounts of less than 100mg each day. Trace minerals include iron, iodine, zinc, fluoride, selenium, copper, chromium, manganese, and molybdenum.

Minerals are used in a variety of processes. For example, your body uses calcium to make bones and teeth, and iron to make the haemoglobin in your red blood cells.

Although the functions of all vitamins and dietary minerals are not yet fully understood by scientists, and even though the results of clinical tests often contradict each other, a daily dietary supplement should help prevent your pre-diabetes developing into diabetes.

Here's what you need to take on a daily basis:

• Multivitamin • to make sure all your nutritional needs are covered
• Vitamin B12 (4mcg) in a separate tablet • For the health of your nervous system as your pre-diabetes is likely to be affecting your nerves already
• Calcium (400mg) plus vitamin D (2.5mcg) together in a separate tablet • To ensure the health of your bones
• High-strength cod-liver oil capsule with vitamins D and E, in a separate capsule • To make sure you ingest adequate amounts of the essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6

There is an emphasis on vitamin D because this vitamin is important for good control over your blood glucose.

A variety of studies show that persons who have too little vitamin D in their bloodstream are at a greater risk of all type of diabetes. One study found that persons with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood were 43% less likely to develop diabetes compared to persons with the lowest levels.

Most health organizations recommend maintaining a vitamin D blood level of at least 75nmol / l (30ng / ml).

Controlled studies have shown that when people who are deficient in vitamin D take supplements, their blood glucose levels normalize and their risk of developing diabetes is reduced significantly.

[12] Add natural herbs to your diet

The internet is full of claims, mostly spurious, that certain herbs can prevent your pre-diabetes from developing into the full-blown version of the disease. Here are a few of the more reliable claims:

Cinnamon … is a highly-aromatic spice with a very distinct flavor. It is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of medical conditions, apparently with some success.

Reports on the internet suggest that cinnamon can cut fast glucose levels by up to 30%, so I began sprinkling one large teaspoon on my porridge (oatmeal) in the morning. Within a few days, my average glucose levels on awaking had dropped by approximately 0.5mmol / l (9mg / l) or about 8%, quite a bit short of 30% … a significant reduction nonetheless.

So it seems to me that this spice, in the form of ground powder you can buy from your local supermarket, can help you improve your blood glucose levels and then help prevent your pre-diabetes developing into diabetes.

Bitter melon … aka bitter gourd or karela (in India), is a unique vegetable-fruit that can be used as a food or medicine. It is often recommended for the control of diabetes.

A number of clinical studies have shown that bitter melon is effective in improving blood glucose levels, increasing the secret of insulin and decreasing insulin resistance.

In January 2011, for example, the results of a four-week clinical trial were published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology , which showed that a 2,000 mg daily dose of bitter melon significantly reduced blood glucose levels among patients with type 2 diabetes. However the hypoglycemic effect was less than that of a 1,000 mg per day dose of metformin, a popular diabetes medication.

Although it may be of some help in preventing your pre-diabetes getting worse, bitter melon needs to be treated with care as it has been associated with miscarriages and induced abortions in animals … it should be avoided if you are pregnant or want to get pregnant.

Curcumin … is a component of turmeric, one of the main ingredients in curries. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.

Research shows that curcumin can help reduce inflammatory signals in persons with pre-diabetes.

In a controlled 9-month study of 240 pre-diabetic adults, none of those who took 750mg of curcumin per day developed diabetes, but over 16% of the control group did. The study also noted that insulin sensitivity among those who took curcumin increased, as did the functioning of their insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Thus the benefits of curcumin in decreasing insulin resistance and reducing the risk that pre-diabetics will develop full blown diabetes appear to be well proven.

Berberine … is an alkaloid extracted from various plants used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is proven to have anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects. It works by reducing the production of glucose in the liver and increasing insulin sensitivity.

An amalgamation of 14 studies of human and animal research has shown that 1,500mg of berberine, taken in three doses of 500mg each, is equally effective as taking 1,500mg of metformin or 4mg glibenclamide, two popular pharmaceuticals for treating type 2 diabetes. Berberine is one of the few supplements shown to be as effective as conventional diabetes drugs.

Berberine, however, can interact with other medications and caution needs to be exercised … ask your doctor before you try to use it to prevent your pre-diabetes getting worse.

Caveat (1) : Spurious claims that certain supplements can cure or prevent diseases abound on the internet. However there are a few reliable sites that contain research-tested information. These are mainly connected to reputable universities, medical schools and teaching hospitals.

Caveat (2) : Some herbs and supplements may interact with your diabetes medication (including insulin) and cause excessively low blood glucose. So check with your doctor before using them.

Conclusion

Pre-diabetes can develop into full-blown diabetes very quickly if you do nothing about it. And the medical interviews of diabetes are very serious indeed.

So take your pre-diabetes seriously and deal with it as outlined above … this will enable you to live a pleasant and fruitful life.

Source by Paul D Kennedy

So what is the Motorola W377 carrying with it to impress you? This sophisticated, compact designer mobile phone is a camera phone with versatile connectivity, push e-mail and with other camera features to capture and share lifestyle. It incorporates all the new features that make an admirable impact on mobile phone lovers. The handset is very light in weight ie 107g and comes in many striking colors namely red on black, blue on white, gray on black, pink on white and yellow on white. You can opt for the Motorola W377 contracts deals and enjoy hassle free mobile phone communication and that too too at pocket soothing prices.

If you avail the Motorola W377 contracts deals you have to sign an agreement with various service providers for particular time period. The time varies from 12 months or 18 months to 24 months. It is one of the best ways to stay connected with your loved ones. Moreover, with the contracts deals you can also trim your hefty monthly mobile phone expenses without any obstacle. The handset is loaded with a 3.15 megapixel camera that allows you to capture excellent images and video recording. It has 2048×1536 pixels of resolution, autofocus, LED flash and VGA @ 30fps.

Another amazing feature of this astonishing handset is its unique connectivity tools such as GPRS, EDGE, WLAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB. It allows you to share or transfer data with other friendly devices. With the WAP 2.0 / xHTML, HTML and RSS feeds browsers you can also access the Internet at fast speed. The handset has multiple messaging facilities in the form of SMS, MMS, email and instant messaging. So, to avail the 12 months free line rental deals you have to tie up with various leading network providers such as Virgin, Vodafone, O2, 3, T-mobile and Orange.

For music-centric people the handset is loaded with superb music and video player that can be played in almost all file formats. You can listen to stereo FM radio with RDS for live entertainment. Avail the Motorola W377 contract deals and get benefited with numerous free gifts and incentives like laptops, LCD TV, gaming console, Xbox, automatic text messaging, free accessories, free mobile phone more.

Source by Richard Jolan

James Bond has an enviable collection of hi tech gizmos and gadgets. He can find his way back from the middle of nowhere, he can locate and shoot down a failure, and he can track his opponent's moves effortlessly and bring them to justice; all thanks to GPS tracking systems.

While James Bond may be Ian Fleming's imagination, GPS devices are not. There exist devices that can be used by the common man to find his way back home, locate their vehicles and even locate a good place for fishing. These days, these systems are becoming popular in the far reaches of the world due to their inexpensively benefits.

Although GPS tracking systems come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, most of the tracking devices so small that they can be held in the palm of your hand or kept in your car's dash board. The data acquired by your GPS tracking device can be used for a variety of purposes. You can either use the data directly from your GPS tracking device or move it to your mobile. This data can also be transferred to your PDA or computer.

These days, GPS tracking system is an integral part of all vehicles. Besides the common man, vehicles are used by law enforcement authorities and insurance companies. They help in protecting the vehicles from theft. In case the theft does occur, it helps in recovering the vehicle before any damage can be done. Law enforcement authorities use GPS tracking systems to help track down vehicle thieves. The common man can use these GPS tracking systems to help you find your way to new and old destinations. These systems can also help you to track the whereabouts of your teenagers and the speed of their vehicles. This in turn can also prevent future accidents.

These systems are also a great investment for fleet owners. Firstly they can save time as drivers no longer need to fill in bulky forms as all the information regarding mileage and destinations visited will be recorded by these tracking devices. They will help in automating all kinds of business process which in turn can help in increasing the overall efficiency of your business.

The accurate data reports can help in decreasing the costs related to the fuel and servicing. It can also allow the fleet owner to keep a track of the engine load, style of the driver and the overall fuel consumption. This tracking software can also help in keeping real time information on the deliveries, which in turn reduces disputes.

It also helps in reducing the overtime costs, vehicle standing costs and more efficient fleet management. These GPS tracking systems are being used in a host of surveillance activities, protecting endangered animals and even sportsmen to track their workout. However that's not all. This is just the tip of the ice berg. With time and advancement in technology, GPS tracking systems will be used in many more spheres of life.

Source by Donald Stuart

Mobile Apps development implies the development of apps which work as additional features in a mobile handheld device. These apps can be downloaded by the end user and can be used in different mobile platforms which are available in the market. These applications can also be found pre-installed in different devices too.

The demand for more and more applications is on the rise as there are many smartphones which are available in the mid-priced segment in the market. Demand is in for all types of mobile apps, whether simple or complex and includes games, business apps, and other utilities. Mobile software development has also provided different types of users with various benefits like regular access to his mails, chat options with friends online, social networking including Twitter, Facebook, Orkut and others, and Internet access to search online. There is no limit to what is possible with the high-end mobiles as they have integrated great tools and applications to track calls, edit photos and videos, and also track down their own location through the GPS (Geographical Positioning System).

Some of the best known mobile platforms in vogue are iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian and Windows Mobile with the latest addition being the iPad platform introduced by Apple. There are no restrictions in terms of trends in the way apps are being launched today as there is immense demand of all types of mobile apps. Most of the apps center across business, games, news, Weather information, and financial investments. There are many other categories other than this in niche areas which include live game scores, climate changes etc.

There are various offshore development companies who are engaged in offering these application development services and it includes planning, development and enablement services, SMS Push Pull up applications (mobile messaging), and other miscellaneous programming services which are based on mobile pocket PC.

Developing a mobile application is absolutely a cumbersome task and requires great skill and innovative capabilities. Mobile application developers need to be highly knowledgeable of the various platforms and create multi-platform applications which can be played as well in the Symbian as in the Android platform. There is high competition in the mobile application development field as more offshore companies are offering comprehensive end-to-end solutions.

With the coming days and the decreasing cost of smartphones worldwide, the scope of mobile application development is definitely increasing. The major challenge for companies is to retain and hire developers who are adept in creating applications in more than one platform.

Source by Amisha Unadkat

There is a requirement for printed material in the daily work and business needs of the corporate companies. There are different printed materials like stationery, letterheads and business envelopes, brochures and catalogs to even leaflets and fliers.

Then there are daily requirements of official printed material like letters and agreements as well. Telecommunication is also an important facet of modern day offices. Fax machines and data transfer is also vital for corporative function and is thus very regularly done.

If you consider the requirements of different kinds of technical services within an office, you will know the devices used. These are printers, color printers, photocopying machines and fax machines among many others.

More and more corporate establishments are attempting to reduce overhead costs and that of running the daily establishment costs. In addition, in doing so they are keen on outsourcing these aspects of the daily administration.

The main advantage of outsourcing the workload is that of a hassle free operation. The company is then free from the daily business of maintenance and repair of these devices at any point of times. There are additional costs of the paper and the ink of different types from which the company is free as well.

Managed Print Services

There are modern day options of different machines and equipments that are available for performing different types of print services. There are colored print jobs and a variety of paper materials that need to be printed in bulk as well.

Because of the availability of a large variety of equipments, it is possible to process different types of printing services and in bulk quantities. Moreover, there are companies that are also providing specialized services in these as well.

Managed Print Services Companies

It is true that plenty of work needs to be processed for the company's daily functioning. At the same time doing these individually for the company entails huge costs that include financial as well as time constraints.

At the same time, there are companies that are engaged in providing the same services for different companies. It is their specialty profession and so they are fully equipped with the latest machinery and equipments.

So how do these companies perform?

There are two ways that the outsourcing company can be of effective service to your work and commercial functioning. They can take care of all your bulk order for printed material requirements. Neither do you need to buy expensive machinery for this nor do you need hire the services of an experienced technical professional for the same.

Secondly, the managed print services also provide different machines in your office like a computer printer or a fax machine. The maintenance and running costs of the ink and paper are all inclusive of the charges for hiring these equipment from the company.

The company will also be responsible for maintenance and repair of the same in case of difficulties in operation. There will be periodic checking of the equipments undertaken by the company to ensure flawless performances

Source by Sturt Clark

Price and Perception: How to set your value in the market

The price of your product or service should be a reflection of its value. Most consumers intrinsically believe in the "you-get-what-you-pay-for" philosophy. So what's the right price for your offering? I do not have a magic formula for setting price, but I will share with you a key to determining the right price.

What is Value?

Value is the inherent desirability of your product or service to your customers. It is reflected in your brand. The greater the perceived value of your brand, the higher the price you can and should charge.

Take chocolate, for example. Bulk chocolate is cheap. It's not the tastiest treat, but if a customer is making a buying decision based on price, its good value. A good mid-range chocolate such as Nestle or Hershey's will be a bit more expensive, but customers will value the established reliability of the mid-range chocolate brand and will be prepared to pay the price. At the high end of the price scale there are chocolates that sell for more than $ 1000 per kilo. And yes, customers are willing to pay the price. Why? Because they want a chocolate of the finest quality, guaranteed to tantalise their taste-buds and melt in their mouths. The price of these chocolates makes a bold promise, and to these customers the value of that promise supports the price.

Is your Business offering Bulk or Prestige?

When you set your prices, you need to consider your value to customers. Low prices may equal bulk sales, but they reflect low quality. That's OK if that's what your customers want and that's how you want to position yourself. High prices equal high quality, and if that's your position you need to make sure your customers know the value you provide with the price. If you clearly communicate your benefits and target the market that values ​​those benefits, your customers will be more than willing to pay your price.

The Painful Pitfall of Pricing too Low

Some businesses, especially in these difficult economic times, are tempted to discount their prices or set their prices too low. The motivation behind this decision is usually fear rather than overall brand or business strategy.

My friend, a plumber, fell into this trap. He intentionally set his price at $ 40 per hour when his competition was charging between $ 50- $ 150. He was a new plumber so he was scared he would not get any business if he charged what the others did. He advertised, and then he waited. And he waited. But he did not get any calls. Occasionally he asked his mentor, another plumber who charged $ 120 an hour and had a booming business, what he was doing wrong. It turns out that people are scared of hiring numbers who charge less than the going rate because they equal price with value or quality and they're usually right. The mentor was often called in to fix problems that cheaper plumbers had left behind. My friend the plumber increased his rate to $ 90 and quickly grew a profitable business.

Low prices send a message of low value. That can be damaging to your business image and brand.

What's the Right Price?

To set the right price you need to consider 2 things:

1. Your positioning strategy: bulk, mid-range or prestige
2. Your customers' perception of value

Clearly communicate your value and set your price to reflect it. Do not be fooled into thinking you need to compete on price when it is just as viable and often more profitable to compete on value.

Deborah Jackson helps businesses understand how price, position, value and other key marketing strategies contribute to their success. She helps her clients identify and communicate their brand value to ensure they work with great customers, charge premium prices and enjoy profitable returns.

Source by Deborah M Jackson

Do you have an obnoxious broken refrigerator hidden in the corner of your garage? Maybe your washer or dryer blew out and it’s time to move them and bring in the new. The question is: How do you pick up a heavy dryer and where do you go with it? Clearly you’re not the first person to be dealt this burden.

When trying to figure out how to get rid of excessive junk, rubble, demolition or old appliances all you have to do is call a junk removal company. There are literally companies devoted to removing junk from your home or work place.

Old appliances whether you are newly replacing them and need a same day pick up, or if it’s just collecting dust in your back yard

On top of removing the junk they will knock the entire wall down for you. They take what you don’t want. Maybe a wall IS attached to your house but these companies will literally knock-down, rip out and take anything that you don’t want anymore. If it’s a toilet, a wall, rubble or other junk items, they do it all.

If you own a store these companies can come to you and remove displays, desks, old printers and fax machines and more commercial items so you can start fresh and have more space to grow your business.

Property management needs can be met by junk removal services as well. Nobody is left out. If your tenants have moved out and left their old junk behind for you to clean up, the company will be right there for you to come and gut out the apartment.

Are you remodeling your home? Junk removal services can come and help. They will knock out any tiling, walls, cabinets and rip out toilets, old flooring, sinks or whatever you need. They can even knock down and take away entire houses! They will take anything you don’t want and remove it neatly from the site so you never see it again.

Old pianos, waterbeds, pool tables must go. I mean, you can’t sell everything! Not everyone wants your old waterbed that you’ve had since 1972. It’s time to face reality and call it quits.

Landlords, home owners and businesses alike can enjoy junk removal services. Their sole purpose is to remove any trash from your home or business and make it their responsibility. Not only are they capable of taking away large things like walls and old appliances but they are just as capable of removing that old computer or water dispenser you no longer have use for. Before renting a truck and breaking your back consider checking out one of these businesses. There is bound to be at least one in your local community.

Source by Mark Middleton

We live in the Internet age where a majority of our personal and business activities depend on computers and electronic devices. This digital life is what lead to the creating of the electronic calling card. The eBusiness card started as a novelty to become a necessary business networking tool.

What is a Digital Business Card?

These modern contact cards can now be sent and received electronically via wirelessly using tools, e-mail, internet, SMS, or by Bluetooth instead of using paper as a medium.

What are the types of Digital Business Cards?

There are four main types of business cards; Phone contact cards, e-mail based business cards, social networking sites as business cards, and tools and applications such as Pokens or the iPhone used to exchange business card data.

The Phone calling card and the e-mail based digital contact card are quite interchangeable as you can send e-mail through phone now and you can also e-mail using your phone. The main difference is that phone-based digital calling cards operates from your phone and makes use of SMS or Bluetooth functions while E-mail based digital calling cards, operates from your e-mail account.

Examples of Phone-based digital contact cards are Contxts, TxtID and DUB. Contents lets you send and receive calling cards via SMS, while TxtID is a service that works by having the other party text your username to a six digit number and where they will receive your contact info via SMS. To use DUB contact cards, an account must first be created on their website, thereafter you can then have it sent to other users by email or SMS, simply by sending a text message to the DUB site. These services start with free program options, but usually offer paid services that allow you to access more function or send and receive more digital calling cards.

For E-mail based visiting cards, companies such as Drop Card and Weavemet offer such services. Both of the companies offers services that works similar to Contents and TxtID where you create a profile on their site, text the e-mail address to a dropcard number and your contact will receive your contact card in their e-mail.

The third type is using your social networking profiles such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google profiles as contact cards. There is also a service that aggregates all your social network profiles like MyNameIsE which is a site that collects all of your social profiles into a virtual calling card that can be accessed via mobile web.

The last category of digital visiting card are devices such as iPhone apps or Pokens that you use with other people with the same devices where the device trades the contact information. Some of these apps specialize on contact data entry. Examples of these iPhone apps are vCard and BeamME.

What is the Advantage of a Digital Business Card?

Digital business cards offer a lot of advantages, here are some of them:

It's easier to create. Since digital business cards do not really require any aesthetic styling, you do not have to worry about designing one. The person you give it to will not lose it since digital calling cards can not get lost or left behind because your contact will always have it in their email-account, phone, or other web based contact sharing account.

It's eco-friendly. Digital contact cards do not require paper so you will be helping the environment if when you use electronic business cards.

It's efficient. When handed a paper calling card, most people scan it or enter the data on their phones or computers, but if your calling card is already given digitally, the recipient will not need to go through the hassle of encoding it anymore.

As mentioned earlier, digital calling cards are often asked for, especially since most people use internet phones and iPhones where providing digital contact cards are more handy for these tech savvy people. It is really useful to get yourself a digital calling card in order to stay connected whether for personal use or for business purposes.

Source by Gregg Hardy

With the digital world evolution, the need to secure customer identities also evolved. The customers of today are expecting a secure experience from organizations. The increasing utilization of cloud based services and mobile devices has also enhanced the risk of data breaches. Do you know the overall account hacking losses increased 61% to $2.3 billion and the incidents increased up to 31% compared to 2014?

SMS based One-Time Password is a technology invented to deal with counter phishing and other authentication related security risk in the web world. In general, SMS based OTPs are used as the second factor in two factor authentication solutions. It requires users to submit a unique OTP after entering credentials to get themselves verified on the website. 2FA has become an effective way to reduce hacking incidents and preventing identity frauds.

But unfortunately, SMS based OTP are no longer secure nowadays. There are two main reasons behind this:

• First, the major security of the SMS based OTP relies on the privacy of the text message. But this SMS relies on security of the cellular networks and lately, many of the GSM and 3G networks have implied that the privacy of these SMS cannot be essentially provided.
• Second, hackers are trying their best to intrude in customers data and therefore have developed many specialized mobile phone trojans to get into customers data.

Let’s talk about them in detail!

Major risks associated with SMS based OTP:

The key goal of the attacker is to acquire this one time password and to make it possible, many of the options are developed like mobile phone Trojans, wireless interception, SIM Swap attacks. Let’s discuss them in detail:

1. Wireless Interception:

There are many factors that make GSM technology less secure like lack of mutual authentication, lack of robust encryption algorithms, etc. It is also found that the communication between mobile phones or base stations can be eavesdropped and with the help of some protocol weaknesses, can be decrypted too. Moreover, it is found that by abusing femtocells also 3G communication can be intercepted. In this attack, a modified firmware is installed on the femtocell. This firmware contains capabilities of sniffing and interception. Also these devices can be used for mounting attacks against mobile phones.

2. Mobile phone trojans:

The latest rising threats for mobile devices are the mobile phone malwares, specially Trojans. These malwares are designed specifically to intercept the SMS that contains One Time Passwords. The major goal behind creating such malwares is to earn money. Let’s understand the different types of Trojans that are capable of stealing SMS based OTPs.

The first known piece of Trojans was ZITMO (Zeus In The Mobile) for Symbian OS. This trojan was developed to intercept mTANs. The trojan has the capability to get itself registered to the Symbian OS so that when they the SMS can be intercepted. It contains more features like message forwarding, message deletion, etc. Deletion ability completely hides the fact the message ever arrived.

Similar kind of Trojan for Windows Mobile was identified in Feb 2011, named as Trojan-Spy.WinCE.Zot.a The features of this Trojan were similar to above one.

The Trojans for Android and RIM’s Black Berry also exist. All of these known Trojans are user installed softwares which is why they don’t leverage any security vulnerability of the affected platform. Also, they make use of social engineering to convince user into installing the binary.

3. Free public Wi-Fi and hotspots:

Nowadays, it is no longer difficult for hackers to use an unsecured WiFi network to distribute malware. Planting an infected software on your mobile device is no longer a tough task if you are allowing file sharing across the network. Additionally, some of the criminals have also got the ability of hack the connection points. Thus they present a pop-up window during connection process which requests them to upgrade some popular software.

4. SMS encryption and duplication:

The transmission of SMS from the institute to customer occurs in plain text format. And need I say, it passes through several intermediaries like SMS aggregator, mobile vendor, application management vendor, etc. And any of the collusion of hacker with weak security controls can pose a huge risk. Additionally many a times, hackers get the SIM blocked by providing a fake ID proof and acquire the duplicate SIM by visiting mobile operators’ retail outlet. Now the hacker if free to access all the OTPs arrived on that number.

5. Madware:

Madware is the type of aggressive advertising that helps providing targeted advertising through the data and location of Smartphone by providing free mobile applications. But some of the madware have the capability to function like Spyware thereby being able to capture personal data and transfer them to app owner.

What is the solution?

Employing some preventing measures is must to ensure security against the vulnerability of SMS based One time password. There are many solutions here like introducing Hardware tokens. In this approach, while performing a transaction, the token will generate a one time password. Another option is using a one touch authentication process. Additionally, an application can also be required to install on mobile phone to generate OTP. Below are two more tips to secure SMS based OTP:

1. SMS end to end encryption:

In this approach, end-to-end encryption to protect one time passwords so that removing its usability if the SMS is eavesdropped on. It makes use of the “application private storage” available in most of the mobile phones nowadays. This permanent storage area is private to every application. This data can be accessed only by the app that is storing the data. In this process, the first step contains the same process of generating OTP, but in the second step this OTP is encrypted with a customer-centric key and the OTP is sent to the customer’s mobile. On the receiver’s phone, a dedicated application displays this OTP after decrypting it. This means even if the Trojan is able to get access to the SMS, it won’t be able to decrypt the OTP due the absence of required key.

2. Virtual dedicated channel for the mobile:

As phone Trojans are the biggest threat to SMS based OTP, since performing Trojan attack on large scale is not difficult anymore, this process requires minimal support from OS and minimal-to-no support from the mobile network providers. In this solution, certain SMS are protected from eavesdropping by delivering them to only a special channel or app. The process requires a dedicated virtual channel in the mobile phone OS. This channel redirects some messages to a specific OTP application thus making them secure against eavesdropping. The use of application private storage ensures security to this protection.

Lastly, no matter which process you choose, no technology can ensure you 100% security. The key here is to be attentive and updated of the rapid changes occurring in technology.

Source by Prince Kapoor