#needed 7 second buffer at beginnning

[hoyotunes]

No Dazzle, No Break from No Dazzle, No Break Reol, AzureHead, Shota Horie, TSAR, HOYO-MiX

[driving-tips]

What Are the Common Mistakes Made by Beginner Drivers?

What Are the Common Mistakes Made by Beginner Drivers?

Learning to drive is an exciting milestone, but beginner drivers often make mistakes as they build their confidence and skills on the road. Understanding these common errors can help new drivers avoid them and become safer, more responsible drivers.

1. Failing to Check Blind Spots

Many beginner drivers focus solely on their mirrors, forgetting to check their blind spots. This oversight can lead to dangerous situations, especially when changing lanes or merging onto highways. Always remember to look over your shoulder to ensure the coast is clear.

2. Speeding or Driving Too Slowly

Maintaining the correct speed is crucial for safe driving. Beginners often struggle with this, either driving too fast to keep up with traffic or too slowly out of caution. Both can disrupt traffic flow and increase the risk of accidents. Stick to the speed limit and adjust your speed based on road conditions.

3. Improper Use of Signals

Using turn signals is essential for communicating your intentions to other drivers. Many new drivers either forget to signal or use them incorrectly. Always use your signals when turning, merging, or changing lanes to ensure safety and predictability on the road.

4. Tailgating

Keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead is vital to avoid rear-end collisions. Beginner drivers often underestimate the stopping distance required, leading to tailgating. Follow the "three-second rule" to maintain a safe buffer zone.

5. Not Understanding Traffic Rules

Traffic rules can be overwhelming for beginners, but ignoring them can lead to fines or accidents. Study your local driving handbook thoroughly and practice applying these rules in real-life scenarios.

6. Panicking in Unfamiliar Situations

Driving in heavy traffic, adverse weather, or unfamiliar areas can be stressful for beginners. Panicking may cause rash decisions, such as sudden braking or erratic lane changes. Stay calm, plan your routes, and practice driving in varied conditions to build confidence.

7. Distracted Driving

Using a phone, adjusting the radio, or even chatting with passengers can divert a beginner driver’s attention from the road. Minimize distractions and focus solely on driving to ensure your safety and that of others.

8. Improper Parking Techniques

Parallel parking and reverse parking can be challenging for beginners. Practice these maneuvers in safe, open spaces to perfect your technique and avoid minor accidents or parking fines.

9. Neglecting Vehicle Maintenance

Beginner drivers often overlook the importance of regular vehicle maintenance. Check your tires, brakes, lights, and fluid levels regularly to prevent breakdowns and ensure your car operates safely.

10. Overconfidence or Nervousness

Striking a balance between confidence and caution is key. Overconfident drivers may take unnecessary risks, while overly nervous drivers may hesitate and cause disruptions. Practice regularly and seek guidance from a trusted instructor to build the right mindset.

How DOS Driving School Can Help

At DOS Driving School, we understand the challenges faced by beginner drivers. Our experienced instructors provide personalized lessons tailored to your needs, helping you master essential driving skills and avoid common mistakes. With our guidance, you’ll gain the confidence to drive safely and responsibly.

[0zzysaurus]

how does one go about making gifs? ive always wanted to try but i have no idea where to start.

Well the way I do them is super basic. I make no-nonsense gifs with minimal to no editing - but I suppose that’s helpful if you just want to get into making simple ones!

I do all of it on iPhone, so it’s gonna be iOS specific, but as long as you have a decent screen recorder on whatever device you’re using, you shouldn’t need to download any videos.

Downloading videos is mostly done to avoid quality drops if your wifi isn’t very good. I personally screen record all my clips because cannot tell the difference between gifs made from screen recorded videos versus downloaded videos, and I just don’t have the time/space to be downloading full videos that can be potentially two hours or more. Screen recording also helps you get around copyright problems if you’re trying to download videos from YouTube. It’s a personal preference thing and if people shit on you for screen recording then they need to get a life.

The first thing I do is find a movie/show that I want to select clips from. I’ll do a quick example with a shot from The Matchmaker (1958) because I could do with some gifs of that movie.

First thing I do is find it in the highest quality I can, put my phone on horizontal & full screen (so you can get the biggest resolution you possibly can) and record a reasonable sized segment I want to make gifs of. Have some buffer space so you’re not fiddling with pauses, and record long enough to maybe get one or two good gifs out of a few minutes of recording.

Once I’ve done that, I trim the video to just be the parts I want to make into a gif. Usually something between 2 and 7 seconds helps to keep the upload size for Tumblr below 10MB, but the more colours/higher the definition the bigger the file will be regardless of runtime, so be aware. Always save as a new clip so you can keep reusing your initial screen recording.

I’ve got three clips here I wanna make into gifs.

Now I go to the best website ever, ezgif to actually rotate (crop sometimes) and convert video into gifs. It’s 100% safe and a shit load better than the native iOS gif making tools.

I’m sure there are better ways of doing this with editing software on your computer, but a) I’m too lazy for that and this works just fine for making gifs for your blog, and b) you wanted a beginner tutorial and this is something fun you can play around with if shit like Adobe AE is too daunting/expensive.

You wanna click this option:

And then use the following settings (the seconds are just the maximum length of the clip I chose, feel free to play around with those to shorten your clip more if you didn’t quite get it accurate the first time.)

The size and frame rate options here WILL make the largest file option available, but it will look the best. Lower them if you are okay compromising quality for file size, or shorten your gif if you are okay compromising length for quality.

The fire size here is JUST under Tumblr’s file limit. 10.00MiB will always be too big for Tumblr. I find optimising a gif often makes the file size BIGGER 🙄 but try it if you want. There are a lot of decent options here for a simple gif tool :]] I’m just gonna quickly crop the black bars out.

To download it, I always hit the save button and open it in View so it’s in its own tab. Then I just save it from there.

And that’s how I do it :]]

[vidsquad]

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[nemrut]

Epic 7 Heroes: Vivian and Doll Maker Pearlhorizon

Gonna talk about those two, one a bit older and the other recently got a Special Connection change and with it a much needed boost.

Starting with Vivian

To my chagrin, I have slept on her for over a year. I got her when she was released but didn’t really use her except maybe as an ATK buffer for Banshee 11. And you can still do that with her. She doesn’t really need any molas for that. Just some speed to go first and she then buffs your whole team with immunity and ATK. But I wanted to use her for Banshee 13 and Azumaniak 13, so I needed to invest in her gear and S2. And she works great for those two. Granted, my Banshee 13 team does not work as of now but that’s not on Vivian. she does her job of clearing the first wave admirably. Similarly, she does great work with the first wave in Azumaniak and later on the two creeps which grant the boss def break. Granted, ideally she would have more crit chance but that’s the limit of my current gear atm.

Long story short, Vivian is insanely useful for both, PVP and PVE. The caveat there is that she is very stat hungry. She wants dmg, speed, crit chance and crit dmg. Luckily, she requires no effectiveness or effect resistance. HP and DEF she wants a bit but not really. She is not really a reliably opener for PVP, at least mine isn’t since 227 speed is not really fast in today's meta, where 300 speed monsters are running around. However, she is still reasonably fast on the Challenger level and she doesn’t really need to go first as I use her more for her cleaving potential against S. Tene teams.

Her S2 is her most important skill as she attacks the whole enemy team and if she killls anyone, she attacks again, albeit with a slightly weaker attack. If she kills someone again, she also attacks again. If you hit a def-broken non-tank or soul weaver, she is guaranteed to clean up the team considerably. The atk buff and immunity are of course also very important PVP buffs.

As for her Equipment, since mine is primarily a PVE Vivian who is speed tuned for one minute runs, I am using the one which increases her CR by 50% when she uses her S3 although the one which removes debuffs before using her S3 also has value if you know your Vivian is not super fast for PVP.

Artifact wise, well, she is a mage so she has a few options. At the moment, I am using Time Matter because it has a lot of synergy with her S2 as she gets a cooldown reduction of 1 turn and a boost to her atk whenever she kills someone, which can be more than once with her S2, so much so that she could cast her S2 next turn again. Since her S2 is rather strong, especially max skilled, Etica’s Scepter which also decreases her cooldown on it also has great value. Or you can increase her DMG or increase her crit chance. There are a few options.

So yeah, she does a lot of heavy lifting for hunt teams in various ways, serving as both a buffer and an aoe dmg dealer. Geared correctly, she can wreck teams in PVP but needs a bit of a set up for that. She won’t cleave through tanks but if the enemy team has a lot of debuffers or mages/thieves, Vivian can ruin them.

The second hero is an interesting case

DM Pearlhorizon is a bit of a weird unit. She hits surprisingly hard. Her S2 and S3 combo means that she has an 80% chance to sleep a whole team with her S2 and when she hits a single sleeping target with her S3, she does more dmg, she stuns it and def breaks it. If you soul burn the S3 for more damage, she deletes tanks like F. Ceci. Even if she doesn’t kill a unit, the stun plus def break combo means that whichever dmg dealer follows up on her turn will kill that unit.

That’s pretty dangerous, especially for a 3 star unit. Now, the bad part is that she also requires really good gear. My gear which you see is not that great, despite the high CP number. Because DM Pearlhorizon is a very stat hungry unit. She wants over 100% effectiveness in order to land her debuffs. She wants reasonable speed, which mine falls short on. I think she wants at least 180 speed. She wants high atk, crit chance and crit dmg to inflict dmg and she wants some HP and Def in order to survive well enough to take her turn. She wants basically everything and that difficult to provide. Especially if that gear is arguable better used by other units.

I have been using her with Vivian, Mui, Basar and Alencia. Basically, I have someone else go first and cleanse the enemy team of immunity and provide an attack buff to my team and then have DM Pearlhorizon follow up with her S2. The 80% sleep has had an oddly high successrate for me, which is enough to mess up someones strategy, especially if Mui can repeat the same thing when it is her turn. Basically, you want to keep the enemies stunned and pick them off one by one. That’s a lot of fun when that works but can be frustrating if you are outspeed or resisted.

Not sure she is a beginner unit, since she requires team set up and gear but when she works, she is fun. Her animation is pretty solid.

As for artifacts, I am honestly not sure what to giver her there. For now, I have been using Iela Violin in order to strip even better but that’s actually not a good pick. She could carry Tagahel for the team, Midnight Bloom for crit chance for the team, cursed compass to maximize the effectiveness for her turn 1 S2, Chatty to increase her survival chance, Black Hand for her own crit chance or something like portrait to do even more dmg. Think I will switch to a team benefit artifact at some point.

[financenfreelance]

Freelance Jobs You Can Easily Do on Your Phone 💜

What skills can you use to make a legit income freelancing on your phone?  Well listen up, dear reader, because I have the tea on making money on mobile devices. Let’s start this article on Freelance Jobs you can do on your phone!

Are you a freelance beginner wondering if you can work as a freelancer with JUST a smartphone?

I can’t even blame you for being curious.

Freelancers are self-employed, independent bad asses.

I know when I started, I was looking for every and any way to get started. And compared to the 9-5 struggle, freelancing is a dream.

Make money with your smartphone

There are so many advantages to freelancing, such as:

Flexible work hours. Forget waking up at 8am.  Wake up at 1pm, have a mountain dew, and get cracking at your own time.

Say yes or no to whomever you please. Are you tired of dealing with Susan’s continual BS but can’t get away? There are no Susan’s to deal with in freelance work, because you choose who you work with.

Control how much you get paid. You can charge people for trying to rush you. Increase your prices if the work is tougher. You are in total control.

You provide a service to others based on their skills. They don’t have to deal with bosses when it comes to their projects.

Freelancing is also fantastic for side hustlers who want to earn a part time income.

It can be done from anywhere, so those who work from home or dream to work in Starbucks can do so if they please.

But let’s get back to the point. You’re probably wondering:

Can I work as freelancer from a smartphone?

The short answer: yep.

Your phone is basically full-fledged computer.  With built-in tools like internet access, text processing, and access to millions of free and paid apps, there is no reason that you can’t do freelance work from your phone. That’s right. Make money with your smartphone.

Let’s not forget that you also the ability to easily communicate with clients.  You have 24/7 access to clients through phone call, video, text, or email. Disadvantages of Freelancing on Your Smartphone

But it would be just plain irresponsible for me to not let you know the disadvantages ahead of time so that you’re prepared.

Some disadvantages include:

Your phone screen is quite tiny compared to a laptop or desktop monitor. This can be a huge pain. That is especially the case or jobs that require more screen space or having multiple programs and windows open.

Your phone also simply doesn’t have the same processing power as a desktop or laptop.

Some software is a lot harder to work in on the mobile app version

Mobile can glitch and overheat a lot easier than traditional computers

The battery life of smartphones is not as good as laptop computers, and sometimes having to stop to charge will be a huge disadvantage in time crunch situations

Still, with that being said, I would not try to discourage someone who is trying to become a freelancer and doesn’t have the resources yet to purchase a computer. For more info on getting yourself together, check out How to Stay Organized as a Freelance Beginner

If you have a phone, you have enough to get started. And if you’re a freelance beginner, be sure to check out The Ultimate Freelance Guide for Beginners for info on how to get started with freelancing.

What freelance jobs can you do on your phone?

It’s easier now than ever to just simply work from your phone, depending on the type of services you wish to offer.

Social Media Manager

Virtual Assistant

Photographer / Videographer

Writer / Proofreader

Customer Support Rep

Secondary Researcher

Editor

1.  Social Media Manager

This seems like a natural place to start. One of the best freelance jobs to handle solely on your phone is a social media manager.

As a social media manager, you would be responsible for helping your client manage their online presence.  This would include posting, managing pages, improve content and engagement, and the like.  You would also be interacting with customers and members.

Don’t forget, your client’s main objective will probably be to grow their following and increase their reach.

Ultimately, if you have excellent communication skills, and know about trends, hashtags, and follows this could be great for you!

Apps you might use for this job

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Snapchat

YouTube

Pinterest

Tumblr

Discord

Google Sheets, Slides and Docs

Management platforms like Tailwind, Planoly, Buffer, and Hootsuite

2. Virtual Assistant

So, what does a virtual assistant do?

In short, they pretty much do what regular assistants do. As one, you are going to be perform a variety of tasks that a client will need done, like making appointments or calls, sending emails, and creating reports.

You’ll be providing administrative services to your clients.

If you are good at following instructions and can also think on your feet, this can be a great job for you! If you have past customer service experience, it’ll be even better!

Because of unique specialties, tasks, and niches, this could be one of the highest paying jobs you can do freelancing if you work it out properly.

Apps you might use for this job

Google Sheets, Slides and Docs

Microsoft Office

Quip

Microsoft To Do

Calendars

Plus, anything niche related for your clients.

3. Photography and Videography

This choice will require you to get creative. Literally.

But with how amazing the camera specs are on phones these days; it is increasingly easy to create beautiful photos and videos from your phone.

Capture photos for your clients of needed people, places, and things. Those who are very detail-oriented and have a keen eye would be great for this freelancing profession.

Important: Make sure you are used to and okay with critique of your artwork.

If you have a decent lighting method, knowledge of and an eye for composition, and a will, you can definitely make legit money creating freelance photography for clients.

Apps you might use for this job

Camera App on your phone

Adobe Lightroom CC

Instagram

Dropbox

VSCO

Snapseed

Mextures

TouchRetouch

Afterlight 2

4. Writer or Proofreader

Freelance writing has exploded over the years and for good reason.  People are reading tweets, articles, books, ads, and everything under the sun.  Everything the light touches was written by somebody… so why not you?

So, if you enjoy writing, the demand is exceptional, and the time is now.  Overall, this can be perfect for you if you’re willing to put in the work.

There are also so many specialties to go into!

Article Writer

Content writer

Copywriting

eBook Ghostwriter

Editor

Niche writer

Proofreader

Social Media writer

….and so many more!

Apps you might use for this job

Google Docs

Microsoft Office

Grammarly

Dropbox

Evernote

Trello

Gmail

5. Customer Service

Freelancer Describes Customer Support jobs perfectly on their site:

“Customer Support refers to the services offered to customers before or after they buy products or services. Customer Support can refer to contacting the support centers of a business by phone, fax, email or live chat system. Then the customer support agents help the customer with a technical problem or general query by pointing him or her to the appropriate help pages or resources. “

Overall, to be a good candidate, you should be good at typing, research, and communication with others.  Also, you will need a lot of patience to be successful, as this job can get stressful. With all of this being said, it can still be a great way to make money with your smartphone.

Apps you might use for this job

Phone App Software

Gmail

Outlook

Microsoft Office

Grammarly

6. Secondary Researcher

Some companies cannot put in the time to do their own research.  That is where you come in.

As a secondary researcher, you can perform market research, competitor research, review statistics, or analyze trends.

So, this choice would be great for someone who is very organized, analytical minded, and curious. If you love to read and are you competent at putting together reports of your findings, then a secondary researcher job may be for you!

Apps you might use for this job

Google Docs

Microsoft Office

Instapaper

Grammarly

Dropbox

Evernote

Trello

Gmail

Recommended Article: Freelancing Tips For Beginners: What I Learned My First Year

7. Editor / Proofreader

Do typos, grammatical errors, and subject-verb disagreements bother you to no end?

If so… I’m surprised that you’ve made it this far in my article and I’m so sorry for mistakes that may have offended you.

But still, as I’ve said above, written content is on the rise.  And nothing is perfect on the first, second, and in my case, third written draft.

Still, you can earn legit coin if you have a critical eye and skills in proofreading. All of this being said, this can be a great freelance job you can do on your phone.

Apps you might use for this job

Google Docs

Microsoft Office

Instapaper

Grammarly

Dropbox

Evernote

Trello

Gmail

Read my story on why I started freelancing and how I went from broke to $1000 a week.

More Posts on Freelance Success

Freelance Skills You Can Learn in a Week

Freelancing Tips For Beginners: What I Learned My First Year

How to Set Goals for Your Freelancing Business

How to Stand Out as A New Freelancer

6 Tough Lessons Learned From Freelancing For 6 Years

Advice For Freelance Beginners

How To Start Freelancing for Beginners (2021)

How to Start Freelancing While Working Full Time (2021 Guide)

Best Paying Freelance Jobs to Start Now (2021)

Freelance Jobs You Can Easily Do on Your Phone

How to Stay Organized as a Freelance Beginner

Mistakes You’re Making on Your Freelance Portfolio

Quick Guide to Setting Freelance Goals in 2021

The Ultimate Freelance Guide for Beginners

[offersdunia]

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[agilenano]

Agilenano - News: Because your home is now your workplace, gym, coffee shop, and primary care facility, you’ll need to keep it in good working order.

Under normal circumstances, “honey-do” lists and “weekend warrior” projects often get pushed aside by the daily grind. But in this bizarre new pandemic reality, that grind has ground to a halt. If there’s an upside, it’s that you have both time and incentive to knock out some of those around-the-house chores you may have put off. We spoke to a project manager and lead carpenter with a home remodeling business to find out what projects anyone can do to keep their homes in tip-top shape. And don’t worry if DYI isn’t your thing. Not only are these 11 tips easy for most anyone, but we even included a simple list of beginner tools to help build an essential toolkit you can be proud of. 11 Easy & Essential Home Maintenance Projects We spoke with John Wagner, a partner and project manager at the Twin Cities-based Waxwing Woodworking Inc. He identified 11 projects every homeowner should do to keep their house running efficiently and safely. And if you’re a renter, you can still check these things and let your landlord know. And while Wagner said you could easily get all these done during these social distancing mandates — some take as little as 30 seconds — at the very least, you could use this time to check all the items and make a plan for the next couple months. 1. Change your home air filter Filters should be changed monthly, and you should always have a spare one on hand. If you don’t, check the filter size and head on down to your friendly neighborhood filter (hardware/home improvement) store and pick up a bulk pack. Unless you have acute sensitivities to specific particulates, a filter with a “MERV” rating of 5 to 8 will be fine. A higher MERV rating will trap finer particles, but at some cost to the efficiency of your furnace. If you’re not sure what filter to use with your system, check the service manual or give a local heating contractor a call. Once you have the new filter, remove the old one and replace it, taking care to orient the filter for the direction of airflow. If you don’t have the size of the filter and direction of airflow written on your filter cover, now’s a good time to bust out the marker and get that done. 2. Clean gutters, check downspouts Take a walk around the perimeter of your house and check your gutters and downspouts. If you didn’t clean your gutters after the leaves fell last year, get to work. But don’t just leave that crap on the ground! (More on that later.) Downspouts should extend a minimum of 5 feet from the foundation to keep water from working its way into your basement. If you have a finished basement, a nice, long downspout could wind up saving you a ton of money. Most basement moisture problems arise from bulk water intrusion caused by bad slope and drainage. If your soil doesn’t slope away from your house (6 inches over 10 feet), that’s a major issue to address. Quick note: If you live in a cold climate, you should have a dehumidifier running from spring through fall (especially if you have a finished basement). 3. Prep garden, remove yard matter near your house Once you’ve thrown all your gutter goo onto the ground, pick it up. Rake up the old, decaying stuff from around the house so that soil isn’t building up against the house. If you put mulch around the house, it’s good to maintain 6 inches of clearance below the siding, especially if your siding material is a wood or wood composite. Personally, I like a 12- to 18-inch bed of crushed rock or gravel between the foundation and plants. That buffer will help prevent moisture and pests from working into the house. Plus, this is also a great time to plan for your vegetable garden. If the soil has thawed enough where you are, mix in some compost, and you’ll be ready to plant when the weather allows. Finally, now’s a great time for tree trimming. If you’re up to it and can do it safely, trim away dead or decaying branches and manage the growth of fruit trees. The University of Minnesota Extension has excellent resources for managing trees and gardening. 4. Clean air-conditioning coils First, you’ll want to clear away any plant growth around the condenser. Hook up your hose and decide how clean you want the condenser. You can either take the cover off (be sure to flip the breaker off inside) and clean from the inside out, or you can spray from the outside with the cover still on. Either way, spray at a downward angle until clean. If you’ve removed the cover to clean, you should be really proud of yourself — unless you damage the thin aluminum fins by folding them over. 5. Vacuum refrigerator coils Carefully walk out your refrigerator and start suckin’! Pull off the cover on the front that overlaps the wheels and vacuum that out. At the back of the fridge, vacuum the coils and motor. (No need to look behind the fridge, there’s definitely nothing there. Nope.) Just slide the fridge back. Be sure the fridge has an inch or so of clearance above it to allow warm air to escape. 6. Check siding for holes or other entrances for vermin, seal them If you had any winter guests this year, now’s a good time to check around the house to see how they got in. Start by following #3 above. Then, check for holes in the siding, gaps below the last course of siding (could be loose bricks or cracked stucco), or gaps that might have formed in your soffits. You can fix most means of ingress with better landscaping, steel wool, a good-quality caulk, or spray foam. Now, if you had squirrels or raccoons get into your attic through holes in your soffit or fascia, you might want to call a contractor. 7. Summerize snowblower, prep lawnmower for season If you’re not expecting more snow, get your snowblower ready to hibernate. Remove the fuel that’s in it and empty the fuel into a safe storage container (you can dump the fuel from the snowblower into your gas can). Don’t be a jerk neighbor and run your snowblower for 2 hours to burn off the fuel. Also, get some fuel stabilizer and pour that into your gas can before filling it up with gas. Next, clean up your snowblower. Lubricate any parts that move, pull the spark plug, and get a bit of oil worked through the motor by pulling the cord a couple of times. You might as well check to see if your augur blade is worn down or damaged; the same goes for the scraper blade. As for the lawnmower, if it ran well the year before, you should be able to fuel it up and get it going. If not, it’s generally a simple procedure to pull and clean the carburetor, replace the spark plug, and complete an oil change. Now, if you’re feeling frisky, you can check and sharpen the mower blade. Disconnect the spark plug, flip the mower, and remove the blade (you’ll need a wrench). Clamp the blade in a vise or clamp it to a sturdy table. With an angle grinder and a sanding pad, give the blade a few passes at a 30-degree angle. If you’re left with a rough burr on the back side of the edge, knock it off with a few passes of a file. If you don’t have an angle grinder, you can use a sharpening stone or a file, but it takes much longer. 8. Check washing machine filter, clean dryer vent This one is pretty straightforward. First, check your washer’s manual on how to clean the filter. It will probably say something smug, like, “Clean this filter monthly.” But there’s another inlet filter that’s also super easy to clean. Turn off the water supply, disconnect the hose, and remove any particulates. This is an especially important task if you have older, galvanized supply lines in your home. Cleaning the dryer vent is super important, too. First of all, your vent should be a rigid pipe, and the joints should be lapped so that lint isn’t accumulating at the edges. Disconnect the pipe from the dryer (just pull, and you might have to cut some tape) and check the vent on the dryer. Clear or dirty? Any toys in there? Next, take a look into the pipe. Slide a vacuum hose up there with a brush attachment. Now, head outside to the dryer’s exhaust port. On the outside of the house, check to see if the damper closes smoothly or if lint has accumulated there and was letting freezing-cold air into your house all winter. Clean it. Reattach the pipe and re-tape those joints with a quality foil tape. If you have a flexible vent pipe, switch to a rigid pipe. Rigid pipe will vent more efficiently, trap less lint, and is overall safer. 9. Check carbon monoxide and smoke detectors Test ‘em all! Change the batteries. If any of the units are old, replace them. Many new units come with sealed batteries and are good for 10 years. You should have a minimum of one smoke and one carbon monoxide (CO) detector on each floor, a smoke detector inside and outside of each bedroom, and a CO detector within 10 feet of each bedroom and sleeping area. 10. Upgrade your thermostat Get and install a smart thermostat. Personally, I like the ecobee. Chances are that your energy provider offers some kind of rebate, which will offset some of the initial cost. It proved super easy to install in my home, even though I didn’t have a C-wire. The savings started immediately, the unit is super intuitive and functional, it looks nice, and the sensors prioritize heating and cooling occupied spaces. Why do it? Because a super-easy way to save money and energy, as well as limit emissions, is to not be such an energy hog. Sign up for off-peak energy and adjust your thermostat settings so that your house is 65 degrees in the winter and 76 degrees in the summer. Some people may require different temps for health reasons, but your house doesn’t have to be 70 degrees all year ’round. 11. Check water heater The more adventurous among you may want to try a little water heater maintenance. Three things to do here: Check the pressure relief valve, check/replace the sacrificial anode, and flush the water heater. Testing the pressure relief valve will get a bit of scalding-hot water on the floor. So wear sturdy shoes. This one is better to watch — I recommend the trove of good info on the This Old House channel on YouTube. This is really a show, don’t tell fix. Check out some of the channel’s videos below. Temperature and pressure relief valve: Sacrificial anode: Flush water heater: Bonus: Start a home savings account The best way to save money is to actively save money. So if you have the luxury right now, you could start a savings account for your home. A good rule of thumb is to save 1.5-2% of your home’s value every year. If some of the systems in the house aren’t in great shape or are older, save a little more. For some perspective, a full replacement of a forced-air furnace and AC condenser can easily run up to $10,000 or more. Basic Toolkit for Home Maintenance To tackle most home improvement projects, you’ll need some rudimentary tools. Here’s a list of tools you should have on hand to tackle common DIY tasks: Home DIY Toolkit Hammer Phillips, flathead, or interchangeable-head screwdrivers Electric drill with bit kit and driver bits Tape measure Utility knife Pliers Adjustable wrench Small handsaw Voltage detector Wire nuts Wire cutters Safety glasses and ear protection Level (32″) Electrical, Teflon, duct, and painter’s tape Allen keys Small socket set Small pry bar Rags Pencils, sharpies The post 11 Simple Home Projects to Bang Out During Quarantine appeared first on GearJunkie. #Coronavirus #Lifestyle

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/because-your-home-is-now-your-workplace-gym-coffee-shop-and-primary-care-facility-you-ll-need-to-keep-it-in-good-working-order-1

[sujaykworld]

16 Top Tips from Blogging Experts for Beginners https://ift.tt/2oCF3RZ

16 Top Tips from Blogging Experts for Beginners

I’ve heard blogging referred to a couple of times recently as a mixture between an art and a science. If this is true (and I think it is), there’s no ‘right way’ to approach blogging if you want to be successful. There are plenty of people who’ve done a great job of it though, and I thought it would be useful to learn from them.

These 16 bloggers shared one important tip each for blogging beginners. No doubt, even if you’re not a beginner these tips will probably prove to be useful.

1.       Get ideas from your audience

Create blog posts that answer the most interesting questions from people you engage with on social media.

This can be a great way to gather ideas of what topics people would most like to read about, which will help your blog grow! One of the best ways I’ve seen this in action is through blog comments or Tweets. In one example, here on FastCompany a lot of people requested a post that features more women entrepreneurs:

Now, a few weeks later adding such an article where just women contributed and built great businesses was a big hit:

2.       Understand your audience

Understand your audience better than they understand themselves. It takes a lot of upfront research, and often means being a member of the very tribe you’re trying to lead – but it pays off.

Understanding your audience better means you’ll have a better idea of what blog content will resonate with them, which is a good start when you get to writing blog posts.

A great technique for doing this is to simply ask your readers first on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn with an engaging quote. If people respond well to it, than this is probably a great topic to write about. An example for this comes from Andrew Chen who famously “tests” his blogpost ideas on Twitter first.

And so does Joel here at Buffer. Take this example from a recent Twitter post of his, where he simply tweeted one quote to see how well people liked a topic before he blogged about it:

3.       Write for yourself first

Write for yourself first & foremost. Ignore the fact that anyone else will read what you write; just focus on your thoughts, ideas, opinions and figure out how to put those into words. Write it and they will come.

Adii’s experience in writing for himself firstly has made a difference to his blog in ways he didn’t expect:

Yes, since I’ve been writing for myself, I’ve found that I write more and I publish more often. I think though that the main reason for that is that I don’t decide whether to publishing something based on the traction / reception that the post will receive within my audience; instead if I want to publish something, I do so. For myself.

4.       Build your email list

Start building your email list from day one. Even if you don’t plan on selling anything, having an email list allows you to promote your new content to your audience directly without worrying about search rankings, Facebook EdgeRank, or other online roadblocks in communications.

When you’re asking readers to sign up for your email list, you might want to try experimenting with different language. Willy Franzen found that his subscription rate jumped 254% higher when he changed his call-to-action from “subscribe by email” to “get jobs by email”:

Using this phrase more clearly tells Willy’s readers what they’re signing up for, which clearly worked well!

5.       Love your existing readers

Love the readers you already have. A lot of bloggers get quite obsessed with finding new readers – to the point that they ignore the ones they already have. Yes – do try to find new readers but spend time each day showing your current readers that you value them too and you’ll find that they will help you grow your blog.

Focusing on your readers is a great way to get to know them better (see tip #2). I love the way Daniel Burstein describes blog readers’ expectations of you as a blogger:

A blog is really two things. One, simply a piece of technology, a platform. But, two, it is a promise in the minds of most readers, who expect that the blog should have actual content with some elements of value that is hyper-targeted to their needs. Much like with a newspaper. Readers don’t just look at a newspaper as newsprint that is delivered on their driveway every morning. They look at it as valuable information about their city, where they live, and the things that they do.

6.       Focus on building an amazing call-to-action

I screwed up for years. I’d blog and blog. Some of my posts were doing very well on places like Hacker News, but I had such hard time getting return visitors. And very few people bothered to follow me on Twitter.

Don’t rely on people to do the work to find your Twitter account. Don’t rely on them to do the work to find your details in a sidebar. People are blind to sidebars. Thanks banner ads!

Finish your blog post with some kind of call to action to signup for an email list or follow you on Twitter. When I started doing this, I immediately increased my Twitter followers by 335% in the first 7 days.

Nate Kontny, founder of Draft

Nate uses a simple call-to-action on his blog now, that looks like this:This particular technique we’ve also tested here on the Buffer blog and found it to work amazingly well to bring attention to other blog posts we’ve written, like this:or to Buffer product features, like this:

7.       Give stuff away

Give away free content that adds value to people’s lives “until it hurts” and they will love you and become loyal fans.

Jeff Bullas, blogger and author of Blogging the Smart Way

A great example of this is the research done by Incentivibe, who found that adding a giveaway contest pop-up to the bottom-right of their website led to 125% more email subscribers.

8.       Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important things that bloggers tend to forget. It’s much easier to lose your traffic than it is to build it up, so make sure you consistently blog.

A study by Hubspot showed that consistent blogging actually leads to higher subscriber growth rates:

Over a two-month span, businesses that published blog entries on a regular basis (more than once a week) added subscribers over twice as fast as those companies that added content once a month.

9.       Give away your knowledge

Don’t be afraid to showcase what you know. Too many bloggers hold back the good stuff out of fear of giving away the “secret sauce.” There is no secret sauce in a world where everyone has high speed Internet access at all times. Today, you want to give away information snacks to sell knowledge meals.

Jay’s advice is to share the knowledge you have, rather than keeping it tucked away for a rainy day. Chris Guillebeau follows this advice by offering two free, downloadable PDFs to his readers. Chris also does what Jay calls giving away “information snacks to sell knowledge meals.” On both of the free PDF download pages, Chris markets his book on the right-hand side.

10.   Be true to your voice

Stay true to yourself and your voice. People don’t care to follow sites so much as they care to follow people.

Another blogger who advocates the importance of the writer’s voice is Jeff Goins. He says that your voice is the most important, yet over-looked part of blogging:

Writing isn’t about picking the right topic; it’s about finding the right voice. What matters, what readers really resonate with, isn’t so much what you say, but how.

11.   Give it time – This is why

Plan to invest in blogging for a long time before you see a return. The web is a big, noisy place and unless you’re willing to invest more over a greater period of time than others, you’ll find success nearly impossible. If you’re seeking short-term ROI, or a quick path to recognition, blogging is the wrong path. But if you can stick it out for years without results and constantly learn, iterate, and improve, you can achieve something remarkable.

Rand shared these great images with us from his wife’s travel blog, Everywhereist, which shows just how long it can take to see a return on your efforts:

12.   Give your email list priority

If you’re blogging to create a business, a movement, or to support a cause, then you need to build an email list. It’s not an option. I don’t even consider my blog to be my community, my email list is my community. Caring about these people, writing for them, and delivering value to them should be your number one goal.

When the New York Public Library focused on growing email subscription rates, this simple home page design with information about what readers could expect to receive boosted numbers by 52.8% over a more complicated version with less information about the actual newsletter:

13.   Write catchy headlines

No matter how great your content is, it won’t matter unless you have an amazing headline. People have a split second to decide if they should click on your post, and your headline will make them decide. The headline is also essential in making it easy and desirable for people to share your post. Keep your headlines SPUB: simple, powerful, useful and bold.

Something we do at Buffer is to test several different headlines for each of our blog posts to determine which ones works best. Here’s an example of what that might look like:You can read more about this particular approach in more depth here: A scientific guide to writing great headlines on Twitter, Facebook and your Blog

14.   Be Yourself

There isn’t one specific set of rules to be successful in blogging. When I started blogging, I had the opportunity to learn from experienced and successful bloggers in the industry. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from them is to simply be me. I didn’t have to be too “professional” or use “big words” to impress others. I had to simply be me.

By being me, I enjoyed writing and the process more. It had me writing more than I usually would too. If you look at the the most successful writers like Seth Godin and Chris Brogan you’ll notice that they are different and unique in their own ways.

Aaron Lee, social media manager, entrepreneur and blogger

Moz CEO Rand Fishkin agrees that telling your company’s story is important, as opposed to following a formula for successful blogging:

Emotion and storytelling have been part of how we communicate with each other and inspire action for thousands of years.

15.   Keep it short

Biggest lesson I learned in my past year of blogging. Keep it in the 1–2 minutes read-time length.

Working out the best length for your blog posts can be tricky. You generally need about 300 words minimum to get indexed by search engines, but otherwise the length of your post is up to what you think feels best.

Derek Sivers noticed recently that his shorter posts were much better received by readers and seemed to be shared more, unlike his longer posts:

16.   Make it worth referencing – here is how:

One thing I always try to keep in mind before publishing a post is would anyone want to “cite” this for any reason? Just like interesting research is great because it leaves you with a fascinating finding or an idea, I like for my posts to be the same. That doesn’t mean relying on research, but simply making sure each post has an original lesson or actionable item, making it “citable” on the web.

When writing a post, I get into a mindset to answer just this 1 question with a Yes: “Would anyone email this article to a friend?”

It’s an extremely simple proposition. Yet, it has changed my writing completely. If I put myself into a reader’s head going through a post and seeing whether someone will say “Oh, this is interesting, John will really like this”, then I go ahead and publish it. It’s almost like an invisible threshold to pass. I need to improve the post until this level is reached. I will iterate, find more research, get more examples, until I can truly imagine this happening.

https://ift.tt/2nKqITm

[canvaalternatives]

CANVA ALTERNATIVES: 11 MORE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT DESIGN TOOLS IN 2019

Canva is one of the best social media graphic design tools on the web.

It has an active community of over 10 million users worldwide and one of the most popular uses for Canva is social media content design.

But is Canva the only useful graphic editing tool for social media marketers?

To help you save a bunch of time discovering and researching tools, we’ve shortlisted a handful of Canva alternatives here.

11 of the best Canva alternatives for 2019

1. Easil

The first Canva alternative on our list is Easil.

Easil has a very similar feature set to Canva, providing a range of templates to get you started on your marketing collateral and online content. Though despite having templates, Easil doesn’t have quite as many options as Canva, but if you have a keen eye for design this isn't a huge issue.

Features:

Resizing tools

A range of templates

Text and graphic options

Upload your own files

Edit layouts and layers of each design

Favourite your most used graphics and files

Easil allows you to add graphics, stock images, your own images, text effects, all within the Free plan. One of the killer features that separates Easil from other tools is the layer abilities each design has, allowing the editor to modify each layer without having to move and shuffle each design, which is something that many Canva users struggle with.

One of the aspects that makes Easil different from Canva is its design assist service allowing users to get assistance from a professional designer to help them take their designs to the next level all — this is extremely useful for those looking to keep to brand guidelines, color ranges and more.

The Free plan is similar to Canva's offering, but prices for Premium plans start from $9 per month, versus Canva’s $12 per month.

Pros:

Creating and managing layers

Professional assist services (paid service)

Cons:

Product design and UI feels a little uninspiring  

Lack of attractive templates

2. Pablo

Developed by the team at Buffer, Pablo aims to help you create engaging images for your social media accounts.

If you’ve heard of Buffer before, it’s most likely because you use their social media scheduling software or have heard of others using it, so you know this tool is coming from a good home.

Pablo is super simple, with the following features that users can access for free:

Stock image collection

Upload image abilities

Basic font and canvas design

Image size selection optimized for social media platforms

Filters

Branding/logo upload

Export and share direct to Social media platforms with Buffer

Pablo doesn't quite have a feature set as full as Canva, but for those looking for nothing-but-the-basics, Pablo will serve you well.

The speedy nature of creation is one of Pablo’s top features that many people enjoy  — within 30 seconds of arriving at Pablo you could have your image exported and ready to publish. Pablo is also built with the ideal social media image sizes in mind.

Another notable feature is you don’t need to sign-in to an account to use this tool. Though this can also be seen as a negative as your work is stored on tools like Easil and Canva. Pablo is really ideal for beginners and a good starting point for short and sweet social media posts.

Pros:

Perfect for speedy social media  posts

No login required

Cons:

Limited fonts and graphics

You're unable to save your work and revisit at a later time

3. Fotor

A veteran of the online design space, Fotor, launched in 2012.

It specialises in creating collages for your social media channels, with a range of high-quality custom templates for collage-based designs.

Fotor includes the following features:

A collection of customisable templates

Photo editing effects, re-touching and more

Stickers to add to any graphic or template

iOS and Android applications for on-the-go editing

Whilst Fotor does allow you to design your own designs, it is more suitable for social media managers looking to create photo-based graphics, and enhance images (for example event photos, customer testimonials).

Pros:

Windows and Mac Applications

HDR photo editing options

The iOS and Android application for mobile photo editing

Cons:

Lacks precision Editing

4. Pixlr

Pixlr, like Fotor, is designed mainly for editing photos. Pixlr is one of the more advanced tools for editing images and unlike Canva, you won’t be getting a host of templates to kick your journey off, so you might need a bit of design knowledge to get the most out of this tool.

Pixlr offers the following features:

Advanced image editing

Canvas layering and styling

Adjustments for Balance, colors and Fonts

A good library of filtering options

The Pixlr editor is free to use and it also offers Pro options (starting at $5/month) that enable users to import and edit PSD templates.

Pros:

Detailed Photo Editing

Tools for Layering and Styling

Cons:

Lack Guides and Tutorials

Too many tools for basic social media graphics

5. Vectr

Vectr is a free online graphic editor with a lot of freedom. Unlike Canva, Vectr prides itself on an open plan editing experience giving users total creative freedom like you'd experience with design software like Photoshop or Sketch.

Features:

Add shapes

Edit layers

Add text and upload graphics

Sharing links for designs

Shadowing and effects

Custom image dimensions

One of the standout features is the ability to share URLs for your designs. This is perfect for checking with team members and getting feedback on your work.

You can download Vectr for Windows, Linux, Chromebook and design on Web too. If you’re looking for a desktop-grade design, with freedom to use on the web from any computer, Vectr could be the perfect tool for you. .

Pros:

Vector image export

Design URL sharing

Cons:

Lack of templates

Small editor window

6. PicMonkey

Another veteran of the design space, PicMonkey has been a favourite of social media managers since the early days of Instagram.

PicMonkey specialises in photo editing and collages. Unlike Fotor and Pixlr, PicMonkey allow you to edit using templates from the get go. The designs are perfect for social media managers, light and easy to use allowing you to adjust many of the photo elements and even add graphics and text to any image.

PicMonkey features include:

Image editing

Upload and add graphics

Add a range of text and banners

Add filters and new styles

Once you have an account with PicMonkey, you get access to your own hub to organize your templates, plan your graphics and find inspiration. PicMonkey is one of the closest experiences to Canva, allowing basic editing of graphics for social media images too.

Pros:

Range of templates and fonts

iOS and Android apps

Cons:

Clunky editor

7. Crello

Always highly recommended on Product Hunt, Crello is a favourite of many social media managers. It delivers a basic but easy-to-use graphic editor for social media posts, with many other useful features:

A range of free and paid-for templates

Upload for your own media and files

Optional animations for GIF and MP4 exports

A host of text options for uploading banners

Crello includes an inspiration section too, allowing you to start creating graphics for occasions and events. For example, if you’re looking to create your own Valentines Day Facebook post, you’ll find some great examples there.

Pros:

A strong collection of graphics and text

Plenty of Pro templates (if you upgrade)

Cons:

Many of the basic abilities are locked under PRO account

8. BeFunky

Very similar to PicMonkey, BeFunky allows social media managers to design from templates. With BeFunky you have plenty of ways to edit your photos whilst retaining the originality of the image.

BeFunky includes many features that will impress social media managers:

Add graphics, text and photos to your scene

Advanced photo-editing (lots locked under PRO)

Use a range of templates to start off your images

BeFunky is a very good option for social media designers and could also help you create other marketing collateral like posters and flyers too. It's strong when it comes to photo editing as well.

Pros:

A range of photo-editing tools

Photo batching for exporting photos

Cons:

More suitable for photo-editing than design

9. Piktochart

Piktochart is a favourite for marketers that love infographics but it's also handy for designing social media posts. This online editor allows you to turn simple information into easy-to-consume graphics with plenty of color. It also has a number of templates to work with.  

Piktochart will enable you and your team to:

Create high-quality infographics

Use a range of templates to get started

Develop engaging content for your audience

Add your own data, charts and banners

Export in PDF, PNG and many other formats

The editor is surprisingly easy-to-use and with 32 million charts and infographics created on Piktochart, it’s becoming very popular.  

Pros:

Perfect for infographics/charts

Designs are highly-shareable

Cons:

Lacks tools for creating basic graphics

10. Visme

Visme is great alternative to Canva. It allows you to create presentation-like graphics for showcasing data or information to your social media audience.

What does Visme offer?

Creation of presentations and infographics

Upload your own images, text and files

Add stats, figures and diagrams

Add your own themes and backgrounds

Export as Powerpoint, PNG, PDF files

Visme prides itself on data visualization and isn’t as packed with templates like Crello and Canva. This is the ideal tool for creating nice, data-focused graphics for your audience.

Pros:

Perfect for LinkedIn content and B2B audiences

Optimised for learning and thought leadership

Cons:

A little clunkier to use than tools like Canva and Crello

11. Animaker

Want to take your content to the level?

Many social media marketers are looking for ways to boost engagement with moving image-based content and Animaker provides you with a simple way to create animated graphics and GIFs for social media.  

Here are some of its features:

Animate your own GIFs

Add characters and graphics

Bring a social media post to life

Add text and audio to tell the story

Animaker could take a little more time than using a static image creator (like the tools listed above) but if you have the additional 30-minutes or want to experiment with animated graphics it could be worth your effort.

Remember: Video and moving image content performs better on social than many other formats of content. With video surpassing blogging in 2018 as the most engaging format of media online. (Hubspot, 2018).

Pros:

Engaging short animations and infographics

Optimised for vertical video creation

Cons:

Lacks hundreds of templates and themes

Can be time-consuming for social media managers

Why so many people love Canva?

All of these recommendations are great Canva alternatives, but Canva is also a really well crafted tool — and one that many people recommend for creating social media content.

It has so many wonderful features that make it a great fit for social media managers. Including:

A high-quality library of templates

All the social media dimensions and document sizes

A range of fonts, colors, graphics and frames.

Upload storage for all your files and graphics

Export abilities including PDF, PNG, JPEG and many more.

Saving your company’s brand guidelines

Sharing abilities with other team members

And many more features that excite social media creators

What are your favorite social media design tools and Canva alternatives? Let us know in the comment section right now!

This post originally appeared at https://blog.sociallyin.com/canva-alternatives

[savetopnow]

2018-03-12 19 SOCIAL MEDIA now

SOCIAL MEDIA

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How to Create Engaging Short Videos for Social Media (Including 7 Excellent Examples)

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How to Gain a Massive Following on Instagram: 10 Proven Tactics To Grow Followers and Engagement

Why LinkedIn Groups Can Be Great for Businesses (and How to Create a Successful One)

10 Ways Universities Can Use Facebook to Market to and Connect With Students

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Social Media Statistics 2018: What You Need to Know

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Why You Need to Be at Social Media Marketing World 2018

Grow Your Influence on Baaz with News and Content Curation

Twitter Lists: Everything You Need to Know to Dominate

Hootsuite Blog

8 Ways to Make Your Social Media Channels More Gender Inclusive

How to Create a Facebook Business Page in 8 Easy Steps

WhatsApp Marketing for Business: A Guide to Getting Started

The Best Time to Post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Hootsuite’s Very Prestigious (and Totally Arbitrary) Instagram “Awards” for 2018

Mike Gingerich

The Advantages of Corporate Video in Marketing

How to Work Smarter and not Harder

Twitter and Facebook Updates for March 8th

A Review of Sync.com File Sharing

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Updates for March 1st

Peg Fitzpatrick

Five Things You Should Know About Pinterest Traffic

How to Create a Business You Love

Here’s What Industry Insiders Say About Copycats

How to Build a Team Like a Pro

How to Master Blogging Skills And Be Successful

Reddit Social Media

Ezra Firestone - Smart Google Traffic

What did you wish you knew?

How can I find YouTube/Instagram/Twitter tech influencers with 10-15k following?

Tool to respond or communicate to Instagram users

Youtube likes / dislikes.

Social Media Examiner

How to Brand Your Mobile Facebook Live Streams

YouTube Adds New Live-Streaming Tools and Features

Personal Branding: How to Create and Market Yourself

The Final Ascent: The Journey, Episode 20

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Social Media Explorer

The Most Overlooked Email Marketing Strategies of 2018

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Boost Your Productivity With These Tips

Nathan Pirtle’s Epic Path to Digital Marketing Stardom

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Mike Allton Joins Agorapulse As Brand Evangelist

A Comprehensive Guide To Content Marketing Metrics And How To Measure Them

How To Increase Instagram Engagement In 3 Easy Steps

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Social Media Today

SEO for Beginners: How to Choose & Use Keywords for Higher Rankings [Infographic]

Lessons Learned from Brands That Got it All Wrong on Social Media

The (Real) Impact of Popups, Overlays, and Interstitials on SEO

Pinterest Releases New Data on How the Platform Influences Purchase Behavior [Infographic]

Facebook's Announced a New Agreement with Warner Music, Expanding their Audio Options

Social Media Week

7 Ways to Segment Your Social Media Audiences

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The Social Selling Landscape in EU vs USA

What’s Hot & What’s Not: Twitter Marketing Strategies in 2018

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Top 10 Digital Marketing Blogs, Podcasts & YouTube Channels to Follow

Unmasking Fake Twitter Followers, Social Media Fraud & Fake Profiles

[godlivesandloves]

Nikon Z 5 Review: Full-frame But Too Slow

“The Nikon Z 5 would be a great entry-level full-frame camera if not for its unreliable low light autofocus and slow burst speed.”

Read More : Buy Best Camera

Good image quality

Compact

Affordable

Dual SD Slots

Slow low light autofocus

Inconsistent autofocus in mixed/low light

Slow 4.5 fps burst mode

As the race for full-frame mirrorless settles from a sprinter’s pace to a marathon, camera lineups are getting more varied — and less expensive. The Nikon Z 5 is the company’s most affordable full-frame camera currently on the market, less expensive than even the aging D610 DSLR. The Nikon Z 5, priced at $1,400 or $1,700 with a kit lens, mixes the size, ergonomics, stabilization, and even most of the image quality of the company’s pricier Z 6. In fact, the Z 5 even offers an upgrade the Z 6 and Z 7 don’t offer — dual SD card slots.

The entry-level designation, however, introduces a few significant cut features from the pricier models. Speed is significantly slashed, 4K video can only be captured with a crop, and the design isn’t quite as rugged. The question is, does the Nikon Z 5 offer enough to drop $1,400 on? Dubbed as a camera for “more than just photographers,” who is the Z 5 best for?

I spent almost two weeks trying out the Z 5 to see where the entry-level full-frame stands. In that time, I believe that the Nikon Z 5 showed itself to be a good entry-level full-frame camera unfortunately held back by subpar low-light autofocus and sluggish burst speeds.

Simple design

While the Z 6’s design is a near twin to the Z 7, the Z 5 strays a bit more from that family line in ways that are both good and bad. On the positive side, the Z 5 manages to fit two UHS-II SD card slots, ideal for either creating in-camera backups so a card error doesn’t spell disaster or to create overflow for less card swapping. The Z 5 also doesn’t use XQD cards, a good move for an entry-level camera considering the card type retails in the triple digits, a lot when compared to the affordability king that is SD, where many high-capacity cards can be had for as little as $20.

Despite adding an extra card slot, the Z5 is only a 10th of an inch wider than the Z 6 and Z 7 and doesn’t add any weight. At less than a pound and a half, the camera is light enough for all-day shoots. (I can’t say the same for the rough texture of the included neck strap, however.) Paired with the kit lens, the Z 5 didn’t cause any major aches and pains while on a two-mile hike.

Hillary K. Grigonis/Digital Trends

The Z 5 uses a magnesium alloy frame but combines that with a plastic exterior that feels just like an entry-level Nikon DSLR. The body is weather-sealed, but it’s not as robust of a seal as the Z 6 and Z 7. As a result, I would still keep an inexpensive camera rain poncho in my bag for anything more than a drizzle.

The camera’s control scheme is a nice hybrid blend between keeping controls accessible yet not overwhelming beginners. The top of the camera doesn’t house an extra LCD screen. I argue that a top-facing LCD isn’t terribly unusual for mirrorless, but its absence here strays from Nikon’s design choices in its entry-level full-frame DSLR, the D610, which kept the screen intact.

The camera’s control scheme is a nice hybrid blend between keeping controls accessible yet not overwhelming beginners.

Instead, the mode dial sits on top within reach of the shutter button, dual control dials, and shortcuts for recording video, adjusting ISO, and tweaking exposure compensation. With some practice, all those controls could be accessed without pulling the camera away from your face, though differentiating between the ISO and exposure compensation button is tough to do blind, unlike with the easily discernible raised record button.

Despite being an entry to the full-frame category, the Z 5 keeps my all-time favorite camera control: The joystick. It’s a quick and ergonomic method to adjust where the autofocus point is. Swapping between autofocus modes, however, as well as a number of other controls that Nikon’s DSLRs leave plenty of room for, requires jumping into the quick menu or assigning to the two custom buttons up front. Most beginners won’t mind, however, because the camera’s controls feel less daunting to learn. Shortcuts to adjust the burst mode and a back-button focus option, as well as playback, menu, and display options, take up a remainder of the camera’s rear controls.

Ports were not stripped for the budget price either — opposite the dual SD card slots, the Z 5 still includes ports for mic, headphones, HDMI, USB, and a cable trigger. Like many full-frame mirrorless cameras, the Z 5 lacks a pop-up flash.

The lower price doesn’t terribly truncate the Z 5’s viewfinder, either. At 3.69 million dots, the electronic viewfinder shows sufficient detail and is denser than the also-new Panasonic Lumix S5. Importantly, the Z 5 shows a pretty accurate representation of what you are about to capture, unlike some budget cameras that I’ve tried that don’t quite show an accurate preview of the exposure or color balance. The 3.2-inch touchscreen tilts for shooting from high angles but doesn’t flip forward for vlogging or selfies.

Stuttering performance

Budget cameras are notorious for being slow, and the Z 5 is no exception. Despite having the same processor as the 12 fps Z 6, the Z 5 offers less than half that speed. Some might argue that is because the Z 5 uses SD cards rather than the faster but more expensive XQD cards, but the transfer rates we are looking at here are well below the threshold for SD speeds. Curious.

With a maximum burst speed of 4.5 frames per second, I’m not even sure why there’s both a low- and high-speed option since even high speed is rather slow. The shutter speed is thankfully still a max of 1/8,000 (entry-level cameras used to be capped at 1/4000 regularly), handy for bright situations.

The Z 5’s 4.5 fps top speed will plug away for about 21 shots shooting RAW + JPEG. The official buffer count listed on the back of the camera is 16, but the pace is slow enough that the camera writes a few of those shots while taking the rest. You’ll eke out a few more shots in JPEG mode, with the camera shooting for more than 20 seconds before stopping.

The Z 5’s autofocus in limited light is consistently poor.

What’s a bit harder to determine from a quick look at the camera’s tech specs, however, is the autofocus. With a 273-point hybrid system, the Z 5’s system looks almost identical to the Z 6, until you dig a little further into the specifics. And if you dig far enough, you’ll find the camera’s biggest flaw: An autofocus detection range down to only -2 EV, or -3 using the camera’s low-light autofocus. However, Nikon rated the AF in low light with an f/2 lens, so the kit lens and many other lenses available for the system won’t work as well as Nikon’s specifications claim, a claim which is already not great. It’s not lying outright, but it is misleading.

That turns out to be the culprit of why the Z 5’s autofocus struggled indoors. Even in a room with windows on three of the walls, the Z 5 was slow to focus. In dim light, the camera would often take two to even five seconds before locking onto the subject and occasionally failing to find the subject at all. While not an issue for still subjects, shooting any sort of movement in limited light becomes problematic with such a delay. The camera will automatically activate low-light autofocus mode, however — a plus considering the original Z 6 and Z 7 require activating the mode in the menu. Low-light autofocus is more accurate and allows for focusing in tough scenarios, but is slow.

Because of how the autofocus system works, the camera will also struggle to focus on dark objects. But, as is true with any contrast detection system, that should be alleviated by the phase-detection points of a hybrid system. The Z 5 has a much easier time focusing on subjects with a lot of contrast, such as lights or a light-colored object on a dark background, but it shouldn’t struggle as much as it did on dark objects. It’s a hybrid autofocus system that’s acting like a contrast-only one in some cases, and that is disappointing.

Hillary K. Grigonis/Digital Trends

Low-light autofocus was a complaint on the Z 6 and even Z 7, with a tendency to be hit or miss, but the Z 5’s autofocus in limited light is consistently poor. The Z 6, by comparison, is rated to hit -6 EV in low-light mode, where the Z 5 is only at -3.5.

What makes the low-light autofocus truly disappointing is that the Z 5 would otherwise be an excellent camera in the dark. The five-axis, in-body stabilization is solid. Doing everything I could to help the camera stay steady short of a tripod — holding my breath and bracing the camera with my elbows — I could shoot down to nearly a half-second at 24mm on the kit lens. That’s an excellent system for the price of the camera, but the slow low-light autofocus will make shots difficult before the camera even needs to go that low. Of course, stabilization isn’t just for low light — the stabilization will come in handy when working with telephoto lenses.

The focus system detects eyes fairly easily and quickly.

Continuous autofocus gets sharp photos most of the time with slow action, though roughly half of the shots where the subject was coming directly at the camera ended up soft. It’s not designed for action but will grab a few sharp shots in more general use, like photographing kids or people moving at a walking pace.

The Z 5’s autofocus isn’t all bad, however. Eye detection AF worked well and even beats out the pricier Canon EOS R6 in focusing on eyelashes when shooting from a high angle. The focus system detects eyes fairly easily and quickly. The system isn’t fast enough for say, using while shooting sports, but as mentioned the Z 5 isn’t an action camera. Pet eye AF is included, but I couldn’t get it to work on my cat. (To be fair, I couldn’t get the Canon version of this to work on my cat either.)

The Z 5 adds a new autofocus bracketing option that automatically adjusts the focal length between shots in a series in order to create a focus stack later on a computer. The new feature is easy to use for anyone who has worked with Nikon bracketing or time lapses before. But the shots are activated by pressing start in the menu — which means you see the menu in the viewfinder and can’t perfect the composition before hitting start. It’s a usability flaw that we hope to see improved in later firmware updates.

Excellent images and video

The Z 5 makes fewer sacrifices when it comes to image quality. Sporting a 24.3-megapixel full-frame sensor, the Z 5 has just a smidgen less resolution than the pricier Z 6. The larger sensor size makes bokeh easy to create even with the kit and offers a lot of flexibility in post. Detail is good, and, when perfectly focused, even the kit lens is quite sharp.

ISO 12800 with noise reduction and crop Hillary K. Grigonis/Digital Trends

Lower resolution bodes well for ISO and, under perfect conditions, I could edit out the noise of an ISO 12800 shot with only a slight loss of detail. Photos are best kept under ISO 6400, where there is some noticeable color noise, but the kind that’s easily corrected with software.

Color was equivalent to what I would expect coming from a Nikon DSLR — on the whole accurate, with an occasional tendency to skew the white balance a tad green for my taste. Skin tones are rendered fairly well.

RAW files are also consistent with what I would expect from an entry-level, full-frame Nikon DSLR. I could recover a good amount of detail and even texture from the shadows, to the point of almost reversing a near silhouette. As with almost any camera, blown-out highlights are tougher to recover, and photographers are best to err on the side of too dark rather than too light.

The Nikon Z 5 offers 4K video, but at a 1.7x crop and without all the bells and whistles of the Z 6 and Z 7, such as N-Log. The 1.7x crop means both a loss of light and lenses won’t be as wide, but it’s not unusual for an entry-level option. Colors and sharpness are consistently good, as with the images, and the Z 5 does less focus searching mid-recording than a Nikon DSLR.

Our Take

The Nikon Z 5 is a good entry-level full-frame camera — but slow low-light autofocus, inconsistent accuracy in mixed lighting, and a sluggish burst mode keep the camera from being a great entry-level full-frame option. The Nikon Z 5 is a good option for enthusiast photographers, influencers, and other creatives regularly taking photos in good light.

Image quality and design are both excellent, while the slower performance is Nikon’s clear differentiator when it comes to the extra $400 for the Z 6. If the Z 5 was $1000 or even $1200, it would be an easy recommendation; but at just $400 less than a significantly better performing camera, it’s a hard sell.

Nikon D3500 vs D5600

How long will it last?

Camera bodies tend to last a few years, and the Z 5 is likely no exception. The weather sealing and materials aren’t as high-end as the Z 6 and Z 7, but with proper care, the camera body should serve you well into the future.

Is there a better alternative?

If you want a full-frame Nikon and can’t spend more than $1,400, no. Even the aging Nikon D610 only focuses down to -1 EV and is $200 more at list price. Waiting to save up another $400 for the Z 6 is a good idea, however, for any photographer regularly taking photos indoors or of moving subjects.

Yet, the full-frame mirrorless market is getting crowded for photographers not yet invested in a lens system or willing to make a switch. The Canon EOS RP has a better autofocus system thanks to Dual Pixel technology and is rated to focus as low as -5EV, but lacks in-body stabilization. Finding another $1,400 camera is difficult to do outside those two models and older generations. The Sony a7 III is a faster camera, but is $600 more. The very new Panasonic Lumix S5 offers better autofocus, more advanced video modes, and faster bursts, but again, sits at the $2,000 price range, not the under-$1,500 range.

Moving into the crop sensor category will fix those performance issues, but sacrifices that larger sensor. Nikon’s own Z 50 is much faster with similar ergonomics and lens compatibility, yet the low light autofocus still isn’t ideal. The Fujifilm X-T30 has a faster burst, more video features, and excellent autofocus, but it lacks stabilization. The Sony a6600 offers a fast burst and autofocus while keeping the stabilization, but again, has that smaller sensor.

Should you buy it?

Buy the Nikon Z 5 if you want a full-frame Nikon, largely take pictures outdoors in good light, and can’t spend more than $1,400. If you plan on lots of shooting in less than ideal conditions, however, including in limited light or fast-moving subjects, avoid the Z 5. Wait until you can save up another $400 for the Z 6, or consider a crop sensor or the unstabilized EOS RP.

[beerandwinereviews2016]

Best pH Meters for Wine Making

If this is your first time using pH meters, you may have just figured out that these devices have many uses. The best pH meter for wine making is not only preferred by aquarium enthusiasts or beer brewers but may also be used for hydroponic gardening or to test your pool water.

  In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices

ImageTitleBuyTopBluelab METCOM Combo Meter for pH, Temperature, and Conductivity Measures, Easy CalibrationCheck Today's PriceApera Instruments PH700 Benchtop Lab pH Meter, 0.01 pH Accuracy, 1-3 Points Auto Calibration, 3-in-1 pH/Temp. ElectrodeCheck Today's PriceApera Instruments AI209 Value Series PH20 Waterproof pH Tester Kit, ±0.1 pH Accuracy, 0-14.0 pH RangeCheck Today's PriceDr.meter 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter with ATC, 0-14pH Measurement RangeCheck Today's PriceKETOTEK Digital PH Meter, PH Meter with ATC, Water PH Test Meter with 0.00-16.00ph Measure Range for Drinking Water, Hydroponics, Aquariums, Swimming Pools. High Accuracy 0.01 PH Pen TesterCheck Today's Price

Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

  Whatever you may use them for, a pH meter will be able to measure the acidity or alkalinity within a matter of seconds. With respect to wine making, this could allow you to adjust chemicals accordingly or maybe even expedite your service if you think the wine requires some treatment.

  The 5 Best pH Meters for Wine Making

While most pH meters are sold with convenient features and single-button operation, it can still be overwhelming to choose from a large array of options available in the market. For this reason, we have handpicked and reviewed 5 of the best pH meters for wine making. If you’re still having trouble making a decision, you could refer to our buyer’s guide for additional purchase considerations.

  1. Bluelab METCOM Combo Meter

Bluelab METCOM Combo Meter for pH, Temperature, and Conductivity Measures, Easy Calibration

Measures pH, temperature and (tds) EC, ppm 500, ppm 700 and CF with lab quality glass that can be used for the pool, drinking water, hydroponics, brewing, and growing

EASY two point calibration and auto temperature compensation makes this digital meter a handy tool with backlit LCD display and calibration reminders

Quickly monitor your nutrient level to maximize your grow and ensure plants get the balanced feed they need

Other features: auto off function, low battery indicator, units for temperature; KIT INCLUDES: AAA batteries and calibration solution; Works with Bluelab Leap pH Probe for direct media measurements

Made in New Zealand and manufactured by Bluelab, the industry leader in hydroponic testing equipment; 5 Year Limited Warranty with proof of purchase

Check Today's Price

The Bluelab METCOM Combo Meter was originally designed for plant germination but its various features make it perfect for wine making. For instance, this pH meter goes beyond measuring pH levels and its 3-in-1 combo tool can also be used to measure conductivity and temperature.

  This pH meter’s display is larger than most other devices and therefore it requires its own batteries. Speaking of which, the display also warns users when the battery is low and when it is finally time for you to switch them out.

  Pros

3-in-1 combination of functions of wine tests

Large display makes it easy for users to read results

Sold with its own batteries

The display has a very clear low battery warning

Compact and easy to store

Affordable

  Cons

Has a very fragile designand the probe has been found to be susceptible to damages

  2. Apera Instruments PH700 Benchtop Lab pH Meter

Apera Instruments PH700 Benchtop Lab pH Meter, 0.01 pH Accuracy, 1-3 Points Auto Calibration, 3-in-1 pH/Temp. Electrode

Equipped with 201T-F 3-in-1 combination pH electrode, Auto temp. Compensation, measuring pH and temperature simultaneously

Advanced Auto. calibration mode with calibration guide and self-diagnosis

Advanced digital processing technology helps generate quick and Stable readings

Comes with an easy-to-install electrode holder and pre-mixed calibration solutions

IP54 spill-proof and dust-proof, durable and reliable; 50 Groups of data storage

Check Today's Price

The Apera Instruments PH700 Benchtop Lab pH Meter is perfect for applications in an indoor agricultural or laboratory setting. Since it is a benchtop pH meter, it has more precise and functional features. For this reason, the pH electrode is sold with an auto temperature sensor and compensates for each reading.

  Additionally, this pH meter also has an advanced calibration mode that can cater to your specific needs or for self-diagnosis. Moreover, the digital readout makes lab tests very effective and can speed up the whole process.

  Pros

More sophisticated and accurate readings

Perfect for indoor use orfor laboratory settings

Advanced calibration mode makes self-diagnosis possible

Readings are displayed very clearly and show up much more quickly

Affordable

Dust-proof and spill-proof

  Cons

Users may have to go through an initial learning curve to get used to this device

  3. Apera Instruments AI209 Value Series PH20 Waterproof pH Tester Kit

Apera Instruments AI209 Value Series PH20 Waterproof pH Tester Kit, ±0.1 pH Accuracy, 0-14.0 pH Range

Easy auto. calibration with buffer recognition; auto. temp. compensation (ATC) ensures accuracy in various temperatures (32 to 122F)

Backed by Apera quality pH sensor with low impedance, ensuring high response rate

Comes in a rugged carrying case with pH 4&7 buffers and a lanyard

Auto recognition of stable values improves consistency, so you dont have to guess when to manually hold measurement

Up to 2000 hours continuous operation, powered by AAA batteries

Check Today's Price

Our 3rd best pH meter for wine making is the Apera Instruments AI209 Value Series PH20 Waterproof pH Tester Kit. Now is a perfect time to introduce you to this product because its features are specifically designed for beginners. Its pH meter has an auto-calibration function that automatically measures and delivers excellent results with a high response rate.

  This Apera pH tester is also sold with 2 buffer solutions, a lanyard and a dedicated carrying case. Moreover, this meter is powered by 2 batteries and the device translates these to 2000 hours of uninterrupted runtime.

  Pros

Extremely portable and lightweight

Offers 2000 hours of uninterrupted runtime

Auto calibration function is perfect for beginner pH testers

Has a 2-year warranty

Affordable

Waterproof

  Cons

Users found that it takesmore than one try to get the device to calibrate correctly

  4. Dr. Meter 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter

Dr.meter 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter with ATC, 0-14pH Measurement Range

▶ 【Automatic Calibration】: Often troubled by calibration problem? Just one touch button can help you calibrate the digital pH tester. Featuring a three-point calibration method with simple calibration procedures, the Dr.meter pH testing device can automatically identify the calibration liquid to give you the pH reading almost in a flash.

▶ 【Convenient pH Value Reading】: Get the job done with ease. Ready to read the pH value? Just know the liquid quality with one-button lock reading function. It really is that easy.

▶ 【utomatic Temperature Compensation】: With automatic temperature compensation function (ATC), the Dr.meter pH meter can solve possible inaccuracy caused by the change of liquid temperature, making the pH more accurate.

▶ 【High Accuracy】: Have you ever seen a digital pH meter designed with premium accuracy together with fast response? You can do now with Dr.meter pH tester. Equipped with high-quality and high-accuracy algorithm chip and electrode, the Dr.meter pH tester is the perfect choice for solution quality testing.

▶ 【Wide Application】: Weve got covered all pH testing occasion you need! Boosting with pocket size, the Dr.meter pH tester is ideal for daily household, teaching and testing use. It is suitable for testing pH of drinking water, swimming pool, aquarium, spa, hydroponics, food, wine and beer making and more.

Check Today's Price

Dr. Meter’s 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter is another great digital pH meter that provides users with very accurate readings via a digital display. This particular device has been used by many professionals to measure the alkalinity or acidity of a liquid in many diverse settings.

  In terms of wine making, this device has plenty of useful features and high-quality functions that can streamline your workflow. Lastly, this product is very easy to carry around or store in a briefcase.

  Pros

Portable and lightweight

Made from durable materials

Brand has a lot experience with pH meters

Very versatile and can be used to measure acidity/alkalinity of various liquids

Includesa carrying case

Sold with a 1 year warranty

  Cons

Past customers of this brand have complained that they have poor customer service

  5. KETOTEK Digital PH Meter, PH Meter With ATC

KETOTEK Digital PH Meter, PH Meter with ATC, Water PH Test Meter with 0.00-16.00ph Measure Range for Drinking Water, Hydroponics, Aquariums, Swimming Pools. High Accuracy 0.01 PH Pen Tester

AMAZINGLY ACCURATE AND WIDELY USED. It has the resolution of 0.01PH, fast to get the testing result and can test the PH value for any 0-16PH liquid which you wanna test, such as drinking water, swimming pools, aquariums, hydroponics, wine and beer.

AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION ( ATC).You can get the accurate water PH testing result without taking care about the influence of water temperature.

SMALL SIZE AND POCKET PORTABLE. It has small size and low weight as a pen, it is easy to be carried, It is convenient for you to take it in your pocket when you go out.

EASY TO USE AND CALIBRATE. You can get the PH testing result of the water that just need to press the button of “ON”, and just need to press the button “OFF” to close it. You can calibrate the digital PH meter with pressing the button “CAL” and immersing the electrode into the solution.

POSITIVE AFTER-SALES SERVICE AND WARRANTY. We will respond your any questions about the product within 12 hours. And we provide a 12-Month warranty service. Pls don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, we will do our best to help you.

Check Today's Price

Finally, the KETOTEK Digital PH Meter, PH Meter With ATC is the perfect balance between bulky and plain pH meters. This particular model looks quite like a thermometer case and falls into the category of pen-style pH meters.

  This pH meter has been used to measure test pools, body fluids, cooling towers and a diverse range of beverages. For each test, it provides an accuracy of within 0.01 pH and this is the best possible result you can expect from any non-medical device.

  Pros

Offers an accuracy of 0.01 pH

Among the smallest pH meters in the market

Easily replaceable probe

Can be switched from Celsius to Fahrenheit for temperature tests

Features an automatic shutoff system incase the user forgets to switch the pH meter off

Affordable and portable

  Cons

There is no space for a backlit display for readings

  What to Look for When Picking the Best pH Meter for Wine Making

pH Meter Design

Your choice of the best pH meter for wine can be found in a variety of styles such as pen, handheld, benchtop etc. So far pen-style pH meters tend to be the most portable since they can be easily packed into travel cases or your pocket.

  Handheld pH meters may require 2 hands for operation but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t portable. These devices may be a little larger than pen-style pH meters because they offer greater functionality and are typically also shockproof and waterproof.

  Finally, benchtop pH meters are mostly intended for indoor use hence it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they aren’t very portable. However, these devices make up for this drawback by offering more dedicated functions and multiple electrodes.

  Accuracy, Range, Resolution

The higher the accuracy offered by a pH meter, the more return on your investment you can expect. However, this particular consideration may ignore the fact that more accuracy also commonly means a higher price. The average pH meter may have an accuracy of +/-0.01 to +/-0.2 but the best pH meters for wine making may also offer up to +/-0.001 accuracies.

  On the other hand, range refers to the pH range of the device and most meters can measure up to 0 to +14. There are, however, also some models that are programmed to measure extended pH levels from -2 to +20. Lastly, resolution signifies how much information can be displayed by a pH meter. For instance, a 0.1 resolution implies that it displays pH in tens.

  Temperature Correction

If this is your first time using a pH meter, you should also know that temperature can have a significant impact on pH readings. Temperature correction can, therefore, counter this effect but is usually only present in sophisticated meters.

  Calibration

Calibration on pH meters can either be done automatically or manually and the former is usually done with a simple push of a button. On the other hand, manual calibration is done with the help of adjustable knobs but usually has a longer learning curve to get used to.

  Electrodes

The electrodes of pH meters often require periodic replacement since the solution inside them may eventually dry out. To avoid this from happening, you can use sealed electrodes but these can only be used for one reading. Refillable electrodes are the way to go if you wish to save some money in the long run, but they will cost more up front.

  Our Final Thoughts

When it comes to the best pH meters for wine making, the biggest deciding factor tends to be the sensitivity and accuracy of the device. That being said, all 5 of our handpicked pH meters offer the most sensitive calibration and accurate results in the market.

  If you still haven’t made up your mind after reading our reviews, you can read each product’s customer testimonials on Amazon and find out what past users have to say about these devices.

ImageTitleBuyTopBluelab METCOM Combo Meter for pH, Temperature, and Conductivity Measures, Easy CalibrationCheck Today's PriceApera Instruments PH700 Benchtop Lab pH Meter, 0.01 pH Accuracy, 1-3 Points Auto Calibration, 3-in-1 pH/Temp. ElectrodeCheck Today's PriceApera Instruments AI209 Value Series PH20 Waterproof pH Tester Kit, ±0.1 pH Accuracy, 0-14.0 pH RangeCheck Today's PriceDr.meter 0.01 Resolution High Accuracy Pocket Size pH Meter with ATC, 0-14pH Measurement RangeCheck Today's PriceKETOTEK Digital PH Meter, PH Meter with ATC, Water PH Test Meter with 0.00-16.00ph Measure Range for Drinking Water, Hydroponics, Aquariums, Swimming Pools. High Accuracy 0.01 PH Pen TesterCheck Today's Price

Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

  from Beer Wine & Moonshine https://ift.tt/39OE3O0 via IFTTT https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

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Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Review: Best Travel Camera?

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Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Review: Best Travel Camera?

"The Olympus E-M1 Mark III makes previously impossible recordings easy."

Excellent stabilization

Starry sky auto focus

Fast performance

High-resolution handheld mode

Weatherproof

EVF could be better

The measurement was somewhat unpredictable

Same sensor as Mark II

Some photographers are pixel peepers. They reach for the largest sensors with the highest resolution and are only looking for the sharpest optics in order to reproduce a test card perfectly. The $ 1,800 Olympus OMD E-M1 Mark III won't please these photographers. in fact, it completely ignores them.

This is the camera for everyone else, especially for those who value a compact, adventurous system. Photographers who want long zoom and short size lenses; and photographers looking for a camera that makes even the most difficult shots fun.

Olympus suspends the full-frame race, sticks to the smaller Micro Four Thirds format that it developed, and focuses on usability with features that no other brand offers. For the most part, it works.

This includes brand new features like Starry Sky AF, an autofocus mode specifically designed to focus on the stars (those in the sky; this is not a paparazzi mode). These include a stabilization system with 7.5 apertures and integrated ND filters (neutral density), with which you can leave the tripod and the screw-on filter (at least in most cases) at home.

We tested the limits of the E-M1 Mark III on the beaches and jungles of Costa Rica for four days and then put the camera through its paces in a northeastern winter for a few weeks. While the E-M1 Mark III isn't the best camera you can buy for $ 1,800, it's the best interchangeable camera on the go.

Design and build quality

The E-M1 Mark III offers similar functions to the E-M1X, but in a smaller form without the built-in battery handle. With the 12-45mm 1: 4 PRO, the smallest weatherproof combination that Olympus offers. I was able to put the camera, four lenses, two teleconverters – enough for a range of 600 mm – and an iPad in a backpack. I even had enough space to put my tripod in my backpack instead of strapping it out. A difference that allowed me to pack everything in hand luggage for a four-day international photo tour.

Despite the smaller size and weight – around 20.5 ounces – the handle of the E-M1 Mark III is comfortable and there is still plenty of room for physical controls, including a dual control and autofocus joystick. Olympus was also able to use two SD card slots, although only slot is UHS-II compatible.

The control layout is solid, if not perfect. I love the programmable mode switch that can be used to quickly switch between two camera settings. Although it can do much more, I used it to quickly switch from simple to continuous autofocus when photographing wildlife.

A joystick, two steering wheels and an ISO button near the thumb provide easy focus and exposure settings. The key combinations for focus modes, measurement, burst, timer and flash are located in the top left.

On the less positive side, the record button and exposure compensation are right next to each other on the top of the camera near the trigger. With the same size and shape, I accidentally started recording several times when I wanted to adjust the exposure. These two controls take a little more time to use the camera comfortably without having to pull the viewfinder away from my eye.

For more controls, a quick menu contains less frequently used options. The full menu is known to anyone who has previously shot Olympus, but it takes a bit of a hunt to find options for less known people.

The E-M1 III uses a 3-inch, 1.037 million dot touchscreen that is tilted to the side of the camera, so you can rotate the screen in selfie orientation without being blocked by a tripod.

As with the E-M1X, however, I was not impressed by the electronic viewfinder. The refresh rate was solid, but the images had less contrast than the LCD screen. With 2.36 million points, there are several EVFs on the market that offer a higher resolution.

The magnesium alloy case is sealed against dust and splashes and feels firm in the hands, which comes as no surprise to anyone who previously used a high-end Olympus camera. It even survived my accidental durability test when the tide came in a little faster than expected while the camera was on the beach. Although it is more of a partial immersion than a simple splash, both the E-M1 and the new 12-45mm kit lens were no worse to carry. A small amount of beach sand penetrated directly into the battery compartment, but if the camera survives being hit by a sea wave, it should be able to survive the announced splash and dust without any problems.

The E-M1 Mark III does not have the double batteries of the E-M1X, but the battery life of a mirrorless camera is solid. I didn't have to replace the battery until the end of the day, about 800 shots later. (My preference for burst mode usually allows me to achieve more than the specified battery life – the CIPA rating is 420 shots or 900 in quick sleep mode).

Features and performance

Shot with Starry Sky AF and a tripod, edited in Adobe Lightroom

Compared to larger cameras, taking pictures with the E-M1 Mark III is liberating. While most mirrorless cameras are easy to carry, the E-M1 can leave both the tripod and the ND filters in most cases. With a 7-stage stabilization system (7.5 with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100 mm f / 4.0 PRO lens) and the built-in NDs, I took several long-term exposures of ocean waves during the day without removing my tripod from the take backpack.

Olympus has the best stabilization system of any manufacturer, and says that most people can take 6-second wide-angle shots without a tripod. This is impressive. But with a firm grip it is possible to get even more out. Although I love long exposures, I hate taking my tripod anywhere and I took long exposures much more often because I could hold them in my hand.

Starry Sky AF is a new feature that is unknown to other brands. It worked surprisingly well.

Long-term handheld exposures aren't new to the E-M1 Mark III, but a handheld photo of the night sky without a tripod – or manual focus – is definitely. The camera's new Starry Sky AF mode does not use contrast detection, phase detection, or even a hybrid of the two systems. Instead, the luminance is used to look for the points of light that create stars against a black sky.

The system has two modes: speed priority for hand shooting and accuracy priority when working on a tripod. The mode is also set up to use focus with the back button instead of focusing with half a press on the shutter release, so focus simply stays locked when you re-formulate the shot.

Photographing stars is one of the more difficult types of photography, since a tripod is usually required and the sweet spot must be found on the manual focus ring, which can take multiple test shots before it is just right. The combination of stabilization and starry AF of the E-M1 III simplifies the shooting of stars, makes it easier for advanced photographers and is accessible for beginners. I would still prefer a tripod to get the best results, but the fact that one isn't required is very impressive.

Starry Sky AF is a new feature that is unknown to other brands. It worked surprisingly well. While not as fast as the camera's usual autofocus, it surpasses manual focus. And because the system is based on luminance, it also works with other types of light sources that are surrounded by darkness, such as night cityscapes.

While the Starry Sky AF is the star of the show, the E-M1 Mark III's 121-point on-chip phase detection autofocus system – a system almost identical to the E-M1X – performs well. The focusing speed is not record-breaking, but has kept pace with everything from surfers to birds in flight. The auto focus in low light is also respectable, if not the best in its class, with a sensitivity of up to -3.5 EV.

Eye AF is comparable to other mirrorless systems from competitors.

Face and eye AF also worked well and quickly recognized and fixed the eyes. While probably not fast enough for sports, eye AF is comparable to other mirrorless systems from competitors. Some systems, such as the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7, require the use of an automatic AF area for eye AF to work. The E-M1 Mark III can use Eye AF in Group AF mode, which means there is less need to switch between focus modes when changing your subjects. Eye AF for animals, a function that is becoming increasingly common with other brands, is also missing.

Tracking autofocus worked just as well as any camera I've shot with – which means it sometimes works and sometimes it's junk. I managed to take a few sharp shots, but with group mode and simple continuous autofocus, I got better results. However, I don't really count this as a negative because I haven't yet met a tracking autofocus camera that is good enough for quick actions (newer Sony models like the A6600 might be an exception).

The E-M1 Mark III also didn't inherit the E-M1X's motorsport focus mode (which actually works quite well for tracking). The niche function requires two processors to function and therefore remains exclusive to the high-end flagship model. However, the single processor of the E-M1 upgraded to TruPic IX still manages to achieve the most performance.

The E-M1 III is fast enough for most photographers. It can shoot with the mechanics at 10 frames per second or with the quiet electronic shutter at 18 frames per second. If you don't need continuous autofocus, You can increase this speed up to 15 or 60 fps. The frame buffer limits approximately 76 RAW shots when shooting at 18 frames per second. However, we have found that this is sufficient to accommodate everything from birds to surfers.

The TruPic IX processor also enables a new high-resolution handheld mode that uses the image stabilization system and the tiny movements of your hands to combine 16 photos into a 50 megapixel file. The mode is only suitable for perfectly calm subjects, but offers the possibility of achieving a higher resolution if the 20.4 megapixels of the sensor are not sufficient.

picture quality

The E-M1 Mark III has the same sensor as the Mark II with the same resolution of 20 MP. Given the small size of the sensor, increasing the resolution will eventually reduce the return, so 20 MP is fine. However, there is no way around the fact that this sensor, which is now many years old, has limitations compared to larger, more modern sensors. The E-M1 Mark III is still good enough for most photographers, but don't expect a jump in image quality over older models.

However, this smaller sensor has advantages. One of the biggest advantages of the 2X crop factor makes it easier to achieve a longer focal length. 600 mm equivalent range, a groundbreaking focal length in full screen mode, can be easily taken along.

The excellent image stabilization is also of great help with these long lenses. Even with relatively slow shutter speeds, the details remained sharp when shooting with a 600 mm handheld.

And while the sensor remains unchanged, a new detail priority mode processes high ISO images twice, slowing the camera down but increasing the level of detail. When processing with speed priority, the noise creeps in around ISO 800, and details and sharpness tend to go down around ISO 3,200. Fortunately, the excellent stabilization for still subjects can help keep the ISO low.

The camera's metering system felt less predictable than most of the others even in spot metering mode, and I was regularly on the exposure compensation dial to get the exposure right in aperture priority and shutter priority mode.

This gator was polite enough for high-resolution mode, though it took a few tries.

If you need additional resolution, the high-resolution handheld mode can be of great help. The photo above was taken in this mode and even cropped in the mail. The subject must remain still, and the camera takes a few extra seconds to put everything together, but provides detail for some subjects.

The video follows a similar pattern with good color and excellent stabilization. Taking even wide-angle shots without a tripod was easy, with just a little movement in the video. The detail is excellent thanks to the 4K resolution of the cinema.

Price and availability

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is $ 1,800 and was released on February 24th.

Our opinion

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a small camera, but it is also a camera that works in a way that other cameras cannot. Features like Starry Sky AF and high-resolution handheld mode are unique advantages. Because you pack a weatherproof camera and smaller lenses, leave the tripod and the ND filters at home and still get solid images, the E-M1 Mark III is an ideal camera on the go.

But it is not perfect. The viewfinder resolution is a few generations out of date, the measuring system feels inconsistent and many other basic systems such as the 121-point autofocus and the 20MP Four Thirds sensor are adopted by the Mark II.

Is there a better alternative?

For $ 1,800, you get a lot of camera, including the recently announced Fujifilm X-T4, which has a larger APS-C sensor but is similar in size to the E-M1. Even the Sony A7 III in full screen mode is the better choice for photographers who are more concerned with the highest image quality than with large zoom and a lot of stabilization.

However, no competing camera has 7-stage image stabilization (the Fuji comes close to 6.5, but only with selected lenses). No other camera can focus on the stars or take astrophotography without a tripod. And no other format can pack a 600 mm range in a 300 mm lens.

So whether there is a "better" camera depends on your definition of "better". Is there a camera with better picture quality for the price? Absolutely. But is there a better alternative for travel photography? Probably not.

How long it will take?

The weather seal makes the E-M1 Mark III a tough machine. The updated shutter is one of Olympus' best with 400,000 operations. My test device survived being partially submerged in sea water. Aside from more extreme disasters, the camera should last for many years and even longer if Olympus chose the Mark IV.

Should you buy it

Yes, if you want a great interchangeable lens camera on the go or obsessed with long exposures, but hate to carry a tripod with you. Image stabilization, built-in NDs and Starry Sky AF are all great.

The smaller sensor is less ideal for genres like portraits, weddings, and fashion, where you can spend a similar amount of money on a full-frame body and where the advanced features of the E-M1 III just don't work.

Editor's recommendations

[gethealthy18-blog]

11 Best At-Home Gel Nail Kits

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11 Best At-Home Gel Nail Kits

11 Best At-Home Gel Nail Kits Sakshi Bahal Hyderabd040-395603080 December 2, 2019

If you frequently visit the salon for gel manicures, you already know expensive they can be. Gel manicures can be done at home. You simply need the right tools and willingness to do it yourself. A gel manicure kit saves you not only time but also tons of money. If you want to try your hand at at-home gel manicures, you will need a beginner-friendly kit. For your reference, here are some of the finest gel nail kits to choose from.

11 Best At-Home Gel Nail Kits For Salon-Quality Gel Manicures

1. SensatioNail Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit

Need a fancy manicure that lasts for up to two weeks? Try the SensatioNail Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit. This kit is suitable for beginners and pros and comes with an LED nail lamp, gel cleanser, gel primer, base and top coat, gel polish, cotton pads, nail buffer, and manicure kit. This polish is gentle on your nails. It is recommended to apply rosehip seed oil or any essential oil on the nail bed before applying the gel nail polish. The nail polish dries in a few seconds with the LED nail lamp and lasts for up to two weeks without flaking off.

Pros

The LED nail lamp dries the nail paint in seconds

Comes with all the necessary tools required for a DIY gel manicure

Suitable for beginners and manicure experts

Lasts for up to 2 weeks

Does not peel off

Cons

May weaken your nails after removal

Buy it here!

2. Makartt Poly Nail Gel Kit

This best-selling nail art kit is a lot more than a normal gel manicure kit. The Makartt Poly Nail Gel Kit  comes with a gel nail extension and enhancement trial kit. This kit is perfect for manicure experts and can be used for DIY gel nails and at salons. It comes with clear nail extension gel, natural and light pink nail extension gel, base and top coat gel, dual forms, dual-ended nail brush, a spatula, a nail file, and an instruction guide. You can create some interesting and long-lasting nail art extensions using this all-in-one kit. The gel dries very quickly because of the LED lamp, and the nails become stronger and more flexible compared to other extensions. These nails are lighter than the acrylic and UV builder gel. The manufacturers also claim that these gel nails last up to a month.

Pros

Great for manicure experts, nail technicians, and DIY manicure lovers

Great value for money

Long-lasting results

Cons

Difficult to remove

May weaken and tear your natural nails

Buy it here!

3. Gellen Gel Polish Kit – Ladies Elegance

This mega kit gives you a long-lasting, salon-finish manicure at home. The Gellen Gel Polish Kit comes with a UV light and 4 elegant nail colors to give you the best manicures at home at a reasonable price. The kit also comes with stunning nail art rhinestones that will make your manicure pop. The kit also comes with a 24W LED lamp that perfectly cures all kinds of UV/gel-based products. If you apply it properly, the manicure lasts anywhere between 14 to 21 days. To hydrate and nourish your cuticles, the set also comes with a revitalizing nail and cuticle oil.

Pros

Comes with all the necessary manicure tools

24W lamp dries and completes the manicure within minutes

Lasts up to 14-21 days

Cons

Does not work efficiently after 3-4 uses

Improper removal of this gel manicure can weaken the cuticles and natural nails

Buy it here!

4. Ophanie Electric Nail Drill Set

This is a complete starter kit for nail technicians and women who love to get acrylic gel nails at home. This electric drill set by Ophanie comes with a professional nail drill machine, 5 carbide drill bits, 6 original drill bits, 26 nylon wheels, 1 nail cutter set, a brush, 1 AC adapter, and a manual in English. This is a portable and travel-friendly kit you can carry anywhere. The speed is adjustable, and it is quick and easy to operate. The drill machine does not make noise and has a fast motor for best results.

Pros

Multipurpose set

Noiseless and super fast drilling machine

Portable and travel-friendly

Ideal gift for manicure lovers and nail technicians

Cons

Not rechargeable

Does not come with a detailed manual or guide

Buy it here!

5. Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Starter Kit – Red My Lips

Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Starter Kit has changed the game for manicure lovers and fanatics. This amazing kit has everything that will make you shift from regular nail polish to gel nail polish. With this kit, you can get up to 10 gel manicures at home that last up to two weeks. The starter kit includes cleanser pads, base coat, top coat, a remover, an LED light, and application accessories. Just with two coats of this nail enamel, your nails look freshly manicured and glossy for two weeks. The brushes spread easily and offer great coverage. The nail polish glides beautifully on the nails, preventing that thick and bulky look.

Pros

Each manicure lasts for two weeks

Glossy and shiny finish

Comes with 3 shade choices 

Cons

The LED lamp is not highly durable

Difficult to remove

Buy it here!

6. Sally Hansen Salon Pro Gel Starter Kit – Shell We Dance?

Here’s another Sally Hansen product that offers long-lasting and salon-quality gel nails. This travel-friendly kit has a cleanser, base coat, top coat, remover, an LED lamp, and application accessories.   Use the three vibrant base coats for the perfect gel manicure. A manicure done with this kit has a rich glossy finish and lasts longer than regular nail polish. The lamp dries the nail polish in minutes. 

Pros

Offers salon-quality gel manicures at home

Lasts up to 2 weeks

Suitable for beginners, nail technicians,and manicure lovers

Comes with three vibrant base coat shades

Cons

The LED lamp is not highly durable

Difficult to remove

Buy it here!

7. Leafu Modelones Gel Nail Starter Kit

Leafu Modelones Gel Nail Starter Kit is a gift-worthy manicure kit that will inspire you to start doing your nails at home. This is an affordable and high-quality product to consider if you love manicures. It is a small kit but includes everything you need for at-home manicures. The kit includes a nail cutter, cuticle oil, a nail file brush, a nail dust brush, a nail buffer, a polishing file, a double-sided cuticle pusher, a cuticle fork, a nail separator, a cleaner pad and a remover wrap. The gel nail polish glides beautifully on the nails and dries quickly with the help of the LED lamp. The folding nail curing lamp can be charged with a laptop or a charger. The gel colors allow you to choose from your favorite shades.

Pros

The top coat seals the nail polish and secures it for up to 2 weeks.

6W mini lamp dries the manicure quickly

Affordable

Travel-friendly 

Cons

Not suitable for damaged or broken skin/nails

Needs to be removed carefully

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8. Gellen Gel Polish Starter Kit – Peach Pinks

The Gellen Gel Polish Starter Kit comes with a 24W LED lamp, base coat, top coat, and all the necessary application tools. This 32-piece manicure kit is a great gift idea for manicure fanatics. The manicure lasts for up to 2 weeks. The vibrant gel nail polish shades will get you addicted to this mini starter kit.

Pros:

The 24W LED lamp dries nails quickly

Great top coat that seals the nail polish with a glossy finish

Lasts up to 14-21 days 

Cons:

Does not dry quickly

Not very durable

Buy it here!

9. Gellen Gel Nail Starter Kit – Caramel Reds

Try the amazing Gellen Gel Nail Starter Kit in the Caramel Red shades to create a holiday-ready look. This kit comes with a delicate gift box, nail art rhinestones, a 24W LED lamp with LED display, gel nail polishes, top coat, base coat, striping tapes, and all  the necessary manicure tools. The top and base coats create a luxurious gel manicure and last long. The rhinestonesare great for doing nail art.

Pros

Lightweight kit

The 24W LED lamp dries nails quickly

Lasts up to 14-21 days

Cons

Does not dry quickly

Not very durable

Buy it here!

10. Gelish Mini Soak Off Gel Nail Polish Complete Starter Kit

Gelish Mini Soak Off Gel Nail Polish Complete Starter Kit is perfect for manicure enthusiasts. This kit comes with an LED lamp to cure the manicure. The kit comes with 5 vibrant gel nail polishes, a surface cleanser, nail remover, and Gelish Basix kit. The manicure dries within 30 seconds of application due to the powerful LED lamp. The brush has customized bristles to offer smooth and smudge-free application. The gel nail polish is supposed to last for up to 3 weeks.

Pros

High-quality starter kit with 5 pretty nail polishes

Lasts up to 3 weeks

Does not flake

Customized bristles allow full coverage and better gliding 

Cons

Very small kit

Travel-sized lamp does not fit all the 5 fingers

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11. Saint-Acior Gel Nail Polish Starter Kit

Saint-Actor Gel Nail Polishes are not only easy to apply but also easy to remove. The starter kit comes with a powerful 36W LED UV curing lamp that cures your nails within seconds. The 10 vibrant and gorgeous nail polishes will steal your heart. The kit also comes with top and base coats to seal the nail polish with a glossy and rich finish. This manicure stays untouched and offers a mirror shine for up to 2 weeks.

Pros:

Perfect starter kit for someone who wants to switch from traditional nail polishes to gel-based manicures

Cures the nails within seconds

Easy to apply and remove

Lasts for more than 2 weeks

Cons:

Lamp is not highly durable

Takes a few trials for first-time users

Buy it here!

Gel manicures are very gentle onyour natural nails. The polish remains untouched and glossy for a couple of weeks with the same shine and no peeling. However, before you choose the right kit, make sure that you are aware of what you need. Choose a beginners or mini kit if you are a newbie to gel nail polishes. Spend money on the drill kits and mega gel manicure kits only if you are are a pro at DIY manicures.

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Sakshi Bahal

Sakshi Bahal has a Masters degree in English Literature from Calcutta University. She was a part of the editorial team of her school magazine. Her love for writing inspired her to take up literature and follow that up with creative writing after completing her education. She has been writing on beauty and skin care for the past 4 years.Sakshi has also authored a compilation of high school essays. A self-declared bookworm, she enjoys traveling, music, movies, and lots of coffee.

Source: https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-gel-nail-kits/