Gadgets

Listing of The Top 10 Australian Technology Blogs

February 19, 2020 by Sheldon Leave a Comment

Today I was looking to put together a listing of the Top Ten technology websites in Australia, but I ended up researching much more than I should and so got more than 10 for you. I went surfing ( the internet off course) and top websites that know what ranks in Australia like Alexa.com , Googletrends.com, and similarweb.com and a few others

Data from – Best Tech Ranking Websites 2017 to 2020

There was an interesting mix on top go to websites by Australians – I was surprised at finding vic.gov.au the government website ranking at #43 on alexa, not so surprised at livejasmin.com #35 and pornhub.com #24 rankings. I really don’t know how diply.com was on that top list.

How alexa.com ranks websites
Alexa ranks websites based on a combined measure of page views and unique site users, and creates a list of most popular websites based on this ranking time-averaged over three-month periods. Only the site’s highest-level domain is recorded, aggregating any subdomains.

Here is what similarweb found for the top news and media websites in Australia.

Similarweb collects data like which website gets how much traffic from which country comes to a website and more similar data, so they got a pulse and where people are going on the internet.

What similar webs gave me on technology niche

Well similarweb did not have a technology category, so I browsed computers and electronics and got office.com, apple.com and xero.com – so I browsed onto their other category internet and telecom and got facebook.com and google.com.au with top ranks.

Not satisfied I surfed onto Arts and entertainment category and got websites like “Netflix.com” “youtube.com” and imdb.com as top ranking websites in Australia.

I, just did not rely on google.com , but also looked into popularity on Facebook.com where people spend a lot of time browsing content nowadays and has its own popularity ranking within the facebook world.

You’d be surprised to know – Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has overtaken Shakira to become the most followed person on Facebook according to BBC. The 30-year-old star now has 107,096,356 likes compared to 107,087,100 for the Colombian singer.

Some top tech pages on facebook

Samsung Mobile
Apple Music

There is not much information on top ranking Facebook pages in technology, but if we look at news and media in Australia , these websites (sbs, abc and 7news) are definitely doing well with a large fanbase on facebook. Nine.com.au and yahoo7 is also doing well with their fanbases on facebook.

According to roymorgan.com.au – Three million Australians (14+) visited one or more of these Top 10 tech-focused websites in an average four weeks in the year to March 2016—up 34% since the year to March 2013.

So I collected all the information from these top ranking categories from these different websites and came up with these top ranking technology websites and came up with my own little refined algorithm for “Top Tech Websites in Australia for 2017” and here it is listed below.

The data is collected from these freely available top data collecting websites (alexa,similarweb etc) , including social media platforms facebook.com and more and web search engines including bing.com and yahoo.com apart from google.com.au.

The top 10 Best Technology Blogs for Australia

Gizmodo Australia – Official Site

https://www.gizmodo.com.au

Technology and consumer electronics news, reviews and deals. Gizmodo covers computers, software, mobile phones, TVs, MP3 players, games, vehicles and peripherals

Reddit.com – Official Site

https://www.reddit.com

Lifehacker Australia – Official Site

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/

If you want to get the most out of technology and work smarter then Lifehacker Australia’s productivity tips, downloads, shortcuts and website recommendations will help you with it.

Netflix.com.au – Official Site

https://www.netflix.com/au/

This mainly tv series streaming website has a Flat monthly fee streaming TV and movies service at an affordable price and has managed to take a huge chunk from foxtel’s monopoly.

Ebay.com.au – Official Site

http://www.ebay.com.au/

Ebay is one of the biggest online buy and sell websites that started with suction style listings and now has big commercial companies regularly selling on their platform as well.

imgur.com – Official Site

http://imgur.com/

Imgur is the Internet’s visual storytelling community .Its a viral website that has interesting content mostly in pictures.

CNET.COM – Official Site

http://www.cnet.com/

Among top few technology sites, this one is the best tech news website to get the info about gadgets, technology, reviews on smartphones, tech videos and information covering latest topics like smart home devices and electronic accessories.

Ladbible.com – Official Site

http://www.ladbible.com/

Ladbible is the home of entertainment, viral video, trending content and the latest news. They are the biggest community in the world for a generation of social media viral content.

THENEXTWEB.COM – Official Site

https://thenextweb.com

The NextWeb founded in 2006 is now the world’s largest online publisher that delivers latest information for internet technology, gadgets , new devices & info related to tech companies. They do a great job on promoting their content on social media platforms like Facebook in a viral news kind of way.

Slashdot.org – Official Site

https://slashdot.org/

Its News for nerds, stuff that matters. Timely news source for technology related news with a heavy slant towards Linux and Open Source

Gumtree Australia – Official Site

https://www.gumtree.com.au/

Gumtree is the #1 classifieds site in the UK,Australia, South Africa, and Singapore.

Buzzfeed – Official Site

https://www.buzzfeed.com/

BuzzFeed is a buzzing independent digital media company delivering news and entertainment to hundreds of millions of people around the world in a social and viral environment kind of way.

MASHABLE.COM

http://www.mashable.com/

Mashable.com, founded in 2005 by Pete cashmoore covers topics related to latest technology, gadget reviews, social media tips. They also cover new startups related to technology and innovation.

ARSTECHNICA.COM

http://www.arstechnica.com/

Arstechnica, founded in 1998, one of the oldest tech news magazine. It has been regarded as a trusted source for latest scientific advancements, tech policy analysis, hardware performance analysis, game reviews. They also created ars in 2001, it’s first type of IT publication covering gaming and tech related news.

2017 – Quantcast MOZ and Wikipedia Rankings

While this listing above is one of the top listing I have compiled for top technology blogs in Australia, there are still many more websites with many more rankings in similar or related niches. I was not so much surprised to see linked.in and wordpress.org ranking at no .5 and no.6 at the https://moz.com/top500 ranking list.

Another top listing website like Quantcast.com listed amazon.com and Wikipedia.org at no#4 and no#5 for world listing which confirms their popularity online. This website surprisingly gave buzzfeed.com and wikia.com as top popular websites for Australia.

Wikipedia.org has its own list amalgamated from similarweb and alexa, among the usual suspects for top world websites, I noticed Chinese websites like “baidu.com” – (the equivalent to the Chinese Google search engine), qq.com (tencent) , and Aliexpress.com as popular Chinese websites in world listing.

Start- ups on the Australian scene

Start-ups haven’t been doing too bad as well on the Australian scene, here are some start-ups with promise with some already having proved themselves.

Top startup tech companies in Australia
1. Atlassian
2. Xero
3. Envato
4. Campaign Monitor
5. Canva

Deloitte Australia has its own listing of top start-ups in Australia that are growing at a rapid pace.

You can also find out more about Australian online surfing habits reading this article on abc about top visited websites by Australians.

I started out with the top 10 tech blogs but ended up listing much more than that (currently at 14), if you have any more websites worthy of adding to this list, do get in touch with me at my blog over here.

Drone Insurance Guide: Is It Really Worth the Money?

December 4, 2019 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Drone insurance is a relatively new concept and there is not much awareness about drone insurances among people. There are a lot of questions regarding insurances of drone and whether it’s worth the investment. To ease your confusion we have created this guide to help you with some of the most common questions related to drone insurance. So, let’s take a look.

Do I need drone insurance?

The first and foremost question which comes to most people is do I really need to insurance for my drone? Well! The right answer to this question is yes if you’re involved with businesses using drones. It is highly advisable to have insurance for your drone while conducting any kind of business. So if you’re planning any kind of commercial drone operation then drone insurance is absolutely necessary.

Getting drone insurance will significantly reduce the potential risk while purchasing drones. Since drones aren’t really cheap products, getting insurance can save a lot of money in case of a crash, malfunction, fly away scenario. Also, you will need to research local, state and federal regulations about insurances before you get your commercial operation off the ground.

Potential risks in commercial drone operations

Setting up commercial drone operations at your workplace comes with a lot of obstacles and potential risks. You must always follow federal regulations and safety precautions to avoid any chance of an accident and insurance is a crucial part of this process to conduct business in a safe and risk-free environment.

Types of drone Insurances:

There are primarily two types of insurances available for drone users:

1. Hull Insurance:

This type of drone insurance comes into the picture when you’re operating with expensive cameras, GPS units, sensors etc.. Hull insurance only covers the damage to the drones itself.

2. Liability Insurance:

Liability insurance comes into the picture when the damage is caused to a third party by your drone which includes property damage, injury to the body etc.. So, before conducting any drone outside services make sure you have valid liability insurance and show proof of liability insurance before conducting any drone operations.

Cost of Drone Insurances:

There are a lot of factors which come into the picture which affect the cost of drone insurances like:

l Total number of drones

l Type of drones

l Type of cameras and sensors

l Experience in operating drones

l Safety measures

l Maintenance records

Insurance policies can range from $1000 to 10000$ per year (for each drone) given you have a good track record and follow all documented safety procedures.

How to get insured:

For drone insurance, you will need to get quotes from multiple companies by filling forms. After getting quotes you will need to compare prices and coverage to find the deal that best suits your business.

Conclusion:

There are a lot of players in the evolving drone markets worldwide. Big giants like DJI drone Australia offer some of the best drones available in the market. Always research thoroughly before making such a huge investment.

As far as drone insurances go, we’ve covered all the aspects which u will need to look into to keep your investment safe and avoid any unnecessary trouble for your company. We hope this guide helps you with everything you need to understand about drone insurance. Protect yourself and your company by getting insured.

One last piece of advice for recreational users is to confirm if you are covered by homeowner’s insurance if you wish to continue to fly recreationally in a safe environment with no issues whatsoever.

Safe Tech – 5 Technologies That Are Making Us Safer at Work and at Home

May 12, 2019 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Cars are beginning to brake, park and drive themselves today, working towards safer driving and fewer accidents. It only makes sense that if our cars can get safer and smarter, so can our homes and our workplaces. Below are five different ideas how to use technology to keep you safer at work and at home.

Smart Door Locks

It may be time to consider replacing your keyed lock with new smart door lock technology. You could open your door with a code or a fingerprint! Some locks pair with video doorbells to enable you to open the door for a visiting friend or relative with your smartphone. Before you upgrade your door lock, check the sturdiness of your door to ensure that burglars won’t easily circumvent an impressive lock.

Video Doorbells

While you are upgrading your door, why not add in a video doorbell? The footage that these video cameras capture can allow you to check that your child made it home safely from school or catch a potential package thief using facial recognition software. You can even chat with folks on your doorstep with some models. There are lots of different models out there so you will want to be sure you do your research and get the features that are the most important to you.

Smart Home Control Systems

Do you ever turn the lights on when you leave the house just to make it look like someone is home? With a smart home control system, you not only control your lights, but you can also close the garage door, and turn off valves if any water is leaking or overflowing. Your peace of mind can significantly increase by knowing that your control system will notify you of anything you need to attend to immediately and also give you the capability to take action via your smartphone.

Security Systems

In nearly all workplaces, security systems are “a must” because it is believed that burglars are deterred by cameras and alarm warnings. Security systems at home are equally, if not more advanced than those found in the workplace. Some tie in with smart home ecosystems and can be controlled by devices like Alexa. Most systems include both door and window sensors while others go so far as to add smoke detectors. Whichever system you decide to use, you should check how it is monitored and what the expected response time is for the alarm company.

Drones

Workplace safety is not just about security, it is about checking conditions of job sites as well. Drones are becoming a larger part of this conversation because they can help in a variety of areas. Some are being used to patrol large premises and capture intruders on video. In other locations, drones are used to check for hazardous materials or dangerous job site conditions. Drones have also proven to be an incredible tool for disaster situations for their ability to get large amounts of data in relatively little time with no risk to human life.

Technology continues to advance faster than we can possibly imagine, so why not put those advances to work creating a safer home and workplace? Monitor your porch with a video doorbell. Eliminate the need for a key with a new smart lock. Tie it all together with a smart home control system and/or a compatible security system. At work, consider utilizing drones for security and safety purposes. Invest in making the places you spend the majority of your day the safest they can be.

Top 10 Best Home Security Cameras for 2019

March 31, 2019 by Reporter Leave a Comment

One always cares about the security of their house and valuables when they are away from it. Using video surveillance & Security Cameras is now a new trend around the world.

It allows homeowners to ensure visitor identification, provide evidence for insurance claims, check what is happening in the observation area, watching the activities of kids and relatives, records the facts of theft or misappropriation of property & other acts of criminal activity.

There are many companies that offer security cameras with installation Services. Let’s have a look at some popular names now.

Nest Cam

Home security camera Nest Cam is designed for home surveillance. It offers round the clock video in real time. At 130 degrees, a wide-angle lens gives you visual access to the inside of your home all day long at 1080p. The camera will automatically send a warning or notification to your phone or email address along with an attached photo of activities. Its installation process is easy and simple.

It works perfectly with Amazon Alexa. The built-in microphone and speaker allow you to communicate with people in the room as it acts as an intercom. It also has a night vision capability, enabling you to see the room clearing during the day and at night.

There is the possibility of programming intelligent warnings, continuous recording of videos and storage on clouds and creating activity zones for more accurate warnings. You need to have a monthly subscription to access all the features of this smart camera.

Vimtag VT-361

The Vimtag VT-361 surveillance camera offers built-in wireless video monitoring through ultra-high resolution with a 3.6mm lens and a clear video compression format. You can use this camera to monitor pets, businesses, rest homes, the elderly, and even babysitters and nannies.

You can ensure the security of your house through live video streaming through applications on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

The Vimtag home camera offers amazing functions for home security, such as a 120-degree turn, a 320-degree tilt which is controlled remotely, motion detection, a 3x digital zoom, clear night vision up to 10 meters, accompanying snapshot notifications and two-way voice communication via the built-in microphone and speaker.

It requires Internet access in order to function properly. An internal SD card slot records video conveniently. The setup is simple and is complete only in 4 steps because of the convenient scanning of the QR code.

Logitech Circle Wireless HD Video Security Camera

The Logitech Circle Camera delivers high definition (1080p) video streaming to your home 24*7/365 days. You get instant on your smartphone or tablet for all detected activities.

With this CCTV camera, you can keep track of what’s going on inside your home and make sure everything is well in the house when you’re on vacation. This work can be performed conveniently through your phone or the Logitech app. It offers free cloud video footage and storage.

You can access those videos accessed within 24 hours from your secure private cloud. Logitech Circle has a simple setting and is portable and rechargeable.

A wide-angle lens with a diagonal of 135 degrees makes it easier for you to view what is happening in even large rooms. Companies that provide CCTV installation Services to their clients use this camera to guarantee foolproof video surveillance of houses.

Lynx Indoor Home Security Camera

The Lynx home security camera has intelligent face recognition capabilities which allow you to choose who your security camera recognizes normally and who will be considered an impostor.

With the help of the crystal-clear stream of 1080p HD Lynx video, you can clearly see each face in the video. Night (infrared) vision allows the camera to record videos even in total and complete darkness.

Its configuration and installation process is quite simple. Its camera is equipped with two-way sound (with a built-in microphone and speaker), allowing you to record the sound and listen what is happening in your house.

Lynx also offers motion detection and instant alerts to you in quick time. With the Lynx home security camera, you get a free and secure seven-day cloud storage for life.

Arlo Pro

It is a completely wireless camera. You can easily place it anywhere without worrying about its proximity to the nearest electrical outlet. It is waterproof, which makes it a versatile choice for indoor or outdoor surveillance. Also, the rechargeable battery supports fast charging and seamless sharing without requiring your camera to turn off.

It doesn’t start recording until you request a live channel. There is also a two-way audio function, allowing you to hear the sound coming from the room the built-in microphone and speak to individuals present there. It also has a sound recording function.

Canary

With this excellent Camera, you can stream real-time video of your home with a high-definition 1080p HD camera as a wide-angle camera lens (147 degrees!) offers a wide field of view. So, you can cover a large area even with a small camera. Automatic night vision and high-quality sound increase its usability up to a great extent.

Canary All-in-One is more than just a camera. It has a built-in 90-decibel siren that will start making a sound when it detects suspicious activities in your house.

Motion activated recording, remote auto on/off function and instant access to local authorities ensure you are calm while you are away. Not only this but also intelligent notifications enable you to receive instant video alerts on your devices.

It is also equipped with HomeHealth technology and has the ability to control quality, temperature and humidity. You can analyse the collected data to know how your home can affect your health.

Its installation is not needed. Just plug in Canary and connect to the Internet to use it. When you purchase it, free secure cloud storage comes along with it.

Nest Cam Outdoor Security Camera

Nest Cam security camera if fully compatible with Amazon’s Alexa- a popular home technology. Its outdoor camera provides 24/7 live video with a wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of 130 degrees.

It sends alerts and accompanying snapshots to you whenever it detects unusual activity outside your house. The camera, cable and adapter are weatherproof, which allows you to use all times regardless of the weather.

You need to have A monthly subscription to access its all features and functionalities. Even with a free trial version of Nest Aware, you can receive smart alerts and continuous cloud recording.

NETATMO, NOC01-US

It is popular among homeowners as the smartest outdoor security camera. This outdoor security camera records videos in real time.

The live footage detects and warns you about things that happen outside your house. The camera can easily distinguish between people, cars and animals.

It has a built-in intelligent spotlight that turns on when it is necessary to prevent unnecessary happenings from taking place. It has e floodlight capability, which makes it unobtrusive and “invisible. Furthermore, recorded videos are stored on the microSD card of your home security camera with the ability to store video on Dropbox or on your personal FTP server.

It also offers infrared night vision, which increases your ability to view what is happening outside of your home 24*7/365 days.

DAHUA SD22204T-GN

This a perfect camera for home security. It Turns almost 180 degrees as per the user’s instructions. Three hundred positions are programmed into the device memory, which can be changed if needed.

It comes with a lens with the ability to adjust the focal length to increase the scale of the image. It has small dimensions – 132x132x116 mm and performs encoding using three streams.

EZVIZ MINI PANO

This is an excellent home security camera is in a round shape, which comes with a warranty period of 12 months.

With Maximum resolution 1344×1344, Weight- 200 grams, Dimensions -70x70x70 mm, and wireless connectivity- it is a nice camera for home security and real-time monitoring. Its 70x70x70 mm size allows the device to remain unnoticed for a long time.

Its viewing angle is 360 degrees, enabling it to capture videos from all angles.

Final Words

There are many affordable and convenient home cameras available on the market. First, identify your home security needs very well to choose the best camera. We hope you find your favourite home security camera in this list. Best of luck.

Author Bio

Lisa Cooper work as a blogger with Fixtel – an Australian owned and operated telecommunications company offers CCTV & Security System Installation in Australia. She loves to write insightful blogs & articles on the security Gadgets and Components of a Telecommunications System.

The Ultimate Vape Cloud Guide

January 31, 2019 by Reporter Leave a Comment

If you are in the vaping scene you may have wondered how some vapers get their clouds so big. There are a group of people who go by the collective of cloud chasers which essentially means that they build and modify their vape set ups to create those massive plumes that you see on the street, however, not everywhere you can vape. Many people also refer to the act as extreme vaping or stunt vaping.

The cloud chasing fad stemmed from the original vaping trend where people would start to figure out all the cool things that they can do with their clouds. It now has a massive cult following with many social media accounts dedicated to the craze. To help you fully understand cloud chasing we have put together a short little guide.

Where it came from

According to E-cigarette Club an e-cigarette shop – there are mixed reports of the origin of cloud chasing but many people claim that it originated off the west coast of America. A lot of people who are new to the vaping scene use cloud chasing as their entry point to help them become more acquainted. Not all vapers are fans of the cloud craze though. There is a distinctive split amongst the community of those who believe it is a legitimate representation of the culture and those who believe it gives the rest of them a bad name.

It is now a sport

What started off as a recreational hobby has turned into a competitive scene. Across the globe there are many competitions where vapers can show off their skills and produce the thickest clouds. These competitions also offer the winners thousands of dollars in cash to further promote the activity as a sport. This scene can be thought of as a subculture within a subculture that is starting to gain a lot of traction thanks to social media.

How you can get started

There are 9 main factors that you should take into consideration before you start trying to blow the biggest clouds.

E-liquid

E-liquids or e-juice can in two main categories, those with PG and the other with VG. VG produces more vapour which makes it a dominant product. Additionally cloud chasers don’t usually use nicotine in their vapours as it can leave you short of breath quicker than an e-juice without it.

Battery

Batteries and their safety are of the highest concern. Be sure to use trusted and safe products and don’t be afraid to ask other vapers or even the people who you are buying the products from.

Atomizer

Sub-ohm tanks are starting to become the preferred choice when it comes to cloud chasing. However as the products aren’t perfect yet, many people still tend to go with a RDA model with airflow control.

Airflow

The key to the best clouds is the right combination of airflow and resistance. Less resistance means more airflow but if it gets to thin you vapour will disperse and won’t produce as much.

Wicking

Using the right material for your wicking it vital when letting air and your e-juice flow to the coils in an efficient manner.

Coil Build

There are many different coil builds that affect how your vapour is produced. Generally speaking people tend to go for a low resistance build to maximise the amount of vapour produced.

Modifications

Modifications are a big part of the competitive scene. Mech mods are common as they offer a lot of power to your device.

Technique

Techniques and practice play a big part in all tricks. You need to perfect every aspect including inhaling and exhaling techniques as well as having the right body posture.

Lung capacity

At the end of the day some people are just born with a higher lung capacity than others. This plays a big part in how much you can inhale and exhale.

A Guide To Faster Internet Speeds

January 29, 2019 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Slow internet speeds can be frustrating. There has been an upsurge of media-content and websites and it is no coincidence a lot of people are experiencing slower speeds than usual. It takes a lot more time to load content than it did just a few years ago. While the problem could be your ISP, there are some controllable components that could be making your internet slower.

Types of Broadband

There numerous kinds of broadband connections. As an internet user, you should be aware of the broadband you’re using as the speed and bandwidth differ from one provider to another. The easiest way of knowing the type of broadband connection is by contacting your ISP.

Satellite: Just as the name suggests, data is beamed to a satellite in outer space and then bounced back to your ISP. The set up requires a transmitter and a satellite dish which is provided by the ISP. Speeds are usually slow because of the long distance that data has to travel. There is also the issue of weather interference which messes up the signal.

Cable: This connection goes through the coaxial cable. This is the typical line that brings shows to your TV. The networks are usually shared and the speeds will fluctuate depending on the number of users on the network. It is not strange for a household in the rural area to experience faster internet speeds compared to one in the city.

Optical Fiber: Optical is seen as a precursor of internet connectivity in the future. With Fiber Optics, data is transmitted through pulses of light through dedicated fiber lines. There are vendors who currently offer up to 1000 Mbps speeds which one wouldn’t have thought possible a couple of years ago.

Having known the different types of broadband connectivity, the next question would be how to make your internet faster with the controllable variables in play.

Router Placement

Ideally, the router should be placed in a central location. The router is the getaway between the home connection and your ISP and the location it is placed will play a big role in ensuring high internets. The router should be located where most of the connected devices are found. The router should be placed in an elevated position where there are no obstacles.

Restart Regularly

The Router should be restarted regularly for it to function at its optimum. While it might work throughout, sometimes the slow internet speeds can be solved by simply restarting the router. The process is known as power cycling and is meant to help the router in clearing the redundant data that has accumulated. The restarting will also enable the router to choose the less crowded channel thus improving the speeds.

Content Consumption

Most homes nowadays rely on the internet for content. The internet is used for watching movies, stream live sports events, watching 4K videos, and gaming. There are times when all these processes could be running at the same time which could slow down the internet connectivity. You should monitor what is being consumed and ensure that not all the processes are running concurrently.

Increase Wi-Fi Range

Sometimes the problem could be limited to the Wi-Fi range. This applies to big houses where there is a single access point and you lose the signal when you go upstairs. There are some DIY techniques like using tinfoil although it might not be very effective. An effective solution would be to add more access points in the home.

A foolproof way of extending the network is using a wireless mesh network system. It is a one-time set up that will go a long way in ensuring that every part of the home has internet access. The whole system can be controlled with an app.

Switch Broadband

If the internet is still slow, chances are high that the problem could be your ISP. It could be time to start comparing new NBN plans. You should make sure to check if the ISP is providing what you paid for. You can also look online if there are other people who are complaining about the services. A good ISP provider should provide high-speed internet and offer technical support in case of low speeds.

Travel Tips: The Importance of Lockers in Airports

July 19, 2018 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Why airport lockers are the unsung heroes for mega travellers everywhere.

I travel, a lot. When I do get the time and funds together to pull off a really epic trip, I go all out. This means that I’m bring home a mass of rare finds, flea market jewels, and- yes, I know it’s lame- a ton of souvenirs for friends and family. On top of the fact that my baggage has baggage, I also like to make sure that I book flights with extremely long layovers (sometimes up to 48 hours) in cities that I want to lounge around in for a few hours.

This works great for me, I get to see everything and more, and I really get to make the most of the time and money I have available to me. The only part of it that was starting to get a bit worrisome was what I was going to do with bags upon bags of necessities, gifts, and all those fantastic items that make my house look like an 18th century museum. I wasn’t ready to sacrifice any of my luggage, but I also wasn’t wanting to sacrifice my travel time either. The simple solution to my perceived travel woes? Airport lockers.

This brain child came to me as I was lugging a small pachyderm and six of it’s friends worth of bag weight around Sydney Airport. I had booked one of my famous 48 hour power tours of the city, complete with museums, walking tours, discos, and bar crawls. Sydney is known for its wild nightlife as well as as for being city that is steeped in history and class. I had booked a cheap overnight in a crowded hostel near the city center. While this is a tactic I rely on more often than not, I also use websites like couchsurfing when I can and stay with locals I don’t know. This is fine by me and I’ve never really ran into any issues with it, but it does feel a bit awkward busting into someone’s home with seven giant bags and two large suitcases- just to snag a nap for the night. So there I was, standing in the middle of the airport, amongst a sea of overstuffed luggage, with a plan that absolutely did not include toting those bags with me. Right on the verge of mental breakdown, I look up and what do my wondering eyes spy? A line of airport lockers.

The lockers in the Sydney airport are brilliant. They come in a number of shapes and sizes, and are great for overnight storage. I ended up having to hire about six of them, but even then it didn’t break the bank. I kept one of my favourite messenger bags stuffed with essentials and set off. Feeling the freedom and confidence of running around the city, only armed with a fresh pair of underwear, cocktail dress, and a toothbrush, was incredible. The lockers enabled me to run around without having to concern myself with the safety of my artefact’s, or the safety of my health.

Running around with a mass of luggage isn’t just awkward and embarrassing (no one wants to be that tourist) but Sydney is hot, and I am not exactly in my prime health. I mean, I’m fit, but I’m not running any marathons any time soon. Pack on seven huge bags, heat, and several miles worth of walking tours, and I would have ended up looking like the back end of a baboon. Only extra sweaty.

Leaving my bags in the airport lockers kept me looking fresh as a daisy while I spent all day and all night experiencing this great city. Not only that, but I didn’t lose any sleep over worrying about whether or not my purchases were safe from any prying roommates.

I always find it surprising that lockers aren’t utilized more often. They’re spectacular for packing away your baggage while you have an overnight romp in an unknown city- but their usefulness doesn’t stop there. Travelling with kids? Lockers are a great way to store a bunch of luggage for a few hours while you bustle around the airport, making sure that you have your hands free for feeding, changing diapers, and general wrangling. They also work really well for stowing things away while you use the bathroom to freshen up between flights, or slip into the bar to relax before hitting the plane again. Lockers are what keep you from looking like a harried sentinel, desperately attempting to keep one eye on your charge at all times.

The peace of mind that you get from knowing that your items are safe and easily retrievable is something that you can never get enough of when your living out your travelling dreams. Lockers are definitely the things that keep these dreams from turning into nightmares.

Technology Game-Changers in Small Business Security

February 11, 2017 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Regardless of what business you are in, security probably plays a role in what you do.

Ideally all small businesses would have great security systems in place, but in the past factors such as cost, complexity and effectiveness have tended to force business owners to compromise on their security

So what were the problems, why do small business owners need to shift their thinking, and what are the benefits to small business owners from moving to modern cameras based, smartphone controlled security systems?

What business security used to look like

The most common security systems for business in Australia and internationally, has long been a monitored alarm. You have a range of sensors in and around your business premises, with a siren, flashing light and phone connection to the alarm company.

The down side for business owners were always ongoing monitoring fees, extra call out costs, and no way to easily tell false alarms from the real deal.

The other tool widely adopted by businesses was CCTV. Security cameras in strategic locations fed footage to a central location where it was recorded with the option to watch it live on attached TV screen.

While very useful from a business perspective, recordings from a surveillance camera system were often difficult to access when needed, and if you wanted to view the footage live, you needed a dedicated security person to do that. The missing link was the lack of any connection between your CCTV system and your security systems.

How security systems have changed

High powered smartphones, almost ubiquitous data connectivity and relatively cheap but high image quality IP cameras are the three key components that have made modern business security camera systems possible.

A product like CleverLoop uses these as the core of their system. It adds motion analysis algorithms to both indoor and outdoor security cameras, provides local and a cloud storage option for footage, and then pulls the whole thing together with a smart central hub. All this while also giving you you a powerful, but free, business security app for your phone to run it all from.

For a business owner, the big benefits have been streamlining your security, reducing upfront and ongoing costs, and giving you the business owner or manager control over your own security.

Streamline your business security

With CleverLoop, one system handles all of your business security needs, and gives you complete control.

Record the feeds from any or all of your cameras direct to a hard drive and you’ve got a CCTV system, but better options for viewing footage.

Arm your cameras, either individually or the whole system, and your Base Station analyses the footage for movement, filtering out anything minor, and sending alerts of anything important that happens straight to your smartphone, complete with a snapshot of what caused the alert.

Adding cameras to your business security system gives you a massive advantage over traditional sensor based security, namely you can see what is happening. Add in clever learning algorithms and a range of fine-tuning options, and false alarms are a thing of the past.

Reducing business costs

In a like for like comparison, a CleverLoop system, fully installed, costs less than all of it’s serious competitors, and about the same as a modest traditional monitored alarm system. Where the savings really begin is the first day that you start using your CleverLoop business security system – with no ongoing fees.

Then the next layer of savings start happening. It could be retail shrinkage (otherwise known as shoplifting) or employee theft, of stock or cash, that is hurting your bottom line. Either way, a CleverLoop security system is a big part of your solution.

Simply having cameras in your business, and the stickers in your windows, acts as a deterrent. Having video footage literally at your fingertips gives you a powerful tool to deal with whatever sort of retail loss you are experiencing and help you protect your profits.

Putting you in control

With a CleverLoop working for you in your business, you are in control of every aspect of your security. Using an app on your smartphone as your main interface means your business security is always close at hand.

Grab your phone to live view the cameras covering your business, even when you are in a different city or country. Checking up on stock, staff, customers or just how business is going has never been easier.

Use your phone to switch recording to hard drive on and off for individual cameras, and to access the footage when you are on the premises.

And finally you can arm and disarm the camera system and receive alerts and video of significant activity wherever you are with a few clicks on your smartphone.

Ready to step up your business security?

So business security, particularly for small businesses, has gone through a significant shift in technology. Are you making the most of this disruption in the security sector to protect your business?

5 Reasons Why Promotional Products Are Not Dead

September 24, 2015 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Promotional products have always been a versatile and never impactful marketing tool. But are they fading into oblivion? Do they no longer garner the results they did a decade ago? Although they’re not as popular as they once were, they have not yet stopped bringing in results.

Discussed below are five reasons that highlight why promotional products are not dead.

1. WoM Factor

In the field of marketing, Word of Mouth (WoM) Marketing delivers the best results. The phrase basically refers to how information on a particular product is communicated from individual to individual. No other medium of promotion is as effective as this one. More importantly, an individual that gets a promotional product is extremely likely to communicate it to other customers and it’ll only be a matter of days before the wildfire spreads. So, if a person who doesn’t even use a brand, would want to try it.

2. Online Promotions

This is the age of ecommerce and E-marketing. Therefore, a company that launches promotional products needs to make sure they have an impact on the internet too. Those that have been able to place online advertisements with promotional products have been able to immediately grab attention. Moreover, online reviews given by the people serve as an important factor in making a product popular for ages.

3. Strong Customer Seller Bond

Another important reason why promotional products are not dead is because they are a strong source of maintaining a promising customer-seller relationship. By providing customers, both current and potential, with promotional products that are unasked the brand becomes more liked and remembered by customers. This kind of bonding ensures that customers feel that the company is interested more in making customers than losing them.

4. Creates Brand Awareness

One of the aims of promotional products is to spread as much awareness as one can about a brand among the masses. No one can expect increased sales and business until and unless people are familiar with a brand. Therefore, it is essential to come out with promotional products in order to make people aware of your company and to convince them to purchase your products.

5. Strong Impact of Giveaways

Most brands that offer giveaways to users, either their regular customers or irregular, tend to establish a strong image on the minds of people. Giveaways create a sense of attraction and association with the brand even if people can’t afford to purchase products of that brand. Moreover, in case a company decides to launch a product which can be purchased by all, then people who were initially unable to purchase products of the brand also go to buy that reasonably priced product. This ultimately results in a greater number of sales of the product.

The above five reasons are in every way a win-win situation for sellers. There are several other reasons to deploy the practice too, but the fact of the matter is that promotional products are never going to die.

Tips provided by the promotional expert team @CustomGear

Enhancing customer experience through voice and collaboration

July 30, 2015 by Reporter Leave a Comment

Technology continues to amaze us when it comes to voice and collaboration tools. The benefits that it has created when it comes to enhancing the customer experience are incredible. In a way, it is almost like having a physical presence with the customer, where you can walk through your presentations almost as you would if you were physically there. We will look at howvoice and collaboration tools are used and the benefits that they are providing both businesses and customers.

Leveraging the VOIP technology (Voice over IP) and Telephony systems

These systems are a step up from the traditional phone systems that we would previously have in the office. These smarter systems can store data that is received and share it with the relevant groups. For example, a voice message can be stored and accessed from another location via email notifications.

Another solution is providing easy to access national and international numbers where available. This gives the business a stronger professional image and the numbers can be directed to your department of choice.

The routing options that are available means that your business will always be accessible, regardless of where you are. You have the ability to route calls to your mobile phone or to distribute the phone calls between departments. Additionally, businesses will be able to configure their phones to their operating hours during the days, weeks and holidays.

Furthermore, businesses can receive reporting access for their calls. This data is valuable for businesses that want to improve their customer service process, to track telephone drop offs and to identify any issues that need to be resolved as a part of the overall CRM process.

Integrate the system in with your wider technology and CRM systems

One of the incredible things about the technology is the way the technology can be integrated into the business’s CRM process. The collaboration tools can allow different teams to share and collaborate with documentation; information, materials and knowledge that will help address the inbound queries.

Instant messaging with technical support desks

One of the major game changers has been business’ ability to provide live help through their website to the visitors. This type of customer support can potentially be the difference between keeping a customer, losing a customer or making a new sale. The support can be linked to various teams within your organization. Whether the person enquiring is in need of technical support, accounts or sales support, the needs of the visitor can easily be allocated to the department of expertise to assist them with their query. Furthermore, it can help to reduce the caller drop off time and customers frustration with waiting in phone queues.

Leveraging international teams that will allow you to have 24/7 access

Additionally, the business can utilise remote teams or virtual assistants to assist with their customer service enquiries. It isn’t uncommon for businesses to use virtual assistant teams that are based in India, Pakistan, the Philippines or in other parts of the world where the labour cost is much cheaper and they can still deliver the same quality service. The collaboration technology allows these teams to be plugged into the organisation, as if they were operating locally, creating a streamlined customer service process.

The systems available now offer a more scalable cost effective solution

One of the most impressive features of the technology is how cost effective the solutions can be. There are options where you can invest in the hardware. However with the improvement in smartphone technology, there are options available where it can be set up virtually. These virtual options have a lower operational cost and these costs are then passed onto the consumer.

Regardless of the business’ size, there is a cost effective opportunity to invest in voice and collaboration systems that will enhance the customer experience. Look into scalable options that will suit your business needs and boost the perceived value of your business today.