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How to Make Your Home more Environmentally Friendly

June 12, 2019 by admin

Being more energy-efficient is a fabulous thing, and knowing that you’re reducing your carbon footprint is even better. Mother Nature is a beautiful force, and if you can make any change – no matter how small – to preserve her, then you should probably do it.

It doesn’t just have to mean spending money on new fixes; sometimes, it can just be small changes. Here are just a few ways you can help make your home greener.

Install Solar Panels

Solar power is one of the best sources of clean and renewable energy and is also one of the most reliable. Having solar panels on your roof means you are not only helping the environment, but you’re creating a more consistent energy bill for yourself and even helping to create jobs in the solar panel industry.

It’s also possible to save a whole load of money by switching to solar power. Depending on the state you live in, there are varying tax incentives and cost savings to be had by having home solar systems installed. Companies like goingsolar.com explain exactly what you need to know in terms of where you live, along with an estimator to give you an idea of exactly how much you can save by switching.

Use Your Water Sparingly

Being eco-friendly doesn’t just mean your energy consumption and how you approach it. Water is also a valuable asset, and you can make simple changes to help the planet. Try not to leave your tap running when you are brushing your teeth or shaving. If you don’t need the water during that time, why waste it?

Try to spend a shorter time in the shower if you’re prone to spending half of the time in there singing into the shower head. If you can be in and out in less time, try to do so. You can also even consider installing a lower-flow shower head if you have a large family who spends a lot of time in the bathroom.

Install Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

You don’t want to get to the point where you’re worrying about switching on lights in case it harms the environment – it’s unrealistic to think you can get away with never using electricity or turning on the main lights.

If you elect to switch to energy saving bulbs instead of regular bulbs, you’re not only using less electricity, but you’re prolonging the life of the bulb (energy efficient ones last longer) meaning you’ll save money having to replace them all the time.

Use a Smart Meter for Your Heating

You’ve probably already fallen victim to the trap of leaving your heating on longer than necessary in the colder months, maybe even when you’re out of the house to ensure it’s all warmed up ready for you when you get home. If you use a smart meter programmed to come on and turn off exactly when you need it to, you’ll save money on energy bills and help to reduce your carbon footprint.

Passenger Counting Systems Advantages

June 3, 2019 by admin

A fully-fledged passenger counting system is a great addition to the management of any mass transit operation. It provides tons of valuable data which is useful to stakeholders such as the passengers, managers, planners, operators, and even concerned third parties like insurers in some cases. The data from these systems can help to improve customer service, plan operations more smoothly thus improving efficiency, enhance security and safety, and to help in accurate revenue capturing or projection.

Features of passenger counting systems

High accuracy levels – These systems employ independent traffic statistics algorithms, which allows them to have high accuracy rates of approximately 92%. They can precisely differentiate customer flow regardless of the color of the clothes, having caps, backpacks, and so on.

Two-way passenger flow counting – Every device in the system has the capacity to automatically capture the passengers getting on to the vehicle and those alighting. As such, it can support 2-channel video input and 2-channel output. Additionally, it can automatically summarize the gathered information.

Real-time reporting – The terminal equipment in the system and cloud server work simultaneously to avail real-time data enabling accurate reporting of a person’s entry and exit.

Sending alerts – The system’s highly accurate data can be set up so that it sends notifications to operators in the event of overload and so on.

Advantages and uses of passenger counting systems

Fleet management, transit agencies operators, passengers, and other parties will get numerous benefits from the passenger counting systems. It is therefore a worthy investment to have on the vehicles, and the best thing is that it is easy to install and readily available from service providers such as Eyeride.

Here are some of the benefits of the system:

Reduced costs or better budget savings

The systems improve operational efficiency and customer service allowing for optimal use of resources. Due to the ability to analyze data up to the individual passenger, the system can identify the routes and even stops that are not well-utilized or those that may not be of any meaningful business. With that information, the planners can do better routing and optimize each vehicle and route. The conductors can also be eliminated in the passenger vehicles.

Timely response to incidents

The automatic passenger information system enables quick and instantaneous response to incidents such as accidents and others and that could make a significant difference between losing lives and saving them. The systems with their cameras and other linked gadgets and sub-systems help fleet managers or transit agencies to act swiftly in case of threats such as hijacking, accidents, and other emergency incidents.

Help to address customer complaints

The information from the automated passenger counting systems enable fleet management and other concerned parties to sort out customer complaints. The data from the system makes it possible to differentiate valid complaints and baseless accusations due to customer errors. Thus, real problems are addressed satisfactorily and in time, enhancing the customer service and reliability of transport service providers.

Revenue projection

With automatic passenger counting systems, it is possible to estimate the number of passengers who will use the bus and how much revenue that bus should generate over a given period. Human errors are also eliminated, for example by conductors in counting and so on.

Efficiency

One of the most significant advantages of the passenger counting system is overall fleet management efficiency, which factors schedules, route plans, traffic trends, and other crucial things that affect the transit quality.

Conclusion

Passenger counting systems have many benefits to the transit operators, passengers, and others. It enables enhanced efficiency, reduces costs, enables quick response to emergencies, and enhances customer service and the handling of customer complaints. It also facilitates revenue projection.

Can Hacking Actually Be a Good Thing?

May 27, 2019 by admin

When any business owner hears the word hacking they would rightfully run to make sure that their security software is up to date, petrified at the details which may be discovered, or indeed lost. It is with good reason that a business owner would act this way, after all hacking has accounted for untold millions of dollars worth of losses over the years when businesses have been attacked, not to mention the untold damage which can be done thanks to a new lack of trust which clients have in a business post-hack. But what if we said that you’ve been thinking about hacking the wrong way? What if there is an ethical way to hack, bringing about positive solutions?

Pro-active

For as long as cybercrime has existed security has always been one step behind and has been playing catch-up in terms of creating solid defenses against attacks. This is a cycle which has not been able to continue because as quickly as software developers are coming up with ways to prevent Trojan Horse or DDOS attacks, the hackers and cybercriminals are on to a more advanced way of doing things. Software and security needed a shake-up and this is why we are beginning to witness the rise of ethical hackers.

What is an Ethical Hacker?

In Layman’s terms, there are two types of conduct online and these are called white hat and black hat. White hat techniques are ethical, morally just and legal, while black hat techniques can be either illegal, unethical or morally unjust, or they can also be all three. Ethical hacking or white hat hacking is basically hacking by computer developers and programmers who have been invited by a business or a software development company who are working on behalf of the business.

Why Would They Allow a Hack?

The reason for this white hat hacking is that company’s want to know where their weaknesses are in order to prevent themselves from being exposed. This isn’t a new technique by any stretch of the imagination, many businesses will pay ex-thieves to find out where the blind spots are in their store or how they would steal from them given the chance, in order to beef up their security and avoid being stolen from. This is a newer approach to online security and there are many businesses who are now offering hacking services to these companies and corporations. It stands to reason that recruiting some of the world’s best hackers and asking them to try and breach the framework and firewalls which are in place to protect data and business sensitive information is one of the best ways you can keep these information secure.

Risks?

Some people moot the idea of there being risks around this kind of practice. What if an ethical hacker purposely ignores backdoors into a system in order to exploit it later on? These questions become null and void because any system will be hacked by multiple people which greatly diminishes any chances of illegality, and ensures that maximum protection will be given to a business’ computer systems.

Hacking is changing, and those who are doing it have only good intentions.

Upgrade the Appeal of Any Room with the Artichoke Lamp

May 23, 2019 by admin

Lighting is both an art and a science, and the Artichoke Lamp pays tribute to both categories with its unique structural design. Sometimes appreciating the handsomeness of this product is easier than deciding how and where to place it. To assist your designing venture we’ve compiled a few suggestions and ideas that make use of a wide array of themes, colors, rooms, and options to satisfy all kinds of preferences.

1. The perfect chic living room retreat:

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If you’re looking to cast a halo of inviting glow then the Artichoke Lamp is the choice for you. Available in silver, copper, and white, this signature piece will instantly elevate your living rooms outlook. The entire arrangement featured here is attempting to capture a bright, airy and cheerful room where you can host brunches, tea parties or laze around with family. By surrounding the light with a variety of articles ranging from patterned cushions to pure white couches, dark-colored seating arrangements on and around wooden elements and a wide open bay window, you create a wholly eclectic aura that appeals to modern sensibilities. Placing a large mirror parallel to the lamp and alongside natural lighting plays off well as it systematically enhances the amount of light and open feelings in the room.

2. A glorious dining room:

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A transitional hanging fixture like the Artichoke Lamp emphasizes the seating area in the center of the room, granting you the ability to frame a sophisticated communal area. As you can see in the image above, most of the furnishings are following a theme of classic elegance, from the large vintage portraits to the enormous fireplace and exquisite candle ornaments. However, the inclusion of bright carpeting and neon wall colors against the light create an intriguing combination. Furthermore, the chandelier-like appearance of this lamp earns it the title of a regal, state-of-the-art, contemporary lighting tool that adds a dimension of the aristocracy to the layout.

3. A chic and cozy arrangement:

Flickr

The symmetrical grace of the Artichoke Lamp makes it a charming decor piece to add to any residential zone. One might consider it redundant as there are already lamps and natural light from the large European style windows. However, the Artichoke Lamp is an accompanying lighting layer that’ll prevent the formation of unflattering shadows. It is imbued with vibrant properties that bring dynamic energy into the place.

4. Showcase your personality:

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Accessories are considered the finishing touches that complete any room and complement the designing scheme of the very same room. The trim design, handcrafted contours and sharp geometrical characteristics of the Artichoke Lamp allow you the chance to experiment. You can fluctuate between vintage, antique, conventional, contemporary or as shown in the illustration above. You can lay down the framework to a creative and unorthodox layout that represents the workings of your inner mind. Its eccentric nature works well in rooms that are host to neutral ceiling and flooring schemes but are littered with quirky and unconventional ornaments. It is a hybrid of a trendy, individualistic and fun gizmo. The only limit to the creative aspect of the layout is your imagination. So you’ll have to think outside of the box when dealing with this unorthodox yet good-looking fixture.

5. Add interest to simpler interior schemes:

Portrayed above is a mundane representation of a decidedly contemporary interior of the living room. It offers an uninterrupted theme of light-colored, wooden furniture articles. The Artichoke Lamp is a mid-century classic that offers an oasis of unfettered tranquility. The effect is enhanced when it is placed amidst similar pastel colored environments. You can create a wonderfully humble setup with warm and inviting tones. You’ll get a charming aura that is almost akin to rustic elements. Because of the embellished natures of the lamp itself, it’s best to minimize the presence of excessive decorations, artwork and additional decor item/ They’ll make the space too claustrophobic.

There are of course an infinite number of layout designs out in the sea of interior designing. But regardless, this detailed guide should be your go-to. It assists experts and novice designers and homemakers alike.

Living Costs In The Most Popular Canadian Cities

April 30, 2019 by admin

Curious about how prices differ in Toronto vs. Vancouver? Or Ottawa vs Montreal? This fun infographic shows the prices of various basic living expenses in 5 of the most popular cities in Canada. Whether you’re looking to move to the land of Maple Syrup or just vacation there, you’ll need to have at least a couple of these costs covered before you start looking for cool things to do or fun attractions to check out.