Tag: technology

Happiness · Health

Online Counseling – Five Key Benefits

Jayne1 Comment
Five Benefits of Online Counseling
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

If there’s one thing that many of us have learned durin glockdown, it’s that it is possible to do things differently. Everything from shopping to learning to medical appointments have moved online to help limit the spread of COVID-19, which is something that we should be utilising even more moving forward, even after the threat of a pandemic is gone. With that in mind, I’ve put together five reasons why you should consider online counseling:

Convenience

The top reason for having online counseling with a service like BetterHelp is that you can do it any time, anywhere. You don’t need to take time off of work for appointments if you can go online in your lunch hour for your counseling session, nor do you need to find childcare if you’re at home with the kids. Online counseling is ultra-convenient – you can even stick to your appointments if you’re on holiday or working abroad!

Comfort

Sometimes, going to a clinic or surgery for counseling can leave you feeling totally out of your comfort zone. However, with online counseling, you can do it from the comfort of your own home where you’ll feel totally at ease. You don’t even have to put shoes on, you can sit curled up in your favourite armchair and have a chat with your counselor. What’s not to love about that?!

Cost

When you visit a counselor in an office, part of what you’re paying for, aside from their expertise, is their overheads. They’ll have expenses like rent for thier office space, business rates, utilities, staff etc. When you see a counselor online, it’s likely that they work from a home office and their cost can be very low, which means they’re able to charge less for their services.

Options

When you visit a counselor in person, you’re often limited by the type of counselor you’re able to see. Different mental health professionals will have different methods of being able to help, and by using an online counselor you can access the type of help you need which you may not have been able to find otherwise. You also benefit from an element of anonymity by using a counselor who doesn’t live or work locally to you.

Travel

Even when we’re not in the middle of a pandemic, travel can sometimes be tricky. We live in a rural location with one, not very regular, bus route nearby. If our car is off the road, getting to appointments is basically impossible, which means online counseling would be a really good option for us. Having an online session means that we only have to travel as far as our PC to get to see a mental health professional.

Technology

6 Ways Technology Can Make Your Life Easier

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Everyone needs a little help every now and then and what better way to get it than using technology in your everyday life. Most people have a phone these days, and these devices are just like a mini computer in their own right, so there’s no excuse to utilise it to make your life a little easier. It’s not only phones that can help either, as the selection of home gadgets and smart devices, such as alarmanlage haus (or house alarms if you don’t live in Germany), are also changing the way we live and carry out daily tasks.

If you’re looking to utilise technology to make things easier, check out these top ways to do just that.

Make payments securely

In the old days, you used to have to go into the bank to get money out or pay people, but in modern society, even cash machines are starting to disappear too. That’s where technology takes over. It’s never been easier to pay securely for a range of products and services with the click of a button on your mobile device. Apps are making it simple to buy things and get them delivered within days. Plus you can pay friends and family in an instant if you need to split the bill at dinner.

Watch the latest TV series and movies

Long gone are the days of waiting forever for films to come out on DVD, as now you can access the latest movies and TV series right from the comfort of your own home. It’s easy to set everything up from a smart TV or on your computer, and you can find out how to get favourite shows on Netflix on your Mac here: https://cablecompare.com/11-ways-to-watch-tv-for-free/

Get fit at home

Want to get fit but don’t have the time to go to the gym! Well, you can do all your workouts from the comfort of your own home on your lunch break with the range of apps and videos on YouTube that take you through the steps and techniques. If you prefer running, you can also download helpful guides on how to complete different runs depending on if you just want to get off the couch or want to test your stamina in a marathon.

Find your way around

Once upon a time, a trusty map would get us from A to B, but now in the innovation of modern technology, our phone can guide us around with ease. It’s not just great for using in the car either, as if you hunting for a shop in a town you don’t know, or are exploring a new city, a GPS app can guide through the streets to find your destination. You can also ask your phone for the nearest bank, supermarket or café plus a range of other spots to find the fastest route for your needs.

Control your home

You can now control a host of things in your home with technology too. Everything from appliances to your heating and lights can be turned on and off with your smart devices, which is ideal if you want to monitor elements such as energy usage. There are also lots of smart devices such as Siri and Alexa, who can just play you some music when you need it. Plus you can integrate them into your other smart devices and turn lights on when you come into a room or switch the TV on etc.

Secure your home

Home security is a priority for many families and technology can give you extra peace of mind whether you’re at home or away for the holidays. Installing cameras inside your property that are connected to the WiFi offers you visibility in each room it’s set up in. There are also options to set alerts if motion is detected and you can log in on your smartphone app and look directly into your house from your phone. Another use for these types of cameras is for pet-watching. If you have to leave your beloved pooch at home while you’re at work, it can be worrying for the both of you. So setting up a camera will enable you to watch them throughout the day, and some devices allow you to talk through them, which can help if they have decided that it might be fun to nibble on the furniture.

Technology makes it super easy to get organised and feel more secure in your home. By utilising a range of home and mobile tech options, you will be able to get places faster, get organised more efficiently and have extra peace of mind for your family.

Technology

Understand the Memory of a Laptop

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RAM (random access memory) is an important place in a computer where the application programs and data in use are stored so that processor can easily access this data. RAM is a short-term memory of your PC, and it can save a modest amount of information that is easy to access. You will need laptop reviews to find out thememory of your laptop. The RAM is almost 100 times faster than a hard drive or SSD but holds 100 times fewer data, and this data is temporary because the RAM will lose data as the power goes off. RAM is faster to read and write as compared to other types of computer storage, such as SSD (solid-state drive) and HDD (hard disk drive) or optical drive.

RAM will hold this data as long as the computer is running. As the computer turned off, the RAM will lose its data. As you turned on your computer again, the operating system and files are loaded once again in the RAM from SDD or HDD. Ram is small in physical size and storage capacity. A typical laptop may have 4 gigabytes RAM, but a hard disk can hold almost ten terabytes.

Types of RAM

Here are different types of RAMs available in the market, but the use of SDRAM memory is an old and plain memory that will slow your system down. There are various types of RAM, such as SDRAM, Rambus DRAM, and DDR.

SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

Nearly all systems are designed with 168-pin, 3.3-volt SDRAM DIMMs. It is not an extension of old EDO DRAM, but it is a new DRAM. SDRAMis run at 66 MHz, but the older fast page EDO and DRAM max out at nearly 50 MHz. The SDRAM can be scaled to PC133 (133 MHz) officially and unofficially almost 180MHz or even high. As the processor works faster, the advanced memory requires RDRAM and DDR for proper functioning.

Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR)

DDR can double the speed of data transfer of SDRAM by transferring data according to the clock cycle. DDR memory operates at nearly 333 MHz or 166 MHz * 2 (aka PC2700 / PC333) or 1333 MHz * 2 (PC2100/PC266). Being 2.5-volt technology, the DDR uses 184 pins in DIMMs. It is not physically compatible with SDRAM but utilizes same parallel bus to make the implementation easy than RDRAM. RDRAM is a different technology.

Rambus RDRAM (DRAM)

Despite its high cost, the Intel has blessed the consumer market with RDRAM. This technology is specially designed for Pentium 4 of Intel. The RDRAM is a leading serial technology arrived in 3 flavors, such as PC 600, PC 700 and PC 800. The RDRAM PC 800 has increased the throughput of PC 100 SDRAM, but a sophisticated dormancy. The advanced RDRAM designs with numerous channels, such as the motherboard of Pentium 4 are at the top of the heap in the memory quantity, especially after pairing with PC-1066RDRAM memory.

DRAM is available in two important forms, such as RIMMs and DIMMs. RIMMs utilize only 16-bit interface, but it runs at a higher speed as compared to DDR. To enhance the performance, the chipsets of RDRAM require RIMMS instead of a dual 32-bit interface. The DIMMs contains 64-bit components, but if you want to use in a motherboard with dual configuration channel, you should pair them and enhance their performance.

 

Technology

Replacing Old Faithful (Or: “When a Laptop Goes to Tech Heaven”)

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A few years go, Husband decided that I needed a new laptop if I was going to be making a serious go of this blogging and copywriting stuff, so when my birthday came around he took me to a shop and let me choose a shiny, brand-new one in order to make my life easier. My previous model was grinding to a halt with even the most simple of tasks and it just wasn’t conducive to any sort of productivity.

Since then, maybe 4 and a half years ago now, the laptop and I have gone through blogging, social media work, blogging conferences, copywriting commissions, the birth of a baby, several house moves and everything else that life has thrown our way. It’s not as speedy as it once was, but bashing away on its keys is like slipping into a pair of well-worn leather gloves; my fingers just fit and everything is exactly where it should be.

A couple of days ago, my laptop got knocked onto the floor, breaking the charger and the inside of the port it goes into and, if we’re being realistic, it’s probably more economically viable to replace the whole laptop than try to buy new chargers and replace the internal port. I’m sad to see Old Faithful go to laptop heaven, but excited to be scoping out the best budget laptops in the UK.

At the moment, I’m using Sausage’s Chromebook, which actually works really well (probably because she basically NEVER uses it!) and I really like the fact that it’s essentially an Android device like my phone, which means I can use the same apps for my emails and things like photos and notes sync across the two devices really well. I’ll probably keep using this one for a while, until I’ve saved for a replacement, but a newer Chromebook is definitely high on my list of replacements.

Do you have a laptop which feels like a trusty old friend? Have you recently invested in something new and have a great suggestion of what I should be buying? Or are you in the same predicament as me with no idea what to buy? Do leave me a comment below if you have any pearls of wisdom which might help me out!

 

Kids · Parenting · Technology

Technology and Kids: Moderation is the Key

Jayne1 Comment

kids and technologyTechnology. It’s one of those things which can be SO good when it works but can also be the bane of your life when it doesn’t. We’re quite “techy”, here in the Mum’s the Word house, and all of us have various devices that we use on a daily basis. The girls have tablets and Sausage has a mobile phone which she got for her last birthday, mostly to allow her to go Pokemon hunting without needing to use my phone!

However, it’s not without it’s issues; I often find myself spending far too much time on Facebook or Reddit or playing some mobile game and sometimes I realise I’ve spent almost all day staring at a screen, and naturally, Sausage would be the same if we allowed her unfettered access to her phone. She only uses her phone at home, but just recently My Voucher Codes conducted a survey which found that 75% of parents feel that mobile devices have a negative effect on their children’s education and how social media platforms have become so distracting to students that they are less likely to concentrate during lessons.

I do think that a lot of the problem is the lack of monitoring that goes on – just because Sausage has her own technology doesn’t mean that she is able to use them autonomously – Husband and I have to approve every app she installs and we like to ensure she has a mixture of fun and educational apps. Pokemon Go encourages exercise, so we’re happy for her to use it, and she also has apps which help her to learn foreign languages, her times table and which encourage her to train her memory.

I also think that the issue is WHEN children are allowed to use their phones. Until she’s a LOT older, Sausage won’t be allowed to take her device to school because she simply doesn’t need it. Also, when she’s at home she has to have completed her homework before she can use her phone and we don’t let her use it for hours on end. She also has to put it down at least an hour before bed because it’s now been proven that looking at screens can interrupt a person’s circadian rhythm and we certainly don’t want her to be unable to sleep!

Chris Riley from My Voucher Codes thoughts on technology for kids echo my own:

“It’s interesting to see that three quarters of parents feel that mobiles, tablets and gaming devices have a negative effect on their child’s education, yet half admit that they do not restrict the time that their child spends on the internet.

“Monitoring your child’s internet and social media usage is now more important than ever. Although there is a range of benefits from spending time online, including increased communication and access to information, there is also the risk of online bullying, depression caused by online altercations and exposure to inappropriate content. Setting ground rules, checking privacy settings and monitoring what your child is sharing are good steps to take to ensure your child stays safe online.”

He added: “We find using our mobile or tablet devices can easily take over our lives and those of our children. Setting times when you children can use these devices means they are not on their phones 24/7. It will also be beneficial to their health if they are not on devices late into the night as well as improving their concentration in class.”

How do you feel about mobile devices for kids? I’d love to hear your thoughts so do leave me a comment below.