Technically Easy

Category: Software

Information on Portable Document Format (PDF)
The functional features of Portable Document Format (PDF) have increased its worth and demand. That’s why internet users prefer it’s usage as PDF is easy to use read and convert. It is essential for every computer operator to know its utilities and operating mechanism.

If you are still unaware, this is time to learn.

Innovation of Dr. John Warnock

PDF file format is the breakthrough of Dr. John Warnock who made it operational in 1992. Nowadays, businesses have good faith over PDF, so it has become their necessary tool to keep the data without any fear of piracy.

An independent software

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is managing PDF quality that increases the trust of the users. Also, you don’t need any additional software or internet connectivity to generate and read PDF.

Fast generation of PDF files

The creation of the PDF Files is a matter of seconds. It doesn’t consume time. Just press few buttons and use the file.

Collection of desired features

PDF is an excellent choice for the users who want desired features like a sign, insertion of a picture, edit, and the conversions of files at one place. The following features make it only one software in the digital world:
- Compression.
- Font adjustment.
- PDF formation under the Mac and Window running computers.
- Preservation of the images after the files conversion into PDF.
Send PDF Files in Any Part of the World

The user can send the PDF files to any destination in the world. PDF is virus free, so a user has no apprehension of files damage.

User-friendly

PDF is very simple and easy to understand. Even an ordinary user can operate it efficiently in the first attempt. It contains multiple modules serving the different purposes. Click on the concerned icon and run it without getting any guidance.

Search the wanted text

Press the CTRL with F button, and you can find the desired word in a long text. However, you can’t locate the content if PDF holds it in an image form.

Password and Digital Signature

It is the primary responsibility of the PDF management to ensure the privacy and protection of the PDF users. That’s why you can adjust password and put a digital signature on PDF files. So no one may manipulate your documents.

Portability and conversion

You can transfer the PDF files from one computer to another computer easily. Users love this feature of easy portability. Moreover, use the Sodapdf Free Converter to change the other files format into PDF format.

Choose an effective file converter

You may find numerous PDF files converter, but it is vital to choose operative and reliable. Sometimes, the inexpert user can be the target of the hackers generate fake converters. When the user clicks on it, they receive the personal information.

Convert the PDF to Excel or Word

The efficient converter not only converts the other files into PDF file instead they can be used to change the PDF to Excel or Word files. Use can amend it time and again.

Individuals and businesses are enjoying the immense benefits of PDF files format.
November 23, 2017
Why Entrepreneurs Should Master Basic Excel

In today’s world, having basic Microsoft Excel skills is a necessity. Mastering Excel basics can benefit entrepreneurs in many ways, due to Excel’s widespread applications.

Here, we will detail some of the major uses of Excel and how it can serve you in your business ventures.

Most of you are very familiar with what an Excel spreadsheet looks like and have encountered it at some point in your careers.

From a cursory glance, it is easy to tell that Excel spreadsheets are an excellent means of data storage, management, and sorting.

The data that is stored in the cells can be sorted and filtered in many different ways based on parameters provided by the user.

Any business deals with data in some form or another. Excel allows entrepreneurs to store any data — from accounts, to merchandise, to phone numbers — and view and track it in an organized manner.

Due to its charting functions, it allows you to visualize data in many forms, creating different charts and analysis sheets. The powerful visualization tools make it easy for businesses to analyze and predict data, aiding with decision making at many levels.

Excel is also able to automatically sort, enumerate, and calculate data stored in one worksheet and project the summary of the data in another sheet. For large amounts of data, these functions can be extremely useful.

For entrepreneurs, Excel can create basic models that include sales forecasting, budgeting, and break-even analysis.

This is integral during the initial stages of a business, where constant financial monitoring is necessary to make informed decisions.

Now that you know some of the major uses of Excel, let’s talk about why it is significant for entrepreneurs.

For one, Excel is one of the most powerful tools out there, as it consists of many different functions integrated into one program. Second, Excel is one of the most widely used tools available.

For entrepreneurs, this means that exporting data and reports for collaboration internally and externally becomes a piece of cake.

It’s user-friendly interface and ability to handle both numerical and textual data make it an indispensible tool.

Utilized in many fields, from marketing and finance to fields like journalism. From students to professionals, anyone who has handled data will probably have used Excel.

Finally, Excel is extremely versatile. It allows users to export data to other programs as well, should they need to.

In light of its many virtues, a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel is something all entrepreneurs should have.

There are many different ways to get the learning started, ranging from free online classes that detail Excel basics to more specialized classes about particular aspects of Excel suited for specific types of business.

In terms of the usefulness of Excel, Micheal Tolkien, CEO of Merchant Exchange states, “Excel skills allow you to efficiently stay organized, which frees up more time for important things, like growing your business.”

Ultimately, entrepreneurs who wish to succeed should hone their Excel skills. Even though it does come with its limitations, Excel’s advantages far outweigh its drawbacks.

Its ease of use with minimal training, intuitive interface, ability to carry out complex calculations and modeling, and analytic and collaborative facilities make Excel a powerful tool for anyone at the start of their career.

It is certain that a slightly-above-average understanding of Excel will be a strong advantage to any entrepreneur looking to streamline future business processes.

October 2, 2017
Pipedrive vs. Salesmate vs. Nimble – What Should I Use for My Small Business?

Cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) solutions have been gaining traction at a considerable pace. This can be seen from the fact that in 2008, only 12% of businesses used cloud-based CRM and this figure has now climbed up to 87%. According to a forecast by Gartner, CRM market will reach $37 billion by the end of 2017.

CRM adoption has been quite rapid in small businesses. 50% of companies with less than 10 employees now use CRM. Small businesses can choose from a plethora of options available in the market.

However, there are certain factors that should be considered before deciding which CRM to use. Here is a comparison of three business sales CRM software based on their features and prices, which will make it easier for you to choose one.

1. Pipedrive

Trusted by 50,000 sales teams around the world, this sales management software is one of the most popular CRMs in the market because of the features it offers. It comes with a clear visual interface that shows your pipeline, which makes your sales process look less complicated.

You can easily pull out any stats that you want and customize it. The tool also connects email with your contacts and deals so that you don’t have to sift through them every time.

Pipedrive makes analysis really easy as it shows your sales results in a graphical form. With Pipedrive you can easily keep an eye on your pipeline metrics and pinpoint any problems in your sales process.

It’s best feature perhaps is that it allows you to make effective forecasts, plus it shows you which deals are lucrative and which activities you should focus on.

You can also integrate a number of apps with the platform such as Google Drive, Google Maps, and Mail Chimp.

Pipedrive is SOC 2 certified service provider, which means that your data will always be secure and confidential.

The company has an excellent contingency plan in case of any mishaps.

It backs up all data in real time to a separate server that can be used in case the original one goes down. Also, the entire database is backed every night and encrypted.

This useful software comes with three pricing plans: Silver, Gold and Platinum. Silver plan is the cheapest one and costs $10, but comes with limited features, while Platinum plan costs $63 and gives access to advanced features.

2. Salesmate

Salesmate allows you to plan and track your sales activities, and delegate tasks to your subordinates. Based on your activities, it generates a personalized to-do list that syncs with your calendar and mobile.

Salesmate takes the burden off your shoulders by automating your tasks so you can focus on closing deals.

Salesmate automatically creates activities and assigns them to your team as leads start pouring in. The software also sends you personalized notifications whenever your team takes action on the delegated task.

Moreover, it will also remind you of any meetings once you set your preferences.

With Salesmate, you can never lose a contact in your email thread. The software will suggest contacts to be added whenever you email them. ‘Profile Enrichment’ is its coolest feature.

You no longer need to dig information on your potential customers, as the software automatically looks up for contact information, addresses, and social profiles as soon as you add a contact.

The sales CRM management software shows you insightful reports that can help you improve your sales processes. It also shows you monthly sales reports with pipeline conversion.

You can easily analyse it in any way you want to. It also shows you how much revenue you have generated, how far you are from your target and how many sales you are likely to close.

Moreover, you can analyse your sales results based on users and channels so that you know which marketing channels generate the most revenue.

Salesmate comes with only one pricing plan. However, you have the option to select monthly or yearly payments.

Monthly payments cost $15 per user per month, while yearly payments cost $12 per user per month. Before finalizing it, you can try it for free for 15 days.

3. Nimble

Nimble is an intelligent CRM that makes sales processes pretty simple. With Nimble you don’t need to spend time on manually entering your contacts’ information.

Nimble will automatically update all the information including shared relationships, mutual interests, experience and education. It also makes it easier to manage events, contacts and delegate tasks to team members.

With Nimble’s sales intelligence you can find out what activities you need to focus on to improve revenue. It also shows your team’s projected and historical revenue and informs you of activities that need your attention.

Smarter Email prospecting is one of its most interesting features. The software tracks how many times your message has been opened and clicked so that you know how your customers react to your emails.

It also shows you detailed analytics of the number of times contacts have opened your email.

Nimble will cost you around $22 per user per month if billed annually and $25 per user per month when billed monthly.

The package includes sales automation, contact management, 100 group messages per day, 2 GB storage per user, and email tracking among other features.

Before deciding upon any software, you should know what your needs and objectives are. For example, Pipedrive offers you a lot of features, but its features are not as advanced as Salesmate or Nimble.

However, if you have just set up your business, Pipedrive can be an ideal choice for you. In case if you have an established customer base that you need to manage, Nimble can be a great choice as it is more of a social sales CRM.

If you want to focus more on automation, you can opt for Salesmate. All CRMs have more or less the same features, but your choice should depend on what you really want out of the software.

Author bio

Erica Silva is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.

Currently, she is associated with Airg Team for development work. Check out her firm’s performance reviews.

Find her on Twitter:@ericadsilva1

September 25, 2017
Is Building an App for Your Business Justified?

Mobile is becoming an increasingly important platform both for entertainment and business today. An ever-increasing number of people use smartphones alone to access the internet, to keep up with the news and social updates, to consume entertainment, to make payments, and to shop.

According to Smart Insights, the number of mobile users accessing going online has exceeded that of desktop users back in 2014, and the gap between the two categories is widening year after year. So, going mobile is more important today than ever.

The first thing that pops into mind for most businesses is to create an app to be closer to their prospective customers. But is this always necessary and justified?

Probably not, and there is a viable alternative to consider – a web app.

Web apps do just fine

Millions of smartphone users worldwide play slot games at a secure online casino destinations day after day.

Online casinos are in a pretty sensitive situation: Apple’s is the only app marketplace that allows them to list real money gaming apps (the Windows Store is irrelevant in this context), but their main market is dominated by Android-powered smartphones.

For lack of a better solution, online gaming venues like the Red Flush Casino have chosen the path of a web app. The Red Flush Mobile offers its users all the features and functions they are looking for – a significant game library, safe and secure connections, and a simple and easy way to handle payments – inside a web browser.

This has allowed the Red Flush not only to reach a wide audience no matter what mobile operating system they use but also to provide its players with a quick, convenient way to use its services.

In the case of many online services, creating a native app is simply overkill. There is no need for the user to install an app to read a blog, for example, especially since the coveted push notifications that keep visitors returning to the website can now be set through a web browser, too.

Besides, web apps are most of the times little more than mobile-friendly websites, which makes them accessible on any device running any operating system as long as it has an internet connection and a web browser.

Why native apps are so popular?

Of course, native apps do have many advantages that make them more popular among service providers.

For one, they are present in app marketplaces – it’s far easier for a user to stumble upon an app in the Play Store than to do the same with a web app in the infinite sea of internet addresses.

They offer a faster, more reliable, and responsive experience, they can access more functions of the device they run on, and the list could go on. They have a few disadvantages, too – they are specific to the platform they are built for, and they cost way more to be built (and maybe twice as much if you want to deploy the same app on multiple platforms).

September 6, 2017
Fix: Folders Loading Slowly in Windows Explorer
When I reinstalled Windows 10 on my desktop I noticed the issue of folders loading slowly in Windows Explorer when I tried to view their contents. The issue was very noticeable as it took several seconds to the display the files within a folder, and accessing multiple folders became frustrating.

I hadn’t experienced this issue in the past, at least not when I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10, so I didn’t know what the solution to the problem was.

After some quick research I managed to find a solution, which I outline below.

Quick Access – not so quick

While I thought about the usual culprits to Windows being slow, such as the Windows Search, I had that service enabled in Windows 7 and Windows 10 previously without any issue. I figured that it had to be something else.

It turned out I was right.

The culprit was the Quick Access options under the General tab in the Folder Options. Once I cleared those options, Windows Explorer was loading folders quickly again.

To change the Quick Access options, use the following steps:
1. Open Windows Explorer by typing Windows Key+E.
2. At the top of Windows Explorer, click the View tab, and then click the Options button. The Folder Options dialog should now be displayed.
3. On the General tab, uncheck the following two checkboxes under Privacy:
  - Show recently used files in Quick Access
  - Show frequently used folders in Quick Access
4. After unchecking the checkboxes, click the OK button to save your changes.
What the above options does is show the recently used files and folders in the Quick Access list at the top of the folders list in Windows Explorer. I usually like to customize the list to what I actually need to access on a frequent basis, so turning of this option was beneficial to me. I was actually getting annoyed ad folders and files appearing in the list.

After stopping Windows 10 from showing recently used files and folders in the Quick Access list, the problem of folder loading slowly in Windows Explorer was no longer an issue for me.
June 13, 2017
Fix: Prevent Hard Drives from Going to Sleep in Windows 10
After recently upgrading my Plex Windows 10 machine, I had an issue where I couldn’t prevent hard drives from going to sleep on that system. After the system restarted, a few hours later I would get an email from Stablebit Scanner indicating that one or more of my drives were no longer connected.

With the exception of the system drive, all other drives connected to the system were USB-connected external hard drives. I couldn’t connect to the drives, and the lights on the drive casing indicated that they were in sleep mode.

I hadn’t experienced anything like this since I setup the system over one year ago. After some investigation I found out that there are actually several settings, in two locations, in Windows 10 that I needed to change in order to prevent the hard drives from going to sleep.

I detail the steps below.

Changing the power plan

The first setting I had to change was the USB suspend setting in the Windows 10 power options. This does require an administrator to change, but you will be prompted to enter the administrator password if you are logged in as a standard user.
1. Click Start->Settings->System->Power & Sleep to display the options to change the power and sleep settings.
2. Click the Additional power settings link under Related power settings. The Power Options window will appear.
3. From this window, Click the Change plan settings link beside the power plan you wish to change.
4. From the power plan window, click the Change settings that are currently unavailable link, and enter the administrator password when prompted.
5. Click the Change advanced power settings link to display all the power options for the plan.
6. From the power plan window, click the Change settings that are currently unavailable link, and enter the administrator password when prompted.
7. Expand the USB settings and then the USB selective suspend setting option.
8. Change the Setting value to Disabled.
USB controller device settings

While I thought changing the USB suspend option would solve my problem, the USB-connected hard drives still were put to sleep by Windows 10. At this point, I decided that there must be another setting that caused this problem. After a bit more research online, I did find something that led me to the setting that solved the issue – disabling the ability for Windows 10 to turn off the device from the USB controller settings.

To make these changes, you can use the following steps:
1. Click Start and then type computer management. When Computer Management appears in the search results, right-click it and then select Run as administrator.
2. Enter the administrator password and click the Yes button to open the Computer Management window.
3. In that window, click Device Manager to display a list of all the devices installed on your system, organized in various categories.
4. From the list of categories on the right, click the Universal Serial Bus controllers category to display all the devices in that category.
5. Right-click each item in the list, and the select Properties from the context menu that appears. A properties dialog will appear.
6. If the properties windows contains a Power management tab, then click that tab. If it doesn’t, then close the window and repeat the previous step for the next device in the list.
7. In the Power management tab, uncheck the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power option.
8. Click the OK button to save the changes.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 8 for each device under the Universal Serial Bus controllers category.
With these two settings set to prevent hard drives from going to sleep in Window 10, you shouldn’t have an issue with any USB-connected hard drives from being disconnected.
June 7, 2017
7 Places to Look for Reviews Before Downloading an App
Welcome to the world of smartphones, operating systems and applications. If you don’t live under a rock you must know that your device can’t operate without an app.

Tablets or phones running an operating system may be home to two million applications, if that was possible. From food and travel to childcare and iBanking – applications have revolutionised the way we perform daily tasks.

But how to know which app is the best for you? Many people abide by word of mouth regarding apps and go on to download the one every other person keeps recommending.

But then again – how does the word get out about an app and where should you always go to consult if you are looking to find a genuine app that turns your phone into a TV remote?

Simple – you follow the list curated specially to fulfill all your interrogative needs regarding applications and their reviews.

Good app reviews are a bit hard to find because most of the apps are free, and users prefer directly downloading an app, rather than taking time to read reviews.

Other apps aren’t free and ask for a few bucks in exchange for the tools they offer. That’s when you really worry about user reviews and get cautious before spending your money.

You can visit the places mentioned below to get trusted reviews on apps, since they’re all credible sources with a daily readership of thousands.

1. Google

Quite naturally, everyone goes to the popular search engine to enter the question they want answered in mere seconds. But whatever you see in the search results may not be very much true.

So just in case you are looking for app reviews, make sure you ask Google, and in the search results, look for websites like:
- PC Mag
- Tech Crunch
- Gizmodo
- The Verge
- The Guardian Tech
- CNET
- MacWorld
These platforms are a dream for app developers to be featured on. If you are reading a review here, chances are that you are hearing from the right people about the right thing.

2. YouTube

The famous video uploading medium has plenty of trusted sources that give reviews about apps all the time. Some are YouTubers who have a dedicated account to reviewing apps and can take requests.

Others mostly review apps based on their priority in the app store lists.

Some of the popular reviewers are listed below:
- Soldier Knows Best
- Locker Gnome
- Tys iPhone help
- The iPod Kid
- AppStore Reviewer
- iTouch iPodz
- Phone Arena
- Bbs iPod touch help
- Unique App’s
- AppVee
- Ultimate Phone Reviews
3. Paid sites

There are websites which take a fee from developers and then review the site for them. These websites have a daily visitor count in thousands and any app that goes up on their ‘featured’ section surely gets a bunch of downloads.

For you, a common user, it means that you have access to genuine reviews that a first-timer like you wrote about an app. Here is a small list of paid review sites:
By paid app you should only assume that they take the review process very seriously and what you read there is a product of someone’s genuine efforts.

4. Free review sites

There are also free app review sites that do it for the love of tech. These websites aren’t scammy, and are in fact very helpful.

All you have to do is to visit their site and search for the app you want a reviews of. Take a look at the following sites:
5. Appstore reviews

App stores are the home of an app. Naturally, a user turns to the reviews and ratings mentioned below for a quick idea about the app.

App stores try to make the app info look more appealing by adding small video tutorials about what the app will look like. What you should do is to make sure you read the developer history.

Follow the developer’s website and make sure take a detailed survey. You can even reach them out individually.

There is a small percentage of people who post fake reviews on all the app stores, turning a positive and pleasant experience into a haunting worry.

All the developers have nightmares regarding them. This is why you, as a user, should always second check by reaching out to the developer.

Apple keeps an eye out for fake reviews and so do Google and Windows, but until this evil is totally caged, do your research. Learn more about why you shouldn’t trust app store reviews.

6. Appstore sites

Apple, Google and Windows have dedicated sites to help app developers with queries. They have scheduled hours and an efficient customer service.

Developers usually post an app they want the store to review. Later it will be put up on the app stores. You can check them out here:
- Apple: Apple has a great section for reviewing apps. They will do it to check if the apps are free of harmful and offensive material. Some developers linked to Apple may invite you to use Test Flight – a platform made for pilot projects and research on upcoming apps.
- Google: The great developer blog has all the info you need about app reviews, be it games or spreadsheets. There are professionals talking about stuff that can’t be wrong in any way. Go take a look at the blog.
- Windows: You can visit windows central which is a highly interactive platform and fulfils all your needs. There are dedicated sections for all windows places and you can go check out trusted app reviews. Windows also launched a new app store platform for its current breed of desktops, and they require apps too now, so you can check out the best and the worst apps made for every device.
7. Blogs

By blogs it doesn’t mean the developer blogs, but the blogs coming out from common people with a flair for technology and apps.

These are key influencers in the field and regularly review apps for the benefit of all.
- You can check Guardian blogs which get contributions from popular bloggers.
- The Apps World blog is also great, snf that will help you a lot in your selection process.
- Do visit Apptamin which is a great guide for users and developers too.
- Apps Blogger is also another blog of many that had great app reviews and stays relevant to the current app store trends.
Gamers have their different universe in apps and YouTubers know that well. Be it interactive games like Big Barn World, Harvest Frenzy or fighting games like Grand Theft Auto.

These reviewers cover all. Here is a list of some:
- Touch Arcade: It is the oldest game app reviewing site.
- iMore: It has been reviewing quality content since 2007.
- 148Apps: It has a how to section, a price drop section and also dedicated sections for games.
- Pocket Gamer: This UK-based site covers a wide spectrum of games on all platforms.
Hopefully these places will help you out when you are desperate to look for a trusted review related to apps. Whatever source you follow, make sure you read up well and research on multiple platforms before downloading apps.

About Erica Silva

Erica Silva is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs.

Find her on Twitter:@ericadsilva1
January 26, 2017
How to Disable Audio Enhancements in Windows 10
Knowing how to disable audio enhancements in Windows 10 can become useful if the audio enhancements cause a spike in CPU usage – usually audiodg.exe causing high CPU usage in Windows 10. There could be a variety of reasons why, such as incompatible drivers, corrupted files, or you just don’t want Windows to apply its own enhancements to the audio.

If you would like to disable the audio enhancements in Windows 10, you can use the following steps:

Disable Audio Enhancements in Windows 10

Disabling the audio enhancements in Windows 10 is very similar to Windows 7, so if you have done so in the past, then you should have no issue following these steps. If you haven’t you should still be able to easily follow the steps as it isn’t difficult to disable the audio enhancements.

Other related posts:

Fix: Audiodg.exe High CPU Usage
How to Disable Audio Enhancements in Windows 7
1. Click the Windows 10 start button and then type Sound. Click the Sound option from the search results.
2. In the Playback tab, right-click the audio device you would like to disable the audio enhancements for, and then select Properties.
3. Click on the Enhancements tab to display all the available audio enhancements
4. Click the Disable all enhancements checkbox. The enhancements list should now become greyed out.
5. Click the OK button to close the Properties window.
6. You can use steps 2 – 5 for any other audio device you wish to disable audio enhancements for. When done, click the OK button to close the Sound window.
If audiodg.exe in Windows 10 causing issues with Windows audio enhancements, using the above steps should help alleviate the issue until a solution is found. You can also just leave the enhancements disabled and use the enhancements that come with your audio device instead.
November 28, 2016