How to Make Your Kids Smarter

Everyone wants to feel the joy of having their kid appreciated as the smart kid. Especially with growing competition, the importance of making kids all-rounder has become the aim of every parent.

But kids don’t simply become smart by doing nothing, as a parent, it is your responsibility to help your child learn and grow through different activities. A few engaging daily activities can have a significant effect throughout a kid’s childhood.

Parents need to be deliberate about helping kids become smarter from the time they wake up to when they go back to sleep. A child’s mind is flexible and easy to mold.

As they grow older, they conform to whatever trainings they were exposed to. With these simple steps, you can train your kids to become smarter and confident in life.

Maintain Consistent Bedtime

Depending on their age, the recommended sleep duration for kids varies between 14 to 9 hours daily. Children under the age of 3 require the most sleep as they need it to grow faster.

From 6 to 12 years, they need just about 10 hours of sleep. From 12 – 18 years, just like adults, 8 hours is sufficient with an hour of nap time during the day.

Ensure your kids get an adequate amount of daily rest for their age. The most effective way is to have a bedtime and a wakeup time that applies even on weekends and holidays. In most homes, the most common bedtime is 8 pm – 10 pm with wake time, typically around 6 am.

Music Lessons

Music is good for the brain. For decades, it has been used in various therapies and brain development for both children and adults. Learning how to play an instrument is valuable in developing the brain faster.

Recent studies have shown that kids who study music tend to be smarter than those who did not. Studying music increases IQ and self-confidence.

Brain Games

Brain games such as puzzles, Count the Shapes, I Spy, and Chess can increase a child’s analytical thinking, creativity, and conceptual learning skills.

By slowly introducing your kids to brain games as early as practical, you would be teaching them valuable life skills in a fun way. The Works has a wide selection of puzzles to start with for all ages.

Start by getting a jigsaw puzzle for kids to play during the weekend. You can also initiate a family game night tradition.

Outdoor Physical Activities

Allow your kids to play outdoors often. Encourage them to try out different sports and extra curriculum activities outdoors. This is essential in keeping them physically active.

An active body is not only good for blood circulation, but it also keeps the mind healthy. When kids find an interest in a sport, they tend to practice more and get better at it. They become more confident and seek to learn more things, thereby exposing them to new knowledge and skills.

The advantage kids have is that they can absorb and process information fast and are not afraid of failure.

By exposing your kids to a structured routine for sleeping, playing, and learning, you will be giving them a head start in life. Smart kids turn out to have great careers in the future. Use this simple guide to get them started on that path.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/lifestyle/how-to-make-your-kids-smarter/

How EHR Systems are Changing in 2020

Over the past few decades, one of the biggest shifts in the landscape of medicine has been the growth and development of EHR software. The world of electronic medical records has changed the industry almost entirely. Not only can doctors put in orders electronically but they can even save their notes in this manner as well. As the pace of technology only quickens, it is important for everyone who works in this industry to understand how electronic medical records are going to continue to change the industry in 2020 in beyond.

First, the growth of voice recognition software in the world of electronic medical records has already been a big development. This technology is going to grow this year. It’s no secret that doctors spend far too much time typing on the computer and not enough time with their patients. This largely has to do with the burden of filling out documents. One of the ways that their work is made easier is through the use of voice dictation software. This dictation software allows doctors to speak their notes instead of typing them. The logical next step in this technology is going to be the ability to use voice commands to enter orders and save their notes entirely. Already, the use of dot phrases is emerging. This is the logical next step.

The next trend when it comes to an electronic practice management system is going to have to do with mitigating the errors that show up in electronic medical records. One of the startling issues with the recent 2020 report from the ECRI institute showed that errors in electronic medical records were mentioned in multiple places. Much of this has to do with doctors being overwhelmed by the number of notifications from the electronic medical records system and issues related to doctors and techs not knowing about implants in patients who were sent for imaging. There needs to be a shift that will reduce the number of errors in electronic medical records and this is going to be a focus of this year.

Finally, one of the downsides of moving to electronic medical records is that there is less patient engagement. Patients feel like they are more engaged with their doctor when he or she is using a clipboard instead of typing on a computer. Now, hospitals are trying to get patients involved in the world of electronic medical records as well. Many patients are tech-savvy and, therefore, hospitals are using the electronic medical records to allow patients to book their appointments and communicate with doctors through a message portal. Expect this trend to continue. Hospitals are going to work to increase patient engagement through electronic medical records.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/health-and-wellness/how-ehr-systems-are-changing-in-2020/

5 Ways to Improve Energy Efficiency for Your Rental Apartments This Winter

As a renter, you would be cutting costs to save enough money to either build or buy your personal house. Fortunately, one of the easiest ways to gather enough bulks is by cutting costs right there in your house.

When you think of energy efficiency, do you visualize a self-programming thermostat or some optimized and technologically modified cooling systems?

Although these are excellent ways of achieving your aim, they could be quite costly. So, here are tips that if practiced could cut your bills down by at least 20% – 30%.

Use Rugs on Bare Floor

You might be wondering, what do rugs have to do with energy efficiency? Actually, a lot- especially during winter. Area rugs serve decorative functions well enough; they add color and style to a room, giving it that cozy atmosphere we all love.

However, during the cold winter months, they serve another purpose: insulation. Rugs add some amount of insulation to a room by keeping cooled air underneath and preventing it from cooling the room.

Rug trap heat more efficiently than hardwood floors, and they could give your heating system a break during the winter season.

Go for Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs haven’t been produced since 2014; and if you are still using them, you should be aware of their deficiency inefficiency. The new generation bulbs shine brighter and longer compared to conventional bulbs.

Considering that an average household has at least 40 bulbs, one can conclude that they are efficient energy solutions and make us get more of a very useful product.

This is why you should make a smart switch from energy gulping bulbs to energy-saving bulbs such as Compact Fluorescent light (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED). Not only do you get the benefit of stepping down your energy bill, but you also get to save money on replacement bulbs.

Harness the Power of the Sun

Asides deriving all of your energy from a community grid, it would be wise if you look for some sort of alternative. When it comes to delivering electricity to a home, solar generators are the cleanest and most reliable sources of energy.

Purchasing a solar generator for your home (backup power) not only saves you the cost incurred as a result of your reckless energy use, but it also presents you a greener option than petroleum generators.

Thus, you reduce your electricity bills while preventing the degradation of your home planet, Earth.

Ceiling Fans

Meanwhile, you should know that your room’s temperature is dependent on how good air circulation is. Poor circulation would lead to undesired temperatures. In most rooms, ceilings are the controller of air.

Your ceiling fan should be pushing the air during summer and drawing it up during winter. Striking the balance depending on each season is necessary if you want to maintain proper airflow.

Weather-strip your Windows

Windows are one major way you could either lose or gain heat in your home. During the summer, they let cool air out, causing the cooler to overwork itself.

Similarly, during the winter, they cause the cool air to come in; giving the heater more work to do. Poorly insulated windows would make you pay higher energy bills.

If you can take care of this simple thing, you wouldn’t have to bother much about the cooler and the heater; instead, you give them a break.

Fortunately, there are great ways that would efficiently weather-strip your windows. To reduce the cost, you can choose to buy an inexpensive window insulator and add thermal curtains.   

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/real-estate/5-ways-to-improve-energy-efficiency-for-your-rental-apartments-this-winter/

If You’re Going To Wear A Business Suit, Wear It Right

The purpose of a suit is to show off your physique in an understated but perfectly flattering manner, with the intention of generating a degree of class and style which you would be hard pressed to create otherwise. 

There are few pleasures greater than finding a suit that fits just right. A perfect-fitting suit gives you the confidence you need to walk into any situation with your head held high, whether it’s an interview, a wedding, or a work event. 

But getting the perfect fit for your suit is more of a challenge than many people realize. For one, it’s not clear to all exactly what a good fit looks like—and selecting and sizing a suit can be troublesome for anyone. Let’s take a look at how to get it right:

Shoulders

To get the shoulders right, you need to have the shoulder seams of the jacket ending at the end of your shoulders—not before or after. There should be no divots or wrinkles. The shoulders should be able to lay as flat as possible. As long as that is the case, it should mean the shoulders look good and the suit fits well.

Pant Hem

As a general rule of thumb, you should always ensure that your suit pants are hemmed in order to leave a small break. This way, it is likely to look more polished and a good deal sharper compared to a full break. It is also going to be more flexible for many different situations, compared to no break. So aim for this nice in-between and you should be happy.

Seat

The seat area should lightly hold your behind, meaning that it should ideally be neither too baggy, nor too tight. For one thing, it will just mean that it is more comfortable this way—but it’s also designed to help you look your best as well, so make sure that you get this right.

Jacket Length

This is arguably just about the most important consideration in sizing a suit at all. If the jacket length is even slightly wrong, it is going to negatively affect the way that the whole suit looks—so make sure that it is just right. That means it should end at around mid-crotch if you are an average height, or mid to lower if you are a bit taller.

Jacket Closure

The correct closure of the jacket is important to achieve if you don’t want to look, frankly, too over- or under-weight. You will know intuitively looking in the mirror whether or not you have got this right. It can take a long time to fix, so it is best to make sure your tailor makes this a priority from the start.

Jacket Collar

You should be able to run your finger around your collar at the front, but have it fit tightly around the back. Not too tight, of course—you don’t want your jacket to strangle you, and you need to fit a shirt underneath. Get the balance right, and it should be well fitted, as should the suit in general if you have paid attention to these tips.

By far the best way to make sure you’re wearing your suit correctly is to get a custom-tailored suit made by experts. It’s not worth skimping on a sub-par tailor only to get a suit that doesn’t fit quite right. Invest in the best from the start so you can look sharp no matter where you wear your suit.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/lifestyle/if-youre-going-to-wear-a-business-suit-wear-it-right/

If Your Business Network Keeps Going Down, It May Be Time To Consult Managed Services

In today’s modern economy, businesses rely on their IT networks more than ever before. But with that reliance comes big risks. 

Recent data from a variety of sources highlight the growing costs of network downtime. In 2019, for example, Facebook estimated that the 14-hour outage it suffered on March 13th cost the firm more than $90 million. Furthermore, in 2016, Delta Airlines reported that a five-hour disruption of its IT system led to a loss of business, totaling a staggering $150 million, proving that it is not just companies in the tech sector that suffer when there are outages. 

The lesson from the above examples is clear: if downtime is something that can affect the big players, it can harm the little guys too. In reality, though, the problems for small companies are probably worse. While the likes of Facebook and Delta Airlines can call upon their enormous internal computing resources to quickly fix unexpected issues as they arise, smaller firms usually can’t. 

A recent IBM study reveals just how damaging outages are for business. It found that IT outages cost the average US firm more than $8.19 million in lost revenue, brand damage, and lost productivity. 

Granted, the data above include mainly multinationals, but even the losses for small companies from downtime can be substantial. A report from Atlassian, for example, found that companies employing fewer than fifty people still lost between $137 and $427 per minute when their IT infrastructure went offline. 

The Rise of Managed Service Providers

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that companies are increasingly looking for ways to eliminate the risk of downtime and keep their businesses operational 24-hours per day. For many, it is clear that the old break/fix strategy of waiting for problems to arise until they get fixed is unfit for the modern era. Firms are now far too dependent on their IT systems to risk waiting for an outage to occur before doing anything about it. 

For this reason, we’re seeing the rise in businesses hiring Managed Service Providers or MSPs. Here, businesses outsource their network management to third-party providers who render services through the cloud. Companies pay a monthly fee, and in return, they get all of their IT needs taken care of for them. 

These MSPs offer compelling benefits for small businesses whose networks keep going down. Rather than waiting for problems to arise, these agencies continually scan company systems, looking for issues that might put them at risk. 

Leading IT services companies, for instance, use a variety of active monitoring techniques that detect and eliminate potential sources of downtime. One of the most interesting examples is software that can track the warning signs of hard drive degradation. MSPs can see that a drive is going to fail long before it becomes evident to in-house IT professionals and swap it out for a new one before it puts company data at risk. 

These services also monitor network activity 24-hours a day—something that was nearly impossible for all but the biggest companies in the past. Typically, they use a combination of both software and human-based monitoring to seek out dangerous data breaches and plug before they lead to outages. 

Because MSPs employ seasoned IT professionals, they also offer companies another benefit: the ability to actively identify security defects and patch them before they become fully-fledged issues. MSPs are using their experience in cybersecurity to provide advice and strategy recommendations to their customers, bolstering their systems. 

The Full Cost of Downtime

The uptake of MSPs is likely to increase as more businesses come to understand the full cost of downtime. Currently, company executives fixate on lost revenue, but there are many more expenses involved. 

Ponemon, for example, suggests that the most substantial cost to a business from downtime is customer churn and damage to reputation. Lost revenue was secondary in importance. The agency also identified what it called “lost internal productivity.” Downtime, it found, didn’t just affect the IT team responsible for resolving the incident, but practically everyone else in the company, even if they didn’t rely on IT systems directly. When employees cannot access internet resources, they cannot share their findings with others, breaking entire teams in the process. 

As the adverse effects of downtime become more pronounced, firms will soon give up on managing their own networks. Instead, they’ll move towards MSPs as the safer and more affordable option. 

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/business/if-your-business-network-keeps-going-down-it-may-be-time-to-consult-managed-services/

4 Gaming Skills that will Help Your Business Grow

Poker is one of a handful of strategy-based games with valuable lessons that can be extrapolated into everyday life. The skills needed to become a successful poker player are not lost on other facets of our lives, notably business.

At the risk of stating the obvious, it comes as no surprise that discipline, dedication, and determination are sacrosanct in the pursuit of success. As a poker player, you will invariably come up against a wide range of opponents.

Some of them are fish; others are sharks. Your goal is to employ a mix of tactics and strategies to outsmart them at every turn.

It’s a battle royale; a war of attrition against your opponents, all the while playing a calculated game to gain the upper edge. Eventually, you’re going to win the pot!

There are 4 amazing poker skills that can help you grow your business – let’s take a look!

Discipline

It’s not easy staying on point; not when you’re in the middle of a bad beat and your bankroll is looking anemic. As a disciplined poker player, you know that you have to stay the course, play hands worth playing, and manage your bankroll like a boss.

Poker, like any betting game, is inherently risky. You are investing in yourself to succeed against unknown quantities at the table.

Your ability to maintain strict discipline, particularly when you’re being outmuscled by your opponents who are eager to shove all-in, to try and bully you out of the pot.

Poker pros know that you’ve got to fold many more hands than you hold – that’s the nature of the game. Fight that rush of blood to the head, and let the hotshots burn through their cash, while you preserve your bankroll and strike when it’s hot.

Lesson: Do your homework before you rush into a potentially fatal business decision. You are the lifeblood of your business, so stay focused. Don’t show too much to your opponents, because they will use it against you. Plan ahead. Timing is everything!

Budgeting Ability

Capital is your lifeblood in poker. Without it, you have no skin in the game. In business, you need cash flow to manage day-to-day activities and to guard against eventualities.

Bankroll management is arguably the single most important element of your poker game. Bust your bankroll and you might as well pack up and go home. In business, your ability to manage your budget will mean the difference between success or failure.

For example, poker players know to limit their bets per hand to a certain percentage of their overall bankroll. Some players stick at 2%, others at 5%, but no more.

When you risk too much on one play, you’re putting yourself squarely in the crosshairs. Rather fold a weak hand and live to play another day than put all your eggs in one basket.

Lesson: Your business relies on a steady and uninterrupted supply of cash to maintain daily operations. You need that to keep the lights on. Cash flow is everything in business – protect your business with a carefully planned budget.

Patience and Perseverance

Poker players understand better than most the merits of playing to your strengths. The majority of opening hands dealt with players are poor. It takes a special kind of person to persevere through mediocrity and capitalize on opportunities when they arise.

That’s precisely what experienced poker players do. They are experts at biding their time, watching the state of the game on the poker felt, and striking when the iron is hot.

It’s not easy to persevere through a bad beat, but it’s necessary. In a sense, playing poker is a business. You’re investing in every hand that you play, hoping that the ROI will be worth the risk. The more calculated your plays, the better the outcome.

Lesson: Many successful businesses have tasted failure. It’s not failure that defines the business, it’s the business’ ability to withstand the knocks and emerge victoriously.

Be patient and persevere, even when the chips are stacked against you. A carefully-plotted strategic plan is your pathway to success.

Take a Chance

Poker is a game of imperfect information, much like a business and real life. You only know what cards you are holding, and the community cards in the center of the table.

Everything else is smoke and mirrors. Yet, despite this the poker enthusiast is prepared to take a chance on himself/herself and make that play. Your ability to read the situation will help you in poker, but this is a skill that is learned over time.

Lesson: There are no guarantees when you invest capital in new business. However, if you conduct due diligence and make smart decisions, your potential for success grows. You have to take a chance if you believe

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/business/4-gaming-skills-that-will-help-your-business-grow/

Understanding Digital Asset Management & Why You Need It

The majority of business owners understand the basics of marketing and what it means to their long-term success, but they don’t fully understand the concept of branding and how it relates to digital assets.

Branding is important for businesses because it creates an overall image of your business. It gives your company a voice and persona as well as evokes feelings in consumers. Together, these attributes combine to create a unique experience. 

However, there’s much more to building a great brand than simply having a nice logo. Even small businesses have dozens of marketing materials, and a digital asset management platform is necessary to keep each of those materials in order.

Here’s what you need to know about digital asset management and why you need it: 

What is a digital asset?

A digital asset is any type of media or text that is formatted into a digital file and includes the legal rights to use it. In modern times, even print and broadcast files are converted into binary sources that can be accessed online.

Because of this, digital assets have become increasingly important, and major technology solutions providers have developed platforms to manage those Web-based repositories. 

The everyday role of digital assets

As you know, digital media has become a big part of our experiences with brands. Each day, we consume large amounts of media—even when we don’t necessarily realize it.

From photos to advertisements to videos and experiential marketing, we are bombarded by digital assets on a daily basis. Walk into a local coffee shop, and you’ll find several pieces of branding across space.

And furthermore, the average person sees 5,000 ads per day. Essentially, there are hundreds of businesses vying for your attention simultaneously at any given moment. 

On the same token, businesses that have hundreds and thousands of assets—like growing e-commerce companies with a bulk of product photos.

You should ensure they have the proper hosting support from a company like IPGeeks.com, which can manage your server and offer full support solutions to that your site never slows down or crashes. 

Digital asset management

With digital management platforms, businesses are better able to control the pile of assets that sit under their brand umbrella. This makes navigating digital media easier than ever, for everyone from growing startups to large enterprises.

These comprehensive platforms come with a slew of benefits. First and foremost, they can sort and find their assets without much confusion. 

For example, if your business wanted to launch a holiday marketing campaign, you would turn to your management system to locate and pull the resources you need.

This might include logos or variations of your logo, postcards, holiday taglines, illustrations, or audiovisual content. To produce any product, you’ll first need to gather each of those smaller components and assemble them into a fully-formed finished product. 

But it’s not just about the ability to find all your digital assets each time you need them.

As your business grows, certain digital files will have restricted access and monitoring control. For instance, not everyone in the company should have access to a pitch deck built for investors, complete with detailed financial data and projections. 

In this case, you’d restrict access to upper management. Even as a small business, this is something you need to keep in mind if you want to scale in the future.

As you grow your database of digital assets, it can become increasingly difficult to organize and hold on your own servers. 

With that in mind, you’ll also want powerful reporting and sharing tools. Many businesses will inevitably work with another company to achieve its goals. For example, you might hire a marketing agency to spearhead an influencer campaign. 

Understanding metadata

Digital assets aren’t just about the core media file in questions, but the metadata that comes with it. Think of the metadata as a virtual caption for every piece of content you have.

If you simply had a folder of images on your desktop, it would be very hard to determine what rights each photo had, what year it was created, what use case it goes towards, and other vital information that helps you create projects over time. 

Essentially, this metadata describes how any digital asset might be described by using terms that are associated with it.

This metadata helps determine how any particular asset will be displayed to users and provides your company with valuable insight into each file. 

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/marketing/understanding-digital-asset-management-why-you-need-it/