Good Advice On Improving Your Home Painlessly!

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Home improvement projects are a wonderful thing for homemakers to get into. Home improvements can be a great hobby along with adding value and beauty to your new home. Improving your home can be a good way to enjoy making money. Read the below article in order to get some advice about how to maximize the value of your home improvement.Home Improvements

Be on the lookout for any carpet installation sales or promotions at your local home improvement retailers. In order to gain customers, they will install carpet for cheap prices. This is a wonderful opportunity to replace your carpeting, and you will save money on installation.

It is wise to trim any branches that are overhanging your roof. In a storm they may break off, fall and spear your roof. In a snowstorm they will dump their load of snow, which may accumulate as ice. Also, falling leaves from these branches may accumulate and cause dampness on the roof, and clog the gutters.

In order to get the most out of your air conditioning and heating system, clean or replace your air filters. Dirty air filters can reduce air flow in your vents, causing your system to work harder to cool or heat your home, therefore using more energy and costing you more money. You can find replacement filters at your local hardware store or even sometimes at your local supermarket.

Sometimes traditional and economical methods of dealing with squeaky doors may work for you. Here is a cheap alternative that you can try: Remove the hinge pin as normal, and rub it with regular bar soap. Then replace the pin and open and close the door to let the soap disperse on the hinge parts.

Hiring a professional organizer for a home storage makeover, can do wonders for your home’s look. Most of us have catch all areas throughout the house, where items tend to go to die. We all have areas that we look at and say that we’ll straighten it out tomorrow. A professional organizer can suggest changes you can make to avoid these problem areas and make your home more efficient.

Never waste your money on materials that do not meet quality standards or pose a risk to yourself and your family. Flooring is one area where it’s all too easy to spend more than you need to; comparison shopping will help you zero in on the best deals. There are a number of discount supply stores you can check out, as well as sales at local home improvement stores.

Have a knowledgeable professional look at the floors you already have in your home before you install new hardwood floors. Frequently, you may have a wonderful floor right under the old flooring in your home. You will wind up with a nicer looking, higher-quality floor for less money.

Secure your windows from potential burglars with nails! All you have to secure your windows is partially drive a nail in the inside of the sash on both sides of the window just above the bottom panel. You can make the nail removable by drilling the hole instead of driving the nail in. Allow the nail to protrude over the bottom panel so that it can’t be opened without removing the nail.

Shut the toilet lid! No, it’s not a girl boy thing! Toddlers can topple into an open toilet and drown! Why take the chance of such a horrible thing happening when all you have to do is shut the lid. Keeping the bathroom door closed is another good practice when small children are in the house.

Create a showcase in your kitchen. By removing cabinet doors, you can display your favorite dishware. Group together by color, similar items or shapes, for a look that will grab people’s attention. If your dishware is white or clear glass, be sure to paint the inside of the cabinet in a color that will show it off.

Are the fans in your home looking a bit overworked? Why not buy new fan blades and replace the old ones, so that your home looks clean. Dirty fan blades can make your home look dirty. If you are looking for an easy way to keep your home clean, try putting in new fan blades.

The more projects you complete, the better prepared you will be to take on bigger projects. This is a good thing. You do not know how far you can go if you just plan ahead and educate yourself on home improvement.

Healthy Cooking On a Contact Grill

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Using a contact grill is the most popular way of indoor grilling. This grill is also known as a dual contact griddler. The most famous contact grill is the George Foreman Grill and the panini  maker or best panini  press.

You can get the contact grill in different sizes. This type of grill has dual hinged heated elements for grilling, one on top and the other at the bottom. The top heated cover helps to retain moisture, cook faster and eliminate the need to flip your food.

Some contact grills have a floating hinge that enable them to adjust to the thickness of food or the hinges can open flat backwards, up to 180° to create a second grilling surface, as an open grill.

A contact grill is affordable, portable and easy to use. It also cooks fast with dual heated surfaces, top and bottom. Just plug and play. The result is juicy, moist and beautiful food.

You will always eat healthy with a contact grill as it removes fat from your food as it cooks.

Start by seasoning your new contact grill with cooking oil. Do this by wiping it clean first, then dubbing the cooking surface with a clean moist cloth dipped in cooking oil.

Make a habit of doing this every time the surfaces dry after cleaning, just before storing.

Grillspot Tip! – Lay baking sheets under your grill to preserve your counter-top or stove and to collect any possible ‘splitter-splatter’ from the grill for easy clean-up. With a good food, you should have best workout with best road bikes.

Cooking Tips with a Contact Grill

1. Allow your marinated foods to drain well before you place them on the grill.

2. Let the grill attain high temperature before grilling meat to prevent sticking. Lower the heat to medium after placing food in it.

3. Apply a quick dub  of cooking oil on your meat and a swish  of cooking spray on the grilling surfaces to prevent foods from sticking.

4. Avoid opening and closing the grill to check if the food is cooked.It wastes heat and slows down the cooking clock.

5. When cooking meat, avoid over cooking by turning off the heat just before it’s done. Let it finish cooking with the residual heat in the plates.

Cook thick or fatty meat on medium heat. High heat during cooking will send fat spattering all over your counter-top.

6. Use boneless meat in thick pieces or slices; thin pieces of meat tend to burn and dry up quickly.

7. Always use a grilling meat chart as a guide to recommended grilling times and temperature.

Grillspot Tip! – To remove sticky food residue on clean up, place wet towels across the plate after the grill has cooled down. The dampness softens the solid residue for easy removal with a sponge.

Shopping for a Contact Grill or ‘Griddler’

Things to look for when out shopping for a Contact Grill include:-   1. Get a contact grill that can get hot and stay hot – one with enough power, at least 1500W or 425 °F (220 °C) thermostat setting.

2. If you want beautiful grill marks on your steak, boneless chicken, hamburger patties or buns, get a grill with deep ridges. Deep ridges also allow fat to drip away from thick meats as they cook.

3. Look for one with a long power cord if possible, at least 6ft. A long chord is safer and allows for versatility and better reach to the extremity of your kitchen counter-top.

4. In order to get a second grilling area from the top burner, look for a contact grill with a floating hinge or at least a 180 ° capable hinge.

5. Get a grill with a large grilling surface so that you can grill more food in one go.

Read customer reviews ahead of time to get valuable insights into quality, usability and customer service issues.

6. Look for added features like an adjustable thermostat. This provides for varied settings to allow you more heat settings for grilling different foods.

7. Look for one with a grease tray, cup or catcher.

8. Get a grill with a variety of cooking plates – ridged and flat. Some contact grills have reversible plates. Turn the flat surface over and presto, you have a ridged cooking surface.

9. Before you pick up your grill of choice, research the availability of replacement parts for your preferred make and model.

10. Last but not least, most contact grills have non-stick surfaces. Just check in passing to make sure the one you are buying is non-stick too.

Eat healthy every time with the versatile and compact contact grill as you continue your indoor grilling journey!

Article Credits: http://www.the-grilling-spot.com/contact-grill.html

Four Things You Should Know About the Best Gaming Monitors

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Response Times

First off, we have the small matter of response times, they matter, but not as much as most people think. And that’s because in recent years, gaming monitor technology has greatly surpassed human eye technology.

These days, it’s not uncommon to find the best TN monitors with response times as low as two milliseconds. And while from a technological standpoint, this is certainly impressive, your eyes can’t actually register responses faster than six milliseconds.

In other words, when you shell out extra money for a sub six millisecond response time, you’re essentially shelling out for something that you can’t actually see.

Contrast Confusion

In the past, contrast ratio mattered. It measured the difference between the brightest and darkest pixels on a screen. Higher contrast ratio, better picture. Unfortunately however, monitor manufacturers have decided to reinvent the word.

Some claim that contrast ratio is x, other claim that it’s actually y. And the result is that the term has pretty much lost all meaning. Is a high contrast ratio still a positive? Yes, but it’s no longer a factor that anyone should be basing their purchasing decisions upon.

Less is More

You wouldn’t be a gamer if you didn’t want to play games on a million inch screen but the reality is that bigger isn’t always better.

It’s not uncommon for gamers to shell out on the biggest screen that they can afford only to get home and find that darting their eyes from corner to corner can be surprisingly tiring. Personally, I think that anything over 27 inches is overkill unless you’re a serious MPG fan.

Even Sony Makes Mistakes

Finally, there’s the small matter of the best gaming monitor under 200 manufacturer, there’s no such thing. There’s more to a gaming monitor than who manufactured it. Base your decision on the pros and cons of individual monitors, not on the brand name attached.

Even the likes of Sony and Dell occasionally release a gaming monitor that’s decidedly sub par. Now if only there was some kind of website that offered in depth reviews of their individual offerings…

Photgraphy Tips: Taking Shots at Night with a Digital Camera

Posted on by Kanak BhandariLeave a Comment on Photgraphy Tips: Taking Shots at Night with a Digital Camera

You might have read my article on buying a good digital camera and here are two tips for taking photographs at nights, if at all you forget your tripod.

How to check whether you will able to take pictures without shake??
There is something called as shutter speed in camera which decides the of time for shutter to allow light to enter. In low light condition the shutter speed go very low to allow maximum amount of light to enter. This makes camera highly sensitive and small shake will give highly blurred images.

Shutter speed is displayed in the camera as 1/60 or 1/120 or 1/30 or 1/15 …etc etc … (1/60 means 1/60th of a second ). You can see it on your camera LCD. If the shutter speed go below 1/60 i.e ( 1/45 or 1/30 etc) you really need to try hard to prevent camera shake.

Some cameras show shutter speed directly on your camera LCD but some need the picture button to be pressed half ( So that the camera checks the focus to decide the speed ). Once you find out that shutter speed is going less than 1/60, try these :-

1. USE THE 2SEC TIMER

Most of us might have always wondered what the use of a 2 sec timer. Most of the people might not have used it till now . Well !! the main use of this 2 sec timer comes when you take the snaps in low light where camera shake is possible while taking the pressing the picture button. Hence set the camera for 2 sec timer, press the picture button and hold the camera still for 2 secs till the picture is taken . Try to rest your hands on some stable surface to prevent further shake.

2. TRY TO KEEP THE CAMERA AT STILL SURFACE

If you can find any still surface for example park bench, wide railings etc try to keep it there , and use the timer to take the photograph.

3. SWITCH TO ISO400 OR ISO200 AND TRY USING THE CONTINUOUS PICTURE MODE

Don’t switch to more than ISO 400 as photos will be very very grainy and will be of no use .Continuous mode allow camera to take pictures till the picture button is pressed. You can take 15-20 pictures like this and can finally rely that one picture might have come proper. Use this when top two fails as this method will fill your memory card very fast.

10 + 1 Simple Ways to Save Fuel from your Vehicle

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Save Fuel , Save Environment.

I was just reading the article in India Today, where they mentioned 10 simple ways of saving fuel. I found the article very useful and thought of sharing it with my readers. So here it goes :

  1. Drive easy within the prescribed speed limits. Take off your leg from the clutch pedal after changing the gear, and also avoid hard acceleration. Driving at a highest gear ( depending on speed ) makes the engine spins at a lesser rpm and hence giving you a better fuel economy.
  2. Tyre Pressure is another important factor. Make sure the tyres are inflated properly and also are properly aligned for better fuel economy and safer driving.
  3. Get your vehicle serviced properly and at the right time, so that the Car’s engine is healthy and hence burn less fuel. It will even save your maintenance cost for the vehicle.
  4. If possible try avoiding rush hour traffic. If by leaving 30 minutes early can help you avoiding a lot of traffic, then its always better to do so. Battling traffic everyday is even bad for your health.
    For shopping, choose early morning at weekends. This will help you save time on road while going out for shopping.
  5. Slow Down in advance when you see a red signal or when you are approaching your destination. This will avoid usage of sudden brake and also will help you maintain safe distance from other vehicles.
  6. Switch off your AC 5 minutes before your reach your destination as Car remain cool for that much distance. Use good quality sun films (which reduce solar energy upto 50% ) from getting your car heated up.
  7. Try to combine different chores at the same travel , rather than postponing them to different time. Ex : While driving back to office you can go to bank , shop grocery etc which you might have planned later.
  8. Keep your car clean especially during monsoon season. The muck that sticks to the car add to weight and hence increase the drag as well. Cleaning your car will prevent rusting and also will cost save you in longer run.
  9. The most important, fill your car in the coldest part of the day i.e mornings. As cold fuel has maximum density , hence you get more fuel for same reading than you would while filling it on a hot day. Also,fill it at a place you trust, so that you know what you are paying for.
  10. Prevent carrying stuff which you use once in a while, in your car everyday. Travel light as much as possible which will help reduce fuel consumption. The more light your car is more fuel you can save.
  11. Finally, follow lane discipline to prevent traveling distance and accidents , keep your car’s emission checked at regular interval and avoid add too many accessories to the car which again increase weight.

If we can follow these simple points, we can together make a huge difference in saving fuel. If you have any other points of fuel saving, do share it in comments .

SAVE FUEL , SAVE ENVIRONMENT

90 Seconds Charge for 23 Hours Usage : New 5.11 Tactical Light for Life Flashlight Uc3.400

Posted on by Kanak BhandariLeave a Comment on 90 Seconds Charge for 23 Hours Usage : New 5.11 Tactical Light for Life Flashlight Uc3.400

Remember doctors performing surgery with the help of a cellphone light ? Nothing could be more affected due to unavailability of power. But  511 tactile has tried to help many of us.  The new Light for Life Flashlight UC3.400 can keep working for 23 hours after a 9 second charge. Amazing isn’t it ? Busy people will never need any other option when it comes to temporary lighting.

HOW DOES IT WORK ?

This amazing light works on a new technology that shall see the industry making so much gain in the area of DC power. Instead of batteries, it rather works on a unique system that uses capacitors to manage power. The power flows from the capacitors to the flashlight in a regulated manner so that the least energy is least. You do not need to replace the capacitors unlike conventional batteries that run out of power over use.

This flashlight will have so many uses. You can take it out for camping, hiking or field work. It can serve as a temporary lighting.

USAGE

You can use the light in standard or strobe mode. With the standard setting, you have a steady light source like these produced by bulb tubes but the strobe gives you a flashing effect such as those used to warn others about danger or broken down vehicle.

The Flash Light has been built to withstand extreme conditions. It is weather resistant and can be used in any weather condition – cold or heat – without loss of performance. Again, it is made from rugged material that will resist scratch and abrasions so they keep looking new and in working condition long after purchase. The device is also waterproof – making it a companion for people working in aquatic conditions. The light is also cost effective. Once bought, you do not need to change the bulb. It is also very light as it is made from aluminum.

The equipment comes with a car charger and a mounting belt so you can hoist it up safely whilst working.

This light source is the ultimate flashlight for campers, outdoor enthusiasts and hikers. With its small size and bright lights, you ca easily pack it into your back page and illuminate your way through the most challenging environment. It is extremely rugged as it is made from high-strength polymer and is water resistant. For economy and dynamism, this flashlight will perform better than battery or solar versions

How to Find Resources That Prevent Closing of Files and Folders on Windows

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There are times when you are unable to close or delete files in Windows. Here are small tips on how to find the resources that are preventing you to do that.

Scenario 1:

When ever you boot your system launch any program on your system, system resources allocated with that particular application will be loaded as well. The task manager will have details about each of the application alive at any point (or we assume so).

When you look into the processes list in Task Manager, you will mostly able to match the name of the program with the application running, however there are a few applications which makes it very difficult for you to figure this, like for example when users launch the Trend Micro Anti-Virus, it’ll show up as ntrtscan.exe in task manager. It’s tough for an avg. Joe to understand which program or which DLLs processes is loaded in Task Manager.

Scenario 2:

User will be unable to copy a file or folder as it that particular resource is being used by another application. Now this sounds ridiculous to the user because he knows that he has closed all the other applications and there is nothing that he can see!!

This is when Process Explorer comes to your rescue. With Process explorer you can find all the hidden applications that are running behind the scene which may be using the files or folders you want to delete or close. It is a free system monitoring and exam application and can be employed as step one in debugging software or system issues. Sysinternals is the company that developed Process Explorer and Microsoft actively promotes it.

Download Process Explorer, to close all the applications that are running behind the scene and utilizing the resources you are trying to close.

This Guest post is by Gautam H N, who is the author of TechBuzz.in where he regularly writes about Computer tips And Computer Security.

Turn on Liquid Lights , save Power and Get Reminded to Turn off Water Taps

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How busy you can be that you need a visual reminder for turning off water taps? Water is precious natural resource and  its even difficult to imagine life without it. These decorative lights looks stunning and the usage of LED lights make it more power efficient. Do you know the amount of water wasted due to running taps while brushing teeth totals around mind boggling 35000 litres per year/family. I think best place to fix these lights will be just beyond the wash basin. They come in three different styles :

  • The standings
  • The Chandeliers
  • The wall

California-based designer Tanya Clarke is the daughter of environmental activist Tony Clarke, the author of Blue Gold: The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water. Tanya’s own contribution to water awareness is Liquid Light – Industrial Light Installations, a series of custom-built fixtures that “create a visual reminder of the precious commodity that water is and our need to protect this natural resource.LED lights , recycled plumbing and hardware , hand sculpted glass drops and found objects are incorporated to contribute to the zero footprint movement in the form of Liquid Light.”

If you buy these lights, 5% of your purchases go towards the education and action on global water justice issues.

This is not the first time such kind of industrial design has been made. In early 2007 Rafel Morgon had a similar Light Drops model as shown below.

I kinda like these designs, wonder they will be at sale in Dubai. Whats your opinion ? A channel that has a channel will guarantee the cleanliness of the fuel. On the off chance that the lamp is fit for utilizing unleaded fuel, at that point it can be utilized. On the off chance that the light is for use with Coleman fluid fuel, at that point this is the main sort that ought to be utilized. Coleman fuel is favored because of the cleaner consuming when contrasted with unleaded gas. Tie the mantle(s) on the burner tube and cut off the excess string. The instructions should be on the package. With a match or lighter, hold just beneath the mantle and it will burn. Allow the mantle to burn until it turns into a white ash. Once it turns into a white ash,