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How to Stay Up to Date on The Latest Tech and Web Development News

Claire James
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How to Stay Up to Date on The Latest Tech and Web Development News

The minute you stay still in your career as a software or web developer you’ll be left behind and the wave of improvements, new technologies, and trends will wash right past you. Staying on the cutting edge of this evolution and finding ways to keep learning and developing your development skills should be considered part of your job. The world of development is incredibly dynamic, so if it’s your chosen profession, you should have a few great ways to keep up to date with these advancements and industry trends. Here are some of our favorite ways to do so.

Maintain a Personal Network

As web developers, we spend almost all of our working hours online because it is the very nature of our business. With all the communication tools available today, you have no reason not to build and maintain a personal network of professionals and friends in the industry and help keep each other up to date. It’s a symbiotic relationship that will benefit you and those you choose to connect with.

Whether you’re scheduling time to chat with one another on a Slack group maintained for the purpose, or you’re having ad hoc conversations on WhatsApp, every interaction with your personal network of web developers is an opportunity to learn and grow your skills. If you get stuck in your work or a specific task, this network will be beneficial too, because they will likely be able to assist you with a particularly difficult or unfamiliar coding task.

Online Resources and Websites

It’s very likely that you already subscribe to – or often visit – some of the big technical and web development websites and news resources on the web. Sites like TechCrunch, Ars Technica, and Smashing Magazine are all excellent resources to keep you up to date with design trends and changes and advancements in online and web-centric technologies.

You’re often expected to wear multiple hats as a web developer, or at least have a working knowledge of all of the aspects of web design. Areas like user interface design and database design and management are all parts of the web development process and having familiarity or working knowledge of these and other aspects will come in handy. Here, websites like Codeacademy can be very useful.

Forums and Online Groups

There are a plethora of online groups, forums, and websites that can quickly become an incredibly useful and indispensable resource for your development work, as well as a place you can go to keep up with these trends. Specialist web development forums and collaboration spaces like Stack Overflow provide this platform. Combined with powerful search tools, it’s a veritable dictionary of code snippets and on tap assistance from other software and web developers.

Other forums like Reddit provides a more community-focused alternative to Stack Overflow, with many subreddits offering specific specializations. You’ll find subreddits for almost any language or web development pursuit and most of them are very active, full of people ready and willing to help. Lending a hand to others will also let you flex your skills.

Attending Conferences and Events

Every industry has a thriving conference, seminar, and events calendar. Attending these, whether in person or virtually, provides almost a holistic combination of many of the suggestions listed here. It allows you to network with your peers, attend lectures, talks, and focus groups tailored for your industry. These conferences and events can be incredibly specific, like the CSSConf Europe, focusing solely on the pursuit of the art of CSS, or broader like the incredibly popular Forward conference.

You’ll find these conferences held by third party event planning companies or you might find them held by first-party companies too. Apple’s WWDC or Facebook’s F8 Developer Conferences are both excellent examples of targeted events where you can learn from the creators of the platforms, as well as keep up to date on expected and planned changes to their platforms.

Study with Online Courses

Online courses and learning resources are growing in popularity by the day. Many developers might have got their start with Harvard’s immensely popular CS50 online course, which offers an introduction to many of the theories and ideas that constitute computer science theory. They claim that more than 2 million users have enrolled in this online course, which shows you how popular this learning medium has become. These courses are offered by learning institutions directly – like the Harvard CS50, but companies like Skillshare and LinkedIn Learning provide structured video courses anyone can take for an almost negligible monthly fee.

These MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are gaining popularity and companies might often even offer a subscription to them to their employees because they are an amazing way to keep up to date and constantly learn about the world of web development and acquire new skills or pick up new coding languages.

Subscribe to Some Podcasts

A commute without listening to a podcast is a commute wasted. Think of a topic or subject and do a quick search and you’re likely to find at least a handful of podcasts dedicated to the topic. They might focus on a specific area or offer a roundup of changes and innovations in the space. You’ll find podcasts for anything you might want, and the audio nature of the format means you can consume them in many different ways. Whether you listen to them during your daily commute, at the gym, or even while working, there’s never a moment where you have an excuse not to improve your knowledge and stay up to date.

A gentle introduction to the format can be found from podcasts like Syntax and CodePen Radio, both excellent development focused podcasts that not only focus on software development but include some more soft skills and business-orientated content too.

Read Company and Personal Blogs

Perhaps one of the more nuanced suggestions for keeping up to date with tech and web development news is to keep an eye on company blogs, and those of industry people you respect and admire. If you find yourself working on a particular platform often, it might pay off to follow blogs that relate to it.

Developers and those involved in the development process might gain valuable insight and knowledge from following these often-informative blog posts. QA engineers might, for example, find value in Global App Testing’s list of QA focused blogs hosted on globalapptesting.com. As a leader in the field of quality assurance, you’re sure to find something useful in their list. Global App testing is trusted by top app teams around the world.

There you have it. Seven sure-fire ways to not only increase your knowledge and technical capabilities but to make friends and industry contacts while you do. Being proficient in many different technologies and staying up to date with changes to the ones you are familiar with will increase your value to your employer or as a freelance web developer. Software development and the pursuit of new knowledge requires nothing more than your computer, your time, and your attention. Even if you can’t practice your craft on your own computer, renting a virtual environment or cloud computing service will enable you to do so with little cost. Putting your new knowledge into practice is easy as a web developer. Never stop learning!

7 Ways to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

Claire James
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7 Ways to Help Your Dog Lose Weight

Obesity in dogs can be a huge problem that leads to even more health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Overweight dogs tend to be more lethargic and even depressed as they might struggle to do the activities that they once enjoyed, like chasing a ball at the park or playing endlessly with their favourite humans. Although it can be caused by certain health conditions, which will require a visit to the vet, typically, obese dogs are that way as a result of overfeeding and not enough exercise. However, keeping your dog at their ideal body weight has a lot of benefits, helping them to remain healthier, reduce their risk of serious disease and live for longer – and we all want more time to spend with our dogs, right? If you suspect that your dog might be overweight or is putting weight on and you want to get it in check as quickly as possible, here are some top tips to help you keep your dog at an ideal weight for them.

How to Evaluate Your Dog’s Weight:

There are three markers that you can use to get a clear idea of where your dog’s weight is at. These include:

  1. Feel the ribs: Ribs that are slightly visible are quite healthy for a dog. When you feel your dog’s ribs, there should only be a slight covering of fat over the top. Any more usually means that your dog weighs more than they should.
  2. The abdominal tuck: When you look at your dog from the side, the abdomen behind the ribs should slope up at a gentle angle. If your dog’s belly is straight and does not have this rise, it usually indicates that they are carrying excess weight in their abdomen.
  3. The waist: When you look at their dog, you should be able to see a defined waist. If it’s hard to make out, that’s usually a sign that they’re overweight.

Are You Feeding Your Dog Too Much?

If you’re not sure whether or not you are feeding your dog too often, a simple way to tell is by considering how often they are going to the toilet. Generally speaking, dogs who are at their ideal body weight should poop once or twice per day, provided that there are no underlying digestive health conditions that could lead to more frequent pooping. If your dog is going to the toilet three to four times a day and does not have any health conditions that could be causing this, then it could be simply because you are giving them too much food.

Determine How Much to Feed Your Dog:

Figuring out how much to feed your dog is not always easy. And there are many variables that need to be taken into account when determining the best amount to give your pooch. You’ll need to consider your dog’s average lifestyle – a dog who takes part in agility competitions, goes for long walks every day, and is generally very active will typically require more food than a dog who gets walked once or twice a day in the park. Dog nutrition is measured in Kilocalories (kcal) instead of calories, so it’s important to understand how many kcals the food you’re giving your dog contains. To work how much is ideal, multiply your dog’s ideal body weight in lbs by 10-15 kcal, or 15-20 kcal if your dog is highly active.

Giving Treats:

Many people think that treats are the reason why dogs become overweight and they are often the first thing to go when pet parents decide to put their dog on a weight loss regime. However, not giving any treats to your dog is not recommended by the experts since treats are so important for training and bonding with your pet. However, what you should do is be smarter about the treats that you give your dog. Break treats into smaller pieces rather than feeding them whole so you can treat your dog while they eat less and opt for healthier natural dog treats that offer more nutrition. Bella and Duke offer a range of tasty, healthy raw dog treats that are low in kcal and offer a healthier alternative when training. Check them out at bellaandduke.com.  Also, some dogs might be receptive to non-food treats like playing interactive games with their human.

Exercise:

Just like humans are healthier when they get enough exercise, a dog who’s active will also be a healthier dog. And, don’t forget that dogs who are exercised often tend to be tired and more content, which makes them easier to train too. Dogs who aren’t exercised enough will not only be more susceptible to gaining weight but they will also get more bored when they are at home, which can lead to destructive behaviours. Thankfully, there are many great ways to ensure that your dog gets more exercise even if you don’t have the time to take your dog on long walks. Hiring a dog walker is a great investment or you could send your pet to a daycare facility while you’re at work, where they will not only be able to run around and play all day but also get plenty of opportunities to socialise and make new canine playmates.

Regular Vet Visits:

Keeping up with regular visits to the vet is important if you want to keep your dog’s weight in check. Seeing your vet on a regular basis will give your vet the chance to monitor their progress and provide you with advice on how much weight they have to lose. It’s also important to consult with your vet before you decide to start a new diet or exercise routine for your dog, as this gives them the chance to offer tailored advice and check their overall health to ensure that there are no underlying conditions which could contribute to weight gain.

Avoid Crash Diets:

Just like with humans, it can be tempting to put your dog on a crash diet if they have gained a lot of weight that you want to help them lose quickly. But dieting too much and too quickly can have the opposite effect on your pet. Simply reducing the amount of food that your dog eats and increasing the amount of exercise that they do should be enough to help your dog lose weight, and bear in mind that losing weight slowly and steadily is always safer. Putting your dog on a crash diet could prevent them from getting the essential nutrients that they need.

If they’re eating too much and not exercising enough, it’s easy for dogs to end up putting weight on – just like humans. But also like us, being overweight or obese can lead to serious health problems in dogs, including arthritis from additional pressure on the joints and an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes. If your dog is getting overweight or you’ve just adopted a new dog who’s carrying a fair bit of extra weight, the good news is that there are some simple yet effective changes that you can make to their lifestyle to help them get back to their ideal body weight. By feeding less, giving healthier treats and encouraging your dog to exercise more, you can achieve their fitness and health goals.

How to Ensure Your Motorbike is Road Safe

Claire James
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How to Ensure Your Motorbike is Road Safe

Have you just made a big purchase and bought your very first motorbike? Are you anxious to get out on the open road and see what the bike is made of and start enjoying a whole new way of touring and exploring? There’s no doubt you want to get to it, but first, it’s important to check off a few boxes – and those are road safety boxes.

Regardless of the condition of your motorbike, there are a few important steps you need to take that will ensure it is road safe and ready to be pushed to the limit. Here’s a look at those steps.

Perform a Pre-Ride Check

The pre-ride check isn’t meant to be something you do once or twice a year; rather, it should be done each time you are ready to take the bike out. It may seem like a lot of work, but when it comes to your safety on the road, it’s worth every minute.

The pre-ride check should include a look at the tyres to ensure they are properly inflated and there isn’t excessive wear. How do the brake pads look? The chassis and stand should be in good shape, the fluids need to be topped up, the lights should be working, and of course, a quick brake test is always wise. If anything is ‘off’, then it’s not wise to head out on the road until the problem has been addressed.

Do You Have Enough Fuel?

Just like with a car, you also want to be aware of your fuel level before you head out on the road. The last thing you want to deal with is running out of fuel mid-ride without any petrol station in sight.

Suit Up – Protect Yourself

Part of road safety is that you are also wearing the specific equipment to keep you safe – which means a properly fitting helmet and clothing that will protect you should you fall.

Do You Know How to Safely Operate Your Vehicle?

Besides the vehicle needing to be road-safe, you too need to fit into that category. That means you have done motorbike riding training so that you can handle all conditions and know the rules of the road, your confidence level will be high, and you also feel comfortable driving your specific motorbike.

If the bike is new to you, it’s a good idea to take some practice rides in an empty parking lot first and then quiet streets – just to familiarise yourself with how it operates and handles.

Put Plates on the Motorbike

You will also need motorbike registration plates in order to drive it. Rather than the standard plates, why not visit the Number 1 Plates website, that features a simple plate builder tool so that you can design large and small motorcycle number plates. You can do all the work online, and take advantage of next day delivery of these road legal plates. These plates are also highly durable so you know they are built to last.

Keeping Your Safety at the Top of the List

By performing these simple steps, you will be ensuring that your motorbike is road safe, and that you’re also feeling confident and comfortable in driving it.

STR Capital Now Offers Exclusively 6 Trading Account Types – Including Premium Millioner Club

Claire James
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STR Capital Now Offers Exclusively 6 Trading Account Types – Including Premium Millioner Club

The popularly rising online CFD trading brand STR Capital announces that its customers will now be able to benefit from the brand’s new and exclusive set of 6 different account types. Each account from STR Capital’s well-diversified account offer comes with unique trading features and benefits, each designed with different options, and considerations for each trader’s personal finance and trading objectives.

STR Capital introduces Millioner Club account 

Without any doubt, the cherry on top of the STR Capital account offer is the Millioner Club account, which provides access to premium trading functionalities.

Integrating the Millioner Club account in its offer represents an important big step forward for the brand, thanks to the exclusive STR Capital account types offer. Traders who will choose this account option will be able to benefit from up to 100% loyalty bonus and insurance level, exclusive updates, trading alerts and signals, money management services, assistance from a professional group of analysts, and unlimited support from an account manager.

STR Capital wants to provide the best possible conditions for traders that had shown their trust in the brand and it’s dedicated trading services, a specialty for them the Millioner Club was designed, as the brand’s feel it’s his obligation to provide them with the best possible trading benefits, as premium customers deserve the most luxurious conditions.

With an already-established track-record in the CFD trading industry, STR Capital is one of the international brands, accepting clients from all around the world. Since the brands wish to serve traders from all over the world, he designed it’s trading with maximum diversity, and optimized to meet the challenges of the financial markets in 2020, no matter where you are.

Along its reputable way, STR Capital proved to a flexible and innovative broker, constantly upgrading its trading offer, once new developments occurred in the markets. Its proprietary software is yet another proof for the desire to provide a unique trading experience and a tailored solution for traders that want an accessible yet fast platform to work with.

Enhancing the account types offer adds to STR Capital’s reputation and confirms the broker’s interest in offering state-of-the-art conditions. It remains fully committed to adding new trading features when necessary and assisting customers with everything they need.

About STR Capital

STR Capital is a global broker specialized in providing access to a variety of CFD instruments. It was created as a way for traders to take advantage of a user-friendly and optimized trading platform. The brand works around the clock in order to provide customers with an ever-expanding asset selection, 5-star support, and personal assistance via account managers.

With a solid presence in the online trading world, STR Capital aims to be one of the top choices for traders that want to get involved in CFDs based on FX, stocks, indices, crypto, commodities, ETFs, and bonds, ensuring the ability to get market diversification.

Promoting transparency is part of the company’s culture, which is why people can find all the information about the services provided on the official website. STR Capital ensures strong policies for keeping personal data and funds, safe all the time. Also, it reinforces AML/KYC rules, making the verification process mandatory for all customers.

Reaching customers on the international markets is a real challenge, but STR Capital remains fully committed to providing high-quality trading services and proves that the customer always comes first, is not just a phrase, but an agenda.

The Billion Dollar Ballers and How Much They Pay Their Staff

Claire James
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The Billion Dollar Ballers and How Much They Pay Their Staff

If we trawl back through the depths of history, we are able to lay our eyes on some pretty wealthy figures.

We aren’t talking mere millions here either. No, that would be considered pocket money to some of these folk.

Take Mansa Musa for example. King of the Mali empire, Musa lived between the years of 1280 and 1337. His wealth? Well, it can only be described as ‘indescribable’. Then we’ve got the likes of our modern-day monetary giants—the Scottish American industrialist, Andrew Carnegie, and the American Business magnate, John D Rockefeller.

Now, however, we have dot-com billionaires—those living amongst, us who we see donning their suits for work every day, and who we can actually compare our wealth against. But can we? 

It recently became apparent that if you were to have saved $10,000 every single day since the pyramids were built back in 2540 B.C, you’d still only have amassed a fifth of Jeff Bezos’ net worth.

Quite outstanding isn’t it? Well, with this in mind, we thought we’d see just how rich the richest are, comparing their net worth against the employees who work for them.

1)     Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, Owner of Amazon, saw his fortune grow considerably over lockdown. While other businesses sank or floated thanks to restrictions and lack of versatility, Amazon truly excelled.

In the three months building up to June 30th, Amazon employed a further 175,000 staff across its operations, as online sales grew by more than 50 per cent, and web services grew by 29 per cent.

This inherent growth added just a little extra to Bezos’ pension pot. But did you know that Amazon warehouse operatives are earning a mere £9.35 per hour? Now, to put that into perspective, Amazon was turning a profit of £8,300 per second in late April, equivalent to £29,880,000 per hour.

2)     Bill Gates

Featuring prominently as the world’s wealthiest individual over the past few decades, Bill Gates is no stranger to a dollar bill. In fact, he only recently got pipped to the post by Jeff Bezos, who has now vanished into the distance when it comes to net worth.

The CEO of Microsoft has an estimated net worth of £86 billion, but surprisingly, the lowest-paid member of his company is only operating at an hourly wage of £8.83, totalling £19,000 per year.

If Bill was to spend $1 million a day, it would take him approximately 245 years to spend his fortune…

Despite giving away a lot of his shrapnel to charity, Gates joins Bezos, not only in the plus-$100 billion club, but also in the club that pays their staff effective minimum wage.

3)     Bernard Arnault

The name LVMH mightn’t ring any bells but we’re fairly confident the companies within will. The world’s biggest luxury goods company, LVMH includes brand such as Hennessey, Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moet—and many more.

Mr Arnault’s estate is worth around £69 billion, making his family the third richest in the world after Bezos and Gates.

Does big wealth at the top, however, filter through to the bottom? The answer is no. According to reports, the lowest-paid member of staff in the LMVH team is earning an hourly rate of £8.65.

4)     Warren Buffet

If there was ever a man to speak to regarding your investments, it isn’t Tony from your local Building Society (no disrespect Tony), it’s Berkshire Hathaway founder, Warren Buffet.

Buffet filed his first tax return at the age of just 14—declaring his earning from his paper round.

Now boasting a net worth of £53 billion, Buffet is neither a fan of social media nor the ever-growing bitcoin.

When it comes to his staff, however, how does a man known for his frugality, pay?

Well, you might be surprised to discover that the lowest-paid employee in Buffet’s organisation is considerably higher than that of his three counterparts already accounted for in the rich list.

Work for Berkshire Hathaway as the lowest-paid entity and you’ll walk away with £10.08 an hour—not necessarily anything to write home about but still better than the others.

5)     Larry Ellison

No longer the CEO of Oracle having stepped down from his duties in 2014, Larry Ellison does still happen to be Chief Technology Officer and also serves on the board of Tesla.

Ellison holds the title of the world’s fifth-richest man, with a net worth of £55 billion.

Do the staff at the bottom of the food chain at Oracle share in spoils of that fairly meaty pie?

Once again, it’s a no — working as the lowest-paid member in the Oracle team will bring you in an hourly wage of £8.65.

Just because you work for a company that turns a ridiculous profit, doesn’t mean that you’ll be reaping a healthy chunk of the reward…

Is technology ruining the competitive nature of sport

Claire James
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Is technology ruining the competitive nature of sport

Sport and technology are inextricably linked and perhaps this statement couldn’t be truer than it is in 2020.

Now, more than ever before, the role that technology is playing in all disciplines of sports is unable to be ignored. Think back to the beginning of lockdown in mid-March when the ‘run 5k’ phenomenon took off — the fuel behind it was technological advancement. Being able to track your runs and share them with your social media companions.

At the top level, however, is technology fuelling successful development within sport or is it simply destructing any form of competition? In this article, Charles Tyrwhitt take a look.

Straight-up tech

On 12th October 2019 Eliud Kipchoge took part in what was titled the INEOS 1:59 Challenge — a bid to break the sub-two-hour marathon barrier. On that cold, misty morning in Vienna, not only did Kipchoge successfully complete the challenge, he did it with 20 seconds to spare, and added another incredible achievement to his already impressive list.

Despite eclipsing his own personal best and the world record by almost two minutes, the 1:59:40 did not stand as an official world record due to the conditions under which it took place. It wasn’t a race by definition or in the words of running commentator Toni Reaves it was “a second chance marketing exhibition for a plastics manufacturer and springy shoes.”

A laser-like system projected from a car moving along in front of Eliud detailed the required pace of the runner to beat the time, road markings on the track suggested the quickest possible route, and aerodynamic specialists had labelled a seven-person windbreaking system as the best possible way to counteract drag.

The most contentious aspect of the feat however centred around the athlete’s shoes—the Nike Vaporfly have caused ructions between the manufacturer and World Athletics, with critics suggesting they should be banned because they are virtually ‘technological doping’. The shoe, which combines a rubber known as Pebax with carbon fibre plates in the sole, works to deliver a percentage of the energy the runner puts in back.

Despite the shoes not being banned by the governing body, it has been suggested that the advantage which they offer users is incomparable to alternatives. Effectively, if you can afford the crème de la crème of Nike running footwear, you’re going to go a long way in the quest for glory.

Injury

While innovative technologies are often on the receiving end of abuse, one area they impact upon, which cannot be discredited, is fitness and prevention of injury. However, even the most technophobic fans wouldn’t be able to suggest that this inhibits competition.

In rugby for example, we have seen the introduction of a number of new pieces of equipment that reduce the risk players are placed under. GPS trackers sewn into the back of shirts return data that allows coaches to see when the body is being placed under significant strain, such as in scrums or in periods of contact. These various data points allow for decisions regarding training, substitutions, and even additional training.

Concussion is a main area for concern in rugby, with players who’ve suffered from head injuries in the sport going on to develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy. With doctors on the touchline having to depend, in some degree, on the players honesty when it comes to head injury assessments, a development made by OPRO+ is truly revolutionary.

The company has started implementing impact sensors into their gumshields, which can relay information linked to the collision and allow for a more accurate assessment of the injury. Linear accelerometers built into the shield measure the impact of a specific force in a specific direction, whether that be forwards, backwards, up, or down.

Data Analysis

Whether it’s a high school hockey coach sitting down with his players ahead of a final to discuss the opposition’s penalty taking trends or Brad Pitt running information through a generator in Moneyball to discover the exact players that would allow him to win, data analysis has always played a major role in sports.

What we’re witnessing more prominently now, however, is the implementation of an evidence-based approach. Video analysis is allowing coaches to sit with players and detail every aspect of their game with pin-point accuracy.

Deutscher Fußball-Bund, the German Football Association, cross-referenced goals in games across the entirety of a season and were able to detail that repetitive sprints were the single most important factor in the creation of lucrative goal scoring opportunities — encouraging investment into players who were not only fast, but could build up that rapid pace in the shortest time period.

Across all disciplines, meanwhile, data analysis of performance has encouraged in the introduction of improved training techniques. The likes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been drafted into a number of sports thanks to the ways in which it allows athletes to utilise explosive power.

There is little in regard to the introduction of enhanced analysis technology into sport that you could suggest limits competition.

Environment  

A Ted talk discussing whether humans are getting faster and stronger draws comparison between Jesse Owens’ world record in the 100 metres from the 1936 and Usain Bolt’s from the World Championships in 2013.

The speaker notes that when Bolt had finished, Owens would still have had 14 feet to go. But, here’s the thing — Bolt was running on an impeccably designed running track, developed to allow the fastest travel possible. Owens on the other hand? He was running on the ash from burnt wood, which rather failed to offer the same buoyancy, alternatively snatching energy from his stride.

Compare the footballers of then with the footballers of now. Take Premier League legends like Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney for example. They were strong, muscular characters who forced their way onto the ball and used their power to jostle opposition players out of the way.

Nowadays it’s a rarity to see strikers with a similar stature. Instead, players are getting lighter, taller, and ultimately, faster, using pace as opposed to power to grab goals.

Why is that though? Professor Alan Nevill of the University of Wolverhampton places significant emphasis on the development of playing surfaces. Nevill notes: “modern pitches are immaculate and well-maintained and not the mud baths that they used to be. Pitches used to get very heavy and soggy, particularly in mid-winter, which accounted for players being bulkier and more muscular.”

One would then have to ponder how the stars of yesteryear would perform in the league of today or vice versa. Would the likes of George Best, depicted as one of the most talented of all time still shine on such a fast-flowing surface and would Raheem Sterling be able to dominate and dazzle on a continually water-logged pitch? However you look at it, technology is here to stay. In certain circumstances, it is easy to see why it has been criticised, particularly when it fails us. However, by actively making sports safer and improving the overall ability of athletes, it wouldn’t be fair to suggest that it has been a hindrance.

Five ways to explore the likely profitability of new markets using marketing translation

Sam Allcock
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Five ways to explore the likely profitability of new markets using marketing translation

Launching in a new market can be both exciting and daunting. It’s a move that’s full of potential, but which also carries a fair degree of risk. As such, it’s essential to explore the likely profitability of new markets before you launch them. Using translation services is a major part of doing so. Professional translators can help with a huge range of marketing translation tasks designed to help you explore new markets. Here’s how.

Understanding marketing translation services

What is a professional translator? Professional translators convert text from one language to another. Marketing translators have backgrounds in marketing. Translators in other sectors are also suitably qualified: those providing legal translation services have legal experience, medical translators have medical experience, and so forth.

What are some examples of translation? In a marketing context, translation can include anything from a social media post to an entire website. Consider a marketing campaign from start to finish. According to William Mamane, CMO at Tomedes, converting it to another language will include marketing translation services that cover email funnels, adverts, presentations, social media posts, brochures, websites, and more.

One key element of marketing translation is market research. Market research is essential whether you are planning to launch in your own country and language or overseas. Without it, you won’t have a firm indication of the size of the market for your particular product, how consumers feel about it, what price they would be prepared to pay, or anything else.

Within market research, you have a host of activities available, all of which can work well when combined with translation services. Five important activities when you’re exploring the likely profitability of new markets include:

  • Social media engagement
  • Surveys
  • Telephone interviews
  • Focus groups
  • Market trend analysis

We’ll take a look at each of these in turn, including how marketing translation can help you with them. But first, let’s put this in a global context. 

Marketing translation and global markets

Companies around the world expand by engaging customers overseas. They do so by using marketing translation services. Some companies also use marketing text translation to connect with customers in their own country who speak other languages.

The world is an incredibly linguistically diverse place and individual countries can be home to a wide range of languages. Papua New Guinea, for example, is home to 840 living languages, while Indonesia is home to 710. This means that professional translators can come in very handy for building up domestic customer numbers.

Regardless of whether a company is courting domestic customers or those overseas, it has to take market research translation seriously. The global market research services market is valued at $74 billion in 2020. That’s an awful lot of companies exploring new markets.

How to use market research and translation services to explore new markets

If you’re ready to explore the likely profitability of new markets, it’s time to start translating marketing materials for your market research.

Social media engagement is an excellent place to start. The always-on, instant nature of social media means that gathering feedback on appetite for a new product or service can be undertaken very quickly. It’s also a great way to gain honest feedback – social media users don’t tend to hold back when it comes to expressing their opinions. Use professional translators to ensure that you get just the right tone for your posts – and to help you understand what all those commenting in the language(s) you’re using are saying.

Social media is, of course, a public forum. If you need to gather opinions more discretely, away from the prying eyes of competitors, then surveys might be a better way to explore the likely profitability of new markets. Work out what you want to ask in your own language, then using a marketing translation agency to translate it. This is a great way to explore multiple markets at once. By asking the same questions in different languages, you can easily compare the resulting data in order to identify the market in which you’re most likely to succeed.

Telephone interviews are another getting way to obtain insights into how profitable a new market may be for you. You can use both translation services and interpretation services here – translation to prepare the questions you want to ask in the required language(s) and then interpretation to conduct the interviews.

Focus groups also require a blend of marketing translation and interpretation services, with professional translators preparing the questions and product information in advance, then interpreters helping to deliver the sessions either face-to-face or remotely.

Finally, professional translators can help with market trend analysis. The internet has a wealth of information to help you assess how profitable a new market might be – provided you speak that market’s language well enough to track down the right documents. If you don’t, a translation service can help work with you on a multilingual research project.

The potential rewards of getting marketing translation right when exploring new markets

Why go to all this effort? Well, according to Hubspot, global B2C eCommerce sales are projected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2021. In the simplest of terms, companies that sell in multiple languages can reach more customers and take a bigger slice of that profit.

When it comes to translation services UK companies have plenty of ways to explore the likely profitability of different markets. So what are you waiting for?

Can I Secure a Loan Against a Buy to Let Property?

ABC Staff
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Can I Secure a Loan Against a Buy to Let Property?

A secured loan has the potential to be advantageous over unsecured loans in many ways. Along with being quicker and easier to arrange, a secured loan may also offer a much lower rate of interest and reduced overall borrowing costs.

How Secured Loans Work

If you prefer not to use the home where you live as security, can you use a Buy to Let property as security for a loan instead?

The short answer is yes. Even if you have an outstanding Buy to Let mortgage balance, you can still use your investment property as security for a loan, provided you have the required amount of equity and income.

If you are not repaying a mortgage on the property in question, the secured loan you are applying for is referred to as a second charge mortgage or homeowner loan. The amount you will be able to borrow will be determined by how much equity you have in the Buy to Let property and to some degree, rental and personal income.

For example, if you have repaid £50,000 of a £150,000 mortgage on a property valued at £200,000, you potentially have £100,000 of equity. This would therefore be the absolute maximum you would be able to borrow in the form of a second charge mortgage.  Lenders may also require a minimum amount of personal income and the rent to easily cover with excess and with varying degrees, the agreed monthly repayments of both the first and second charge mortgages.

Which Banks and Lenders Offer Second Charge Mortgages?

This is where things may get a little tricky, as most mainstream banks and lenders do not currently offer second charge mortgages, especially if they are not the first charge mortgage holder. Major High Street banks are almost always unwilling to lend against Buy to Let properties, making it necessary to consider independent lenders.

Second charge loans also normally require the consent of the first charge mortgage holder to enable them to obtain a standard charge.  This may or may not be agreed.

It is important to remember that many of the market’s most competitive lenders operate exclusively via established independent brokers. Consulting with a broker before applying for a second charge mortgage against a Buy to Let property is therefore essential, in order to ensure you get the best possible deal.

What Are the Benefits of a Second Charge Mortgage?

A potential benefit of a second charge mortgage and secured loans is that that the amount of money borrowed can be repaid over an extended term to maximise affordability.

You may also have the opportunity to repay your loan earlier than agreed, with no early repayment charges imposed. Applicants with a poor credit history and/or requiring higher than normal income multiples to prove affordability are also welcome, as secured loans are usually issued with a more generous income stretch than with a first charge mortgage loan and are usually more sympathetic on credit issues.   

Secured loan interest rates and overall borrowing costs can also be exponentially lower than those of a comparable unsecured loan.

Compare the Market for the Best Deal

Whether you are ready to go ahead with a secured loan application or would like to discuss the benefits of a second charge mortgage in more detail, we are standing by to take your call.

Contact a member of the team at UK Property Finance for more information, or to arrange an in-depth market comparison to help you get the best possible deal.

Effective Preparation Resources to Ace Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals Certification Exam in One Go Using Practice Tests

Sam Allcock
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Effective Preparation Resources to Ace Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals Certification Exam in One Go Using Practice Tests

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals is a foundational-level credential that is designed to validate the candidates’ expertise in Cloud services and how these services are offered with Microsoft Certbolt Azure. If you’re looking to take up the job roles related to Cloud-based services and solutions, this certification is a good starting point. It also serves as a foundation for pursuing other Azure role-based and specialty certificates.  In this article, we are going to discuss the best preparation materials that will help you obtain your Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals badge at the first attempt.

The Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals certification evaluates the candidates’ knowledge of Cloud concepts, Azure pricing and supports, Azure services, Azure security, and privacy. Their general understanding of technology concepts, ExamSnap Microsoft 98-349 such as networking concepts, storage, application support, compute, and application development, will also be measured. To obtain this credential, the students must clear the Microsoft AZ-900 exam. It’s important to note that there’s no prerequisite for taking this prerequisite test. You are not required to have any specific technical experience. All you need to do is make sure that you have a grasp of the main domains before taking the exam.

As the Microsoft AZ-900 exam is intended for the novices in the field, it should not pose big problems for you. Author: Amir L However, you still need to study for the test so you can pass it on your first try. Let’s look at the top resources that you can use to prepare for your certification exam.

  • Training Courses

With the instructor-led courses, you will have an opportunity to learn from the seasoned experts in the industry and ask questions whenever you encounter difficulties in comprehension of a particular exam concept. MD-100 Check out the Microsoft website to find out more details of the official training courses.

  • Learning Paths

Microsoft offers some free self-study learning paths to help the candidates boost their performance in the certification exam. You’ll find links to these resources on the official webpage. You should invest some time in going through these learning paths to develop your competence in the domains of the test.

  • Video Tutorials

If you’re looking for free study materials for your test, YouTube is a great platform to explore. You’ll find various video tutorials that explain the topics of the exam in detail. When using this site, you should be careful about the instructors you follow. Read the comment section to know what other candidates are saying about the tutors. Jerry I This will let you know if these videos are credible and worth your time.

  • Practice Tests and Exam Dumps

You need to understand the kinds of questions that will appear in the Microsoft AZ-900 test. The best way to get familiar with the question formats is to review exam dumps. These materials contain the real questions provided by the former students. Practice tests, in their turn, will help you check your current level of knowledge and improve your time management skills.

Conclusion

With proper preparation, your exam for the Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals credential will be a piece of cake. ExamTopics Braindumps Download You can increase your chances of success in Microsoft AZ-900 by combining different training options mentioned in this article. Start your preparation beforehand to have sufficient time to cover all the topic areas of the test and your badge will be in your pocket!

Done Brothers Pocket £200 Million On William Hill Shares

Sam Allcock
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Done Brothers Pocket £200 Million On William Hill Shares

Fred, and Peter Done, co-founders and owners of Betfred, have been operating in the gambling sector for over 50 years now, and remain hungry to grow their business despite their estimated joint fortune of £1.2 billion. The brothers come from humble beginnings in post-WW2 Salford, sharing a room with two siblings in a poor neighbourhood, and they helped their father operate his gambling business before off-course was legalised following the Betting and Gaming Act 1960.

Their calculated risk-taking over the decades – starting with a successful bet on England winning the World Cup in 1966 that helped capitalise the Betfred business has led to a portfolio of over 1,300 betting shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland, a vibrant on-line gambling platform , a US sports betting exchange introduced last year after legalisation of gambling in the States in 2018, together with a clutch of other profitable businesses.

According to WhichBookie the Done brothers are now poised to pocket just under £200 million, following the recently agreed £2.9 billion sale of their William Hill rivals to US entertainment giant, Caesars Entertainment Inc. Fred, 77-years old, and Peter Done, 73-years old, had cannily invested in William Hills shares over the past two years and increased their stake at least three times in 2020, doubling their shareholding to 6% since March. The brothers showed immense confidence in the gambling sector, despite the severe commercial hit of the coronavirus pandemic on Betfred and its rivals, and scented an opportunity to make a big bundle of cash as investor businesses circled William Hill as potential suitors.

Apollo Global Management Inc. and Caesars were both in the running but the William Hill Board accepted the Caesars’ offer, in part driven by the existing commercial relationship between the two companies – the two companies have a joint venture whereby William Hill’s sports betting applications and odds feature on US cable channel ESPN. Indeed Caesars already own 20% of William Hill’s US operation, which has exclusive rights to use the Caesar’s brand, and the impetus for the bid is Hill’s US bookmaking business, operated from 170 retail sites in 13 states. Naturally, the interest shown by both Apollo and Caesars caused the share price to soar, with a 600% rise since March, and the Done brothers have made a killing as a result.

But this may not be the end of the matter for the Done family as Caesars has made it clear that William Hill’s 1,400 UK betting shops are surplus to requirements, saying that their aim is to “seek suitable partners or owners”. Betfred has now expressed interest in the shops, keen to complete a successful purchase to double its retail business. However, it is believed that William Hill’s CEO Ulrik Bengtsson may be planning a buy-out of the UK operations and a number of private equity companies are also considering their options.

The UK gambling sector has had a bumpy ride in recent years with increased pressure from Parliament and the Gambling Commission to protect vulnerable gamblers. Fred Done was critical of the Government’s decision in 2018 to limit the maximum wager on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOTBs) in betting shops, from £100 to £2. However, canny operators in the sector – and we include Betfred in this category – have continued to deliver profits and the Done brothers were able to reward themselves with dividends of £10.2 million after reporting operating profits of nearly £75 million for the year ended September 2019.

In fact, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimates that Fred and Peter Done have enjoyed some £100 million of dividends from their business holdings in the past five years. The sale of William Hill will boost the brothers’ fortunes considerably and provide extra work for the family office set up in 2019 with the aim of establishing their own investment firm. The brothers rarely comment on their business dealings but a couple of years ago Fred Done did say “I’m in many businesses now, but bookmaking is still my first love. Fixing the odds, I enjoy it.” Mr Done’s passion transmutes into tangible business rewards and we congratulate him and his brother, Peter, on their success.

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