Get more traffic using images

It can seem difficult to find quality, relevant images for your site posts without purchasing them and that can get very expensive for a website with many pages. If we can add relevant imagery to all of our pages and posts we’re going to see a lot more success in terms of the percentage of people who read our content and spend some time on our websites.

We are visual by nature. We grow up from a young age reading books that are “visual” and we never really lose our desire for this as we get older.

If you are creating pages that are an ocean of words, then you are most likely not going to attract the broad audience that’s out there. You will also get less engagement from those that do read the pages as people will not immerse themselves in the content on your website.

It’s best to find the free-to-use images whenever possible. After all, you can always purchase images whenever you want or need to for certain situations, but not for each page. You might be using 3-5 images per page and if you purchase each image the cost can quickly add up, so let’s look at a few of the free options:

Find Royalty Free and Free To Use Images

• Pexels.com
• Unsplash.com
• Pixabay.com
• Go to scx.hu.com and search?
• Go to Wikimedia Commons and use the search bar
• Amazon Associates, Free to join and use product photos

Images, likely one of the most confusing and scary aspects of building a website for many. To be honest, with a little understanding, there is no reason to feel like this. I’ll show you some of the most popular sources of “royalty-free” images for your website and I’ll offer you two strategies for creating your very own images, within most, if not all niches.

There are some other free stock photo sites as well, which means the images are fully public domain and you can use the images however you like. Something to keep in mind is that some authors might want you to give them credit for the photo while others will give you “full purpose” access on an image to image basis.

Screen Captures

Sometimes it’s best to take a screen capture, or screenshot, to show content to your viewers. Enter “print screen key, or print screen Dell, Mac, Windows 10, Apple, etc”, and learn how to take and save your files for use. On my Dell laptop, I simply press the “Windows” and “PrtScr” keys at the same time and the screen dims for a moment and the screenshot is saved in my file pictures.

You can also see if your pc has a Snipping Tool which will allow you to box off an area of a page or even the entire page and then save the snipped image to your file pictures for use on your website or elsewhere.

If needed you can use the following software:

• Snagit – has a 30-day free trial
• Droplr – is completely free
• Print Screen (on PC) or Apple + Shift + 4 (on Mac)

Use Your Smartphone Camera

One thing to keep in mind is that you can take your own photos in many cases. A couple of examples would be if you were in the “dog training niche”, or cats, there are plenty of opportunities to take photos at home or at the local dog park or grooming salon, etc.

If you are in an electronics niche go to the local stores and take some product photos that you can use. Another example could be food items. Make your own scene and take photos or go to a local market and get images locally to put on your website.

When you take your own photos, the image ownership and rights are yours only. So take as many of your own pictures as possible and always consider this option when adding images to your articles.

You Can Use Paid Images

Sometimes I’ll search the paid image sites if I need to find a certain photo type that I can’t seem to find in my free options. The images are usually $1 or less per photo and you get a better price if you subscribe. High-quality images are important for your website, especially the main article image.

Some of the most popular social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram are successful just because they are completely visual.

Just keep in mind that with the content you get from “royalty free” sites, you will need to check the permissions for each image as one might have different rules for use than another.

How to add images to your WordPress website

1. Go to your WordPress website Editor.
2. Find the page to edit.
3. Find where on the page to place the image and click there.
4. Click the Add Media button.
5. Upload the picture from your files.
6. Fill in the Attachment Details – Title and Alt text settings – Use the keyword in the Title and Alt text boxes.
7. Display settings – choose the page location for the image, left, center, or right.
8. You can Add a link to another page or an offer page if desired.
9. Choose the image size, thumbnail, medium, or large.
10. Click “Insert Into Post” – That’s it.

We used to unlock our iPhones and iPads with a simple "Slide to Unlock." It was easy. With iOS 10 it's different– now it's a confusing "Press Home to Unlock" which often results in a "click / double-click / oops that's Siri / oops that's Apple Pay" click-a-thon. When you finally get the thing unlocked you're not really sure how you did it because you tried so many things. It was better the old way, but we can do something about it.

We can make unlocking your iPhone and iPad in iOS 10 a little bit easier (and a little bit faster), and since you unlock your iPhone many times a day, "a little bit easier" and "a little bit faster" multiplied by " many times a day "means you'll save a lot of effort and a lot of time. I'll show you how.

(This assumes you've set up Touch ID- the GREAT feature that lets you use your fingerprint instead of a four- or six-digit passcode. If you haven't set up Touch ID, do it now- Settings / Touch ID & Passcode – and make sure you have "iPhone Unlock" turned on.)

With Touch ID turned on, go to Settings, then General, then Accessibility, then Home Button. Turn ON "Rest Finger to Open." That's all it takes. (Just be sure you go General / Accessibility / Home Button, not General / Home Button. You want the one that's under Accessibility . )

From now on, to unlock your iPhone- that is, the screen is lit up, but it's asking you to press the Home button to unlock it- you simply lay your finger onto the Home button. Don't click it. Just touch it.

If your iPhone's screen is dark, click the Home button (to wake it up), and keep your finger on it (to unlock it). Voilà – your iPhone is awake, and unlocked, all in a single move. It's really cool, really easy, and really quick. For most people, it feels as if all they do is click- so try that, and the phone will probably wake up and unlock without you realizing that your click woke it up, and your fingerprint subsequently unlocked it. It all happens so fast it seems as if all you did was click.

(Not working for you? Be sure not to hold the Home button down (that takes you to Siri), and also be sure you don't double-click it (depending on your settings, that could take you to Apple Pay). Rather, click the Home button and let it go, maintaining contact with it for just an instant when you do.)

If you love shopping on the Apple App Store or on the iTunes Store, you will certainly love receiving an iTunes gift card as a present. And even if you don’t receive this item as a gift, there are various online shops where you can get this particular type of electronic card easily. There are also different payment methods and amounts or denominations available for you choose to from so you can buy the best one that suits your budget and requirements.

Once you get your iTunes gift card, you can certainly shop to your heart’s content. You can download all the apps, songs or albums, TV shows, and movies you want on your Apple device. You will easily be tempted to max out this card on all these items. However, you can still stretch the use of or amount loaded in your iTunes gift card. How? Follow the tips below:

Buy affordable or discounted iTunes gift cards. You will certainly save money and get the most out of your iTunes gift card if you buy one that comes at a discounted rate. This will be especially helpful if you plan on spending a lot on iTunes or the App Store. Find out which online stores or supplier sell iTunes gift cards for less than the actual face value. There are also some sites that buy this type of electronic card from people who don’t want them and re-sell them to buyers for a discount.

Go for the free items first. If you really want to stretch the spending power of your iTunes gift card, find and download all the free stuff first. You can download most of the most popular apps anyway such as games, basic office-related ones, and the apps you can use for editing and sharing photos. You can also use the Top Free chart in the App Store to find out which games and apps can be downloaded for free. There are also blogs and websites which share information on which songs are available for literally nothing on iTunes.

Look for and make use of available deals. Lastly, do some research to find out how you can save money when downloading some items from the App or iTunes store. Certain websites track and share deals and coupon codes you can use for some apps. Other websites or blogs also share details on which movies have recently seen a price drop on iTunes.

Learn more about optimizing the use of iTunes gift cards here.

Flowering cherry trees are a bit different from, but closely related to, the fruit-bearing cherry tree. They are among the most popular and preferred ornamental tree in the country, and come in a variety of species from the genus, Prunus. Cherry Blossom, Japanese Flowering Cherry, Oriental Cherry, and Yoshino Cherry are just a few commonly sought-after species.

They grow in zones 4 through 6, thrive in full sun exposure, and produce abundant blooms of small and fragile pink and white blossoms. This makes them highly enjoyable and beautiful additions to any landscaping. But unfortunately, Flowering Cherry trees are prone to a bacterial infection known as Fire Blight. If you have Cherry trees on your property, continue reading to learn more about Fire Blight and how to manage an outbreak.

Contracting Fire Blight

Cherry trees are not the only vegetation prone to this bacterial infection. A long list of additional trees and host plants can become affected by Fire Blight as well. Examples include strawberries, raspberries, roses, apple trees, pear trees, and other members of the Rosaceae family. And since it is caused by a ‘Gram-negative bacterium’ called Erwinia amylovora, it can easily spread from one plant or tree to the next. Infection generally occurs around spring, in humid climates with temperatures ranging from 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Signs and Symptoms

For trees, leaves, limbs, and branches begin to discolor, turning black as if they were burnt. This is where the infection gets its name. Accordingly, cankers and other surface blemishes will appear on the bark and trunk of the tree. Wounded areas might also secrete an ‘ooze-like’ discharge. Not only do these effects make a Cherry tree unattractive, it can kill it too.

Treatment

It is important to outsource professional tree care assistance for tree diseases and infestations. They have the knowledge, tools, and training to manage the problem without risk of spreading the bacteria to other flora and vegetation. In most cases of Fire Blight, professional tree service contractors will start by removing all of the affected areas. Next, they destroy the infected bits to prevent contamination. Then they finish with a comprehensive copper fungicide spray and antibiotic treatment.

They will likely suggest following up with some preventative sprays as well. This is not an exact itinerary for Fire Blight treatment, as all cases vary depending on a variety of individual factors. So it is important to use a licensed and experienced tree contractor to ensure that the proper methods are taken to manage your Fire Blight outbreak safely and effectively.

One of the most common questions that comes to our mind while buying a new mobile is, Which phone should I buy? Actually, there is no such thing like the “best” mobile ever. However, your mobile should match your main interests and preferences. In this guide, we will help you choose the mobile phone that best suits you.

The first thing regarding the process of choice is to define your requirements. What are the features that you need to use most? Do you care more about doing basic calls only or you need to browse the Internet frequently? Do you need to have a battery that lasts long or you need high-performance processing more? Defining your priorities makes about 70% of the decision process.

Processing power:

One of the factors that has a great impact on the mobile phone is the processor. If you need high performance, you’d choose a mobile with high operating frequency and complex architecture. However, processors running at high performance, consume a lot of power and hence reduce battery life. On the other hand, if processors run at low performance, they go easy on batteries. To make a balance between performance and power, ARM has announced a processor architecture called “big.LITTLE architecture”. The architecture makes use of both high-performance and low-performance cores. Apps that need high-performance use the bigger cores while apps that don’t need high-performance power should make use of the LITTLE cores and save power. Most modern Smartphones make use of this architecture.

Screen:

Screen size and type are very important factors. If you prefer large screens, you should pick a phone with 5.5 inch screen or more. Many phones with large screens are available in the market such as the Google Nexus 6 and Apple’s iPhone 6 plus with 6 inch screen. If you don’t like having such a large screen size, you may want to have a phone with 5 inch screen such as Motorola “Moto G” and “Samsung Galaxy S6”. You may also want to have smaller screen sizes with 4.7 inch display such as Google Nexus 5.

Battery:

Mobile phones come with a wide range of battery capacities. However, battery capacity is not the only factor that controls the battery lifetime. For example, you may have a battery with high capacity, but the phone includes many power-consuming features (such as a large screen) that makes a mobile with 4,000 mAh battery and 6 inch screen be up for the same time as a 2,500 mAh battery with 4.7 inch screen phone. So, manufacturers define battery life in terms of standby time, talk time and so on.

Camera:

Camera quality is a very important factor for people who want to take photos all the time. And with the rise of the “Selfie” thing, manufacturers are paying more attention to the front camera as well as the back camera. One important thing to bear in mind that the number of Megapixels is not the only measure of the camera quality. You can find a camera with 15 Megapixels, which is of a better quality than a 20 Megapixels camera. Sensor type, focal length and other technical stuff define the quality of the camera. If you don’t want to get very detailed in technical stuff, you can always read users’ reviews about the phone you’re inspecting and see what people say about the quality of the camera. So, never be fooled by the number of Megapixels.

Fake news is increasing day-by-day. During elections, for example, people are bombarded by so much information about the candidates, and much of it is not even true. Wikipedia describes it as follows:

Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often with sensationalist, exaggerated, or patently false headlines that grab attention.

It’s terrible how fake news is accepted as the truth. It’s shocking to see people use untruths to deceive others. Nowadays when someone sends you the news via WhatsApp, you first have to go and make sure if it’s true so that you don’t make a fool of yourself.

An article with the heading ‘Fake news’ has become a business model, researchers say, appeared in Fin24Tech. Say what? Untruths have become a business where people make money by lying. Whatever is happening to the world?!

Even the pope had something to say about it in an article in the online newspaper, CRUX, under the headline: Pope Francis want the Catholic Church to tackle fake news.

But it’s nothing new. Untruths have been spread since the beginning of the world. I cannot understand why people would do such a thing. Do they enjoy leading people in the wrong direction? Does it make them laugh when they see people being led into darkness by their lies, groping around in the dark looking for the truth?

I cannot believe there are people like that. But it is so, and has been from the earliest times: 2These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth.

Then I wonder why people are so foolish or ignorant to run after untruths? But before I’m too critical of people, I realise that I’ve fallen for false stories too… only to realise later that I’ve been taken for a fool. Like the time long, long ago when I bought an iPad for a fairly good price, only to realise later that there’s no apple in that iPad…

You see, these people are so convincing. And they make every effort to convince you too and you have no choice but to believe them. Many people have lost their savings in this way.

As the English saying goes: If it is too good to be true, it probably is…

Each of us is responsible for ensuring that we’re not being deceived. Often, we first have to get rid of the emotions before we make a decision. We first have to get the opinion of others to make a good decision.

And I ask God to help me. I ask for peace. I ask that uncertainties stand aside so that I can get clarity. For this, I have to sit quietly, because the Holy Spirit is not known for shouting, but rather for whispering softly.

Scripture

1 Tim 4:1-5

Think about this

Have you been deceived?

How can you prevent it from happening again?

Does the Holy Spirit bring you peace?

Prayer

Lord, we are so easily deceived. We easily follow people who seem as if they know everything. Please protect us against them and help us fulfill our responsibility by making sure that we are on the right road. Amen.

When shopping for a new laptop, you'll certainly be browsing through a lot of locations, both on-line and off-line. In any case, you will undoubtedly run into the specs for each model. What do these things mean?

CPU

CPU, or processor, is the central brain of any computer. It's the component that does pretty much all operations. The better your processor is, the more applications you can potentially run at the same time. Also, a good processor will allow you to watch high-definition content and play games.

Almost all processors integrated into laptops nowadays come with multiple cores. This is a good thing, since a multi core environment allows for multiple processes (applications) to be run, thus leading to efficient multitasking. Your aim for a new laptop should be in the quad-core range, meaning the processor will have four cores.

RAM

System memory is another thing you should be aware of. This complements the processor in delivering a smooth experience. The more RAM you have, the more applications you can run at a time without any problems.

Hard Drive

The hard drive is another component that determines both speed and capacity. Capacity determines the amount of stuff you can store on your computer, and speed determines the speed at which this stuff is either written to disk or read from disk. Your aim should be to get a laptop with a solid state drive, since these do not rely on spinning disks to read and write data.

HDDs or hard disk drives rely on spinning platters to write and read information, and thus are fairly limited by their speeds (most laptops carry either the 5400 rpm or the 7200 rpm versions). Hybrid drives use both older HDD technology and new SSD integrations, but these don't offer the full benefits of an SSD.

Battery

Another thing you might want to look at is the battery life. If you'll be a lot on the move, then you need something with a lot of battery life. Most ultra-books nowadays boast battery lives of up to 15 hours, with some even surpassing this threshold.

Screen

While desktops need a separate screen, laptops carry their own screen with them. If you don't plan on using a secondary display, then the display your laptop comes with should be a good one.

If the resolution is not important to you, you can still get away with a 15.4 inch laptop that renders a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution. But if you want to get a laptop for graphic design / entertainment or gaming, then you should probably get one that can render a full HD resolution at least. Some models even come with 2K or 4K screens, so make sure you consider this when deciding what to get.

At present, Android dominates the worldwide smartphone operating system market. Also, the statistics posted on various websites indicate that Google Play Store currently offers more apps and games than Apple Play Store. The trends depict that many developers prefer developing apps and games for the Android platform.

The developers have option to write apps and games for Android in C, C++ or Java. But Java is the official language for developing games and apps for Google’s mobile operating system. Google further recommends developers to write new Android applications and games in Java. Also, many developers find it easier to write mobile games in Java than other programming languages.

Why Many Developers prefer writing Mobile Games in Java?

Java is a Popular Programming Language

Java is currently one of the most widely used general-purpose programming languages. The developers have option to use Java for developing desktop GUI applications, web applications and mobile apps. So many beginners prefer learning a programming language that enables them to build a wide variety of applications. Also, Java enables developers to write, compile and debug code without putting any extra effort. That is why; enterprises can build mobile apps easily by deploying skilled Java programmers.

Java is a Multithreaded Programming Language

Developers always prefer writing mobile games in a programming language that supports multithreading fully. The multithreading support is essential for performing several tasks concurrently within a single program. So the users can easily play the mobile games written in Java while performing other tasks like checking emails and browsing internet. The multitasking support makes it easier for programmers to build games that allow users to switch from one task to another seamlessly.

Facilitates Cross-Platform Game Development

Unlike other programming languages, Java enables developers to port applications from one platform to another seamlessly. They programmers can write the mobile game in Java once, and run it on multiple devices and platforms without recompiling the code and using extra implementation dependencies. So it becomes easier for developers to build the mobile game initially for the Android operating system, and reuse the same code to extend the game to other mobile platforms.

Helps Developers to Build Flawless Games

Like mobile apps, mobile games also need to work flawlessly and deliver richer user experience to become popular and profitable. So the developers need to ensure that the code written by them is flawless. Also, the must identify and repair the bugs or flaws in the code immediately. Unlike other programming languages, Java enables programmers to identify and eliminate coding errors early and quickly. The programmers can further take advantage of the Java compiler to detect errors occurring at the time of code execution.

Features Included in Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)

While writing mobile games in Java, the developers can take advantage of the robust features provided by Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME). In addition to being an open platform, J2ME further includes Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) API. The MIDP API helps developers to create apps and games for constrained devices. The latest version of MIDP API comes with several new features to make mobile game development simpler and faster.

The programmers can further use Java runtime environment and libraries to make the game run seamlessly on various mobile devices. At the same time, the rich user interface features of J2ME make it easier for developers to make the games more visually appealing. Also, the platform can queue network operations and catch efficiently. Hence, the developers can use J2ME to enable users to play the games even when there is no internet connectivity.

Loads of Game Development Tools

The developers can further avail a number of tools to build 2D and 3D mobile games in Java rapidly. For instance, the programmers can use advanced 3D game engines like jMonkeyEngine to create stunning 3D worlds. These tools further boost the performance of Java games significantly, and enables developers to port the games to different platforms.

Some of these tools even allow programmers to write robust games in Java using widely used integrated development environments (IDEs) like NetBeans and Eclipse. These game development tools contribute immensely towards making Java mobile game development popular.

The Java developers also have option to use several mobile game development tools to build robust games in Java within a shorter amount of time. The suite of 2D and 3D tools provided by these frameworks make it easier for programmers to create games that deliver richer user experience across many devices powered by the Android operating system.

He could take his own advice and go his own way, now that he has separated from his popular band. Better yet, he could just join up with a group in need of another lead singer and guitar player.

Lindsey Buckingham wrote many of the hits for Fleetwood Mac, including "Don't Stop" and "Go Your Own Way." Nevertheless, he and the group have parted ways, so he has been replaced for the upcoming tour.

How great would it be for fans if Buckingham joined the Eagles, who like Fleetwood Mac are embarking on a 26 days tour this spring. He could help fill the void left by the 2016 death of guitarist / singer Glenn Frey, whose vocal range in hits like "Lyin 'Eyes" and "Already Gone" is not dissimilar to that used by Buckingham on the Fleetwood Mac hits.

Buckingham already has several connections to the Eagles, well beyond the fact that Fleetwood Mac and the latter quintet shared dominance on the pop charts from the mid to late Seventies. Both musical outfits have also suffered internal conflicts and several lineup changes over the ensuing years, as well as making successful comeback albums.

Many of the ties involve fellow Californian Warren Zevon who, like both Buckingham and the members of the Eagles, was part of The West Coast folk rock scene that blossomed in the years after the Summer of '67 music festival in Height-Asbury outside of San Francisco.

J .. D. Souther, who helped write several hit songs for the Eagles, appeared on Zevon's breakthrough album Excitable Boy. Also singing background vocals on the title track of that record was Linda Rondstadt, who had given the Hotel California guys their start by enlisting them as her backing band years earlier.

Another artist who frequently collaborated on songs with them is Jackson Browne, who helped pen the huge hit "Take It Easy." Browne was the producer of Excitable Boy, and he also wrote "Tenderness in the Block" with Zevon.

Buckingham's band mates in Fleetwood Mac, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood also had roles on Zevon's gold record. McVie played the bass and Fleetwood the drums on the single "Werewolves of London."

It was on the preceding album, Zevon's self-titled debut, where Buckingham had worked directly with the two key members of the Eagles. Both Buckingham and Glenn Frey played guitar on several tracks, while drummer-vocalist Don Henley contributed backing harmony on those same songs.

It is easy to imagine Buckingham successfully covering Grey's vocal delivery on "Heartache Tonight" or the more sensitive "New Kid In Town." It I quite delightful to think of Eagles' guitarist Joe Walsh add another lead to some well-known Buckingham tunes, which would make the band's tour even more highly anticipated.

Modern bank customers rarely think twice about logging into a mobile device to check accounts and schedule transactions. Mobile apps are convenient and user friendly. According to a Federal Reserve report, over half of smartphone users with bank accounts used mobile banking in 2015. Online banking via a mobile device also represents a security risk. Cybercriminals use a variety of techniques to gain entrance to individual user accounts and bank information.

Both Customers and Financial Institutions Play a Role in Online Banking Security

Financial institutions and banking customers are responsible for mobile banking security. Both parties must exercise caution and use security best practices to reduce the risk of mobile threats. Customers are responsible for using their devices in a security conscious way. Banks must develop, maintain, and optimize formal applications designed to protect end users.

Banking security breaches can lead to a loss of financial assets, identity theft, and other adverse outcomes. Every business-related security threat can cost organizations millions of dollars in remediation activities and harm institutional credibility. A proactive approach to online banking security effectively reduces the risk of cybersecurity incidents and improves customer confidence in mobile financial activities.

5 Tips Customers Can Use to Improve Mobile Banking Security

Mobile users often take device security for granted. Apple users trust in the company's security practices. The Android platform carries a potentially higher degree of risk as an open digital ecosystem. When device users presume the safety of apps they download and the security of their devices, they may accidentally open a backdoor to malicious activities. Customers can use these five tips to protect the security of their mobile online banking activities:

1. Only use official banking apps and secure websites. If you plan to use a mobile device for banking activities, download the official banking app. Look for information on the website to confirm the app's legitimacy, and avoid using your mobile browser to access your bank account. Some users link their bank accounts to budget apps or other money management apps. Remember that every account you connect to your bank account represents a potential risk. Safeguard your information with official and secure apps.
2. Double check the security of all third party apps. Cybercriminals may gain access to your device through a third party app not associated with an official banking app. For example, someone could sneak a malware program designed to record keystrokes in with a third party app. Using this type of technology, a criminal could possibly obtain information about your login credentials and online activities.
3. Avoid using bank-related links. As an end user, you may assume the validity of a link in a text message or email. Unfortunately, some criminals use phishing and spoofing practices to obtain revealing information from seemingly innocent interfaces. Always back out of a message and go through official channels to access your account.
4. Never check your bank account while using a public network. Public Wi-Fi and other public networks are notoriously insecure. Use cellular network connectivity or a VPN (virtual private network) to protect your activities while in public.
5. Always lock and keep track of your mobile devices. If you leave your device unlocked on a park bench, a malicious individual could take advantage of the situation. Use the lock functions on smartphones, never save login information on your apps, and try to keep track of all your mobile devices.