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February 2019

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In Home Improvement

Incorporating Home Automation into your Home Remodel

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If you are planning a major home remodel, a factor you must consider is what product or material to use. A major remodel can be costly but you are probably ready for the expense if have decided to give it a go. Home automation is an innovative way to take your home’s security and convenience to the next level. With home automation, your household features, appliances, and activity are automatically and electronically controlled. You use the internet to easily control your features and utilities, making your space more convenient and secure. Home automation is the solution to making a smart home. Keep reading to know some ideas for home automation solutions you can add in your home:

How Home Automation Works

Home automation encompasses communication, hardware, and electronic interfaces that integrate daily devices with one another through the internet. Every device has sensors and is connected through Wi-Fi. This means that they can be managed from a tablet or smartphone at home or anywhere. This way, you can turn the lights on, turn the heat down, or lock the front door even if you are not at home. Home automation systems include the following elements:

  • Sensors. These elements can keep track of changes in daylight, motion detection, and temperature. These settings can be adjusted to your preferences.
  • Controllers. These include devices like computers, smartphones, or tablets used for sending and receiving messages regarding the status of your home’s automated features.
  • Actuators. These can be light switches, motorized valves, or motors which control a home automation system’s function.

Home Automation Ideas

  • Smart Home Security. Smart home security features you can consider include motion sensors. These sensors will detect motion in a certain area. If you are not in your home, movements inside it will trigger the alarm. You can also consider smartphone integrations which involve the use of a system that can talk to your smartphone. Another option is location-specific triggers. This automation option works by using your smartphone’s location to identify your location and using such information to queue certain tasks.
  • House warming and cooling. This optimizes your home’s heating and cooling. It includes the use of a location sensor to automatically trigger your air conditioning unit to change your home’s temperature fifteen minutes before you arrive home.
  • Goodnight Google. This home automation option uses your voice’s power to initiate bedtime. Once your lights are connected to your home automation hub, you will have to configure the Google Home or Amazon Alexa to turn off the lights if you are ready for bed.
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In Tech

Importance of AI in Marketing

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If you are in the marketing field, you have probably heard of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a marketing strategy. AI lets marketers create highly-personalized consumer experiences that cost less than conventional campaigns. Consumer interactions with a product or solution are used for future optimization. This makes it important for marketers to understand how to use this technology. Below are the roles that AI plays in marketing:

Improving Sales Forecasting

With AI, marketers can compare sophisticated inbound communication alongside conventional metrics to help in answering difficult strategy questions. AI marketing eliminates the questions on whether or not a prospect is ready for a discussion. It is because the data give the answer.

Understanding Consumers More Deeply

AI marketing helps marketers know what consumers are thinking, saying, and feeling about the brand in real time. Such data can be harnessed in real-time, modifying branding and messaging to maximize marketing effectiveness. AI can tap into the abundance of consumer data concealed in social profiles, keyword searches, and other online data, helping marketers effectively run ads.

Optimizing Digital Marketing

AI has paved its way into marketing to help brands improve each step of the consumer journey. Brands that run digital marketing campaigns should use innovative AI-powered solutions to maintain their competitive edge. Here’s how AI can optimize digital marketing campaigns:

  • Improved PPC advertising. Artificial Intelligence can help brands uncover new ad channels that their competitors may not be using. AI-powered systems can be used for testing out more ad platforms and optimizing targeting.
  • Intelligent email content creation. With AI, brands can send personal curated emails to each of their customers. It analyzes the reading patterns and topics of interest of a given audience to recommend the most relevant content to them.
  • Content-creation chatbots. Intelligent chatbots offer unmatchable customer support. Chatbots can access millions of customer-centered data points. Also, they can aggregate location-specific requests in order to detect patterns and identify repetitive issues and the cause of these issues for a certain user.
  • Intelligent website personalization. Intelligent algorithms can help in personalizing website experience and push notifications. As a result, website visitors could see the most relevant, content, offers, and notifications based on their browsing history, demographics, and location.

Analyzing Huge Blocks of Open Content and Identifying Trends

This lets brands interact directly with their customers in real time through social conversations online, possibly influencing their buying decisions. With Artificial Intelligence, marketers can monitor social conversations to identify any relevant conversations.

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In Tech

How to Master the New Facebook Algorithm

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Facebook algorithm changes usually make brands feel concerned about their presence on the platform. However, such changes do not need to seriously indicate trouble for brands. The key to surviving and mastering the new Facebook algorithm is to make some changes to current content strategies to boost the organic reach. As of March 2019, the social media giant offers context to why users see some organic posts and ads. This indicates that brands should hone in their audience targeting and encourage follower interactions. Also, the algorithm prioritizes personalization and relevant content.  Here’s how to master the new Facebook algorithm:

Give your Audience the Chance to Engage

This means asking your readers to comment or like if they like your content. Focus on making the action as easy as possible so people will do it. Facebook likes brands that get engagement.

When your readers leave comments, make sure to reply promptly. Whenever your posts get a comment, they will be featured on the top of the people’s news feed for a short period of time. And commenting back to these posts will place them on the top of the feed just the same.

Make your Facebook Content Native to Facebook

Facebook tends to lower the engagement percentage of posts not native to Facebook itself. Thus, ensure you don’t share your content from content scheduling services or other platforms. Think about creating a schedule and going in and posting organically at various time of the day.

Prioritize Video

Facebook emphasized that video content drives higher engagement and interactions from users than other kinds of content. A recent video ranking update highlights this even further. Videos can perfectly start conversations and keep the eyes of your audience glued to your page. Also, make sure to adopt Facebook Live to come up with compelling, real-time content for your audience.

Create Content that Drives Discussion without Being Spammy

This can be done by dealing with any questions to any given post. This can encourage comments without begging for them. Also, try to post content that is worthy of debate as long as it is appropriate. You can use controversial content but ensure you don’t end up offending or alienating your audience.

Learn to Reintroduce Current Content without Being Repetitive

There are many ways to make this happen. For instance, if you have already used a quote, think about switching thing up with a question or tag the second or third time. Also, consider repurposing your content.  Take advantage of many Facebook tools out there to transfer your pieces into something new. For example, a quote can be turned into a custom graphic using Adobe Spark.

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In Law

Facing a DUI Charge: How to Improve your Chances for a Favorable Outcome

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If you have been charged for a DUI, improving your chances for a favorable outcome should be your priority before trial. You have two options to go about this. As per Charlotte Observer the first option is to address how you got the charge to reduce sentencing. The second is to fight the DUI charge by arguing you’re not guilty. But, whether you are guilty or not, you must seek the assistance of a DUI attorney.

What to Do if you are Guilty

In case you are guilty of DUI, you need to own up to the situation. Consider voluntarily agreeing to want to enter a counseling program, consult with a lawyer who often handles DUI cases because prosecutors may have a preference for some drug and alcohol rehab programs. No matter which drunk driving program you choose, make sure to commit to the entire program.

What to Do if you are Not Guilty?

If you have been charged with a DUI and are not guilty, work your defense early. For instance, see if there is a video of your results at the office you had the field sobriety tests. Remember that most agencies will only keep videos for 90 days so don’t waste any time. Send a letter to the agency requesting the preservation of the video. In addition, work with a DUI lawyer to assist your case and determine a trial strategy.

Handling a Driver’s License Suspension

If your driver’s license was suspended due to a DUI arrest or refusal to take a breath test, never drive the car unless you get a hardship or occupational license. Driving with a suspended license is another serious offense which will disqualify you from getting probation.

Then, avoid drinking while your DUI case is pending. Getting charged for a new DUI or public intoxication will make plea bargain harder. It can help to avoid hanging out with friends who tend to drink. It might be best to avoid a nightlight for the time being. Also, consider removing alcohol from your home. Keep in mind that showing that you are not drinking anymore can possibly reduce, appeal, or adjust your license suspension to let you drive under some circumstances.

Preserving Evidence

If you choose to fight a DUI charge, you must collect evidence from the scene. Also, a DUI lawyer can help in finding a private investigator to help in preserving other evidence which indicates your innocence. Recording or gathering physical information or information from witnesses shortly after the accident ensures you have valuable information you can use to have a strong case.

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