How to take a Great Christmas Cards Photo

Every Christmas, it is customary for families and couples to take picture of themselves and then send the pictures together with their Christmas cards. This tradition has for a long time been known to personalize cards that otherwise would have looked like just ordinary cards. In many instances families will prefer their Christmas cards photo to be taken by a professional photographer. However, it can be quite difficult and expensive to get a good photographer during the Christmas season and hence it might be prudent for the family members or the couple to take their own pictures. If the latter idea is the best option to use then it is proper that one keeps a number of factors in mind. The first is that only natural lighting should be used. Natural light is the best compared to a flash because all the colors will have a truer shade.

Going to the trouble of getting everyone to take a Christmas cards photo and not going to the trouble of getting them comfortable can be an exercise in futility. This can be done by ensuring that they are all in their best positions and that they can be seen clearly. Additionally, one can have several trials and when they have become accustomed to the lens they will gradually relax and hence the picture will be taken without any hassle. There are two ways of taking a family picture and one of them is taking candid pictures. Candid pictures are pictures where the people are not posing in a particular way and are random in many ways. These pictures are the best type because they known to sell the family in the most natural way possible. Then there are the pictures where the members of the family are required to pose in a particular order and manner.

When a Christmas cards photo is taken outside it can present the photographer with quite a number of options to work with to come up with the best photo as compared to the one that is taken indoors. The kind of camera that is used to take the pictures will also matter and the better the camera the better the output. The company that will be used to print out the picture sis another thing that one should really consider as there will be no need to have everyone to pose only for the final print outs to be of low quality. There are some companies that are known to work o the internet as well and before one settles on a particular company to work with they should ensure that they have explored all the options available. While exploring, one should factor in things like cost and the mount of time it will take for the photos to be ready.

Better Customer Service Guaranteed (if you’re willing to Pay)

It's difficult to get reasonable customer care these days. Call a computer company asking for tech support, and you can expect to the put on hold for 15 minutes. Call for repair service on an appliance and you're given a wide eight-hour window. And then the technician misses the window by a wide margin. These days though, the big consumer product corporations are promising better customer service and better care. There's just one little catch.

You have to pay for it. In short, they are trying to sell us a new product, something they call better customer service. Once you pay for it, you get around-the-clock access, practically no waiting time, and so on. Is this worth it? Or is this just something like the airlines are doing – taking away something we were always owed and then charging us to restore service to former levels?

Read a few user reviews on any product on Amazon or anywhere else, and you will see that poor customer service is want attracts the most impassioned hatred and anger in customers. Two out of three Americans claim that they have stopped doing business with at least one company in the past yeur because of the level of service provided. Providing service is quite a nightmare to all these companies. Companies dealing in consumer products and services feel that it is hardly fair of their customers expect them to absorb the costs of hiring, training and employee thousands of service representatives to answer their questions and provide prompt service when it can be extremely expensive and the expenses can go on for five years after each sale is made. And so, businesses from airline companies to electronics makers are offering paid service. As far as they're concerned, it's the only way to provide better customer service today.

So how much do they charge? It is not a small sum. Time Warner Cable for instance charges nearly $200 a year to give you a guaranteed three-hour service window. Apple has a business customer service package that it calls Joint Venture that costs in the hundreds too.

Of course, the companies claim that they provide quality customer service and everyone; they just claim that the paid service is for customers who want extra special VIP treatment. So will consumers pay for something that used to be free?

Apparently, they will. Preliminary polls show that four out of five consumers will do this. But really, can it possibly be worth it? If every company goes and charges you hundreds of dollars for better service, you'd be out thousands of dollars every year. At Best Buy and at the Gap, you have to spend a couple of thousand every year at their stores to get better service.

So should you pay for something like this? Well, you might consider it if a company was known for decent levels of service at all times. It is unlikely that the moment you pay a poorly performing company, they'll find a way to deliver all of a sudden. And of course, if you look around and find that there are other companies offering a similar product with better service for free, you have no reason to put money down for service.

Learning what affects your Credit Score

You really do need to put your credit score front and center in life. It affects everything – from the kind of credit card and car loan you're given to the kind of job you get. That's right, apply for job today, and they check your credit score. In jobs that involve the handling of money, they wonder if someone with a poor credit score is likely to steal because he likely gets into personal financial trouble. Well, so, your credit score affects everything about your life. What affects your credit score though?

It isn't as easy a deal as you might think. Certainly, you know what affects your credit score in main – missed credit card payments, high credit card usage, getting turned down on a loan application and so on. But if you FICO credit score goes far deeper than merely this. There are lots of little things you can do that can whittle your credit score down and you wouldn't even know it. Let's take a look at what affects your credit score the most.

In main, how dependable you are at paying back your credit card balances affects a full third of your credit score. Even one late or missed payment can bring your credit score down by several points.

Are you in the habit of maxing your credit cards out sometimes? That's considered irresponsible financial behavior. And the credit score people penalize you for this. Basically, you could max out your credit card if you know that you will be paying it back the following month. How much of your credit limit you choose to use determines another third of your credit score.

There are all kinds of obscure things that go into your credit score too. For instance, would you have guessed that quitting your job and staying jobless for a time could put a real ding in your score? No, the credit bureaus don't know that you're out of a job. What they do know is that there isn't as much income coming in as before.

People think that canceling credit cards is dangerous thing because it suddenly shows the credit bureaus that they have less credit. It doesn't really work that way though. It's when you close a credit card that has a balance that you get penalized. And getting new credit isn't really great for your credit score either. Actually, if you apply for a couple of credit cards today, and then apply for a car loan next month, and then a home loan the month after that, it can put a real dent in your credit score.

It isn't just how you handle credit cards and loans that will affect your score though. Most people don't realize this, but the credit bureaus pay a great deal of attention to how good you are at paying your bills on time. Neglect to pay your phone bill or your cable bill, and the phone and cable company will tell on you. Ther’s one more reason to hate Comcast.

Cheap Bedroom Furniture Guide

Very few bedrooms would have their current appeal if it were not for the bedroom furniture that they are normally furnished with. While there are people who have enough money to spend on bedroom furniture, there is another group for whom the only option left to them is to look for cheap bedroom furniture. In the current market, cheap furniture abounds and the only problem is how to get it. There is nothing some research to help a person who is looking for furniture for their bedroom. Some of the best sources to look for information include articles in magazines, the internet and talking to people who have bought the articles before. From these sources one will also get to know the average cost of the furniture in addition to establishing where they can be found.

One of the best places to get cheap bedroom furniture is from internet retailers and this is so for a number of reasons. One of this is that one will be able to get a variety of furniture items from these stores compared to what they would have found from online stores. Most stores are also known to offer discounts on their furniture items and this can be very helpful to a person who does not have as much money to spend. There is also much competition among online retailers and this has worked in favor of the consumers and this means that they are now offering furniture items at cheaper prices.

When it comes to cheap bedroom furniture the homeowner should not limit themselves if they want to get the best deals. There are furniture items that are made from metal, mahogany and canvas and this means that one should take their time when choosing the various pieces. It is very common to find people buying random pieces of furniture that do not match or compliment each other and this can make the room look quite busy and disorganized. It is advisable to always buy items that compliment each other ad that match the ambience of the room. In this regard factors like material, style, design and color should be considered.

When looking for cheap bedroom furniture from stores regardless of whether it is online or offline one should first look into the quality of what is on offer. Just because one wants cheap items it does not mean that they should saddle themselves with poor quality items. When shopping online, one should also make a point of looking into the lesser known stores as they usually have very good deals that the well known stores could be offering at a higher price. There are also stores that offer additional services such as shipping services and one should take care not to let such deals pass them by. The reputation of the store is another thing that should be considered and if one has to buy cheap furniture for their bedroom as well. With the above considerations it should not be too difficult getting cheap furniture for the bedroom.

Choosing Video Games for Kids

What are good video games for kids? If you ask kids, they’ll probably tell you that the funnest games are the best games for them. If you ask parents, they might want the least violent and most educational games for their children. If you ask the ESRB board, they might agree with the violent part. And if you ask hardcore gamers, they might not agree with the rating system, seeing it as too strict and arbitrary. In the same way that movie ratings can be controversial, video game ratings can be a polarizing issue as well, especially in the wake of the debate over the correlation between violent video gaming and criminal activity. The issue of video games for kids isn’t just about kids, it sucks the rest of the gaming (and non-gaming) population, prompting people of all ages to weigh in on what is kid friendly appropriate and what is crossing the line.

Again, perhaps the biggest topic of hot contention surrounding video games for kids is the violence factor. Do violent video games influence children to act out accordingly? Yes, several parents and political figures have been heard to say. Violent video games have been publicly and popularly linked to crimes such as the Columbine shootings. Many studies have suggested that violent video games and real-life violence are linked, but at the same time the methodology of many of these studies has been criticized and the results have not replicated. Some studies even suggest that the link is false, or that rather than violence in itself, “kid-friendly” competition can lead to more violent behavior.

It’s possible to see this issue from both points of view. On one hand, it looks like people just need a scapegoat to blame for the violence in our society. Rather than blaming economic crises, the education system or domestic problems, it’s easier to point the finger at video games: “If that guy weren’t playing Grand Theft Auto, he wouldn’t have robbed that store” is much easier to say than “If he had been able to get a job, gone to a good school or had two supportive parents at home, he wouldn’t have robbed that store.” On the other hand, gratuitously violent video games do exist on the market, and playing them to an excessive degree probably isn’t good for the psyche, especially at a young age. So when choosing video games for kids, it’s best for parents to be open-minded, as well as mindful about what their kids are playing. Violent video games don’t necessarily turn out violent kids, but it would be wise to practice caution when exposing our kids to violent media.

The Best Travel Website … it isn’t actually a Website

To some people, the online world doesn't appear the way it does to the rest of us. They live their online lives not reading websites on Google or Bing, but casting about on Facebook and Twitter. They do this not because they enjoy standing apart from the crowd and being quirky (although there must be some of that to be sure), but because there are some fabulous opportunities available to them when they go about things this way. For instance, what is the best travel website you go to, to buy a round-trip to somewhere or the other? Expedia? Orbitz? Priceline?

As far as these people are concerned, that's almost like saying you use Ask Jeeves or Alta Vista (or some other sad and lost search engine) to look for information. To them, when it comes to travel deals, Twitter is where all the action is. All-in-one, it gives you access to the best flight and hotel prices, when there is a problem, it helps you get attention like nothing else, and it allows you personalized service (and upgrades).

Actually, most Twitter users do know pretty well that there are travel deals to be had. They even know that complaining on Twitter can make businesses jump like few other things can. It's just this personalized service thing that Twitter users don’t usually know enough to take advantage of. And in this way, it’s the best travel website experience ever.

For instance, you know that you’ll be arriving at a city late at night; but you still want something off the lunch menu because at that hotel, tucking into that is the favorite part of your entire stay. Sending a tweet over ahead of your visit asking for a little special consideration will usually get what you need – the lunch menu available at 1 AM in the middle of the night. For those who know their way around Twitter, the social networking and microblogging website provides them with a way of getting personalized service in a world filled with bland mass-produced service.

Twitter can do things for you that the best travel website of the regular kind never could. Need hotel recommendations from friends or self-styled experts around the country whom you've never met? Feel lonely after work in a new city and would like a temporary friend to catch a play with or go to dinner with? What other travel websites could help you achieve these things?

Certainly, travelers can go to Twitter for some extra service. Travel companies – hotels and airlines – love Twitter too though for how it allows them to stay on top of that their customers minds. JetBlue has such an entertaining Twitter feed, it has 1 million followers. In Las Vegas, the MGM Grand casino puts out to the public and classic Vegas fashion – on a large lighted sign on the strip.

Still, not everyone really understands how best to engage Twitter in a way that serves their needs. Companies, to begin with, aren't really doing all they can to entertain their regulars with tips and news bits that will keep them engaged with the company. All they do is to ply their followers with advertising and drive them away. In general, companies need to realize that there are two kinds of followers – those who like advertising and deals, and those who like information. They need to keep separate Twitter accounts for both.

As for travelers, they need to understand how to get into all of this. The first thing you need to do is to get on Twitter and broadcast your travel plans. You can be sure that hotels in the city you're going to will be listening and they will come in with some special offers.

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Professional 401k Advice can make all the Difference (whether it Costs you anything or Not)

Workers with 401(k) plans these days do a lot more than to merely leave their plans alone while they work and contribute over the years. These days, there are such a range of products and services that they take advantage of to make the most of their retirement accounts. Roughly one out of three owners of 401(k) accounts use at least one of these services. They use target date funds, managed accounts and they use one of the most popular options around – professional 401(k) advice. So basically, this is what you want to know – is it worth it?

Well, a study put out by two major providers of these services does find strongly in favor of professional 401(k) management. The study finds that on average, you make 3% more on your 401(k) account when you accept professional advice. The belief is that apparently, people left to their own resources often do considerably worse managing risk and earning a return.

And it isn't merely over the long term that they gain the full benefit of the advice. Even those who are a mere five years away from retirement, the study tries to establish, can do far better with 401(k) advice from a professional. One possible reason why this is so, it is noted, is that those who are close to retirement, if let to their own devices, often panic over how far they have left to go, and they make some hasty decisions over how to manage their investments.

With professional 401(k) advice the other hand, they learn to put together a custom-made group of investments to go with how long they have left to work. These days, the younger 401(k) participants as a rule gravitate towards target date funds. This is where they get to put down the date they will retire so that the retirement fund manager will start with a risky (but high profit) investment plan, but will slowly switch to a more conservative one as the retirement day draws close. With people who have perhaps just seven or eight years left to retirement, managed accounts that offer a customized and conservative management policy offer the best value.

But not every provider of professional 401(k) advice charges something substantial. A study by Charles Schwab found that 401(k) participants often reject free professional 401(k) advice that they receive online – advice that could really make a difference. For instance, employers often offer free advice. But only about one in ten employees actually takes the advice.

According to Ms. Charles Schwab, perhaps companies should make their advice look more appealing – by offering them in proper one-on-one settings.

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Kodak’s Printer Software Helps Turn Two Regular Photos into One 3D Photo

Perhaps the whole premise of the movie Titanic was a little off. Objects of interest from the Titanic can be worth millions of dollars. They didn't have to go after the Heart of the Ocean. A few worthless artifacts would have been just as priceless. An Irish court gathered recently to try to make a decision on what kind of people had the right to salvage objects of interest from the wreck of the Titanic. They had to make a decision because there were people trying to retrieve Captain Smith's bathtub. The court sat and looked at a 3D photo of the deep ghostly interior of the Titanic – of the bathtub sitting there for nearly a century at bottom of the ocean.

The 3D photo today isn't just the province of people with access to deep pockets. If you would just like spectacular 3D photos of your children at the beach or other such heartwarming moments, Lumix makes 3-D camera for about $1,750. But what if you are just the official photographer for your own mud-pie making children and you can think of at least a dozen other places $1750 would be better spent? What if you just want to take wicked 3-D pictures of those mud pies without spending almost any cash at all?

There are all kinds of magical things possible on a little money these days. The new Lytro camera, for instance, for little money, allows you did take pictures that you can set the focus on afterwards in software. Now Kodak has a new system - that they just showed off at the Consumer Electronics Show. It allows you to take regular pictures with any regular camera and then turn them into it 3-D in the software they give you. All you need to do to gain this ability is to spend $100 on their new ESP C310 3-D photo printer.

What is it that the regular 3-D cameras do? They come with two separate lenses; every time you take a picture, you’re actually taking two pictures at different points of view. Each picture is meant for a different eye. Each eye gets to look only at the picture that's intended for it when you look at the picture through 3-D glasses. The genius of the new Kodak system is, that you don't have to have a camera that has two lenses set apart at a set distance. You just have to shoot any picture twice moving the camera a couple of inches for the second one.

You feed both images into the Windows-only software you get, and it turns both images into a single 3D photo that you can view with the supplied paper glasses. The question is though, does it work well when you can get your subjects to hold a pose until you click two pictures?

The 3-D photo that results tends to be viewable and clearly three-dimensional, if not with the kind of spectacular depth and clarity you get on real 3-D cameras. In some ways, this could be a novelty product.

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