Hurricanes can be immensely damaging, as Katrina, Isaac and Sandy have shown us in recent years. When a hurricane strikes a highly populated area, the destruction is both immediate and intense.
Flooding, flying debris, and collapsed roofs contribute to the scenes of loss that we see on the evening news. But the damage that goes homes and cars â?? and often, the types of damage we don’t hear about from the media are the farthest-reaching and the longest-lasting.
So what are the long term effects of a hurricane? Here are three problems that persist for months, even years after the power has been restored.
1. Business interruptions. Obviously, businesses close when the streets are flooded. But can they reopen their doors right away? The answer is: it depends. The interruptions to business can go far beyond just damage to the building. If personnel have moved away temporarily or long term, finding skilled replacements can be tough. Damage to inventory can completely ruin a retail business. And if computers, servers and data storage devices were damaged, crucial customer data and business records could be lost or need to be reconstructed. Many businesses prepare by investing in disaster recovery solutions that will mitigate or prevent these problems, but without such a plan in place many businesses struggle to reopen â?? or never do at all.
2. Long commutes. Hurricanes wrack infrastructure, and clearing the roads of debris is only the very first step toward getting cars and trucks moving again. Strong rains and flooding can undercut roads and hillsides, leading to whole segments of crucial highway that need to be rebuilt before they can be driven on. And debris can easily destroy bridges. Repair crews have to triage, meaning some commonly used roads won’t be open for a very long time.
3. Car-lessness. Almost everybody has insurance on their car, so replacing it after the hurricane won’t be a problem, right? Well, getting your insurance check is one thing, but finding a car to buy is another. After a hurricane, huge numbers of people have seen their cars damaged or destroyed, leading to a run on new and used car lots to replace them. At the same time, car lots’ own inventory is frequently damaged in such storms. It can be hard to find so much as a beater, at any price, following a hurricane.
These are just a few of the ways that major storms continue to affect lives long after the initial event. While businesses can buy disaster recover solutions and families can buy insurance, many forms of damage linger on. Have you ever been in a hurricane? What was it like after?
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Eric Regan has written for blogs covering numerous aspects of the tech world. His main interests are business and computers
Deciding between what smartphone to upgrade to, whether the new iPhone 5 or the previous version the iPhone 4S can be an agonizing decision to make.
Which one to go for depends on your imaginations and what you consider a great smart phone. What many smart phone fanatics will see in the latest release is a brand new browsing experience, business applications and much more Apple goodies. What about the previous version? Yes, it is nothing lesser and so to say, it will be a more alluring option due to the attractive price tag that have spun half-way, making it such a noble steal.Â
Below is a greatly considered comparison of the iPhone 4S and the new iPhone 5
Their operating systems- if you have upgraded your iPhone 4S to the IOS 6, then your smart phone is running on the same operating system as the latest Appleâ??s release. The extra inch of the iPhone 5 screen display allows it to accommodate an additional row of icons and subsequently more contents in some certain applications but there is no much significant difference between the two versions.
iPhone 5 comes loaded with new software and features. For the previous version, it was the Siri and Face Time applications. The latest version in the iPhone family incorporates both of these and in addition, the Passbook and a whopping Maps application and therefore here, the latter may be a better option.
The build and design – There is a similarity in the appearance of the two smart phones but the size difference is clear, the newer and the older versions are 4.87 and 4.5 inches tall respectively. The thickness compares as 0.30 inches and 0.37 inches in the earlier and newer versions and though seemingly insignificant, this is amounting to a weight difference of a whole ounce, lighter than the iPhone 4S; 4.9 ounces.
Cameras â?? The two versions are described as having the same 8-megapixel cameras but in reality, the new version can take pride in several beneficial improvements. Where photo shooting is on a well-lit platform, the difference may not be much conspicuous but in dim light, the newer version stands out. This can be attributed to the better LED flash and additionally, other hardware improvements ensure that the shots are captured noiselessly.
Well, both support 1080 recording capabilities but the iPhone 5 stands out again here since it can take shots while recording a video simultaneously. While it comes with increased white balancing and image stabilization, though subtly, its enhanced compression capabilities imply that HD videos appear up to 20% smaller, unlike in the iPhone 4S.
LTE services and Voice call quality – The newer version simply redefines the WiFi networks that the previous version has been taking pride in, from 3G to 4G. What does this mean? The new product comes with the 4G LTE that is improved and where ones happens to be in an area with the supported carrier networks, the browsing, uploading and downloading experience gets a new meaning.
Battery life – Here, the difference between the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 is very small but with the LTE support, the latter receives a significant power feat.
Jeremy Green works for a well-known online retailer of iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 as well as other smartphones and gadgets.
Image courtesy of Idea go / freedigitalphotos.net
Gadgets. Where would we be without them?
In our complex twenty-first century world it seems as though weâ??ve developed a gadget that can help with virtually every aspect of our lives: we have cooking and cleaning gadgets to help with the household chores, navigational gadgets to simplify driving, mobile phones that can do just about anything from remotely activating your central heating to creating a high-resolution video of your kidsâ?? birthday party and automatically uploading it to Facebook. And then there are the entertainment gadgets. Thousands of them. Computers and tablets, games consoles, music players, personal video recorders, 3D televisions, digital radiosâ?¦ the list is already unending and seems to grow by the day.
Why? Because we love gadgets. They make life easier and more fun for us. We like to own them and show them off to our friends. We like to give and receive them as gifts. The problem is that itâ??s getting easier and easier to become obsessive about gadgets, and more and more difficult to live without them. Gradually, stealthily like some kind of technological conspiracy the gadgets are gaining controlâ?¦
Donâ??t believe me? Hereâ??s how you know when gadgets are taking over your life.
- You automatically reach for your smartphone when you hear a phone ring. Any phone: someone elseâ??s phone that doesnâ??t have a ringtone anything like yours, or even a phone on the telly.
- You become immensely frustrated when youâ??re at the football match on a Saturday afternoon and you find that you canâ??t pause, rewind and replay that last goal in real life.
- You refuse to acknowledge that the world could possibly have existed, let alone survived, before the invention of the internet.
- After promising your spouse that youâ??re having â??one last gameâ?? on the games console at bedtime, you find youâ??re still playing at 3.20am in an increasingly desperate bid to beat your own best score.
- Youâ??re compelled to sleep rough outside your local technology store for three nights in order to be the first to own an updated gadget that is only fractionally better than the one you slept rough to buy two months ago.
- Your living room has more technological firepower than NASAâ??s Mission Control thanks to your impressive array of entertainment gadgets.
- You hit the â??send/receiveâ?? or â??refresh inboxâ?? button on your email client every thirty seconds or so â??just in caseâ?.
- You use YouView to record and replay every single transmission of Channel 5â??s â??The Gadget Showâ?? or any TV programme which features Stephen Fry banging on about his deep love of gadgets.
- You regard the purpose of a holiday as an annual reminder of what â??outsideâ?? and â??fresh airâ?? feel like, and even then youâ??ll only stay in hotels that provide decent wireless internet connectivity.
- You canâ??t believe that your grandparents donâ??t understand even the simplest of â??gadgetyâ?? concepts such as using a mobile deviceâ??s 3G connectivity to tether it to a personal computer thus creating a wireless internet hotspot or Personal Area Network (PAN).
- More than half of your monthly electricity bill is attributable to recharging mobile gadgets or leaving home gadgets in â??standbyâ?? mode.
- You require an â??appâ?? to help you make the simplest of decisions, such as whether to have a fried chicken takeaway or a pizza takeaway for dinner.
- Youâ??ll happily drive into a river because the Satnav told you to, and since the Satnav is based upon sound and proven technological principles it must be right.
- Youâ??ve read points 1 to 13 and have failed to realise that they may be just a little tongue-in-cheek.
Attached Images:
-  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-8727682-digital-times.php?st=1636673
John is a freelance journalist and recovering gadget addict from the UK.
Earlier this month the movie Spiders was released in theaters nationwide. If you haven’t even seen the trailer yet, then look it up.
It appears that there is an accident on a space station, which results in an alien spider landing on earth. The alien creatures manages to lay a host of eggs, which eventually hatch and begin their quest for world domination. The only problem is that these spiders are gigantic. Some of them are as big as buildings.
The best part about the movie? It’s in 3D!
As a pest control company, we are keen on the insect-related pieces that are apart of our modern culture. The movie Arachnaphobia still might be the best spider movie, but Starship Troopers comes in as a close second.
While giant sized spiders invading earth probably isn’t a realistic possibility in the near future, or the distand one, there have indeed been some weird spider infestations to be recorded.
Here are the best.
In 2011, the auto manufacturer Mazda recalled over 65,000 vehicles due to a massive infestation of Yellow Sac spiders. The infestations were concentrated in the fuel lines of the cars, and Mazda said that the problem could eventually lead to dangerous leakage. The problematic area was serviced and changed for free, and upon correction Mazda also installed a spring in the fueld system to ensure that nothing else could enter the area. When a Mazda spokesperson was asked why they thought the spider decided to invade the Mazda6 vehicle, he replied “Apparently the spider likes to to zoom zoom.”
In December of 2012, a black widow infestation was reported in Norwich, England, in a shipment of car tires from the United States. Arizona, to be exact. When the workers received the shipment, they opened the shipping crates and saw hosts of black widows. Black widows are not native to English, but they certainly are to Arizona. It made sense the infestation occured prior to shipment across three US time zones and the Atlantic. Although, someone might want to inspect that courier plane.
We’re not sure if Guam is a big tourist location, but you may want to put it last on the list. As researchers have discovered, over 70 years ago a kind of tree snake was introduced to the island. Those snakes have wiped out 10 of the 12 native bird species. The remaining two species are protected in a corner of the island by snake specific traps. With the the absense of those other 10 species, spiders have gradually grown rampant on the island. Guam is now the playground to hundreds of different kinds of spiders. In some parts, their web can be seen as a canopy that covers the jungle floor.
Steve Bitter is a Marketing Manager with Bulwark Exterminating, based in Mesa, AZ. Bulwark Exterminating is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including eleven major cities. While Bulwark provides pest extermination for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the companyâ??s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems.
Image courtesy of Evgeni Dinev / freedigitalphotos.net
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Hear that? Thatâ??s the sound of another apocalypse failing to materialise. But donâ??t worry: thereâ??ll be another along soon. Given the prevalence of Prepper sites on the internet, our statistics department has calculated that there is now one new apocalypse due every minute.
With odds like that, youâ??ve got to get lucky eventually, right? And when you do, youâ??ll be the only person in the whole of Birmingham who was prepared. But wait a minute â?? how do you ensure you have a vast enough supply of precious metals to bargain for your familyâ??s lives with when society finally breaks down? Donâ??t worry: weâ??re here to help! Provided an asteroid hasnâ??t knocked out your internet connection, youâ??ll find everything you need to know about panic buying gold below. So what are you waiting for? Don those combat pants, break out your sandwich board and prepare for the coming end.
Dig Out Your Old Cell Phones
According to reports, only 10-20% of people throw their old cell phones away. If youâ??re one of the majority that means you probably have a pile of cell phones stored at the back of a closet somewhere. And you know whatâ??s in cell phones? Gold! See, gold is more conductive than copper, meaning tech companies are using it more and more frequently in their circuit boards. The prevalence of gold in phones has gotten so great that studies reckon thereâ??s more gold per ton of cell phones than per ton of actual ore. At the moment of writing, a gram of gold is worth fifty dollars â?? which means a ton of cells (150 gram yield) would net you a cool $7,500. So check those cupboards and get badgering your friends and neighbours ASAP â?? your fortune awaits!
Go For Scrap
Maybe collecting 4000 phones and extracting their gold seems like too much hassle. What if we told you there was another way to get your hands on spare gold at bargain rates? Itâ??s called scrap gold, and acquiring it is as easy as getting on eBay. Basically, everyone you know likely has some scrap kicking around â?? it might be a bit of useless jewellery, a damaged necklace or something. Simply offer to buy it from them at a favourable rate. After thatâ??s netted you a small amount, move onto internet auction sites. There are literally dozens of sites where people will try to offload scrap gold â?? keep buying whenever you can afford to and eventually youâ??ll have yourself a nice stockpile.
Get Bullion
Ah, the classic. Bullion is the metaphorical gold standard of the literal one â?? a nice big heavy chunk of precious metal formed in the heart of a dying star, ready for you to squirrel away or whack an intruder round the head with, depending on circumstance. All you have to do is figure out if you want coins or bars, head to an accredited gold dealership with an armful of cash and get buying. The advantage and disadvantage of bars is that they lump all your investment together in one place; coins are easier to shift about, hide in canny places or trade one at a time for post-apocalyptic favours. If you can afford to, jump on a flight to Hong Kong, where gold goes cheap as a precious metal can be expected to. Failing that, a quick trip to your local gold dealers should suffice. Just be sure to check the price beforehand.
Go Paper
Your average investor might be tempted to go with a certificate â?? the Perth Mint, for example, sells tradable certificates backed by the Australian government. But ask yourself how likely it is a roaming biker gang will be bought off with a piece of paper from a no-longer existent government? Maybe stick to bars instead.
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Contributed by Joe McBarnicle of Policy Expert; an investing specialist currently residing in an underground bunker.
In the days when I worked at a major theme park one of my jobs was to drive the lovely train which gave guests a scenic ride around a section of the park.
This was one of the more peaceful aspects of my work and gave me the opportunity to talk to the guests and other staff and to generally have an enjoyable an uneventful day (apart from the occasion when my colleague locked me in a spider invested cupboard in the station and left me there for several minutes). The train rarely broke down and the atmosphere was great with the children loving the colourful locomotive. Some days, however, did not go according to plan.
Wildlife
The train took its journey past a lovely lake, some thrill rides and through a wooded area. Inevitably there was some local wildlife which I would regularly encounter along the way. One of animals I would see was a rabbit who appeared to live next to the upright of a roller coaster that I passed en route. I christened him Roger and would point him out to the children via my PA system as we passed him. There were also several squirrels which I would see gathering food and jumping around the trees. It never occurred to me that these creatures might present a problem until one actually did.
Hill Start
It had been raining and so the tracks were wet and I had stopped on a slight incline. The wheels of the train were spinning and I had no traction to pull me up the hill. In short, I was stuck! I then had the embarrassing task of radioing the control centre to tell them that I had a ride shut down due to an emergency stop to avoid a squirrel! I had a train full of stranded passengers and several upset children. To make matters worse the rear of the train was still on the level crossing and so the gates could not rise and so guests were prevented from accessing the section of the park on the other side of the crossing. I then discovered that there were no staff available to run to my assistance as they were all attending a breakdown at the log flume!
Mighty Oak
Close to where Roger Rabbit lived there was sizeable oak tree. As I was redecorating my house at the time I often imagined what beautiful oak furniture could be made from that timber but I never though the tree would be a contributory factor in a ride shut down. What I had not considered was that the tree was dropping acorns all over the track and that the squirrels were busy collecting them. One day I came around a corner to find a squirrel sitting on one of the rails. He was so wrapped up in gathering acorns that he clearly had not noticed that a rather large diesel locomotive was bearing down on him. For the comfort of the guests I should have kept rolling and risked hitting the squirrel but I instinctively took my foot off the dead manâ??s pedal and stopped the train. The stupid squirrel then ran off and so all should have been well but when I attempted to restart the train I realised I had a bit of a problem.
Remedy
My only recourse was to run all of the way back to the station to get a bucket of sand, return to the train to put sand on the track in the hope that I could gain some traction. My only alternative would have been to disengage the break, let the train roll backwards and then try to restart from lower down the track but this would have been potentially hazardous and I wanted to avoid that scenario. Thankfully my plan worked and I got my passengers back to the station safely, if a little late!
One Off
Who would have thought that a few acorns and a squirrel which was clearly deaf could have caused such a hassle? I resolved that next time the squirrel would be toast but thankfully it never happened again!
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Sally Stacey writes on her experiences at a major theme park, where amongst other things she used to operate Europe’s highest and fastest accelerating roller coaster and a diesel locomotive…
Solar power has already been connected with the use of mobile phones with the development of solar chargers, although these have yet to catch on in a big way.
However, the news that Apple has been given a patent for a touchscreen panel that is solar-powered might cause a bit more excitement.  This is something that is in development at the moment so may take a while to reach the consumer but it is fair to expect that it will feature on a number of Apple devices including the iPhone and on other future phones, too.
Patent Details
The patent states that the company has been working on a solar powered screen which has touchscreen features so that it can be charged just by being left in sunlight.  The aim is to help to conserve the surface area of the device as well as provide the user with a greener way of charging their phone during the day.
This is a move that is sure to find favour with those who are interested in green issues and will also delight those that were worried about Apple losing its innovative touch.  The screen is also to be designed to respond to a variety of touches, so you can use a stylus and other objects instead of touching the screen all the time with your fingertips, which can leave it marked very quickly.
Apple Rumours
There have been rumours for a while that the company is planning to launch a smartphone with a 5 inch screen with the aim of taking on the Samsung Galaxy Note.  This has been a big success which has threatened that of the iPhone range.  The whole Samsung range has been very popular in recent years and there are many users who will now choose one of their handsets over an iPhone.
At the present moment in time nobody is sure how far along in the development stages this is and we should take into account that there are many patents granted for products which do not go into mass production.  However, this would be a real vote-winner with the public.  Each iPhone has proved to be popular and in order to remain so it is a good idea to ensure that each one can offer something a little different.
Solar power has many benefits to the user, particularly for a device such as the iPhone.  As a smartphone packed with apps it should be noted that the battery life on the handset will drain fairly quickly, particularly if you are a heavy user.
The Future, Today
Solar power can help to prevent the battery life draining too much during the day, giving you more (or unlimited) time to use the features on the handset.  And of course, if Apple does introduce this technology, it can only be a matter of time before the other manufacturers follow.
Samsung has been predicted to take the lionâ??s share of the mobile phone market in 2013 but with technology like this snapping at its heels it will also need to become a little more innovative.
Phil Turner thinks that all future phones will include solar power; it just seems the logical next step, especially with current short battery lives.
Image courtesy of xedos4 / freedigitalphotos.net
As an investor, you need to have the right skills in order to let your business make your business survive.
With the use of your iPhone, you can certainly do more things in one time by using the exact application to make your job easier. Below are five important applications that allow you to be more intelligent investor.
1. Bloomberg
As investor, you need to be aware of the latest news and development in the foreign exchange market. The Bloomberg application can certainly provide you with the latest news and information of Forex and Stocks exchange happening around the world. By being the first to know, you can definitely make good decisions about your investments as you begin the day. This app is available at any given time of the day. It would be a great advantage to use Bloomberg at the beginning of the day.
2. Stock Alerts
By using the stock alter app from your iPhone, you can get first-hand information on the movement of stocks from the start of the day until the dayâ??s end. Information about stocks is important. Since you will be prompted by your stock alerts app instantly, you can keep track of your stock investments and likewise be able to invest wisely. The stock alerts are a simpler interface as compared to the stock monitoring portfolio.
3. FS Viewer
The FS viewer is a great iPhone app which allows you to have a list of the top companies who are making good money in the stock market. You can also be informed of the best companies to invest in as the app will give information about these companies from present to six years back. By knowing this, you can easily determine which company is best to invest in. The FS Viewer also provides financial statements on companies you are interested in. Making decisions can be easier.
4. Financial Calculator
Any smartphone, by default, is created with a built-in calculator. As for investors, there is the so-called financial calculator app which is used for more complex types of financial calculations. The financial calculator is a helpful tool in providing needed information such as interest computations, amortizations, net present value, cash flow analysis, and bond valuations. By using this app, you are properly guided in computing your invested money. You can also use this app to determine the strength of a company in terms of financial stability. In here, you just have to input the companyâ??s data you can easily be given estimates about the companyâ??s value.
5. Yahoo Finance
If your investments are focused on the US Market, the Yahoo Finance is a great venue for you to keep track of the marketâ??s movement in the US. In here, you can also grab the latest news in the stock market as well as analyst ratings and company financial statements.
Being an intelligent is just a matter of acquiring and using precise data and information which you can acquire from specific iPhone apps. For as long as you have these tools kept in your pocket, your investments are tracked well.
Sean Harris is financial and technology writer who lives in Miami Florida. You can see more of his posts at irs-easy.com
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net
Being a stunt man is a fearless job. Whether it’s done by professional who do it every day, or brave actors who decide to take on the roll, like Tom Cruise does with many of his driving stunts, it’s important the job is done by a professional to ensure they are done as safely as possible.
However, no matter how much training stunt men receive and no matter how safely the stunts are set up, sometimes things do go wrong. We take a look at some of the most disastrous stunts in recent history.
Golf kart crash
The fearless crew of daredevils and pranksters on MTVâ??s Jackass are used to their fair share of bumps and bruises but a misjudged stunt in a golf kart left Johnny Knoxville and cohort Ryan Dunn suffering with a heavy dose of concussion.
Knoxvilleâ??s skull was almost crushed when the kart flipped at high speed but nevertheless the accident was still included in the gangâ??s second movie. Tragically, Dunn died in a car crash in 2011.
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Paralysed on set
An extra on the set of Transformers 3 was left permanently brain damaged, paralysed on her left side and unable to talk when she was struck in the skull by a metal cable that had flown from a stunt car.
24-year-old Gabriela Cedilloâ??s family sued Paramount Pictures for negligence following the accident in 2010 and settled for £12m in damages from the studio two years later.
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Wrestling tragedy
Owen Hart, the brother of 90â??s WWE wrestling hero Bret â??The Hitmanâ? Hart, died during a live televised event in 1999 when an elaborate entrance went fatally awry.
In character as the Blue Blazer, Hart was being lowered into the ring when the cable he was attached to snapped and caused him to fall to the ring from upwards of 70 feet.
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Top Gear dragster wreck
The British nation held its breath in 2006 when affable Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond fought for his life following a 288 mph car crash.
Hammond was filming for a segment on the show when the front right tyre of the jet-powered dragster he was driving burst, flipping the vehicle and launching him face first to the ground. Miraculously he survived with only minor brain damage.
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Movie death
Brandon Lee, son of legendary martial arts icon Bruce, was killed on the set of 1994 movie The Crow when he was shot in the stomach by a prop gun that had been accidentally loaded with a live bullet.
Some believe the film was cursed due to a series of on-set mishaps that included a carpenter suffering near fatal electrical burns and a stuntman falling through a roof.
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Epic fails
Evil Knievel was the worldâ??s most popular stuntman but his fame owed more to his failures than successes. He finished his career with 433 broken bones and with them a place in the record books.
A botched attempt to jump the Caesarâ??s Palace fountain in Vegas left him in a coma for a month, while in 1974 he almost died when his parachute opened prematurely as he tried to hurdle a canyon.
Adam Davies writes on behalf of life insurance comparison in the UK website Confused.com.
Image courtesy of Toa55 / freedigitalphotos.net
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