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6 ESSENTIAL APPS FOR ANY TRAVELER

Traveling to another country can be difficult – language barriers, getting lost, etc. can turn a fun vacation into an unimaginable nightmare. Luckily, modern technology makes travelling easier than ever before. Here are the 6 essential apps for any traveler. 1. Overcoming the Language Barrier When travelling to a different country, one may find that the locals don’t speak your language, and signs aren’t always in English. In comes the new Google Translate app, with its incredible live translation of signs and speech. The application is very fast and simple to use, and can make your life a whole lot easier in a foreign country. Free – Android & iOS

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2. Getting Situated Another problem travelers might encounter is not knowing their surroundings. It’s easy to get lost in a place you don’t know, and if you could have sworn that your hotel “was here somewhere”, it’s time to let your phone do the work for you. Google Maps is Google’s navigation app. It can help you by providing walking directions, driving directions, and even public transportation directions. Free – Android & iOS

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3. Driving Around If you’re renting a car, you’ll need the best driving navigation app available today – Waze. Also owned by Google, Waze is the most efficient navigation app available today. The app uses information from other users to find you the fastest routes, bypass traffic, warn you about police and traffic cams, road hazards, and more. Free – Android & iOS

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4. What is it in Dollars? Want to find out how much a new souvenir will cost you? What about how much this dinner is in your home currency? XE Currency is the best currency conversion application around. Just input the value, select the currency, and you’re good to go. Free – Android & iOS

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5. Where to Eat If you’re not one for tourist traps and prefer to eat authentic local cuisine or want to try a local dish a certain town is known for, then you’ll want to download Foodspotting. This app will provide you with local recommendations for almost anywhere in the world, provide you with a list of nearby restaurants, and can learn to predict your next craving for a specific dish. Free – Android & iOS

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6. Tipping Tipping too little can be embarrassing, and tipping too much is also an unpleasant experience. Once more, your smartphone can help you here. What you need is a tip translator, meaning it can tell you what the local tipping customs is and calculate the amount you need to leave based on your check and percentage. Free - Tipping Bird for Android | $0.99 GlobalTipping for iOS

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Guide to Using Your Computer's 'F' Keys

Have you ever wondered what those twelve, mysterious 'F' keys at the top of your computer keyboard do?  Most of us ignore them but they actually have a number of uses that can help you enjoy a quicker and more efficient computer experience. Known more properly as the 'Function Keys', some are more useful that others and many of them have different functions depending on the programmes you are using. Our simple guide gives you are all the information you need about the uses of the 'F' keys so that they are a mystery no more!

Nearly every programme uses F1 as a Help Key. So if you are on the internet for example and press F1, your browser will automatically bring up a help page. If you are in Microsoft Word and press F1 you will be taken to the extensive help section.

On your Windows Desktop, pressing F2 allows you to quickly rename a file or folder. So if you want to give a more specific name to your 'Photos' folder for example, click on it once using your mouse (not twice as that will open the folder), then press F2.  The name of the folder will be highlighted so you can type over it. If you are in Microsoft Word, press F2 along with the 'ALT' and 'CTRL' keys on your keyboard to open a new document quickly and easily. Also in Microsoft Word, CTRL + F2 opens the 'Print Preview Screen' to give fast access to your printer options.

F3 opens a 'search' feature in nearly all programmes including Windows, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.  This search feature helps you find a key word in a text easily so you can move straight to the section of a document or web page that you need to see. In Microsoft Word, press SHIFT + F3 to change the first letter of a word to Upper Case.  Press it again to make the entire word UPPER CASE.  Press it a third time to return the word to its original lower case.

If you are using Internet Explorer, pressing F4 will open the address bar so that you can quickly type in a new web address. If you are in Microsoft Word, press F4 to repeat your last action. Press ALT + F4 together to close the programme you are using, such as your internet browser, Microsoft Word or your Photos Folder.

If you are browsing the internet, press F5 to refresh or reload the page you are looking at. If you are using Microsoft Word, this opens the useful 'Find and Replace' function. This allows you to automatically replace one word with another throughout a text without having to go through each one-by-one.

F6 will move your cursor to the address bar in nearly all Internet Browsers including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.  This allows to type in a new web address and move to another web page efficiently and quickly. In Microsoft Word, press CTRL + SHIFT + F6 together to open a new document while keeping the document you are currently working on in a separate window. On your laptop, pressing F6 can reduce your volume (this works on many laptops, but not all laptops).

This key is not used by most internet browsers, but in Microsoft Word and other programmes it will bring up your Spell Checker and Grammar Checker. Press SHIFT + F7 in Microsoft Word to run a thesaurus on a word you have highlighted so you can check for a word which has a similar meaning. On your laptop, pressing F7 can increase your volume (this works on many laptops, but not all laptops).

This key's main use is to access Safe Mode when your computer is starting up.  Safe Mode is used when you have a problem with you PC, allowing you to open it with limited programmes.  We recommend you seek help with using safe mode unless you are experienced with fixing computer problems.

Pressing F9 has no function in internet browsers but it will refresh your document in Microsoft Word. If you use Microsoft Outlook as your email inbox, pressing F9 will immediately trigger an email you have sent, without the usual time delay. On your laptop, pressing F9 can reduce your screen's brightness (this works on many laptops, but not all laptops).

Press F10 to activate the menu bar in your internet browser or programmes like Microsoft Word.  In newer versions of Microsoft Word, this also brings up a display of some handy shortcuts to menu options such as 'File' and 'Edit'. Press SHIFT + F10 as an alternative to right clicking your mouse on a file or internet link.  On your internet browser, this brings up a series of easily clickable options, such as 'reload' and 'go back to previous web page'. On your laptop, pressing F10 can increase your screen's brightness (this works on many laptops, but not all laptops).

Press F11 to enter and exit full screen mode on your Internet Browser. Really useful if you are watching a video!

Press F12 to open the 'Save As' option when using Microsoft Word. Press CTRL and F12 together to open a new document when using Microsoft Word. Press SHIFT and F12 together to automatically save a document in Microsoft Word. Press CTRL + SHIFT + F12 together to immediately print a document in Microsoft Word.

Whats Happened this week in the housing market

In testimony to Congress, Fed Chair Janet Yellen signaled that the Fed would likely raise policy rates later this year. The first hike is expected in September. Retail sales slipped slightly in June, raising some concerns that the economy could be slowing down. Slow economic growth is good for mortgage rates. Greece has finally agreed to terms for financial bailout in Europe. The recent turmoil supporting rates will likely no longer be a factor. The NAHB reports builder confidence at the highest level since 2005. More builders are optimistic about current and future sales conditions for new homes. Foreclosure activity was at the lowest level in a decade during the first half of 2015. Foreclosure starts are below pre-crisis levels, signaling housing market strength. First-time buyers are gaining confidence and continue to join the housing market. Their participation has increased from 27% to 32% of the market year-over-year. A young businessman had just started his own firm. He rented a beautiful office and had it furnished with antiques. Sitting there, he saw a man come into the outer office. Hoping to look like a hot shot, the businessman picked up the phone and started to pretend he was working on a big, important business deal. He threw huge figures around and made giant commitments. Finally, he hung up and asked the visitor, "Can I help you?" The man said, "Yeah, I've come to activate your phone lines." Shared with me By Shannon Martinez  Mortgage Banker NMLS 267394 (626) 255-7605 smartinez@envoymortgage.com ShannonMartinezLender.com Envoy Mortgage, NMLS #6666

The Healthiest People in the World & How They Got That Way

The Secret to Achieving Old Age

We all want to enjoy as many healthy years as possible. But the secret to a long life is not a simple one, rather, it is made up of many little secrets, that include: Eating habits, daily routines, good genetics, avoidance of certain materials as well as good sleep and good mental health.  So what ARE these secrets, specifially? Why do some countries have a higher average age than others, while some individuals live significantly longer than 100 years? and what can people do to prolong the life span they have been given at birth, and so spend more time with their family and loved ones? We don't have all of the answers, but we do have some valuable information and recommendations for you!

Video Marketing Tips

Real Estate Video Marketing – As you may have heard in one of our most recent posts, this is one of the most overlooked niches still today, as only 4% of agents are actually taking advantage of this tactic  and 74% of sellers want an agent that uses video to market listing (according to Realtor.com).

Video can draw a multitude of visitors, can be reproduced multiple times without duplicate content issues, gets ranked very well in Google and can totally go viral with social sharing. If you are not currently using this, then you must integrate this into your real estate marketing plan  today!

Video Share Sites


1. YouTube YouTube isn't just an American favorite; it’s popular throughout the world. For More on YouTube Reviews.


2. Break The majority of the videos on Break are humorous, whether they are bloopers and

blunders caught on video or scripted clips created by users. More on Break


3. Vimeo Vimeo is quickly becoming both a popular video share website and a social

networking site. More on Vimeo


4. LiveStream This site is basically an all in one broadcast solution for video. You can create,

edit, and add things similar to broadcast companies could add.


5. Operator11 Go live with your camera and create your own channels. You can also send

video comments and remix your videos.


Recording Your Video Tips

~ Your Smart Phone or standard digital camera to take short video segments of each room or feature of the property. Keep the video segments to 10-15 seconds, just enough to describe what the viewer is watching. The goal is to create a video that is about 2-3 minutes long.

~ Have someone hold the camera or take along a tripod to do it yourself.

~ Feature yourself in the opening scene to introduce the property, and at the end to thank viewers for taking the video tour.

~ Consider creating permanent opening and closing video segments that you can

use with every video. In this way, you can have a polished, consistent opening

scene and closing scene. Then when you take the video segments at each

location, you need only take the segments for that property.

~ Inside the property, make sure to turn on all the lights, ceiling fans, fireplaces,

etc. so that you can capture these features in motion. As you’re shooting your

individual video segments, be sure to pan slowly so that you don’t create a blurry

video.

~ When taking each video segment, don’t start speaking until 1-2 seconds after

hitting record, and leave 1-2 seconds after speaking before stopping the

recording. ( you don’t want to cut your voice off!)





Have fun and remember to smile for the camera!