Author Archives: alanhs961

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Here’s Why You’ll Never Be Bored In Retirement

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When many people are approaching retirement, they start to worry that they might have too much free time on their hands. After all, they will be so used to working full-time that not having to go to work anymore could be a huge change for them. They might not quite know what to do with their free days, especially if they don’t already have any big hobbies.

Don’t worry, though, there’s no reason to worry about being bored during retirement. Here are a few great activities and pastimes that you will be able to fill your time with!

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Gardening

Lots of people get into gardening once they retire. They now have plenty of time to dedicate to their outdoor space so try their best to create beautiful floral displays. Being into gardening will provide you with plenty of outdoor time so you’ll enjoy a lot of fresh air. Lots of people also find that gardening is good for their mental health too as it gives them the chance to be reflective and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Sports

Of course, another great way to spend your time in retirement is to enjoy some sports. Golf is very popular with the older generation as it is very gentle and there is no chance of overexertion. Even though it has a reputation for being quite expensive, you’ll be able to use sites like rockbottomgolf.com to find some reasonably priced gear. If you want to take up a couple of other gentle sports, you might want to try bowls or bridge.

Volunteering

If you do find that you miss a professional environment, you could always give up some of your time to do some volunteering. There are lots of different tasks and responsibilities that charities need help with, so you might even be able to volunteer in their HQ in a role that is similar to your previous job. If you take a look at laterlife.com, you can see some ideas of the volunteering you could do. One of the best things about volunteering is that you will be able to dedicate as much or as little time as you like.

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Travel

Now that you don’t have to go into work every day, why not enjoy some traveling?! There are so many great locations and destinations around the world that you can explore. If you don’t fancy going too far away, you could simply enjoy some staycations not too far from your own home.

Hobby Clubs

I’m sure that there will be a lot of different hobby clubs aimed at retirees in your local area. You might want to join one or two of these so that you can take up new hobbies and make a few more friends. You’ll find that joining these clubs can help you not feel too lonely in your retirement.

If you try to do all the activities mentioned above, I’m sure you’ll really enjoy your retirement. And you certainly won’t ever be bored, that’s for sure!

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Accounting Tips For Businesses

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Are you considering accounting software integration? This is something many businesses already have in place, and they have experienced a lot of success since doing so.

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Accounting software has grown considerably over the years. There are so many different types of accounting software too, from general solutions to specific ones, like the software best payroll service providers use. In fact, with the implementation of new accounting rules, accounting often becomes more complicated. One of these new rules is ASC 842. Accounting software that has been updated may be the way to get help with ASC 842. So, why should you think about integrating accounting software at your business? Read on to discover more about the three main benefits you can expect to experience by doing so.

  1. Operate your business more efficiently – There is only one place to begin, and this is with the fact that your business will become much more efficient once you have accounting software in place. This is because data entry is carried out at a rapid pace when compared with manual data entry. Even if you intend on using the data for multiple purposes, you only need to input it once. You will also increase efficiency because you will be able to access and retrieve data in real-time. This gives you a clear and accurate picture of your business’ current situation.
  2. Simplify accounting – Accounting seems to become more complicated with every month that passes by. The vast majority of businesses hold an astronomical amount of data nowadays. It is difficult to keep on top of everything. This is something you don’t need to worry about with accounting software, as your accounting processes will become a lot more straightforward. You can also rule out human error. It is not uncommon for information to be misplaced or figures to be jotted down incorrectly. You can stop this from occurring, which is vital, as small human errors can have a catastrophic effect. You can also produce reports, from income statements to balance sheets, with ease.
  3. Reduce costs – When you consider the speed and efficiency that is associated with accounting software systems, you see how you can save a considerable amount of money. accounting software is much more cost efficient than using paper-based accounting, or other accounting systems for that matter. Not only can you eliminate the need to hire someone to take care of your accounts, but also you will receive important real-time financial information, which will give you better clarity over your business. You can use this to plan better and ensure that unforeseen costs are dealt with properly and your business is run cost efficiently. You can easily see who owes you money, so you can chase them, and you can run profit and loss reports for better clarity regarding your financial position at present. Moreover, as accounting software involves paying a small monthly subscription, it won’t cost much and you can easily plan for this expense.

All things considered, when you carefully evaluate the three points mentioned above, it is not tough to see why accounting software accounting systems are the preferred choice of so many businesses today.

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How To Make Your Bedroom More Zen

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Let’s be honest, your bedroom is where you spend most of your time. Although you probably spend much more of your (awake) time in the kitchen and living room, the average person sleeps for around 25 years of their lives. That’s a lot of time to be in your bedroom, and in bed, you know? Because of this, there is nothing more important than making your room that little bit more zen, so that you can feel as relaxed as possible here. And who doesn’t want that? Here’s how you can do it.

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Using lighting techniques

One of the best ways to make your bedroom a little bit more comfortable is by using some great lighting, so that you feel more relaxed when the day comes to a close. Perhaps you want to invest in some fairy lights, or some lamps that really create a sense of ambiance in your space? Or maybe you want to change your actual lighting? Adding Neon or other types of lighting can be a great idea. If you decide to do this, then leave the bulkhead power connector problems to the professionals, and get somebody in to do the job for you. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge, then getting some cheap fairy lights could make a lot of difference to your bedroom.

Purchase throws and pillows

Let’s be honest here. If you cover your bed with throws and pillows, you know that you’re going to be coming home to a comfortable haven, and that you’re just going to want to throw yourself onto your bed as soon as it starts to get dark outside. And only having a duvet is like, so last year, anyway. If you want to be sure that you’ve got the most zen space imaginable, then keep comfort in mind. Fluffy throws are always a good idea, and you can put them away in favor of lighter bedding when the summer comes around. You can get these things from most stores or markets, and also from online sites, too.

Keep it clean

OK, so this seems like a bit of a no-brainer, but many of us are still letting our bedrooms get pretty messy, and climbing over all of the junk every day to get into bed. And if we want to find anything, then that’s a whole ‘nother issue. One of the most important things, however, is to make sure that you don’t let your bedroom get filled up with too much junk. Sell old stuff on eBay, and don’t be afraid to get rid of things that are no longer serving a purpose for you. As they say, a cluttered room is a cluttered mind, and you won’t be able to relax if you haven’t created a space that fulfils this purpose. Goodbye, clutter!

So, if you want to make your bedroom more zen, then make sure that you consider these simple things. From lighting techniques and keeping the place clean, to purchasing some pillows and throws, there are plenty of ways to make your bedroom the relaxing haven that it should be!

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Here’s What To Think About When Choosing A Family Home

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When you’ve flown the nest, and you’re away from the clutches of your mother and father, you’re ready to head out into the world and experience what it’s all about – you have the freedom to do as you please. When it comes to finding a place to stay, you’ll choose just about anywhere (as long as it’s not disgusting). The little details don’t really matter as long as they’re convenient for you. The same kinda applies for when you’ve found someone you love, and you’re ready to share a home with them – you’d like the perfect place, but a comfy little one will do at that stage.

But now you’re a small family – or an expecting family, and you have to find a place to suit this situation. It’s probably all new to you, and you’ve zero ideas about what to think about. Well, if that is the case, then let’s have a little think about some important aspects of choosing a home for a young family.  

How Are You Going To Find It?

There are a few ways that you can look for homes. The internet provides tonnes of websites that you can navigate through to find something you might like the look of. You can also speak to an estate agent in their place of work to discuss details. Local newspapers also advertise homes that are for sale.

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Can You Get To Work?

It is important to know if a potential new home allows you to get to work conveniently or whether it impedes your commute. Earning money to pay for everything is obviously essential, and you’ll be relied upon to provide for the family. It’s a good idea to look at the distance the potential place is relative to your workplace, and if it’s a bit too far, then you might have to rule it out. If you’re able to find a place with a doable commute, then it would be wise to learn the directions of the routes.   

What About Schooling?

Much like your daily job, any kids you have or kids that are on the way will need to get to school. Their education is important so you’ll want to make sure a good one is nearby.

Is There Enough Space?

When looking for the right place, you’ll obviously want there to be enough room for everything you have with you. If you find a home that suits you all down to the ground but feel it still needs some work, you can get professionals like Mark Saunders Builder to build extensions or conversions which would make things more convenient. These changes or additions could add more value and increase the home’s curb appeal, also.

Is It Friendly?

The last thing you’d want is to move into a new house and immediately regret your decision. Another external factor that should enter your mind is how safe or friendly this new area is. You’ll want there to be a lovely community of people, so it would be wise to do a little reconnaissance beforehand. You can check the area online for any problems or you can go and visit, and ask residents about the neighborhood.   

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Personalizing Your Car

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If you have a branded vehicle then why not take the style and practicality of it to the next level with proper branded gear? A lot of people take great pride in their car, and why would you? After all, it is likely that you drive to and from work in your vehicle every single day. And then there are the times you pop to the supermarket, drive to your friend’s house, and so on and so forth. Therefore, when spending so much time in your car you want to make sure that it looks fantastic and feels great to be in too. By buying branded accessories and other products, you can create the ultimate customised vehicle.

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In fact, not only can you customize your car but you can customize yourself too with the array of clothing and fashionable branded accessories available. One of the most popular buys seems to the branded cufflinks. These are extremely sleek, stylish and sophisticated. In addition to this, there are more casual and relaxed products in the form of hooded jumpers and t-shirts. How cool would it look if you were to match your vehicle?

But back to your vehicle, one of the best ways to customize your branded car is through the purchase of new seat covers, like Grok Auto seat covers. Because your seats make up the majority of the interior of your car they have a dominating impact. They can dictate the entire style, vibe, and feel of your vehicle. Not only this, but if you choose wisely then they can make your branded car a lot more comfortable too. If you want to go for a luxurious and lavish edge then almond seat covers look beautiful. Alternatively, you can also go for a contemporary and classy edge with black covers. And don’t forget; not only do the covers look fantastic and feel comfortable, but they protect your actual seats as well.

You don’t have to go for something as elaborate as seat covers, something as small as a branded pen is a fantastic way of customizing your vehicle and it won’t cost much at all. After all, a pen is something you are likely to use on a frequent basis, and so it is always a good idea to have one handy in your glove box. A sophisticated black and silver branded pen is going to look a lot more impressive and classy than having a plain boring ballpoint pen, isn’t it?

All you need to do is take a look online and you will see that the possibilities are vast depending on the brand of your car. Aside from the options already mentioned other branded gear includes; bears and toys, luggage, camping gear, tires, phones, hats, mugs, flasks, and much more. You name it; there is a branded accessory for it!

Take your car to the next level and customize it to suit your personality by buying several branded accessories and products. The array of products available is astounding and there is no better way to make your vehicle look and feel fantastic!

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7 Key Steps To Making A Career Change

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When it comes to your career, you may not find yourself on the right track to begin with. And that’s natural. Because when you leave school, you may feel as if you’re on the right track. You may think you know what you want. But, it’s not always easy for you to think about what kind of work or job or career will suit you for the rest of your life. But then as you get older and you start to find yourself unfulfilled with work. And we all spend a lot of time working, so it’s important for you to make sure that you find a job that’s fulfilling and that you love. Yet when you’ve started out on a certain path, you may feel as if you cannot make a change. But you can.

However, when it comes to making that change, you need to think about what you want to do and how you’re going to make the leap. Anything is possible, but it does take a lot of work. But if you know that you really want to make a better career for yourself or do something that you love, then you will want to commit to this. And the good thing is, it can be easy when you get started and enjoyable! This is how you’re going to do it.

  1. Decide What You Don’t Like

To start with, something that you may feel helps you here, is to decide what is making you unhappy or what you do not like about in your current career. Sometimes, it’s easier to start out by pinpointing what you don’t like and why you’re not happy, so that you can then start to work out what you do.

  1. Understand What You Do

And then, when you’ve worked out what you don’t like, it’s so important for you to then pinpoint what you like and what you want to do career wise. First of all, you’ll want to think about whether or not you have any passions to pursue. Sometimes it’s easier for people to know  what they are passionate about, but if you don’t it’s time to start digging out to work out what you love and what you might like to do.

  1. Do Your Research

Then, you need to start to do your research. Get online and take a look at some of the career options that are available to you. Think about what kind of roles there are and what you might like to do. Also have a look at what skills and experience you may need to move into that particular career, because that’s what you need to work on next.

  1. Top Up What You Know

But then also, at this stage you may realize that you need really look to top up your knowledge, skills, or qualifications. Maybe you need to look at doing some studies in the evening to do this? And if so, you might want to look out for well known brand schools or educational establishments to study with? It’s important for you to learn what you need to and get the right qualifications, so make sure that this is a priority.

  1. Get Some Experience

And then, you may need to get some more experience under your belt. Do you need to get an internship or do some work for free? Think about how you can start to make waves in the industry and build up your CV so that you’re ready to make a move.

  1. Network

You may then find that the next thing you need to do here, is to start networking. Because when you’re moving into a new industry, it’s so important for you to think about meeting people and looking for new opportunities. And it might be something that you’re weary of or worried about, but when you start networking, you’ll soon find your feet and get comfortable. And this could be the step that gets you going places.

  1. Make The First Step

And then, you’re going to want to think about making the very first step towards your new career. This can look different to different people. But essentially, you want to make sure that you are getting the ball rolling. For some, that may be sending out applications and going to interviews. Or it may be to build a portfolio and start building up a bit of business for yourself. But you have to get started and make it your dream career a reality.

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What Are The Benefits of a Home Based Career?

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Working from home, it’s the dream for many. You get to stay in your cosy surroundings with your pet, constant access to the kettle and don’t need to deal with annoying colleagues or a boss breathing down your neck – bliss. But there are many more reasons to consider working from home than just these, here are a few to think about if you’re debating a home based job.

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Saves you time

Working eight hours a day is pretty standard, and if someone asks us how many hours a week we work, most of us would answer ‘forty’ without a second thought. However, along with those forty hours a week, think of the amount of time you spend commuting, and getting ready for your job? How much time do you spend sorting out your work bag, ironing your uniform and packing your lunch? It’s time that really adds up and if you sit and tot it up, you might be surprised that you give far more to work than what you realise. Working from home saves you time in a big way. There are no special clothes you need to wear and you don’t have to present yourself in a certain way. For men, this might mean saving time shaving every morning, or for women, applying makeup. There’s no need to pack up a lunch ahead of time, you can simply grab something quick and easy from your kitchen with no fuss. Importantly, there’s no commute. You don’t have to spend time physically getting to and from work which means you have more time in your day to get other things done. When you work from home, unlike getting paid an hourly wage you’ll usually be paid instead for the work that you do. This means that if you focus and get everything done you can have it done in a shorter time and frees up the rest of your day for other things. In most standard employee environments, you might find yourself clock watching where you’ve finished your tasks for the day but can’t get up and leave until the time ticks past 5pm.

Saves you money

Just cutting out a commute can save you money, if you’re driving to work each day, getting the bus or hopping on the train, this can really add up. You can save money on lunches, coffee and all of the other things that add up when you’re out of the house for the day. None of us want to spend money just to go to work and earn money, but unfortunately it can be the case. There are some costs you’ll need to consider, for example in most cases you’ll need to buy a computer and whatever software or equipment you need to earn your money. But this is yours to keep then.

Gives you flexibility

One of the best things about working from home is the flexibility it can bring. Whether you’re contracted to a company, working as a freelancer or running your own business, you’re generally in charge of how your day looks – providing the work gets done. If you run your own business, you can even get yourself into a position where it runs without you but still turns a profit, you can do this by outsourcing the various elements to third-party companies. There are risks to avoid in doing this, but it’s generally a great way to run a business without the expense or effort of setting everything up yourself. Flexibility it good as it enables you to work your job around your life, rather than the other way around. It means you can earn money around other commitments (such as parenting) and enables you to work to your own ‘spikes’ of motivation/ creativity. If you naturally work better in the evening for example, then a standard 9-5 job isn’t going to allow you to make the most of that.

Makes you happier

For all of the above reasons, working from home will make you happier – research proves it. If it’s something you’re able to do, and are fed up of your set working hours at the office then speak to your employer – many are now getting onboard with the benefits. Otherwise, consider setting up your own business, going freelance or finding a company that employs remote workers.

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What’s Stopping Robots From Taking Over The World? (Hint: Not Much)

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It’s been a dream of humanity to develop a legion of mechanical slaves to do their bidding for generations. And to a large extent, that’s what we’ve done. The reason only about 2 percent of people work on farms is that machines do the work of the other 98 percent, burning vast amounts of energy in the process.

But when we talk about robots, we have something different in mind to combine harvesters. We’re talking about things that look and move like use: general purpose devices that will do our bidding, whatever that happens to be. A combine harvester might be great at scooping up corn, but it’s probably not all that great at making you a salad.

In this article, we’re going to look at some of the things that are stopping robots from being our personal assistants and when we can expect technological breakthroughs to make it possible.

Servos

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You can think of servos as the equivalent of robot muscles. They’re little motors in robot joints that translate rotational energy into linear movement. The problem is that, compared to biology, they’re poor. Although they have a lot of strength, they use a lot of energy and don’t have the finesse or ability to spin up and down quickly enough to provide robots with real-world balance.

Improvements in software and panel design, however, is changing the status quo. Servos will likely never be as good as muscle tissue, but as companies like Boston Dynamics are making increasingly clear, they are improving. Servos have now advanced to the point where they can provide stabilization for bi-pedal robots, something that looked hopeless just a few years ago.

Brains

Wikipedia

Google has a room at an undisclosed facility where it is testing robot arms. All of the arms are lined up in a row, attempting to grab objects in boxes in front of them in slightly different ways. Most of the time they fail, but when they succeed, they update smart software which integrates how the arm did it into its software so that it knows what to do next time.

There are, naturally, a lot of failed attempts. But every so often, one of the arms succeeds in picking up one of the irregularly shaped objects and depositing it into a nearby container. When this happens, the instructions that led to that success are shared with all of the other robots, improving their picking ability.

Google will be the first to admit that the technology has a long way to go. But in under a decade, we’re like to see robots like this on production lines and in fulfillment centers picking things up and depositing them elsewhere, so human workers don’t have to.

Pliable Materials

The trick to life-like robots is to create artificial muscles that behave like their natural counterparts. Researchers have already built synthetic muscle in the lab which contracts when an electrical current is passed through it. Once this technology matures, it will help some robots more naturally mimic the movements of people – movements that we’ve evolved to inhabit planet Earth.

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The Essential Guide To Becoming An Ebay Entrepreneur

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If you are struggling to work out where your strengths lie in terms of going it alone and launching your own startup, why not consider the lucrative world of eBay entrepreneurship? The synonymous online auction site has been around since 1995 and was one of the very first real successes of the Silicon Valley dot-com bubble of ideas. Fast forward over two decades and eBay is the number one platform for all sorts of goods and products ranging from the second-hand to the brand new. While it was once seen as a nifty way of getting rid of your unwanted bits of junk, eBay is now viewed as the ultimate online platform to launch your very own retail empire. So, how can you make a success of your new foray into online shopping? Read on to find out.

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Descriptions And Photos

The most important aspect of your eBay business are the product descriptions you utilise. It doesn’t matter whether you are importing the latest piece of flexible tubing for gas engineers or whether you sell custom-made tee shirts, you need to make all of your descriptions uniform and consistent. Use subheadings and bullet points to make them easy to read. Point out any flaws and be honest about your product. A vintage item isn’t going to be a hundred percent perfect but it will be authentic so sell this aspect of it.

Another key aspect of your sales pages will be the items themselves. Take photographs from all angles and point out the flaws (if there are any). Make sure that you utilise your photograph allowance. If you are allowed twelve, don’t just put up three. Make sure they are in focus, the background is plain and you have a range of close up shots to show detail and wider angle compositions.

Customer Service

It’s important that you present a professional outfit if you are planning to make your eBay empire your full time profession. Consider using some packaging design software to brand the boxes you place your items in before they are shipped. This creates a more formal and professional image and your logo can be consistently applied across all merchandise and online platforms.

Implement a strategy of under promising and over delivering. If you know that you can deliver an item in two days, state on your delivery policy that you will get it there in three. Then, when a product arrives a day early, your customer will be pleasantly surprised and will be more inclined to leave positive feedback for your startup. On eBay, your reputation is vital, so make sure you limit any possibility of negative reviews.

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Link To Social Media

By utilising the power of social media, you can direct people to the relevant product pages of your eBay listings. Giving your eBay site greater visibility online helps you to maintain a strong online presence for your brand. By linking directly from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, you are easily broadening your potential customer base.

Ebay is a fantastic platform from which to launch a retail business. Follow this guide, and begin your e-commerce empire in the most successful way.

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How Does Google Know Where You Are?

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Over the last couple of years, the services which companies like Google offer for free have started to outpace their premium alternatives. With these businesses relying on advertising revenue, rather than sales, they have the scope to make far more money than traditional methods would allow, and this gives them the chance to improve their services. As a big part of this, Google has spent a long time developing systems which can tell you when roads, stores, and other areas are busy, all using real-time user data. How exactly does Google know where people are, though?

This all starts with the smartphone you carry around with you each day. Most people are aware that Google owns Android, and this means that all of the basic services which come with this operating system are provided by Google. With your phone on all the time, they have access a lot of information about your daily life, and they can use this to warn other users when there are too many people in one place. Of course, Google is also responsible for creating maps services for iOS devices. While the apps aren’t quite the same, they give Google access to similar data, and this gives them even more power.

It’s fair to assume that having GPS turned off on your phone would stop you from broadcasting your location to Google. In reality, though, the GPS antenna isn’t the only part of your phone which can figure out where it is. Along with this, using a range of cell signals from different towers, businesses are able to get a rough approximation of your location without it ever being broadcast. This sort of technology is great for loads of different situations, ranging from making your device use less battery to being able to find people who are lost but don’t have GPS turned on. Of course, though, this doesn’t stop people from finding it creepy.

There are very strict rules around the world which prevent businesses from collecting and sharing data which you consider to be private or secret. Of course, though, there are easy ways to get around this, with taking advantage of in-built privacy options being the most common approach which companies will take. In most countries, tech companies don’t have to explicitly ask for this sort of data, instead being allowed to give you the option not to send it to them. This makes it nice and easy to turn off your location sharing if you don’t like having it on, but leaves millions of people unaware that they are giving this information away.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling more confident about the uncanny ability companies like Google have to know where you are. Thankfully, this information will never cross a human’s eyes, and this means that people aren’t going to be able to find you without your permission. Of course, though, it’s still worth doing your own research and keeping an eye on this area, as a lot of businesses change their tactics all the time.

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