Will my Social Security benefit increase next year? - The Help Desk ...

Will Social Security get a raise in 2013? ? Gary B.

The Social Security Administration just announced a cost of living adjustment (COLA) of 1.7% for 2013. The increases will take effect on Dec. 1, 2012 and will appear in benefit payments starting Jan 1, 2013.

The COLA allows Social Security benefits (as well as federal and military pensions) to keep pace with inflation so the buying power of those payments holds steady. "It's a way of ensuring that retirees can maintain a reasonable standard of living," says Cristina Martin Firvida, AARP's director of financial security and consumer affairs. These adjustments are calculated every year based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), a monthly index that tracks the rise in cost of consumer goods and services in selected urban areas. It's often argued that the CPI-W does not fairly track cost-of-living increases specific to seniors, but that's the index that the government uses.

In 2010 and 2011, the Social Security Administration determined that there was no effective uptick in the CPI-W, and, accordingly, declined to implement a COLA. This year, by comparison, saw a COLA of 3.6%.

? Marc Mewshaw

Got a question for the Help Desk? Send it to?helpdesk@cnnmoney.com.

Source: http://helpdesk.blogs.money.cnn.com/2012/10/30/will-my-social-security-benefit-increase-next-year/

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How to recover data from a dead or erased hard drive

3 hrs.

Alan Henry , Lifehacker

Q. I?have a hard drive with valuable information on it, but I can't seem to access it???the drive is either damaged or erased. Is there any way I can see what's on the drive and get it off??

Don't worry, we're not going to ask where you got the drive, but there are plenty of ways to examine it and see if any of the data is recoverable. With a little time, the right tools, and some care, you may be able to get some data off of that drive.

Step one: Assemble your tools and examine the drive's condition
The first thing to do is make sure you have the tools required to connect this drive to another computer safely. Ideally, you'll have some kind of SATA/IDE to USB cable or USB drive enclosure or sled that you can mount the drive into and connect it to your computer easily. Sure, if you have a desktop and like getting your hands dirty you can try to install the drive as an internal one, but an external connection is faster and easier.

Next, take a look at the drive itself. Is it damaged in any way? Are the pins bent or broken? Make sure that the drive is in good enough condition to actually use before you try anything in the first place that may damage it even further. If the drive is too physically damaged to attempt recovery, you may need more drastic measures that we'll get to later. If everything looks good and you have the equipment required to connect the drive to your system, we can proceed.

Step two: Grab some data recovery software and connect the drive
Before you do much else, make sure your antivirus and antimalware tools are up to date. You don't know what you'll find on this drive, and you don't want it to start misbehaving once the drive is connected to an active system. Once you've done that, it's time to download and install some data recovery tools. Here are a few we love:

Recuva (Windows, Free): Personally, Recuva has been indispensible. Made by the same folks behind CCleaner, Recuva makes data recovery simple and easy. if you're only interested in browsing and restoring selected files off of the drive, Recuva is a great option. Alternatively, check out Undelete Plus for Windows.

FileSalvage (OS X, $80): File Salvage for Mac will set you back some serious coin, but it's one of the best tools to pull data off of a connected hard drive in OS X. It can recover virtually any type of file on multiple partition types, and prides itself on its ability to recover from damaged drives and corrupt media. If you want an alternative, try Data Rescue for Mac ($100).

TestDisk (Win/OS X/Linux, Free): If you're not afraid of the command line, TestDisk is an open source utility that can run against almost any platform or partition type. It does a great job of recovering data quickly, and won't do unnecessary writes against the drive you're trying to recover from.

Bootable Linux distros for drive recovery: If you're not interested in messing around with apps (or paying for them), consider burning a bootable CD or USB key with BackTrack, Bart PE, or SpinRite on it, so you can boot to an OS that's not your primary drive, avoid writing or touching the drive you want to recover from, and run a host of recovery and forensics tools against that drive that are highly effective and completely free.?

A number of these tools can recover from formatted drives, especially if the data hasn't been overwritten. We've tackled this topic before, and used Knoppix as our bootable linux distro, but the steps apply to the ones we've mentioned as well. For more reading, check out this old but still largely accurate guide at Linux.com to recovering from formatted drives.

Remember, the less you work with the drive you want to recover data from, the better. As you read from the drive, you run the risk of exacerbating any damage it may have. The more you write to the drive, the more likely you are to overwrite something you want to recover. Bootable Linux distros??many of which have tools like TestDisk pre-installed (among other, more advanced tools)???are the best way to go if you're familiar with the method and if you're interested in recovering entire partitions, or making a non-bootable drive bootable again. If you're just looking for files and you know the drive was in a Windows system or a Mac, a stand-alone app is an easier way to go.

Step three: Get out the big guns (and your wallet)
Okay, so the drive is physically damaged, has been wiped and overwritten, or nothing else you try works and you really, really need the data off of it. You're even willing to pay a lot?for it. We're not going to ask why, but at this point it's time to call in the professionals.?

Pick up the phone and call the folks at DriveSavers and OnTrack to see what they can do for you. I've had good experiences with OnTrack. DriveSavers is well known and loved, both because they came to the rescue with free drive recovery services after September 11, 2001 and more recently helping Wired's Mat Honan recover from his epic hacking. Both companies do a superb job at pulling data even off of drives that have been formatted, overwritten, or even severely physically damaged. Keep in mind though that these services generally run in the thousand dollar-range, according to DriveSavers,?and higher.

If the drive is yours, or the data you get from the drive is valuable, we'd strongly suggest you make sure your data is backed up, both locally and online. After all, it's better to be able to get the data back quickly than have to jump through these hoops every time a drive fails. Remember, every hard drive will fail eventually, it's just a matter of time. Now go forth, use this knowledge for good, and recover!?

More stories from Lifehacker:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/how-recover-data-dead-or-erased-hard-drive-1C6690403

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The use of Autoresponders in E-mail Marketing | Internet Contents

The Use of Autoresponders in E-Mail Marketing

If you aren?t sure what an autoresponder is, that?s okay because there are many who do not.

An Autoresponder is some software you can utilize to automatically reply to emails.It is also an email address. It is a time-efficient way to market a product or service.

There are two types of autoresponders:

1. Web Based

2. Non-Web Based Software

The operation of an autoresponder is relatively simple and is very easy to setup.

Heres how a web based autoresponder works:

The script sends a message to the email address your autoresponder is using then e-mail autoresponder program sends e-mail replies automatically.

Your autoresponder is a tremendous marketing tool! Once the autoresponder is in place, you just sit back and rake in the profits. It is the most powerful product and is less expensive. Setting it up is not complicated. It is up to you to decide which type you will use.

Here are two links for you to help:

http://www.marketingtips.com-You will find a software named Mailloop there. It is a Non web based software which can make your e-mail related activities much much easier and faster!http://www.prosender.com-This is a web based service. Even the guy who never saw computers in his life can use it!

An innovative road to use your autoresponder is to use it with your testimonials. Testemonials always build trust in visitors, so use them often! They must be essential part of your sales page too!

It could be an ezine or a newsletter, but the most important element of an autoresponder is the ability to keep in touch with your customers all year round. Using a free autoresponder is acceptable in certain situations, and of course, any autoresponder is better than no autoresponder at all so if you have only a few bucks to start this is not the service you must miss!

All webmasters involved in marketing make use of an automatic responder (autoresponder) for all the obvious reasons. It can send automatic personalized follow-ups. This automatic system gives the marketer the full time attention necessary to sell online. Time management is a key factor to success! You must automate as much processes as you can in your business to be able to focus on other parts of it, or to focus on a different business!

How to setup an autoresponder? It depends on the service or software you will use. But the thing I really want to talk here about is to be very careful and test! If you set it up the wrong way it will cost you money because your subscribers will know that you are not professional! So double test everything. It is worth your time, believe me! Anyway after setup, you won?t have to work with it anymore (hopefully). So it deserves a one time full attention!

The autoresponder is probably the best thing that ever happened to marketing. Get an objective review of their major features and decide which type of autoresponder is suitable for you. The autoresponder is the heart beat of any Internet business! If you want to run a professional and functioning website and want to be successful online, then an autoresponder is the ultimate tool!

I hope you enjoyed the article!

Mate Kaszas is an Online Businessman who decided to tell the Real Truth to people about doing business online. He is mostly involved in online investing now, but he has a 4+ years of experience, making money online, which cannot be ignored! He publishes to online-business-thoughts.blogspot.com

Content About : The use of Autoresponders in E-mail Marketing Article

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Source: http://www.econtentz.com/contents/internet-and-businesses-online/autoresponders/the-use-of-autoresponders-in-e-mail-marketing/

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Online Gaming Sites Investing in Football Sponsorship : Liverpool ...

Manchester United recently signed a deal with bwin, the largest publicly-listed online gaming company in the world.? The deal will see the company serve as the gambling partner for the club and makes the United the third soccer club that the online gaming giant has signed.? However, bwin is not the only online gaming company to sign a sponsorship deal with a Premier League club.? In fact, it appears that football is a sport that many online companies are beginning to pour funds into.

Liverpool FC is another club that is not only sponsored by one, but two online gaming sites.? The club has deals with both 188Bet and with Paddy Power.? Paddy Power has long been controversial for their bet offerings.? For example, they once took bets on when American President Barack Obama would be assassinated.? Even with all the controversy, Paddy Power?s mobile revenues have increased to the point where they are comfortable reinvesting those dollars into football sponsorships.? Clearly they hope that the exposure from their deal help grow their brand further.

Chelsea FC has also gotten into the act of online gaming sponsorship.? Betsson and the club signed a deal where they serve as the team?s betting partner and even run their Gunner themed gaming site.? Ironically, up until about a week ago bwin actually owned the network that Betsson resides on but the ownership of the network recently changed so now Amaya actually is the parent company funding Betsson.

If you think about it, it makes sense that a lot of these companies are deciding to take a gamble, pun intended, on football sponsorship.? Football betting is huge business for these sites, so why not put out some cash to try and direct some of that traffic their way.? Diehard fans of these clubs are going to want to bet with the site for simple fact that they support the site.

The partnership is also beneficial to the squad sponsored as it helps to infuse cash into the team for starters, and next gives their fans a website to bet where they feel their bets are safe.? Liverpool is not going to partner with a site that is not legal and fully regulated.? As such, their fans can be sure that when they place a bet on the KOP that they will be paid.

As online gambling continues to grow in popularity, don?t be surprised to see more sites sponsor football squads.? It makes sound business sense for the companies investing the money and is of great benefit to the clubs sponsored.

Source: http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2012/10/09/online-gaming-sites-investing-in-football-sponsorship/

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Pakistani girl who spoke out against Taliban shot, wounded

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Gunmen in Pakistan shot and seriously wounded on Tuesday a 14-year-old schoolgirl who rose to fame for speaking out against Taliban militants, authorities said.

Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck when gunmen fired on her school bus in the Swat valley, northwest of the capital, Islamabad. Two other girls were also wounded, police said.

Yousufzai became famous for speaking out against the Pakistani Taliban at a time when even the government seemed to be appeasing the hardline Islamists.

The government agreed to a ceasefire with the Taliban in Swat in early 2009, effectively recognizing insurgent control of the valley whose lakes and mountains had long been a tourist attraction.

The Taliban set up courts, executed residents and closed girls' schools, including the one that Yousufzai attended. A documentary team filmed her weeping as she explained her ambition to be a doctor.

The army launched an offensive and retook control of Swat later that year, and Yousufzai later received the country's highest civilian award. She was also nominated for international awards for child activists.

Since then, she has received numerous threats. On Tuesday, gunmen arrived at her school and asked for her by name, witnesses told police. Yousufzai was shot when she came out of class and went to a bus.

Doctors were struggling to save her, said Lal Noor, a doctor at the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital in the valley's main town of Mingora.

(Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistani-girl-spoke-against-taliban-shot-wounded-095818763.html

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Helpful Tips For Starting Out In Website Marketing | Make Money Blog

Helpful Tips For Starting Out In Website Marketing

In today?s global market, the Internet is a essential part of the strategies of any successful business. If you?re not sure how to start doing this, the advice in this article can help. The net is changing, so crucial, up-to-date marketing tactics like you?ll read below are vital to your overall success.

Be sure to offer unique promotions and rewards. You could, for instance, hide an ?Easter egg? on your website. As a reward, offer them merchandise discounts or free prizes. If your customers feel they are a part of your site, they will trust you more.

Read some psychological studies about web pages and marketing on the net. A person?s perception of a brand or product can be significantly impacted by psychological aspects of the website, such as the layout, color scheme and theme. Knowing what psychological triggers are effective in Website marketing can have a big impact on the success of your campaign.

While you may become frustrated, giving up on your web marketing dreams is a sure way to fail. Don?t give up too easily, you may be on the precipice of success. Make sure that all your priorities are set before you are going to launch a website that sells your products. This can require a lot of effort. That said, this work is what will make you successful in the end.

You can boost your own authenticity and standing by offering space on your website for major institutions to advertise in. If you demonstrate an association with big brands, customers will be likely to assign you some extra legitimacy. This can help you bring in more visitors and can help your standing as a reputable business.

As you may already know, people usually hold a lot of respect for those in authority. If you let people know who you are, they know you run the show. A title such as ?President? or ?CEO? holds weight within the business world.

A key to success in Internet marketing is understanding the competition. If you?re aware of what the competition is selling and how they are selling it, you can tweak your own products and services so that your offerings are superior. This is the only way to succeed in the very competitive world of Affiliate marketing.

Use ?guaranteed? in your text to enhance your readers? trust in your product or service offerings, and increase your marketing success. Your guarantee is good as long as you hold up to it, people do not want to feel like are risking anything. They work hard for their money, and a guarantee makes them feel comfortable about spending it.

Add your website as a link in each signature block you use. Are you registered at online forums? Add your site to your signature, so that people can see it every time you post. Every email you send out should have a link to your site within your signature. This is a passive way to promote your site all over the Internet, and it might even improve your search engine ranking. Type an interesting statement above the link that persuades them to click it.

In virtually every case, the core of a good Online marketing campaign is compelling content. Make sure you edit your site often so you get the right information out to customers. You may also find it useful to seek feedback from friends or family about your content. A fresh pair of eyes makes a huge difference. Lastly, make sure you check the grammar and spelling of your content in order to assure there are no errors.

Consider what a customer would think of your web page when you are reviewing it. Is your site user friendly? Is the material that you present legible? Is the process of ordering your products straightforward and fast? You don?t want to go through the work of leading customers to your website, only to have them leave because it is boring or difficult to use.

Make sure you utilize social media. Facebook fan pages will allow your customers the chance to post feedback others will see, this will get your name out there. Another excellent way to build up a conversation with your customers is through Twitter.

Remember every detail when it comes to each page on your site. Your site should have a title along with a description of your site in the corner of the page. Visitors will land on different pages depending on the searches that they perform, and if they can?t figure out what you?re site is about, they are likely to leave immediately.

Take the time to learn how to do web marketing on your own before giving in and using a service. Using auto responders, mass mailers and creating mailing lists tend to be easy once you learn how to do them. Plus, what you learn now will only help you more in the future.

Adding a limited-time offer to your product can be a powerful motivator for some consumers. This could be in the form of giving free shipping to the first thousand people who purchase from you or perhaps free gift-wrapping to anyone who purchases before a certain date. But it is important that urgency is created to get the people to act right away.

Think about incorporating words like ?simple? and ?easy? into your marketing strategy. People tend to dislike products that seem fussy or complicated, so describing them with phrases, such as ?easy to order? or ?simple assembly? makes customers more likely to try them out. Keep things easy for your customers to retain their business.

If you want to buy a great domain name for your website, it will cost you. It is likely that you will not be able to find a perfect match between your domain name and your business. If you have $1000 to $2000 to burn, you can likely find a domain that will work for you.

Internet promotion may seem difficult, but it has many similarities to traditional marketing. By incorporating all you have learned today, you can generate more profits for your business and be on your way to grabbing a hold of a lot more customers

Tags: web marketing

Source: http://make-money-blog.com/helpful-tips-for-starting-out-in-website-marketing/

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Full Sail University Blog ? Spotted on Campus: Pop Star Debbie ...

Back before videos could go viral and artists could use the Internet to promote their music, Debbie Gibson toured the country performing her single ?Only in My Dreams? in nightclub after nightclub in order to gain exposure. It worked, and in 1988 she broke the Guinness World Record for being the youngest person ever to write, produce, and perform a #1 single.

Debbie was in town last week to serve as the Grand Marshall of Orlando?s ?Come Out with Pride? celebration, and she stopped by Full Sail?s Entertainment Business Auditorium to talk to students about the music business.

She was introduced by Music Business Course Director Elizabeth Neff, who is also her manager. After lecturing for about 25 minutes about her career, which has spanned the music industry, Broadway, film, and television, Debbie took questions from both students in the crowd and online students, who were watching via a GoTo Training web stream. She talked about her songwriting and recording process, artists she?d like to collaborate with, and the benefit of reality singing competition shows.?Afterward, Debbie stuck around to chat with students and pose for pictures with anyone who wanted one. She?s currently in the studio writing and working on new music.

Source: http://www.fullsailblog.com/the-industry/guest-speakers/spotted-on-campus-pop-star-debbie-gibson

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