The 10 Best Mobile Apps for Your ESL Students

[MOBILES]
by Roger B Rueda

The flexibility of these devices provides students with the chance to study and review any time, without the need to remember to bring their manuals. These apps are enormously user-friendly and well-organised into subject matters. This means students don’t waste any time looking for what they want to practise. And language learning apps are the perfect tool to involve learners who are very tech-minded and as expected enjoy using gadgets.

So, if you have students who are tech-savvy and find trying out new apps irresistible, here are a number of perfect supplements to their ESL classes:

Busuu

This language-learning app features more than 3,000 words and expressions and covers a wide range of topics through comprehensive vocabulary sections and interactive tests. Levels include beginner to advanced, and it is available for download on iPhone and Android (20 units are free and remaining content is available upon purchase).

Cambridge Advanced Learners’ Dictionary

There is a large variety of dictionary apps available, most of them more affordable than this one (a lot are even free!), but this dictionary is certainly within your means more than its print version. It is without doubt worth the price.

Conversation English

This app features 20 lessons, each with a video dialogue. The app gives learners the option to read the conversation and then answer questions and complete a variety of exercises. It’s a great app for those who wish to practice more conversational English. It’s available for download on iTunes.

English Grammar in Use Tests

English Grammar in Use TestsTechnologically advanced by Cambridge University Press and based on the successful Grammar in Use series, this app lets students practise English grammar as a series of ‘tests’ that are more similar to games. It’s not free, but it’s one of the best apps for students who want some grammar practice on the go. There is also a complete series of apps based on the Grammar in Use books available for iPhone.

ESL Daily English

This is a helper application for beginner to intermediary to advanced English learners. This independent application has been prepared by ImApp Soft, which is a fan of the very popular podcast for English learners, English as a Second Language Podcast at ESLPod.com. This app is not endorsed or sponsored ESL Podcast but agreed upon publishing this app. If you have technical questions about the app, please make contact with ImApp Soft.

IELTS Master Vocabulary Guide

This is the perfect app for students who want to take the Cambridge IELTS examination. It is the perfect complement to the book and helps students prepare for the test by providing plenty of vocabulary practice. It’s available for download on iTunes along with its other versions for TOEIC, TOEFL, etc.

MyWordBook

This app was advanced by the British Council in tandem with Cambridge University Press and offers a delightful, engaging way to learn new words through sets of interactive flashcards. Extra vocabulary packs may be downloaded from Cambridge dictionaries. Available for free on iPhone and Android.

Oxford Deluxe Dictionary and Thesaurus of English

It is perhaps one of the most expensive apps available for English learners, but there are none more comprehensive than this one. This app mostly contains the complete Oxford Dictionary, plus the thesaurus, with the added audio feature. It’s best for students who have the money to spend and don’t want to carry a big, hulking dictionary about.

SpeakingPal English Tutor

A very enjoyable and highly-interactive app, it features a series of mini-lessons of about 5 minutes, so students have no defences when it comes to making the most of lazy time. The student and the app act on each other through speech recognition software that reconstructs a real video call. It’s available for download on iPhone or Android for free.

Voxy

This is a terrifically popular app, mainly in the Spanish-speaking market. It plays up news and stories on an assortment of topics, and provides games for language practice, and additional short quizzes to test comprehension. It can be downloaded for free on iPhone and Android.

How to Know the Perfect Mobile Phone for You

[HOW TO]
by Roger B Rueda

The new year is just around the corner and most probably, most of you are wishing to find the perfect mobile phone for you to welcome the approaching year. It is very much given that you have a vast plethora of options that will nudge you one by one, the great problem though is how will you be able to choose?

Sure enough, you yourself is the very one that will know the answer. However, to those who might need a little aide, Android expertise is here to help you out on the problem of how to find the perfect mobile phone for you!

1. Create a list of what you need and what you want.

Your needs might be different from your wants. And though some mobile phones might be the best of both worlds, there are some that are not, and with that case, you should definitely prioritize your needs over your wants. This will also help you to avoid unused applications and features that might probably cost you some bucks. You may start with the messaging and call features, application features, the phone camera quality, memory storage and more. But always remember to prioritize what you need.

2. Create a list of the phones that might possibly entertain your list of needs.

Due to the advent of the internet, it is now possible to get an access on the lists of available mobile phones within the comfort of your home. You may start from keying into Google all the specifications that you need and list all those that might suit the qualities that you are looking for. Sure enough, you will not be able to find something that may hit it right at the correct spot, but something will come up close sooner or later. Be patient enough to go through your lists over and over again.

3. Consider the shop you will be buying at and the price of the unit.

Although it is trendy to buy everything online, it is still better if you will buy it on a shop that you really trust to avoid any further troubles that may cause delay. Also, although you might claim that you are high enough to care about the price, it is not on the price itself but rather the fact that you should make the most out of every dollar you paid for.

4. Explore your gadget.

No matter how amazing your new mobile phone is, it is up to you how you will handle it and maximize its features!

Give yourself a break and buy that mobile phone you wanted ever since!

How to Keep Your Gadgets Safe and New

[GADGETS]
by Roger B Rueda

Gadgets are the world over.We use them for convenience. They have become basic necessity of life. Everything we do depends on them, from bringing our status messages up to date to finding about the way back to the destination by way of the map apps. They are generally used and they are evident in almost all facets of our lives. Here are some ways through which you can mind out your gadgets.

>Not mislaying it is the first thing you need to do. Your name has to be written on the gadget and should be in indelible ink or in whatever mark that can be wiped away. You need to keep an eye on it.

>Downloading an app or software is important because through which you can track your device. And even though you lose it or someone snips it, you can track it back without any quarrels.

>It is important to protect your gadget from viruses. Doing so will mean that your device remains in fine fettle and will not call for constant reconfiguring of the device or result in your bringing data up the rear.

>Gadgets these days are made with some pretty shipshape material like metallic body. They are hardy and impervious to a lot of deterioration. Buy them the right kind of shield and watch how your phone looks new always. Some casings are not heavy-duty, so they crack up easily.

>Your gadgets come with some auxiliary accessories. These items are not to be used at all times simply because you would not need them. But when you do need them you may not find them on the dot. Cover them in a plastic container which can be used well ahead.
>Sunlight can be very bad to your gadgets, so all your gadgets must be kept away from direct sunlight. If not, it’ll be ruined.Its body can become mutable or smelted a little in the fierce heat of the sun.

>If in the event your gadgets went wrong, don’t bring it to unknown repair centres. After some time, you will be paying more. It would be best if you bring it to recognised repair centres or service centres of the gadgets.

>As much as you want to use your phones at length, you have to prop it for a while. Don’t charge your gadgets though it’s half empty. You have to wait on the warning that it needs to be charged. For one thing, most gadget batteries are predisposed to playing up, and it is not easy to replace them.

Always bear in mind that gadgets can be easily broken. If you don’t take care of it, you’ll have to fork out for buying a new one every now and then.

Weather Bug Elite: A Weather App to Follow Bad Weather

[APPS]
by Roger B Rueda

Weather apps come to grips with functionality and sleek designs, but visually they aren’t fancy or super nice or even over the top pleasing. The ones that do show some subtlety in functionality usually go overboard with the fanciness and disproportionately count on your smartphone’s GPS services, which can give in your data plan rather rapidly. Nevertheless, if you want smooth graphics in your weather updates and an app that not only does the work, but also looks great while doing it, then Weather Bug Elite is the app that finishes your rummaging around for quality.

The Weather Bug Elite Android app has a few qualities that are worth turning over in your mind. Some of them put it higher up in the pecking order of weather apps. At the start, you can personalise the way you choose to view your weather with at-a-Glance weather widgets that are provided within the app itself. This warrants that your weather app looks like what you want it to look like. One of the key features of an Android phone is its high litheness in terms of customisation of settings. This way the app represents you as much as your phone does.

Every widget focuses on different styles and lays predominant importance on different features, so you know which one is important to you and for that reason you can choose. The weather widgets have large display maps, so weather movement can be seen easily. The maps make it quick to read. Information due to colour coding is easier to blend in.

One can switch to large maps for better visualisation and the maps are so comprehensive one can even track imminent storms using them. Landscape and portrait modes can be drawn on, and this app automatically adjusts itself to fit either mode without a glitch.

The app provides users with an in-built GPS and GPRS intelligence-driven GPS location tracker. So if you allow the app to ‘Find Me’ it circumvents your location settings and automatically spots your location to give you exact location-driven weather information.

The applets you view WeatherBug National Outlook videos in a very high resolution, which is about 640×480. It also provides fixed images so that bad connexions aren’t stopping you from receiving vital information. This includes quick-glance snaps and even live camera images of the weather. This weather app also uses your current location to find 15 locations in a 100 mile radius of you to present you these details.

The app has radar animation which is a favoured tool amongst weather app users and is provided by most of the other apps. You can pan and zoom through the maps and it also lets for time-lapse animation. It has a nice layered way to dividing your weather details in relation to the temperature, moistness, pressure and even things like visible satellite, Doppler radar, infrared satellite, wind speed and due to the extent of detailing the app can even give you a fairly accurate estimate of tomorrow’s weather highs and lows. The forecasts extend not only to the next day, but 7 days in advance. The forecasts are in depth enough to consider hour divisions.

Essential Automotive Technology for 2014

[TECHNOLOGY]
by Roger B Rueda

Automotive technology is indeed blowing up for 2014. Automakers are taking part to be number-one in car technology, for they know that today's car owners expect all-in-one technology integration on the road. To help you keep all the hottest technology features straight, we've drawn up our essential technology features for 2014, with a straightforward value assessment for each gadget.

BLUETOOTH AUDIO

Bluetooth Audio lets you play music from your phone. You can keep all your familiar playlists and enjoy them on your car's speakers, without having to plug anything into or transfer your songs to a different device or medium. It's truly an essential feature in our time.

Bluetooth audio in expensive options packages is hither and thither. But for the most part, it's widely available for 2014 and well worth stipulating.

SMARTPHONE APP INTEGRATION

While Bluetooth Audio allows you to wirelessly listen to music from your device, App integration adjusts the interface to your car. For instance, Bluetooth Audio allows you to hear to Pandora, App integration allows you to control Pandora from the car's radio or navigation screen.

App integration is increasingly predominant even in price-conscious segments (for instance, the new 2014 Toyota Corolla offers it), and for rationalisation. Today's car shoppers are keen on their smartphones, and they don't want to lay those handy apps by while they're on the road. Since so many apps are useful for drivers, it just makes sense to integrate them directly into a car's central display screen, often with boosted features. There's also a safety angle here; the 2014 Honda Accord, for instance, will let you thumb-up/down a Pandora song without taking your eyes off the road.

TEXT-TO-SPEECH READING TECHNOLOGY

It lets drivers stay connected in real time without having to look down at their phones.If you receive frequent correspondence via phone, this is potentially a very handy addition, and it usually comes bundled with other desirable features that you want anyway. But keep in mind that there are also third-party solutions such as the DriveSafe.ly app that provides similar functionality in cars with Bluetooth audio.

UPMARKET SEATS

Many previously high-end seat functions have trickled down to inexpensive segments: Heated front seats are common, heated rear seats aren't unheard of and features such as aeration, power adjustments, memory and even massage functions are also gradually available. You can get heated rear seats in the compact Hyundai Elantra sedan.

The technology revolution has brought such niceties into reach for everyday car shoppers, and that means real progress in driving comfort.

That depends on personal preference, of course, but we expect features such as height and lumbar adjustments in any modern car. Massage functions are a different story, but heated seats are definitely a must-have for people in colder zones.

PORTABLE WI-FI

Automakers such as Audi and Chrysler are leading the way with infotainment systems that include Wi-Fi hotspot functionality, allowing Internet access for several devices from the road.

This is a great way to get it done without having to stop at a teashop if you need to do work on the move. As long as you've got service, you can just pull over wherever you are, bust out your notebook or tablet and start reeling. It's great for travellers, too, mainly on a road trip. Once-a-month data charges apply, naturally.

If you don't already have a mobile data plan for that iPad or what have you, then, this is a brilliant way out to the problem of working from the road. And even if you do, the ability to provide a hot spot for many devices could be an advantage for family road trips and the like.

ACTIVE DRIVING AIDS

You may be aware of perceptible alerts that warn you of cars in your blind spot and such. But for 2014, more cars than ever with ‘active’ driving aids can automatically apply steering, throttle and/or brake inputs to keep you in your lane and out of trouble.

Because given that these systems work as intended, accidents will certainly be minimised. Though a driver is fully focused on the road ahead, mistakes can still happen, and today's numerous distracted-driver issues only put up the problem.

How to Use Meetup.com in a P.R.Drive

[HOW TO]
by Roger B Rueda

If you do business locally, or you want to publicise whatever you’re doing in your local market, Meetup offers a wide range of features that can help.

Meetup is the world’s largest network of local groups. It makes it easy for anyone to organise a local group or find one of the thousands already meeting up head-on. More than 2,000 groups get together in local communities each day, each one with the goal of improving themselves or their communities.

Meetup boasts an impressive 9 million visitors a month, meets in 45,000 cities worldwide, and has 280,000 monthly Meetups on every topic imaginable. Use the search box on the homepage to look for a group that fits your interests. Or start your own group.

Here are the ways to use Meetup in a P.R.drive:

1. Create a Meetup account.

Even if your group has no special events to publicise, or you don’t intend to meet regularly, or even if your membership is invitation-only, create an account at least. Write a good description of what you do and the kinds of people who would be a good fit. You never know who’s searching for you.

2. Attend a meeting, meet members, and start forming relationships.

Don’t go intending to blast a free commercial about your business or hand out copies of your latest press release. Nobody likes that.

Meetup’s business groups have a lot of ways for members to endorse their businesses to each other. Get a feel for the group, its practices and offer free, helpful information. They’ll be dying to know what else you know. They’ll also be more of a mind to spread the word about what you’re doing.

3. Offer to speak at a Meetup group that includes people in your target market.

Give a content-rich presentation on something they are interested in and walked away with a pocket of business cards of people who want to subscribe to your weekly ezine or blog or whatever you have online.

4. Offer free information and samples to Meetup groups.

Group organisers love free stuff they can pass along to their members during a Meetup. A doggy day care owner can offer aking-size all-natural dog biscuit for a Meetup group of dog lovers. A plumber can give away a step-by-step guide on how to fix a leaky faucet to mums in a Single Mums Meetup. You can find the group organiser and contact information for each Meetup on that group’s page.

5. Connect your Facebook account to Meetup.

This allows your Facebook friends to see what you’re up to on Meetup, and vice-versa which further spreads the word.

6. Take advantage of Meetup promoting your group.

Once you’ve created a Meetup group, Meetup will promote it automatically. Most groups have new members within a few days.

7. Found a Meetup you love? Look for similar Meetups.

On some Meetup pages, you’ll see a box that says, ‘People in this Meeteup are also in…’

8. Need to get in front of bloggers? Many communities have blogger Meetups.

Get to know bloggers long before you want publicity. It is a great strategy. If you don’t have a blog yet,that’s OK. Ask them how to start one.

9. Learn about PR, publicity, marketing and social media.

In most major cities and many smaller ones, you’ll find Meetup groups keen on these topics. It is a fun way to learn more about whatever you need to know.

10. Look within Meetup groups for PR-related vendors.

Do you need a press release writer? Photographer? Ghost-writer? Publicist? Meetup’s search box makes it easy to find, within minutes, local groups where these people come together.

How to Reach Audience through Facebook

[SOCIAL MEDIA]

by Roger B Rueda

Facebook links people from around the world, making everything become adopted globally. And the best reason for Facebooking is the super opportunity for reaching everyone. It actively promotes socialisation and communication as it makes almost everything accessible to everybody, from our personal lives to our professional and business lives.

So, if you’re looking for a general overview of how to use Facebook to help your business grow, these brass tacks will set you up for success. You can also focus your activity on Facebook to meet clear-cut business objectives.

1. Set up your page

Create the hub for your business on Facebook. Your Facebook Page makes your business. When people search for you on Facebook, they'll be able to find you.Have personalised talks with your clienteles, who can like your Page, read your posts and share them with friends, and check in when they visit.Your Page can help you reach large groups of people regularly, with messages custom-made to their needs and interests.Analytics on your Page will give you a deeper understanding of your customers and your marketing activities.

When you set up your Page, you can request a web address like facebook.com/yourgreatcompany, which makes it easy to find. To maximise the impact, include this address on your business card, website, and other marketing materials. Your Page is an extension of your business. It’s an easy way to share updates and more with the people who matter most. It’s ready to help you engage your customers on desktop and on mobile.

2. Recognise your audience

Think about who you’d like to meet, and introduce yourself. Not only can you reach more people through Facebook, you can reach the specific people who are most likely to become your clienteles.

To help you connect, consider:

>What do your ideal customers have in common?

>How old are they, and where do they live?

>How can your business help them?

>Would one group be more interested in specific messages, products, or services?

To build your audience, encourage your current customers and supporters to like your Page. They’re the people most likely to see your posts in their News Feed. Also explore the options under the Build Audience button:

>Invite your friends. Let the people in your life know about your Page so they can support you by liking it. This initial audience helps you establish credibility and spread the word right away.

>Share your Pageand be sure to like it yourself. Be a spokesperson for your business.

>Invite your businesses contacts. Upload a list to send people an email so they know about your new Page.

It’s not about the number of likes. It’s more important to genuinely connect with the people you engage with on Facebook. If you do, they’ll help tell your story.

3. Create compelling content

Make your business take off on Facebook

As you post updates, photos, and more, think about what your customers find interesting and inspiring. How will you talk to them? What do you want to consistently communicate about your business?

Experiment with different kinds of posts. Does your audience love photos or prefer when you share useful links? You’ll find out quickly. Then use Page Insights to see which posts are performing the best.

Share what you're genuinely excited about and your customers will be excited too.When people comment on your posts, show that your business is listening and that you care. If you need more time to answer a question, let them know you’re looking into it.The more regularly you post, the more opportunity you have for connecting with people and building trust. Setting a schedule for your posts can also help maximise your team’s time.Replicate your success on posts that get more engagement.When you notice that a post is getting a lot of engagement, promote it to reach even more people. When people like, comment on or share your posts, their friends are also eligible to see those posts in News Feed.

Your recipe for success is to create Page posts and ads that are interesting and valuable to your customers – and to target your messages so the right people see them.

4. Promote your business

Reach more of the people who matter most to you. Once you’ve started connecting with your customers on Facebook, you’ll want to find other people who are likely to be interested in your product or service. You can use Facebook ads to send the right message to the right people, just when they’re most open to discovering your business.

Creating Ads

You can create an ad right from the admin panel of your Page to engage more people, or you can use the ad create tool.Once you’ve built a community around your Page, use the ad create tool to target your ads to reach the friends of the people who already like you. It’s a way to naturally grow your customer base through word-of-mouth.Be specific about the audiences for different ads. You can create sets of ads to connect with different target audiences. People are more likely to respond to a message crafted just for them.

Fine-tuned Targeting

Add a private list of your current customers to Facebook using custom audiences and then use lookalike audiences in the Ad Create tool to find other people who are similar to them.When you create an ad using the ad create tool, use ‘interest targeting’ to reach people who already like or have a connection to other things on Facebook that are similar to what you’re offering. You can maximise the return on your investment by creating ads for specific audiences.

5. Measure and adjust

Find out what’s working well, so you can maximise the impact of every post and ad. Facebook has a lot of different tools to help you measure how you’re doing.

Visit Page Insights often and look for trends so you can develop more of the best-performing content.Use Page Insights to understand who responds to your messages. Make sure to look at the gender, age, and location of the people who are the most engaged with your business so you can continue to engage them through targeted ads and promoted posts.When you create your ads, try out different images and headlines to see what works. Facebook will automatically optimise your campaign so that more of your budget goes to the ad that’s performing the best.Ask how people heard about you – at the end of a call, in a survey, or at the point of sale – and keep track of what they say. It will supplement the data Facebook’s tools provide.

Promoting your business is all about helping you realise your goals.