People love locks and this is why!

When you are hoping to maximize your travel security, one of the most obvious places to start is with buying a lock. But how secure are luggage locks? The disturbing truth is that luggage locks are terribly insecure.

What does the insecurity of these locks mean for your luggage security? How does that affect the protection of your property? In order to investigate these issues, we will have to venture deep into the terrifying truth about luggage locks.

What security do TSA locks offer your luggage?
TSA locks are not secure. The shackles can be cut by most low-quality diagonal cutting pliers, the lock cylinders can be picked open with very little skill, and the schematics for the master keys have been revealed to the public. If you are using a TSA lock, you are getting the illusion of security.

The biggest benefit to using TSA locks is that the TSA can open your bag without having to door lock repair. This still might not keep your lock from being cut off, as many travelers report having TSA cut locks off regardless of having been TSA approved. But at least there is a chance that your insecure lock will not be broken open.

A TSA approved padlock is the next step up from a zip tie. It provides the same amount of initial security if you are worried about criminal tampering. However, a TSA lock can potentially be taken off and relocked on the bag, where a zip tie cannot be reattached once removed. With a TSA approved lock, after a lawful search, there is a chance that your luggage can maintain its same level of “security”.

1. The TSA Can Remove Any Luggage Lock Without Cause
If you are checking luggage, the TSA reserves the right to open your baggage by the means required to properly carry out the search. In case you have not received a “Notice Of Baggage Inspection” letter in your checked luggage, it reads as follows:

To Protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required by law to inspect all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and physically inspected. Your bag was among those selected for physical inspection.

During the inspection, your bag and its contents may have been searched for prohibited items. At the completion of the inspection, the contents were returned to your bag.

If the TSA security officer was unable to open our bag for inspection because it was locked, the officer may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, however TSA is not liable for the damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution.

The note goes on to suggest that the recipient of the inspection notice refer to www.tsa.gov to find “packing tips and suggestions on how to secure your baggage during your next trip…” Is it ironic for a note telling you what you just read to recommend that you use better security next time you fly? It may seem that way, but the spirit in which it is intended is that locks are not security, knowing what is going to get your bag flagged is the security you need for avoiding TSA attention.

2. Every Luggage Lock Can Be Opened
It is true that every lock can be picked, even locks that have not been picked yet can still be opened. Opening methods that travel security professionals use are almost always destructive. There is no lock that exists that can withstand every type destructive entry method given an unlimited amount of time with the lock.

Not even the best padlocks in existence can hold up to the highest level of pressure that can be applied to them. Do not expect that your security can keep out any law enforcement. Even though you may be hoping to avoid criminally minded baggage checkers, they are within their right to open your luggage at all costs.

Though there are documented cases where strong enough security has been enough to have TSA give up on trying to open it. I don’t fully understand the implications of security that has law enforcement give up, but I would not expect to be the exception to the rule that if the opening of your bag a legally sanctioned it will be carried out.

In terms of criminal threats without the full force of the law behind them, your locks can still be opened. However, when it comes to standard criminals you have to consider every aspect of luggage security and not just the security of your luggage locks.

3. No Luggage Lock Can Protect a Zipper
Any luggage lock that is placed to secure a zipper is completely useless. Anyone with a ballpoint pen can puncture the zipper track (aka teeth). This gives anyone access to the contents of your bag in seconds. Once a person has rooted around in your belongings, they can then move the zipper’s pull tab over the open teeth and reseal the bag without any sign of entry.

If you have an anti-puncture zipper, then your zipper is safe, but a lock can never protect the zipper. When you want a lock to matter at all, you have to use luggage that has hasps, not a zipper. Hasps are common on hard shell cases, which are intended to protect the contents of the luggage.

It is also unlikely that you will end up with a bag that has an anti-puncture zipper if you do not go out of your way to purchase one. This feature is not common, in spite of the fact that the method of entry is extremely popular for criminals all over the world.

4. Your Bag Undermines the Security of a Luggage Lock
Security is not the main concern for standard baggage manufactures. Unless the luggage has been designed with security in mind, the lock you place on it is not going to matter much at all. Besides zipper protection, you have to be concerned about more brash criminals that will not care about surreptitiously or even covertly open your bag.

A very common method of entry that criminals will use is to cut your bag. You made need something like a Pelican case. With a light slice from a sharp knife, a thief now has access to everything in your luggage. Unless your bag can resist cutting, having a lock on your bag is not going to truly protect the property inside.

Most likely your bag is always going to be easier to break than an incredibly strong lock. It does not make sense to have an extremely powerful lock if the case it is securing is itself insecure. Be aware of the level of protection provided by the bag before you make any investment in a lock.

5. Built-in Luggage Locks Are Not Secure
Built In Luggage Lock

This is a guiding principle more than a hard and fast rule, but it is important to think about the fact that almost any piece of luggage you buy is not going to have high-security locks. This might be something that the case claims, but you need to know better than to believe the advertising.

Even if the brand of security being used is not notorious for manufacturing subpar locks, it might still be something cheap and ineffective. A lot of times locks on cases and luggage will claim to be high-security, but they are just using a novel lock type. Such lock types that are used as built-in luggage locks include tubular locks, cruciform locks, and disk detainer locks.

If a lock is poorly made, it does not matter what kind of internal components it has. Poorly made locks are not secure. They break easier because of the lower quality metal, and that means they can be broken open easier. Mass production required to place them on luggage also broke bedroom key very simple to the point where most of these locks can be opened with bypasses or improvised keys.

What is the best way to protect luggage?
As you may have learned from the article about protecting your beach bag, the best possible way to protect any luggage is to keep your eyes on it. This is not going to be possible at every point of your trip, especially if you have to check your bags. The important thing is to take advantage of the instances where you can watch over your property.

Your locks need to take as long to open without permission as the average time you will leave them unmonitored. As has already been established, flying in the United States will be the exception to this rule. Law enforcement will have too much time with your luggage, and they will have the authority to open the lock. But for deterring criminals, this type of security assessment is a must.

Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter if you are in one of the most dangerous countries in the world, or you are sleeping over at a friends house in the next town over, when you have luggage, you will attract the attention of criminals. Luggage locks are not going to do much to protect your bag. You need to consider a lot more than just luggage locks.

Review: Why the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 is the best Solar Generator in the market?

The Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator from Goal Zero is a solid choice to power your small electronics, whether you are in the woods, on the jobsite or you are dealing with a power loss. This power pack is an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional back-up generators. From smartphones to refrigerators and everything in between, this gas – free 1250 Watt generatorwill take care of your energy needs. It is silent, safe and pretty easy to use indoors and outside. Whether it is for back-up power, camping, tailgating, or light duty construction, the Yeti 1250 generator gets it done.
What’s in the box?

When you open the package you will find of course the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 solar generator, followed by 2 Boulder 30 solar panels, one fabric carrying case for panels and one roll cart. As you can see, the great thing is that the solar panels are included. This amazed me when I bought the generator.
Dimensions and specific features

The dimensions are 11 x 16 x 14.5″ / 27.9 x 40.6 x 36.8 cm and it weighs 46.7 kg or 103 Ibs (bit heavy).

It utilizes a 1200Wh AGM lead acid battery that can charge devices from smart phones and laptops, to televisions and small refrigerators. Since it uses a deep cycle battery, it works without noise and produces no exhaust. There are of course three ways of charging: With a wall charger (72W) it takes about 18 hours, with a car charger (30W) about 44 hours, and with the Boulder 30 solar panels about 40-80 hours.

The front display panel provides readouts of incoming and outgoing power, and battery status in 20% increments. The Yeti provides an array of output options for any energy need. It has three standard 110VAC grounded wall plugs, three standard USB ports, a 12VDC car/vehicle port and two 6mm 12VDC plug ports. For additional battery power, the Yeti is chainable with other units(!).

RAVPower 26800 review: A plentiful USB-C equipped pack with a number of ports

The RAVPOWER 26800MAH is sleek and unassuming. Four indicator lights just above the power button blink and flash blue as the device is charging or discharging.

Four different ports adorn the front of the pack, with a microUSB port for charging, a USB-C port for charging or powering your phone, along with two USB-A ports with RAVPower’s “iSmart” technology.

Using its smarts, the RAVPower pack is supposed to detect and adjust current up to 2.4A, with a max of 3.5A output across all ports.

Total charge time through the microUSB port was nearly 11.5 hours, charging at 5V and 1.7A (out of an expected 5V/2A). Charging through USB-C using the company's included wall adapter drastically decreased charging time to four hours.

The biggest downside is the lack of QuickCharge 2.0 and 3.0 support. RAVPower does offer another mode with QC 3.0 and USB-C support; In exchange for faster charging, you lose a bit of capacity dropping the pack down to 20,100 mAh.

In testing, the battery stopped depleting at 81.33Wh, giving it an efficiency rating of 82%. Unfortunately, 82 percent puts it on the bottom half of the packs tested, just below the Anker PowerCore+ 85 percent efficiency, despite nearly identical capacity and capabilities.

The RAVPower is somewhat compact, has handy indicator lights, but fails to rapidly charge a compatible smartphone.

Inside the box you will find a 30W Type-C Charger (something Google employee Benson Leung suggests you do not use with your phones, though it should be fine to charge this battery pack), a carrying case, and 2 microUSB cables.

Does Your Roof Need Repair?

Water marks on the ceilings or interior mildew growth. Not every one of the signs of the need for possible brick pointing NYC repair or replacement could be observed from outside your dwelling. Some signs are closer than you may realize until it's almost too late. Yes, we're talking about brick pointing Bronx leaks. Leaks are usually hard to detect until it is almost too late and equally as tough to pinpoint their source. Bronx roofing contractors leaks may be a consequence of insufficient underlayment or deteriorating flashing which can repair inexpensively. On the other hand, they might possibly be the end result of a much bigger and prevalent problem that could end up costing you your next holiday or year end bonus should don't watch out! Regrettably, the source of a flow is usually difficult to detect since the water may run down the rafters or a chimney, or perhaps to the drywall of your ceiling at which it can accumulate and build up. This build up and trapping of water and moisture can result in not only mold issues but also eventual cracks and leaks in your ceiling as the water illuminates the sheet rock. Now you have an even bigger problem. If you start to see signs of water marks on the ceiling you should immediately call a Bronx roofing company specialist to inspect the problem prior to gets any worse. Having regular home inspections after a year is a smart way prevent undetected repair issues with your roofing contractors in Bronx New York and the rest of your home. It's always better to address any repair issues before they're compounded by the passing of time.

Excessive power costs. A growing number of homes today are being designed and built with energy efficiency in mind. From the building materials contractors use down to the appliances we opt for our houses, the green initiative is catching on with builders and homeowners alike. For people who live in homes older homes, there are plenty of light repair projects that can turn that older drafty home to a more modern model of efficiency. One important area of the house to look to for in the beginning is your roofing Bronx NY as it can provide you with a good indicator if you're experiencing an increase in the cost cool and heat your home. If not properly ventilated warm air may build up in your loft causing your utility bills to rise excessively in the hot summer months when you're attempting to keep the house cool, as well as in the winter when you and your loved ones are attempting to stay warm. A properly installed roofing contractors Bronx NY supplies for ample ventilation and not having proper ventilation can lead to not only excessive energy costs but also premature roof failure. Often times what may be considered a small repair job can prolong the life of your roof. Possessing brickwork pointing contractors inspect the ventilation in your attic and roofers Bronx may wind up saving you a great deal of money in the future.

So now that you understand these important warning signals to spot you can avoid the hassle and hassle of dealing with a potentially much larger and costly project than you might have the stomach for. You don't have to sacrifice that down payment on a new car or that family vacation you're planning to take, but only if you act now before it is too late. Bear in mind, most roofing contractors offer a free review so that it doesn't cost you a thing to at least have your brick pointing contractors looked at for potential issues that could usually be repaired for less than you might think. Just make sure that you do your homework and get quotes from several different candidates as well as references. Also check to be sure any possible candidate is properly bonded and licensed, and that they offer a guarantee or warranty. By being proactive and finding the perfect contractor for your job which you may avoid bigger problems down the road.

Generate Stubs with Pay Stub Generator

When you yourself have completed and investigated lately you'll don't have any question unearthed that there are many various examples of a paycheck record-keeping paystub generator accessible. The difficult component is attempting to determine which will work with your organization. Generally when a business offers chosen a theme they'll stay with it to be able to create the task of the sales division easier. The simpler they realpay stubs are to see the happier your paycheck individual will probably be.

The Workers are relying on Anyone

Anyone rely on your workers to perform difficult for you and endure their end-of discount; in the same period they've the right to anticipate exactly the same from anyone. What this means is a lot of things, nevertheless when payday comes they not just be prepared to obtain a salary, additionally they be prepared to get a readable payroll doc or real check stubs. You have to ensure that every part of the pay stub generator you're likely to supply is succinct and self-explanatory.

The reason being your workers are relying on one to maintain these nicely apprised of the earnings each pay interval. They require these details in case they choose to make an application for a mortgage or every other type of mortgage. If like a lot of their time need to be reduce, they're likely to require their real pay stubs to be able to make an application for the different types of community help that are offered.

You've to rely on The Theme

If you should be likely to be in operation you have to possess a paycheck theme to create a pay stubs as you are able to rely on. Because many businesses today take advantage of sales application such as for instance Shine, the theme you select must have the ability to use your sales application and really should achieve this effortlessly. This causes it to be easier to move info regarding every workeris hrs and spend straight from your own sales application for them to create pay stub.

You have to nevertheless make sure that your theme enables you to contain at-least particular fundamental information-such whilst the workeris major spend, such as the quantity of time worked. It will additionally display their deductions such as for instance fees and any marriage or health-related breaks. At the end of the check stub must certanly be a-line that exhibits every worker just how much their internet spend is.

So long as anyone supply every worker using their share of the paycheck and a precise paystub any conflicts can very quickly be managed by your sales division. You'll find numerous ideal types of this kind of the check stubs theme on-line and you will wish to attempt numerous to determine how they capable together with your sales application as well as your requirements before determining which you're likely to utilize.

6 Factors in Taking Over an Existing Business

If you think you have the chops to be an entrepreneur, but would rather not start with a new idea -- or just plain don’t have a new idea worth starting -- you may be a great candidate to buy an existing business instead.

While buying an existing business typically involves more upfront cost, it also presents less risk than starting from scratch. Financially, you’re looking at actual profit and loss records rather than rough estimates, and there’s a clear history of sales to point to. You may also acquire valuable patents or copyrights, or have the opportunity to drive a stagnant business in an exciting direction with your expertise.

Digitally Sold: The Logistics of Transferring Your Online Business

In the days before the Internet, selling a business was a slow but straightforward process: The buyer would drive across town, view the business in person and “kick the tires” before signing on the dotted line. The seller would then sign over real estate deeds, transfer inventory, provide in-person training and hand over the keys.

Since the advent of online businesses, however, what used to take weeks now happens in a matter of hours or days. But while selling an online business typically means less paperwork than selling a brick-and-mortar business, the logistics can be confusing from a seller’s perspective.

Here are a few things you should do once you find a buyer: