An Introduction to Construction Software

An Introduction to Construction Software



If you are into construction then you should consider construction software to help you with all of the ins and outs. Things like takeoff software are also very useful because they can help you come up with a more accurate estimate for the cost of a project. When you are working in construction, building, and making estimates as to the cost of a particular building then you will really benefit from software with on screen takeoff. You will also find digital takeoff especially helpful, too.

Of course, this type of software has not been around forever and there are still a lot of construction companies coming up with estimates, plans, and the like the old fashioned way. However, time is money especially in the construction business and the more time you can save the more money you will make. Not to mention the better you can make an estimate the more money you will be able to make by not going over your estimated price. There are a lot of benefits to construction software that all construction companies should be aware of.

In order for any construction project to be successful, at least as far as the construction company is concerned, is that the project be planned effectively. There are many things that must be considered including the environmental impact, budgeting, scheduling, site safety, logistics, material availability, construction delays, and the like. Good construction software is a program that is easy to learn to use that will help any construction company factor in the above elements and make the best decisions possible when it comes to design, logistics, budgeting, scheduling, and the like. This is great news to most construction companies who have miscalculated in the past only to suffer monetarily down the road. Construction software is so easy to implement and run that most companies do not need outside help. However, the software maker usually provides support to construction companies using their software should it be necessary.

The small price of the construction software is certainly worth the investment because it will help in all areas of the construction business. It makes decision-making easy because it is based on all the facts rather than personal opinions or hopefulness. This means that with construction software you can expect your project to run smoothly and your income to increase thanks to the software. Give it a try and you will see in no time that it is the best decision you could make for your bottom line as well as your reputation.



vista by viewpoint construction software consultant

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Need a Painting Contractor? Should You Find One Yourself Or Use a Referral Service?

Need a Painting Contractor? Should You Find One Yourself Or Use a Referral Service?

I suggest that you find your painting contractor on your own when living in the Chicago area. Do your own research instead of hoping that contractor referral service will help you. I'll elaborate why I feel this way soon.

I would advise that you call a friend or relative who has recently had the interior or the exterior of their home painted by a professional painter. You can ask them how they felt about their experience. If they liked their painting contractor, they will let you know. They'll also let you know if they didn't. You should ask them how they felt about the painting company's quality, price and service. Was the contractor attentive to their needs or not? Just keep in mind that you're needs and wants will not be identical to your friend's or relative's. For example; was the painting contractor fully insured? Maybe your friend or relative didn't care if they were or not. When I say fully insured, I don't just mean a "liability insurance policy" that anyone can get for sometimes just a few hundred bucks a year. But, do they carry "workers compensation insurance" as well? Well, if they have even one employee, they are required to by law.

Another way to find a painter is to do an online search, open up your local yellow page directory or respond to a flyer that was hung on your door. Call the painters for a free estimate. I usually suggest getting three estimates. If you get too many more than that, then you'll just drive yourself crazy.

If you decide to try to find a Chicago area painting contractor by using a painting contractor referral service, just remember one thing. Most of the "qualified, fully insured" painting contractors and many customers that I know, who have enrolled in these referral services have been disappointed and disillusioned with the results and have stopped using the contractor referral service altogether. So, what do you end up getting with a lead referral service? You may just get some of the "least qualified" contractors! Yes, you heard that right. And you thought that they were going to be the best, being screened for you and all! Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Let me explain something. These contractor referral services claim to "screen" painting contractors. Yet, they seem to be "negligent at best",when it comes to screening for workers compensation insurance", one of the most fundamental and basic areas that is of extreme importance to any professional, legitimate painting company and more importantly to you, the customer that is hoping that the contractor referral service is "looking out for you". Read on, I'm much more cynical than that. I don't think it is "negligence" on the part of the contractor referral services. I think it's more like "blatant disregard" for you, the customer. I truly believe, that the contractor referral services are banking on the fact that the average homeowner does not know the law; and then they use this to pull the wool over your eyes while basically implying to you the following. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner. We are looking out for you. We "pre-screened" these contractors for you!" I know. That does sound cynical of me doesn't it? But, why do the contractor referral services fail to screen for such a "basic" thing as workers compensation insurance?

In Illinois, it is law, that when a painting contractor hires employees and has them working on your home, that those employees be covered by workers compensation insurance, just in case a painter gets hurt or dies while painting the interior or exterior of your home. Guess what. Painters do get hurt on jobs and more often than you might think. And serious injury for painters is actually quite common. And did you know that your homeowner's insurance may NOT cover you if a painter gets hurt while painting your house.

In fairness to some of these contractors, if a painter is working for himself and by himself, he is not required to carry workers compensation insurance on himself, but once he has a worker on the job, it's a new ball game. Even if the owner of the painting company excludes himself from his policy, he must still provide the workers compensation for his employee. Now, he'll probably tell you that he's paying him "as a subcontractor". Well when somebody gets hurt on the job, somebody is going to still come looking for money from the workers compensation insurer. When they find out that there is no workers compensation insurance, then somebody is still going to pay. The painter that is injured will look to collect from whoever has the most money. I would bet that in most cases that means you, the homeowner.

If you don't think that anyone could possibly get hurt on just this one little job for you, then I suggest you do a little research online. Just do a Google search for "house painting fatalities" or "house painting injuries". It might shock you. People get hurt doing construction and home improvements all the time. You can even narrow down your search to the Chicago area. I don't want to scare you, but you must open your eyes and see the world in which you live. Many times an unethical painter or other tradesman will even "fake" an injury, looking to milk a situation for a long time. Please don't be naive enough to think that it won't happen to you because you are nice person. Nice people are the "easiest" for people with no scruples to take advantage of. It happens all the time.

Maybe one contractor referral exists that screens for it, but I have personally NEVER seen a contractor referral service in the Chicago area screen painters for workers compensation insurance. I've only seen them screen for liability insurance, lawsuits or judgments and a few other things. They seem to be more concerned with the following: Joe Dokes in Winnetka says....."Hank and his brother and law were such nice guys, not only did they do a nice job painting my living room, but they also walked my dog?"

I have come to the conclusion and it is just my opinion, that there is a reason why the contractor referral services do NOT screen painters for workers compensation insurance. They leave this "extremely" important screening for workers compensation insurance out of their "screening process" because if they actually did screen for this insurance, then they would lose about 90% of their revenue generating customers, which are the painting contractors that pay for your name. You are a hot lead. And the contractor referral service will sell your name, address and phone number to anywhere from 2 to 4, to maybe even more painters. They'll collect money from these contractors whether you buy a paint job or not.

The reason the contractor referral service will NOT screen for workers compensation insurance is because over 90% of the painters that you attempt to hire from the referral service will NOT have this workers compensation insurance because it is too expensive, or they do not know that they are "required" to have their employees covered by it. I really don't blame the painters. These are men and women who are just out there in the world trying to make a buck to support their families. They may in fact be innocent. There are a lot of laws out there. They just need to be educated and if the contractor referral service "really" had the contractor's interest at heart, as well as you the homeowner, then they would tell the contractor that he should buy workers compensation insurance to make sure he passes the "screening" process and protects himself, his workers and his customers.

Therefore, what the lead referral services "actually" do is guarantee that you do NOT get the most qualified contractors bidding on your painting project. Instead you may even get the "least" qualified. This is not always the case. There are painting contractors in the Chicago area who are members of paint contractor referral services who do follow the law and carry the proper insurance. But, it's up to YOU to screen them, even if you hire them from a lead referral service who "claims" to have already qualified them. The lead referral service just won't do it because this would put them out of business because they wouldn't be able to sell leads to enough contractors. Remember, the painters that are contacting you when you have a contractor referral service give your name out, are "paying for your name and job information".

Lead referral services typically charge the painting contractor anywhere from $25 to $200 for "leads" (your name and address and what work you need done). You are a "lead". Some charge much more than that and even take a percentage of the job from the contractor. While in theory, I feel that a contractor referral service is a good idea, in practice, I just haven't seen it work because the contractor referral services are too greedy and want to charge 3 or 4 contractors for your name whether they are fully insured or not and whether you hire one of those contractors or not.

I was a member of several contractor referral services and had good ratings on most of them, however, after going on hundreds of appointments and spending thousands of dollars, I realized that I was bidding against contractors who were unqualified, yet winning the bids because their prices were dirt cheap. But, the customer thought they were "screened". If you are looking for "cheap" and don't really care if your painters are complying with Illinois law, then you might find this with the contractor referral services. So it might not be a bad idea to use them if you need to keep your price way low, since so many contractors will be contacting you that are out to cut each others throat. A lot of them can do beautiful work too. I'm not questioning the quality of the work of any of these contractors.

I suggest that you find your painting contractor, on your own; online, from a friend or relative, yellow pages, mass mailings, whatever. There are a lot of good contractors out there. This way, when you are getting your quotes, you can screen them yourself. You know the old saying, "if you want something done right....then do it yourself". The thing for me that determines professionalism in this industry is whether the painting contractor is "fully insured". Yep! I know....they ALL say they are! It's almost laughable.

The best way to actually find out if a painter is legitimate in my opinion is to ask him for a certificate of "workers compensation insurance" as well as a certificate of "liability insurance". If he's fully insured then he probably cares about the quality of his work, customer service and all of the other things that you would expect from a quality chicago area paint contractor. Ask him to have his agent send you a copy. Do not accept a copy of a policy from the contractor. Another quick and easy way to find out if a painting company is following Illinois law with respect to workers compensation is to call the Illinois Industrial Commission and simply give them the name of the contractor, his address and phone number. They will tell you right away whether that contractor who told you that he was fully insured, really is. The phone number for the Illinois Industrial Commission is 312-814-6611.

Paint Platoon USA, is a Chicagoland painting contractor who performs a wide variety of commercial, industrial and residential home painting throughout the entire Chicago Metro area.

Paint Platoon USA also travels the United States and has worked in over 42 states the past 5 years alone. We perform work on military bases, manufacturing facilities, retail spaces, malls, warehouses, homes and condo associations and more. We can perform almost anything from high end interior or exterior finish work, from murals and logos, to office repainting to wallcovering removal or installations, On the industrial side we provide sandblasting and industrial coatings services on structural steel in both small and large industrial interiors and exteriors, tank coatings and linings, including elevated water tanks and silos, to ground tanks, oil and food grade tanks, light pole painting, machinery coatings and more.

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11 Surprising Benefits of CBD Edibles

11 Surprising Benefits of CBD Edibles


Have you tried CBD edibles?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is becoming one of the most popular supplements around.

CBD is a cannabinoid produced by the cannabis plant.

While it does not provide a psychotropic “high” like THC, there’s no doubt that CBD can have a positive effect on general health and wellbeing.

Yet, apart from puffing on a vapor pen or taking a capsule, how exactly do you consume CBD?

If you’re hoping to avoid inhaling, CBD edibles are an excellent option.

To give you the rundown on why these tasty treats are so great, here are 11 amazing benefits of CBD edibles:

1. CBD edibles provide long-lasting relief


CBD edibles have several benefits over smoking cannabis or inhaling a CBD vapor pen.

While it takes a while for CBD edibles to take effect (between 30 minutes to two hours), the result is relief that lasts longer than inhalation.

In a CBD edible, the active compound is combined with other foodstuffs.

This means that the CBD is released slowly over long periods of time as food is digested.

The result is a long-lasting CBD experience.

In fact, CBD edibles can last between two and four hours longer than inhaled CBD.

2. CBD is non-psychotropic 
CBD may be a cannabis compound, but many are surprised to find that it does not cause a psychotropic “high”.

Instead, the cannabinoid offers consumers a mellow mood uplift with a sense of positive, alerted energy.

With their long-lasting nature, CBD edibles can provide prolonged relief from mild pains and daily stresses.

These would be a great option for anyone hoping to enjoy the benefits of cannabis without an over-the-top psychoactive experience.

3. CBD edibles are easy to make


While some prefer to make their own cannabutter or infused cooking oils, CBD edibles can be surprisingly simple to make.

Different CBD extractions can be added to cooked and baked goods for an added antioxidant boost.

CBD crystals, made with purified and isolated CBD, are now available in many cannabis access points and online.

Although you should know that isolated CBD tends to be less effective compared to whole-plant cannabis.

MCT oil tinctures infused with CBD are also handy to have around.

Both of these products are easy to dose, giving you more control over the amount of CBD available per serving.

4. Less risk of lung irritation
While vapor pens are more popular than ever, the long-term implications of inhaling hot oil are still yet to be determined.

Many vapor pens also contain added thinning agents, like propylene glycol (PG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG).

Research suggests that these thinning agents may produce toxic carcinogens when heated to temperatures above 436 (224).

While it is possible to find vapor pens that do not contain these additives, CBD edibles are an excellent way to avoid inhaling potentially toxic compounds.

This saves the lungs from irritation.

5. Allows for greater plant synergy
Cannabis isn’t the only therapeutic plant out there.

Evidence suggests that compounds in the herb, like CBD, interact with other plant molecules to produce amplified effects.

Lavender, for example, contains an aroma molecule called linalool.

Linalool belongs to a class of compounds called terpenes.

Terpenes are scent molecules that give many plants their unique fragrance.

As you may have guessed, cannabis contains an abundance of terpenes.

When making CBD edibles at home, adding other beneficial herbs to your culinary creation may help modulate the effects of the cannabinoid.

Linalool, the lavender compound, is known to have calming effects.

Mixing some CBD into a lavender tea or dessert may amplify the mellow effects of each herbal remedy.

Amazing, right?



6. They’re available online
Another great benefit of CBD edibles?

They’re available online.

While the precise regulations on CBD are a little fuzzy, many providers sell CBD online and ship around the United States.

CBD is also available in a handful of European countries.

CBD edibles sold online are “hemp-derived”. Hemp and cannabis are the same plant.

However, the word cannabis is often used when discussing varieties of the plant capable of producing psychoactive THC.

Hemp is frequently grown for fiber and seed, yet the term has recently been applied to high-CBD/low-THC cannabis cultivars.

In the United States, cannabis with less than 0.3 percent THC is considered hemp.

Hemp products sold online are made from this form of cannabis.

7. CBD balances the psychoactive effects of THC



Worried about getting little too elevated for comfort?

CBD edibles may help balance out a psychotropic THC.

While edibles tend to take a while to kick in, consuming a little CBD with your THC is a great way to moderate the psychoactive experience.

Research suggests that CBD can calm the psychoactive effects of THC, toning down what could be an uncomfortable experience for some.

Those that want a slight psychoactive experience may want to mix and match pre-dosed THC and CBD edibles.

8. CBD edibles are easy to dose
When you inhale CBD via a vape pen or through smoke, it can be very difficult to determine exactly how much CBD you are getting each time.

Many purchased CBD edibles come in pre-dosed servings, enabling you to calculate how much CBD you have consumed and how much you need to consume to achieve your desired results. 

9. Edibles are discreet
Some forms of CBD can be cumbersome or impractical.

Even pocket vaporizers can get quite large and it may not always be convenient to pull out a pen vape to get your daily dose.

Those needing pain relief during a long flight or a focus boost during the workday will appreciate the ability to simply throw back a CBD gummy or two and get back to business.

No vape break required.

10. CBD is well-tolerated with minimal side effects
CBD can come with some side effects in high doses.

In fact, there is evidence that suggests that high-dose CBD may enhance the effects of pharmaceutical medications, making it necessary for consumers to lower their doses.

However, CBD is considered generally well-tolerated and even high-doses of the cannabinoid produce but minimal side effects.

A 2006 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research concluded that CBD was safe at a wide range of doses in both healthy and epileptic study participants.

11. CBD edibles are a helpful general remedy
Researchers are investigating different ways to use CBD in medicine.

Already, CBD-based pharmaceutical drugs have been proven successful in treating some types of epilepsy in clinical trials.

Yet, you don’t need to have a serious medical condition to benefit from CBD.

CBD edibles may also be beneficial supplements to those with milder and first-aid related ailments.

Many people pop an ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory drug after a minor injury, headache, or joint pain.

CBD, however, has been found to work in similar ways to these over-the-counter remedies without some of the harsh side effects like stomach ulcer and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Sounds like a step up, doesn’t it?
cbd edible candy

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What Is Hydroxycut?

What Is Hydroxycut?

Hydroxycut is a brand of weight loss supplements.

They offer various products — pills, capsules, shakes and gummies.

Their most popular product is a pill that is simply called "Hydroxycut" — sometimes with the words "Pro Clinical" attached.

As of today, the active ingredients are:

Caffeine
Lady's mantle extract (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Wild olive extract (Olea europaea)
Komijn extract (Cuminum cyminum)
Wild mint extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
It also contains calcium, vitamin C and some other minor ingredients.

The company also has another product called Hydroxycut Hardcore, which contains different ingredients altogether, including green coffee bean extract, yohimbine and an even high dose of caffeine.

Most of their other products have the same active ingredients and should have similar effects.

hydroxycut reviews

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Bryan Brandenburg

Bryan Brandenburg (born February 18, 1959 in Châteauroux, France) is an American author, technology entrepreneur and former game programmer. Brandenburg is best known as co-founder of Sculptured Software and Salt Lake Comic Con and Executive Producer at Engineering Animation, Inc.



After completing his studies in mathematics and physics in 1982, Brandenburg began programming 3D computer games on the Commodore 64 (C64), Apple II and later the IBM PC and Amiga. Brandenburg started several technology companies that were later acquired by private and public corporations. In 1984, he co-founded Sculptured Software[1] and led the company as President. The company was eventually sold for almost US$40 million after producing dozens of titles for the C64, Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, IBM PC and Apple II.

In 1994, Brandenburg started another game company, Software Arts International that was acquired in 1996 by Engineering Animation, Inc., where he was the Executive Producer for the public company's Interactive Division, producing titles for Disney, Mattel, Hasbro Interactive and Sierra On-Line.

In 1999, Bryan Brandenburg partnered with Karl Malone to build a media-centric outdoors media company (Amazing Outdoors) with websites, a television show, a radio program, a monthly magazine (Utah Outdoors), and a book publishing arm.[2] The company was acquired in 2001.

Brandenburg was an executive officer of DAZ 3D, a 3D content company and launched Bryce[3] in July 2004.[4][5] In January 2005, he was recruited as the CEO of Zygote Media Group[6][7][8] and launched Male Anatomy Collection 2.0,[9] the 3DScience.com website,[10] Female Anatomy Collection 3.0[11][12] and Zygote Heart 3.0.[13] In 2006, Brandenburg partnered with Content Paradise produce a current 3D model of the solar system including planets, moons and asteroid field.[14]

Brandenburg is the co-founder of Salt Lake Comic Con.[15] As Chief Marketing Officer, he announced a global partnership with PopLife Entertainment, the company that distributes the big-headed Funko Pop! figures in Asia, to bring FanX events to China, Thailand and the Philippines.[16] In November 2017, he was inducted in the Honorary Commander program for the 419th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base
Bryan Brandenburg Sculptured Software

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Mobile Phones Online - Save Big Bucks

Mobile Phones Online - Save Big Bucks

Mobile telephony is booming and so is the handset market. Buying mobile phones online makes life much easier for the consumers, offering an array of attractive deals and wonderful options. The wide product range that is available online, enables buyers to buy a suitable product that is apt for their lifestyle and usage. Online shopping also helps consumers to compare several and similar products offered by a host of sellers/dealers, giving them scope for comparative analysis of the available products. After you have selected a particular mobile online, you can also choose to make a payment online within a fraction of a second and the product will reach you within the specified time.

Benefit From Online Reselling

Mobile phone market is as ubiquitous as any other market in the 21st century. Today, everyone has a mobile, and is on the lookout for a better product every few months. The online resellers, to tap this huge demand, are vigorously trying to offer value for money to their customers. They buy mobiles in bulk from the manufacturers and enjoy economy of scale on the same. By choosing to pass on a portion of this benefit to their customers (in the form of cost savings), they are making buying mobile phones online an all the more attractive option. These resellers are likely to give you a great deal because they themselves have low overheads on account of their online operations. This means that they can easily pass on cost benefits to you in the form of potential savings while buying mobile phones online.

Choose The Product Carefully

Buying mobile phones online is, indeed, extremely easy. One has to be a careful about it though. It is preferable that before buying mobiles online, you obtain the necessary information about the product that you are interested in. Zeroing down on your requirements from the mobile, will help you identify a suitable phone for yourself. For instance, if you are a music lover, there are specific music phones for you in the market, and those who want as a computer, there are other apt models. So, know your requirements well.

Read Related Reviews

Online mobile sellers generally offer similar services as high street sellers. But, it could be tedious to find the right mobile online, as the options are just too many. It is, therefore, a good idea to check reviews about the product of your interest online. You can run through blogs on the reseller's webpage for such information or randomly search on the product online. There are also specific review sites that you can visit to improve your knowledge on mobile phones online.




halo mobile

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How to Become An iPhone Game Developer

How to Become An iPhone Game Developer


I personally believe that everyone has a capability to develop an iPhone game. Recently, I put my hands on developing a physics-based puzzler for my sweet partner, i.e. iPhone, using zero budget with no experience. It is not so easy for you to develop apps without paying a single penny. Honestly saying, I pay some amount towards set-up costs and implement proper skills and approach towards iPhone Game Development. Although, I am not an experienced person, having strong wish to develop a successful game. If you also want to create the best gaming application, simply follow my eight simple steps:

Take an original idea from Your Mind: Polish your mind and think only about iPhone game programming. My brother is fond of gaming and I always saw how he plays and wins the game. I grab an idea from his playing and combining a line-drawing physics-engine along with two other similar type of games for developing my own game. Moreover, I explore many other related games that took my hours to find out some inspiring games.

Go for Proper tools: Choosing the right tools, always give you an amazing outcome. If you are not professional iPhone game programming developer, you could have an option of 'drag and drop' game creation library like GameSalad. Using tools from library allows game development for iPhone although you don't have any programming knowledge.

Go Through Free tutorials: While creating my first iPhone game, I'd never go in Objective C as it is quite difficult as compare to making games from game library. If I ever find difficulty while developing game, I always knock the door of free tutorials. There are many online tutorials on iOS programming that found useful in my iPhone Game Development. Developer.apple.com is the best source to find tutorials.

Hire iPhone Game Developer from Outsourcing in Difficulty: If you are unable to do programming yourself of certain part of app, it would be best to outsource to some experienced company. These companies charge less as you have to develop only some part of app.

Create Challenging Game: Every game player like to play challenging and short-length games. Looking to likeness of player, I made game that doesn't take long time to achieve victory. To give more challenging touch, I added some extra advanced stages.

Insert free sound effects: For putting amazing sound effects, I personally used freesound.org. In addition, I also used Audacity, which is a free sound-editing program for editing the sound of my game.

Gather Reviews: After completing whole game development for iPhone, I eagerly gathered feedback from my friends and relatives. As I think, feedback always tells you how challenging and interesting game you have made. Moreover, you can also take help of beta testers on iPhone forums that will give you appropriate feedback.

Put It in the Market: Marketing is one of the essential steps that you have to follow after development. If you are not so, people didn't have an idea about your game, no matter how interesting your game is. I spend a lot of time to target app review sites and other technology websites for market my game. I also wrote an interesting press release that includes features and tricks for players, who are interested in playing my game.

bryan brandenburg

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