A lot has happened in the NFL since Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1. But now it’s time to throw out those off season blues and get ready for another year of excitement. And while watching the games is always a good time, many fans are trying to make football a more interactive sport through the creation of fantasy leagues.

Fantasy football has taken off in recent years. An analysis from Fox Business writer Mathew Rocco projected that around 56.8 million Americans and Canadians will play fantasy football in 2015. That’s a lot of people, and with so much competition out there, drafting a team of your own can seem like a daunting task, especially for those new to fantasy football. Thankfully, there are some simple tips and tricks out there to keep you at the top of your league.

Draft day
Picking a good team is vital to a season’s success, so do your research and choose wisely. Making sure you have a successful and productive draft day starts with in-depth research about player rankings and statistics. A good place to start is ESPN’s Fantasy Rankings for 2015.

Although these rankings are a great way to compare players and build a team, it’s crucial that you don’t rely on these as a crutch. Adrian Peterson is currently ranked as the second-best running back and would make a great addition to any team, but he missed the last 15 games of the 2015 season. This, coupled with the fact that he’s getting a little older might lead to some problems at the beginning of the season. Make sure to do your homework on players, including past injury reports and performance during summer training camp.

While researching players, also make sure to look out for sleepers, or players who will outperform their average draft position. One player a lot of people seem to be buzzing about is Blake Bortles, a second-year quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although his first season was a bit of a bust, Bortles had limited offensive options last year. The Jaguars have since invested in their offensive line, and have brought on running back T.J. Yeldon to help Bortles score. Sleepers are generally a gamble, put can pay off big for those who like to live dangerously.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that you’re playing for an entire season, not just draft day. Picking poorly in the draft is going to make winning an uphill battle, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost all chance of being a champion.

During the season
So you’ve done your research, chosen your players and constructed a top-notch fantasy team. Now it’s time to set a lineup and actually start playing. There’s really no surefire way to predict how someone will play during a particular game, which means a lot of the time you’re going to have to rely on intuition.

That said, the first thing every single fantasy coach should do when making a starting lineup is check to see who’s injured and who isn’t. This seems pretty obvious, but starting an injured player is one of the most frustrating ways to lose a game.

What this means is that you need to check on your players religiously. What is ESPN saying about their performance last game? Have they been accused of any criminal charges? Are they tweeting about hanging out at the club the night before a big game? All of these questions and a million others should guide your daily research in order to make sure your team is getting you as many points as possible

What this means is that you’re going to need one of the best wireless internet providers possible. Thankfully, Exede has got your back. With some of the best satellite internet around, Exede allows you greater access to every tidbit of information about all of your team’s players. And with an abundance of DIRECTV internet bundles, you can watch the big game while researching your next trade.

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The average American owns and uses four digital devices, according to the 2014 U.S. Digital Consumer Report from Nielsen. Just think about the devices you currently have – these could include a smartphone, tablet, laptop, wearable device or other connected item like a smart TV. These items have changed the way we do many things, including how we’re entertained.

In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of the second screen, where people not only watch television, but use one of their four mobile devices to connect with complementary apps and websites to enhance their viewing experience. One of the leaders in this arena is DIRECTV, which piloted one of the first second-screen apps available. Now, there are all kinds of second-screen apps available to accompany certain shows and overall network programming.

Second screen habits
So how exactly are people using their second screens to enhance their TV viewing experience? According to recent research, nearly 80 percent of viewers take part in the second screen experience, using a variety of different devices – 32 percent use a laptop, 26 percent use their smartphone and 20 percent use a tablet, according to CE.org.

Sometimes, these activities are less related to what people are watching. CE found that 65 percent of people use their second screen for multitasking and 58 percent pick up their smartphone, laptop or tablet to distract themselves during commercial breaks.

Tips for the best second-screen experience
However you choose to use your second screen, there are some tips you can use to give you the best experience possible:

• Check if there is a companion app for the program you’re watching. Something like DIRECTV’s second-screen app for Rogue can offer a ton of interesting tidbits and factoids. You can even impress your fellow viewers with your knowledge of the show – provided they want to hear your feedback of course.
• Use your second screen for research. Have you ever watched a show and recognized an actor, but can’t place where you might have seen them? Having a second screen handy can help you find out the name of the actor as well as other shows or movies they might have been in. Websites like IMDb, or Internet Movie Database, can be very helpful in these respects. You might even discover something new from this actor that you might like.
• Look up reviews. If you’re anything like us, you don’t want to waste two hours on a movie that turns out to be a real stinker. A second screen can allow you to use websites like Rotten Tomatoes to look up reviews of top TV shows and movies so you know what you’re getting into before the beginning credits ever roll.

Whether you’re using a laptop, tablet or smartphone as your second screen, your satellite internet service from Exede is there to make it happen.

A new report by Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CNET has revealed that the world is waking up to the benefits of the Smart Home. 

More than a quarter of Americans now own at least one connected home device, and they’re enjoying more money, more time, and less worries because of it. In fact, nine out of ten Smart Home users would recommend it to others. Here are three big reasons why. 

A Smart Home Gives You Peace of Mind 

Stat: 72 percent of Smart Home users say it gives them peace of mind on home security.

Smart Home Security has advanced the home security system into a protective powerhouse capable of guarding your home and family from intruders, accidents, water damage, energy waste and even extreme weather. That takes a whole lot of worry off your mind. 

Families with children enjoy this benefit more than most, whether protecting young kids at play in the back yard or staying in touch with home-alone teens. Almost four-fifths of Smart Home parents with under-18s say they enjoy more peace of mind. 

A Smart Home Saves You Time 

Stat: 57 percent of people with Smart Home tech say that it saves them time—30 minutes a day on average. 

With devices like smart lights, locks, and garage doors, a Smart Home gives you a ton of ways to save time. 

You get everyday micro-savings, like using your smartphone (or Apple Watch) to turn your lights off or adjust a thermostat. Then, there are significant but less common time-savers, like letting a contractor in remotely rather than staying home for the morning. They all add up. 

A Smart Home Saves You Money 

Stat: 45 percent of Smart Home users say it saves them an average of $98.30 a month. 

A Smart Home offers a range of ways to protect your home and wallet, including automated energy savings that can put a big dent in energy bills. 

A fully-integrated Smart Thermostat uses information from all around the house to save energy while keeping you comfortable, while smart plugs and switches take the work out of battling energy waste by appliances like TVs. 

To read the report by Coldwell Banker and CNET in full, click here. 

Back-to-school time comes with big changes to schedules and new concerns for parents.  With smart home security from One-Stop Communications, your child coming home safely is less likely to be one of them. 

If you’re a working parent with older kids, you’re not going to be there every night when the bus drops them off. Traditionally, that would mean a routine of check-in calls and keeping tabs on their whereabouts. That can be a hassle for everyone in the family. 

Not so with smart home alarm system, which easily provides the perfect back to school awareness solution to keep you worry free. 

1: Add a Smart Lock 

Keys are small and easy to lose. Kids can be absent minded – particularly with all that homework on their minds. Combine the two and there’s a good chance you might be making a few trips to the hardware store for extra keys this fall. 

Wait—you hid a spare key under a planter? That’s a solution that a burglar will thank you for. A better way to go is a smart lock for your front door. It’s a permanent solution to lost (and poorly-hidden) keys. They open with easy to remember four-digit codes or from anywhere with our smartphone app. 

2: Set Up User Codes 

User codes don’t just open doors, though. They provide peace of mind, even when the security system is disarmed. 

With your smart lock integrated into your Smart Home Security system, your child’s user code can trigger an instant alert when they use it. 

That means you’ll know exactly when they arrive home. There’s no need for them to text, no need for you to call, and no need for you to wonder—it’s completely automatic. For additional awareness, you can create a no-show alert, which lets you know if they’re not home by a certain time. Then you know to follow up. 

3: Add an Image Sensor 

So who else is home? If you don’t want your home to turn into a neighborhood hangout in the afternoons, then it’s a good idea to keep tabs on who’s there. 

An image sensor is a motion sensor with an onboard camera that lets you visually verify who’s coming in and out of your home. Positioned in the hallway overlooking the front door, it can take a snapshot right when your kids arrive home so you can rest assured that they’re following your rules on after-school guests. 

4: Program Your Smart Thermostat 

Kids have more exciting things to worry about than keeping the energy bill down, so they often overlook closing doors and windows when the AC is running. 

You can rest easy about your kids ‘cooling the neighborhood’ with a smart thermostat, which can automatically set back to ‘savings mode’ if they leave the door open for any length of time. 

You can also keep more control over the temperature settings in your home, even when you’re not there. Set a schedule on your Alarm.com Smart Thermostat and create an alert so you’ll know if anyone makes an adjustment on the thermostat. You can even restrict temperature changes so they can only be made from the mobile app, not the device. 

Don’t Have Smart Home Alarm System? Get Started Today 

Back-to-school is here, but it’s not too late to make it easy with One-Stop Communications. 

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A couple of different studies have shown that the presence of a home security system is a deterrent to the average burglar. For example, a University of North Carolina at Charlotte study shows that 83 percent of the 422 convicted burglars interviewed for the study would try to find out whether or not a home was alarmed before attempting to break in. Half said they would immediately abort a break-in attempt on discovering an alarm system; only 13 percent said they would not be deterred.

Statistical analysis makes it clear that home security is a burglary deterrent. Anything that increases the likelihood of being apprehended is something burglars would prefer to avoid.

Noise, Noise, and More Noise

If there are two things a burglar hates, it is noise and nosy neighbors. A burglar is willing to break a window to get in because it makes noise just once, and it’s done. A neighbor may be startled by the sound of breaking glass, but he or she will go about their business if no additional noise is heard. A home security system is different. It sets off an alarm that is long, loud and constant. It will attract nosy neighbors very easily.

Video Surveillance

One-Stop Communications recommends video surveillance cameras be installed if they fit within a customer’s budget. Cameras act as deterrents in two ways. First, a burglar who sees cameras always has to consider that someone might be watching remotely. That could result in the police being alerted before any break-in attempt is implemented, giving the burglar even less time to do what he/she does.

Video surveillance is an additional deterrent by providing evidence that can be used for investigative and prosecutorial purposes. Recorded video can help identify a burglar and, after arrest, convict him or her in court. Moreover, because most burglars are petty criminals, they are not interested in a long jail sentence when there are so many easy houses to hit.

Faster Response Times

Burglars also hate home security systems because they usually lead to faster response times. For example, a monitored system from One-Stop Communications allows us to quickly react to a burglar alarm, and be speaking to the local 911 dispatcher in under a minute. The burglar knows that he or she is on the clock from the moment their actions are discovered.

It is important to point out that maximum benefit is only achieved when using a monitored system. An unmonitored alarm does make a lot of noise, but that’s about all. A burglar who knows an alarm system is not connected to a monitoring center may be willing to take the chance if there’s reason to believe that valuables are easily accessible upon entry. Nevertheless, the opposite is also true.

When a burglar sees the logo of a well-known security company (such as Monitronics) on a lawn placard or window decal, they’re likely to think twice about the decision to burglarize a house. There may be other homes in the neighborhood that pose less of a risk.

One last tip: Don’t forget to set your alarm before you leave home. A home security system that is not set is one that cannot do the job it was intended to do. If you add home automation to your system, you can arm and disarm your system remotely using a smartphone or another mobile device.

Sources:

• Angie’s List – http://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-well-do-security-alarms-deter-crime.htm

DALLAS, TEXAS – July 24, 2015 — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has completed its acquisition of DIRECTV. The newly combined company – the largest pay TV provider in the United States and the world – will offer millions of people more choices for video entertainment on any screen from almost anywhere, any time.

“Combining DIRECTV with AT&T is all about giving customers more choices for great video entertainment integrated with mobile and high-speed Internet service,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “We’ll now be able to meet consumers’ future entertainment preferences, whether they want traditional TV service with premier programming, their favorite content on a mobile device, or video streamed over the Internet to any screen.

“This transaction allows us to significantly expand our high-speed Internet service to reach millions more households, which is a perfect complement to our coast-to-coast TV and mobile coverage,” Stephenson said. “We’re now a fundamentally different company with a diversified set of capabilities and businesses that set us apart from the competition.”

AT&T now is the largest pay TV provider in the U.S. and the world, providing service to more than 26 million customers in the United States and more than 191 million customers in Latin America, including Mexico and the Caribbean. Additionally, AT&T has more than 132 million wireless subscribers and connections in the U.S. and Mexico; offers 4G LTE mobile coverage to nearly 310 million people in the U.S.; covers 57 million U.S. customer locations with high-speed Internet; and has nearly 16 million subscribers to its high-speed Internet service.

Current customers of AT&T and DIRECTV do not need to do anything as a result of the merger. They’ll continue to receive their same services, channel lineups, and customer care. Customer account information, online access and billing arrangements remain the same. The integration of AT&T and DIRECTV will occur over the coming months. In the coming weeks, AT&T will launch new integrated TV, mobile and high-speed Internet offers that give customers greater value and convenience.

With the completion of its DIRECTV acquisition, AT&T will continue to deploy its all-fiber GigaPower Internet access service – the company’s highest-speed Internet service, which allows you to download a TV show in as little as three seconds. When the expansion is complete, AT&T’s all-fiber broadband footprint will reach more than 14 million customer locations.  

AT&T announced that John Stankey will be CEO of AT&T Entertainment & Internet Services, responsible for leading its combined DIRECTV and AT&T Home Solutions operations. Stankey will report to Stephenson. DIRECTV President, Chairman and CEO Mike White announced his plans to retire.

“Mike is one of the world’s top CEOs and a great leader who built DIRECTV into a premier TV and video entertainment company spanning the U.S. and Latin America,” Stephenson said. “He has been a terrific partner and friend, and his legacy will be an important part of our combined company.”

As a result of this transaction, AT&T leads the industry in offering consumers premier content, particularly live sports programming, such as the exclusive rights to NFL SUNDAY TICKET, which gives customers every out-of-market NFL game, every Sunday afternoon, on any screen – TV, mobile devices or PCs. Additionally, the company owns ROOT SPORTS, one of the nation’s premier regional sports networks, and has stakes in The Tennis Channel, MLB Network, NHL Network, and GSN (Game Show Network).

AT&T is also developing unique video offerings for consumers through, among other initiatives, its Otter Media joint venture with The Chernin Group. The joint venture was established to invest in, acquire and launch over-the-top (OTT) video services. This includes its purchase of a majority stake in Fullscreen, a global online media company that works with more than 50,000 content creators who engage 450 million subscribers and generate 4 billion monthly views.

Under the terms of the merger, DIRECTV shareholders received 1.892 shares of AT&T common stock, in addition to $28.50 in cash, per share of DIRECTV. AT&T will provide complete updated 2015 financial guidance at a conference the company will host for financial analysts in the coming weeks. The conference will be webcast to the public.

The DIRECTV acquisition significantly diversifies AT&T’s revenue mix, products, geographies and customer bases. As a result of this acquisition, as well as AT&T’s acquisition of Iusacell and Nextel Mexico, AT&T expects that, by the end of 2015, its largest revenue streams will be, in descending order: Business Solutions (both wireless and wireline); Entertainment & Internet; Consumer Mobility; and International Mobility and Video.

As part of the Federal Communications Commission’s approval of the transaction, AT&T has agreed to the following conditions for the next four years:

• Within 4 years, AT&T will offer its all-fiber Internet access service to at least 12.5 million customer locations, such as residences, home offices and very small businesses.  Combined with AT&T’s existing high-speed broadband network, at least 25.7 million customer locations will have access to broadband speeds of 45Mbps or higher.
• Within its wireline footprint, the company will offer 1Gbps service to any eligible school or library requesting E-rate services, pursuant to applicable rules, within the company’s all-fiber footprint.   
• Within AT&T’s 21-state wireline footprint, it will offer discounted fixed broadband service to low-income households that qualify for the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In locations where it’s available, service with speeds of at least 10Mbps will be offered for $10 per month. Elsewhere, 5Mbps service will be offered for $10 per month or, in some locations, 3Mbps service will be offered for $5 per month. 
• AT&T’s retail terms and conditions for its fixed broadband Internet services will not favor its own online video programming services. AT&T can and will, however, continue to offer discounted integrated bundles of its video and high-speed Internet services.
• AT&T must submit to the FCC new interconnection agreements it enters into with peering networks and on-net customers for the exchange of Internet traffic. The company will develop, in conjunction with an independent expert, a methodology for measuring the performance of its Internet traffic exchange and regularly report these metrics to the FCC.
• AT&T will appoint a Company Compliance Officer to develop and implement a plan to ensure compliance with these merger conditions. Also, the company will engage an independent, third-party compliance officer to evaluate the plan and its implementation, and submit periodic reports to the FCC.  

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

1. Includes DIRECTV Latin America pay TV subscribers as of March 31, 2015, including subscribers of Sky Mexico, in which DIRECTV holds a minority stake.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed Internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. In the U.S., our wireless network offers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage*. And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers’ LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere.

*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

We all have valuables that we would hate to lose. Some have a high monetary value, others are highly personal, and others are a combination of both.

The question for the average homeowner is whether to invest in a safe or not. In a single word: Yes!

Installing a safe in your home is an inexpensive and efficient way to protect your valuables from both burglary and fire.

A burglar wants to get in and out of your house as quickly as possible. Burglars look for small items that they can stuff in their pockets and get rid of quickly at a local pawn shop or on the street. However, the key is speed.

Any burglar who has to spend more than a few minutes in your home gets awfully nervous. A safe keeps valuables out of sight. If a burglar does come across your safe, it may require too much time and trouble to deal with.

The added fire protection offered by a home safe should be apparent. But, of course, this requires you to purchase one with built-in fire protection. Not every model on the market will stand up to fire, smoke and water damage.

If this added protection is something you are after, you will have to research your options to make sure you are getting what you expect for a product that fits in your price range.

Home Safety TipsDeciding to purchase a home safe for your valuables is the first step in protecting them against burglary and fire. Below are some tips to help you choose the right model and to use it correctly:

• Wall vs. Floor – Neither a wall nor floor safe is necessarily superior in terms of fire or water protection. Nevertheless, there is a big difference for burglary. Wall safes are easier to conceal and much harder to walk away with. We recommend a wall safe for burglary protection where practical.
• Protection Priorities – Not every safe will give you 100 percent protection against every threat. When choosing your safe, you need to decide what is most important. Are you more concerned about burglary? Is fire your main concern? Consider your priorities for protection and size when making your choice.
• Safe Location – Your safe will provide maximum protection against burglary if it is located in a place burglars do not expect. Therefore, do not install your safe in the master bedroom. Choose the bathroom or another room as deep in the interior of your home if possible. If you are using a wall safe, conceal it behind something such as a medicine cabinet, a hinged mirror, or a picture.
• Burglary Decoy – When burglary is the primary concern, you can significantly aid your cause by placing certain decoys around the home. For example, leaving costume jewelry in a jewelry box located in the master bedroom could be enough to encourage a burglar to grab and go.
• Gun Safes – If you own firearms, a gun safe may be mandatory in your local area. Such a safe is an excellent idea even if the law does not require one. A gun safe will protect your weapons from being stolen and later used in a crime, protecting you from potential liability as well.

Having a safe is a good idea for every American household. Why not invest in one, along with the added security offered by a monitored home security system from One-Stop Communications? Our service and equipment help to deter burglars as well warning you of a fire or potential carbon monoxide poisoning.

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