My Computer Technology

30 Website to Download Freeware Application

2009-01-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

Below is the list of website where you can find many freeware application. I hope this can help to decrease piracy.

1. FreewareFiles.com
http://www.freewarefiles.com
game, browser web, screensaver, driver, desktop, spyware

2. Nonags
http://www.nonags.com
All about freeware

3. Freeware Home
http://www.freewarehome.com
All about freeware

4. Free Downloads Center
http://www.freedownloadscenter.com
game, video, program antivirus,wallpaper

5. PortableApps.com
http://portableapps.com
Portabel application

6. SofoTex Downloads
http://www.sofotex.com
PC utilities, games, screen savers

7. Completely Free Software
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com
Freeware Windows and DOS

8. MyZips.com
http://www.myzips.com
All about freeware and shareware

9. Programfiles.com
http://www.programfiles.com
All about freeware and shareware

10. FreewareWeb.com
http://www.freewareweb.com
All about freeware and shareware

11. GameHippo
http://www.gamehippo.com
All about freeware game

12. TinyApps.org
http://www.tinapps.org
All about small freeware application

13. Freeware Guide
http://www.freeware-guide.com
All about freeware

14. TopDownloads
http://www.topdownloads.net
Game, screen savers, wallpapers, and many others

15. Open Universe

http://www.openuniverse.org
Freeware simulator

16. Files32.com
http://www.files32.com
All about freeware and shareware

17. Pricelessware
http://www.pricelessware.org
Best windows freeware application

18. ACME Laboratories
http://www.acme.com
Utiliti and tool for Unix and java

19. ABF-SOFT.com
http://www.abf-soft.com
All about freeware and shareware

20. Only Freeware
http://freeware.intrastar.net/
All about freeware

21. SGI
http://www.sgi.com/fun/freeware/games.html
Freeware game

22. AnalogX
http://www.analogx.com/contents/download.htm
More than 5000 windows application

23. DriversHeadquarters
http://www.drivershq.com
All about freeware driver

24. Mihov Freeware
http://www.mihov.com/eng/
All about freeware and shareware and image

25. Freeware Directory
http://freewaredirectory.net
All about freeware and direct link

26. Driverfiles
http://www.driverfiles.net
All about freeware driver and DLL

27. Top Quality Freeware
http://www.topqualityfreeware.com
Freeware application include game PC, icon, desktop, themes, image and internet utility

28. The Free Site
http://www.thefreesite.com/free_software/
All about freeware

29. Freeware Network
http://www.fwnetwork.com
All about freeware

30. Free Software 4 All
http://www.freesoftware4all.co.uk
List of good freeware application

Using Cursor at DB2

2009-01-18T00:20:00.000-08:00

After Stored Procedure, we will learn about how to use Cursor. Output with Cursor or without Cursor will be the same. The differences is just a the process. With Cursor we lock at 1 row only, without cursor we will lock all record.

The advantage of using Cursor
- only lock 1 row
- there are an operation that must use Cursor

The disadvantage of using Cursor
- it become more complex

For example if we want to make a Stored Procedure to update salary depends on job. There are 2 ways that we can do, Stored Procedure with an without Cursor.

This is the Stored Procedure without Cursor, the easier way.

------------------------------------------------------------
create procedure proc_2(in bonus double,in work varchar(10))
dynamic result sets 1
p1: begin
update staff set salary = salary + bonus where job= work;
end p1
------------------------------------------------------------

This is the screen shoot

This is the Stored Procedure without Cursor, more complicated query.

------------------------------------------------------------
create procedure proc_1(in bonus double,in work varchar(10))
dynamic result sets 1
p1: begin
declare now_salary double;
declare c1 cursor with return for
select salary from staff where job=work;
open c1;
fetch from c1 into now_salary;
close c1;
set now_salary = now_salary + bonus;
update staff set salary = now_salary where job= work;
end p1
------------------------------------------------------------

This is the screen shoot

You can run this Stored Procedure at DB2cmd. Just write this command.
"db2 call proc_2(100.0,'Mgr')", but don't forget to connect to the DBMS first.

Make Stored Procedure at DB2

2009-01-17T23:40:00.000-08:00

To make a Stored Procedure with IBM Data Studio, you can follow this step by step tutorial
1. Open IBM Data Studio
2. Choose file -> new -> data development project
3. Give a project name, for example Project2
4. Choose "Use an existing connection". Click Finish
5. At Data Project Explorer will show Project2
6. Right click at Proejct2 -> new -> Stored Procedure
7. Give a Stored Procedure name, for example PROC_3. Choose next
8. At statement detail, change with the query that you want. Click next
9. Click next
10. Choose the specific name. This is an alias name for Stored Procedure.
11. Click Finish

This is the query generated by IBM Data Studio
CREATE PROCEDURE PROC_3 ( )
DYNAMIC RESULT SETS 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- SQL Stored Procedure
------------------------------------------------------------------------
P1: BEGIN
-- Declare cursor
DECLARE cursor1 CURSOR WITH RETURN FOR
SELECT *
FROM EMPLOYEE;

-- Cursor left open for client application
OPEN cursor1;
END P1

If you want to run it. First right click the Stored Procedure, then choose Deploy, after that choose run. You can see the output at the right below corner.

This is the screenshot

Or you can run it from DB2cmd. Just write this command.
"db2 connect to sample" then "db2 call proc_3()"

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

Access Control: An Introduction To Access Control

2009-01-17T08:04:00.000-08:00

The Problem

Your building is secure at night, but during the day there are several doors that have to be open. Anybody could walk in. What can you do?

The Solution

You need an Access Control System.

What is an Access Control System?

Access Control is an electronic security system which permits or restricts access to specific areas of a premises. It not only protects property against unwanted visitors but ensures the safety of both the property and of the people inside.

In simple terms, an Access Control System provides control of entry (or exit) through nominated doors via a control panel and some form of electric locking facility.

An Access Control System can be as simple or as complicated as you wish but in each case, the solution will always provide an easy passage for permitted persons around the building.

Door Entry or Access Control?

Door entry is commonly associated with a single door or gate, whereas access control is more suited to multiple doors or entry points.

Access Control can also incorporate a host of other features which enhance other areas of the business.

Access Control / Door Entry Technology

There are a number of ways that a permitted user can open a door that is fitted with a system.

PIN Code Entry

The most common unit is the keypad system. This comprises a control unit with a series of numbered push buttons, or a touch-sensitive pad, connected to the lock release mechanism via a control unit located at the entrance.

Magstripe (also called Swipe Card) Readers

Each entry point has a card reader and the user “swipes” an encoded card similar to a credit card to gain entry.

This technology is widely used and there are many choices of manufacturers.

Proximity Readers

Rather than swiping the card or tag, it is simply presented to a reader which typically will see the card at a distance of about 100mm. This is a fast, non-contact, method of entry.

Long Range Readers

Long range proximity readers (of approximately a meter or so) automatically unlock or open a door when it detects the card.

This is particularly suitable for compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) as no action is required by the card bearer.

Smartcard Readers

For systems that use cards or tags, these cards can also carry additional information which can be used for other building services – – for example, time and attendance functions, integration with payroll systems, car park management and even vending machine applications.

Biometric Readers

A Biometric Reader system uses unique human characteristics – such as finger prints or a retina scan – to clearly identify those who are permitted access.

As there are no cards or tags which can be stolen or lost, or open to misuse, this type of system significantly increases the level of security.

What about Visitors?

You will want to welcome most of those who visit your premises, so it must be easy for them to let you know they are there.

The three most common means of attracting attention are:

• A simple door bell system which alerts your staff to the fact that there is someone waiting outside.

• An audio intercom panel which allows the visitor to have a direct conversation with a member of your staff and, if appropriate, the door can be remotely released.

• An audio intercom panel with a camera facility which allows your staff to see who wants to enter the building before permitting access.

Once access has been permitted, the visitor can either be escorted around or issued with a card or pin number for the duration of their visit.

Things to Consider

When planning an access control system, you should consider the following:

• How many entry/exit points
• Where are these located>
• Level of security desired
• The movement of staff around the building
• Method of operation
• Future growth of building
• Turnover of employees
• Disability access
• Interface with other systems – for example, the fire alarm

As with any type of security system, it is sensible to employ a company that you can trust. Make sure you use a NSI (NACOSS) approved organisation; this will ensure that your system will be designed and installed by professionals.

Accelerator Software Provides a Faster Download

2009-01-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Over half of all households that connect to the Internet have a broadband connection these days, mostly cable or DSL. Which means the other half does not and still uses dial-up. Modems are much faster than they used to be in the early days of computing, but today's websites are larger and require a lot of bandwidth to load quickly. To make matters worse for those on slower connections, even simple software updates are now often dozens of megabytes and can take a long time to download. What it all means is that modem users need a break!

Fortunately, there are things that can be done to make a connection faster. You see, the operating system software on today's computers is not optimized for fast downloads. Microsoft's primary goal is simply to make sure Windows works with all the different hardware out there. Compatibility is important, of course, but it can be frustrating when things just don't work as well as they should.

But not everything is your computer's fault. Your Internet service provider, too, is primarily concerned with reliability (good), compatibility (good), and moving as much traffic as possible with as little investment as possible (not so good). Further, while the Internet moves at electronic speed, not all connections are equal. You may have noticed that downloading pictures from the same exact website is sometimes faster and other times much slower. That may be because the server is very busy, but it can also be because your connection is taking some detours instead of directly getting on the highway.

What does it all mean? It means that between hardware and software designed for compatibility rather than performance, and Internet connections that may not necessarily favor individual dial-up customers, you may simply not get the speed your computer is capable of and that you are paying for. This is bad news for those who frequently download movies, music or pictures.

Fortunately, there are solutions, and I don't mean getting a new computer or waiting until you have broadband access. One such solution is download accelerators. They can greatly increase the speed and reliability of your downloads. How do they do it? By optimizing the way your computer works and by making sure your data downloads the fastest and most direct route possible. With a download accelerator, you are no longer at the mercy of some remote traffic routing computer. Instead, the accelerator in your own system determines the best way to download data as quickly and efficiently as possible.

But speed is not the only benefit of a good download accelerator. How often has it happened to you that a connection times out or is interrupted before a file has downloaded completely? Probably quite often. And then you have to start all over. A download accelerator will keep track of things and will simply pick up where you left off if a connection gets dropped. Imagine how much time you save.

The bottom line is clear. You have better things to do than wait for downloads to complete. If you want to regain control of your Internet connection, accelerate downloads and restore, or just web browsing in general, a good accelerator is invaluable.

Global Warming

2009-01-17T07:24:00.000-08:00

Browsing, chatting and all other internet activities make a carbon polution. Every time we use Google service we have contributed on global warming. This is happened because every time we turn on the computer, it will use electricity.

Physician from Havard University, Alex Wissner-Gross concluded that every time google search engine work, it make 7 grams of carbon. It means when we make 10 search, then it will produce 70 grams of carbon.

This calculation based on carbon emissions from the consumption of electricity needed to power the computer users and the Google data center that operates around the world. Using large energy means more carbon dioxide emissions considering almost electricity that is used currently based fossil energy sources.

Google said it's true that every time they make a search it will produce a carbon polution, but it is only cost 0,0003 kWh or 0,2 gram of carbon. Google claims that the result is too high. Moreover Google has make Climate Savers Computing Initiative to lower the use of energy in the consumer level to half of 2010 and began to decrease carbon dioxide emissions 54 million tons per year.

How to Install IBM Data Studio

2009-01-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

This is the step by step to install IBM data studio
1. Open drive:\Installer\DB installer2_Install\IBM Data Studio\Windows
2. Extract IBM_data_studio_v111_win file
3. Click setup.exe.
4. Choose Install IBM Data Studio.
5. Tick all checkbox then click next.
6. Choose I accept the aggrement then click next
7. Choose create a new package group then choose your preferred path, then click next
8. If you have alreday had Eclipse, try yo use Extend and existing Eclipse.
9. Choose your preferred language.
10. Choose feature that you want to be installed.
11. IBM instalation manager will install IBM data studio to your computer, just sit relax
12. Finish and you can use IBM data studio right now.

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

DB2 Product Overview

2009-01-17T02:47:00.000-08:00

DB2 is a DBMS made by IBM. It was released for the first time at 1983 in MVS. At 1996, IBm released DB2 UDB v5. At this version, DB2 has a feature to support saving many data type like audio, video and text

DB2 9 is the lateset release. In this version, like the previous, can run on many platform like AIX, HP-UK, Linux, Solaris, Windows, i5/OS and z/OS. In this version, DB2 has many type as you can see below.
The bigger the number, it become more expensive, more stable, and has more feature.

1. DB2 Everyplace
This version is the smallest DB2, it's size only 350KB. This version made for handheld user like PDA or smartphone.

2. DB2 Express
This version is an entry level for data server which is designed for
a computer with up to 2 CPU and 4GB memory and run on Linux platform. It has a few important feature such as
- pureXML : give an simple and efisien access to XML data at the same security and integrity with relational data.
- High Availability : give 24 x 7 reliability to DB2 data server. There 3 komponent in this feature, HADR, Online Reorganization, and IBM TSA MP.
- Workload Management : this feature monitoring query actively and manage it to run efisiently
- Performance Optimization : this feature combine 3 module, MQT, MDC and Query Parallelism
- DB2 Homogenous Federation Feature : this feature has ability to manage and access multiple data server

3. DB2 Express-C
This version is an entry level for data server which is designed for
a computer with up to 2 CPU and 4GB memory and run on Linux or Windows platform. This version can be used for evaluation and education freely. It has a few important feature such as
- Spatial Extender Client and samples
- Microsoft Cluster Server support
- Informix Data Source support
- Replication Data Capture
- DB2 Web Tools
- Global Secure Toolkit
- APPC and NetBios support

4. DB2 Personal Edition
This is the DBMS for single user on dekstop or notebook. It can be used to create, modify, and manage many local database.

5. DB2 Workgroup Server Edition
This version is the DBMS for multi user, client/ server which is designed for a computer with up to 4 CPU, 16GB memory and run on Linux, Windows, Solaris, Linux, AIX platform. This has the same feature with DB2 Express, but it has more scalability.

6. DB2 Enterprise Server Edition
This version is the DBMS for multi user, web enabled client/ server which is can hold huge transaction, multi terabyte data warehouse. It can run on server which has up to hundreds CPU running on Linux, Windows, Solaris, Linux, AIX platform. It has the same feature with DB2 workgroup with additional feature such as
• High Availability Disaster Recovery (HADR)
• Table (range) partitioning
• Online reorganization
• Materialized Query Tables
• Multi-dimensional data clustering
• Full intra-query parallelism
• Connection Concentrator
• The DB2 Governor
• Tivoli System Automation for Multiplatforms (TSA MP)

7. DB2 Data Warehouse Edition
This version can be used to make dynamic data warehouse. This is a combination between DB2 enterprise server and DB2 data partitioning.

8. DB2 Personal Developer’s Edition
This version can be used by application developer to make an application which interact with DB2 personal edition. In this version, developer can make application which connect to DB2 by using SQL, SQLJ, .NET or JDBC method.

There are another version of DB2 such as DB2 universal Developer, DB2 enterprise developer, DB2 for i5/OS and DB2 for z/OS. These version have more scalability and feature.

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

UNION and UNION ALL at DB2

2009-01-15T06:25:00.000-08:00

Union at DB2 used to join 2 or more resultset from a query. For example if we want to see list of staff who work at IT department and FA department.

This is the syntax
select column1, column2
from table_name
where….
UNION
select column1, column2
from table_name
where….

Each column1 and column2 must be match with other resultset, or it will generate an error.

This is an simple example how to using UNION in Stored Procedure

CREATE PROCEDURE SP_PAKE_UNION ( )
DYNAMIC RESULT SETS 1
————————————————————————
– SQL Stored Procedure
————————————————————————
P1: BEGIN
– Declare cursor
DECLARE cursor1 CURSOR WITH RETURN FOR
select a.firstnme, b.deptname
FROM EMPLOYEE a, DEPT b
where a.workdept = b.deptno
and a.workdept =’E21′
union
select a.firstnme, b.deptname
FROM EMPLOYEE a, DEPT b
where a.workdept = b.deptno
and a.workdept =’A00′;
– Cursor left open for client application
OPEN cursor1;
END P1

That Store Procedure will generate list of staff who work at 'A00' and 'E21' department.

UNION is differ from UNION ALL. UNION just list the DISTINCT output. It will remove any record which is redundant. If you want to see all output, just change UNION with UNION ALL

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

How to Connect Java to DB2

2009-01-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

It's not difficult to connect java application to DB2. It's almost the same like connect java to other DBMS such as access, SQL server and so on.

This is the snippet code.

String DB_URL = “jdbc:db2:SAMPLE”;
String userid = “db2admin”;
String password = “mypasswd”;

Connection connection = null;

Properties connectProperties = new Properties();
connectProperties.put(”user”, userid);
connectProperties.put(”password”, password);

Class.forName(”com.ibm.db2.jcc.DB2Driver”).newInstance();
connection = DriverManager.getConnection(DB_URL, connectProperties);
PreparedStatement pstmt = connection.prepareStatement(”SELECT * FROM employee”);
ResultSet rs = pstmt.executeQuery();

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

Change Font in Java

2009-01-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

This is an example code how to change a font in Java application.

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Font;

public class Teks extends JFrame {
JLabel lbl1 = new JLabel(”Helvetica biasa”);
JLabel lbl2 = new JLabel(”SansSerif bold”);
JLabel lbl3 = new JLabel(”Monospaced italic”);
JLabel lbl4 = new JLabel(”Serif biasa”);

public Teks()
{
setTitle(”Font”);
setApplicationLayout();
setSize(175,200);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setVisible(true);
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
Teks teks = new Teks();
teks.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}

public void setApplicationLayout()
{
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
lbl1.setFont(new Font (”Helvetica”, Font.PLAIN, 16));
lbl2.setFont(new Font (”SansSerif”, Font.BOLD, 16));
lbl3.setFont(new Font (”Monospaced”, Font.ITALIC, 16));
lbl4.setFont(new Font (”Serif”, Font.PLAIN, 24));
add(lbl1);
add(lbl2);
add(lbl3);
add(lbl4);
}
}

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

Digital Clock in Java

2009-01-13T23:54:00.000-08:00

Oneday, my friend ask about how to make digital clock in java. It's like a timer, when the second has reach 60, the minute will be added by 1, when the minute reach 60, the hour will be added by 1.

This is the code. Hope this code will be useful not only for my friend, but also other people who need it.

import java.util.Timer;
import java.util.TimerTask;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;

public class Jam extends JFrame {

private Timer timer;

int detik,menit,jam = 0;

JLabel lblDetik = new JLabel(”");
JLabel lblMenit = new JLabel(”");
JLabel lblJam = new JLabel(”");

public Jam()
{
setTitle(”Jam”);
setApplicationLayout();
setSize(150,75);
setLocationRelativeTo(null);
setVisible(true);
}

public static void main(String args[])
{
Jam jam = new Jam();
jam.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
}

class PuterJam extends TimerTask
{
public void run()
{
detik++;
if(detik==60)
{
detik=0;
menit++;
}
if(menit==60)
{
menit=0;
jam++;
}
if(detik<10) lblDetik.setText(”0″+detik);
else lblDetik.setText(”"+detik);

if(menit<10) lblMenit.setText(”0″+menit+” : “);
else lblMenit.setText(”"+menit+” : “);

if(jam<10) lblJam.setText(”0″+jam+” : “);
else lblJam.setText(”"+jam+” : “);
}
}

public void setApplicationLayout()
{
timer = new Timer();
timer.schedule(new PuterJam(), 0,1*1000);
setLayout(new FlowLayout());
add(lblJam);
add(lblMenit);
add(lblDetik);

}

}

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

Insert an Icon to JInternalFrame

2009-01-13T23:48:00.000-08:00

Often, we insert an icon into a JFrame in Java application, but how to insert an icon into JInternalFrame? It's almost the same, it's only need to use different method. We can user setFrameIcon() method.

This is the snippet code
URL url = getClass().getResource(”image/login.gif”);
Icon icon = new ImageIcon(url);
setFrameIcon(icon);

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

A Computer And Internet Glossary

2009-01-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

When you use computers and the Internet in your business, it's all too easy to start feeling like you're drowning in a sea of nonsense. Computer-related things tend to have a language all their own, and while you don't need to know all of it, there are many confusing words and phrases that you're going to come across sooner or later. Here's a quick primer.

Bandwidth. Bandwidth is the amount of data that your website can send each second, as well as the amount of data that the visitor to your website can receive. If either one doesn't have enough bandwidth, then the website will appear slowly. For this reason, you should choose a host with plenty of bandwidth, as well as testing that your site doesn't take too long to download on slow connections.

Browser. A browser is the software (see below) that visitors to your site use to view it. The most popular browser is Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which comes with Windows.

Cookie. Cookies are data files that your site can save on the computer of someone who visits that site, to allow it to remember who they are if they return. You will find that problems people have in ordering from you will almost inevitably be related to cookies -- they will need to have them turned on.

Download. Transferring data from a website to a computer.

Favourite. A favourite is a website that a user has stored to look at again, by choosing 'Add to Favourites' in their browser's menu.

FTP. File Transfer Protocol. This is a common method of uploading (see below) files to your website.

Javascript. A common language for writing 'scripts' on websites, which are small programs that make the site more interactive. Another common cause of problems for visitors.

JPEG. Joint Photographic Experts Group. This is the name of the most popular format for pictures on the web, named after the group that came up with it. If you want to put pictures on your website, you should save them as JPEGs.

Hardware. Hardware is computer equipment that physically exists. It is the opposite of software.

Hosting. If you've got a website out there on the Internet, then you'll be paying someone for hosting. It is the service of making your site available for people to see.

HTML. HyperText Markup Language. A kind of code used to indicate how web pages should be displayed, using a system of small 'tags'. The 'b' tag, for example, causes text to appear in bold, and the 'img' tag displays a picture.

Hyperlink. A hyperlink is when a piece of text on a website can be clicked to take you to another site, or another page on the same site. For example, if clicking your email address on your website allows someone to email you, then your email address is a hyperlink.

Programming. This is when the computer is given instructions to tell it what to do, using one of many 'programming languages'. Programming languages for the web include PHP and Perl.

Server. The server is where your website is stored, and it is the server that people are connecting to when they visit the site. If someone tells you, for example, that your server is 'down', it means that your website is inaccessible. Note that server refers both to the hardware and software of this system.

Software. Programs that run on the computer, or that make your website work. Microsoft Word is software, for example, as is Apache (the most popular web server software). Opposite of hardware.

Spider. Don't be scared if a spider visits your website! Spiders are simply programs used by search engines to scan your site and help them decide where it should appear when people search. It is good to be visited by spiders, as it means you should start appearing in search engines soon.

Upload. Uploading is when you transfer data from your own computer to your website. For example, you might upload your logo, or an article you've written. Opposite of download.

URL. Uniform Resource Locator. This is just a short way of saying 'web address', meaning what you have to type in to get to your website. Sometimes pronounced as 'Earl'.

A Close Look At DVI Cables

2009-01-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

We all have many times heard about DVI, but what does it really means and what it does? What is the main function of this tiny white port on a video card? How it can benefit you and your personal computer? Do you know which DVI is suitable to meet your requirements?

Digital Video Interface is created by Digital Display Working Group to solve the problem of accommodation analog and digital interfaces just by using single connector. It was developed because of insufficiency of standardization in digital interfacing.

Three types of standards can be seen in DVI cables. It is very important to know how each type looks like before buying to upgrade your DVI. So it is very important to know how DVI cable works and which one will be most beneficial for you.

However, DVI cables are still in the phase of development. Hence there is no specific standard for the DVI cable. In ideal circumstances, DVI home theater cable is capable to create ' digital to digital' connection between the data or video sources and home theater projectors.

The standard rule for DVI cables is that it should have maximum length of 5 m for trouble free operation. It is very typical to decide a DVI cable first time.

There are two types of DVI connector and each has its own characteristics. The flat pin denotes whether the cable is analog or digital. A flat pin with four surrounding pins denotes either DVI-A or DVI-1. A single flat pin denotes DVI-D. The pin sets depends upon whether the cable is single link or dual link or analog.

To choose a perfect Digital video interface cable you should remember these tips:

1.Check both female DVI plugs to make sure what type of signals they compatible with.
2.One or both connections should be DVI-D if you are choosing a DVI-D cable.
3.One or both connections should be DVI-A if you are choosing a DVI-a cable.
4.If one of the connections is DVI and other is VGA, and if the DVI is analog compatible, then you must buy a DVI/VGA adaptor or a DVI to VGA cable.
5.when both connections are DVI-1, you are advised to use any of DVI cable, but better if you use DVI-1 cable.
6. If one connection is digital and the other is analog then there is no possibility of connection between them.

A Brief Introduction To Fiber Optics Technology

2009-01-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

Understanding how fiber optics are made and function for uses in everyday life is an intriguing work of art combined with science. Fiber optics has been fabricated from materials that transmit light and are made from a bundle of very thin glass or plastic fibers enclosed in a tube. One end is at a source of light and the other end is a camera lens, used to channel light and images around the bends and corners. Fiber optics have a highly transparent core of glass, or plastic encircled by a covering called "cladding". Light is stimulated through a source on one end of the fiber optic and as the light travels through the tube, the cladding is there to keep it all inside. A bundle of fiber optics may be bent or twisted without distorting the image, as the cladding is designed to reflect these lighting images from inside the surface. This fiber optic light source can carry light over mass distances, ranging from a few inches to over 100 miles.

There are two kinds of fiber optics. The single-mode fiber optic is used for high speed and long distance transmissions because they have extremely tiny cores and they accept light only along the axis of the fibers. Tiny lasers send light directly into the fiber optic where there are low-loss connectors used to join the fibers within the system without substantially degrading the light signal. Then there are multi-mode which have much larger cores and accept light from a variety of angles and can use more types of light sources. Multi-mode fiber optics also use less expensive connectors, but they cannot be used over long distances as with the single-mode fiber optics.

Fiber optics have a large variety of uses. Most common and widely used in communication systems, fiber optic communication systems have a variety of features that make it superior to the systems that use the traditional copper cables. The use of fiber optics with these systems use a larger information-carrying capacity where they are not hassled with electrical interference and require fewer amplifiers then the copper cable systems. Fiber optic communication systems are installed in large networks of fiber optic bundles all around the world and even under the oceans. Many fiber optic testers are available to provide you with the best fiber optic equipment.

In fiber optic communication systems, lasers are used to transmit messages in numeric code by flashing on and off at high speeds. This code can constitute a voice or an electronic file containing, text, numbers, or illustrations, all by using fiber optics. The light from many lasers are added together onto a single fiber optic enabling thousands of currents of data to pass through a single fiber optic cable at one time. This data will travel through the fiber optics and into interpreting devices to convert the messages back into the form of its original signals. Industries also use fiber optics to measure temperatures, pressure, acceleration and voltage, among an assortment of other uses.

10 Tips For Overcoming Procrastination At The PC

2009-01-13T07:20:00.002-08:00

Copyright 2006 Michael Madigan

Procrastination is the thief of time - and money too, at the PC. Your Internet connection, equipment and power cost you. Some tasks are no fun - but don't let them pile up. Constant dithering and delaying will wreck your health, wealth and reputation.

Here are 10 tips for helping you stop procrastination dead:

1/ Before you even sit down, sort out in your mind what’s 'urgent', 'important', both, or neither. (If an 'urgent' task isn't 'important' and the deadline passes, so what?). An 'urgent and important' task should normally come before an 'important' task. If you have a poor memory (like me) write or type a quick list of your Top Five To Dos for the session, and delete or amend as need be.

2/ All other things being equal plan on doing easy tasks before difficult short tasks before long tasks. Always have something concrete to show for worktime in front of your PC.

3/ As far as you can YOU decide what' important' and 'urgent'. There are bullies about - bosses, colleagues and customers - who think their merest whim is law. Learn to say 'No' politely. They may not like it, especially at first. But you'll grow.

4/ If you need help for your work, get it now, not later. If it’s not there now, you can ask later - more chances. If you leave it till later, it may have gone off earlier so no chances....

5/ You’re there going thru your emails, databases and memos and suddenly out of nowhere, new jobs appear. The tendency is to 'do what's on top of the pile' first. Don't. Put it into the right place in your existing list.

6/ Do you get distracted easily? Try and be aware of this, and stay aware of what tasks need doing - and by when.

7/ Are you more energetic and creative morning, noon or night? Can you reschedule your targets to take this into account? Or do you just plod along, whatever? You may be a tortoise or a hare, but you can still win your own personal race if you plan ahead.

8/ Don't give up your breaks. You need to pace yourself. But put a time limit on all breaks, surfing, chatting or just daydreaming can eat into worktime with disastrous results. A rushed job is rarely your best shot, or a true reflection of your abilities.

9/ Be particularly wary of long lunch breaks, and overeating or drinking. If your afternoon's festooned with urgent and important chores, you’ll feel inclined to procrastinate bigtime if you're hung over, stuffed to the gills, or dead beat.

10/ Give yourself a treat if you hit all your deadlines. Doesn't have to be chocolate! And don't procrastinate on rewarding yourself when you deserve it.

Use these tips to stop procrastination at the PC (AND off), and it’ll boost your free time and make you happy and healthy computing thru 2006 and beyond!

10 Tips For Overcoming Procrastination At The PC

2009-01-13T07:20:00.001-08:00

10 Web Site Backup Essentials That You Should Live By

2009-01-13T07:19:00.001-08:00

More and more webmasters nowadays do not value the importance of a complete website backup (files and databases). They have left this to chance and good luck which poses a great risk to their online presence.

Can you relate to this? Then read this important article which might save you an arm and a leg later.

Web site backup is the most ignored task of the webmasters simply because it poses no immediate threat to them until something worse happen to their hosting server. Many times, this task is set aside, delayed and even regarded as nuisance to the busy website owner.

They just don't realize what is at stake here.

So before your website will be wiped out of the internet by unexpected accidents like server breakdowns, harddisk failures, hacking and DDOS attacks among other bad things, let me share with you the 10 Backup E-S-S-E-N-T-I-A-L-S you should not live without online.

EXPECT - Know that your webhosting company (even the biggest and the most boastful out there) may encounter problems and that your diligence to backup up will pay off later on. Online computing has never been so unpredictable that the worse of times will happen when you least expect it. With the proper mindset, you are insuring the continuity of your online endeavour in any eventualities. In short, be ready.

SCHEDULE - Your backup process should not compete with your busy schedules. Create your own backup schedule at the most convenient time for you in the week. If you're like me, I do this during lunch and dinner times. Sometimes, I have to leave my PC overnight working on the backups. If you can make it not to conflict with your busy schedules, you will be able to keep up with the demands of this job. In short, don't complicate.

STICK with it - Just do it. Patience is key to your backup tasks. Once you have a schedule, stick with it. You must do this diligently every time it should happen. This is a tough challenge especially to busy people working online. But the sooner you discipline yourself and make backing up your files a habit, the more you will benefit from a worry-free online environment. In short, get a good habit.

EVALUATE - After a while, test your backup files. A good backup can be tested by simply restoring it on another system. Evaluating your backup results from time to time is good way to know that you are keeping what you should keep - a good and working backup. In short, be sure.

NO Complacency - After some time, your backup schedule may slip away and you will tend to forget or intentionally miss it. Don't succumb to this temptation. Man has never been so busy in his lifetime like it is today in this era of the high tech trends, new developments and discoveries. In short, don't be lazy to backup.

TRASH - Know which files to keep and not to keep. You need to do this to keep your backup process as short and as efficient as possible. It also saves you valuable resources like hard disk space and backup mediums. Backup only what you need. Keep out the trash and dump it. In short, don't sweat with the trash.

INTUITION - Have faith in your backup results. Believe that what you are doing is for your own good later on. Like vitamins that keep your body healthy, backups keeps your mind away from stress and worries. A good working backup will make you smile even on the worst of times because you are insured by your patience. In short, believe in good results.

AUTOMATE - Look for alternatives to traditional backup process that can make your life simpler. There are several technologies and softwares you can use now to generate the fastest and safest backup files you will need to restore in case of emergency without you lifting a finger. Automation is king in this lazy man's world. In short, be efficient.

LIBERATE - Free yourself from worries and anxiety of theunexpected. A death sentence that can be prevented will not kill you. So think about what you can do more (like sleepingmore at night) than to think about what harm may come. With your own backup systems established, you can retire at night calmly knowing the next day, if you don't see your websites as you should, you know you can pubish it back within the day even if your webhost cannot recover it for you. In short, relax and enjoy life to the max.

SECURITY - Nothing beats the feeling of being secured. This is the reason why the insurance businesses have flourished over the years. But more importantly, your commitment to backup your files will not only save you from stress, humiliation, frustration, anger and guilt, but also lift your spirit and confidence because you know at the end of the day, your self reliance is well worth it.

And that, my friend, is a great and wonderful feeling.

Koobface virus

2009-01-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

Recently I got an email from someone i don't know which tells me that I got a message in Friendster. I read that message and this is it's content.

Your behavior looks pretty shocking to me.
http://www.geocities.com/mbsnhwqmo/

When I clicked that link, I was redirected to other website http://60.53.68.219:7777/?ch=&ea= which contains a video, like a youtube. This website suggest me to download a file to play the video. My anti virus has detected this file a koobface virus.

This is the screenshot of the website

This virus has known as a facebook virus. The spreading technique almost the same, but with other social network like Friendster. Try to fool someone to play the video and install the file.

Be carefull if you get message which almost the same with this.

With this article, I hope that we can be more carefully not too easily click a link or download a file from other people, even we know that people.

Best regards,

Deny Sutani

10 Steps To A Safe, Smooth Running PC

2009-01-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

10 Steps To A Safe, Smooth Running PC By Michael A Silva

These ten steps will help you increase your computer's security. From discovering viruses to learning how to avoid them, this article is a must read!

Windows password This is the easiest way to make sure you know who is using your pc. Choose a lengthy password that contains capital and lower case letters. Including a number or two will greatly increase your security. Having a Windows password means that the only people that can log onto a Windows session are people that you have granted access to.

Password manager You should never write your passwords down. Using the same password all the time will also make it very easy for hackers to reach your personal information. So if you can’t write it down and you’re not
supposed to use the same one – how are you supposed to keep track of all of your passwords? The easiest way to do this is to use a password manager. We prefer to use Roboform. Roboform is an easy to use password and profile manager that docks neatly into your Internet Explorer toolbar and keeps track of all of your passwords for you. Roboform also uses a master password system. You will have one password that accesses all of the passwords in the program. This way you can keep all of your information safe and secure. You can download Roboform for free by http://www.roboform.com.

Spyware Remover Next to spam, spyware is the internet’s biggest annoyance. By definition, spyware is “any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Once installed, the spyware
monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.” The amount of spyware that exists on your pc is dependent on the amount of internet surfing you do. A good rule of thumb here is to scan for spyware once per week or whenever poor system performance surfaces. If you don’t have a spyware scanner, we recommend http://www.webroot.com.

Antivirus This should go without saying, but if your computer is connected to the internet you need antivirus software. With weekly scans and program updates you should be protected from most threats. For added protection, we
recommend using more than one anvtivirus scanner.

Firewall A firewall will keep unwanted visitors out of your computer. You can obtain a firewall either by using software application like ZoneAlarm or Black Ice Defender, or by using a router with your internet connection. For more information on routers plese visit http://www.Linksys.com.

File sharing Basically, file sharing programs are the single biggest security risk you will come across. This is because the only facts you have about the files you are downloading are the file name and the file size. It is quite simple to change a filename to dupe someone into downloading a virus or other malware like keystroke recorders. Our advice – stay away from file sharing at all costs. If you need to use it, make sure you have updated antivirus software installed and running.

Research In a sentence – know what’s out there. http://www.Symantec.com has a section on their website that will serve you well. Knowing what types of viruses exist and how to avoid them will make you a much smarter internet user.

Email protection Most of the antivirus applications available offer email scanning. If yours does not, you will want to get one that does. Email scanning will make sure all of your incoming and outgoing emails are safe for both you and the recipient. Email viruses spread very quickly by using your address book to propagate. Never read email from people you don’t know and always make sure your email scanner is active.

Network security Another way that viruses spread is through computer networks. We have a few quick tips to keep your network safe. Always scan any files that come in from other computers. Even if it’s a file you have brought from home. Never allow a file to be placed on your network until it
has been scanned. The main server should be the only computer with file sharing enabled. By not allowing computer users to transmit files, you can quickly neutralize a threat.

Maintenance Performing weekly virus and spyware scans will go a long way to keeping your computer safe. Defragmenting weekly will also greatly improve performance. If you put in the effort, you will be rewarded with a safe and smooth running pc. Not to mention less headaches!

By following these ten guide lines, you will greatly improve the performance of your computer. You will also generate peace of mind as you gain a new sense of security.

------------------

For more information on affordable hosting packages, website builder software, dedicated and shared server packages, website design and promotion services and specialized fund raising and campaign websites please visit us at http://www.ipowereurope.com

10 Simple Reasons To Remove Spyware From Your Computer

2009-01-09T22:01:00.000-08:00

Is your computer been running slower than normal? Are you worried someone may be able to access your computer and steal your private information and use it against you? If so, these are feelings I have shared with you in the past.

Some time back, my 3-year old computer was running so slow that I had to buy a new computer. Or at least I thought I needed a new computer. Then within a matter of weeks of surfing on the Internet, my new computer was also running so slowly. In addition, some programs did not run well on my computer, and I did not recognize some of the programs that were running on my computer. That scared me most. Were these programs that were tracking my keystrokes on my computer or programs I just not remember installing? I knew I had to find a answer and solution fast.

The truth is, we can all put up with a slow computer, but very few of us would want others to have access to the information on our computers, but that is exactly what can happen when spyware or malware is loaded on our computers without our knowledge.

According to Spyware Nuker’s web site, “Spyware applications are programs and files that hide on your PC's hard drive without your direct knowledge. These programs allow hackers and advertising companies to track your every move, both online and even when you work offline. They can track the websites you visit, the items that you buy online, the emails you send and receive, your Instant Message dialog, and worst of all they can even record your credit card number, personal identification numbers, and all of your passwords. If you use dial-up to connect to the Internet then spyware can be used to bill 900 numbers to your phone bill. This is just a short list of the harm that spyware can cause.”

The web site also provides statistics that show spyware is a huge problem effecting many people. "27.3 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years, including 9.91 million people or 4.6% of the population in the last year alone."

In addition, it is very easy for your computer to become infected with spyware as "The majority of all downloadable games, music, screensavers, etc., can infect your computer with SpyWare or AdWare. Most people do not know that after simply clicking on a random "pop up" ad, their computers may have been infected with SpyWare or AdWare."

No matter how we get spyware, here are 10 very real reasons you don’t want spyware on your computer.

1. Your computer may start running slower
2. Some programs on your computer will not run correctly
3. You may not recognize programs that are now on your computer because they may have been installed there by a spyware related web site or program you loaded on your computer.

In addition, you might be worried that:

4. Someone might be able to read your e-mails
5. Someone might be able to access your e-mail list
6. Someone might be able to see you track the keystrokes you type
7. Someone might be able to access your credit card information on your pc
8. Someone might be able to access your passwords list on your computer
9. Someone might be able to steal your social security number
10. Someone might be able to track all the web sites you visit

As I mentioned, most of these programs get on your computer with out you even knowing, but another frustrating part is I recognized a few of these programs because I remember installing AND uninstalling them! So now I know that when we install some of these handy little utilities to track passwords online or programs to help with e-mail or keep track of the weather, even if we uninstall them, they may not be gone from our computers. They are still in our computers, waiting to spy on us, at the least.

A great way to find and remove spyware is to run a spyware detector and remover. Most spyware detection and removal software today offers a free scan to verify that you do or do not have spyware on your computer.

10 Reasons Why To Print with Printer Anywhere

2009-01-09T22:00:00.001-08:00

PrinterAnywhere has developed a new technology and software that allows any user with internet connection to connect and print any document all over the world. Users now have the power and provision to connect to any printer all over the world without any networking. The users just need to download and install the free software that PrinterAnywhere provides. That too without the requirement of any special knowledge by the user or the owner of printer!

With the software that Printer Anywhere provides, the user is now able to print anything directly from your applications like the Photo Editor, Outlook Explorer, and so on. Also the page the user wants is printed thousands of miles away from your own computer.

The software is developed with such precision that uses high security as well as the quality standards for the printing the page at the desired destination. The software also uses a high quality encryption algorithm and securely sends the printable media through electronic pulses to the desired destination. This also adds to the user’s security because the imitation of the original copy is sent.

The Printer Anywhere software also bans the forwarding of the document, thus, unlike e-mail, solves the problems faced for the privacy issues. It is also unnecessary for the user to have an email id for the printing of document anywhere in the world. The user also has the authority of how many copies are to be printed.

There are the ten most basic reasons why to print documents around the world using on the software that is provided by Printer Anywhere. The ten reasons are:

1. To ensure that the documents are not only received but also printed:
Many times it happens that the important documents that are sent through email are received properly but are either misplaced or are deleted from the receivers computer. With PrinterAnywhere, the user can be assured that the documents are not just received but printed so that the receiver has a hard copy of the documents.

2. The user does not want to send electronic copies of the documents:
With the sending of emails, all the privacy issues pop-up. The emails, for example, can be forwarded and the privacy of the document is compromised. Instead if the user chooses to print the document using PrinterAnywhere, the user has a benefit of preventing the abuse of privacy.

3. The recipient does not have the application to open the document:
With the technology advancing all the time, there is an acute possibility that the recipient does not have the proper application to open certain documents that have come from the other parts of the world. Hence it is very useful to have the software provided by PrinterAnywhere, which facilitates the printing of any document in any part of the world. This saves the time in finding and installing the correct application to open the document.

4. The user wants to print paper photos on someone else’s printer:
The software is very useful in printing you archived photos on any printer in any part of the world. So, instead of sending the photos through email and then let the recipient download and then print the photos, the user can directly print the photos on the recipient’s printer.

5. The user wants to ensure that the documents are printed on loy on the specific printer:
The software provided by the PrinterAnywhere ensures that when a document sent for printing, it goes to the right recipient.

6. The user wants to print directly from the applications as if it were a local printer:
The user now has the opportunity of printing the required document directly from the application by just commanding the application to print and then giving the correct link of the address of the recipient printer.

7. Microsoft printer sharing on the home network of the user doesn’t seem to work:
The Microsoft printer sharing may not work correctly hence; PrinterAnywhere is a better option for all the users.

8. The document is too big to print or the user wants to save his paper:
If the user does not wants to waste his paper for something which maybe useless yet necessary, then with PrinterAnywhere, the user has the option to directly print the document at the recipient’s printer.

9. Fax quality is not good or the international fax calls are very expensive:
The Fax calls are very expensive in case you want to send a fax overseas. In this case the PrinterAnywhere is a very good option.

10. The user wants to print right at that moment and for free:
PrinterAnswers is the best option to print documents on the spot and for free.

With all these reasons, PrinterAnywhere is the most irresistible.

10 Benefits Of Smarthphone Bluetooth

2009-01-09T21:59:00.001-08:00

10 Benefits Of Smarthphone Bluetooth Below, are 10 benefits and reasons to use Bluetooth technology.

1. Wireless As you probably already know, there are many benefits and advantages to using wireless devices. Along with improving safety as a result of eliminating wires you don't need, wireless also offers you plenty of other advantages. When traveling with your laptop or other wireless devices, you'll no longer have to worry about bringing connection cables.

2. Bluetooth is actually inexpensive The technology of Bluetooth is cheap for companies to implement, which results in lower costs for the company. These savings are then passed from the company on to you.

3. Bluetooth is automatic Bluetooth doesn't have you set up a connection or push any buttons. When two or more devices enter a range of up to 30 feet of each other, they will automatically begin to communicate without you having to do anything.

4. Standardized protocol Bluetooth is standardized wireless, meaning that a high level of compatibility among devices is guaranteed. Bluetooth will connect devices to each other, even if they aren't the same model.

5. Low interference Bluetooth devices almost always avoid interference from other wireless devices. Bluetooth uses a technique known as frequency hopping, and also low power wireless signals.

6. Low energy consumption As a result of Bluetooth using low power signals, the technology requires very little energy and will use less battery or electrical power as a result. This is an excellent benefit for mobile devices, as Bluetooth won't drain the battery.

7. Sharing voice and data The standard for Bluetooth will allow compatible devices to share data and voice communications. This is great for mobile phones and headsets, as Bluetooth simplifies driving and talking on your cell phone.

8. Instant PAN (Personal Area Network) You can connect up to seven Bluetooth devices to each other within a range of up to 30 feet, forming a piconet or PAN. For a single room, you can also set up multiple piconets.

9. Upgradeable Upgradeable is the standard for Bluetooth. There are newer versions of Bluetooth in the works, which offer many new advantages and backward compatible with older versions.

10. The technology stays Bluetooth technology is a world wide, universal wireless standard. With it being as popular as it is, you can count on it being around for years to come. As more and more devices start to use Bluetooth technology, more manufacturers will be eager to make their products compatible. A chain reaction will occur, making Bluetooth the standard for cutting edge wireless.

7 Tips For Buying Cheap Laptop

2009-01-09T21:57:00.000-08:00

Laptops are gaining in popularity these days. Almost everyone is carrying one now either for work or entertainment. Laptops with the latest technology are introduced to the market everyday and these new laptops come with a huge price tag. However, that does not mean you cannot get a good and cheap laptop. I have put together a guide that may help you out in your hunt for a cheap and good laptop.

Buy cheap laptop with older technology

Rapid advance in technology makes it meaningless to buy the latest technology at a high price. When laptop with wireless capability first came to the market, a unit with this technology can cost up till US$2500. NOw after 2 years, you can get a relatively fast centrino laptop for less than US$1000

Buy used or refurbished laptop
The depreciation of a laptop value is so high, that after one year in the market, a laptop can easily lose half its value. So if you are looking for a cheap laptop, look for one which is close to one year old. Not all used laptop are in bad condition. You will be surprised to find that some used laptops are still in good condition because their owners are power users or gamers.

Buy laptop from power users or gamers
I like to buy electronic gadgets including laptops from hard core power users or gamers. Let me share with you why. Gamers or power users usually require the latest and most powerful technology to run their games or power hungry applications. They often will not settle for second best. They also have the tendency to chase after the latest technology. So after one year, they will be bored of what they have and will look to sell off their laptops so that they can buy a new one. Now if you are looking to buy cheap laptops with up to date technology and you happen to have friends who are gamers, do ask them if they are looking to sell off their laptops. Who knows, maybe you can buy a good and cheap laptop from them.

Scan through gaming forums and local gaming community
if you do not already have friends who like to play computer games, then scanning through gaming forums on the internet is another way to get good and cheap deals for used laptop. Internet makes it easy for you to do this. Go to google.com and start searching for gaming forums. Visit each and everyone and see if they have a Trading Section. You will definitely find many post from gamers looking to sell their gaming laptops.

Scan through local bulletin boards
Do scan through local bulletin boards near you for cheap deals on laptop.Especially if there are software companies around the area. Software companies do offer their used computers or laptops for sale when their software projects end. I personally had gotten a few good deals for my family and friends.

Look for cheap laptop with at least 512mb memory
This is especially important for used laptop. If the processor speed is slow, then having more memory can compensate for the lack in speed. In fact, The size of memory plays a big part in determining how fast a laptop runs an application. Just by increasing the memory size, you can see a huge difference in speed. A cheap laptop with at least 512mb memory can run most non graphic intensive application easily.

Get cheap laptop from reputable manufacturer
This is very important because if you are buying used laptop, then the chances of requiring servicing is higher than a new laptop. So if you buy from a reputable manufacturer, you will save alot of trouble and time if your laptop do require servicing.

7 Simple Reasons Why You Need a Network Security Camera for Your Home

2009-01-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

Pros

1. Easy to install: Most of the network cameras on the market are plug and play and/or have very simple to follow instructions for both the hardware and software end.
2. Comparatively cheaper than other security systems: Instead of paying a highly trained technician to install a complex CCTV system, and pay him on an ongoing maintenance arrangement- you can have a network camera security system that can stand on it's own against CCTV and traditional security systems.
3. Works with your existing computer network: If you already have a home network, then the network camera works with your settings, so you don't need to pay more for the proper security infrastructure.
4. Provides peace of mind: watch your home, watch your childs room, watch your vacation home, watch your pets while you are on vacation, etc
5. See remote areas: as far away as across the globe, or your own front porch from a centralized area. Can even remotely view your children at the nursery (depending on the nurseries policies though this is becoming more standard)
6. Flexibility: Prefer not to be tethered to the security control panel or hire a full time security professional to monitor things, then get security alerts which you can view from cell phone, laptop, or PDA device, and provide multiple users access to the various security assets.
7. Receive alerts via email when detects motion, either when someone visits your home, or when your children leave home to hang out.

Cons

1. May have poor image quality depending on model and configuration, and wireless cameras in general have poorer image quality on the lower to mid range.
2. For more bells and whistles, like sound recording, scheduled emails, and motion capture, it varies greatly from model and software description.
3. Generally, outdoor surveillance equipment is more costly, especially if you want the ability to remotely pan/tilt, zoom in, zoom out, and want a waterproof camera. However for a home system this is probably not as urgent as opposed to for a business situation.
4. Drains computer network resources, so if you don't have a speedy computer, then there's a chance of a slight slow down in your collective resources.

Remember that despite the cons, the benefits outweigh them as they provide great security results at a lower installation and maintenance cost than traditional Closed Circuit Television systems.

7 INCREDIBLE advantages of "Water-Powered Car" technology to YOU!!

2009-01-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

7 INCREDIBLE advantages of "Water-Powered Car" technology to YOU!!!!

http://www.hydrotechcar.com

Article Summary: No doubts about it, it's now possible to power your car on water as well as gas, instead of 100 gas. Apart from the many advantages that this technology have on the planet, it also has many widespread advantages to many individuals around the world, including YOU.

Below are 7 of these incredible advantages of the water for gas to YOU:

1- Improves your gas mileage by up to 35%. This includes both city and highway driving conditions. Imagine how much money this would save you at the end of the month and at the end of the year. It is estimated that this could save you as much as $897.40 per year. If you are two, three or four drivers in the family, this yearly savings increases dramatically. And what if you have a fleet of 50 drivers in your company? Then your yearly savings will multiply to $44,870. More if you have more drivers.

2- Eliminates harmful exhaust emission that pollute the environment and contribute to global warming. Your engine will ADD oxygen to the environment instead of polluting it. How about doing something good to help the environment for a change?

3- Greatly enhance engine power and performance. The more gas you use on your car, the more the engine gets battered- thus reducing the performance. But by using water as an alternative, this enhances your engine power instead and improves performance.

4- Remove carbon deposits and prevent future carbon build up.

5- Reduce the operating temperature of the engine and waste heat into the environment.

6- You will notice a calmer, quieter and much smoother engine operation and smoother gearshifts. This is due to the effect water has on the combustion cycle inside your engine.

7- Enjoy a longer life expectancy of your engine, especially the pistons, rings and valves.

These are just some of the many advantages of water for gas technology to YOU. Remember, even YOU can build the device needed to make this technology work for YOU, from the comfort of your home.

About the author

To learn more about water for gas technology and how you too can build your own water for gas powered car, visit http://www.hydrotechcar.com for all the SECRETS of Water Car Technology

7 Great Computer User Tips - For Windows Users Only

2009-01-09T07:50:00.001-08:00

An Easy Performance Enhancement

If you’re using the NTFS filing protocol on your system, instead of FAT32, you can get a bit more speed by disabling Windows® Indexing. The downside to this is that searching your drive for a specific file might take a moment or two longer, but everything else should run faster.

To disable this feature open My Computer and then right click on the drive you wish to reset – usually C-drive. Now click on Properties and then uncheck “Allow Indexing Service.” It will take Windows® a few moments to accomplish this task, based on your processor speed. If you have other hard drives, perform the same process for them. After this is done, it’s a good idea to empty the Recycle Bin and then Defragment your hard drive(s).

FREE Software

If you have a system and it does not have an office suite, such as Microsoft Office, and you don’t want to pay several hundred dollars to have one, try Open Office. This is a great alternative to other suites, and it’s free! Simply direct your browser to www.openoffice.org and follow the instructions for downloading and installation. Make no mistake, this free office suite is an extremely powerful set of software tools – easily a match for any competitor.

Internet Explorer (Microsoft’s Internet browser) is unarguably the standard in computers. This is why hackers develop so many malware applications to invade it. If you use a different browser, you have much less chance of an invasion by malicious software. There is a great alternative available, and it’s free. You can download a copy of Firefox at www.mozilla.org/products/firefox. You can even move your Internet Explorer settings into Firefox automatically – so you don’t lose your Favorites, etc.

Laptop Printer Fix

If you’re using a laptop that is running Windows® ME, and you’re having trouble printing through the USB, try this simple fix. Go to the website for the company that manufactures your printer. If you use a Hewlett-Packard, for example, go to www.HP.com and download the appropriate drivers and install them. ME has drivers that recognize the USB printer is present and attached, but not the drivers needed to make it print. Which drivers you download and install will be dependant on your printer. After installing new drivers, update the printer as necessary in the Control Panel.

Save $$$ When Shopping On-line

If you’re making a purchase on-line, and you know the item you want to buy, you can easily compare pricing all across the Internet. This can amount to a very substantial savings.

At this writing, I went to www.mysimon.com and typed in that I wanted to buy a printer: a Canon PIXMA iP4000. The service instantly checked the Internet and returned prices ranging from $62.00 up to $286.00. This kind of price spread is not at all unusual, especially for computers and electronics.

The My Simon website service only checks pricing, it does not provide a platform for purchasing anything, though it does link to such places. It also gives a rating for the sellers and other users’ input regarding their experiences with the company. You can order the results of the search for your product by price, so that you can quickly find the lowest price from the highest rated dealer.

Windows® XP Professional Only

A feature of Windows® XP Professional, that is not available in the Home Edition, is the ability to encrypt files. This encryption prevents others from opening the files in the folder you encrypt. To encrypt one or more a folders, follow these easy steps.

Click Start, then My Documents. Now locate the folder you wish to encrypt and right click on it and choose Properties.

On the General tab, click on Advanced. Put a tick mark in the box for Encrypt Contents to Secure Data. Click okay two times and the confirmation dialog box will appear allowing you to select the folder, the folder and all files, and/or the subfolders within it.

Now you'll be able to place files in this folder (or folders) and since they're encrypted, others will not be able to access them.

Internet Safety

You should never reveal your username or password to anyone who e-mails you and asks for it. This information is frequently asked for by an Internet scheme called “phishing.”

In a common phishing scam, you receive an e-mail that looks quite official. It usually appears to come from a bank or credit card company. A common title for these e-mails is “We need to verify your account information.” Another is “Please logon to your account and verify your settings.” If you do click where instructed, you’ll end up on a site that appears to be the real one. If you fill in the username and password for of your on-line banking account, you can expect serious problems within twenty-four hours.

If you believe that a company or business that you do on-line business with really does require your information, then simply contact them. This way, you will know where you are sending your information, and what it will be used for.

CD Burning Error Fix

Burning music, video, and data CDs has become quite popular over the past few years, and the evolution of the supporting technology has yielded hardware and software that is better than ever – and very reasonably priced. CDs offer a great place to store substantial amounts of data in a small, easily retained format. They also give us new control over aspects of our entertainment.

A relatively common error received during CD burning informs you that the CD cannot be burned, or that there was an error during burning. Of course, you could actually have a defective CD drive, but this is usually not the case.

If you receive a message indicating that your CD cannot be burned, go to the website of your CD drive manufacturer. Look for the list of CD types (manufacturers/numbers) that are compatible with your device. Most often, you’ll find that your CDs are not listed. The two types that seem to have the least difficulty being burned are manufactured by Sony and TDK. These cost a bit more, but they burn very reliably.

Along the same lines – H-P has introduced a new CD burner. This new burner requires the use of special CD blanks, but after you burn your data into the CD, you can flip it over and close the drive again. Then you can use the laser to burn a title for the CD directly onto the CD itself. It’s new technology, but perhaps it will catch on and we’ll see newer, better such devices in the near future.

6 Steps You Can Take To Speed Up Your Computer’s Performance

2009-01-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

We live in a fast paced world and we’re always looking for the fastest way to get things done. We barely have time to wait for our burger at the local fast food restaurant, our coffee to brew, our microwave popcorn to pop, so who has time to wait around for a slow computer?

Barring adding more RAM to your computer, there are 6 steps you can take to speed up your computer’s performance. Most of these steps will allow you to speed up your computer, free of charge since they are applications already installed on your computer.

One of the first steps you should take is to empty the Recycle Bin. It’s easy to do. Just point your cursor to the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, right-click, and choose “Empty Recycle Bin.”

Next, open up your Internet Explorer, go to Tools, Internet Options. Click on “Delete Cookies,” then on “Delete Files.” In the window that appears, check “Delete all offline content” and click OK. Once that’s done, click OK to close the Internet Options window, and close your Internet Explorer.

Those two are steps are the quickest, and simplest ones so that’s why we got them out of the way first. Next, we’ll be conducting a Disk Cleanup. To do this, click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. The disk cleanup function will now begin calculating how much space you will be able to free up. Once it finishes, it’ll give you a list of files to delete. It should already have some files checked, but you can go through the list and check off all the files you want to delete, then click OK.

Now it’s time to do a disk defragmentation. This can be a long process so you should probably set this up during a time when you’ve got other things going on. For example, set it up, then go watch your favorite TV show, or go mow the lawn, or go workout. You get the idea. To begin go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter. Click Analyze. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the “You do not need to defragment this volume” call-out, but more than likely, you’ll have to click on “Defragment.” If so, click on it, go do something else and come back in an hour or two.

Once that’s done, it’s time to run a spyware scan. Most people don’t realize how easy it is to get infected with spyware, so running periodic scans is highly recommended. You can use any anti-spyware program you choose. Just be aware that no one program gets rid of everything. To play it safe, you should run at least three different programs. You might be surprised by what they find. You may have had spyware running on your computer and not even know it. Once the scans are complete, and all that spyware is taken care of, it’s time for the last step.

This last step is to run an anti-virus scan. Hopefully you have an anti-virus program installed on your computer. If not, I highly recommend you get one as soon as possible. Once the anti-virus program is set, go ahead and run it. This could take anywhere from 20 minutes to a couple hours depending on how many files you have on your hard drive so once again, set it, and then go do something else. Come back in about an hour.

Once all the steps are complete. Restart your computer and you’ll be surprised at how completely nimble it now feels. It’s a good idea to follow these 6 steps at least once per week (some steps you can even set up to be done automatically). By doing this, you will keep your computer performing almost like it did when you first bought it.

5 Tips To Buying Trading Cards

2009-01-09T07:31:00.001-08:00

The trading card industry is one of the most popular in all of collectibles. With everything ranging from race used sheet metal to game-used bats and rookie cards of tomorrow’s hottest stars, the manufacturers of trading cards have changed the way people collect. Some time ago, the greatest insert in a wax pack was a stick of bubble gum, but today it’s so much more.

With such popularity comes great wealth, for both manufacturers and collectors, and a few tips to consider when dealing with trading cards will make the hobby not only one of profit, but also of fun.

Condition. When shopping for trading cards, pay close attention to the condition. A mint card is one that is just like new, with sharp corners, no markings or creases. Some companies actually grade trading cards, while others simply let the shopper decide. Trading cards that are in poor condition are noticeable immediately, but ‘good’ and ‘fair’ ratings are open to interpretation.

Authenticity. If you are in the market for trading cards, take special care to learn as much about the hobby as possible. If you are going to spend big bucks on a single card, make sure that you are getting the real deal. A good example is the Michael Jordan rookie card, which was reprinted years ago. It looks so much like the original that even experts have a difficult time distinguishing the original from the reprint. If you are looking for an expensive card, make sure that it is graded by a reputable company and it never hurts to have it checked again after purchase.

Investment. If you are an investor, trading cards may be the hobby for you. It is inexpensive to get started collecting and the future profits can be high. Investors should consider purchasing rookie cards, which will be the first trading card that a rookie player appears on. If the star rises in fame, so will your investment. Additionally, mint condition cards appreciate the most in value.

Reputation & Research. If shopping for trading cards online, especially, find a company that has been in business for awhile. Look for information relating to their return policy, just incase the card isn’t exactly as described. Always be sure to do your research when purchasing trading cards and check the price guides to make sure you are getting a fair deal.

Have fun Most importantly, have fun when shopping for trading cards. While it is a profitable business venture for some, most importantly it is a hobby and should be enjoyed by all who partake.

5 Tips for Offshore Software Development

2009-01-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

As a business owner or manager, the decision to opt for offshore software development can be difficult. As anyone who has experience knows, there are advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing software development. How then, do you balance the risks and rewards and come out on top? Here are five tips to ensure that you receive an excellent return on investment:

1. Complex project management experience. When selecting an offshore software development company, ensure that they have extensive experience in complex project management. The company's internal team should run like a well-oiled machine, and they should have longstanding relationships with their own subcontractors.

2. Specialized knowledge and expertise. The most agile software development companies have an extensive network of specialists. These specialists may not be on the company payroll (which is why the company can offer you significant cost savings), but they can be depended upon to complete the necessary tasks on time and within the budget.

3. Knowledge of your industry. In theory, offshore software development companies should be able to perform custom software development for any type of business. There will be less of a learning curve, though, and greater chances for success, if the company has knowledge of your industry or a related industry. For this reason, ask for referrals and determine if the projects the company has managed are similar to or in alignment with the goals of your project.

4. Delineate areas of responsibility. Chances are, you're considering hiring an offshore software development company because you don't have the in-house expertise to get the job done and know that it is more cost-effective to outsource the project. Nonetheless, you will need to actively participate in a needs assessment and at various benchmarks throughout the life of the project. By creating a clear delineation of areas of responsibility, you will have a clear understanding of the number of staff hours you need to devote to the project, and plan accordingly.

5. High standards. Both you and the offshore software development company you choose should adhere to high standards. Aside from the talent of the technical experts involved, successful custom software development depends upon rigorous testing. The most dependable companies use the highest industry standards in testing each aspect of the products they create so that you receive a product that is ready to implement.

Essentially, the most successful offshore software development companies are competent and flexible, and see their role as an information technology partner who solves your software problems, supports your team, and manages your projects from beginning to end. When you choose such a company, you can rest assured that you will receive an excellent return on investment.

5 Tips for Buying a Laptop

2009-01-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

5 Tips for Buying a Laptop

Buying a laptop is a major investment decision. As such it is not one that you should make lightly. Below are 5 tips that will help prepare you for making the best and most well informed decision when buying a laptop.

Tip #1 Size Matters

Buying a laptop is a matter that requires some thought. Consider the size and weight of the laptop. How often will you be carrying your laptop? Your answer will help determine which size and weight will best suit your needs. If you will be carrying your laptop frequently, a lighter model will be preferable.

The keyboard is another area to consider when buying a laptop. Why is the size of the keyboard important? A larger laptop will have a slightly larger keyboard area. But keep in mind that if you worry about your fingers or wrists taking on too much stress from typing on a keyboard that is too small, you may want this to be a main factor in your purchasing decision,

Tip #2 Choose Your Mouse

A laptop it will come with a built in touch pad, an alternative to the mouse, whereby the pad is controlled by the user’s finger movement. For some people, this type of pad is uncomfortable and not easy to work with. Before purchasing a laptop, determine what mouse options are available. Test each one and determine which one best meets your needs.

Tip #3 Wireless Options

Today, when many people think laptop, they think “wireless”. No doubt people want to make sure that their laptop computer will be able to access the Internet with a wireless connection. Many try to account for this by ensuring that their laptop has potential upgrade options, such as room for an expandable PC card or a USB port. However, since so many laptop users are looking for wireless connections, many of today’s laptops come pre-wired for wireless Internet. All you need to do is activate your wireless Internet service, and your laptop will take it from there. So depending on your needs, choose your laptop whether it is capable of expanding or if it is already configured for wireless Internet.

Tip #4 Check for Ports

Peripheral equipment will be connected to your laptop through USB ports. You will make your life much less complicated by ensuring that your laptop has adequate ports. Connecting equipment such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras will be much simpler if you have the ports readily available. If you are not sure, thoroughly read the specs for any laptop that you are considering purchasing.

Tip #5 Check Your Budget First

Finally, when buying a laptop, beware that you do not overspend. First create your budget and stick to it. When you think that you have found the laptop that you want, do not rush into it. Wait a day and check over your budget, requirements, and see if you are still as excited about the laptop in the morning, as you were when the sales clerk was showing off its specs. If you still feel that it is the laptop that you want to purchase, then go for it.

5 Reasons To Purchase Desktop Computers

2009-01-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

If you are in the market for a computer, there are a number of factors to consider. Will it be used for your home, your office or perhaps even your home office combo? First off, you will need to set a budget for your new purchase before deciding whether to shop for notebook or desktop computers. Many offices use desktop computers because they are not intended to be moved around a lot. In addition, affordability often plays a large role in someone’s decision as to whether to purchase notebook or desktop computers.

While you are shopping around, it’s important to keep in mind some of the benefits that go along with owning different types of computers. To that end, this article provides five important reasons to purchase desktop computers.

- Desktop computers are typically much more affordable than notebook computers. With notebooks, you are paying more for the convenience of portability. For as little as $299.00, desktop computers can be purchased from one of the leading manufacturers and a notebook computer for as little as $499.00.
- Unlike notebook computers, replacing a keyboard, mouse, speakers or even a monitor does not require having your computer serviced by a professional repair shop. Because notebook computers have everything built in, including the aforementioned features, it is more difficult to replace a keyboard or monitor as opposed to desktop computers, which operate on external connections.

- In the event of an unlawful entry into your home, desktop computers are not as likely to be stolen because of their weight and bulk. Notebook computers, on the other hand, are small and portable. This, alone, makes them more appealing to a thief than desktop computers.

- Desktop computers are stationary by nature. Unlike a notebook computer, which can easily be moved from room to room, they are less likely to be dropped or broken because they are not moved as often.

- The vents on desktop computers are located on the back of the tower, which allows for proper ventilation that will help to prevent the computer from overheating. Notebook computers, on the other hand, feature only one vent on the back with the remaining underneath the base. If placed on a table, the air vents can become blocked and the computer may overheat. If prolonged use leads to overheating, damage may result.

When choosing from the many desktop computers on the market, always make sure that you purchase from a manufacturer who has experience in creating computers. Even though they are more affordable than notebooks, desktop computers are not cheap. With an investment that involves several hundred dollars, you will want to consider the length of time the manufacturer has been in business, their reputation with customers and their warranty.

Additionally, when choosing any system, including desktop computers, always look at the potential for future upgrading. As you grow, you will want your computer to grow with you and a part of that will include a slight upgrade from time to time. This is the only way to get the best use of your desktop computers and make sure that your investment is one that lasts for years to come.

5 Reasons to Choose a Notebook Over a Computer Desktop

2009-01-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

Many of us are so used to working on a computer desktop that when it comes time to purchase a new computer, we don't consider other options. Today, computer notebooks - which were once called laptops - offer a number of advantages over a computer desktop. Here are just five reasons why you should take a second look at notebooks.

1. Mobility

You might be used to pulling up a chair to your computer, but it makes much more sense to pull your computer up to your chair. Laptops can certainly be used at your desk, but you also have the option of bringing them to the spot where you're most comfortable. Maybe you'd like to surf the Web in the evening out in the living room or catch up on your favorite blogs before bedtime. Notebooks with wireless connectivity can travel with you throughout your home, so you can check your email or do your Internet shopping anywhere.

Of course, notebooks also make sense for those who are on the go. Students can take laptops to class and to the library, while businesspeople can take them along while traveling. With WiFi so widely available, it even makes sense to have a notebook while on vacation. With the right notebook, it's easy to take photos with your digital camera, upload them, and email them to friends and family before you even get back home. Or you can use it to write a vacation blog and include those pictures from your digital camera.

2. Better Displays

The size and quality of computer notebook displays has improved so dramatically that there's little difference between laptops and a computer desktop. For example, you can get Apple's MacBook with a 13.3-inch LCD widescreen (1280 x 800 pixels), a 15.4-inch LCD widescreen (1440 x 900 pixels) or a 17-inch widescreen (1680 x 1050 pixels). Similarly, the Compaq Presario has a 15.4-inch display.

3. Lighter Weight

Just a few years ago, even the lightest notebook was a pain to lug around. Today, though, laptops are increasingly easy on the back. The MacBook is slightly over an inch thick and the Toshiba Portege weighs in at about four pounds. While that's still heavy compared to come of the new ultralight convertibles (Fujitsu's LifeBook U810 weighs only a pound and half), it's a significant improvement over the old seven-pound laptops.

4. Better Computing and Battery Power

Historically, two drawbacks of notebooks were their limited RAM, limited space on the hard drive, and short battery life. Times have changed, though, and laptops now have as much power under the hood as their computer desktop cousins. The MacBook, for example, has 1GB of memory (configurable up to 4 GB) and a hard drive that's configurable to 250GB. This means that your software will hum right along and you'll be able to zip through programs as quickly and as easily as you do on your desktop. Likewise, batteries in today's notebooks don't heat up and don't conk out.

5. More Features

In older laptops, the computer's size and weight limited the number and types of features available. Today, with smaller processors and other components, there's room to pack more features into notebooks. For example, the MacBook has a DVD player, built-in webcam, built-in wireless capability, two USB ports and a FireWire port, built-in microphone, and audio and digital input/output.

There are so many advantages to owning notebooks that, before you buy your next computer, it's worth your while to take one for a spin.

5 Powerful Tips for Getting the Help You Need Online

2009-01-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2006 Tony Mase

In his book "How to Get What You Want", Wallace D. Wattles, best known for his classic masterpiece "The Science of Getting Rich", talks about the importance of "making constructive use of the people and things in your environment" in getting what you want.

One way you make constructive use of the people and things in your environment is to get the help you need, when you need it.

If you spend any amount of time on the Internet, you'll occasionally need someone's help...

It might be help with an online purchase, technical support for a product, or some other kind of help.

Regardless of the kind of help you need...

The manner in which you ask for that help will determine the quality and the quantity of the help you receive now and in the future.

You see...

There are two ways you can ask for help online...

One is "constructive"...

The other is "destructive".

When you ask for help in a constructive manner, you'll get the help you need, when you need it, and you'll "build" a relationship that'll keep the door open for future help.

On the other hand...

When you ask for help in a destructive manner, although you might get the help you need this time, you'll "destroy" any chance of a relationship and close the door to future help.

Based on the thousands of questions and support requests I've received and answered online, here are five powerful tips that'll help you get the help you need, when you need it, and get it in a way that'll leave the door wide open for future help:

Tip #1 - Don't lead with your chin.

Leading with your chin is a great way to get knocked on your...

Well...

You fill in the blank. :-)

The single most important thing you need to remember when you're asking for help online, whether you're asking by email or by filling out an online form, regardless of how angry or frustrated you might be, is that there's a real "live" person on the other end...

A person who has "feelings" just like you do!

Including phrases in your first request for help like...

"Are you going to help me right now, right this minute, or are you going to give me my money back?"...

Or...

"I'm starting to think this is a scam!"...

Or...

"If I don't hear back from you in one hour, I'm going to call my lawyer!"...

Might make you feel good, but they'll virtually guarantee whatever help you do get right now will be minimal, at best, and your chances of getting anything other than minimal help from that person again in the future will be somewhere between slim and none.

Tip #2 - Be polite.

For some strange reason, one I've yet to figure out, many people seem to think the rules of simple, common courtesy don't apply online...

Don't you be one of them!

A request for help written in a polite tone, using "please" and "thank you", will, more often than not, get you a prompt and courteous reply.

Tip #3 - DON'T SHOUT!!!

Whether you know it or not, typing your request for help in all capital letters is the online equivalent of shouting in the face of the person who receives it...

And...

The liberal use of multiple exclamation marks makes your shouting even louder and more emphatic!

Question for you...

Do you like it when someone shouts in your face?

Guess what?

Neither does anyone else! :-)

Tip #4 - Keep your request short and to the point.

Most people doing business online don't have the time to read long, drawn out messages trying to figure out what you need, nor do they have the time to keep writing you back over and over again trying to clarify what you need.

When you ask for help online, *always* include your name, contact information, order information, specific dates, specific details, and a clear, concise description of the help or information you need.

Avoid including any information that doesn't directly contribute to helping the person you're asking for help to give you the exact help you need.

Tip #5 - Say thank you.

After you've received the help you've asked for, a simple "thank you!" or "thanks, I appreciate your help!" will go a long way towards insuring the door will be wide open the next time you need that person's help again.

Once again...

The single most important thing you need to remember when you're asking for help online is that there's a real "live" person on the other end.

Treat that person as you'd like to be treated and you'll find as I have that, more often than not, you'll get all the help you need, when you need it, and that person's door will always be open to you should you need their help again.

4 Great Advantages Of Having A Rack Mount Computer

2009-01-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

1. Really provides better cooling for your computer hardware

We all know that heat can really kill the motherboard, processor and other chips that are found in a computer case. If the temperature is too much it can fry the chips and leave your computer worthless. The more work you do, the longer you do it, the higher the workload on the pc. This causes heat to build up inside your computer. The traditional cooling fan that you can find on the back of the power supply of your computer is normally not enough to get it all the cooling it needs. Even with the other fan attached to the processor chip, your computer will most of the time not get all the cooling it needs.

If you were to use a rack, this would help to give your computer the cooling it needs, since it gives you a lot more space, unlike computers that don’t have racks.

2. You’ll have better air circulation

Without adequate space for your computer, there won't be good air circulation and this can damage many things in your computer. A rack mount computer therefore gets better air circulation than one without it. And this goes a long way in protecting your computer.

3. Prevents vibration when playing load music

Good computer racks out there have vibration-dampening tendencies to prevent the vibration of your computer- especially when listening to load music from your speakers. Without these vibration-dampening tendencies, your speakers and even compute can slowly slip off your desktop, thereby causing damage.

4. Give more space for your computer

Your rack mount computer has more space than others without one. You are able to do more work than if you didn't have a rack for your computer.

If you take all the above advantages into consideration you will come to find that using a rack mount computer instead of one without a rack is the way to go.

3 Ways CCTV Can Help Your Business

2009-01-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

Many business managers and owners discount the idea of installing a CCTV system on their premises. Worried about costs and benefits, they use other security measures to protect their stock and their staff.

CCTV systems could be more beneficial than you think. Here are three key ways that CCTV can help to protect your business.

Deterrent

Although they won’t stop all crime, it is thought that visible CCTV systems act as a deterrent to would-be criminals. It’s far less risky to steal from a shop with no CCTV than from one that explains its system clearly in a window poster and which has highly visible cameras. The presence of a camera at the entrance or exit of a building and watching over key areas like retail sales floors or IT suites can make the difference between your business being targeted and the criminal moving on.

Evidence and Interference

Depending on the type of system you install, CCTV has the potential both to stop a crime before it occurs and to provide the police with valuable images that can help them to detain a suspect. Monitored systems, where the images are fed from the camera to a real-time monitor, allow security staff to see what’s happening at the premises at all times. If they pick up anyone behaving suspiciously they can alert staff on the ground who may be able to prevent a crime. Recorded systems, on the other hand, should give vital information on the appearance and activities of any criminals, which can make a huge difference to a police investigation.

Peace of mind

For anyone working in, shopping in or visiting your business premises, the knowledge that there is a working CCTV system in place brings peace of mind. Not only does it let your employees know that you are concerned for their safety, but customers and visitors recognise it as a deterrent and automatically feel safer than in a business where there are no cameras at all. Whilst not everyone likes the presence of CCTV cameras in public places, most people would say that such systems make them feel more comfortable.

3 Uses for an External Hard Drive

2009-01-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2006 Erick Charles

An external hard drive is a hard disk drive (much like the one in your computer) that is placed externally, outside of the case. You can buy them pre-made, or purchase a hard drive and an enclosure, and make your own. They came in many sizes, are relatively inexpensive, and are well suited to perform various functions. In this article, I will detail 3 specific uses for your external hard drive.

For one reason or another, you may have chosen a computer whose storage capacity you've outgrown. It may be full to capacity with files and programs, and you need room to expand. So the first example is to use your external hard drive to add expandability to your computer. This is true in case all of your PC's hard drive bays are full, and especially if you have a laptop which has only one hard drive bay.

A second example is to use your external hard drive as a shared storage drive. You can attach it to a PC, set permissions and share-ability, and start saving, and sharing various files. For example, you can share and save pictures, MP3s, and video files. By using it in this manner, you'll be able to free up tons of space on your computer's local hard drive, and you'll be able to share files with everyone in your home network.

Another possible use for your external hard drive is to save important documents. For example, you can scan wills, deeds, insurance information, leases, bank account and credit information, and store them on your external hard drive. You can also take pictures of all your valuables, and keep these safe in your external hard drive for future reference. If it's important to you, then it's worthy of being saved in your external hard drive. You can then store this hard drive in a secure location such as a fire-proof safe, or a safety deposit box. This will surely save you tons of headaches in case of theft, or worse yet, a disaster.

There you have it. That's 3 possible uses for your external hard drive. They're versatile, and come in sizes that you can choose according to your specific needs. If you have a lot of files to save, then you can get a 500 GB hard drive, or larger if you wish. If you only have a few important documents to save, then maybe a 15 GB hard drive will suffice. The important thing is that it is you who can choose the size you need. It is you who can choose what its primary function will be. And if you need to, you can get more than one external hard drive. That's what makes them so ideal.

3 Super Advantages Of Barcoding And Barcode Scanners

2009-01-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

The use of barcoding and barcode scanners has transformed operational efficiencies of a phenomenal number of businesses both large and small. Simple yet effective, the barcode as an invention has made itself indispensable purely by the multi-faceted advantages that its offers to the user across the entire barcoding spectrum – from generating barcodes through customizable barcode generating software right up to sophisticated barcode scanners and barcode readers. Here we present to you the killer advantages of these marvelous devices.

Super Advantage 1: Speed and Accuracy – A really good data entry operator would be able to enter a 12 digit number (like product code for example) on his keypad in approximately 4-5 seconds, but the average would be more like 7 seconds. The same operation if performed with a barcode scanner would take just one flick of the wrist, less than a second. The speed difference is evident – the use of the barcodes is unmatched in its ability to plough through large volumes of these operations effortlessly. While a data entry operator might make keyboard errors when he types in data, the chances of a barcode reader giving wrong output is practically nonexistent tending almost to zero. For all practical purposes, accuracy is exact, every time the barcode reader makes its flowing motion over the barcode.

Super Advantage 2: Implementation Ease – You decide you want to start using barcodes for your products but are worried that you have never done it before? Fear not, for in 10-20 minutes of your time that scenario will get reversed. The use of barcode readers is almost childishly simple with no prerequisite for usage. Not only can anybody do it, but they can do it quickly as well for the learning curve of using barcodes is extremely steep and short.

Super Advantage 3: Bang for the buck – If you could capture information quickly and accurately, it could only mean a tighter supply chain and well-knit business processes based on this information. With superior information, you can take superior business decisions that increase shareholder value. Imagine what disastrous consequences incorrect information could have on your business! A vast collection of barcodes and barcode scanner usage data has revealed that the investment made in this technology pays back in as short a period as 6 to 10 months – way faster than most modern technologies that attempt to improve the way we conduct our business. Thus the barcode genre is one where the customer truly gets good value for money and high return on investment.

One can never get enough of the importance and advantages of barcodes and barcode scanners. It now only remains for you to start scouring the market for various barcoding solutions to unlock the immense savings and gains that are lying in wait for your business! Go ahead and barcode your business growth in to the future!

3 Simple Ways To Save A Bunch Of Money When Buying A New Computer!

2009-01-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

Looking to buy a new computer?

Overwhelmed by all of the options available to you?

Stressed by the high cost of computers today?

For most people, buying a new computer does not have to be as stressful as buying a new car. Nor does it have to be as expensive. If you’re like most people, and you have a limited budget for buying a computer, then you need to try to get as much computer for your money as possible.

Here are 3 simple ways anyone can save money when buying a new computer:

1) Shop around for best deal.

Sounds pretty obvious. But many people don’t realize they don’t need the fastest, most expensive computer with the most “extras”. In fact, if you are already using an older computer, even the least expensive new computer will be a big upgrade. If you don’t know a lot about computers, you can learn a lot by shopping around. Ask lots of questions, compare prices, compare features, then find the best price. Shop at your local electronics store, and look for the best deals online. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can save by shopping around!

2) Install your own “extras”

Many computers you will find in a store have a lot of extra software already installed. While this is convenient, it is not always the best way for you to save money. Also, while many of these extras sound good, you don’t always need them. You can often find better deals by shopping around separately for your own software extras (such as a word processor, anti-virus, popup blocker, spyware removal, games, etc). And some of these you can get for free. So before you buy the “fully loaded” computer, ask yourself if you really need all the extras, then shop around to see if you can buy a scaled down computer - and get the extras yourself for much less!

3) Don’t buy extended warranty

If you are not a computer “techie”, the extended warranties offered by the computer retailers often sound like a good idea. After all, who wants to be bothered paying for service on a computer after you buy it. But keep in mind that most computers come with a warranty, and most computer problems will either happen at the beginning (when you still have the warranty in effect) or much later (when it might be cheaper to buy a new computer). Technology changes very quickly these days. So consider whether or not it’s worth the inflated price of the extended warranty. And, if you really feel you need the extended warranty, then ask to purchase it at a lower price. Not all retailers will negotiate on the warranty, but some will. And whether you buy the extended warranty or not, make sure you back up all your files periodically, just in case!

If you have an unlimited budget, consider yourself lucky. And if you do business on the computer, make sure you get what you need, while trying to keep the price down. At any price, buying something that does not fit your needs is not a good deal.

Hope you find these tips helpful, and happy computer shopping!

Your Information Technology Career: Beware The Comfort Zone

2009-01-07T01:29:00.000-08:00

I've seen it happen time and again to programmers, network engineers and administrators, and other IT personnel. They get a solid IT position, a good-paying job, and they get comfortable. They stop keeping up with the latest technologies, they stop studying, they no longer keep their CCNA, MCSE, and other industry certifications up-to-date.... and then one day, their comfortable job is gone.

Maybe they get laid off, maybe the company moves and they don't want to move with it... but for one reason or another, they're in the worst position possible. They have no job, and they have allowed their IT skills to deteriorate to the point where they are no longer employable.

If you're in IT, you must be constantly learning. You must continually take the long view, and ask yourself three important questions. First, where do you want to be in three years? Second, what are you doing now in order to reach this goal? And finally, if you were laid off today, are your current skills sharp enough to quickly get another job?

That third question can be the hardest of all to answer honestly. I'm reminded of Microsoft announcing years ago that they would no longer be recognizing the MSCE 4.0 certification, since the network operating systems that certification was based upon would no longer be supported by MS. (Keep in mind that this change was announced months in advance, giving those holding the MCSE 4.0 plenty of time to earn the latest MS certification.)

Some MCSE 4.0s just went nuts. Microsoft's certification magazine printed letter after letter from angry MCSEs saying that their company would always run NT 4.0, and that there was no reason for them to ever upgrade their certification.

This wasn't just denial. This was career suicide. Let's say that their network never moved from NT 4.0. Let's also say that they got laid off yesterday. Would you want to go out into the current IT workplace and have your most recent network operating system experience be on NT 4.0 ? I sure wouldn't.

The fact is that you've got to continue studying, continue growing, and continue learning new things if you want to have a successful long-term IT career. If you plan on studying only one topic, getting into IT, and then never cracking a book again, you're entering the wrong field. And for those of us who have been in it for a while - again, ask yourself this question: "Am I prepared for what would happen if I were laid off today?" And if you're not, do something about it!

3 More Common E-Mail Problems And What To Do About Them

2009-01-07T01:28:00.001-08:00

As we continue to evolve into the world of e-mail that is part of our everyday life, sometimes little problems arise that bother the user. Previously we talked about returned messages and lost connections, both which can be aggravating, and supplied solutions. But there are a few more problems that can affect an e-mail user causing frustration and we will address these here, and again provide reasonable solutions to over come them.

Problem 1 – You Cannot Send a Message

Even when there is not a connection problem, you may attempt to send email, but find that it continues to remain in your outbox.

Solution

Typically this is a software problem, the result of otherwise unapparent damage or corruption to one or more e-mail messages. To address this problem, first copy any unsent messages as text. Then save them on the computer's hard drive or a back-up storage medium. After all messages have been saved, highlight all the messages in your outbox and click on “delete” or “clear”. When clearing your outbox, start over. Just copy unsent messages from the text files, pass them into new e-mail messages and resend.

Problem 2 – The E-mail is Missing an Attachment or the Attachment Won't Open

An especially handy feature of e-mail is the ability to send and receive attachments. Transmitting documents, photos or other such information can save time and money compared to the U.S. Mail or express delivery services. At the same time, attachments can be real headaches. A common frustration is to receive an e-mail message that refers to an attachment, but then find nothing is there.

Solutions

Often the best solution is to request that the sender try once again, since it is not unusual for the writer to refer to an attachment, but then forget to attach it. Even if this is not the case, your request might prompt the sender to re-think the attachment's format before transmitting again. If the problem continues, consider asking the sender to paste the contents inside an e-mail message and try again. This may disrupt formatting, but can be an effective way to circumvent attachment problems.

If you see a message that the attachment has been deleted, it may be that your anti-virus software has detected a virus, and you're better off without it anyway. But if you find that all attachments are indiscriminately being deleted, check your mail properties. If a box is checked that blocks all attachments, remove the check mark so that you can receive attachments. If you then receive a message from an unknown person, or if the message or attachment seems suspicious, delete the message without opening the attachment.

A related problem is to see that an attachment has been transmitted, but find that you are unable to open it. The causes (and thus the solutions) vary. In some cases, the problem is that the software used by the sender does not match that of the recipient. As with a missing attachment, a simple fix is to ask the sender to copy and paste the contents of the attachment within a follow up mail message. Even if formatting is disrupted, you can still get the gist of the information. You can also use your own copying and pasting process to reformat the contents, if that is important.

Another strategy is to save the document to your hard drive, and then open the software program that was used initially to create it. Once this program is in use, your computer may be able to recognize what had been the attachment, and open it. If you do not have the appropriate software loaded on your computer, you may be able to download it from the Internet; just follow the on screen prompts to proceed.

Problem 3 – You Have too Much Incoming Mail or Cannot Download What You Have

If you are receiving large volumes of e-mail, you may be vulnerable to several difficulties.

Solutions

Many Internet service providers place limits on the amount of storage provided to each user (although some have recently increased storage limits). If a pre-set limit is reached (perhaps because you've gone too long without downloading your e-mail, or have been inundated by SPAM or virus induced flood of messages), additional messages will be bounced back to those who sent them.

Of course the direct approach is to download your mail and then weed it out, but a smarter move may be to access your e-mail account via Web mail. That way you can see a listing of all messages and quickly delete any that do not appear to be of interest. The end result is the same, but this step can save a great deal of downloading time if you're using a dial up modem. It also adds an extra measure of virus protection even if you have a broadband connection. Since you're deleting messages from your ISP's server before they ever have a chance to infect your computer, it's like killing mosquitoes before they bite you – instead of afterwards.

If you do not have a Web mail account, it's easy to get one. Simply go to a provider such as Yahoo (www.yahoo.com) or Lycos (www.lycos.com) and register. You can also use a site such as mail2web (www.mail2web.com) or webmail4free.com without even registering. Go to the site and enter you e-mail address and password. You will see a listing of all incoming mail, which you can read and then retain for downloading, or delete, as you choose.

A similar challenge may be caused by unusually large message. Again, this problem is more common with dial-up modems, where hefty messages may take an annoyingly long time to download. In the worst cases, you may find yourself unable to receive other messages, because the connection with the server where your messages are stored is severed when a time limit has been reached.

Use of Web mail can also do the trick here. Just log on to the third-party site, peruse the list of messages in your inbox, and choose the one that is the largest (most Web mail programs automatically list the size of each message). If the message seems of potential interest, open and read it, and then delete it. Or if it is obviously spam or something in which you have no interest, you can delete the message without even bothering to read it. Once you have removed the offending message, your other incoming mail will no longer be blocked.

If you do not have Web mail, an option is to contact your Internet Service Provider and ask for help. Once a customer service representative deletes the offending message from the ISP's server, you can then download all remaining messages.

Also keep in mind that retaining too much e-mail can be an organizational problem, if not a technical one. Take time to delete e-mail that does not need to be saved for future reference. Allowing too many messages to accumulate wastes storage space and makes it more difficult to find important messages when you need to refer to them. For messages that merit retention, create a series of folders so that they can be readily located, and so that your inbox will not become too full.

3 Different Types Of Camera’s: Box, Folding-Roll, And Viewfinder

2009-01-07T01:23:00.000-08:00

This article will outline 3 different types of camera’s: Box, Folding-Roll, and Viewfinder. This information will help you decide which camera suits your photography needs the best.

For over several decades the box camera was the gadget of choice for the typical amateur photographer. This is because it was cheap and simple, yet still capable of excellent results under most conditions. Box cameras were usually fitted with a single-element lens, a limited range opening control, and a single-speed shutter.

Next up is the Folding-Roll Film Camera, which was also very popular but not quite as much so as the box camera. The folding camera came in several types of formats, but basically, it was a box camera whose lens was included into a movable disk that could slide back and forth on a rail, allowing the lens to change focus from close to long range.

There were more complicated models available, but they were more expensive and considered very high quality. But, the most important benefit that they had over the box camera, was their compact design when folded, which made them easier to pack and transport. There has been something of a minor renaissance in folding-roll film cameras in recent years, with appearance of several new professional instruments. They are appreciated for their large negative size and compact design.

Next is a Viewfinder type camera which does not use a lens to view the subject but instead relies on a separate viewing system in the camera for aiming and for focus. The range finder camera allows for accurate focus, however, by using two views of the same subject to adjust focus. In this camera there are two images in the viewfinder. One is usually only a portion of the viewer area and is usually slightly yellowish in color. The photographer adjusts the focus ring on the lens and as they do the two images move. When both on directly on top of each other they blend together and almost disappear which signifies that the camera is in focus. The rangefinder is accurate and very quiet as well as being light weight. It is also useful for taking pictures in low light conditions or for candid photographs. These cameras can easily be spotted because of their double view windows in the front.

Enjoy your photography hobby and remember – keep experimenting with different angles and new lighting. Don’t be afraid to get creative!

3 Benefits To Owning A Refurbished Laptop

2009-01-07T01:21:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2006 the Tech Boy

If you like having the latest and greatest, then refurbished is not for you. However, if you don't mind minor cosmetic damage, and the fact that someone else has used your laptop, then you may want to consider purchasing a refurbished laptop. But why would anyone want to purchase a refurbished laptop as opposed to a brand new one? In this article, I will tackle this very issue, and give 3 reasons why you should own a refurbished laptop.

The first reason why purchasing a refurbished laptop may be a good idea is that they are a lot less expensive than their newer cousins. Of course, refurbished implies that it has seen prior usage, so refurbished laptops are generally older models, and you don't always know how their previous owners took care of them. But refurbished also implies that someone has taken the time to fix, and often times replace, any broken components. Do some research and only buy from reputable sources.

The second reason why you may want to purchase a refurbished laptop is that, because of their low cost, they are more expendable than new models, and make a great second laptop. As I explained above, refurbished laptops are generally a lot cheaper than a new laptop so if something should happen to it, you're only out maybe a few hundreds dollars as opposed to a new laptop which could cost you thousands.

The third reason why you may want to consider purchasing a refurbished laptop is that since you'll be spending a lot less money on the computer itself, you can afford to spend more upgrading it with newer, and better components. For example, you can add memory to speed it up, or upgrade to a larger hard drive. You should, of course, make sure that your computer can support these upgrades before you even purchase it. If it can't, then look for one that can before making your final decision.

If you decide to purchase your first refurbished laptop, make sure you do plenty of research. Refurbished means used, and you don't kow how the previous owner took care of it. Buy from a reputable source that offers some sort of warranty. Most won't warranty the battery or software but will provide at least a 30 day warranty for most of the hardware.

I've discussed three benefits to owning a refurbished laptop. They are low in cost, make a great second laptop, and you can spend more on upgrading the components. Make sure to do your research before you buy, and owning one will be a pleasant experience.

2 Way Radios

2009-01-07T01:19:00.001-08:00

Frequency Considerations for Recreational 2 Way Radios

If you are in the market for 2 way radios for personal use, you have an immediate and important choice to make: What radio frequency band do you require?

Frequency! 2 way radios obviously utilize 'wireless' communication methods so when using a 2 way radio you are transmitting and sending your message through the air -- the same air that is currently carrying television signals, commercial radio signals, Ham radio signals and literally thousands of signals from other private 2 way radios. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the job of controlling all of these communication signals so they don't run into each other; to accomplish this they have reserved frequency bands for use by certain types of communication (signal sending) devices. There are two frequency bands in use for recreational 2 way radios, these are called Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).

In 1996, the FCC reserved a set of radio frequencies they called the Family Radio Service (FRS) band, specifically for short-range 2 way radios (radios that operate no more than 2 miles away from each other) with a small power output (up to 500 milliwatts or one-half watt).

About fifty years before the FCC created the FRS band they had reserved a set of frequencies for higher power 2 way radios that operated over a longer range this is the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band. The GMRS band is for radios with a power output between one and five watts and a range over 2 miles. The FCC regulates the 2 way radios that operate on the GMRS band and requires users of this type of radio to obtain a license and pay a fee. The GMRS license is good for five years and costs $80.00; the license must be obtained by an adult (the radios operating under the license may be used by minors but only with the licensed adult's knowledge and permission). Go to the FCC's Internet page at: http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=general_mobile
for more information on GMRS licensing.

When buying 2 way radios, your choice is between a set of radios that operates only on one of these frequency bands or a set of radios that is able to operate on either one of these frequency bands. This determination will obviously have to be made based on the maximum distance the radio users will be from each other. If the radios are to be used within two miles of each other, FRS will be the best (and least expensive) choice. If a greater distance is consistently required, 2 way radios that operate on the GMRS frequency band will be required. If the need for distance is uncertain or if you want the option of occasionally transmitting up to five miles a FRS/GMRS hybrid is the radio set to choose.

2 Common E-Mail Problems and What To Do About Them

2009-01-07T01:18:00.001-08:00

When it works well, e-mail can be great. It's hard to beat e-mail for everything from staying in touch with family to requesting information from businesses or other organizations. Want to send the same message to several people? Communicate with someone across the continent? Transmit photos, manuscripts or other information? For speed and efficiency, this virtually instantaneous medium is one of the most convenient features of modern life.

But e-mail is not without problems. If you key in the name of an intended recipient but your message keeps bouncing back, you might not be singing e-mail's praises. Ditto for attachments that won't open or other such nuisances. With just a little patience, though, you can readily overcome most e-mail problems. What follows are 4 common e-mail problems along with solutions for overcoming them.

Problem – Returned Messages

This may be the most frustrating of all e-mail problems. After taking the time to create a message, you click on the “send” button and consider your task accomplished. But the next thing you know, the message pops up in your in-box with a heading that it did not reach its intended recipient.

Solutions

First, take the simple step of checking to see that the address of your recipient has been entered correctly. This may seem obvious, but sometimes the only thing wrong is a misplaced letter, the use of “com” instead of “net”, or some similar error. If you know the correct address, this is a straightforward matter of double checking each character. If not, you might need to experiment by sending multiple messages, or by entering alternative addresses with slight variations. Under this approach, you simply keep track of which messages are bounced back and compare them with the overall list of addresses you used. If you sent four variations but only three were returned, you have solved the problem by the process of elimination.

Sometimes the source of your problem lies with the recipient. If messages to other addresses go through but fail here, try to contact the intended recipient by other means and report the situation. The cause may range from a temporary problem with the recipient's server to a switch to another e-mail provider, to a full in box. In this case, simply waiting may be the best recourse. Or a phone call or other communication may be required on your part to obtain the correct e-mail address. If all your messages are being returned, you may have a connection problem. See below for more details.

Problem 2 – You Have Lost Your Connection

Sometimes a failure to send or receive e-mail can be traced to a lost connection with your Internet service provider.

Solutions

If you see a “failure to connect” or “no response” message or have otherwise determined that you have failed to connect, double check to make certain there are no physical problems.

First, check your cables and connections. If you use a dial-up modem, listen to make sure it produces the normal high-pitched dialing sound. If not, the problem could be a loose connection. Locate the phone cord that runs from the back of your computer to the phone jack, and then make sure that each end is plugged in snugly.

If you will don't hear the expected dialing sound, check to make sure your phone cord is undamaged. If it seems worn, replace it with a new one. Other steps include making certain the line is plugged into the right port, and checking the phone jack by plugging the cord into a different jack. If you hear the dialing sound after any of these steps, you have made a successful connection.

Connection problems may be more common with dial-up modems than with broadband connections, but the latter are also dependent on physical connections. A loose wire or poorly connected cable can easily be problematic. Sometimes a glitch occurs that can be best addressed by repeating portions of the initial set-up process. A simple fix touted by Verizon technical service reps for some DSL (digital subscriber line) customers is to disconnect the three lines from the back of the modem and then reconnect them in a specified order. When this action is taken, the online connection is immediately regained.

If you are online but keep getting bumped off, the lost connection can be the result of an unintended software command. In Outlook Express, for example, you will find the command “Hang up when finished.” If the box in front of this phrase is checked, the connection will automatically be severed each time you send or download e-mail. Sometimes a misdirected click of your mouse will cause you to place a check in the box even though you do not realize it. Simply click on the check mark to make it disappear, and the hang-ups will cease.

These 2 common e-mail problems are quite easy to determine and when rectified will make your emailing experience more enjoyable.

2 - Blogging: Let's Brainstorm for Content

2009-01-07T01:14:00.000-08:00

Copyright 2006 Chonticha Marijne

In "1 - Blogging: Let's Get You Started" we ended with the subject of content. Fresh topics are important to keep your blog readership interested, and now we're going to discuss just how you can do that.

What are you going to write about? It should be a topic that you're passionate about or are at the very least interested in. If you've chosen blogging as your new career, then you don't want to torture yourself by writing about something that you have zero interest in, otherwise you might as well return to that mundane job you just quit!

Feelings and emotions show through your writing, so your readers will notice any indifference you may have toward a certain topic that you find boring. Don't forget the advice about writing with a personality. Forced writing will not establish you in the world of blogging at all.

Once you've chosen your main theme -- or if it has chosen you, then that's even better -- start posting to your blog and try to get into the habit of doing that at least once every day. It doesn't always need to be a long post; it could be a comment on something you read in the newspaper today or a segment that you saw on the breakfast news program on TV. Think of yourself as a gigantic container ship, that needs a lot of effort to get moving. At first, you'll budge just a foot or two and later you'll trudge slowly on until you're at full speed. Before you know it, it'll take a lot of effort to stop you!

Nevertheless, regardless of how well you know your topic, you're going to run out of fresh input at some point, so let's look at some content brainstorm ideas.

1) Check out what other bloggers have to say on the current state of affairs in your field of discussion. You can find related blogs by visiting http://blogsearch.google.com/ or http://www.technorati.com. You'll learn from other blogs and you can also comment on what others have to say on your own blog!

2) Once you’ve established contact with other bloggers, you’ll have almost inexhaustible input to keep you going for a while, so there won't be an acute need to search for content to write about. Should you still be stuck, then you can search for news articles related to your niche in you local newspaper or online.

3) By joining a few forums related to your niche -- just choose the ones that are the most focused on your particular area -- you can engage in conversations with others who share your interests. This is a great way to build up a Q&A bank and interesting discussion topics to write about. An added bonus is that your forum posts will quite handily generate traffic for your blog and, hopefully, profits.

Try to maintain your daily posting habit. The major search engines love fresh content and they are more likely to spider your blog frequently, which will also result in getting you extra traffic.

The subject of traffic will be discussed in a future article, so don't worry about that right now. Just keep writing and posting and building up that momentum -- you'll be an established blogger before you know it!

Callcentric and Skype - a comparative study

2009-01-07T01:09:00.000-08:00

In the world of internet phone service, Callcentric and Skype could be very well considered the toughest competitors. Both have a relatively big customer base and an equally big reputation in the industry. Both offer lots of value added services to their customers and are considered very cheap when compared to traditional international phone calls. Despite these similarities, there are a few things that can be compared between Callcentric and Skype to highlight certain features that separate one from the other.

Callcentric offers four plans that could be considered the cheapest in the market. They are Callcentric IP Freedom Plan, Callcentric Pay per Call, Callcentric North America Unlimited, and Callcentric World Select. All of them offer unlimited PC to PC calls to other Callcentric members for free, wherever in the world they are. IP Freedom Plan is considered the cheapest of them all, as it provides free calls to other members, wherever they are. At no monthly charge, no surcharge, no hidden fees, no per-call rate, and no other commitment, this is considered the best bargain. All you need is an adapter or software and you are good to go with the Callcentric IP Freedom plan.

Skype also has a similar structure, as calls made to any Skype customer are free all over the world. In fact, Skype became extremely popular due to this feature, as free PC to PC calls were something really rare at the time when Skype brought in this feature. So, basically this plan works the same way for Skype and Callcentric. Free PC to phone international call and phone calls from the PC are something everyone looks forward to while using Skype and Callcentric, and this is the area where Callcentric scores over Skype.

Callcentric has plans such as Pay per Call, North America Unlimited, and World Select which offer tremendous value for the money you pay. At a miserly monthly rate around $19.95 per month, you will be able to make unlimited phone calls to the USA and Canada. With this plan, you will be able to make hundreds of calls in a month and still pay an incredibly low $19.95.

In the World Select plan, Callcentric goes a step ahead of its competitors and offer unlimited calls to people all over the world for a monthly rate of $29.95. Thanks to the wide network of Callcentric with over 35 countries across the globe, you can call any of your near and dear ones any number of times for just around $30 a month.

Skype has an offer called Skype Credit which asks you to pay some amount and you also need to pay a connection fee. Once you log in, the credit you have will appear next to your name. Then you can start calling any part of the world. But the catch here is the rate per call. The rates range around 1.7 Euro cents per minute, which is considered costlier than Callcentric, as you can make unlimited calls to any part of the world in case of Callcentric for just under $30 per month. This is where Callcentric scores over Skype and is considered the better option when it comes to PC to phone calling.

Call Centers - A Backgrounder

2009-01-07T01:08:00.001-08:00

The call center business has become one of the fastest booming industries today. In the era of customer-oriented services, the provision for accessible support is now a priority. With many companies trying to cope up with their customers’ needs and demands, the concept of the call center was born.

A call center normally operates with all its agents (or customer service representatives) in one central location. It is equipped to handle a large amount of transactions between customers and the call center agents. Transactions may be carried out through a variety of media. The telephone is the foremost form of communication in call centers today. However, transactions are also carried out via email and the live chat through the Internet.

Call centers offer a wide range of services. The first thought that comes to mind for many is support - product information, technical support, and all sorts of after sales services. However, call centers can offer more than that. They also deal with marketing and sales. Telemarketing is an aggressive form of selling your product and can yield very good results. Call centers cater to businesses which aim to increase their sales as well as provide customer services. One example would be credit card companies.

While aiming to provide information and assistance to customers, they can also increase their revenue through sales spiels given by their agents. Another service that can be dealt with by a call center is debt collection. Credit bureaus also make use of call centers to provide information on a person’s credit rating. In effect, basically anything that has to do with your customers can be done through call centers.

What is the typical set up in a call center? The term call center brings up images of wide open work spaces, with small workstations containing a computer, headset, and telephone dialer. The practice is increasingly turning to the linking of data and voice in one pathway. This integration makes for more efficient work practices and is called Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). Individual agents are normally managed by a floor supervisor who also takes calls when the need arises.

Setting up a call center requires certain technology to be applied. There is a wide range of available technologies for call centers today. More often than not, different types of technologies are combined in order to achieve the most effective and efficient set up. The Computer Telephony Integration has already been mentioned is one of the trends in the business today. In fact, CTI is used to combine most applications used in call centers - voice, email, fax, and web. CTI provides many functions such as caller ID, on screen dialing, on screen phone controls (conference calls, hang up, hold, etc.), and agent status control (whether agent is available for calls or not).

With all these advances in technology and developments in consumer-oriented practices, the call center has emerged as an ideal solution for many companies. The call center provides standardized service to customers and helps cut the cost. In addition to that, the separate entity of the call center subtracts from the actual operational considerations of the company.

Call Canada Through a Cool Connection at Hot Rates

2009-01-07T01:07:00.001-08:00

Planning to go to Canada to finally go for an awesome and long-awaited vacation in Alberta with your granny? Well what are you waiting for? Book it!

Extremes of climate heat and cold symbolize Canada, a country distinguished by its multi-racial citizens. Citizens include people of: European, Indian, Arabic, American, Italian, Hispanic and Caribbean descent. The aboriginal inhabitants of Canada also add to the distinct flavor of the country. Situated in the northern side of the North American continent, Canada captivates you with its pristine, scenic beauty. From snow-capped mountains to serene lakes and rivers and wooded forests, Canada beckons you with its natural environment.

Though you are not at any rate short of funds, “No so fast!, your mind tells you. Too bad you have never placed an international call to Canada. Now you just have to forego the masterplan til somebody offers you to make that call for you. NOT! It just so happened that you are not led to this article just for any reason. Fortunately, information regarding how to make an international call to Canada abound and they were just so packed here for your convenience. And guess what? You are about to learn to save some precious dough too. So, just read on.

Easy tips to save on your international calls.

It is recommended to not make an operator assist you with your calls. This would cost you dollars when you can just spend some few cents in making that phone call. Another piece of advice is to avail of flexible prepaid long distance calling plans offered by various telecommunications sources.

Know your calling patterns. According to your habits in making international calls, whether you are a night or day caller or non-business days caller or not, informing the company that you are eyeing on to give your business will be of great help.

The real deal in placing international call to Canada:

Take note that the country code for Canada is 1. This number is also known as the routing number, prefix, and country code.

Any mistake on this number could lead you to other countries. Surely you would not want to be greeted by somebody speaking Hungarian or Japanese. That would be a waste of money too. If you do not want to suffer these consequences, better be really on your toes when dialing all the numbers you are supposed to dial.

Here is a list of the area codes in Canada:

Alberta 403

British Columbia 250

British Columbia (Lower Mainland) 604

Manitoba 204

New Brunswick 506

Newfoundland 709

Nova Scotia 902

Ontario (London) 519

Ontario (North Bay) 705

Ontario (Ottawa) 613

Ontario (Thunder Bay) 807

Ontario (Toronto Metro) 416

Ontario (Toronto Vicinity) 905

Prince Edward Island 902

Quebec (Montreal) 514

Quebec (Quebec City) 418

Quebec (Sherbrooke) 819

Saskatchewan 306

Simple Steps to Call Canada:

Dial the international access code – 011 (no need to dial this code if you are calling from USA).
Dial Canada’s country code – 1.
Dial the city code of the place you want to connect with. (e.g.: Alberta city code is 403 and Manitoba city code is 204.)
Dial the remaining digits.

Avoid calling direct unless you are well-off enough to not mind spending a hefty amount on making that simple and effortless international call. A prepaid phone service is a lot more practical. Also, if you despise dialing too many numbers, most prepaid call services do not require you to dial any pin. Just shop around for the best rates.

Despite the fact that English and French are the official languages of Canada, understanding the local parlance can be quite daunting. For instance, a ‘mickey’ is not a cartoon character, but a small bottle of booze; and the Royal Mountain police are referred to as the ‘Mounties’.

Aside from this effort in learning the instructions in placing a call to Canada while saving money, you might want to go that extra mile to make your international calling experience a bit more rewarding than the usual. Go greet the person you’re calling with a homely "Bonjour" since French is also one of the major languages used in Canada. It won’t just surprise your call’s recipient. It might also just make his or her day.

Call Accounting Software for Every Enterprise

2009-01-07T01:05:00.000-08:00

Communication facilities are the lifeline of most successful businesses and often the most difficult to manage. The success of any organization is directly related to its ability to address the changing needs of its people and customers. Management of telephone charges, equipment fees, VoIP traffic, internet usage, and provider discounts is a difficult task. Most communication managers demand the necessary tools to allow administrators to monitor, evaluate, forecast and allocate communications management services and expenses.

Communications facilities are continuing to evolve at a rapid rate. Call accounting is generally the centerpiece of a complete communication management solution (CMS) to allow customers to track, process and allocate communications transactions (analog, VoIP and data).

Communications transactions are generally delivered to call accounting systems where this information is processed real-time, summarized or submitted to a central server for multi-site consolidation.

For many years, long distance traffic was monopolized by the major telephone companies. Today, the complex and competitive sphere of alternate services, long distance carriers and countless discount strategies leaves most customers baffled about best available savings. A robust call accounting system will provide a concise unbiased picture of comparative rate structures using concrete historical data.

Customer relationship management is fundamental to the success of many organizations. Shadow CMS utilizes calling line information delivered the telephone system for comprehensive inbound traffic analysis. These reports assist in designing regional campaigns, network planning and call center staffing.

Network performance is critical in a call center, emergency dispatch service, hospitality, government or even a small business. Call accounting produces statistics for trunk usage, grade of service, all trunks busy and peak/busy hour analysis. Call accounting pinpoints over or under capacity environments. Many organizations struggle with workforce management and productivity. Good call accounting software provides exception management reports which highlight long duration, excessive cost and misdialed calls. Each call may be pinpointed to a particular password, account code, extension or authorization number. Call accounting provides detailed telephone charges reports, which highlight usage practices

Professional services firms often face the tedious task of allocating communications expenses to customer account files. Call accounting delivers expense account code, password or authorization code reports. These results can be automatically directed to accounting systems, spreadsheets, HTML, email and a variety of other formats.

In hospitality environments, information is processed in real time, assigned a cost and immediately delivered to property management room folios for true billing integration.

A robust call accounting system provides a series of sophisticated traffic analysis reports (that utilize CCS, Erlang and Erlang B) to determine network efficiency and alternate cost modeling for facility planning. In retail and direct customer service environments, a call accounting system should extendsits communications analysis to custom call routing (CCR), voice mail and interactive voice recognition reporting (IVR). This paints a total picture of communication activity,

Cable TV – Your Area Information Source

2009-01-07T01:04:00.001-08:00

Many people believe that cable TV is a thing of the past. But it is alive and well today. The people who make technology possible for all of us have continued to put thought into your entertainment options through cable TV. When you sign up for cable, you can get more than two hundred high quality channels. And who could ever need more than that many channels?

One reason that many people still prefer cable tv as their entertainment choice is the lack of interference by bad weather. Because cable is a direct link, as opposed to satellites, things like weather won’t interfere with the quality of your entertainment. And what better time is there to relax in front of your favorite shows than when it’s dreary and wet, and there’s nothing else to do.

Why get cable TV, when you can get competitive pricing for satellite instead? One reason to go with cable TV is to stay connected with your neighborhood. While local channels are available with satellite TV, there may be an extra charge for these channels. With cable, these channels are usually thrown in at no extra charge, although you should inquire to make sure that this is the case with any company you choose to do business with. In addition, your cable TV company will likely include some channels that exist only through cable. That may include updated and immediate area school news, city and county government programming, and other news and information for your area.

It may not seem like a big deal to have local channels. After all, the programming for channels that you pick normally has everything you want. Or those channels have almost everything. What they don’t have is your community news and events, unless you live in a very large town. If you want to know what the weather is going to be like for tomorrow, you don’t want to turn on the television and only find a forecast for someone three states away. You want to know what the weather in your region of your state is going to look like. Cable TV can help you with this. Local channels can also keep you aware of events and school closings in bad weather and more.

Many people like satellite TV because of the parental control options. Some aren’t aware that the same options are available for cable tv users. This way, you can enjoy having all the channels you want, but still restrict your children’s viewing. You get to decide what channels are appropriate for their viewing, not someone in the entertainment business. This way, your television programs can parallel your values.

Buying a PDA

2009-01-07T01:02:00.001-08:00

Buying a PDA is not an easy decision. There are so many things to consider and so much research to do to get your dollars worth. You have to ask the questions. How much do I want to spend? What do I want my PDA to do?

Before deciding on a PDA you should know exactly what feature it has and if it meets your particular needs. PDA stands for personal digital assistant and it should perform exactly that task. It should help in making your life more organized and easier.

A new PDA does not need to be upgraded annually, so it is a worthwhile investment. It can perform several functions, some of which include address book, notes taker, GPS navigator, calculator and much more.

Given that you are ready to go forward with the purchase, your choice of a PDA model will depend on your requirements—what you want it to do. A few things to take into consideration would be the amount of memory the PDA has. If you want to store large documents or multimedia on it then you will need something with a large/expandable memory. The second is the size of the PDA. If you don’t like lugging around heavy things then get something lighter that will better suit you. The third is the battery life of the PDA. If you want to use it heavily and still be able to turn it on then you’ll need something with an extended memory life.

A PDA can be bought almost anywhere. You can buy one online from just about anywhere or, you could buy one from a physical store. I would recommend buying one from a physical store as this will allow you to evaluate both size and weight to determine whether the PDA will suit your needs.

Buying a Cell Phone and Mobile Battery Problems

2009-01-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

Buying a Cell Phone:

An Overview
Everyday different manufacturers around the world are introducing the models with the new features. This is what needs to be taken into consideration when you go for buying a cell phone. You need to be sure about the features you want that suit your lifestyle well.

The Money Matter

Nowadays there is so much choice for an individual to buy a cell phone. Every company is producing the models with state of the art technology and features everyday. Price is the main thing that makes a difference in these different models. An expensive phone is likely to have more features, reliability and a better technology than a cheap one. Everyone wants a best phone in the market for him but high price of the cell phones comes in the way therefore price is a big thing that needs to be kept in mind while buying a cellular phone. But expensive and sophisticated phones are not everyone’s choice; there are people who just want a simple cell phone which is not much expensive but does its job well only as a cell phone. Also the extra features provided in the expensive phones are not everyone’s need.Therefore the price is a main thing to keep in mind whenever you to buy a cell phone. Do not buy a cell phone just because it is expensive; buy the one that suits your needs.

Choices in Different Vendors and their Models

Lucky for the customers that nowadays there are a huge number of cell phone manufacturers who have a vast number of models for customers to choose from. Every vendor holds certain advantages that the other lacks in. This creates a great competition which is very healthy for the cell phone industry. Also this competition results in the reduction of the price which is beneficial for the end user. Some people have liking for a certain brand but they still have a lot of choice in the models offered by the same brand. Every other day a new model is launched by a company, this is a strategy of companies to keep a customer stick to their brand and attract more.

Research is Always Better

It is always better to research about the phone you are going to buy before you set out to actually buy it. There are number of ways to know about that phone, the best one is internet. You can read the product reviews on the internet for that phone and know if there are any issues with it. You can also know the people’s view about the certain features offered by that particular device on internet. Also try to read the review by some critic about that phone; it will further clarify its view in your mind.

Miobile Battery Problems

Your Mobile Battery is Very Low, you are expecting an important call and you don't have a c harger". Nokia instrument comes with a reserve battery. To activate the battery, the key-in *3370# your cell will restart with this reserve and your instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your mobile next time.

Latest Mobile Phone News

Latest Mobile Phone Models News Here

Business Phones Keep Up With Changes In Technology

2009-01-07T00:59:00.000-08:00

The basic premise that defines a business phone has been simple and well stated for many years. Business phones, unlike home telephones, need to be able to handle a large call volume and provide functionality that is useful to the end user. This usually includes the ability to field several calls at the same time, put people on hold when necessary, and direct phone traffic to wherever it needs to go. Business phones have accomplished these tasks with flying colors going all the way back the earliest models. Even more impressive, however, is the ability business phone manufacturers have shown to incorporate new and expanding technologies into their products.

Technology has grown by leaps and bounds, especially in the last two decades. From faxes to cellular phones and the dawning of the computer age, changes that have affected phones in general, but particularly business phones, have been varying and abundant. Looking at other industries where technology has influenced design and protocols, one can easily see that not all manufacturers share the same competitiveness that business phone manufacturers share in relation to keeping their products as current as possible. Digital telephones were available before the digital alarm clock, digital wrist watch or the digital thermostat.

While it could be argued for the digital alarm clock or the digital wrist watch that this is simply a matter of function not really benefitting form, I doubt that anyone would dispute the exclusion of the thermostat in that description. Like the digitalization of the telephone, digitalized thermostats offer options that were not possible prior to the conversion. From the ability to adjust temperature settings based on time to the increased level of accuracy, digitalization has offered great benefits to this particular product. Why then, were products such as these so much slower than the business telephone to adopt digitalization?

It is more a testament to the dedication of telephone equipment manufacturers than it is a knock on other product manufacturers. The telephone business is highly competitive, and the ultimate beneficiary of this competitiveness is the consumer. Whatever changes lie ahead for technology, you can be certain that business phone manufacturers will incorporate those changes into their products.

Better Online Communication Makes Business Sense

2009-01-07T00:57:00.001-08:00

Many companies are now doing the majority or even all their business online and foregoing the “Brick and Mortar” storefront. It is easy to see why that trend has happened. For one thing, the cost of setting up such a business is relatively inexpensive and easy. There is no need to pay for the overhead of a physical building. Also, the cost of maintaining a Web site is minimal. Moreover, the Internet provides a convenient and efficient way of marketing products. As more and more people are spending time on the Internet, the market of online customers continues to grow.

But when businesses shift from face-to-face customers to anonymous online customers, there is a loss of personal connection and trust. All the online spamming and scamming hasn’t helped the matter at all. That has eroded the trust in E-commerce and the credibility of many companies. How are you gaining and maintaining customer trust? What are you doing as an online vendor to communicate to your customers?

In an online world, business just doesn’t stop after hours and on weekends. What are you doing to answer your customer’s questions? Here are a few things that you can do to improve communication with your customers:

1. Offer a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page and online product support information. This is an excellent way of answering basic questions that may otherwise flood your support email. For example, our voice-changing product, MorphVOX, has a FAQ on the common issues that customers may come across. We also have provided detailed online documentation on topics that users may want to explore more. This takes care of roughly 95% of the questions people may have.

2. Add a support email link on your Web site for issues that can’t be resolved by the Web support. At Screaming Bee, we try to answer our customer questions within one business day. More often, we’ll answer questions within an hour of receiving the email. I believe that we have gained many loyal customers because of our aggressive efforts to meet needs in a timely manner.

3. Provide a message board or forum for customers to voice their opinions, add comments, and interact with each other. Remember that people are social creatures and like to be heard. This also helps to build up a community of users that are empowered and have a say in the products and services that you provide.

4. Write a personal email to each customer. Have you followed up on your customers after they have made a purchase of your products or services? This is essential, not only from the perspective of getting feedback on how to improve your offerings, but more importantly, maintaining the trusting, long-term relationship with your customer. Send them an email within 3-4 weeks of the first purchase. In this way their experience with your products and services is fresh in their mind. Remember, a customer who is ignored is a customer who is lost.

Spending time and effort on better communication with your customers will pay off. Your company will rise and fall not on the customers you gain, but on the customers that you don’t lose. Loyal customers will be the ones that give you the best testimonials. They also provide you with the richest, organic, word-of-mouth marketing. Remember that every happy customer is a testament of your company’s success.

Basics of Multi Line Commercial Phone Systems

2009-01-07T00:53:00.000-08:00

While most commercial phone systems offer standardized features such as voice mail, call forwarding, transferring and hold music, not all are created equal. With three different options for businesses, it's important to understand that the phone system you choose should be reflection of your businesses size and where you expect to be several years down the road. If your company has a very small number of employees, a KSU-less system might be the right choice. KSU-less systems offer a high degree of functionality for a much lower initial investment. KSU-less phones are not tied together in the sense that traditional phone systems are. Instead, the actual handsets provide commercial phone system features, instead of connecting to a central control unit.

For mid-sized companies, key systems offer more features and are expandable for normally up to 35 handsets. Key systems utilize a central control device called the key system unit (KSU) to manage the connected network of phones within your business as well as any outgoing or incoming calls. In recent years, key systems have become so advanced that many rival PBX systems in terms of standard features and customization.

For large companies with over 35 to 40 employees, a PBX system is the way to go. PBX systems offer the greatest amounts of functionality are highly expandable. A PBX central terminal controls all phone systems in the same manner that a key system does, but can do so for a substantially greater number of phones. Almost all PBX systems come with the standard features necessary for phone system operations as they pertain to large businesses. PBX systems are highly programmable and can be configured to meet the individual needs of any business. The only downside to PBX systems is the overall expense compared to key systems and KSU-less systems. Still, if your business needs over 35 handsets or may in the future, PBX is your only choice.

There factors that will determine the size of the system you need are the number of lines and the number of extensions you will need. Lines are the number of outside phone lines your phone system can simultaneously connect to. Extensions are needed for every handset or other device that the company needs to connect to the phone system. Knowing both can give you an idea of which phone system is right for your business.

The iPhone Helps Users Get the Message

2009-01-06T04:04:00.000-08:00

It used to be that cell phones were used just for
making calls, but that isn’t the case anymore. When
people purchase a cell phone, they want to not only be
able to talk on the phone to their friends, they also
want to be able to talk to their friends with chat as
well.

One of the biggest problems that people have when they
are texting someone with a cell phone is that they
find themselves making a lot of mistakes due to the
keypads on their cell phones. But when you are texting
with an Apple iPhone, you will find that your mistakes
and typos seem to disappear like magic.

The reason for this is that the Apple iPhone is
equipped with something called an SMS application,
including a Qwerty soft keyboard that is highly
intelligent.

What this does is that it seeks out the typos that you
make when you are texting someone and fixes them for
you. This saves you a lot of time, because you don’t
have to worry about going back and fixing them
yourself.

Another feature that the iPhone has when it comes to
messaging that teenagers will like is the ability to
send out a text message to more than one person at
once. This is really handy if you are planning a get
together or an important meeting.

The Apple iPhone goes above and beyond what customers
are looking for when it comes to texting capability,
and helps them to do things quickly and efficiently.

The Apple iPhone shows Travelers the Way

2009-01-06T04:03:00.000-08:00

There is nothing worse than getting lost when you are
trying to go somewhere. It also can be embarrassing
having to stop and ask for directions.

But with the Apple iPhone you have the ability to find
out everything that you need right there on your cell
phone.

When you open the Maps application on your iPhone,
Wi-Fi networks and information from cell towers are
able to give your approximate location. Simply drop a
pin on the map and then move it to where you want to
go.

The amazing iPhone will give you directions, and it
can also give you interest points that are nearby. But
the iPhone doesn’t stop there.

No longer do you have to turn on the radio to find out
what the current traffic conditions are. You can get
the information right there on your iPhone.

Along with the ability to view satellite images of
major street names, the Apple iPhone is right there to
help you find your way quickly and easily.

The Apple iPhone helps you save time and save face.
Instead of stopping to ask directions, you can get the
information that you need right there on your iPhone.

Not only that, but it can help you find landmarks and
other things that you might be interested in along the
way. It’s like having a navigator right there with you
in your car, letting you know what you need to know
and getting you where you need to go.

The Apple iPhone - Offering Something for Everyone

2009-01-06T04:01:00.002-08:00

The Apple iPhone is one of the most amazing pieces of
technology that is available today. No matter what you
are looking for in a cell phone, you will find that
the iPhone delivers it fully.

For those who like to take pictures, it comes with a
camera built right in. If you want to take your music
along with you, you have access to your tunes with a
touch of the finger.

If you want something to watch, the television shows
and movies that you have rented or purchased from
iTunes are right there for you to watch. It helps you
to find your way when you are lost and need
directions, and it helps you to watch your favorite
YouTube videos and share them, quickly and easily.

There is so much that the iPhone offers that it’s
impossible to list everything that it can do. But it’s
not really surprising that Apple has packed so much
into their iPhone, because they have been making
computers for so long.

The Apple iPhone also includes widgets that help you
to keep up to date with things such as the weather,
stock reports, and anything else that you might want
to keep your eye on. Everything that you could want or
need to know is right there, ready for you to use
whenever you need it.

The Apple iPhone - accessibility, convenience, and
technology, all rolled into one very portable package
and ready to be used by professional and novice users
alike.

The Apple iPhone - Offering Simplicity in Technology

2009-01-06T04:01:00.001-08:00

One of the biggest things that people want they
purchase a cell phone is simplicity. They want to be
able to make their calls quickly and easily, without
having to worry about finding the number that they are
searching for. Apple knows what customers want, and
they have created the Apple iPhone with this in mind.

The Apple iPhone takes all of the guesswork out of
making a phone call. With just one finger you can make
a call to any of the people on your list, either by
selecting their name or their telephone number. Do you
need to make a conference call It’s very easy to
merge two calls that you are on so that everyone can
talk at the same time. Nothing could be easier!

For those people who enjoy being more organized,
creating lists of frequently called numbers are also
very easy to do. No matter what your age or your
status in life, you are going to love the simplicity
and the handy setup of the iPhone. It makes organizing
your contacts easy and completely free of hassles.

Whether you are someone who has had a cell phone
before or you are a first time user, you will find
that the iPhone is everything that you could want and
more. Take a look for yourself and see what the iPhone
can do for you to make your cell phone calling
experience a bit easier. Once you see that the iPhone
is easy to use, you will be convinced.

Picture This With Your iPhone

2009-01-06T03:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been in a situation where you have
wanted to take a picture of something and didn’t have
a camera with you

It can be quite frustrating because you miss a great
photo opportunity simply because you don’t have the
right equipment with you.

But if you have an Apple iPhone, you never have to
worry about missing those great photo opportunities
again.

The Apple iPhone has a two-megapixel camera that is
built right in and is ready to use when you want to
take a picture. Even if you have had a cell phone with
a built in camera before, you will find that it
doesn’t compare to what the Apple iPhone can do.

The Apple iPhone makes it easy to share your photos
with its easy and automatic synchronization, whether
you are using a Mac or a PC for your docking.

It’s never been easier to display the pictures you
take - all it takes is a touch of a finger. Not only
that, but when you take your pictures they can be
posted directly to a Mac Photo Gallery.

The Apple iPhone is a photographer’s dream come true.
It’s ready to take pictures when you are and makes it
easy to show off the pictures that you have taken
almost immediately.

You will never have to worry about missing out on
taking a beautiful picture because you have a great
camera built right into your cell phone.

No matter whether you are a professional or an
amateur, you will find the camera on the iPhone easy
to use.

Creativity is key in Ringtones

2009-01-06T03:58:00.001-08:00

When you have a cell phone, one thing that you want is
to be able to define your phone by choosing your own
ringtone. This way you know that your ringtone is
special and that you can immediately pick it out from
all the other ringtones in the building.

With some phones, it can be frustrating because you
only have a limited amount of ringtones to choose
from. But that is not the case with the Apple iPhone.
Apple has made it easier than ever to find just the
right ringtone for your iPhone.

When you choose the Apple iPhone, you have a directory
of over 500,000 songs on iTunes to choose from, but
the options don’t stop there.

Once you have found a song that you want to select in
the iTunes store, you can use your own imagination and
creativity to have the song played the way that you
want it to be played.

You can have it fade in and out, loop, and preview it
before you purchase it to make sure that it’s just the
way that you want it to be.

With the Apple iPhone, you never have to worry about
having the same ring tone as everyone else because you
make it the way you want it to be.

When someone hears your phone ringing, and how cool it
sounds, you can say to him or her, “Thank you. That’s
my Apple iPhone that you hear, and I created that
ringtone myself.”

There is a certain satisfaction in knowing that you
took charge of your own ringtone.

Breaking the Bounds of Boredom with iPhone

2009-01-06T03:56:00.000-08:00

How many times have you been traveling somewhere and
there is nothing to do but watch the scenery go by
You have listened to your music over and over again,
you have read your books, and you just want to watch a
movie.

But when you are traveling in a car, it’s impossible.
But that isn’t true anymore. If you have the Apple
iPhone, you can take your movies and television shows
with you wherever you go.

The Apple iPhone has a generous 3.5-inch screen and it
lets you enjoy anything that you have rented or
purchased from the iTunes store right there on your
iPhone, wherever you are.

The iPhone controls work very much like a DVD player
remote - you can use them to play, pause, or even view
certain chapters.

It’s also easy to adjust the volume on your iPhone so
that you don’t disturb the people around you.

It’s hard to believe that Apple has packed so many
features into one small device, but the company also
knows what people are looking for in their cell
phones.

They want to have plenty of options and they want
their cell phone to give them a lot of technology
right there at their fingertips.

The iPhone not only is a great phone and camera, but
it’s also a wonderful way to get rid of boredom. With
the big selection of movies and television shows on
iTunes, you will be able to find something that you
want to watch no matter what your tastes are.

A Ton of Tunes on iPhone

2009-01-06T03:55:00.000-08:00

No matter where you are going, you want to be able to
take your music with you. It used to be that you would
need to carry around a CD player with you.

When you add the time it takes to decide on what type
of music that you want to take with you and the
bulkiness of the CD player, it can get to be a real
hassle.

But those days are gone, because with the Apple iPhone
you have all of your favorite music right there at
your fingertips.

The Apple iPhone makes finding your favorite music
easy. With a touch of a single finger, you can quickly
browse through your playlists, albums, artists, or
songs.

If you can’t think of the album name but can picture
it in your mind, Cover Flow makes it easy for you to
find albums according to the artwork on the album
cover.

Do you want to sing along with your favorite song but
aren’t completely sure of the right lyrics If you
have added the songs with iTunes, you can have the
lyrics displayed right there on the screen.

It’s almost like having a karaoke machine right there
in front of you all the time.

Customers who have the Apple iPhone don’t have to
worry about bringing a separate MP3 player with them,
because all of the music they know and love is right
there on their cell phone. It’s ready to play when
they are ready to listen to it.

Checking To See If You Have Wireless Capability

2009-01-04T09:00:00.001-08:00

Do you know if your new computer already has wireless capability? Many new computers have the built-in software and connections in order for you to set up a wireless network. These wireless networking devices are so inexpensive that the manufacturers of the computers include them as part of the package and can be found on the system specification list.

Like most people, however, you may not even know how much memory your computer has, let alone whether it arrived already wireless-enabled. This is especially true if you don't know what wireless networking is. It's easy to ignore this detail in the specifications that come with the computer and to fail to take the time to set it up and get it working. Let’s look at some things to look for if you want to check your computer's wireless capabilities.

Intel Centrino

If you own a laptop that comes with something called 'Intel Centrino mobile technology', this is what you’re looking for! Unfortunately, manufacturers of computers are not good at explaining what this technology is or does. Quite simply, it means that your laptop has wireless networking built right in; you don’t need to do a thing! Intel Centrino is a term used in marketing that stands for a combination of the Intel Pentium M processor and Intel's Pro/Wireless card.

Your computer should have an 'Intel Centrino' sticker on it somewhere if it is enabled with Intel Centrino. If you don’t see this type of sticker, you can also check the name of your processor by right-clicking the My Computer icon in the Start Menu (or on your desktop) and clicking on “Properties” from the menu. Look at the wording following the word “Computer” in this section. It should tell you if it has the wireless feature.

Intel Centrino technology has the capability of increasing the life of your computer’s battery and allows computers to be smaller in size. If you didn't buy an Intel Centrino laptop but your laptop has a free card slot, adding wireless capabilities will be no problem.

Desktop Computers

Desktop computers come with wireless capabilities, too. If you're not sure whether or not your desktop computer has a wireless connection, turn it around and look at the back of the computer. If a wireless connection is present, you can generally see a small aerial antenna sticking out of the back of the computer near the bottom of the computer.

If you don’t see anything there, it's still possible that you have a wireless device in the computer, especially if the computer is relatively new. Unless you’re a computer expert, don’t open the back of your computer to determine if it has wireless capabilities. Instead, you should probably try and figure it out using Windows.

Checking in Windows

You can easily check your computer’s wireless capabilities by going into Windows' Device Manager. You must first right-click My Computer and choose Manage from that menu. Now click on “Device Manager”.

In device manager, you will be able to see a list of the different devices you have or would be able to have on your computer. Look under 'Network Adapters'. Anything that uses the words '10/100' or 'Ethernet' is a normal network connection and isn’t related to wireless connectivity. Anything else may be a wireless device.

If you think you have a wireless device but note that it has a yellow warning sign next to its name in the Device Manager, click its name to find out what is wrong with the device. Windows should be able to let you know why the device is not working. The computer may also suggest that you go into its troubleshooter program. Try doing that before trying anything else.

The problem could be a driver problem. In that case, insert the drivers CD that came with your computer. If you can’t find the drivers CD, you can always find the drivers online. In order to do this, you should look on the website of the computer's manufacturer. From there, you can try searching for the particular name of the wireless device in Device Manager.

Unfortunately, it could turn out that you don't have a wireless device after all. That’s too bad. On the bright side, it is much better to learn that now than it would be to buy wireless equipment and then realize you couldn’t run it on your computer. In any event, even if you did find a wireless device in one of your computers, you may decide that you need even more wireless capability. Fortunately, wireless technology is getting cheaper all the time!

Cheap Laptops: How to Buy the Right One

2009-01-04T08:59:00.001-08:00

Cheap and inexpensive laptops are available plenty in number in the market. While buying laptops, price factor alone should not limit the purchase. Cheap laptops are made available to the consumer to suit the budget as well as specific requirements. The person buying a laptop should be very clear regarding the required features, options and then conduct a search to match his needs. The place of purchasing cheap laptops is also important. There are various sources from which a person can buy cheap laptops. Out of all the sources, Internet is considered to be the best place to purchase laptops. A same laptop model can be sold at different prices in different websites. The purchaser can easily select the one with a lesser price easily. Also it is better to avoid impulse purchase as far as laptops are concerned, since it is impossible for a lay man to comprehend the hi-tech lingo associated with laptop computers like the flat panel TFT, WiFi connectivity, wireless and many more features.

Features to be considered before buying cheap laptops:

Processor of the laptop: A processor is very important to run applications and to perform on-screen tasks. The processor should not be less than 1.4 GHz as it may affect the quick performance of the laptop. For day today operation using word processing, e-mail, spread sheets etc the above processor speed is enough. When Pentium processors are bought they assure a longer battery life and at the same time they are quick.

Screen size of the cheap laptops should not be less than 12.1 inches. The screen size of laptops is measured diagonally. The larger the screen size, the higher the resolution, making it easy for viewing more information all at once.

Laptops should have a good battery life as they are carried with the operator for presentations, or for calculations whenever and wherever they are required. A laptop with a good battery life should be able to perform jobs ranging from 3 to 7 hours of non stop work without any electrical charge required in between. Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are an ideal choice.

The hard drive capacity is very important to store large amount of data on to the laptops. A cheap laptop can be chosen with a hard drive capacity ranging from 20 GB to 40 GB depending on the person’s usage.

The keyboards of laptops are different from those of the desktop computers. The keys on the keypad are relatively smaller and are packed closely with each other. Hence, it is very important to see if it can be handled comfortably before purchasing a cheap laptop.

Touchpad or pointing stick inbuilt with a laptop can be more very useful than a mouse connected via USB port. Two USB ports are more than enough for a cheap laptop; in case more ports are required the user can use an external USB hub.

The ideal weight of the laptops should be between 4 – 10 pounds, never go for a more weighing laptop even if it comes for a very cheap amount. In order to reduce the weight of the laptops, external CD drives can be used. For communications a built in Ethernet port is more ideal than the serial ports or infrared ports.

Cheap Computer Parts

2009-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Making your own computer from cheap computer parts will not only cut your expenditure but also will be an experience you will like to cherish. The advantage here is that you get all the features you need and discard everything you consider unnecessary. If all you need to do is basic word processing, email or some Net surfing, the cheap computer parts you will require are:

1) CPU: A socket 478 motherboard and CPU will come in handy. Considering everything, this seems the best buy. As socket 478 motherboards mostly have Intel components they are very stable. 2) RAM: Although 256 megs of DDR SDRAM will suffice, 512MB DDR 333 should be ideal. DDR SDRAM is the type you would prefer for a socket 478 motherboard (with Pentium 4/Celeron CPU). 3) Hard Drive: As buying more space doesn't cost you a great deal more, an 80 GB drive should be the right choice. 4) CD Writer: Any CD writer faster than 32 speed will do. You can find one for under $30. As it is so cheap, it can be used as your CD ROM to install Windows and other applications. 5) Graphics Card: At least a 64 megabyte AGP card is better. It is important only if you want to play games. 6) Sound Card: Procure a Soundblaster Live by Creative labs. They are cheap and reliable. 7) Monitor: Buy at least a 17-inch monitor to protect your eyesight. 8) Keyboard and Mouse: Try a new optical mouse. A Logitech combination includes both a cordless mouse and matching keyboard.

Remember, although older parts can be less costly, you need to spend a lot for an upgrade. Be careful so that you don’t buy defective parts in the name of cheap computer parts. The situation now may be better due to stiff competition, but chances of finding defects still remain. It is better if you check the authenticity of the long warranties offered by the companies as well.

CD/DVD Burners

2009-01-04T08:55:00.000-08:00

Some people think with the standardization of DVD burners on new computer systems, CD burners have become obsolete. Most people with CD burners will tend to disagree, as do I.

Before going out and purchasing a CD Burner or DVD Burner the requirements of the individual need to be determined allowing the best choice to be selected.

A DVD Burner is used for copying or duplicating a DVD disc or to burn video files into DVD Format so they can be played on a home DVD player. DVD discs allow Gigabytes of Data to be burned to the disc, in some cases a whole hard drive of data, making a tempting choice to use as a data back-up tool.
We need to remember that to be able to read the DVD, a DVD ROM is required. If you are in an office environment and need to use the disc on multiple computers then this may cause an issue as most computers in an office don’t come installed with a DVD-ROM – if they do then it’s a waste of money on the IT departments part.

Although CD Burners are somewhat slower than today’s DVD burners they do have more pros than con’s when comparing to a DVD Burner for data back-ups. Blank media Discs for CD Burners are either 650MB or 700MB in size, yes a lot smaller than that of a DVD disc.

CD-R discs can either hold data or audio and can be read in almost any CD-ROM and if the CD-R is made into an audio disc then its possible to read the disc in a Hi-Fi or a car CD Player – you will need to make sure the drive has the ability to read CD-R media, most newer models of CD-Players are compatible to read CD-R media.

DVD burners only have the advantage of size of CD burners. Now that DVD burners are becoming more and more popular, the prices of CD burners and media are dropping dramatically making them a very cost effective purchase.

CD Cleaning Solution – Making Your Own

2009-01-04T08:53:00.002-08:00

I see the kids were eating ice cream sandwiches while they dug through the DVD collection again. With kids in the house, it’s inevitable that whenever I want to listen to a CD or watch a DVD, I have to clean the discs before they will play. Luckily, I spent several years working in a CD manufacturing support group and learned the easiest way to clean discs and get them working again. Here, as simple as it may be, is my favorite solution for cleaning discs.

- Mix a large amount of water with a few drops of dishwashing soap.

That’s it. No expensive commercial cleaning solutions and no plastic washing devices for my discs. I know it doesn’t sound complicated enough or mysterious enough, but it works. This solution works most of the time if you:

- Use a soft cloth and wipe the solution on the disc starting from the inside hub and wiping to the outside edge of the disc. Never rub hard or in a circular motion. Don’t rub around the disc because you might scratch the disc creating an un-repairable problem.

- Dry the disc with a soft dry cloth. Again, wipe the disc from the inside to the outside. Straight out. Don’t go around the disc at all because you might create scratches that are parallel with the tracks.

Why does this solution work most of the time? On most CDs, and especially rented DVDs, playability problems are caused by fingerprints. Fingerprints are oil-based and the dishwasher detergent is designed to cut through and remove oil. If this method doesn’t work, you might have a disc with sever scratch or even a scratch on the label side of the disc. Scratched discs can sometimes be repaired with CD scratch removal solutions or CD repair services.

Dishwasher soap and water won’t fix scratches but will make many discs playable.

Copyright © 2006

Cartridges

2009-01-04T08:52:00.001-08:00

“Cartridge” refers to a detachable sub-unit that is held within its own container. They were popularized by early home computers like Commodore 64 and early TV games systems. The advantage of cartridges lies in the fact that they facilitate quick loading of software from one media format to another. It also helps maintain the software in a sturdy and damage-resistant form.

Throughout the 80s and the 90s, all home video game systems were cartridge-based. As technological advancements in the late 90s ushered in CD technology as a cheaper alternative for data storage, hardware companies shifted from cartridges to CD-based game systems. This was on account of the lower costs and larger storage space provided by a CD-ROM.

Now, cartridges are most commonly used in printers. They are encased in a larger container, which has both inlet and outlet ports that contain around 13500 fibers and 16KB of space for storing table of contents and file-location information. Each cartridge can store about 25MB of uncompressed data.

There are several types of cartridges, including inkjet cartridges, laser cartridges and toner cartridges. These cartridges come pre-filled with ink, though there are some innovative cartridges that are refillable on the market as well – these are called remanufactured cartridges.

Remanufactured cartridges of all types are abundant so care should be taken to ensure that the job of refilling them has been done safely and problem. The most common problem with remanufactured cartridges is they can be prone to leakage, especially if not filled correctly. If remanufactured cartridges are leaking inside the foil pack, then they should be returned to the place of purchase.

Carbonless paper roll uses a chemical reaction between two different.

2009-01-04T08:51:00.001-08:00

Carbonless paper uses a chemical reaction between two different contacting coatings to transfer an image when pressure is applied. A paper that is most often used for multiple part forms, it contains a chemical coating on the front side (designated as CF) or on the back side (designated as CB), or on both sides (designated as CFB). When a handwritten or machine impression occurs on the first sheet of multiple parts, the impression transfers from one page or ply to the next due to the bursting of tiny microcapsules in the chemical coating used to release a darkened copy of the impression occurring on the first sheet.

A method and apparatus are provided for producing a foam wrapped package for protecting a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless copy paper. Interleaved foam and film are wrapped under tension around the outer periphery of the roll of carbonless paper by selectively rotating the roll and separately feeding packaging foam and stretch film toward the rotating roll.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a foam wrap package, and, more particularly, to a process for wrapping and protecting a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless copy paper by simultaneously wrapping interleaved layers of stretch film and packaging foam onto the roll of carbonless paper.

Heretofore, stretch wrapping machinery manufacturers have marketed equipment which combines spiral wrapping of stretch film with limited non-spiral wrapping of a single face corrugated medium or a kraft wrap. Traditionally, machines have been developed which provide foam wrap in one operation and then kraft wrap in a second operation, and have required a substantial amount of the wrapping process to be performed by hand.

Problems have occurred in the prior art with the existing foam/kraft packages. Specifically, these packages using kraft wrap cannot apply foam over the edge of a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless paper without producing a bulky edge that makes roll stacking difficult. The absence of foam over the edge of the roll of carbonless paper leaves the roll subject to edge damage. Prior to this time a sufficient wrapping procedure or a final wrapped package has not been achieved in the art which would require only a relatively limited capital cost and produce a resultant packaged product which is easy to handle.

Carbonless paper roll producing a foam wrapped package

2009-01-04T08:50:00.001-08:00

The Carbonless Paper is offered in the form of reels and sheets. Reels are available in different sizes from 8"to 38" as per the requirements of the customers. Sheets are available in different sizes from 18"x 23", 18"x 24" or any other size as required. Our papers are available in white, pink, green, blue and yellow colour.

Carbonless paper uses a chemical reaction between two different contacting coatings to transfer an image when pressure is applied. A paper that is most often used for multiple part forms, it contains a chemical coating on the front side (designated as CF) or on the back side (designated as CB), or on both sides (designated as CFB). When a handwritten or machine impression occurs on the first sheet of multiple parts, the impression transfers from one page or ply to the next due to the bursting of tiny microcapsules in the chemical coating used to release a darkened copy of the impression occurring on the first sheet.

A method and apparatus are provided for producing a foam wrapped package for protecting a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless copy paper. Interleaved foam and film are wrapped under tension around the outer periphery of the roll of carbonless paper by selectively rotating the roll and separately feeding packaging foam and stretch film toward the rotating roll.

The present invention relates to a process for producing a foam wrap package, and, more particularly, to a process for wrapping and protecting a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless copy paper by simultaneously wrapping interleaved layers of stretch film and packaging foam onto the roll of carbonless paper.

Heretofore, stretch wrapping machinery manufacturers have marketed equipment which combines spiral wrapping of stretch film with limited non-spiral wrapping of a single face corrugated medium or a kraft wrap. Traditionally, machines have been developed which provide foam wrap in one operation and then kraft wrap in a second operation, and have required a substantial amount of the wrapping process to be performed by hand.

Problems have occurred in the prior art with the existing foam/kraft packages. Specifically, these packages using kraft wrap cannot apply foam over the edge of a roll of pressure-sensitive carbonless paper without producing a bulky edge that makes roll stacking difficult. The absence of foam over the edge of the roll of carbonless paper leaves the roll subject to edge damage. Prior to this time a sufficient wrapping procedure or a final wrapped package has not been achieved in the art which would require only a relatively limited capital cost and produce a resultant packaged product which is easy to handle.

Canon Pixma inside out – the iP4200 Photo Printer

2009-01-04T08:49:00.001-08:00

So you might have already heard about the new Canon Pixma iP4200 that’s doing the rounds in the computer hardware industry nowadays. Everybody is reviewing it, including us.

Canon has been keeping mum over the longest-lasting-photo-prints debate for sometime now. Possible explanations include the newly released Pixma iP4200, with built-in duplex printing; individual cartridges; two paper-input trays; easy operation; inexpensive; great-looking photos; and 100-year print life. Epson, the leading contender for lasting prints, now has competition. The key ingredient to long-lasting prints is Canon’s ChromaLife 100 ink set, included in the Pixma iP4200. The company claims that when used with their branded photo papers, photos printed using ChromaLife 100 inks will last up to 100 years when stored properly.

Compared with the iP4000, the iP4200 is less expensive, faster for business applications, and offers more longevity for photos. However, photos take a little longer to print and earn a lower quality rating than the iP4000, but the overall balance of features makes for an impressive package.

The Pixma iP4200 uses Canon's Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) print head, which releases droplets as small as 1pl for each of the 1,536-nozzle cyan, magenta, yellow, and black print heads (plus 320 nozzles for pigment-ink black text), providing an effective color resolution of 9,600x2,400dpi. Two separate black ink cartridges for both a pigment-based black and a dye-based black, significantly improve photo output.

Apart from five inks, the photo printer offers the advantage of two paper inputs: a standard paper feed tray in the rear and a second paper tray that slides into the front bottom. You could now easily load standard paper in one tray and photo paper in the other, and switch back and forth between standard printing and photos without having to swap out paper every time. One eco-friendly feature of this printer includes the ability to automatically print on both sides of a sheet of paper. However, it might take you three times as long to print a 10-page Microsoft Word document in this mode compared with printing one-sided sheets.

The iP4200's driver can automatically adjust colour balance, you can access sliders that modify the intensity of the individual inks; you can also switch from sRGB to Windows Image Color Management (ICM). Grayscale printing simply requires the tick of a check box, and a simplistic Print Advisor wizard can quiz you on the type of document you're printing and recommend an appropriate paper.

Other than duplexing, the Page Setup options include size and orientation, number of copies, border/borderless printing, and addition of a background image or a watermark. An Effects tab provides settings for optimizing the image; reducing noise; boosting contrast; or adding effects such as sepia, pink, and other colours. You can save your settings as a profile for reuse in another printing session.

The Maintenance tab offers functions such as nozzle checks and cleaning, printhead alignment, and other tasks, including a bottom-plate-cleaning function that uses a folded letter-size sheet to tidy up before duplex printing.

Graphics quality, rated at the high end of good, is suitable for schoolwork or internal business use, and is marginally good enough for an important client or customer you might want to impress. However, some visible problems with photos include a slight pink tint in monochrome photos and a tendency for some colours to be overly punchy. It was also a little troublesome to get a neutral gray out of the printer as prints tended toward either green or blue depending on the driver settings used.

Refilling the Pixma iP4200 Cartridges

The new Canon PGI-5 and CLI-8 cartridges have an onboard chip to measure the ink level of each individual cartridge. The five individual ink cartridges in the Pixma iP4200 feature bright red LEDs that light up when properly installed. The cartridge lights also start blinking when ink is running low, and the blinking gets faster as the tanks get emptier. The numbers of the Pixma iP4200 cartridges are:

PGI-5BK - Black pigment ink
CLI-8BK - Black dye based ink
CLI-8C - Cyan dye based ink
CLI-8M - Magenta dye based ink
CLI-8Y - Yellow dye based ink
These cartridges are also suitable for Pixma iP5200, iP5200r printers, MP500, MP800 and MP950 MFPs.
Needless to say, many people would like to know if these cartridges can be refilled, or if compatible cartridges are available. As of now (February 2006), compatibles are not available for the PGI5 or CLI8 inks, probably for 2 reasons:
The ink formulations are quite complex, and refill ink manufacturers need to ensure their inks will perform equivalent to the original Canon inks.
Canon has patented the on-board chip; consequently, compatible manufacturers have to be very careful not to infringe that patent, which could leave them open to litigation. Canon recently won a lawsuit against a company in Japan, which was involved in the business of refilling and resale of Canon cartridges. Naturally, this will set back any plans for compatible cartridges.
However, there are refill inks available on the market and refilling instructions are available from ink vendors. Canon has very cleverly adapted their printers; if you refill the cartridges and re-insert them into the machine, a warning message will appear on your computer along the lines of:
“You are using refill ink in your cartridges. If you continue, your printer warranty will be void.” You are prompted to press OK, and after doing so, the low ink warning facility on the printer no longer works. If this is the case, you must be very careful never to let the inks run dry, as this will burn your print head.

Can't Print, Won't Print

2009-01-04T08:48:00.001-08:00

Digital photography has exploded, exceeding all forecasted figures and many of us have one or more of these great devices, but one of the basic values of photography has been lost in the transfer from film to digital cameras.

Research shows that the majority of digital photo's are not printed or published in any way, instead billions of photos are sitting on computers and memory cards all over the world, hidden away in cyberspace.

This is a sad prospect as passing photographs through friends, family and generations has been a tradition for many years, reminding us of our ancestors and memories of times gone by. Photographs gain importance with age and there is a pleasure in flicking through old photos. It should be remembered that it may not always be possible to view photos held on today's digital media, as progress may backdate the media type and the compatibility to read them. We should therefore not overlook the importance of making actual prints of our precious digital snaps.

The major reason for our reluctance to print digital photos is the perceived complications in printing a quality digital print, but with digital photo kiosks, affordable photo printers and easy to use software, it is really not that hard. It is entirely possible for the novice computer user to produce great quality prints from their digital camera using the home photo printer.

Generally speaking, getting a picture from your digital camera to your printer normally involves these simple steps:
1. Copy images from camera to a folder on your computer.
2. Load up your printing software and choose the images you would like to print.
3. Select the size and type of paper you are using (always use photo paper).
4. Print your photos.

A great new function on many of the latest cameras and printers cuts the process right down. The PictBridge print system is probably the easiest way of getting your images from your camera on to photo paper. This system does rely on having both a PictBridge compliant printer and a PictBridge compliant camera, but most new photo printers and cameras on the market will have PictBridge as standard - but it's worth checking out if you are about to buy a printer or camera.

The PictBridge system allows you to print directly from your camera to the printer without the use of a computer. You can select photos, print size and quantities, all from the screen of the camera and process the print with a button!

The great thing about printing your own pictures is that you have total control, choice and discretion. You can print as many copies as you like, choose various sizes and finishes and using photo editing software, you can tweak your pictures as a dark room technician would, or even get creative! In fact half the fun of digital photography is what you can do with the printing of the photo.

Can Ink Cartridges & Inkjet printers actually be cool ?

2009-01-04T08:40:00.001-08:00

First a little history lesson.....
There was a time, long ago that printers had ribbons and used dot matrix printing to create tiny dots that, when looked at, were readable. Sometimes they were BARELY readable, however. Changing ribbons and printing wheels to change type face was a chore.

Then, in 1984, the first laser printer that used toner cartridges came into being. Quickly, no one wanted a dot matrix printer anymore. The laser printer caused ink powder from the toner cartridge to fuse onto the paper where the program told the printer to leave ink. The output was much clearer and much more professional in appearance. Very soon, dot matrix printers became known as "door stops".

By 1990, inkjet printers that used drop-in ink cartridges became readily available and very reasonable prices. These inkjet cartridges were very easy to change without any fuss. The cost to the user, compared to the laser toner cartridge, was significantly reduced.

So now it starts getting pretty cool....
Today, inkjet printers using ink cartridges are so affordable that every computer owner can afford to own their own printer that is capable of using photo quality inkjet cartridges or for less expensive printing, ink cartridges that are remanufactured or "generic" or non-original manufacture. These inkjet cartridges can even be refilled in many cases to save even more money.

The price of the machines themselves has dropped by buckets and what they can do is way cooler than ever before. Not only can you print but also scan, fax (many do PC-Fax which I’ll get to later), copy, make your morning coffee, take out the garbage (ok not those last 2). Combining this many tasks obviously reduces the number of different machines in your home/office but in addition there’s only one manual you have to completely ignore instead of many (for the guys reading this). The PC-Fax thingy I mentioned Id actually like to discuss a little more about because I personally find this a fantastic feature. Basically it means that your printer/fax/everything else talks directly to your computer allowing you to send and receive faxes without any visible signs of paper involved. For example if anyone was crazy enough to want a copy of this article faxed to them I could do it directly from my computer without having to actually print anything out.

When using inkjet cartridges that are photo quality, it is sensible to use photo quality paper for your printing. This ensures the best quality print out resulting from your inkjet photo quality cartridge. While these inkjet cartridges will print on regular paper, it is a waste to place the more expensive ink cartridge into your printer and then print on plain non-glossy paper.

For every day printing in black and white or even in color, remanufactured or non-original inkjet cartridges work great and save money for you in the long run. As a general rule of thumb, you need to purchase twice as many black inkjet cartridges because there is, on average, more black printing needs for the average person.

Nowadays manufacturers are including more and more technology into their cartridges and trying to convince you that their ink has that extra special something. Epson uses DURABrite ink, HP uses Vivera ink and the list goes on. If you ever get bored and feel the need to work yourself into a frenzy just try surfing some of the major sites to compare exactly what one manufacturers ink does compared to the next. If you come away from this sane you’ll definitely know a lot more techie sounds words than you need to know now or in your next lifetime.

Many of the latest ink cartridges have cool gizmos in them like small chips designed to monitor the ink levels and tell you when its time to reorder and even little LEDs for those of you who want their printer to light up like a disco. The idea of the chip sounds great but there are cases where the chip is telling the printer to stop working too soon or even to not work at all if the cartridges inside are not original (there’s been at least one of the major players recently sued over exactly this). To try and counter this a ‘chip resetter’ can be purchased which basically tells the chip to do as its told and keep on printing regardless of how much ink it thought was left in the tank. As far as the issue with these chips and non original cartridges is concerned its actually illegal for a chip to stop your machine working on this basis but apparently this hasn’t deterred a few of the big boys. Whether a chip resetter will fix this problem is uncertain.

No one knows what will come next in the world of printing. Just as the dot matrix printer long ago became a door stop (mostly that is), it is possible that within the next decade a new, less expensive, more user-friendly printing method that is even more cost effective than inkjet printers using drop-in ink cartridges will become archaic. For today, inkjet cartridges in low-priced printer provide the average household with all the affordable printing from their inkjet printer they need.

Whether you want to print graphics, brochures, or just letters, there is a printer that uses inkjet cartridges for you. Choose inkjet cartridges that meet your printing needs at affordable prices.

Bottom line is yep your ink cartridges are getting more high tech and cooler (heck in the old days theres no way your cartridge would actually light up with pretty colours for you and tell you when its about to run dry). The future is certainly going to be interesting seeing what comes next.....

Buying Printer Cartridges

2009-01-04T08:39:00.001-08:00

Printing has become an absolute necessity for people all over the nation and world these days. Whether a person needs to print an essay for a school project or a business plan to present to their peers, having a reliable method of translating work done on a computer to a sheet of paper is a must. One important part of a printer that often gets overlooked in the process, however, is the printer cartridge. Containing the ink necessary to write lines and create diagrams on a blank sheet of paper, printer cartridges are something that no printer can be without. It is important, therefore, that anyone who plans on using his or her printer on a continuous basis have a reliable method to replace their printer cartridges when they inevitably dry out of ink.

One of the most common mistakes that is made is to buy a printer cartridge only after the previous one has become useless. The simple truth is that these cartridges are often very expensive and are not always easily acquirable. Because of these attributes, there are several strategies to employ when purchasing printer cartridges for the future.

The first thing to remember is that printer cartridges come in a great variety and that a person can’t just plug the first one they see at the store into their printer and expect results. You have to buy a printer cartridge that is compatible with your printer, or you will have wasted your time and money. For example, if you own a Canon printer, it would be foolish to buy a Lexmark printer cartridge. If you are not sure about which cartridges fit your printer, jot down the printer brand and model and ask a sales representative to help you out.

Also remember that while printer cartridges are quite expensive, it is best to get backups when they go on sale. If for example, you own a HP printer and see a sale on all HP and Epson printer cartridges during Thanksgiving, you should head down to the store and pick some up. There is no point in waiting until you really need the printer cartridge to buy them and paying double or triple the price. On a similar note, if the sale were for Xerox and Pitney Bowes printer cartridges, don’t buy them just because they are discounted. If the printer cartridges are not compatible with your printer, they are basically worthless. But overall, being a smart consumer and thinking ahead will do nothing but benefit you in terms of saving time and money.

Overall there are many different printer cartridges, from Xerox to Pitney Bowes, and many different printers, from Canon brands to Lexmark, which they can be used with. Knowing which printer cartridge to buy and taking advantage of sales can go a long way in ensuring that your printer will be working with high quality whenever it is needed!

Buying a Refurbished Laptop Computer

2009-01-04T08:38:00.001-08:00

When considering buying a used or even a new laptop, the first thing you need to do is to determine your computing needs.

* word processing
* e-mail
* browsing web pages
* moving the laptop from home to work (weight)
* gaming
* on-line shopping
* a database application
* personal finance
* is battery power important

Check out the Minimum Systems Requirements needed to do all of the your applications. They will not come with the laptop, as refurbished laptops often only include the Operating System (OS). If they don't include an installed OS, then be prepared to install it yourself. This is not for those that don't know what they are doing, so research what is involved before buying one without an OS.

Once you understand what you really need, you need to determine your budget.

Most old laptops do not have working batteries. If you need a battery, shop around to figure out how much they cost. You should know that on older laptops, batteries don't last more than an hour or two, so purchasing a new battery for the purpose of longer battery life may not be worth the expense. And by all means, stick with a name brand… IBM, Dell, Toshiba, Compaq-HP.

If you are new to computers and you want to browse the World Wide Web, you will need to obtain the services of an ISP (Internet Service Provider). There are basically two types of Internet access options: broadband (cable modem, DSL, satellite) and lowband (dial-up). Broadband is the preferred type since download speeds can range from 128kbs to 6000kbs. The faster the better, of course. But, if your budget is tight, dial-up works just fine for typical browsing and e-mail usage.

Your choice of ISP's will be dependent upon two things: budget and location. If the budget allows and you don't mind paying upwards of $35-50+ per month, you can purchase a broadband connection. However, even if money were no object, your physical location will determine what types of services are available to you. Broadband is not available everywhere (with the exception of satellite). If you have a telephone line, you can always choose dial-up. AOL's bread and butter is dial-up users. Do your research to determine what is available in your area and compare costs.

And for you gamers out there, you definitely need a reliable broadband connection. Gaming over a lowband connection can be a frustrating experience and sometimes even impossible. You will need to check out the minimum systems requirement for the games you are interested in using to make sure the CPU speed and the RAM and graphic chip requirements will support the games you wish to play.

Once you have figured out your budget and your needs and the requirements of your laptop it is time to search for the laptop of your desires.

Some people choose to search at www.ebay.com. If you do be sure to check out the seller to be sure you will have a smooth transaction.

Many people don't want the hassle of bidding, so use your favorite search engine: Google or Yahoo or MSN for the terms "used laptops" or "refurbished laptop".

An important thing to keep in mind is how will the vendor treat you should there be a problem. If you don't like their attitude or they don't pick up the phone shop elsewhere. Price is important, but if you have a problem and spent the least amount of money possible the vendor may not have any resources available to help you after you have purchased and spent your money.

If all the above seems like too much of a hassle, then buy a new computer. It will cost around $700 + but will come with a new battery and a one year warranty, although some new ones seem to have only 90 day warranties. It will also have the latest Windows XP system and an 800 number to call the vendor, should their be a problem. I'd call the 800# first before buying to get an idea what kind of support they will provide.

Building A Computer Introduction

2009-01-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

If you are reading this article, you are probably wondernig, why and how do you build a computer. Building your own computer is more simple than you think and has many benefits.

Why Build A Computer?
Building a computer has many benefits over buying a premade. First of all, it is generally cheaper if you build your own than buying one. If you shop your components, your DIY(Do it yourself) computer will be cheaper than its premade equivalent. If you build your own computer, it will be faster than one that is premade, because most computer manufacturers use cheap components and try to cut corners to cut down costs. Additionally, your self built computer has more room to upgrade if you so decide to in the future. Prebuilt computers usually only have enough expansion slots for the components that are going to be in the computer. Because of this, your prebuilt computer will become obsolete sooner. Also, building a computer is a satisfying experience and you will learn more about how your computer works.

How do I go About Building a Computer?
Building a computer is probably much simpler than you think. Especially now, things have been simplified and standardized. First, you pick out components and make sure they are all compatible. Once you get the parts, you put them together! This guide was made to show you how to do everything and contains pictures and good information to make building a computer a fun and rewarding experience. For more information about building a computer, be sure to check out the next article in this guide!

Building a Computer From the Bottom Up

2009-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Before you even think about building your own computer make sure that you go for the best technology possible. This is an important task and you want it to turn out as close to perfect as possible. When your PC is complete you want it to have the best hardware available.

One of the biggest benefits of building your own computer is that you can customize it. You know what is most important to you. Maybe you are a graphics user. MP3’s might be the closest thing you have to a best friend. Perhaps you are writing the great American novel and you are mainly interested in text. If you are building your own machine, you can concentrate on what you want but if you're building it for a third party, you obviously need to consult them first.

Collecting the hardware for your new computer is the most time consuming part of the process. You want to make sure that you get high standard equipment that works well with your needs. Take your time and don’t try to skimp on your hardware. If you don’t heed both of these suggestions, your computer could bite back later.

If you are building your own PC, you probably know that the Motherboard is the most important part of your computer. Everything that you plug into your computer will meet here. Be especially choosy when buying a motherboard. And make sure that there is an instruction manual. Some cheapies will not have one.

Be aware that the Motherboard will control the future of your computer. All upgrades will have to be compatible with your Motherboard. The chipset in the Motherboard deserves careful investigation. What will it support? Find out before you buy. Take your time. There are a ton of chipsets out there.

Pay close attention to how many PCL slots the Mother board has. The more, PLC slots the better because they fill up quickly. How is the board laid out? Check for any problems such as something blocking your long PCI slots.

When selecting a case, be aware of the form factor. You want an ATX form factor because that is what almost all new systems are operating on. Try to go with a screw free form factor because it will be easier to work with. One equipped with fans would be optimal.

Three are three groups of processors; low end, average and high end. The low end processor is okay for simple tasks. Letters, invoices and other noncomplex applications can be performed on a low end processor. If you do choose to go with a low end processor, realize that these are fast becoming outdated.

Average processors are faster and they are just a bit more expensive. For a few extra dollars you will be able to access higher level applications without hassle. This will provide more speed as well satisfying the average computer user.

High end processors are the cream of the crop. They are expensive and usually reserved for those on the high end of the pay scale. You will have high memory and no problem accessing complex CPU programs.

Memory is a vital element of your computer. Spend the money and purchase the best you can afford. If you don’t, more than likely you will need to go out and repurchase a better processor later. Also you will want to make sure you get memory that works with your system.

Get a video card that suits your purposes. If you are a small business owner, go with a cheaper, jack of all trades card. If you are building this computer for home use you might as well reward yourself with some perks. Now don’t go and spend five hundred dollars on a video card that a top financial institution might buy. Purchase a card that provides just slightly more than you need, but not so high end that it cost as much as the rest of your hardware.

You have your mouse and keyboard, right? Get a good hard drive. Buy a new one, opposed to used, to make sure you are getting the best quality.

CD-ROM drivers are cheap. Spend a little extra cash and get a really good one. If you want a more advanced unit, buy a DVD player. A DVD player will play CD-ROM’s and DVD’s. It will serve multiple purposes.

Building A Computer - Picking Components

2009-01-04T08:31:00.001-08:00

Picking the parts for your computer is one of the most important things in building a computer, because you cant assemble a computer without the parts! Picking parts for computers has become much easier than before, because things have been standardized, however, you need to make sure everything will fit. The first thing to think about when choosing the components for your computer is what you are going to be using it for. If you are creating a computer for just checking your eMail and using word, you are going to need much diffrent parts than a computer that you are going to be using for gaming.

CPU
The first thing you should pick out about your computer is what CPU you are going to use, because it determines what motherboard you are going to get, which determines what other components you get. There are two main CPU manufactruers, Intel and AMD. Both have their Pros and Cons, but they are pretty similar. I would suggest using AMD, because they give you a little more bang for the buck.

Here is a brief overview of the diffrent Intel and AMD CPUs:
Budget: AMD: Sempron
Intel: Celeron D

Midrange: AMD: Athlon 64
Intel: Pentium 4

High End: AMD: Athlon64 X2
Intel: Pentium D

If you are spending below $500, I would suggest a budget proccesor, Between $500 and $1000, midrange and $1000 and above I would suggest a high end proccessor.

Motherboard
Choosing the right motherboard is vital to building your computer. First, make sure you find a motherboard that has the right socket type for your CPU. Then, check the diffrent features of the motherboards you are looking at. If you arent going to buy a video or sound card, make sure your motherboard has onboard video and/or sound. Other things to check for on your motherboard are the hard drive interface, graphics card interface, expansion slots, the memory size and speed. Also, check for the chipset. There are too many to talk about, but generally Intel and nVidia chipsets are better than the other ones. Now that you picked out your motherboard, you know what to look for in your other components.

RAM
Getting the right speed and amount of RAM is vital to the speed and stability of your system. If you are running XP, you will probably need at least 256 or 512Mb of RAM. If you are going to be doing anything memory intensive, gaming, rendering or just want a faster computer, you should get 1Gb. Make sure your motherboard has enough DIMMs and the right type of DIMMs for your RAM. Also, be sure to check the speed and CAS Latency.

Hard Drive
Now its time to pick your hard drive. There are few variables in picking a hard drive. The first, and most important is size, 120Gb is usually enough for most people unless, you are going to be storing alot of pictures and video. Also, make sure you get an HD with the right interace that fits your motherboard. Almost all motherboards have IDE, but some have SATA (Serial ATA) Which is a much faster hard drive interface and uses a thinner cable which helps with airflow in your case. There is even SATAII now, which is twice as fast. Also look at speed, almost all desktop HDs are 7200RPM and Cache, most are 8Mb, dont buy a HD below those standards. If you want to spend some money, you can get 2 HDs and run them in RAID which increases performance.

Video Cards
If you are going to be doing any gaming, be sure to buy a video card, if youre not, onboard video is fine. The first thing to check for is the interface, most are AGP or PCI-E. I personally like nVidia cards better. If you are going to be doing graphic intensive games, I would suggest at least a 6600. If you have alot to spend, go with a 7800.

Optical/Floppy drives
Another thing you are going to is a CD drive, most are IDE. Get a DVD Burner if you are going to use it. Also, you should get a floppy drive, they are only $10ish and you might need it to install drivers when building your computer.

Case and Power Supply
Make sure you have a sufficient power supply!! If you have a high end computer, you should get a 450W PSU. Otherwise, 350W should be fine for most people. Most cases are ATX, but make sure it is the same type as your motherboard (ATX, MicroATX, BTX, etc...).

Be sure to make sure all your components are compatible!

Blu-ray vs HD-DVD - The lowdown on the warring formats

2009-01-04T08:30:00.001-08:00

The current aim of blu-ray and HD-DVD is to get as much public support quickly as ultimately it is the consumer who will decide which format comes out on top. With the unification talks failing it is up to you to make the decision of which format to adopt. To help you with this tough decision is the lowdown on how each format matches below.

History

The blu-ray format’s head companies are Sony and Philips with Toshiba and Hitachi heading up the HD-DVD format. This situation isn’t the first time where these two sides have gone at each other with opposing formats. The DVD format was born from the co-operation of the Multimedia Compact Disc from Sony/Philips (MMCD) and the Super Density Disc (SD) from Toshiba. Though it ended well for the consumer with the DVD format being widely adopted and becoming the new standard, it was Toshiba’s camp who came out on top in regards to royalties.
This led to the work on new formats by both sides with Sony aiming to regain some of its lost market. The two projects though had been in production but not really going anywhere at the time. Sony’s Professional Disc for Data (PDD) became the blu-ray format while Toshiba’s Advanced Optical Disc becoming HD-DVD. This leads us back to the original situation where there are two competing formats with a unification looking a lot less likely.

Technical

Both blu-ray and HD-DVD use a wavelength of 405nm however the smaller track pitch on blu-ray (see Blu-ray Disc) allows more information to be squeezed on and so gives the larger capacity. However it is the differing track pitch that makes these two formats incompatible. The surface layer of the two is different also as HD-DVD uses a 0.6mm layer similar to DVD whereas blu-ray uses a 0.1mm clear plastic layer.
This difference is the main reason why costs are higher with blu-ray. Costly production methods are needed to be able to make the discs and a hard coating must be applied to make the discs suitably resilient to dust and fingerprints.

Capacity

Blu-ray currently offers discs in 25gb for single layer and 50gb for dual layer. However TDK has started work on a 200gb disc which is 6x33gb layers.
HD-DVD comes in 15gb for the single layer and 30gb for the dual layer. Best tests so far have achieved 45gb but 60gb is the theoretical limit. This shows that the maximum for HD-DVD is only 10gb more than what blu-ray can already offer.

Codecs

Both formats use the same codecs to play video as they are both able to play standard and high-definition. This means that MPEG-2, Microsoft Video Codec 1 (aka VC1, WMV HD, etc.) and H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC are all supported on both formats.

Security

Both blu-ray and HD-DVD have to make use of HDCP encrypted output and the Advanced Access Content System (AACS). Both HDCP and AACS are mandatory for any discs with HD video.
Blu-ray also incorporates ROM-Mark watermarking technology and BD dynamic crypto which generates special keys for batches of discs.
HD-DVD uses a similar system in the Volume Identifying technology.

Support

Both formats are heavily supported in both the Consumer Electronics (CE) and Information Technology (IT) industries. However blu-ray has a better portion of the big name movie and game studios supporting it which is essential for there to be a ready amount of content at launch. See below for the list of Supporting studios:

Blu-ray

20th Century Fox
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Electronic Arts
MGM Studios
Paramount Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment
The Walt Disney Company
Vivendi Universal Games
Warner Bros.

HD-DVD

Buena Vista Home Entertainment
New Line Cinema
Paramount Pictures
The Walt Disney Company
Universal Studios
Warner Bros.

Josh Biggs is the founder of Blu-ray-review.co.uk which gives the visitor a resource for all the latest blu-ray news and product reviews with community discussion.

Blu-Ray set to take the world by storm!

2009-01-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

The Blu-ray Disc belongs to a new generation of optical discs capable of staging high density data. Blu-Ray technology is based on a blue-violet coloured laser. The blue laser operates at a wave length of 405 nm, while older technology such as DVDs and CDs are based on red and infrared lasers that works at 650 and 780 nm. Since the wave length is shorter with a blue laser, the new Blu-ray technology makes is possible to store much more information

The advantage with the Blu-ray technology is that the laser beam can be focused much more tightly at the surface of the disc. Tight focus means that a smaller spot will be produced on the surface on the disc, and when the spots become smaller there will naturally be room for more information on each disc. The minimum spot size of any laser depends on a naturally accruing phenomenon called diffraction. The narrow beam of light sent out from a laser will always diverge into a wider beam eventually, due to the natural diffraction of waves. Diffraction will also occur the waves meet an obstruction. By reducing the wavelength of a laser, we can affect the diffraction.

In Blu-ray technology, the diffractions is also affected by the fact that the lens used to focus the light has a higher numerical aperture than the lenses found in ordinary DVDs - 0.85 instead of 0.6. Blu-ray technology based appliances are also equipped with a dual-lens system of supreme quality, and the cover layer has been made thinner in order to prevent unwanted optical effects. All this makes it possible for a Blu-ray laser to focus on much smaller spots. The optical improvements are accompanied with a new method for encoding data which makes it possible to store even more data on the Blu-ray disc.

The standard for Blu-ray technology has been developed as a joint venture between several major manufacturers of PCs and consumer electronics, including Sony and Philips. The group is called the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The first Blu-ray recorder was launched in Japan in 2003, by Sony. Today, Samsung, JVC, Matsushita (Panasonic) and LG Electronics are all examples of companies using Blu-ray technology in their products. Hewlett Packard has announced that they will release desktop PCs equipped with Blu-ray technology in late 2005.

The main competitor for the Blu-ray technology is the HD DVD format which is also capable of storing more information than a normal DVD. The Blu-ray technology does however allow for more information per layer than the HD DVD format – 25 GB compared to 15 GB. The Blu-ray technology will on the other hand most likely be more expensive to support, at least initially, which can make the HD DVD a tempting alternative. In a Blu-ray disc, the data is stored extremely close to the surface. This made the first Blu-ray discs extremely vulnerable to scratching and many users preferred the tougher HD DVD discs. Since 2004, all Blu-ray discs are coated with a clear polymer called “Durabis” which makes them much more durable. According to the developers of Durabis, the TDK Corporation, a coated Blu-ray disc will work even after being attacked with a screwdriver.

Best Buy for Laptop: How to Buy a Laptop Computer

2009-01-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

There is a wide range of laptop models available on the market today and buying the right machine can turn into a confusing mission.

There are laptop computers intended for home users, multimedia, business and gaming. You can spend from $500 to $5,000.

The very first step you need to do is to determine your needs.

If you spend a lot of time traveling, your best option is a light laptop with a long battery life.

If you are an average home user, you can easily select a low-range laptop that will cost you about $500.

If you use the Internet a lot or store photographs and videos, you choice should be a mid-range laptop that will cost you from $1,000 to $1,500.

But if plan to purchase a gaming laptop, be ready to pay at least $3,000.

Look at the following categories:

- Processor is the most important thing to take into consideration. Intel Pentium M, Mobile AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Turion 64 Mobile are high-powered processors. Intel's Celeron M and AMD's Duron and Sempron are processors found in low-end laptops.

Avoid desktop processors in laptops because they need a lot of power and will quickly exhaust your battery.

- Screen sizes range from 12 to 19 inches. A laptop computer with smaller screen is great option if you do not plan to use laptop too much. A larger screen is perfect for extensive use.

- Your new laptop should have at least 1 gigabyte of memory. Also, your machine should come with a dedicated video card with 128 megabytes of memory.

- Choose a faster hard drive with at least 60GB of space. This is sufficient for the majority of users. Gamers should get at least 100 GB hard drive.

Beginners Guide To Buying A Pda

2009-01-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

Are you considering the purchase of your very first PDA? If so, what should you look for? How much should you spend? What features should you get?

Before making the final decision to purchase a PDA, have you thoroughly researched what they can do, and if you really need one or are you just intrigued by having a new gadget like your friends? Let’s start with this question. One of the first and still major uses for a PDA is an appointment book or calendar. If you are currently using an appointment book like a Franklin Planner, the PDA can certainly replace this. One advantage of a PDA over an appointment book is that changes don’t require constant erasing and re-writing. A PDA is usually backed up on your PC, so there is always a back-up.

A new PDA does not have to be purchased every year like a Franklin Planner, so in the long run it will be cheaper. This plus the previous mentioned advantages may be enough to make the switch. Of course there are many other features and uses for a PDA besides an appointment book, among which are:

• Address book
• Calculator
• Internet Access
• Notes and document management
• Games
• GPS

Given that you are ready to go forward with the purchase, your choice of a PDA model will depend on what you need it for—what you want it to do. Following are some of the important considerations:

Memory – If you plan to use your PDA for storing large documents and other reference works, then you’ll need the corresponding amount of memory. Also check to see if the memory can be expanded. You’ll need to consider the other software that you might want to run on your PDA.

Size – All the features do you no good if you don’t bother to bring the PDA with you due to its bulky size.

Input Options – If you plan on using the PDA to take notes with, a compact external keyboard is essential. The built in stylus input is designed for small amounts of data only.

Battery Life – Again, dictated by your specific needs.

Finding the best place to purchase your PDA can be done easily with online shopping portals. Ebay of course always has offers. One thing to consider for a PDA is a buyers protection plan that is offered by many local retailers. Normally these end up costing more than they are worth, but just one drop of your PDA onto a hard surface can destroy it. If you are buying a high end PDA and will be running around with it daily, a buyers protection plan may be worthwhile.

Be Picky About Computer Keyboards

2009-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

If there is anything I have learned in the past ten years of being an editor that is using my computer all day, it is that it is good and right to be absolutely picky when it comes to choosing computer keyboards. If this seems like an insignificant choice to you, then it is clear that you, unlike me, do not spend the majority of your days typing on a computer.

If you did, you would quickly realize what a difference computer keyboards can make to a typing experience. It took me a couple of years to realize that there were actuallly a lot of options when it comes to computer keyboards and that I didn't have to be satisfied with a computer keyboard that didn't fit my hands.

I have probably made my way through at least eight or nine computer keyboards in the past ten years. I have learned what suites my body and my needs better and that has often caused me to go on the hunt for a newer and better computer keyboard. I have learned that there are a huge variety ofAs computer keyboards and that if you search for them, they do not have to be too expensive or hard to find.

If you are about to purchase a computer for the first time, or if you are simply looking for a computer keyboard that fits your body and your needs better, then don't rush into a purchase until you have done some research to learn about your options. A great place to begin the search for computer keyboards or any other part of computers is by visiting a computer store where the employees are knowledgable about all things computer. Stop into a local store or two and see what you can learn about choosing computer keyboards that are right for you.

Another great way to do research on computer keyboards is online. That is, if you can manage to use your current keyboard for a few hours to do the research! Look through many websites until you find the deals that are in your budget and that match your needs. Finding a computer keyboard can be a tedious process, or it can be easy if you look in the right places. The bottom line is that if you are going to be using your computer a lot, then it pays to have the best possible computer keyboard.

Basics of RGB and CMYK for ink jet printing at home

2009-01-04T08:12:00.000-08:00

In the world of home ink jet color printing, there is some confusion concerning CMYK color and RGB color. Many photo enthusiasts don't realize what kind of color space their digital cameras output and are confused when it comes to printing images off of their home ink jet printers. They hit print and wonder why the printed image looks different from what they see on their monitor.

CMYK is the color description representing printed material, short for the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Mixing these 4 colors together in different amounts give you the millions of colors that reproduce the colors in printed material. These are actual inks used in printing the images you see in color magazines and books. RGB is the color description for images viewed on your computer monitors, short for Red, Green, and Blue. RGB color is actually light, and mixing different levels of these light colors
creates the millions of colors that come from your computer monitor. All websites and nearly everything you see on your computer monitor is RGB unless the images have been converted to the CMYK color space.

When you print your images on your ink jet printer from your computer, your printer prints the image using CMYK inks. Viewing your image in RGB and then printing it out in CMYK may not yield the results you want. Programs such as Adobe Photoshop will convert your image from RGB to CMYK or vice versa. Some printers require the image to be CMYK before you can print the image correctly. Some printers don't print the image correctly if the image being printed is in RGB space.

A good reason for printing with a CMYK image is to see your image in CMYK color before printing. When an image is converted to CMYK from RGB, there may be some color changes that are noticeable in the image. The reason for this is because many colors in RGB cannot be reproduced using CMYK inks. That is why it is always a good idea to convert your image to a CMYK color space before printing. You could notice significant color changes to your image, especially in the very intense color areas of your image. Some of these intense color areas may appear less intense or very dull once converted. With photo editing software, you can go in and fix these trouble color areas to your liking.

Many ink jet printers on the market today actually print directly from an RGB color image. And converting the image to CMYK may cause it to print incorrectly. You will need to determine what color space your ink jet printer supports. The packaged software usually will give you a hint regarding color spaces. If there is no option to convert the color space from RGB to CMYK, most likely, the printer will print directly from an RGB color source. Usually, the higher end ink jet printers deal with the CMYK color space as consumer level enthusiasts don't even know these color spaces exist. New higher end ink jet printers, however, are now printing directly from the RGB color space as there is a wider spectrum of color that can be reproduced in RGB compared to CMYK color.

If you visit the website, Instantimagers.com, the 'Framers' and 'DVD Cover & Disc Art' designs are provided in both RGB and CMYK color spaces. Comparing the RGB and CMYK images side by side, you'll notice there are color differences. This is due to some RGB colors not being available as a CMYK converted color. Both versions are provided because not all printers are alike. Some tend to print better with one color space. Many of CMYK printed designs have been manipulated further after conversion to match more closely the colors from the RGB color space as many of the colors in some designs did not covert seamlessly.

If all this seems confusing, not to worry. The key thing to remember is to print using RGB color if your printer and software support it. Let the software and the printer worry about getting the colors right. If you are more experienced with photo color correction and want more control over the color of the image, print in CMYK. You'll actually be manipulating and printing the image in the color space your ink jet printer's inks are using. You will be able to see the limits of the CMYK printing color spectrum right on your monitor. Getting color right with RGB and CMYK is totally different from calibrating your printer to match the colors on your monitor. That is actually the second step in getting the best color out of your prints. Understanding the difference between RGB and CMYK is the first step in getting the best print outs on your home ink jet printer.

Barcode ribbon employs a newly system designated RibbonRation

2009-01-04T08:09:00.001-08:00

Barcode ribbon employs a newly patented thermal transfer ribbon conservation system designated RibbonRation. This feature is said to reduce usage of expensive thermal transfer ribbon by 50% or more. We produce our products using only high quality raw materials and employ many skilled employees and technicians. Our factory can provide the most preferential profit to customers all over the world with competitive prices and high quality items. We produce our products using only high quality raw materials and employ many skilled employees and technicians.

Barcode ribbon and fax ink film are just some of the office supplies that make it possible for you to do your work properly. It is of high importance, when you work in an office to be able to transmit information in different ways. When information has to be sent from one place to another, under a form that has to be put on paper, fax ink film and barcode ribbon are essential to you. Contacts, pictures, deeds or many other valuable papers are now sent by fax in just a few seconds time. But to be able to do this properly, fax ink film must not be missing from your desk. And not only that, but these supplies also have to be the best.

Modern man has come a long way since the times of ancient papyrus and mural paintings. In today's time and world, we tend to have lot facilities that we have made for our selves to better cope with all the standards that we have put up. Modern technology and ingenuity has helped us develop a lot of useful things to help us with the modern day life and problems that we encounter in our lives. Having to sustain the society that we have created one must develop certain ways to do that: this days we benefit from a lot of things like modern manufacturing. To further increase the productivity and the results of office work people have developed a way to speed things up. Besides the normal very used computers, a lot of expendables have to be used for a proper work to be done. One of the most expendables is barcode ribbon (or better known as bar code ribbon). Some of the branded names available in the supermarket stores are Prinzet, Sonoroll, Sono-roll, Sonofilm and Sono.

Some of the best on the market today are wax and resin ribbons. It has been proven that they are the most reliable and practical on the market. Wax ribbon has been made in such a way that they contain a lot of wax based materials in their colorant substance. It has been made this way because the wax has a lower melting point thus the energy required to print the ink being lower. Waxes have been showed to be more efficient than resins in the usage of bar code. On the other hand the down side would be the fact that the durability of wax is smaller than in the case of resins. This is because wax is softer than resin and the fact that it is made with only one layer of colorant. Testing and a lot of using of wax ribbons has shown that they are best used at general purpose labeling, and other general activities that do not require coated substrates, matte coated substrates and other film based tagging. The best usage for this kind would be in the situations where the time needed to print the image on the label is very small and also if the life of the label is of short term.

Avoiding Purchase of Stolen Computers

2009-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Most of us purchase used computers for the main reason that they can be purchased for a very lesser amount. When doing so, there is a high risk of purchasing a stolen computer, which can be passed off as a used computer. The incidence of purchasing a stolen computer is more when they are got in the name of used computers from third party computer dealers like the computer dealers online or from a theft store or from a pawnbroker who has no idea about the history of the computer he is selling.

Following measures can be taken to avoid buying a stolen computer:

One of the safe measures while buying used computer is to buy through a credit card or check payment rather than making cash purchase. If the seller insists on cash payment, the purchaser can be very sure that the computer may be a stolen one. Also stolen computers are sold at very low prices. If the buyer has good knowledge about the price trends of computers in the market, he can for sure find out if the computer sold as a used computer is of a genuine kind or not.

The place of buying used computer is of outmost importance as a reputed dealer or seller will have a well-established location. They do not sell on the streets. Hence, it is better to avoid buying used computers from the street side shops, which may be fly by night shops. Such sellers attract the buyers with the pricing or heavy discounts or even freebies along with the computers. If the buyer is not sure about the computer, he can very well ask for the documents pertaining to the computer or can find out if receipts are issued for the purchase. The best method of finding out is to check the serial number of the used computer that can be done with the help of the local law enforcement personnel.

The buyer has all the rights to ask the seller about the reason for the sale of the used computer, where it was purchased and nature of payment made initially. If the buyer is satisfied, he can go ahead with the purchase, else should move on to the next seller. Normally, one can find out if the seller is genuine or not through his body language.
A person selling illegal things will show frenzied movements, will agree even for a rock bottom price with even a small amount of profit for him, mostly will not have a decent language, will try to sell in haste, will always be looking around to find out if someone is watching him and will not have an eye contact while selling and so on.

Such kind of illegal sales of used computers happen as the illegal seller has the facility to advertise free of cost. Also posing as a private seller there is no need to provide a VAT receipt, which makes him free of any legal action being taken against him. Hence it is not advised to buy a used computer without a cash receipt provided by the seller.

Avoid Data Loss During Thunderstorms and Blackouts

2009-01-04T08:05:00.001-08:00

ComputerBatteries is advising that in order to avoid the risk of losing data, you should take heed the government’s current heat wave warning and protect IT equipment in your office.

ComputerBatteries is ensuring the fastest, most convenient and cost-effective solutions to clients who have experienced a data loss and they advise that companies should adopt anti-melt down measures for PCs and servers. The advice is following the many cases of data loss the vendor is dealing with lately due to the high temperatures and thunderstorms in the UK.

The risk is the same for PCs, servers and laptop batteries and it is coming from power surges and blackouts if they become overheated by direct or indirect lightning strikes or the hot climate.

There are some rules that should be followed when arranging the computers in an office. The computers should be placed in cool and dry areas to prevent overheating. It is also highly recommended that not too many computers to be running off one power supply, via an extension cable. It has become almost a necessity to have a surge protector installed between the power socket and the computer’s power cable. The protection devices should be check regularly. IT equipment should not share power with air conditioners and fans but dedicated circuits should be used.

These are general rules to be followed in order to protect the IT equipments but there are some tips that ComputerBatteries is offering for special cases such as thunderstorm and blackouts. During thunderstorm the power cord of IT equipments should be turned off and disconnected and the telephone lines from modem jack should be unplugged. This is due to the fact high voltages can enter a computer through a phone line connected to the modem. The best solution to avoid losing data during a blackout is to invest in some form of uninterruptible power supply, which cleans the power supply and features backup batteries to keep servers running during power outages. This is highly recommended especially for the offices that have network servers.

Athlon 64 Processors

2009-01-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

For a long time Intel has been leading the market in processor sales and popularity but AMD is finally putting a stop to that. With the release of their Athlon 64 processor, with 64 bit computing capabilities, they have been slowly but surely regaining the market back from Intel.

The Athlon 64 processors have been around for a while now and they have proven themselves the market leaders in processing power. As we know AMD processor run at a lot slower speeds than Intel processors making them cooler to run. This has eliminated the need for expensive cooling equipment and opened the doorway for overclocking.

Although AMD hit the target by releasing their 64 bit processor long before Intel did, they are not standing still. They have been constantly upgrading their line up to increase speed and efficiency. This is apparent with their fx series processors and their dual core processors.

The fx series processor are the king of the hill at AMD. They are the most powerful processor that is available. They show blistering speeds for CPU intensive functions such video encoding and gaming. They also show great performance in database driven work and most other aspects of computing.

The dual-core line of processor are the ultimate in multi-tasking. They provide the power of two processor running in unison while still being able to fit in a single processor motherboard. Although these processors are essentially two processors in one, they are rather pricy and may not be everyones cup of tea.

Intel is trying to fight back by forming an alliance with Apple. All macs are now available with Intel processors. Whether this will be profitable for Intel only time will tell.

With competition growing stronger from AMD this can only mean increased benefits for the consumer. As the war between Intel and AMD intensifies, the consumer will benefit from lowered prices, and increased quality in their processors.

Are Inkjet Printers the right choice?

2009-01-04T07:56:00.001-08:00

Inkjet Printers are not only getting better but they also becoming less expensive with time. A branded inkjet cartridge can cost you $30 or more and if your printer uses a multi-color ink cartridge system ink costs could easily $1000 to replace all inkjet cartridges for your entire inkjet printer.

The growing business of inkjet printers has brought about additional benefits to them. Manufacturers have built their business around the supplies rather than the printer itself. They have made the inkjet printers an inexpensive commodity sometimes selling them at lower cost or may be even less thereby making long term profits from inkjet printers.

An Inkjet printer uses a unique printer mechanism, which provides quality printing. They transfer tiny droplets of ink directly to the page. This is the reason why you will find most photo printers are inkjets. If you want to print photos at home, photo inkjet printer would probably be a perfect choice. For instance, if you want to print few photos, few e books or print any other project work an inkjet printer would help your cause. Inkjet printers are far less expensive than laser printers.

Tips to keep your inkjet cost low
•When you print inter-office, personal or draft documents use the “draft” and “grayscale” option. This can help you save a lot on black and color ink.
•Purchase generic cartridges made for you printer as they can be purchased at half the price.
•Purchase a cartridge refill kit as they are have an excellent quality and cost low.
•Always purchase your cartridge in bulk as this can help you bring down the total cost.
•Purchase remanufactured cartridges made for your printer
•Order you inkjet cartridge online to save time and money. Now days many online outlets do not carry the generic version and costs are normally lower.

Applications medical paper submitted in various categories to be determined.

2009-01-04T07:54:00.000-08:00

"Many of the articles that appear in scientific journals under the byline of prominent academics are actually written by ghostwriters in the pay of drug companies." Used by doctors "to guide their care of patients," these "seemingly objective articles are often part of a marketing campaign," the Wall Street Journal reported.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently revealed that a 2000 article on Vioxx "omitted information about heart attacks among patients taking the drug. The deletions were made by someone working from a Merck computer." A 1999 "publications strategy" prepared for Pfizer by a WPP Group agency listed 81 proposed articles, promoting Zoloft for everything from "panic disorder to pedophilia." One physiologist hired by Elsevier's Excerpta Medica says she was asked to "slant" a 2002 paper in favor of a Johnson & Johnson drug. Many journals ask for disclosure, but say their ability to weed out ghostwriters is limited. "I don't give lie-detector tests," the Journal of the American Medical Association's chief editor told the Wall Street Journal.

Applications may be submitted in various categories to be determined. Each category has seven author classifications: family physicians and fellows primarily in academic medicine, family physicians primarily in clinical practice, family practice residents, medical students, international attendees, professionals primarily engaged in medical informatics and others.

Estimates suggest that almost half of all articles published in journals are by ghostwriters. While doctors who have put their names to the papers can be paid handsomely for 'lending' their reputations, the ghostwriters remain hidden. They, and the involvement of the pharmaceutical firms, are rarely revealed.

While many studies have shown that cyber-records can reduce errors, improve care and lower costs, the medical community is moving too slowly to adopt the new technology. Providers are loath to change their record-keeping ways because of concerns about the expense, fears about software glitches and a mind-set against radical departures in treating patients.

One important contribution of the current paper is to update the prior econometric work to the current managed care and policy environment, using a nationwide sample of medical groups responding to two surveys (1997 data) of the Medical Group Management Association: The Compensation and Production Survey and the Cost Survey. Second, the rich data set provided by the MGMA surveys allows us to account for the role of a variety of potential productivity "drivers" within the medical group: ownership form, presence of monitoring mechanisms, size of the group, physician specialty mix, and individual physician characteristics. Third, this research examines a wider range of ownership forms and specialty types of medical group practice-non-primary care single-specialty groups, primary care groups, and multispecialty groups--than previous empirical studies of physician productivity.

In contrast, the analyses of Gaynor and Pauly (1990) and Gaynor and Gertler (1995) were restricted to primary care groups and the partners hip form of practice. Fourth, by virtue of the broader array of specialty groups in the MGMA sample, the current study will be able to distinguish differential responses to financial incentives and organization design features among primary care physicians (PCPs), medical specialists, and surgical specialists.