Saturday, May 31, 2008

The Advantages Of Having A Pre Paid Cell Phone

Writen by Morgan Hamilton

Do you think it's a financially viable option to trade your cell phone number with a pre paid cell phone? Consider my experience of having better experience of making the most out of cheap pre paid cell phone, especially while I am in a new city for a limited number of days. I was like that only, not willing to trade my regular cell phone number. I have worked in almost all states. The duration of stay in a city varies from less than a few days to many weeks.

I used to call my manager using my cell phone, which is expensive. I had to pay even while I receive a call from my head office, because of the roaming charges. Later I shifted the pattern to purchase a pre paid cell phone soon after I land in a different state. Thanks to the finance guy who pointed to me the advantages of using a makeshift pre paid cell phone.

I will give full marks to the convenience of pre paid cell phones that are on the go the moment I buy them. Shopping for pre paid cell phones is a relatively easy task for me and now I am better adapted to compare the charges of different plans from different cell phone companies and buy a phone with the cheapest plan. All I need is to furnish my driving license and a little paperwork – my experience is that simple in all the states I have visited over the last two years.

I then send a message to head office within two or three minutes of purchasing a pre paid cell phone and my manager can me at the least possible costs. My pre paid cell phones give me another important advantage; my local clients can reach me without making any long distance calls. It also creates in them the confidence that I am locally available at least for the time being.

I also find it amusing not having to pay a monthly subscription fees and the freedom to load the pre paid cell phone account with as little or as much money as I really need. If the visit to the city is for a few days only, I put lesser sums and for longer stays I buy a higher denomination pre paid cell phone card.

I am not boosting up about pre paid cell phones. They have their own disadvantages too. For instance, pre paid cell phones are not very profitable for a long term plan. It is the kind of determination and prudence in using the prepaid cell phone to your advantage that will work in your favor. No one can say it with greater conviction than one who is doing the same for more than two years now.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning consumer guide. Learn more at Pre Paid Cell Phone

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Future Of Humanity And Technology

Writen by Kyle W. McMillan

Ever get the feeling that things may be slipping through the cracks right behind your back? That the future somehow continues sidling into place all around us with increasingly surreptitious speed?

Nevermind. There's too much to do. Gotta visit the bank machine before going shopping and using the new self check-out tellers at Wal-Mart. Then it's off to the computer video-kiosk downtown to order your movies for next week. Don't forget to text message Bob on your way to remind him to email Joey before Sunday. Good thing you got the kids the newest PlayStation - they'll be glued to that for the next two weeks, leaving you free to catch all of your shows without interruption.

How did all of this start? Besides the T.V, where was all of this technology ten years ago?

In the field of computer technology, there is a little thing called Moore's Law that states, in layman's terms, that the processing capabilities of the basic computer chip have been increasing exponentially every eighteen months since their inception. This will, by around the year 2017, result in hyper-intelligent machines that are atoms thick.

On average, most humans in the 'modern' world now spend much more of their time relating to machines than other human beings, even if they may be using those machines as a medium to reach others. We are becoming increasingly dependent on them without even pausing to realize it. Remember Y2K? Yeah, people were scared. In every aspect of our lives now, we need the machines to function, and it only continues to snowball.

Nanotechnology is merely years away. The human genome has now been completely - if roughy - mapped, providing us with the very blueprints to human evolution. Synthetic Biology has just recently emerged, handing scientists the one trump card nature still held: the power to create life from scratch. And for those in the field of Artifical Intelligence, they are now locked in a desperate race against Moore's Law, to create a 'friendly A.I' before time runs out. They've only got one chance.

Everything is going to change, very soon. It already is. In the last decade we've seen the beginnings of a massive paradigm shift in - in the words of Raymond Kurzweil, futurist, inventor and author - "the nature of work, human learning, government, warfare, the arts, and our concepts of ourselves."

Immortality is becoming a reality - quantum physics has shown us this. It will simply, eventually be up to those who choose to go one way or the other - if we make it that far. There are numerous possible pitfalls along the way, of cataclysmic proportions. It is, in my mind, the most important issue facing us as a species to date, and barely anyone seems to be aware of it.

There is so much involved with all of this - so many different angles to be considered, arguments to be counted, that it's nearly impossible to know where to stand. But it's real, and it's happenning. We, every one of us, need to take a look at the bigger picture and decide how we feel about it, and where we fit in.

Fax Receiver Appliances Make Your Received Fax Documents Arrive In Your Email Inbox

Writen by Klaus Bollmann

Have you had the same frustrations, spam faxes wasting your paper, toner and your colleagues time to look at them? A Fax Receiver Appliance could just be the answer to having one thing less to get annoyed about in a day.

In many organizations and industries a high proportion of fax machines are used to receive faxed orders or requests from customers. Instead of having to maintain a whole PC with virus updates UPS and other support nightmares, a Fax Receiver Appliance connects directly to a phone line and to the Ethernet Network, converting incoming faxes directly into an email sending it to a mailbox of a mail server.

A Fax Receiver Appliance reduces direct waste significantly and can produce an ROI of less than a year, based on approximately 20 spam faxes a day @ 0.07 cents per page for 365 days a year totals a direct saving of US$511 per device.

Indirect savings from personnel no longer staring at advertising in the fax machine could be even higher.

Faster communication as the document no longer needs to be collected from the machine but arrives immediately at the administrators email inbox. Email servers can be set up to copy more than one person, so emails may be picked up while on the move.

More secure, the Fax Appliance may be located in the Telephone or the Computer Room, away from everyday hazards or malice.

Each page is an attachment in the email that can be easily re-distributed or used for input into other applications.

Further saving come from the device's very low power consumption and high reliability as there are no moving parts to be maintained or paper to be supplied. On average only 20% of business communication in electronic format is actually printed out which brings further savings.

The appliance needs setting up only once and will run for a lifetime without maintenance. Parameters are stored permanently in Flash Memory and the power-up sequence is less than 10 seconds. Remote management via Telnet with login and password protection allows management in any networked environment such as Windows®, Unix® or Apple®.

A Fax Receiver Appliance is far superior to a PC based or Multi Function Copier based Fax solution in terms of maintenance and availability. If a company has mainly incoming faxes and does not want to bring a fax line to every Copier / Printer a Fax Receiver Appliance is the most cost efficient solution.

Klaus Bollmann is an expert in office automation products specializing in resource saving innovative products that fill users' needs.

In this design I have opted for maximum flexibility, the fax interface is based on a standard PCMCIA card as used in a Laptop or PC, which can be obtained in any country and region. The Ringdale ModuLAN® appliance platform allows connection of a PCMCIA card to the Network without a PC or special software.

I helped design and specify this product and if you are interested you may follow the link below.

For further information about Ringdale Fax Receiver Appliance visit www.ringdale.com/fax

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Network Security Journal Guide

Writen by Mansi Aggarwal

The term 'Virus' has not just created havoc in life of living beings but also in the world of computers. Though the two kinds of viruses are completely different from each other yet both can prove extremely fatal.

Virus in computers can be defined as a program or a piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowing it and it runs against your wishes. The computer viruses are manmade and can easily replicate themselves. A simple virus can duplicate itself time and again and it is quite easy to produce. Even a simple virus can swallow the entire memory of your system and stop it's working while a slightly more dangerous or strong virus can transmit it across networks and bypass the security systems. Viruses can be transmitted as attachments to an e-mail note or in a download file, or be present on a diskette or CD. Some viruses cast their effect as soon as their code is executed; other viruses lie inactive until circumstances cause their code to be executed by the computer.

But gone are the days when viruses and diseases caused by them were left untreated. Just as people have developed cures to protect themselves, they have also invented something to safeguard their computer against the devastating threat of virus. The device that is meant to detect virus is called anti-virus.

An anti-virus program can be defined as a utility that searches a hard disk for any known or potential viruses and eliminates any that are found. Anti-virus software comprises of computer programs that attempt to identify, obstruct and eradicate computer viruses and other harmful software.

Every anti-virus software functions according to two techniques with a special focus on the first one –

(1) Examining i.e. scanning files to check familiar viruses that match the definitions in a virus dictionary.

(2) Identifying any malfunctioning software that indicates infection. Such analysis includes data captures, port monitoring and other methods.

While examining any file, the anti-virus software refers to a dictionary of known viruses that are already identified by the authors of the anti-virus software. The moment the code of a virus matches with the virus detected in the dictionary, the anti-virus software at first tries to repair the software by removing the virus itself from the file. If the virus is not removed at this stage then the software quarantines the file in a way that file remains inaccessible to other programs and the virus ceases to harm the system any more. Finally if the virus still continues to exist, the software deletes the infected file.

In order to function correctly and in a right manner the virus dictionary approach needs regular updates that involves downloads of updated virus dictionary entries. The anti-virus software that works in accordance to a dictionary typically scrutinizes files and spontaneously detects a virus when the operating system of the computer creates, opens, and closes or e-mails them. However a System Administrator can program the anti-virus software to examine or scan all the files on the user's hard disk on a routine basis.

Mansi Aggarwal recommends that you visit Anti virus for more information.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The Computer Consulting Business Communicating The Benefit Of Using Your Services

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

In the computer consulting business, dead-end solutions can be very expensive mistakes for your prospects or clients. So, start by pointing out how scalable your proposed network will be.

Communicate the Options

Discuss server hardware and OS/NOS selection and detail how, as you add more RAM, faster processors, SCSI or RAID hard drive controllers and multiple processors, performance continues to scale up. Explain how your computer consulting business' prospects and clients can get a tremendous power boost with relatively low cost, by doing incremental hardware upgrades on servers running the solution you've proposed.

Then talk up available options for your prospects or clients down the road. Small business owners, as entrepreneurs, are a pretty optimistic group. So they'll want to make sure their IT investments are in sync with their visions of future company growth.

The Growth Path

Highlight how your computer consulting business' proposed network solution provides a very well defined growth path to more application-rich platforms. Then, reiterate how a Microsoft Windows 9x/Me/XP "server", on the other hand, severely limits your networking options.

A Microsoft Windows 9x/Me/XP "server" may be adequate for some very limited file and printer sharing, but it's definitely not a great platform for adding high-performance relational database or messaging applications.

As company IT needs evolve, the amount of files can really spiral out of control if the networking solution can't keep up. So always highlight how the proposed networking solution and centralizing data helps to protect IT investments by maintaining version control.

A Networking Solution Can Reduce Confusion

With a decentralized peer-to-peer network, there may be multiple, conflicting versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel data files for example. Whether these files are passed around on disk or distributed on different users' "servers", a well-designed client/server network, with consistent naming conventions and a coherent share and folder structure goes a long way toward preventing confusion.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training.

Oem Versus Cheap Printer Cartridges

Writen by Martin Smith

The controversy reigns over whether or not cheap printer cartridges are an alternative to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) cartridges. Some will argue that only name brand cartridges will work in printers and that 'generic' cartridges will only get clogged and ruin the machine. It is also claimed that the output of cheap or discounted cartridges is prone to fading in about ten years. My question is some printer companies haven't been around that long so how would they know that? Also generic cartridges haven't been around long either.

The basic process of making cheap cartridges includes checking out the used cartridge, replacing all worn out or broken parts ,replacing all required parts, and testing the cartridge for quality. The quality of these cartridges is often equal to or better than OEM cartridges. Many companies offer warranties on OEM compatible cartridges to be free from defects or malfunctions in your 'new' cartridge.

OEM cartridges are made by big named companies and were originally designed for a specific brand of printer. They usually are very expensive (name brand cartridges). The point is you are likely paying more than you need to be paying for cartridges with a brand name. They are generally two or three times more expensive than OEM compatibles which include refurbished or refilled cartridges. As was mentioned, OEM compatibles have quality equal to or greater than OEM's.

Why should you purchase compatible remanufactured cartridges as opposed to name brand OEM's? I can give you ten reasons why you should purchase compatible remanufactured cartridges. They are

1. Most companies offer free shipping. This is a great savings in and of itself.

2. You can get seventy five percent or greater savings, check online sources and in some office supply stores. You might have to 'dig' a little but the deals are out there.

3. Some companies will provide you with even more savings if you purchase more than one cartridge. Buying two or more cartridges could land you even greater deals. Be sure that you are getting a deal don't be afraid to do the Math.

4. You are guaranteed a high quality product. Remanufactured are brand name cartridges that are taken apart and repaired, then they are put back together and refilled. Essentially then they are the same as brand named cartridges.

5. A guarantee of a one hundred percent guarantee is offered by many companies.

6. There is secure online ordering available.

7. Companies will not sell or share your information. Check out the company's privacy policy before adding.

8. Check out the reliability of companies, especially those online.

9. Some companies will ship the same day or the next day and you can expect your order to arrive in five to ten business days.

10. There is longer lasting output with these cartridges but this can only be determined by usage and time.

The fact that you could have great savings while getting the quality printing you are used to is something to think about when considering discount cartridges. I was personally very skeptical about remanufactured or recycled cartridges until I purchased them for the first time recently. The quality of prints are at least equal to the brand name cartridges I use.

They last as long if not longer than my usual brand. Where I am usually left with more color ink than black for the most part the recycled cartridges were reduced fairly evenly. The black cartridge has actually outlasted the color. I would recommend that you try the cheaper cartridges. The bottom line is that the choice is yours but make an informed decision about using cheap ink cartridges.

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Printer Reviews if you have time drop by his site for some tips and information.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Laser Marking Steers A New Course In Manufacturing

Writen by Rick Stevenson

As the technology of laser marking has advanced, new markets have evolved to take advantage of increasingly faster marking speeds as well as greater marking precision and imaging capabilities. Continuing developments in laser-cavity design, beam-steering and focusing optics, and computer hardware and software are expanding the role of the systems.

Steering the beam
Of the available marking technologies, beam-steered laser marking systems provide users with the greatest amount of image flexibility in a fast, permanent, noncontact marking process. As manufacturing processes become more automated and after-sale tracking more prevalent, laser markers are frequently the only method available to produce individually unique, permanent images at high speed.

Beam-steered laser marking systems usually incorporate either a CO2 or Nd:YAG laser. The CO2 laser emits a continuous-wave output in the far-infrared (10.6-um wavelength) while the Nd:YAG laser emits in the near-infrared (1.06 um) in either a CW or pulsed mode (1 to 50 kHz). The Nd:YAG laser is also unique in its ability to produce very short, high-peak-power pulses when operated in the pulsed mode. For example, a typical 60-W-average-power Nd:YAG laser can produce peak powers on the order of 90 kW at 1-kHz pulse rate.

The delivery optics consist of either a simple focusing lens assembly or a combination fixed upcollimator and flat-field lens assembly. In either instance, the laser beam is directed across the work surface by mirrors mounted on two high-speed, computer-controlled galvanometers.

The simple focusing assembly offers the advantages of low cost and fewer optical components and is routinely used with CO2 lasers. The flat field lens design, though more expensive, maintains the focal point of the marking beam on a flat plane for more consistent image characteristics throughout the marking field. The flat-field lens also produces higher power density on the work surface than the simple focusing assembly due to the shorter effective focal length. The flat-field lens design is always preferred for high-accuracy and high-image-quality applications and is usually incorporated with Nd:YAG lasers.

Both designs provide the user with a selection of lenses that establish both the diameter of the marking field and the marking-line width. Longer-focal-length lenses provide larger working areas, but the line width is also enlarged, thus reducing the power density on the work surface. The user must compensate by either increasing the laser output power and/or decreasing the marking speed which usually consists of two lenses and may be placed anywhere in the beam path before the focusing lens. A beam expander often is used instead of extending the beam path approximately 10 more feet, in which the beam expands through its inherent tendency to diverge as it exits the resonator cavity. A spatial filter inserted within the beam expander produces the best mode quality in close-coupled systems, by passing the beam through a small aperture.

The last optical element that a laser beam encounters is the focusing lens. With CO2 lasers, this lens is usually made from one of several materials: Zinc selenide (ZnSe), gallium arsenide (GaAs) or germanium (Ge). ZnSe, a dense, yellow material that is transparent to visible wavelengths, is by far the most common of these materials, and it allows a low-power, HeNe laser beam through for alignment purposes. This is a great advantage over GaAs or Ge which are opaque to light from the visible portion of the spectrum.

Nd:YAG lasers almost always employ beam expansion, usually in the 2x to 5x range, because of their initially small beam diameters. Spatial filters for CO2 lasers must be external, but those for Nd:YAG lasers can be located inside the laser cavity itself, and many different sizes are available for mode selection.

Nd:YAG lasers employ optical glasses such as BK-7 or fused silica for lenses. The 1.06-um wavelength of these lasers is close enough to the visible spectrum to permit adaptation of standard optical devices with the correct AR coating to direct the laser light. For example, microscope objectives can deliver Nd:YAG laser light to the surface of VLSI circuitry for micromachining of conductor paths. As discussed earlier, delivering a Nd:YAG laser beam with fiber optics offers incredible advantages over fixed-optic delivery. The fiber advantage is unique to Nd:YAG lasers and has created an enormous growth in their use for industrial materials processing.

Fiber optic delivery for Nd:YAG
The use of fiber delivery with YAG lasers is so extensive in the industry that it should be discussed in more detail. Approximately 90 percent of new Nd:YAG welding installations involve fiber optic delivery. Because the 1.06-um wavelength is transmitted by glass optics, it can be used in standard fiber optics. Conventional beam delivery is extremely cumbersome, prone to misalignment and contamination to the optics, and can be very expensive due to custom layouts. Fiber provides a real answer to all of these problems. The benefits are:

  • Fibers deliver laser energy over distances which, in practice, would be impossible to achieve using conventional optics. Distances of up to 50 meters are achieved quite routinely.
  • Stability and accuracy are improved since only the final focus optics need to be held in an accurate relationship to the workpiece.

    Most applications can be handled with standard delivery hardware (avoiding custom design).

  • Fibers are flexible and, within the limitations of minimum bend radius, can follow any desired route to the workpiece.

    The workpiece may be held stationary while the fiber and output optics move during processing making them the ideal delivery system for use with robotic manipulation.

  • Fibers make the design of time and energy sharing beam distribution systems a practical possibility. The use of such systems significantly increases the flexibility and versatility of individual lasers by allowing them to address multiple workstations or produce multiple simultaneous outputs.
  • Access to the laser head for routine maintenance is improved since the positioning of the head is not dictated by the beam delivery system.

    The low-cost fiber can be delivered to areas that are dangerous because of explosives or radiation while the laser head is located in a non-hazardous area.

  • Spot size at focus does not alter with changes of average power.

The optics of fiber delivery are simple and straightforward. Fiber optics used for laser delivery are typically step-index fibers. This type of fiber consists of an optically uniform core between 200 and 1500 um in diameter, surrounded by a thin cladding which has slightly different optical properties.

There are several options to fiber optic beam delivery. The first is single-fiber delivery from a single laser. This type of delivery is generally used for a dedicated production process or in development labs where moving the beam delivery to other workstations is infrequent. The choice of a single-fiber delivery is easily justified by its ease of use, ease of integration to workstations, and the capability for upgrading the system with other options in the future. Other reasons for single-fiber delivery are for robotic delivery of the laser beam and other multiaxis systems where conventional delivery would be a nightmare. With fibers, the output housing is mounted on the final-motion component so integration is incredibly economical and simple.

Another fiber delivery option is time sharing, whereby all of the laser output can be directed into any one of the several fibers on demand. A single laser with this system can provide laser energy to several different workstations switching among them at up to 40 Hz. These systems are typically used for laser welding at many different workstations, or to deliver the laser beam to separate areas of one large assembly station.

The last option is termed energy sharing. These systems divide the laser output and send the energy into several fibers at the same time. Mirrors skim portions of the beam from the laser and divert them into the input housings for each of the fibers.

The relative extent that each skimming mirror is moved into the beam path determines the sharing ratio. Typical energy-share systems can split the beam into as many as four fibers. These systems are used to weld many parts simultaneously, in order to increase throughput, or to eliminate the part distortions that often result from sequential welding of a single assembly.

The system computer creates marking images by sending beam-motion signals to the galvanometer drivers while simultaneously blanking the laser beam between marking strokes. The motion of the galvanometer-mounted mirrors directs the marking beam across the target surface much like a pencil on paper to draw alphanumeric and graphic images.

Laser selection
Laser marking uses the high power density of the focused laser beam to generate heat on the work surface and induce a thermal reaction. A readable, contrasting line is produced by increasing the target surface to annealing temperatures, the melting point or to vaporization temperatures. Annealing and melting are employed to induce a contrasting color change on a wide variety of metallic's as well as plastics, ceramics and other nonmetallic's. The fastest marking speeds are obtained by increasing the temperature to the vaporization point to engrave metallic's and many nonmetallic's.

The near-infrared wavelength of the Nd:YAG laser is well suited to most metallic's and many plastics. The Nd:YAG can anneal or melt in both the CW and pulsed mode and can provide the necessary peak pulsed power to engrave. With many materials, the Nd:YAG can simultaneously engrave the surface and induce a contrasting color change in the engraved trough.

The far-infrared wavelength of the CO2 laser is compatible with plastics, ceramics and organic materials. However, without the high-peak-power capability required to achieve vaporization temperatures, the CO2 laser is limited to annealing or melting the surface.

Advantages
Beam-steered laser marking offers several advantages over other marking methods. Most apparent is the unique combination of speed, permanence and the flexibility of computer control. Although other technologies can provide one or two of these attributes, no other method offers all three to the same degree.

Many users also benefit from the noncontact nature of laser marking. The only force applied to the part during the marking cycle is the very localized thermal effect of the laser beam. No additional physical force is applied, with the exception of any appropriate part-handling motion designed into the system. Silicon wafers, silicon disk drive read/write heads and many medical devices are examples of components that are too fragile for any type of mechanical marking. In addition, laser marking provides the permanence necessary to satisfy image-lifetime requirements, while printed marking does not.

Laser-marking systems also excel at creating intricate graphic images. Nd:YAG lasers can produce marking-line widths on the order of 0.001 inch or less, which, when combined with marking resolution of 0.0002 inch/step, can produce images with much more detail than mechanical contact or stencil systems.

Regardless of the specific process justifications for incorporating laser marking, the application of the technology can result in significant cost savings. With operating costs for the Nd:YAG system, users have reported cost savings of greater than 90 percent and associated reductions in quality control and inventory expenses.

As manufacturing industries continue to automate their manufacturing processes, incorporate aftershipment traceability, reduce manufacturing cycle times, apply more sophisticated graphics and develop products requiring new marking techniques, the laser-marking manufacturers will continue to improve the power, speed, image-generation capabilities and user-friendliness of their products.

Richard Stevenson is the Sales Director for Control Micro Systems, Inc. a manufacturer of beam-steered laser marking systems. He has published and presented numerous technical papers and articles on laser marking in trade publications. For information on Plastic Welding, Engraving, Cutting, Etching or Marking call 407-679-9716 or email sales@cmslaser.com

Computer Aided Drafting

Writen by Subrata Goswami

Computer aided drafting (CAD) is a specialized service that companies across the world are increasingly seeking from outsourcing firms with in-house engineering expertise. Axis-IT&T is a leader in the field delivering computer aided drafting and other mechanical engineering services to satisfied customers around the globe, including many Fortune 500 companies.

The engineers at Axis-IT&T have been catering to the computer aided drafting needs of firms across several industries including automotive components, architectural, civil, mechanical, electrical engineering and process pipeline. Our engineers can deliver diverse computer aided drafting solutions including:

- DAM: Detailing, aggregating and manipulating

- LAMM: Locating, aggregating, manipulating and modifying

- Turnkey drafting and design projects, from concept to final design

Outsourcing computer aided drafting jobs to Axis-IT&T will bring many benefits to your corporation. The biggest advantage is the considerable saving in cost. Your CAD work will also be completed faster because of our ability to work on your project round-the-clock. With Axis-IT&T you can be assured that your computer aided drafting project will be executed using the very latest technology. Besides, you will be benefiting from the vast experience that Axis-IT&T engineers have gathered by providing CAD solutions to leading companies around the world for several years.

The quality of our computer aided drafting service is amply reflected in our list of clients including corporate giants like Alstom, Carrier, Coke, Colgate Palmolive, Nokia, PepsiCo, Reckitt & Coleman and Whirlpool, to name a few.

Based in India, Axis-IT&T has offices in the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Australia to give our customers easy access to our expertise and resources. Axis-IT&T, which was founded in 1990, is a leading provider of mechanical engineering services, software development services and back-office services. If you need more information on our computer aided drafting and other expert services

Subrata Goswami

Vice President Corporate Affairs

Computer Aided Drafting

Monday, May 26, 2008

Educators Guide To Planning A Wireless Network Part 1

Writen by Eric Meyer

WIRELESS NETWORKING FOR THE EDUCATOR - PART 1

"PRIOR PLANNING PREVENTS PISS POOR PERFORMANCE"

There are many things to think about when planning a wireless network for a school environment. Your wireless network must be secure, must be able to handle teachers and staff work loads, and finally provide wireless access for mobile laptop labs for students. Combining all the above could be seem very difficult considering most schools will have about 100 staff members and over 500 students.

The first stage of planning your network is to discuss with staff what a wireless network will and won't do. Find out exactly the areas where the staff will and won't need wireless access. Will the staff or students need access in the gym area? Will the students need wireless access outdoors? How many wireless laptops will be accessing the network? What applications do the staff intend to use while using the wireless network? What applications will the students be using on the wireless network? Keep asking questions until you feel everyone understands the capabilities of a wireless network. If you fail to ask many questions it could cost your district a lot of time and money on something that doesn't fill the schools needs.

Wireless networks in schools will usually have to support the following missions. A common need is to provide access for mobile laptops labs for students. Students use the labs to surf the internet, access network servers and perform research. Your network will need to support over twenty students accessing your wireless network in one area at the same time.

Mission two,, outdoor wireless access. This can provide a great learning opportunity for students to take technology out of the class room and perform science experiments via wireless computers. Great for students, but a large potential headache to secure an outdoors wireless network.

Mission three, provide teachers and staff members wireless network access to move through out the schools with out having to reconfigure their laptop every time they switch rooms. Seamless wireless access is a must for educators who are usually strapped for time and have little technology training. Your network needs to flexible enough to handle staff training sessions and conference rooms.

Mission four, Security. Providing wireless access for schools is one thing, providing secure wireless access in a school environment can be very difficult. Security in schools is often the last concern so when planning for your network explain all the wireless security threats to your planning committee so they know you just can't throw wireless access points around the network and expect things to go well. Students are very smart and often more computer savvy then teachers so if you have an open wireless network it will be exploited with in the first day.

Once you have performed your recon and asked every question you can think of, it's now time to think about what hardware for your wireless network. In the next installment of this series we will talk about wireless adapters, wireless access points, different vendors and how to start your purchasing.

Eric R. Meyer is an expert in wireless networking. You can view other aricles like this at http://www.wirelessninja.com

Sunday, May 25, 2008

It Consultation And Essential Skills Do You Have The Right Tools

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

In order to be involved in IT consultation, you need to have essential process skills. These tools of the trade are far more important to IT consultation than simply having technical abilities. A consultant needs to have interviewing skills, group skills and negotiation skills. A good consultant also needs to be capable of collecting and interpreting data and also must have mastery of time management.

Can You Interview?

Success in IT consultation requires trustworthy client relationships. Interviewing techniques can help clearly establish client needs. Being adept at asking the right interview questions of clients can also help the clients themselves better identify their own issues.

Team Work

In IT consultation, you have to be able to work well with groups of people. As a consultant, you will be expected to manage disagreements and keep group discussions flowing and focused. Providing a positive and open atmosphere will help ensure success.

Negotiate

The process of negotiation starts before the project itself. An IT consultation firm has to negotiate a contract, a timeline for completing a project and the right fees. You will take your negotiation skills to the project too in order to determine who will be involved and how the tasks will be completed.

Collecting and Interpreting Data

Successful IT consultation firms use different data collection tools and have methods for making observations. Interviewing employees, giving out surveys or even facilitating group discussions will help you get valuable feedback.

Once you collect the data, you need to be able to interpret it and manage both relevant and irrelevant information. You may need to have knowledge of statistics. Interpreting data well will help achieve a positive outcome.

Managing Time

The last important IT consultation skill is time management. You need to be able to complete projects in a timely fashion within the projected budget. Delays will cause your firm to lose money, and you need to be able to prioritize in order to finish tasks as promised.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultants get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free Computer Consultants Secrets audio training.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Introduction To Gas Chromatographs

Writen by Christopher Miller

There are many detectors which can be used in Gas Chromatography, different detectors will give different types of selectivity. A non-selective detector responds to all compounds except the carrier gas, a selective detector responds to a range of compounds with a common physical or chemical characteristic, and a specific detector responds to a single chemical compound. All of the portable GCs in EQUIPCO's rental pool are either the Selective Detector type or the Specific Detector type. Gas chromatographs are used in a wide variety of applications such as:

  • Hazardous waste sites
  • Clean-up of spills
  • Protecting workers from toxic vapors
  • Refineries
  • Leak detection for compliance
  • Pulp and paper plants
  • Hazardous materials response
  • Terrorist chemical attacks

How Does a GC Work?
Gas Chromatography involves a sample being vaporized and either sample-drawn (via an internal pump) or injected onto the head of the GC column. The sample is transported through the column by the flow of an inert gas such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. The column is generally packed with a finely divided, inert, solid support material coated with liquid stationary phase. The sample compounds adhere to the inside walls of the columm and as the column is heated the compounds are released and transported to the detection chamber (PID type detector in all EQUIPCO GC's) where the molecules are ionized, causing them to release an electron and form a positive ion. Ions in the sample are driven in one direction by a bias electrode and accumulated at a collecting electrode. The ion current is then amplified and converted to a digital meter readout in parts-per-billion (ppb) or parts-per-million (ppm). The GC is able to identify the specific compound based on the amount of time that elapsed once the sample was taken and the heat cycle began, to the detector responding to a compound.

Christopher Miller Equipco

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Friday, May 23, 2008

Computertake A Letter A Speech Recognition Update

Writen by Grant Fairley

Most of us are used to just shouting at our computers when they misbehave. We wish that there was an axe included as standard equipment along with our keyboard and mouse. What if you had something nice to say to your computer? Imagine if your computer actually listened to you and did what you told it to do? If you have not heard about it – it's called speech recognition software.

If you've never seen speech recognition demonstrated by some who is trained to use it - you're in for a surprise. A person speaks into a microphone in front of their computer and you see the words they are speaking pop up on the screen in real time. You might be tempted to look around for someone operating a keyboard around the corner. It is amazing to watch and to use. You can speak at our normal speaking speed (about 120 words per minute) and the computer "guesses" using mathematical algorithms what word you mean in that context from what it knows about the English language. (There are some other language models also available.)

Speech recognition has been useful for users with training for the past seven years. Training still makes a difference as it does for any major piece of software. We train people to use Word®, Excel® or PowerPoint® and speech recognition should have training as well. (Tip - Good training resources are available at Crown International http://www.crown1.com including training manuals and DVDs for ViaVoice and Dragon products...) The high degree of speed and accuracy for trained users is a combination of improved software and most important - better hardware. The faster, more powerful, personal computers with operating systems and multimedia that focus on high sound quality have made all the difference.

It is like a Star Trek future when you think that a person can speak and a computer program can listen, interpret and respond with the correct words. One of our favorite sentences to demonstrate this is "Mr. Wright will write you a letter right now." The speech software guesses based on context which "write" is the right one for that place. Homonyms are tricky for any of us. You can also say, "I would like my next paycheck to be two-thousand, one hundred and sixty-two dollars and eight cents." The computer will write $2,162.08 on the screen. The same is true for dates and times. We say it as we normally would and the software formats it for us. When the software makes a mistake - you correct it and it learns. It becomes more accurate as you continue to use it.

Speech recognition software for personal computers has been around and improving since the early 1990's with products names like Kurzwiel, Lernout & Hauspie, Kolvox, Philips and the dominant products IBM's ViaVoice® and Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking®. Now with Microsoft's Vista Speech® coming in their next release of Windows® speech recognition will change the future. It is already changing the present.

Speech began with what was called "discrete speech" where you had to pause between each word or phrase. "Today…is…a…beautiful…day…to…play…tennis…period" It was slow at 40 words per minute but still an amazing breakthrough of the science. In the late 1990s we finally had "continuous speech" where we could speak at our normal speaking speed. We still include the punctuation just as people do when they would be dictating a letter to their assistant.

For those of us who used typewriters with whiteout or eraser ribbons - we can only dream of what our past might have been! All those 30 page papers I had to do at college would not have seemed so daunting, if I would have had speech software back then. But I suspect that the long history of speech recognition software is still news to most people (and professors) today. I had an interesting discussion with an English teacher who watched a demonstration of speech. Like the calculator has been to arithmetic, this teacher was sure that speech recognition would ruin the written language. Perhaps. Or maybe it is just a return to a more ancient form - the oral tradition.

Surprisingly - it was only really Star Trek that nailed how speech recognition would become natural. As someone who uses speech, it is still surprising to see how many futuristic commercials and movies still have people typing. Speech as the more natural interface makes sense - we speak before we can learn to type.

Of the many types of users of speech recognition today - most are in the words business. They are people who use extensive numbers of words in their profession. So it is lawyers, physicians, judges and educators who tend to be the early adopters. Most of them were already used to dictation so the idea of speaking their thoughts was already comfortable. Other categories are executives who want to be able to control their personal email dictation. People with disabilities that limit their ability to use the computer keyboard or mouse have also found speech as their way to surf the web, play games, send email or do their work. It is liberating.

One of the quiet epidemics that is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) or repetitive strain injuries (RSI) associated with typing. It is estimated that this currently costs anywhere from hundreds of millions of dollars to billions of dollars a year. It is difficult to calculate it since the reporting on these conditions and the diagnosis is still uneven. But it is safe to say that the accumulated keystrokes from many users over years of typing are showing up with the classic symptoms of tingling and burning in the fingers, hands and wrists as well as stiffness and pain up our arms, shoulders and neck. RSIs can also be associated with headaches, migraines and a number of other pain conditions.

Speech recognition offers an alternative to all that typing. With the aging boomers and Gen-Xers who have accumulated RSI and Carpal Tunnel injuries over years of typing and playing - speech will be the only game in town.

The use of speech is divided into two types of applications. One is command and control. The other is dictation. It is better at command and control since it is only recognizing a word or phrase at a time. Our normal dictation is extremely complex as we all know from studying how language works or if you've tried to translate what someone is saying from one language to another. You have to hear them well and guess correctly what they meant based on what you know of the two languages. Most speech products are still "speaker dependent" – one user's voice at a time for dictation but "speaker independent" for command and control. It doesn't need to know your voice to be accurate for most users. The holy grail of speech recognition is speaker independence for dictation – where it doesn't matter who is speaking – the computer will interpret you correctly. Just like on Star Trek.

But speech recognition for the PC is only a small part of the speech story. Speech is now server-wide and is used for example when the computer answering attendant chats with you when you call a company on the phone. Command and control speech is also in things like automobiles where you can adjust the heat and the position of your seat. From huge to small you can find speech in your PDA, cell phone and even toys. It has been predicted that it is in these large and small applications that we will really see and hear speech in the future as the desktop computer becomes a thing of the past.

It will be interesting to see how the next generation of speech recognition from Microsoft will change the speech landscape. The next operating system to follow Windows XP® was called Longhorn® and now is referred to as Vista®. Like XP (did you know a basic speech recognition program was included in XP?) - it is expected to include speech recognition software for command and control and dictation. The early reports are that this new release will be very accurate and require very little training. If true - that's going to take people a step closer to our talking to our computers everyday.

Mr. Scott on Star Trek once traveled back in time and was confronted by a computer with a keyboard. He commented, "A keyboard - how quaint" He knew that the keyboard and mouse were a thing of the past. Like the telegraph it was a useful tool in its time but definitely part of the past. We may someday have to explain what a keyboard is - just as we have to explain what a typewriter is and how you used white-out to correct your college papers. Those were the days...

COMPUTER-SAVE-THIS

P.S. If you're one of those already in pain with RSIs and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - you should check out some of the information by Dr. Blair Lamb, MD - a pain specialist. He shows that most carpal tunnel syndromes and RSIs are conditions that are primarily due to injuries in the neck caused by our typing and poor posture when typing. The pain we feel elsewhere are referred pains or the result of shortening muscles in our arms and wrists. To resolve these RSIs Dr. Lamb has a number of treatments with stretching exercises for RSI that stretch the neck as well as other areas to lengthen those shortened muscles that are pulling and pinching our nerves and causing us the pain.

To learn more about this, visit his website http://www.drlamb.com He also has DVDs available that explain pain conditions like RSIs and he has a multi-level stretching program also available on DVD http://www.stretch-doctor.com

Grant D. Fairley is a graduate of Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. He is an IBM Business Partner and is a principal presenter with Strategic Seminars http://www.strategic-seminars.com He is the author of several books available through http://www.palantir-publishing.com

Meta Data Can Harm Your Business What Wholesale Document Reuse Reveals

Writen by Marilee Veniegas

When a customer emails you to ask a question, what's your first instinct? Probably not to pick up the phone, but rather to hit "reply." Shooting a quick email off with a pricing quote or sending an answer to a question is now the mainstream. Email has evolved into a the standard mass communications tool, a decade ago, just 15% of adults in the US went online, today, 63% of the population logs on to do a myriad of tasks from email to IM'ing, to booking trip reservations (1) Documents aren't only distributed within an organization, but also shared externally to the press, customers, business partners and prospects from the general public.

As a business entity, you and your employees probably do it every day. You or your department creates proposals and send them out to prospective clients. Ideally, each proposal is custom made for each individual client or prospect.

In the crunch of daily business life, we look for time-saving opportunities. Let's look at this scenario: To create a proposal for client C on deadline, you may cut corners and rather than making a document from scratch. To get the deliverable out to client C on schedule, you cut and paste from last week's client B package or edit the header and beginning body of client A's proposal since clients A and C are in the same industry.

Your firm e-mails the new client package out to the potential client C. Client C accesses the proposal's metadata and sees that you gave your current client A, a competitor, a much more favorable bid, or sees previously deleted data provided to Client A. The result on this unintended meta data discovery is a loss of revenue from Clients A, B, and C.

The dilemma is that a small/medium business enterprise's digital assets may reach an audience for whom it was not meant for. Unintentional data sharing incidents unchecked are out of a small or medium business enterprise's control, meta data isn't.

The problem of meta data is even more compounded in industries like legal, medical and financial fields where monetary fines are attached for revealing private information. Case litigation costs can soar if certain client – lawyer information becomes public. Patient treatment outcomes could be affected if when medical records fall into non-clinician hands. An investor's successful portfolio could be revealed when analysis information like Microsoft Excel spreadsheets are accidentally distributed in a brokerage firm to non-pertinent personnel.

Meta data information is data which describes another set of data. It provides information about or documentation of other data managed within an application or environment.(2) Many software programs from Microsoft Office to Adobe CS's Version Cue and Adobe Bridge captures meta data information to track document use. Meta data describes how and when and by whom a particular set of information was collected, and how the information is formatted.

"Metadata is created in a variety of ways in Word documents. As a result, there is no single method to remove all such content from your documents. (3)" Some of the meta data is benign, but in the proposal time-crunch scenario and compliance scenarios, meta data can financially cost.

Many businesses store their office collateral in Microsoft Word documents. "Some metadata is easily accessible through the Word user interface. Other metadata is only accessible through extraordinary means, such as by opening a document in a low-level binary file editor." (4) In Microsoft Word 2002, for example, the following is the type of meta data that's collected when a document begins its life.

  • Your name
  • Your initials
  • Your company or organization name
  • The name of your computer
  • The name of the network server or hard disk where you saved the document
  • Other file properties and summary information
  • Non-visible portions of embedded OLE objects
  • The names of previous document authors
  • Document revisions
  • Document versions
  • Template information
  • Hidden text
  • Comments

"The problem is not that metadata is added to documents. The problem is that it cannot be easily removed from documents. (5)" There is no question that both client and businesses are wired entities. The statistics show that the internet and email flood our very existence, so much so that 54% of young people ages 12 to 24 weaned online said they would rather give up TV than the internet. (6)

Immediate connectivity has brought personal space and distance closer in both the private and business realms. As users of the connected marketplace, we all run the risk of our digital assets becoming part of the uncontrolled mass. Control of your business enterprise's original intellectual property must be maintained remain a viable competitor. A business can function online, so long as its done in a smart way.

By using digital rights management (DRM) software, a document's author can prohibit his content from being forwarded, printed, edited, or copied. Users can also control the lifecycle of their email and documents by setting access and expiration dates, which will allow or prohibit access to content at a given time and date.

Like encryption, DRM software can be difficult to use and is generally expensive ranging between $5,000 and upwards of $40,000. This pricing structure leaves the small/medium size business enterprises without the mode of protection which large enterprises invest in. Implementing digital asset management (DAM), also referred to as enterprise content management (ECM),technologies shouldn't be a costly or arduous task.

In keeping with your right to do business safely and securely, you also should be able to do so affordably. Content/Rights management solutions can now be for small to medium-sized businesses or sole-proprietorships too. SBRM solutions provide businesses of a smaller scale an equal level of user rights management and encryption previously available to large enterprise business.

SBRM solutions give people the power to share their work without relinquishing control, offering protection over their own intellectual property and the right to profit from it. Encrypting and controlling access to files can be a successful part of a company's compliance program and way for it to remain relevant against its competitors.

- - - - - - - - - -

End Notes:

1.) Lee Rainie, John Horrigan p.59 Report: Internet Evolution, Chapter 4 "Internet: The Mainstreaming of Online Life." Pew Internet Research 25 January 2005. http://www.pewinternet.org/

2.) definition from Dictionary.com

3.) Michael Silver, "Microsoft Office metadata: What you don't see can hurt you," Tech Republic, 4 March 2003 http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-1035_11-5034376.html#.

4.) Microsoft Support "How to Minimize Meta Data in Word 2002" http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290945

5.) Michael Silver, Ibid.

6.)Terry Heaton, Donata Communications reprinted from Edison Media Research findings 26 March, 2004, http://donatacom.com/archives/00000314.htm 4 October, 2005.

7.) * Find more about Small Business Rights Management on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Business_Rights_Management

- - - - - - - - - -

Ms. Veniegas is an alumni of the University of Washington. Marilee joined the Marketing team at Essential Security Software, Inc. in 2005. She also serves as one of the ESS site editors for "I Want My ESS!" a stolen work and SMB resource site.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Rfid Blink

Writen by Sally Bacchetta

JP Morgan Chase & Co. will begin issuing contactless "blink" cards to millions of MasterCard and Visa credit cardholders next month.

A "blink" card looks like a regular credit card, but is embedded with an RFID chip that allows the bearer to wave the card at an RFID-enabled terminal rather than swipe it or hand it to a cashier.

If you already wave cards at toll collection booths and gas station pumps, the "blink" card may be an easy transition for you. I envy you that. I have yet to find anything about RFID that is an easy transition for me.

I'm actually less concerned about the security of "blink" cards than I am about many other RFID applications. The selected interface protocol supports a read range of only a few inches, so any would-be identity pirate would have to be stationed between my hand and the reader in order to steal my information. I'm confident that even if I'm temporarily overwhelmed by the joy of saving ten seconds during checkout, I would notice them there.

Chase's initial plan is to link "blink" cards only to credit card accounts, not debit or bank cards. I don't know if this decision is motivated by consumer interest or Chase's self-interest. Either way, it provides a layer of personal security. If a crafty digital thief does manage to slip in when I'm blinking, they will be plundering my Chase credit card account, not my personal bank account.

The June fleet of "blink" cards is slated for Chase account members in two undisclosed cities. Chase is keeping the undisclosed target cities undisclosed for undisclosed reasons.

I can't help but note that Merriam-Webster defines "blink" as:

1 to look with half-shut eyes
2 to shine dimly or intermittently
3 to look with too little concern

Sally Bacchetta - Freelance Writer/Sales Trainer

Sally Bacchetta is an award-winning freelance writer and sales trainer. She has published articles on a variety of topics, including RFID, selling skills, motivation, and pharmaceutical sales.

You can contact her at sb14580@yahoo.com and read her latest articles on her website.

The Evolution Of Data Processing

Writen by Gordon Petten

Data Processing has changed greatly over time. While one can track the beginnings of the modern analytical computer to Charles Babbage (1791-1871), we really saw the beginning of modern day information systems during World War II when they were used as code busters. After the war, few anticipated how much computers would affect our lives. Early on even IBM thought that there would only be a handful of companies that would need a computer.

In those days, computers were massive systems based on vacuum tubes and core memory. With the advent of the integrated circuit, computer architectures took a giant leap forward. The mainframe systems of the late 1980's evolved into Client/Server applications of the early 1990's. In parallel, the Internet grew from a few engineer and research systems to a World Wide network. It wasn't until an Al Gore authored bill allowing commerce to be carried out over the Internet did things really start to change. Every business, every organization, had to carve out a space on "The Net."

The ubiquitous nature of The Internet made it the perfect way for business to have a global reach while maintaining a local presence. Soon, application vendors were making Internet based applications. Today, solution providers are exploiting service oriented architectures and BPEL to provide more agile environments in which to do business.

Today, combining Internet access with massive, inexpensive compute power, data processing has been transformed from an ancillary function of accounting departments to mechanisms by which organizations can transform and enhance their internal processing while integrating their interactions with customers and suppliers.

The key to modern day data processing is not simply the automation of some manual process. Today, business realizes that data processing, information systems, change the very processes that are used to run the business. They not only do same things more efficiently, the do thins differently.

In the past an order was printed and sent to a supplier. The order was received and, if the item was in stock, it was shipped. Items not in stock were placed on back order. Today with Supply chain integration, the entire supply chain is integrated into one network. Warehouse management software notifies suppliers when stock levels drop and order are placed. The suppliers themselves use data mining and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software to predict ordering patterns and anticipate customer needs.

Even how businesses interact with their customers has changed. In the past, businesses used mass marketing to appeal to the greatness number of possible customers. Today, we have mass customization where businesses on a group basis provide customized goods and services.

No, this is not your father's data processing. No longer is the world of data processing a pocket-protector clad engineer's world of spinning tapes and punched cards. Today, data processing and data entry affects all our lives in ever new and more exciting ways.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

What Is Wardriving And How Can You Prevent It

Writen by Zackary Anderson

Imagine a car equipped with nothing more than a laptop computer, a portable GPS receiver, and a wireless network card slowly strolls through your neighborhood. Unknown to any onlookers, this is no ordinary vehicle; rather, it is a wardriving machine. As the car strolls past homes and businesses, a wireless network card (available at any electronics store for as low as $25) scans for any wireless access points. Anyone with a wireless network (and there are many out there) is vulnerable. The computer is looking for what is called an SSID. An SSID is your wireless network name and it is being constantly transmitted by your access point, letting computers know of its presence. The wardriver uses software such as Netstumbler (for windows) or Cismet (for linux) to scan the airwaves for SSIDs. The program can track various access points at once and monitor the signal strength. These programs can also check to see if the network is encrypted. The wardriver will generally configure his or her software to log any strong unencrypted signals. Using the GPS receiver, the coordinates of the strong signal will be recorded. After this preliminary drive, the wardriver can return to the locations that were recorded, and connect to the access point. Once connected to an unencrypted network, the wardriver can use the victim's internet access, and can also explore computers on the network. If files are being shared within someone's private network, all of that information is susceptible to a wardriver. Furthermore, once in the network, a wardriver can sniff network traffic and can view any information such as passwords and credit card numbers you send out to the internet – even SSL secured data. Wireless network vulnerability is a major problem, and as more and more households purchase wireless technology, the problem of insecure networks increases. Sound scary? Well this happens every day, and it doesn't take an expert to pull off. It doesn't take an expert to protect against either, however.

Steps you can take to protect against wardrivers:

There are a number of very simple steps you can take to protect your wireless network. For many of these, you will have to access your router configuration utility (check your manual on how to do this, you will generally need to type an IP address into your browser such as 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1).

Don't broadcast your SSID. If you are broadcasting your SSID, this is the first thing a program will pickup and recognize. If you configure your router to not broadcast your SSID, it will be difficult to detect (but not impossible, for some software can sniff wireless communication, so if you are using your wireless network, the SSID can be revealed). If you are not broadcasting your SSID, but it can be guessed (such as if you are using a default SSID), cloaking is pointless. Due to this, remember to change your SSID from the factory default. This is not a 100 percent effective method to secure your network, but it is a good first line of defense.

Change the default password. When you buy a router, a factory password is stored. People experienced in working with routers know the default passwords for different routers (and the make of the router can be seen by wardriver software such as netstumbler). It is important that you secure your router with a good password.

Encrypt your wireless communication. I can't stress the importance of encrypting your wireless communication enough. Enable encryption and enter a key. Most routers are only capable of WEP encryption, but if they permit, use EAP encryption, it's more secure than WEP. Like cloaking your SSID, encryption is not 100 percent secure. Given enough time and determination, if someone wants to target you and access your network, WEP encryption can be bypassed using software such as AirSnort.

Filter the MAC addresses that are allowed to connect to your router. This would require that you enter your router configuration and input the MAC address of each wireless card you have. This will restrict access so that only your computers can connect to the router. You will need to obtain the MAC address (which is the individual identification address of a network card in the form a 12 digit hexadecimal number). If someone sniffs traffic and detects the MAC address of a computer wirelessly using your network, the wardriver could emulate that address and connect to the router, but this takes time.

If you configure file sharing on your computers, make sure it is password protected. You should not share files on your networked computers unless it requires an authenticated user to access. Set up the same user accounts on your machines so that your computers can share files.

With these relatively simple steps, wireless network users can secure their networks from wardrivers. Wireless networks are inherently insecure, and these tips will merely help you greater secure your network. If someone is really determined to gain access to your network, given enough time, a good hacker can get access. These tips will deter the average wardriver from gaining access to your network, however. Although these methods are not definite security measures, they will change your network from being something that can be hacked in a matter of seconds, to something that will take a determined hacker days if not weeks of work, all of which will have to be done while in close proximity to your network.

The author is a network security veteran, and CEO of Andertec Enterprises http://www.andertec.com, which specializes in onsite custom computer services for the Los Angeles area. Andertec also sells custom made-to-order computer systems, and has a line of revolutionary products at incredibly low prices including the best-selling CyberHome Complete home automation package.

Be Smart Partition Your Drive

Writen by John H Lee

Being in the computer field for some years, I've seen many people being afraid to save data on their computers. People are so paranoid, but don't really know what to do unless they're willing to spend a little time to learn about the box with a cup holder built into it (CD ROM tray)=0).

Anytime I build a computer or reinstall Windows on someone's computer, I always partition the hard drive into C: and D:. Partitioning is the process in which is installing one hard drive and making your computer see itself as having two hard drives. The C drive is always going to be the Primary Partition and the D and any other drive letter is always going to be a Logical Partition. He or she can use the FDISK utility in a Windows 98 Boot up floppy (XP already has the utility in the install cd and will ask if you want to create partitions)to create two partitions in one hard drive. This is good practice because when something goes wrong with Windows, all the data that's saved in the D drive is in tact since Windows is installed in the C drive (remember, your computer is thinking that it has two hard drives instead of one).

Another good practice is to buy an external hard drive, Zip, or a tape drive depending on how large your data is, to have extra backup just in case, which is rare but does happen, the partition gets corrupted and the Logical drive is no longer there. I always tell my clients to save data that is critical to be on an external drive and to turn it off or at least take the connection out from the computer after every backup session, so that in case there's a total system crash, or a hacker getting into the system, the data is not there to be damaged or tampered with.

Father of one boy. Love my family. Love gaming and helping others with their computers (for a small fee of course). Just love computers period. Website @ savvy geeks

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Computers And Technology Shop For Insurance Responsibly

Writen by Elizabeth Newberry

Today's advancements in computers and technology make many tasks easier than they were years ago. Computers and technology aid us in our personal lives as well as professional lives. Most young people probably can't imagine a world without computers and technology, and most older people probably can't imagine going back to that world. Thanks to computers and technology, we work online, we play online – we do just about everything online!

A popular trend today is the act of purchasing insurance policies online. Health insurance, life insurance, automobile insurance – you name an insurance, and it can probably be purchased online thanks to computers and technology. This is a great convenience for some folks. Think about it: who wants to make a detour on their commute home from a long day of work to talk with an insurance agent about purchasing an insurance policy? Wouldn't most people rather go home to spend time with their families and relax before the next day begins?

While computers and technology make it much easier to spend more time enjoying these kinds of leisurely activities, they also make it much easier for us to lose connection with real people. By purchasing insurance online, you're saving time and effort, but you're also losing the important, yet overlooked, benefit of speaking with an insurance agent one-on-one, face-to-face. At the very most, the only human interaction you're going to have by purchasing insurance online is speaking with a representative over the phone.

This isn't to say that you should avoid the perks of today's computers and technology, such as purchasing insurance online; however, you should make sure you have the chance to get some one-on-one time with an insurance agent – even if that one-on-one time is only over the phone. Rather than the conversation consisting solely of a brief synopsis of the coverage and your credit card number, ask specific questions, and make sure to get thoroughly detailed answers.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Cctv System Component Selection

Writen by Shane Franklin

Closed Circuit TV systems were developed in the UK in 1970s. Of course, there have been major changes and advancements since then. CCTV systems used to be very expensive, cumbersome and had to be installed by a professional due to the complexities of setting the systems up. These systems today are much more reasonably priced, they are easier to configure and they can be installed by the end user if they are only slightly electronically inclined.

The primary uses for CCTV systems are surveillance, traffic control, theft, shoplifting, employee theft, robbery deterrence, and identification. The basic system would include a camera, monitor and recording device to store the video.

There are several decision you will need to make when choosing the components for your CCTV system. First you'll need to decide if you want a color or black & white system. For theft, shoplifting and robbery applications where identification is crucial, color cameras would be desired and in some cases required. If there is an arrest, a court will require color video to make positive identification for prosecution. Black & white cameras are sometimes preferred for surveillance and traffic applications because they can sometimes be higher resolution and have better night time sensitivity. Also, you will need to decide on wired or wireless cameras. Although, wireless is much easier to install, it is more expensive and can occasionally be unreliable. With a hardwired camera, it is more difficult to install, but you don't have to worry about signal loss.

Second, you need to decide what area you need to see. How far away is it and how much area of coverage do you need, what are the lighting conditions and will it be indoor or outdoor? You have to know these answers to determine the correct kind of camera and lens combination to choose.

Third, what type of recorder will work best for your needs. You can choose from a time lapse recorder, your computer DVR, or a standalone DVR(digital video recorder). Time lapse recorders are mostly a thing of the past, even at home most everyone is using a DVD not a VCR. A time lapse recorder has many limitations on what is recorded and when. Additionally, with a time lapse recorder you may need more equipment, such as a switcher or multiplexer. You will also have to find space to store all the recorded tapes and they are susceptible to damage. If instead, you plan to use the same tape over and over again, the tape will become degraded. With a DVR, you can record much longer periods of time. When the memory is full it is simple to download it to a computer or burn it to a CD. You can reuse you memory card over and over again and never experience quality degradation of your video. A DVR also incorporates the switcher and multiplexer functions, so there's no additional equipment that you need to purchase. A few years ago DVR recorders were still expensive but, today the prices are much more reasonable and they provide many more advanced features than their VCR counterparts.

The last choice is the monitor. You need decide what type and size of monitor you want or if you even need one. The space constraints in the area you will place the monitor will determine what size of monitor you should get. If you get a PC based DVR then you will be able to use your computer monitor. If you will view your system over the internet from another location you won't need to have a dedicated monitor. Also, if you want to keep your system inconspicuous or don't want your employees or others to view the activity being recorded, then you won't want to have a dedicated monitor. Keep in mind, if you are installing your own system, you will need to have a small monitor available to check the positioning of your cameras to ensure they get everything you want to see.

If you are not sure or have questions contact a Video Security professional to assist you with your choices. Also, if you want to install your own system but have trouble setting up your home audio-video components, it might be best to have someone install the system for you.

Written by Shane Franklin About the Author: Shane Franklin is the owner of Crime Verifier. He has 10 years experience in the Security and Industrial Video market. For more information on how to protect your home or business visit http://www.crimeverifier.com.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Computer Training Networking

Writen by Michael Russell

With almost all companies today, especially large ones, networks of computers are a very big part of how the company is run and going to school for networking is probably bigger today than it ever was. If you're considering a career in networking, this is pretty much what you can expect to run into.

In the networking world there are basically two main networks, Microsoft and Novell. Back in the old days Novell pretty much had a corner on the market, but those days are gone. And while we can argue forever on which networking system is better, if you're going to want to get a job in the business world setting these babies up, you're probably going to want to get an education in both networks as many company's systems are hybrids of the two.

A networking course usually begins with fundamentals of how a network works, from the wiring used to the software that needs to be installed on each computer. You'll learn the difference between a workstation and a server and the functions that each one performs. You'll learn the different types of networks such as peer to peer and client server. These are all basics and don't apply to any one system, either Novell or Microsoft, but apply to networks in general. This part of the course will usually run a few weeks.

The next part is the individual systems themselves, such as Novell and Microsoft. Here is where you will learn the particulars of each system and what makes them different, and they are quite different. It is usually at this part in the course that the school divides it up into the two operating systems. Many schools give you the option of taking one or the other or both. Some schools only concentrate on one because they simply don't have instructors for the other. Each operating system course is usually 2 to 3 months long.

One of the main parts of either course is the hands on section. After you have learned all the technical mumbo jumbo, they actually put you in front of a computer and have you start going through the procedures of installing server software, installing workstation software, hooking up wiring and basically putting together a simple network of several workstations and a server. This is probably the most fun part of the whole course.

The last part of the course is usually preparing you for the certification exams. These are required for both Novell and Microsoft. These are a series of practice tests that are very similar to the questions you will be given on the exam itself.

Most schools will allow you to continue your attendance until you have passed your exams. This is a great benefit, especially if you don't have access to practice outside of school. Most of these schools do have labs outside of the classroom that you can attend during designated hours.

Networking is a great field. The course of study for it is intensive and exhausting, but in the end it is more than worth it.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Computer Training

Holographic Data Storage The Next Generation

Writen by Jason Cole

All data storage in modern times are done on disc, be it a computer hard drive or a CD-R disc. Blu-ray and HD-DVD have upped the ante when it comes to the amount of data that you can hold on a disc, but at some time they will eventually become obsolete. Right now our data storage needs are currently met, but as the amount of data available continues to rise, storage technology must evolve with it. The next generation of storage technology is going to be holographic data storage. It sounds pretty futuristic, what is holographic storage?

With CD-R and DVD-R technology, data is stored on the surface of the disc as distinct magnetic or optical changes. With holographic data storage, an entire page of information is stored at once as an optical interference pattern within a thick, photosensitive optical material.

How do they do this? This is done by intersecting two coherent laser beams, the object and reference beams, within the storage material. The object beam contains all the information needing to be stored, while the reference beam is designed to be simple to produce. The resulting interference between the beams causes chemical and/or physical changes in the photosensitive medium that the data is being stored on. Basically "burning" the information to the storage medium, this mark is called the grating. When the grating is illuminated by one of the two waves that were used to record the information, the light is refracted in a way that the other wave is reconstructed. These gratings can be stacked or superimposed in the same thick piece of media, as long as there is a distinguishing spacing or direction, allowing the stacked bits of data to be accessed independently. In addition to larger storage capabilities, holographic storage also boasts to accelerate data transfer rates to about one billion bits per second and reduce access times to just tens of microseconds.

The benefits

1. Larger storage capacity – Some companies are developing a technology that enables the storage of between 100GB and 1TB of data. Compare this to Blu-ray and HD-DVD, which max out at 50GB. Amazing leap in the amount of data you can store on one piece of media.

2. Accelerated data transfer – The holographic data storage medium in the works boasts data transmission speeds of 100Mbps to 1Gbps. The new HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs clock in at 36.55Mbps, which is only a fraction of the holographic data storage transfer rate.

Well, if you're like me, you learned quite a bit about a new technology from this short article. This new technology is quite a ways off from being accessible to the common consumer, but some companies are in the process of developing holographic data storage for the corporate sector. Technology is a strange beast, always changing, always mutating. The sky is the limit, and only time will tell where we'll be headed after the rise and fall of this yet-to-be-seen data technology.

Jason Cole and DiskFaktory offer great tips and information regarding CD Duplication. Get info about DVD Duplication as well by visiting http://www.diskfaktory.com/tips/CD-duplication-tutorials.asp

Saturday, May 17, 2008

How To Choose A Projector

Writen by Jakob Culver

Good presentations make the foundation of the successful business deals. So while making presentations make sure that you have an easy access to a good projector which suits your requirement as this is going to at as a catalyst for a business deal to happen! The picking of projectors is mainly dependent on the type of work or the kind of business that you have. As for an advertising firm presentations are very frequent so they make doubly sure that they procure a good projector!

The other factor that determines the selection of a projector is the dimension of the room or the conference hall where the presentation is scheduled. As the clarity and readability of the data projected varies from the projector which is designed to function in small room as compared to large room , so presentations for larger areas and for a great number of people should be made through more sophisticated projectors.

Portability of the projector is the another issue, if you usually travel from one place to another for their business presentations then make sure that you invest in a good quality portable projector that is easily transported and provides an easy set up. It is mandatory that it can be set up instantly as who would be carrying a throng of technical people when doing mobile presentations. A projector that easily connects with a personal or portable computer will be ideal to make your presentations simple but sophisticated.

Norms suggest that a portable projector with a minimum brightness capacity of at least 800 lumens is fine to handle the presentations. In contrast to this larger projectors must have a brightness capacity of at least two thousand lumens to make the presentation clear even to those who are seated at the back of the room. A projector must have at least a minimum of 1500 lumens to be able to project effectively in a room where plenty of light comes in as when there are no blinds or curtains

Once you have decided on the type of the projector that you will be using, then make sure that you use projectors in a dark room but if it cannot be avoided, always position the projector at an area where there is less light. It is also important to take note of the resolution of your projector as this signifies the amount of pixels it can display. . Projectors can be easily installed but it is best to consult technical people for setting up the projector especially if they will be mounted to the ceiling. Make sure your projector's efficiency will last long by using alcohol or a special cleaning solution for the projector lens.

So go ahead and make a appropriate selection from a wide variety of projectors that are available in the market and just to tell you that vendor will be one happy person to give a trial presentation, so make sure that you don't miss on that as it will throw more light on the projector features.

Jakob Culver is founder of the website – http://thecomputersnet.com and has a solid background in computers and electronics. To find out more information about this topic or AV equipment visit: http://thecomputersnet.com

The Role Of Modeldriven Architecture In Business Integration

Writen by Patrick Spencer

As businesses grow, often as the result of mergers and acquisitions, the need to integrate enterprise applications becomes a quintessential factor in the drive to remain competitive. It is a common strategy to allow the capabilities of hardware or software products drive the development of the application integration process. Often, an assumption is mistakenly made that industry-best practices may be able to improve the competetiveness of an organization.

"It is absolutely essential for organizations to have a clear understanding of how their systems work and interact."

Model-Driven Architecture:

It is becoming widely recognized in the expert community that the decoupling of business requirements and vendor technologies provides all organizations with a key competitive advantage.

Model-Driven Architecutre (MDA) is defined as "a complete specification consisting of a definitive platform-independent base Unified Modeling Language (UML) model, plus one or more Platform-Specific Models (PSMs) and interface definition sets, each describing how the base model is implemented on a different middleware platform.1"

By using the MDA approach, it is possible to de-couple designing application integration from specific software product suites, thereby hindering initial reliance and later dependence on proprietary infrastructures. This frees up the analysis of business goals, and what is necessary to realize these goals, from any one product or technology. Organizations should remain as technology-agnostic as is reasonably possible.

The MDA Approach:

There are some simple steps to take to execute an MDA approach for solving the problems posed when matching applications to business requirements.

Chief among them is to match integration needs with specific business objectives, representing the relationships between them as various processes. Vendor product suites typically neglect to differentiate the unique business semantics from the execution semantics. The crux of the MDA approach is that it separates out the implementation semantics by OS specific demands on the individual systems.

The 4 steps to implementing a solid MDA approach are as follows:

1. Assess and prioritize business functions by creating an easily decipherable UML model of how the business delivers its 'value'. It is important in this process not to focus on how the business solves its shortfalls. The UML model should describe key structural and behavioral aspects of systems and people (workers) as interactive actors within the enterprise.

2. Refine the interaction descriptions between entities and people in the enterprise to enable "cohesive, loose coupling" and help identify and assign responsibilities in a Platform-Independent Model (PIM).

3. Map the PIM with a Platform-Specific Model (PSM) by incorporating specific Application Program Interfaces (APIs) with Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) vendor applications.

4. Establish a deployment model that maps the actual physical architecture, generating code from the model where appropriate.

"A main benefit of the MDA approach is that it provides an all-encompassing and controlled solution for application 'interoperability and portability'."

The MDA Benefits:

Employing the MDA method also has a number of other significant advantages, including:

· Independence of business needs from technological features

· Cost and time implementation savings

· Rapid integration achievement with interoperability and portability among various software and platforms

· Use of an industry-standard modeling language such as UML to understand a business's available intellectual assets

· Formal documentation of key organizational knowledge

· Lifecycle support in anticipation of integration with future systems, and timely inclusion of emerging technologies into the current system

MDA deftly handles the challenges presented by complex IT implementations by separating out business processes from technology restrictions. It allows for the primary consideration of business and technology patterns independently, obviating solutions to IT implementations that might otherwise be limited to expensive proprietary products. As large organizations become more competitive, they will be designing solutions for business integration needs to be conducted in a manner that is unbiased in regards to the technology and manufacturer.

A solid MDA approach is fundamental to this activity, due to its reliance on UML models that can, of course, be interchanged across Metadata Interchange (XMI)-compatible tools.

Conclusion:

The MDA approach to analyzing and capturing business integration requirements and appropriate technological infrastructure solutions can be standardized and formalized in a manner applicable to all organizational environments and independent of product vendors. The final result of utilizing this method helps both vendors and clients by enabling each to adapt to changes in technologies and the market in an efficient and economical way.

About Patrick A. Spencer:

Patrick A. Spencer is a Delivery Manager in the IT Solutions group at ITX Corp. Mr. Spencer plays a key role in the analysis, architecture, design and deployment of major applications for clients in a variety of industries.

About ITX:

ITX Corp is a business consulting and technology solutions firm focused in eight practice areas including Business Performance, Internet Marketing, IT Staffing, IT Solution Strategies, IT Solutions Implementation, Technical Services, Internet Services, and Technology Research. To learn more about what ITX can do for you visit our website at http://www.itx.net or contact us at (800) 600-7785.