Thursday, July 31, 2008

Digital Watch Vs Analog Watch Which Should You Get

Writen by Ian Tham

With the advent of the digital era, suddenly in the 70's and 80's digital watches were the rage. It signified that the wearer was keeping abreast of technological innovation. The first digital watches featured LED display technology. LED technology consumes lots of power so the user had to press a button for the time to be lit up. Further advancement were made with the introduction of LCD display which enabled time to be shown constantly.

Furthermore, digital watches now come with an array with functions such as stop watch, calculator, alarm and many more.

So what type of watch is better: analog or digital?
Digital watches feature a set of numbers to tell you the time. They tell you the time very precisely up to the second and enable you to have accurate information.

Another advantage of digital watches is that should the watch fail, immediately the reading disappears and you know it's time to change battery or the watch. However, the long and short hands of an analog watch simply stop moving and you may be misled into thinking you have ample time on hand and miss your appointment. There is simply no warning given to you that your watch has failed.

On the other hand, analog watches serve the user very well too. At one glance, you can roughly tell the time. Analog displays can also tell you if something is wrong straightaway. An aircraft contains many instrumentation dials. The aircraft manufacturers therefore have come up with an ingenious idea of building them such that needles are always pointing north or to the top to indicate everything is in working order. The pilot can tell if there is anything wrong just with one glance. The pilot can easily know something is wrong if he sees a needle pointing down or any other fluctuations in the readings. This applies to the motor car as well. Straightaway, the motorist knows something is wrong if he sees the needle in the red zone. A digital display does not convey if anything is wrong. It is simply a number and does not immediately tell the user if things are right or wrong.

We humans are by nature analog creatures.
Do you tell your friend to meet you at 3: 27? No, you'll tell him to meet you at half past three. A picture tells a thousand words and humans find it easier to interpret pictographic information rather than numbers.

If you think carefully , a watch with a face looks more beautiful than a watch simply with numbers on it. It is a work of art and beauty. It is no wonder luxury watches from Cartier or Breitling only feature analog display.

The writer is the webmaster of digiteevee.com which covers the use of technology in your daily life.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Quantum Computing

Writen by Michael Cooper

Imagine a computer whose memory is exponentially larger than its apparent physical size; a computer that can manipulate an exponential set of inputs simultaneously; a computer that computes in the twilight zone of space. You would be thinking of a quantum computer. Relatively few and simple concepts from quantum mechanics are needed to make quantum computers a possibility. The subtlety has been in learning to manipulate these concepts. Is such a computer an inevitability or will it be too difficult to build?

By the strange laws of quantum mechanics, Folger, a senior editor at Discover, notes that; an electron, proton, or other subatomic particle is "in more than one place at a time," because individual particles behave like waves, these different places are different states that an atom can exist in simultaneously.

What's the big deal about quantum computing? Imagine you were in a large office building and you had to retrieve a briefcase left on a desk picked at random in one of hundreds of offices. In the same way that you would have to walk through the building, opening doors one at a time to find the briefcase, an ordinary computer has to make it way through long strings of 1's and 0's until it arrives at the answer. But what if instead of having to search by yourself, you could instantly create as many copies of yourself as there were rooms in the building all the copies could simultaneously peek in all the offices, and the one that finds the briefcase becomes the real you, the rest just disappear. – (David Freeman, discover )

David Deutsch, a physicist at Oxford University, argued that it may be possible to build an extremely powerful computer based on this peculiar reality. In 1994, Peter Shor, a mathematician at AT&T Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, proved that, in theory at least, a full-blown quantum computer could factor even the largest numbers in seconds; an accomplishment impossible for even the fastest conventional computer. An outbreak of theories and discussions of the possibility of building a quantum computer now permeates itself though out the quantum fields of technology and research.

It's roots can be traced back to 1981, when Richard Feynman noted that physicists always seem to run into computational problems when they try to simulate a system in which quantum mechanics would take place. The calculations involving the behavior of atoms, electrons, or photons, require an immense amount of time on today's computers. In 1985 in Oxford England the first description of how a quantum computer might work surfaced with David Deutsch's theories. The new device would not only be able to surpass today's computers in speed, but also could perform some logical operations that conventional ones couldn't.

This research began looking into actually constructing a device and with the go ahead and additional funding of AT&T Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey a new member of the team was added. Peter Shor made the discovery that quantum computation can greatly speed factoring of whole numbers. It's more than just a step in micro-computing technology, it could offer insights into real world applications such as cryptography.

"There is a hope at the end of the tunnel that quantum computers may one day become a reality," says Gilles Brassard of University of Montreal. Quantum Mechanics give an unexpected clarity in the description of the behavior of atoms, electrons, and photons on the microscopic levels. Although this information isn't applicable in everyday household uses it does certainly apply to every interaction of matter that we can see, the real benefits of this knowledge are just beginning to show themselves.

In our computers, circuit boards are designed so that a 1 or a 0 is represented by differing amounts of electricity, the outcome of one possibility has no effect on the other. However, a problem arises when quantum theories are introduced, the outcomes come from a single piece of hardware existing in two separate realities and these realties overlap one another affecting both outcomes at once. These problems can become one of the greatest strengths of the new computer however, if it is possible to program the outcomes in such a way so that undesirable effects cancel themselves out while the positive ones reinforce each other.

This quantum system must be able to program the equation into it, verify it's computation, and extract the results. Several possible systems have been looked at by researchers, one of which involves using electrons, atoms, or ions trapped inside of magnetic fields, intersecting lasers would then be used to excite the confined particles to the right wavelength and a second time to restore the particles to their ground state. A sequence of pulses could be used to array the particles into a pattern usable in our system of equations.

Another possibility by Seth Lloyd of MIT proposed using organic-metallic polymers (one dimensional molecules made of repeating atoms). The energy states of a given atom would be determined by it's interaction with neighboring atoms in the chain. Laser pulses could be used to send signals down the polymer chain and the two ends would create two unique energy states.

A third proposal was to replace the organic molecules with crystals in which information would be stored in the crystals in specific frequencies that could be processed with additional pulses. The atomic nuclei, spinning in either of two states (clockwise or counterclockwise) could be programmed with a tip of a atomic microscope, either "reading" it's surface or altering it, which of course would be "writing" part of information storage. "Repetitive motions of the tip, you could eventually write out any desired logic circuit, " DiVincenzo said.

This power comes at a price however, in that these states would have to remain completely isolated from everything, including a stray photon. These outside influences would accumulate, causing the system to wander off track and it could even turn around and end up going backward causing frequent mistakes. To keep this from forming new theories have arisen to overcome this. One way is to keep the computations relatively short to reduce chances of error, another would be to restore redundant copies of the info on separate machines and take the average (mode) of the answers.

This would undoubtedly give up any advantages to the quantum computer, and so AT&T Bell Laboratories have invented an error correction method in which the quantum bit of data would be encoded in one of nine quantum bits. If one of the nine were lost it would then be possible to recover the data from what information did get through. This would be the protected position that the quantum state would enter before being transmitted. Also since the states of the atoms exist in two states, if one were to be corrupted the state of the atom could be determined simply by observing the opposite end of the atom since each side contains the exact opposite polarity.

The gates that would transmit the information is what is mainly focused on by researchers today, this single quantum logic gate and it's arrangement of components to perform a particular operation. One such gate could control the switch from a 1 to a 0 and back, while another could take two bits and make the result 0 if both are the same, 1 if different.

These gates would be rows of ions held in a magnetic trap or single atoms passing through microwave cavities. This single gate could be constructed within the next year or two yet a logical computer must have the millions of gates to become practical. Tycho Sleator of NYU and Harald Weinfurter of UIA look at the quantum logic gates as simple steps towards making a quantum logic network.

These networks would be but rows of gates interacting with each other. Laser beams shining on ions cause a transition from one quantum state to another which can alter the type of collective motion possible in the array and so a specific frequencies of light could be used to control the interactions between the ions. One name given to these arrays has been named "quantum-dot arrays" in that the individual electrons would be confined to the quantum-dot structures, encoding information to perform mathematical operations from simple addition to the factoring of those whole numbers.

The "quantum-dot" structures would be built upon advances in the making of microscopic semiconductor boxes, whose walls keep the electrons confined to the small region of material, another way to control the way information is processed. Craig Lent, the main researcher of the project, base this on a unit consisting of five quantum dots, one in the center and four and at the ends of a square, electrons would be tunneled between any of the two sites.

Stringing these together would create the logic circuits that the new quantum computer would require. The distance would be sufficient to create "binary wires" made of rows of these units, flipping the state at one end causing a chain reaction to flip all the units states down along the wire, much like today's dominoes transmit inertia. Speculation on the impact of such technology has been debated and dreamed about for years.

In the arguing points, the point that it's potential harm could be that the computational speed would be able to thwart any attempts at security, especially the now NSA's data encryption standard would be useless as the algorithm would be a trivial problem to such a machine. On the latter part, this dreamed reality first appeared in the TV show Quantum Leap, where this technology becomes readily apparent when Ziggy --the parallel hybrid computer that he has designed and programmed-- is mentioned, the capabilities of a quantum computer mirror that of the show's hybrid computer.

Many more papers on this and similar topics may be found at http://www.termpaperadvisor.com and http://www.safe-papers.com

Doctor Mike Cooper has been a college level instructor since 1986. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems and a Master's Degree in Data Communications. He is a retired Army Officer and a veteran of 33 months service in Vietnam. Dr. Cooper has lived in Thailand, Belgium, Germany and still travels extensively.Dr. Cooper has been doing ebusiness since 1996 and is considered by many as an expert in this field.

Introduction To Gas Detection

Writen by Christopher Miller

Gas detectors can be found in all walks of life, from food processing plants to parking garages, from airplanes to casinos. Any place that can have a potential lack of oxygen or presence of a toxic gas needs a gas detector present to monitor the safety of people. Some common uses during field projects are: confined space entry, well drilling, soil screening, area mintoring, worker safety, indoor air quality, and leak detection. Gas detectors have a variety designs; pager size units, handheld datalogging units, Stand alone area monitors, and wall mount fixed systems.

Here are some gas detection basics:

  • 1ppm is one part in 1,000,000 parts.Generally ppm (parts per million) is the lowest unit of measurement 10,000ppm = 1% by Volume
  • LEL is the next unit of measurement. It is a percentage of the explosive %(vol) level of a compound.
  • 100% LEL is the lowest concentration at which a flammable substance can produce a fire or explosion when ignited.
  • UEL (Upper Explosive Limit) is the maximum concentration of gas in air that will burn.
  • Each compound (gas) has a different LEL, or the point at which the compound will burn or become explosive.
  • Most flammable compounds become explosive at less than 5%(vol).
  • Each gas has a different LEL and UEL.
  • %Gas is the highest unit of measurement, which is the amount of pure gas.

How Do Gas Detection Sensors Work?
The Oxygen Sensor is an electochemical sensor. Any gas which can be oxidized or reduced electrochemically can be detected by means of a fuel based electrochemical sensor. The consumption of oxygen produces a current (µA) which is linearly proportional to the concentration of gas in air. Since the oxygen sensor is constantly exposed to oxygen, the normal life of the sensor is between 1-2years.

The Combustible Sensor consists of two coils of fine platinum wire each embedded in a bead of alumina, connected electrically in a bridge circuit. One of the beads is impregnated with a special catalyst which promotes oxidation and the other is treated to inhibit oxidation. Current is passed through the coils so that they reach a temperature at which oxidation of a gas readily occurs at the catalyzed bead (about 500°C). This raises the temperature further which increases the resistance of the platinum coil in the catalyzed bead, leading to an imbalance of the bridge. This output change is linear, for most gases, up to and beyond 100% LEL and response time is only a few seconds to detect alarm levels (typically 20% LEL).

The Toxic Sensors are also electrochemical sensors which operate by the same basic principles as the oxygen sensor. Electrochemical sensors consume minute amounts of gas, the absorption of gas and electric output being controlled by a "diffusion barrier".

Christopher Miller

Equipco

Rentals, Sales, and Service of Environmental Equipment 1-888-234-5678

visit our forum to ask us questions about environmental technology.

EQUIPCO was established as a service and rentals company nine years ago, and we have since grown into a complete rentals, sales and service provider. We are a factory authorized/certified repair center for most of the major instrument manufacturers that you are familiar with.

Why Rent From EQUIPCO? Three Reasons... Best Price Guarantee! EQUIPCO will beat any competitor's legitimate rental rate or sales quote.

More Choices! EQUIPCO has the most varied pool of rental instruments in the industry, bar none.

All Maintenance Performed by Engineers! EQUIPCO employs only Electronics Engineers in our maintenance and repair departments.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

How Effective Are Cctv Security Systems At Reducing Crime

Writen by Alice Osborn

Since the July 7th London bombings, CCTV security systems (closed circuit TV) across the world have been examined with greater scrutiny and with greater expectations for reducing crime. Although not a panacea for preventing crime, many CCTV surveillance systems have been successful at reducing some types of crimes like property crime, for acting as a deterrent in car parks or in other public places, and for making citizens feel safer. However, the results are mixed when addressing violent crimes and when the crimes involve alcohol.

In the UK, where an average person may be watched 300 times a day by the prevalent closed circuit television systems, numerous case studies paired with crime statistics have been used by Britain's Home Office to determine the effectiveness of these CCTV systems and to see how well CCTV saves time and money for their police force. In fact, from 1999 to 2001, the British government spent £170 million (approximately $250 million) for closed circuit television security schemes in town and in city centers, car parks, crime hot spots and in residential areas.

Keys to evaluating CCTV systems

According to Coretta Philips of the Home Office Policing and Reducing Crime Unit, CCTV systems are evaluated using these identifiers which help police pinpoint where and when the CCTV security camera systems are most beneficial.

Caught in the act -- When potential offenders fear being recorded by the CCTV cameras for courtroom purposes, they usually abandon any idea of conducting a crime.

Publicity -- If the CCTV camera schemes are public knowledge, then the would-be offenders may leave the target area, but may head to another area. Home Office data found that in the days leading up to the CCTV system activation, crime went down due to the increased publicity. However, if the publicity of the CCTV system is private, then offenders may be more likely to be deterred because they may think that CCTV security cameras may monitor other areas as well.

Effective deployment of law enforcement officers -- CCTV systems increase the response time of police officers to the incident scene before a member of public has to call the police. According to data compiled in 2004 by the Home Office, CCTV operators can determine how many officers to send to the scene and the CCTV surveillance cameras can indicate what the offenders are doing at the scene before the police arrive.

Time for crime -- If the offenders think that they can complete their crime before the CCTV systems can record it, then the police will have less chance at capturing the offenders. For example, if car thieves know that the security camera's angle, range and speed are limited, they might determine how to best avoid the CCTV security cameras. However, the Home Office CCTV data has shown a reduction in car thefts in car parks, revealing that some offenders may still be captured on camera despite the speed of the crime.

Where CCTV systems scored well and where they missed

Although CCTV systems seem to reduce and deter property crime in public areas, such as car parks or shopping malls, CCTV systems aren't as effective at stopping or preventing violent crimes. Although the CCTV systems do help at deploying police officers quickly to these violent crimes sites, the offenders may avoid the security cameras, since the security cameras are mounted in public zones, where violent crimes don't take place. In this case, better street lighting may help to prevent such violent crimes from occurring. In addition, when alcohol is involved, the offenders don't consider the consequences of their actions, making the CCTV systems ineffective as a deterrent amongst the intoxicated offenders.

On a positive note, the CCTV systems do reduce the public's fear of crime and they do ensure the quick deployment of officers to the incident scene which gives less time for the offenders to act more violently. To truly verify if the CCTV system is effective, the law enforcement body needs to conduct video surveillance evaluations over a long period of time to weed out any inconsistencies in the crime data. Also, if the CCTV operators are well-trained and know the fastest way to deploy the police officers, then the CCTV system will be more effective. CCTV systems are the future for preventing crime, and as the CCTV security cameras become more sophisticated, more offenders will be caught and more crimes will be prevented.

Copyright © 2005-2006 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice about video surveillance security systems for business, non-profit and home use. Her numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money when shopping for video security products; equipment reviews and reports; and other valuable insights. Learn more about specialized video surveillance equipment like the video multiplexer when you visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today!

Monday, July 28, 2008

The End Of Tv

Writen by Jesse Somer

In the not-so-distant future TV as we know it, will cease to exist. This is going to have huge ramifications on the whole of human society, or at least the so-called 'wealthy' countries that sit in front of the 'magic-story-box' religiously everyday. I say 'so-called' because we obviously measure wealth in terms of material gain and not internal peace or gratitude for life. When television first appeared, like the telephone (see last article on the changing world of voice-communication: 'Internet nerds are actually secret prophets who change the way our world works. Check out Skype, a type of future communication technology.') TV was an incredible addition to our collective reality. However, we are in the 'Information Age' and this means that the ways we do things as a species are changing faster than you can say, "Humans humorously hunt for humble hints at how to have more happiness."

The coming of the Internet spells the end of the television era, and this could also mean the end of years of walking around with mindless advertising jingles in your head. The other day when I was washing the dishes I absent-mindedly started to sing the slogan from one of my local TV channels, "Bringing it home to you." If these silly songs are what they bring home to me, I am going to quite happy when they're gone. Thankfully, as TV shows are already putting episodes on-line these hard-core advertising techniques may soon disappear altogether. TV on the Internet means many things for the viewer. As the show is coming straight to you instead of through the old channel medium, you can have more control of the show, with elements of video, like pause and rewind coming into play. Watching a show straight through without commercials sounds like a godsend indeed. TV websites will still need corporate sponsorship for promotion elsewhere, so the concept of 'product placement' that has already come into play will most probably evolve further, especially in the case of International companies whose products are available universally. Hopefully these 'placements' don't go too far from reality thus taking us metaphorically back to times of 'canned' laughter and obviously contrived dialogue.

I can just imagine Homer on the 'Simpsons' suddenly changing the beer he drinks from 'Duff' to Budweiser because it 'tastes great and is less filling.' As if he ever cared whether his doughnuts came from Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Doughnuts, or cared about his weight for that matter! So of course with all changes in life come both sides of the coin of positive and negative outcomes. Still, having TV integrated as another of the infinite capabilities of your personal computer makes life more simple, not to mention that the quality of the broadcast will be equal to the latest in digital technology.

Someone will have to figure out what to do in the case of a person wanting to watch an American show when living in England or another foreign country. Your Internet Service Provider may choose to integrate local advertisements into the TV program, as the American commercials won't be relevant to the viewer overseas. TV-On-Demand (paying for individual shows) may also become one of the main viewing options.

The main bonus in having television on the Internet is the idea that we will have more control over our lives. Instead of having to watch a show at a designated time that your channel decides, you will now be able to watch what you want, when you want it. No more missing shows, having to tape episodes, or worrying about your kids seeing something that you feel isn't suitable. The watcher becomes the ultimate controller of viewing reality, so theoretically life becomes easier. I won't dispute this fact but I will always be a firm believer that life truly improves when we improve our attitudes towards it. I also feel that what we produce presently on television needs to start evolving as much as the technology that provides it. Violence, crime, murder and death on the News and primetime are getting as old as my underwear. I won't mention in what year they were purchased.

Just because there will be less channels to choose from doesn't mean there will be less to watch. On the contrary, there will probably be more and more shows and the chance for you to put your own show out there on a web site means much more variety. Broadcasters may keep producing groups of shows on websites, but there will surely be much more competition from producers who work on their own.

Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net

Jesse S. Somer grew up in the USA where there were over forty channels twenty years ago. Now there are around 550. This number may soon recede, hopefully more quickly than his hairline.

Used Robots

Writen by Eric Morris

In modern times, robots are used to help man perform different types of work in various fields. The dependence on robots have increased to an extent that some industries will cease to function without the help of robots. These appliances are no longer perceived as a path breaking invention. They have become an essential part of man's success in various industries. The emergence of this pattern has resulted in the development of a range of robots used for various purposes.

Modern technology survives and improves through development and by being up to date. This practice also applies to robots, which are being continuously improved and updated. Industries that invest extensively in purchasing robots are always on the lookout for new inventions, which maybe beneficial and more productive. New inventions have resulted in discarding of old robots, in favor of modern and improved appliances.

Certain businesses are capitalizing on this trend by purchasing old robots and reselling them. While purchasing used robots from these vendors, buyers must keep in mind that these may have been in a storehouse for a considerable amount of time. Another critical factor while selecting these appliances is to understand that these may have been purchased from another company "in its present condition" and could be prone to certain technical problems.

While purchasing used robots it is important to ensure that these will be functional and productive when put in use again. Most used robots vendors upgrade robot software, add new configurations, complete precautionary maintenance, replace tools and carry out repetitive tests to check performance. Countless older robots do not act in accordance with robot safety guidelines of the ANSI/RIA R15.06-1999 standard.

Used robot arms, regulators, wires and connectors are meticulously scrutinized for damage and repairs. Internal wear and damages are detected and all appliances are greased and oiled accordingly. Used robots are frequently sold without a warranty.

Demand for refurbished robotic equipment is rapidly increasing, as this allows one to operate a business with increased efficiency and productivity without investing in new and exorbitant robots.

Robots provides detailed information on Robots, Robots Air Travel Finder, Industrial Robots, Used Robots and more. Robots is affiliated with Computer Forensics Consulting.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Dirt And Copper Wires

Writen by Carlo Caparras

The innovation of most industries to use telecommunication technology is sending traditional marketing into new heights. Marketing methods that were only accessible to Fortune 500 companies ten years ago.

Internet certainly played a part in crushing the boundaries set by traditional marketing media methods such as TV, radio, billboards, and newspapers. It is however debatable how effective online marketing can reach its defined target market cheaper. Nevertheless with correct online marketing methods the number of internet millionaire has grown steadily over the years.

The internet however removed the personal touch that most experienced sales personnel use to make sales and develop rapport with their clients. Telecommunication advancement is taking big leaps to resolve the lost personal touch and further the success of the online marketing trend.

Hardware and software continuously improve and services become faster and cheaper even in under-developed nations. Telecommunication has created innovations that some industries entire sales process has changed.

Real Estate is a great example of reinventing the wheel. The need for realtors to broker a seller buyer agreement is increasingly losing popularity to cheaper alternatives. Online MLS listings, website listings, online forms, voicemail recordings, voice broadcasting, e-mail alerts have helped buyers and sellers interact with less need to a realtor sell the house.

Contact Center support for sales and customer service saved time for realtors and real estate agencies in answering basic questions and complaints and other related inquiries enabling the industry to focus it's time into improving it's services further to serve the general public.

American Real Estate and Mortgage is one of the companies in the USA that uses their website (www.4thishouse.com) to enable buyers and sellers to meet online either through a "for sale by owner" type listing or traditional MLS listing. This is done using a fully automated system with almost no realtor intervention allowing real estate agents to service client at immeasurable numbers at a time with very little effort.

Contact Center on Demand implementation allows clients to contact agency personnel regardless of their home state and help sell their house efficiently and economically while the agency ensures the quality and control of the personnel. Contact Center on demand technology creates a 24/7/365 operation to address client needs if any such arises.

Web Camera and 360 degree virtual tour technology allow buyers to see and contact sellers at the comfort of their own home. An enhanced toll free number service gives the buyer additional incentive to call sellers even at long distances and saving hundreds on man hours by viewing the houses and talking to the seller before proceeding to physically checking the house itself. Sellers then save time by meeting only qualified and serious buyers since they are only contacted when their listing have been checked and still continue to receive buyer interest.

Technology improves further on computers, PDA and other handheld devices bridging the personal touch gap further and only imagination will stop it from progressing. Selling dirt has never been easier using copper wires. In the future there wont even be copper wires. If wives can be sold online, homes surely can.

Carlo Caparras is currently the assistant vice president on marketing for several ISP's, webhosting, web development, web-services, outsourcing, and telecommunication companies including Asterlink, Cylynx, and Artemis Telecom.

Computer Recycle10 Guidelines

Writen by Margarette Tustle

Are you interested in a computer recycle program, but you are unsure how to go about it or where to look? Here are some basic guidelines that will help you to make good decisions about donating your computer and finding a computer recycle plan to fit your needs.

1. Make sure that your computer recycle beneficiary is legitimate. Not only are there unethical individuals and computer recycle companies who will take your computer and sell it or its parts for profit, but they may also try to steal your information from your computer for illegal use. Check with the Better Business Bureau, just in case.

2. The costliness of disposing old computer parts that need to be refurbished or replaced (also called e-waste) may be high, so some recycle programs may charge a fee to take your computer. This fee may be to "wipe clean" your computer's hard drive, etc. Make sure your fees do not overlap with a simple task you can undertake on your own.

3. If you do want to "wipe clean" your computer yourself before you recycle, there are a number of products available on the market to assist you in the process.

4. Ask the computer recycle program if they want you to leave any basic components or programs (word perfect or other business software pre-installed). There are ways to computer recycle without leaving any personally identifying information on the computer. By doing this before you computer recycle, you may save money in the long run!

5. Nothing you are donating to the computer recycle program should be more than five years old. This is ancient in computer recycle time!

6. Check with different organizations, such as schools and libraries, before taking your computer to donate it. Oftentimes, such organizations do not take donations directly.

7. There are online and local organizations that take computers directly, then refurbish them and redistribute them to others in need. Check around to find out what is in your area.

8. You can get a tax deduction for donating a computer to a computer recycle program. For example, a computer that you bought for $1,000, but that is now worth $400, if you donate it, you can deduct $400 off of your taxes. Get receipts and keep records.

9. When you participate in a computer recycle program, you are helping someone in need.

10. When you participate in such programs, you are helping to preserve and protect the environment for future generations!

By Margarette Tustle. Learn more about recycle and recycling resources from dailyrecycle.com.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Cd Duplication Basics

Writen by Richard G M Taylor

CD duplication (copying of CD's) has become very popular because it is really very easy to do and not expensive. It can also be a controversial issue with all the legal issues concerning copyright etc which you need to be aware of. The laws and regulations are complex and will vary from country to country and state to state - so you will need to check that out for yourself to be sure that you are not CD duplicating illegally. If you are using CD duplication for your own use and copying files from your computer or from CD's which belong to you then you need not concern yourself too much about this. If you make multi copies of a commercial CD for distribution to friends or more importantly for sale to the general public then you really must make sure you have the legal rights to do that.

The basics of CD duplication is simply the copying of one CD to another blank CD. The CD you are copying may be one you purchased from your local music store (beware of copyright) or a CD lent to you by a friend. The CD can contain all sorts of stuff apart from music - pictures, movies, data files, mp3 files etc etc. CD duplication at home using simple software installed on your computer is very easy to do provided your computer is equipped with a CD-RW drive (if not then you can purchase an external CD-RW drive and connect it to your computer).

You will need special software to work with CD duplication from your computer but if your computer has a CD-RW drive then most likely you will find that your computer already has some basic software installed for working with CD's (if your purchase an external CD-RW drive then it will also come with software you can download to your computer) - check this out before buying any of the many software products available.

Most software is 'general purpose' in that it will allow you to duplicate many different types of file. However, with that type of software there is usually a level of compromise in terms of editing features available and quality of the duplicated material. If you are only interested in copying say music files, then you may wish to purchase software which will give lots of useful editing features and provide a better quality of duplicated content.

The same applies to blank CD's - some are more suitable for data files and others for music etc - so choose software and blank CD's carefully and seek advice if you are not sure. Also if you want to be able to edit or change the content on your duplicate CD at a later time then make sure you choose a CD-RW blank and not CD-R.

Beyond basic home based CD duplication, if you are a serious hobbyist or into CD duplication for commercial reasons then you may wish to consider some of the more specialised equipment and software available.

For more information on CD Duplication visit http://www.aboutcdcopying.info/

Friday, July 25, 2008

3 Ways Computers Can Hurt Your Ministry Part 2 Weak Network Security

Writen by Donnie Schexnayder

Our computers have become almost indispensable ministry tools. What would you do if the worst happened and you had to function without your computers? Would your ministry survive?

This article is the second in a 3-part series on how to protect your ministry from serious computer-related loss. This time we're going to focus on the basics of securing your network against potential inside and outside threats. In the final installment, we'll cover what every ministry should know about software license compliance.

Good network security is an area many people in ministry neglect, simply because it can be so overwhelming. Even though there are lots of technical details involved with adequately securing your ministry's network, if you focus on the handful of key areas presented in this article, you can prevent many of the potential threats you might face.

Passwords

The cornerstone of securing your network is to make sure you use strong, secure passwords. This is your first line of defense, and it's often the weakest link in the chain. If someone can guess your password, they can impersonate you on the network and get to everything you have access to. Even worse, a hacker can use your password to try to "escalate" his level of access and possibly take over the whole network. Most ministries would suffer great loss if sensitive data (like donor information) was leaked out to the Internet by a hacker or disgruntled employee. Making sure your passwords are secure will help prevent this from happening.

Start by putting a password policy in writing. Some good practices to include in the policy are:

•Make all passwords at least 6 characters long, and require a mixture of numbers & upper/lowercase letters. They should be hard to guess, but still pretty easy for the users to remember.

•Require everyone to change their passwords on a regular basis and enforce a password history. This keeps users from recycling their old passwords again and again.

•Make sure no one writes their password on a "sticky note" and posts it in plain sight. This is a common security problem, and it's almost as bad as having no password at all.

A good IT consultant can help with more suggestions, and these items can all be automatically enforced by your servers, so that everyone on the network will be protected.

Security Updates and Patches

Have you ever noticed that annoying message popping up at the bottom of your computer screen saying "New Updates Are Ready to Install"? Have you ever been tempted to ignore it? Don't! Every month Microsoft releases security updates for many of their products, and the only way to stay secure is to install them faithfully.

As soon as software companies become aware of security problems, they release patches and updates to correct the issues. It's your responsibility to download and install the patches so your system will stay up-to-date. I recommend configuring Automatic Updates on all your machines so this process will happen automatically. In a server environment, installing the latest updates can be automated for all your computers and managed from a central location. Just like maintenance on your car, you should plan to apply security patches and updates regularly to keep out potential hackers and viruses.

Firewall

If your ministry uses a dedicated high-speed Internet connection, make sure you have a good firewall in place. This device serves as a barrier to keep hackers out of your internal network. You would never dream of leaving your building at night without locking all the doors, and you should always make sure that the "doors" to your computer network are locked, as well. There are hardware and software firewalls available, but we usually recommend purchasing a hardware-based firewall for security and reliability reasons. Some good firewall manufacturers to check into include Cisco, SonicWall and WatchGuard.

Regular Security Audits

Another benefit of having a relationship with a good IT consultant is that they can perform ongoing security audits on your ministry network. Securing your passwords and applying all the current updates will help, but to make sure everything is locked down you should perform a thorough security audit at least once a year.

A competent, trusted IT consultant can approach your network like a hacker would, using many of the same hacker tools and techniques. He or she can try to penetrate your Internet firewall, test the strength of your passwords, verify the physical security of your data and backups, scan your whole network for security holes and vulnerabilities and provide a detailed report of the findings. They will also be able to give you recommendations and cost estimates on what it would take to fix any issues they find and thus increase the security of your ministry's network.

Making sure your network is secure is still only another part of the solution. In the final installment of this series we'll talk about some simple steps you can take to protect your ministry from huge fines and potential prosecution by making sure you comply with software licensing laws.

Donnie Schexnayder is a ministry technology expert. He holds industry certifications from Microsoft and CompTIA and has over 10 years experience in supporting churches and Christian ministries with technology. With a mixture of passion and expertise, Donnie helps ministries advance their mission of bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth by using cutting-edge technology. Donnie lives with his wife and 2 children in Colorado Springs, CO.

Eternitek :: Advancing Christian Ministries Through Technology

http://www.eternitek.com

info@eternitek.com

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Leds

Writen by Steve Valentino

LED stands for light emitting diodes. This small device has great importance in the world of electronics. From digital clocks to color displays, we find these diodes.

The diode is a semiconductor device made up of P-type and N-type of material. In the case of LEDs, aluminum-gallium-arsenide (AlGaAs) is used as the conductor material. In pure aluminum-gallium-arsenide, the entire atom bond leaves no free electrons to carry electric current. When the proper voltage is applied free electrons are created, which moves across a diode to fall into empty holes created in the P-type layer. In this process, the electrons release energy in the form of photons. The frequency of the photon depends on the size of the conduction gap. This is due to the fact that it is in the infrared part of the light spectrum. When the conduction band is short, the photons released are not visible to human eyes. These types of diodes are used in television remote controls. But when the conduction band is made wide, the light emitted by diodes can be seen by human eyes.

To create a large number of photons, LEDs are constructed to release electrons. Also, the plastic bulb in which the diode is placed helps concentrate the light in a particular direction. The sides of the bulb make most of the light from the diode bounce off and travel on through the rounded end of the bulb.

The plus point is that LEDs require less power. The energy wasted is minimal in case of LEDs. They are more durable and more resistant to blows or shocks. The average life of the LED is up to 10,000 hours. The negative point is cost. As they are made with advanced semiconductor technology, the cost is more than for conventional bulbs. But long-running capacity and durability give LEDs the upper hand.

LED provides detailed information on LED, LED Flashlights, LED Displays, LED Light Bulbs and more. LED is affiliated with LCD Monitors.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Need For Help Desk Software

Writen by Kent Pinkerton

Any company that does business online needs help desk software. In many cases, help desk software is a vital component to a good business strategy that can help both the company and the client. Researching, locating and comparing the options available can be an intimidating undertaking, but it helps to be informed about your options.

In general, a help desk software solution provides a centralized way to manage problems and issues in website management. With any e-commerce business, technical issues will undoubtedly occur. Being prepared to handle unexpected situations can reduce pressure and frustration by effectively managing the technical difficulties.

Many companies had call center support long before the widespread use of the Internet. Customers were frequently dismayed by long hold times, under-trained staff, and un-returned phone messages. Some customers may not be prepared to give a full and accurate description of the problem, which only further added to the frustration. Considering the fact that most companies have clients in various regions in the world and in varying time zones, help desk software has assisted many companies with effectively managing customer issues or complaints.

Help desk software solutions are available to manage many tasks within a business. Many programs allow customers to directly approach the appropriate department to handle their needs. For instance, many help desk software programs allow technical inquiries to be sent directly to the technical support department and billing questions sent to the billing department. Compared to traditional call center functions, help desk software can streamline and better manage queries and offer a better response time.

With the mainstream usage of the Internet came a need for faster, more reliable and, more accessible customer support. Customers desire and expect immediate help and solutions to their problems. Because of this, help desk software solutions have quickly become the most used type of customer support programs around the world. Unlike traditional call centers, help desk software has made it possible to offer virtually unlimited support. In a growing world market, help desk software solutions are quickly becoming a necessity, and can save a company thousands of dollars every year.

Help Desk Software Info provides detailed information on help desk software solutions, including IT help desk software, web-based help desk software, free help desk software, help desk tracking, help desk support software, and reviews of help desk software programs. Help Desk Software Info is the sister site of Recruiting Software Web.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Visible Ops Adding Realism To Itil Process Improvement

Writen by Pat Moore

While ITIL has provided a proven framework to assist with the increasing challenges associated with maintaining a more efficient, secure and compliant IT organization, only a handful of tools are publicly available to support the execution of ITIL-based improvement efforts. But a quick review of the Visible Ops handbook from the Information Technology Process Institute (ITPI), may give way to more tactical discussions on realistic service improvements for your ITO.

Visible Ops focuses mainly on the effective management of change as it relates to IT processes and applies to all any system related infrastructure component or attribute managed by IT (servers, databases, firewalls, network devices, storages systems, etc.). The handbook takes a common sense approach at leveraging ITIL and industry best practices through a straight forward and primarily non-technical narrative that serves a more functional audience.

Visible Ops was created through an industry study of "high-performing" IT organizations. Over the course of three years, the ITPI examined effective IT operations and security processes within these organizations, documenting characteristics that consistently contributed to the most efficient provision of IT services. In the end, the Visible Ops framework was developed, consisting of four phases driving increasing control over an IT environment. Each phase addresses related issues and provides indicators and descriptive steps to garner specific benefits each step of the way.

Phase 1: "Stabilize Patient, Modify First Response"

This phase looks at reducing the amount of unplanned work as a percentage of total work done to less than 25%. According to the ITPI, an estimated 80% of IT service outages are self-inflicted. Controlling changes that add significant risk to service provision and reducing MTTR through more efficient Change and Problem Management will add the most immediate value relative to process improvement efforts.

Phase 2: "Catch and Release, Find Fragile Artifacts"

Phase 2 focuses on the creation and maintenance of your inventory of IT production assets. As a result of inefficiencies in standardizing the replication of IT infrastructure, the ITPI recommends a comprehensive inventory of assets, configurations and services to identify CI's and attributes with low change success rates, high MTTR and substantial downtime costs to ensure these components and their associated attributes are well protected.

Phase 3: "Establish Repeatable Build Library"

By establishing a library of repeatable builds with an initial focus on the "fragile" IT infrastructure, IT organizations can ensure the most critical assets and services are cheaper to rebuild than to repair. This phase primarily focuses on implementing an effective Release Management process to gain efficiencies in IT services.

Phase 4: "Enable Continuous Improvement"

Based on the previous phases and the progressive integration of the ITIL Service Support processes (BS 15000 equivalent of Release, Control and Resolution processes), phase 4 concentrates on the implementation of process metrics to enable continuous IT service improvement and ensure alignment with overall business objectives.

Bottom Line: Through continuous exposure and feedback obtained from various IT audiences, the ITPI believes Visible Ops has gained acceptance as a consistent and intuitive framework for IT process improvement when coupled with the ITIL framework. In the end, Visible Ops can foster good dialogue and a starting point for where and how to start your IT service improvement efforts. But more importantly, Visible Ops puts the focus back on common sense as a common practice.

Patrick Moore is a independent consultant and technology writer residing in Los Angeles, CA USA. Patrick can be reached at moorep@itilworx.com.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Holiday Clip Art

Writen by Kristy Annely

Holiday clip art is images that depict memorable events and special days that different cultures commemorate annually. You can use this clip art as background decorations for your web pages, greeting cards and party invitations.

A huge and excellent selection of colored clip art created specifically for national and international holidays is available at clip art websites. You can select from U.S. flags, rockets and ?United We Stand? statements for Independence Day; flag images with patriotic sayings, ?Remember our Heroes? images and a woman weeping at a grave for Memorial Day and Patriotic Day; and flags, eagles and stars with ?Made in the USA? statements for Labor Day.

You can also find clip art for secular holidays, such as Irish borders, shamrocks, lambs and bullets for St. Patrick?s Day; sailing ships for Columbus Day; saguaro cactus and colored sombreros for Cinco de Mayo; and groundhogs in different scenes for Groundhog Day.

You can search for clip art for Christian holidays, too. These include manger scenes, Christmas wreaths, Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeers, elves, pine trees, stars and Christmas gifts. There are images of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, holy saints, the Bible, crosses and churches that suit the season of Lent. Bunnies in baskets, flowers, lambs and Easter eggs are the perfect clip art images for Easter.

There is also holiday clip art of menorahs and Stars of David in various colors and designs for the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. For Kwanzaa, there are images of candles, ethnic boys and girls, and statements of social and spiritual principles.

Other popular holiday clip art includes cupids, hearts, singing blue birds, a small red heart inscribed with the words "I Love You" and a kissing couple for Valentine's Day; bouquets for Mothers? Day; witches, ghosts, mummies, graves and pumpkins for Halloween; and balloons, champagne and bubbles, party hats, fireworks and clocks pointing to midnight for New Year?s Day.

The World Wide Web is a great source of clip art for all occasions. Browse through the sub-categories of each website to access the newest collection of free holiday clip art.

Clip Art provides detailed information on Clip Art, Free Clip Art, Birthday Clip Art, Wedding Clip Art and more. Clip Art is affiliated with Free Catalogs.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Wifi Government And Military Security Consultants

Writen by Lance Winslow

It would be wise to read up on the latest WiFi security, IT, Wireless case studies and white papers pertaining to military security if you are going to consider a job as a WiFi security consultant. Over the past year I have accumulated literature and research on this subject and indeed, much of it is very interesting to read. Personally I have more than 50 white papers and case studies, as my primary objective in this is to study how to keep our "Blue Force" safe from a military enemy. In the future our enemies will use hacking techniques and try to turn our blue force (friendlies, allies and out own team) into "Red Force" (enemy forces) on the Net Centric driven battlespace composites and 4 dimensional screens. This of course causing us to kill our own soldiers, airmen and Marines in the fog of war with friendly fire; not exactly something you want to explain to the fallen soldiers next of kin. All military technology teams and war planners must be thinking here or we will end up destroying ourselves from within as Sun Tzu strategy predicts. Indeed it may just be the Chinese video game player today who becomes an enemy military hacker tomorrow.

There is also another sinister concept afoot and it is intent on taking the future of WiMax as a strategy to gap the digital divide, to do harm to the human body or alter states of mind. Yet others are looking at ways to prevent the WiMax blast wireless system to all without causing signals, which might cause adverse effects and free radicals to the human biosystem.

Some say government agencies are clueless, in fact a study done by the GAO determined that 60% of all Government Wireless Systems were not able to keep the data safe. Those who say the government is clueless, well you are correct, this is a completely serious issue and most people as you state have "NO CLUE." Let's hope the Military and NSA do, otherwise we will need more body bags for the next conflict, think on this.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Data Mining Tutorials

Writen by Ross Bainbridge

Data mining is the process of analyzing, interpreting and reporting useful information from masses of data. There days, there is a lot of data available which is impossible to analyze manually. Traditional data interpretation tools and statistical techniques like correlation and regression analysis are no longer sufficient for sifting through the enormous quantities of data. Data mining is basically a technique that uses these statistical techniques, along with specially designed software to effective data retrieval and analysis.

Data mining is not just a data recovery tool. It is now a reliable decision making tool that is used to make most decisions in the areas of direct marketing, internet e-commerce, customer relationship management, healthcare, the oil and gas industry, scientific tests, genetics, telecommunications, financial services and utilities. Data mining can be personalized as per specific requirements to generate the kind of information that is required for a particular application. Data mining is being used increasingly for understanding and then predicting valuable information like customer buying behavior and buying trends, profiles of customers, study of clinical data, etc. There are several kinds of data mining: text mining, web mining, social networks data mining, relational databases, pictorial data mining, audio data mining and video data mining.

Data mining primarily consists of using statistical tools and mathematical algorithms. There are many tutorials for understanding the basics of data mining as well as its applications in business. These tutorials generally give a basic introduction to data mining. They also teach how to identify the potential data, and use data mining tools and software applications. This also includes problem understanding, data understanding and preparation, modeling, evaluation of results, and deployment of results. Some tutorials also teach the techniques of using data mining for specific applications like market research or customer behavior analysis, and how to use these for business decision-making.

There are many online data mining tutorials. These can be downloaded for free from the internet. There are many sites that provide information about data mining tutorials.

Data Mining provides detailed information on Data Mining, Data Mining Tutorials, Business Intelligence Data Mining, Web Data Mining and more. Data Mining is affiliated with Offshore Data Entry.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Reliable It Service Contracts

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

Good IT service contracts can give small businesses peace of mind and the knowledge they have dependable support in case of a computer emergency. Often simple issues such as one small bit of badly written code or a computer virus can bog down a whole office. Since your time is valuable, you need the right help easily accessible so you don't miss a beat. Online IT service contracts can help professionals solve their most critical computer problems.

Making Systems More Efficient

A well-trained consultant offering IT service contracts will be able to guide you through the process of setting up an office environment that works for you. He can make sure that you have the safest and most streamlined infrastructure to support your network by implementing the right platform integrations and Ethernet wirings, among many other things. Even if you are just using one computer and one printer, a consultant under the umbrella of IT service contracts can make everything run smoothly and help you maximize your resources.

The initial set-up of your office is the perfect time to make all the critical decisions about how the business will operate. You should determine what software you need to handle sales, how clients will find your site and fulfill their needs, and all other aspects of business. The best IT service contracts will provide you with a consultant perfectly suited to your particular business area that can give you the right advice.

Response Times

Part of making your office run more smoothly is determining bottlenecks that might hinder progress. Once your IT consultant has identified these, typically your office will be running in top form in just a few minutes. The firm you choose to offer IT service contracts must be responsive to your needs in the case of both emergencies and non-emergencies, and the IT service contracts should be explicit about the response time you should expect.

Copyright MMI-MMVII, Computer Consulting 101 Blog. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg, co-founder of Computer Consulting 101, helps computer consulting businesses get more steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for your free access to these field-tested, proven business strategies on the Computer Consulting 101 Blog.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Port Forwarding A Guide

Writen by Ajay Divakaran

So first, here are a couple of things that you can do after you finish this section.

- You can configure BitTorrent to give you excellent speeds

- You can configure your computer to play multiplayer games over the internet

- You can setup your computer as a terminal server (for remote desktop connections)

- and many many more cool stuff!!

This tutorial consists of 2 sections

1. Understanding Port Forwarding

2. Implementing Port Forwarding on common routers

What is portforwarding?

In one sentence, portforwarding makes the internet see your computer as if it were directly connected rather than being connected though a router. For the same reason, if you dont have a router, and your computer IS directly connected to the Internet, then you wont need this tutorial.

A little explanation: When a computer is connected to the internet, it is assigned a unique address called the IP address. This enables other computers on the internet to communicate with it and send packets to it and so on... An IP address has the format ###.###.###.###. It looks like four sets of numbers, separated by a dot. Each set can have a value between 0 and 255.

Usually the internet service provider is the guy who assigns you an IP address for your connection. However, he gives you only ONE ip address and this gets assigned to the cable/dsl modem at your house. If you directly connect your computer to the cable/dsl modem, you are using this IP address to communicate with other computers on the internet. However, you can connect only one computer to the cable modem at any given time. So you go to the nearest store and buy a router.

Role of the router

A router connects to the cable/dsl modem and splits the one internet connection into multiple connections so all the computers in your house can enjoy internet connectivity simultaneously. Once you get the router, you connect the router to your cable/dsl modem, and all your computers to the router.

Internal and External IP addresses

Once you start using a router, the IP address given by your internet service provider gets assigned to the router. This IP address is called the External IP address, as it is part of the external network between your router and the Internet. The router in turn assigns new IP addresses to the computers connected to it. These addresses are a part of your Internal Network, and are called Internal IP addresses. By set laws, an Internal IP address may start with the numbers 10,128, or 192. All the other combinations are used for external addressing.

For example, my external IP address is 68.36.145.156. This IP address is assigned to my router. I have two computers connected to the router, and they have the IP addresses 192.168.0.10 and 192.168.0.11. These are my internal addresses.

The Port concept

Even when you use a router to connect many machines to the internet, other computers on the internet see one single machine with the external IP address of the router. They dont know that a router is sitting inside your house and splitting the external address into many internal IP addresses. They can only make a connection to your router, and your router decides how to route the connection and to which internal computer to route it to.

IP addresses are further divided into channels called ports. This permits one IP address to be shared by multiple programs at the same time, each using a different port. By standard every computer has 65536 ports (numbered 0 to 65535). When a computer attempts to talk to another computer, the attempt is always initiated along with a port number.

Forwarding Ports

Lets assume that a computer on the Internet needs to initiate a connection to a specific software on your computer. The software in discussion uses port 12345. For simplicity, we will call the initiating computer as ClientX, and your computer as the ServerX. As we discussed earlier, clientX only sees (and knows) the external IP address i.e. the IP address of your router. It tries to initiate a connection to that IP address with the port number 12345. However, your router recieves this request, and sees 4 computers in your house connected to the router. The router is not able to figure which computer the connection from ClientX was intended for! So it simply drops the connection.

Port forwarding is a setting in the router which you can change to prevent this from happening. By doing this, you can tell the router that any connections for port 12345 has to be forwarded to ServerX. Now when the router recieves a request for a connection on port 12345, it checks its table and sees your entry saying that all connections for port12345 have to be forwarded to serverX. Hence it routes the connection accordingly!

Here we'll see how to do portforwarding on most routers.

Scenario : Lets say you need to forward port 6889 to a computer whose Internal IP is 192.168.1.10.

Step 1: Find your gateway IP address. To get this, in windows, select Start > Run. Type in "CMD" and hit enter. Inside the command window, type "ipconfig" and hit enter. The screen will show you the default gateway. Note this down.

Step 2: Open Internet explorer. Enter your gateway from Step 1 in the address bar, and hit enter. A popup window will ask you to authenticate into your router with a username and password. Enter the username and password. If you dont remember, try the default ones below:

Linksys router : Default username "" password "admin"
NetGear router : Default username "admin" password"password"
Belkin router : Default username "" password""
D-Link router : Default username "admin" password""
Gateway router : Default username "admin" password"admin"
If you cant remember the password, post it on the forum at forum.techorient.com and someone will help you!

Step 3:

For Belkin routers, select virtual servers from the left menu. Enter something for description. Type "6889" or the required port number in both fields for inbound port. Do the same for the Private port fields too. Select the connection type from the drop down. If you dont know what you need, try UDP. If that doesnt work, come back and try TCP. In the private IP address field, enter the computer to which you need the connection forwarded. In our case, this is 192.168.1.10

Linksys routers, select "Application and Gaming" from the top menu, and the select 'portrange forwarding' from the submenu. In another family of linksys routers, you can find 'Forwarding' section under 'advanced' tab of main setup page. Rest of the process is the same as that for Belkin routers above.

Netgear routers, you'll find 'Port Forwarding' under the 'Advanced' table in the main page. The rest of the steps are same as above.

Step 4:

Save the setting and restart the router. Your port forwarding is complete.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Sound Rental Advice Computer Rental And Av Industry

Writen by John Beagle

If you manage conferences, trade shows, conventions or classroom training you should really consider using a microphone and amplifier. They are low cost to rent and easy to use and make even the tiniest voices heard.

When your conference or convention event grows, consider even larger audio visual solutions. Larger sound systems with speakers that match the room and audience size is best achieved with the advice of a Tech Travel Agent.

Wireless Lavalier Microphones
A wireless microphone is an the best solution. The presenter wears a small microphone on the lapel area (just clips on) that is connected to a transmitter (usually clips to a belt or pocket).

The Lavalier combines the microphone with the transmitter. Connect to your sound system via the the audio input plug.

Sound Check One
Before the presentation, do a sound check. Make sure you are getting the right amount of sound. If the sound level is too high, you will get an annoying buzzing sound. If the sound level is too low, you won't be able to hear the speaker in the back corners of the room.

Note: The transmitter and receiver each use a 9 volt radio battery.

For more information on renting sound equipment visit: Sound Advice

Contact a Tech Travel Agent at http://www.Rentacomputer.com, email rentals@Rentacomputer.com or call toll free 800-736-8772.

John Beagle is a technology writer for Xponex Web and Media Services.

New Apple Products 2006 The Introduction Of The Intel Macs

Writen by John Conanan

In the past two months Apple has released a number of completely new products, and more importantly has started their transition to the Intel processor. In this article I will detail the new product offerings and options available on each.

The first new Intel product announced by Apple was the iMac Core Duo. The all-in-one enclosure featuring either a 17" or 20" LCD monitor looks exactly the same as the previous iMac G5 enclosure, and like the iMac G5, features a built-in iSight camera. Inside however it's an entirely different story. The iMac Core Duo features the Intel Core Duo processor running at 1.83 or 2.0 GHz, the ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card, 512MB of built-in RAM upgradeable to 2GB, and a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive upgradeable to 500GB. The iMac Core Duo also features Front Row media software and the Apple Remote.

The second new Intel-based product that Apple introduced was the MacBook Pro. This is their brand new laptop, and their first completely new laptop in quite a while. The MacBook Pro features an Intel Core Duo processor running at 1.83, 2.0, or 2.16 GHZ, a 15.4" TFT display, 512MB of built-in RAM upgradeable to 2GB, an 80GB Serial ATA hard drive upgradeable to 120GB, and the ATI Radeon X1600 graphics card with 128MB or 256MB of RAM. Unlike any laptop in Apple history, the new MacBook Pro also features a built-in iSight camera, Front Row software, and the Apple Remote.

The latest Intel-based product announced by Apple is the Mac mini. Like the iMac, the new Mac mini looks exactly the same as the old Mac mini, but is completely different inside. The mini is the first Mac to offer either the Intel Core Solo or Core Duo processor. The base model Mac mini comes standard with the Intel Core Solo running at 1.5 GHz, 512MB of built-in RAM, a 60GB Serial ATA hard drive, and a built-in Intel GMA950 graphics chipset. New to the Mac mini is the Apple Remote, Front Row software, and the option of connecting the mini to your home television.

What I am most excited about with these new Intel-based Macs is that Apple finally offers a product line in which all of their offerings are comparable in processing power and performance. Previously there were the PowerPC G4-based products - the Mac mini, PowerBook, and iBook - and the PowerPC G5-based products – the iMac G5 and Power Mac G5. While the PowerPC G4 is a viable and powerful processor, it is no match for the PowerPC G5, and left many purchasers of G4-based Macs stuck with substantially less processor power and overall performance. Now that the Intel-based Mac line is out, even buyers of lower end Macs still are offered processor power and performance comparable to buyers of top-of-the-line Macs. This is a great move for Apple, and is a win-win situation for consumers, shareholders, and for the company.

John Conanan is the owner of http://www.readandforget.com and http://www.7verse.net

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Which Is Which Cheap Laptop Or Cheap Desktop

Writen by Florie Lyn Masarate

Should you buy a cheap laptop or a cheap desktop?

You may find yourself asking that question many times while shopping for a computer. This guide offers you the pros and cons of owning a laptop versus a desktop pc.

1. Processing speed

Comparing processing speeds, laptops usually lag behind their desktop counterparts. With the rapid advance in microchip technology, the gap between them will become smaller.

2. Wireless.

Most laptops especially those with Intel mobile chips come with wireless capability out of the box. This means you can get online from any location at home easily without ugly wires if you have a wireless network setup at home.

Desktop pcs do not typically provide this capability out of the box although that may change in the near future.

3. Memory.

Memory chip tends to be more expensive in Laptop than desktop pcs. If you buy a laptop with less than 512MB ram, be prepare to pay more for memory upgrades than you have to with a desktop pc.

4. Graphics Display

Because of the size of a laptop, most business or entry level laptop use integrated graphics with limited ram. This means most laptops even some expensive ones cannot run graphics intensive applications or 3d games as well as a desktop pc.

With a desktop pc, you can buy a dedicated graphics card just to serve a graphics intensive application.

5. Portability.

Portability is why everyone wants a laptop these days. Because of their size and weight, it is easier to carry a laptop around as opposed to a desktop pc.

6. Screen Display.

Everyone buy laptop for their portability so laptops usually do not come with screens as big as their desktop counterparts. The screen technology used is usually not as good as those used by desktop pc.

Furthermore with a desktop pc, you can always upgrade to a bigger and better screen whereas for laptop you are stuck with the same screen display for the whole lifespan of the laptop.

So whether you should buy a cheap laptop or a cheap desktop, ask yourself what are your needs? If you want to be able to use a computer wherever you go, then you are looking at a laptop to fulfill your needs.

However if you do not require the portability of a laptop, play a lot of 3D games, graphic intensive applications, if you care about upgradeability to prolong the lifespan of your investment, then desktop pc is a smarter choice for you.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.uprinting.com

About The Author
Florie Lyn Masarate got the flair for reading and writing when she got her first subscription of the school newsletter in kindergarten. She had her first article published on that same newsletter in the third grade.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Four Ways To Make Your Word File Quotslimquot

Writen by Isaac Chu

We will talk about some related to your office daily work. Did you encounter the following situation? You want to send an email with a Word file attachment, but the email cannot be send out cause the Word file is too large. And you waste many efforts in making the file slim. You can try the following methods, which can reduce the size a lot.

1. Save as

In Menu, choose "File > Save As", and save the file with a new name. You can compare the new file with original one; you will find that the file size of new one is much smaller.

You can also work in this way. Select the whole content of the document, copy and paste it to a new blank document and save it. Again, you will that file size of two documents is different.

2. Delete old versions

If there are many old versions kept in the file, the file size will be larger. In Menu, choose "File > Version", check to see if there is any old version saved. You can delete those versions with no value to make the file slim.

3. Insert picture wisely

"Insert Picture" is one of the main reasons for the word file get fat. Try to insert a smaller picture. You can use graphic editor to reduce the size of picture before insert into the file. The file format should use GIF or JPG and do not use those high-resolution graphic, like BMP.

4. Don't "Embed True Type Font"

"Embed True Type Font" will increase the size of word file. In Menu, choose "Tools > Options", switch to "Save" tab page. Confirm that your word file have no true type font, and cancel the "Embed True Type Font" option. If you embed true type font, then choose "Embed characters in use only".

Try the above four methods, you will see your word file getting slim.

Isaac Chu is Project Director of Evinco Solutions Limited. Evinco provides innovative business softwares, include emarketing web solutions, email marketing software, e-catalog publishing software, invoicing software, and electronic cheque writer. Visit: http://www.evinco.com.hk

Monday, July 14, 2008

Disruptive Technologies Part 2 Music Editors And Steam Engines Are Still Related

Writen by Josh Nowell

I have illustrated on how music editors are related to steam engines in Part 1. Why so loose a connection? Because I want to stress the universal timeline from the early days of steam engines to the modernity of music editors, during which technology has evolved in waves of disruption.

Now somebody might break that already loose relationship.

John C. Dvorak, a very reputed columnist, fervently argues that there is no Clay Christensen disruptive technology in its very own coined definition: disruptive technologies are low performers, "less expensive technologies that enter a heated scene where the established technology is outpacing people's ability to adapt to it".

Is my music editors – steam engines connection invalid then, as there is no disruptive, let alone sustaining, technology? I thought so. Yes, I thought so, as in his paper, Dvorak rebukes so persuasively all purported disruptive technologies: the microcomputers are not cheaper than the minicomputers, and neither do internet sales supplant bookstores. His points are convincing, covering even the titans among the believed disruptive technologies of digital photography and Linux.

But I think again, "independently". And let me re-affirm with you that despite the distant connection, music editors and steam engines are indeed parts of the twin aspects of technology, disruptive and sustaining.

Microcomputers were not cheaper, because the smaller-sized disks were more expensive. However, microcomputers were not the disruptive technology. It is the smaller-sized disk drives. When the sustaining technology of cost-saving capacity improvement came, the disruptive technology of smaller-sized drives truly took over as they achieved the same price points as larger-sized drives. The smaller-sized drives are thus cheaper in utility terms. Isn't it now a disruptor?

Internet sales, on the other hand, might not outperform bookstores yet. But even that fits into the definition of a disruptive technology: it is an initial low performer. That internet sales would exceed bookstore revenues, especially when there are more credit card holders than ever nowadays, seems a good bet.

Thus, in similar arguments, it is fair to state that perhaps the conclusion that Linux and digital photography not being disruptive technologies is somewhat untimely. And who knows if digital photography is not cheaper because it can't be cheaper or because it is so in demand its economic price can't be lower?

If you are not yet convinced, Napster and VoIP technologies will make you. They fit into every aspect of Clay Christensen's definition of disruptive technologies.

Napster was inferior, it was sued for copyrights violation and eventually shut down. But this first peer-to-peer music sharing program was not only cheaper (in fact, users only needed to pay for their internet access and the music editors if they wish to morph the songs before sharing) than what conventional music producers offer, but also quickly revolutionized the way people listen to music (so quickly that it had to be shut down as the then legal framework had yet to accommodate its form). Napster is non-existent now. But its variants are growing strong. And the sustaining industry of music editor softwares has carved out a niche market for its own. This is typical of a disruptive technology, one that not only changes the way things are, but also brings on other flows of goods and services.

In addition, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is another epitome of disruptive technologies. Telephony is getting cheaper, but VoIP is free (except for the internet access). And VoIP boasts efficient pioneers the like of Skype and Vonage that threaten to outdate traditional telephony practices. In fact, telecommunication services have become so complex consumers could not fully utilize their functions, thus turning to simpler services and paying only for what is relevant to their needs. That is how Sweden's Comviq has seized 39% of the market from the incumbent Telia by offering half as many handset features and simpler pricing plans. But telecommunications will soon be free; VoIP will soon disrupt even the like of Comviq. And the sustainers that will keep VoIP evolving will be the class of voice changer softwares and cheaper and faster internet connection.

Ala, my music editors and steam engines are still related.

Josh Nowell is a Media Morpher writer who specializes in technology research. This article is the second in the 4-part series on Disruptive Technologies of his.

He could be contacted at media@audio4fun.com.

Computer Consulting Services Protecting Client Data

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

As a provider of computer consulting services, you should communicate to your clients that a dedicated server generally can enforce strong user passwords. This means your clients can:

• Force users to change passwords at predetermined intervals

• Prevent recycling of previously-chosen passwords

• Eliminate the use of blank passwords

• Enforce selection of passwords that are a mixture of both letters and numbers, as well as upper and lower case characters

Protection Against "Accidental" Reboots

When a PC is used in a peer-to-peer network as both a server and a workstation, sooner or later the server will get rebooted accidentally - no matter how careful the server's primary user is.

Let your computer consulting services clients know that whether the peer-to-peer server gets rebooted as a result of installing a new piece of software, or a buggy application with memory leaks causes system crashes, sooner or later their employees will be livid when the server goes down without warning.

This will likely cause corrupted data files and lost hours of collective work in progress. A dedicated server system is a simple way to prevent this enormous potential problem.

Centralized File Protection

With a peer-to-peer network, servers tend to sprout up throughout your computer consulting services clients' office as multiple end users set up file and printer shares on their own PCs.

With a client/server network, files are centrally protected from data loss and corruption resulting from hardware faults, accidental deletion, power problems, hacking, sabotage, and virus threats.

Don't Forget Back Up Solutions

As their computer consulting services provider, communicate to your clients that conversely in a peer-to-peer network environment, with decentralized file storage, they should consider how crucial data files will be backed up.

Will data backup be a manual process? Will an external tape backup drive get passed from user to user (requiring each end user to take initiative)?

The Bottom Line about Computer Consulting Services

When providing computer consulting services, have clients consider how often antivirus definitions will get updated on each server. And don't forget to think about whether each peer-to-peer server has a UPS (battery backup unit) capable of unattended shutdown if power is lost, when no one is around to manually and safely shutdown the "server".

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Biz Tech Talk. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg helps computer consultant business owners get steady, high-paying clients. Learn how you can too. Sign-up now for Joshua's free audio training program that shows you how to use field-tested, proven Small Biz Tech Talk tools.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Denial Of Service Attack

Writen by Edwin Gonzalez

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is an attack on a network which is designed to bring it to a halt. This is done by sending useless traffic to a specific service/port on a server. The amount of traffic sent would overwhelm the service, so that legitimate traffic would be dropped or ignored.

DDoS attacks have developed from the basic DoS attacks that were in the wild in 1997. These attacks originate from one source and can emerge from 100's of locations around the world. The most visible attacks were those in February 2000, where high traffic sites (eBay/Amazon/Yahoo/CNN/Buy.Com/Datek/ZDNet) were faced with the task of handling huge amounts of spoofed traffic. In recent days, there have been attacks on Cisco which resulted in considerable downtime. Some public blacklist have also been targeted by spammers and taken out of business.

The following are different types of attacks.

Smurfing: The culprit sends a large amount of ICMP echo traffic at IP Broadcast addresses, all of it having a spoofed source address of a victim. This multiplies the traffic by the number of hosts.

Fraggle: This is the cousin of the smurf attack. This attack uses UDP echo packets in the same was as the ICMP echo traffic.

Ping Flood: The culprit attempts to disrupt service by sending ping request directly to the victim.

Syn Flood: Exploiting the flaw in the TCP three-way handshake, the culprit will create connection requests aimed at the victim. These requests are made with packets of unreachable source addresses. The server/device is not able to complete the connection and as a result the server ends up using the majority of its network resources trying to acknowledge each SYN.

Land: The culprit sends a forged packet with the same source and destination IP address. The victims system will be confused and crash or reboot.

Teardrop: The culprit sends two fragments that cannot be reassembled properly by manipulating the offset value of the packet and cause a reboot or halt of the victim's system.

Bonk: This attack usually affects Windows OS machines. The culprit sends corrupted UDP Packets to DNS port 53. The system gets confused and crashes.

Boink: This is similar to the Bonk attack; accept that it targets multiple ports instead of only 53.

Worming: The worm sends a large amount of data to remote servers. It then verifies that a connection is active by attempting to contact a website outside the network. If successful, an attack is initiated. This would be in conjunction with a mass-mailing of some sort.

With the current TCP/IP implementation, there is very little that companies can do to prevent their network from being DDoSed. Some companies can be proactive and make sure all their systems are patched and are only running services they need. Also implementing, Egress/Ingress filtering and enable logging on all routers will disable some DDoS attacks.

"Egress filtering is the process of examining all packet headers leaving a subnet for address validity. If the packet's source IP address originates inside the subnet that the router serves, then the packet is forwarded. If the packet has an illegal source address, then the packet is simply dropped. There is very little overhead involved, therefore there is no degradation to network performance."


- Cisco Website

Below you will find a simple SYN attack detection script that could be set to run every 5 minutes via a cronjob. In case of an attack you would receive and email with IP information; remember the IP information is usually spoofed.

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

#Simple Script to monitor syn attacks.

$syn_alert=15;

$hostname=`hostname`;

chomp($hostname);

$num_of_syn=`netstat -an | grep -c SYN`;

if($num_of_syn > $syn_alert)

{

`netstat -an | grep SYN | mail -s "SYN ATTACK DETECTED ON $hostname" admin@yourcompany.com`;

}

else {

}

exit;

Conclusion: DDoS attacks are very difficult to trace and stop. New hardware appliances are being manufactured specifically for these types of attacks. Many dedicated server providers simply unplug the server that is being attacked until the attack has stopped. This is not a solution this is a careless and temporary fix. The culprit will still exist and has not been held accountable for their actions. Once an attack is detected hosts should immediately engage their upstream providers.

About The Author

Edwin Gonzalez is the founder of Datums Internet Solutions, LLC (http://www.datums.net) based out of New York. In addition to dealing with day-to-day operations, he works on building his library of shell one-liners.

Great Reasons To Use Compatible Printer Ink

Writen by Carla Weaffer

It's safe to say there are millions of homes all across the world with a personal computer and an inkjet printer. These printers and computers are used for a wide variety of reasons. Home business needs and schoolwork are just two popular uses. As consumers will quickly discover, the regular purchase of branded printer ink cartridges can soon become a significant regular outlay. This is one of the primary reasons why it's worthwhile to consider the use of compatible printer ink cartridges as an alternative.

Now you may be asking yourself what exactly is a compatible printer ink cartridge? They're probably best explained as inkjet printer ink cartridges that have been refurbished for re-use. If you're one of the many individuals that have decided to try compatible printer ink cartridge then you'll quickly find their use can bring a variety of benefits. One reason why these types of inkjet printer cartridges are so popular is that there are few inkjet printers that won't work with them.

The money saving aspect is the most obvious benefit of using compatible ink cartridges especially considering that just a few branded cartridges can actually cost more than the printer itself. Doing a little research and comparison shopping will help you determine that in the long run using compatible printer inks can end up saving you a lot of money.

Another, less obvious, benefit of using re-using ink cartridges is that you help to reduce the amount of solid waste being put into the world's landfill sites.

Product warranties are a common concern to potential users. People like to know that after they make an important purchase they want to be assured that their item is covered for a period of time should something unexpected happen. Consumers that are looking into the possibility of purchasing and using compatible printer inks are often very concerned that if they use these types of inkjet printer cartridges that it is sure to void the warranty on their printer. There is no real need for worry as, more often then not the simple use of any type of inkjet printer ink cartridge (including compatible printer inks) will not affect the printers warranty.

Another issue among consumers interested in compatible printer inks is that they might produce an inferior quality print job as compared to printer cartridges produced by a printer manufacturer. Again there is no need for worry as a good quality compatible printer ink will provide its user with a print job equal to a manufacturers cartridges.

So when you find that you're in the market for a new inkjet printer please take into consideration all the fantastic benefits that go along with the use of compatible printer inks.

Carla Weaffer manages a business supplying Epson compatible printer inks. This article is brought to you in conjunction with Web Design Knowsley. It is free to republish within the boundaries of the terms and conditions of the source. The content and resource box must remain unchanged and all hyperlinks active.